first names: Keith pandolfi
age: 51
who is he: Lighter for food and dining Cincinnati Applicant

How old were you when you left Cincinnati and when did you come back?

He first moved to New Orleans in 1998 at the age of 28 and returned in 2000 for a year to work in Dayton. Returned to New Orleans in 2001 and moved to New York City in 2003, 2019.

Why did you come home?

I always intended to go back, but didn’t expect it to take that long. I loved New Orleans and New York, but they always seemed temporary. When I came back here I was a freelance writer so I could work anywhere. My wife, Amy, worked at Scripps, which is headquartered here. Therefore, I had the opportunity to go back. I had a daughter, so it was a good time.

When I leave Cincinnati, I miss him more than I expected. I have returned often enough to maintain my friendship. I knew there were a lot of food items in the area, like Kentucky and Tennessee. So I thought it was a good time to write about Midwestern and Southern cuisine.

While you were still in New York, you were quite active as the Cincinnati Champion, shedding light on the food in our area. What was it like watching Cincinnati from New York?

I liked having a national platform to talk about Cincinnati and its food scene. We had to fight a little harder than in other cities in the national spotlight, like Nashville and Louisville. Cincinnati is also part of the South, Midwest, and Appalachians and does not fit into the traditional culinary category, so it’s always difficult to identify with a culinary perspective.

When I wrote about Cincinnati, I was afraid to do journalism with a parachute every now and then. So I always did things right and was very careful to come back and talk to the chef.

Have you been excited or hesitant to come back? A bit of both ?

I wanted to make my living and always thought I would be back here. I was frustrated when I was in New York. Yeah, when does that really happen? Immediately after returning here, I quickly became more comfortable and relaxed. It has been 20 years since I left home, and despite all the changes, I felt right at home.

Like many people leaving New York, I was afraid to regret it. They lack the diversity of theater and music, as well as public transport, energy and food. But I found it almost overwhelming and knew Cincinnati only had a small amount of it. If I was in New York City during COVID, I would have been crazy. I was here and rented a four bedroom house with a back yard which made it much easier for me to survive last year. After that, we finally bought a house. I miss the New York pizzeria and corner slice shop.

How has Cincinnati changed since you left?

Most of the places I loved are still there, and most of my favorite friends are still here. The other path, of course, is Over-the-Rhine, which cannot be ignored as a food writer. It’s a big change. I love the chefs and the talents of OTR, and the current dynamism. But I also want to focus on places that have always been there, like the Tuckers. When you walk into Tucker’s, you’ll see a family that has lived across the line for over 50 years. I feel like I have to keep this in mind at all times.

How is it the same as before?

Cincinnati continues its tradition, including restaurants. The area is still unique, including Pleasant Ridge, Hyde Park, and Chebiot. Twenty years later, I still feel the exact same way most of the time. My mission for the first 6 months in Questioner It was to remind people that there are still a lot of restaurants, despite everything that is going on. Blind lemon Or Highland Cafe Or Arnold Things that have always been there. I never want these places to be overlooked. Because they give the city its personality.

What are your favorite new discoveries after returning to Japan?

This is the west side. I grew up on the east side and never explored the west side. There are many old bakeries and butchers, as well as great restaurants such as: Sebastian, Small cove of Mollies, And Trotta’s pizza, A place that I did not know at the time of departure. Probably one of the most Cincinnati in Cincinnati, but to me it feels like a whole new city.

What is holding you back here now?

Well i have a job in a daily newspaper.. My friendship brought me back, many of which were rooted in high school. And the friendliness of the landscape, the architecture and the city itself brought me back. I always feel like I’m at home. I have left the house several times, but I don’t want to go back there anymore. I love the eastern part of Hyde Park where I bought my first home. I have never owned a house before. I know there is a problem, but I like it. I like having a garage.

So what do you think of working as a daily food writer during a pandemic? How do you write about your current diet compared to your pre-pandemic diet?

Polly Campbell was an old school food writer. QuestionerShe reviewed the restaurant and everyone was eagerly awaiting her opinion. Many chefs appreciate his opinion and constructive criticism, and I have decided not to review the restaurant, at least for now. I don’t think it’s fair to consider it now because they are in so much pain.

It’s really great to see how these restaurants have found a way to survive and keep going. I’ve heard that restaurant workers are abused by customers who don’t wear masks and refuse to follow protocol, but I also hear a lot of good stories like denunciations in cities and the generosity of customers. ..

I can’t wait to get back to normal, but I don’t think we can cover the restaurant without considering COVID. Personally, I have decided not to eat at the restaurant yet. I mean, I’ve done it a few times, but most of the time I don’t eat. That is, when I talk about my favorite salad this week, that’s basically what I get. This means I drive in my car and come home with a lot of styrofoam or preferably a lot of recyclable containers. You might think you eat out every night, but you usually drive to pick things up and eat in the car somewhere in the parking lot.

Did you notice the moment? I’m a food writer now??

I’ve always wanted to write some kind of semi-autobiographical novel about my family in Cincinnati, but I wasn’t a good fiction writer. So I went to Sable, A culinary magazine that travels and contains many personal essays. Being a food writer was not a prerequisite for adoption. I did, but as long as you’re a good writer and a good editor, they’ll give you a chance. You are here to learn more about food, Sable It gave me a lot of knowledge and made me travel all over the country and abroad, so when I was away I felt like a food writer. With an approach like Anthony Bourdain, I realized that food is also a great way to tell other stories. The story was about food on the surface, but it was actually something else. Sable It allowed me to tell my own story through food and I was able to edit many really great writers who were much better than me.

You wrote EveryBody News Worked as an editor for the former Dayton alternative newspaper Weekly impactContributed to New Orleans newspapers, New York City magazines and Eat seriously website. Have you been consistent in your career and where do you think you’re heading food writing?

I’m really happy to be here Questioner It has a lot of presence on the web, but it’s still mostly print journalism. The most painful thing I witnessed in New York was the death of such a long and slow magazine. Sable We have just announced that it will be fully digital. Gourmet I folded it while I was there. Bonapetti We do this huge amount of math. Most people trying to get into food writing enter through digital platforms rather than print. So by the time I left New York, I was a little depressed. There are no print magazines that I really wanted to work with, no editors or fact checkers.

I think it’s strange to work on the daily newspaper that I read when I was young. When I was in my twenties, all I wanted to do was work. Questioner Or a print magazine from Cincinnati. I’m really, really lucky.

Has becoming a parent changed the way you think about food and the way you write about it?

I write about the meals I ate with my family as a kid and the restaurants I used to go to. My father died, but my mother was fascinated by reading these stories. You never know what the children will remember and what a truly sacred moment will be for them. .. I’m watching my daughter now, if her lunch at Dewey’s Pizza is something she remembers when she was 25, or if her picnic at Ault Park lasts with her forever. But I can’t create these moments for her. I try to make him a memorable meal, like Gumbo. And she doesn’t like Gumbo. Then we sat down together for dinner and she just wanted to watch TV. You have no control over the storage generator.

My father’s house had a restaurant. His whole family grew up there and his brother worked there. Food was therefore a very deep part of his life. I am back in Massachusetts and have nothing to do with this family. The restaurant has been closed for 60 years. I would love to have such a big family and my daughter always eats the family meals that I read. Is made. But we’re just a family of three, and that’s his situation.