Since The Food Section is perpetually 200 paid subscribers away from a financial breakthrough, my favorite line has long been: “This newsletter could succeed if only more people knew about it.”
On September 16, we’ll find out if I’m right.
For the first time in our publication’s history, it’s scored a mention on a streaming platform, courtesy of our friends at TrueSouth. The travel show hosted by John T. Edge is a city-by-city exploration of “Southern tastemakers, food, culture, and history,” and tonight’s episode—available on the SEC Network at 8 p.m. Eastern, and streaming on Hulu sometime after that—centers on Charleston.
Initially, I was just a fixer for the show, meaning I did for the TrueSouth team what I do for The Food Section’s subscribers. Namely, I pointed them toward culinary experiences worth seeking out, from a backyard seafood operation to the regional vanguard of Mexican brunch. (I also lobbied Kooben Café on to Garden & Gun’s recent list of “30 New Restaurants to Try Now,” so that might no longer qualify as a find.)
At some point, though, I went from dish whisperer to talking head. Typically, I don’t appear on camera: It’s a habit I picked up back when I started reviewing restaurants 20 years ago, and one I upheld because I believe circulating my image is tantamount to courting special treatment from the industry I cover. While I could be entirely off base, my standard critic pic (in which I’m obscured by a seafood tower) almost always provokes a discussion about food journalism ethics. That sure beats a free slice of cake.
In any case, I don’t take anonymity to ridiculous extremes. I speak to groups all the time without first putting on a big hat and sunglasses, since I’m forever game to advance thoughtful conversations about what we eat in the South and why. If you haven’t seen TrueSouth, that’s a pretty good description of the program.
To be clear, this is not the TFS hour: I hope you’ll watch to learn more about the talent and care behind such operations as Bertha’s Kitchen, High Wire Distilling Co., Vern’s, Little Jack’s, and babas, in addition to Kooben.
But I hope you’ll tell your friends to watch as an introduction to this newsletter. Now, I haven’t seen this episode: I can’t know if the words The Food Section will appear on screen, for example. Still, it’s worth a shot—and a discount code. Feel free to paste the blurb below into a text or email, and enjoy the show.
Are you planning to watch TrueSouth on Hulu tonight? This episode is all about Charleston, and features The Food Section, a daily newsletter I really like. They’re celebrating the show’s debut by offering a three-month subscription for $15; check it out! https://thefoodsection.memberful.com/checkout?coupon=truesouth&plan=103893
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