Meet the The News Tribune’s new food and dining writer
We try to produce journalism that is essential to your life.
And what topic could be more essential than the one that literally keeps you alive? Food.
Since Sue Kidd’s departure in the spring, we’ve been without a reporter on that important beat. To say the least, many of you have noticed. My voicemail and email inboxes have been filled with readers asking when that was going to change.
The answer is now.
I’m happy to announce the arrival of Kristine Sherred, our new food and dining reporter. She comes to us with a background as a food and beverage writer for various food-industry websites and publications. For the better part of the last decade, she’s been based in Chicago.
A native of the Pittsburgh area, she has a photojournalism degree from Boston University and a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University.
She describes herself as “a journalist, photographer, home cook and trained bartender.” During her interview, we were impressed with her varied experiences, background as a researcher and writer and training as a visual journalist. One of her references told me, “Food is her thing.”
“Being from Pittsburgh, Tacoma feels very much like home,” she said. “Neighborhoods have their own distinct vibe, the architecture evolving as the streets turn from asphalt to brick and back again. Having lived in the Midwest for nearly a decade, the hills are welcome — as is the seafood. Of course, you can find salmon and oysters on menus in every state, but living on the coast undoubtedly has its advantages.
“In my first few weeks here, I sense that Tacoma has precisely what makes mid-sized cities the future of America: passionate people, bountiful nature, essential culture and really good food. The innumerable breweries, wineries and cideries add bonus grit to this city on the make.”
She’s already started to get to know the territory a bit in the last week with guides to local Christmas and New Year’s Eve dining options and a look at a new Italian restaurant in the Proctor District.
“It’s easy to get wrapped up in trendy this-and-that,” she said. “Tacoma doesn’t strike me as the place that settles for less; she demands quality of her people, her surroundings and her food. I hope to pull back the veil on those who make that food, and why it matters. I am eagerly digging in — literally — to the wonders of this lovely corner of the Pacific Northwest, and I hope that my wide-eyed travels around the city and county open your eyes to places you’ve never heard of or maybe always passed by. If I’m lucky, you’ll revisit an old favorite with a worthwhile fresh perspective.
“I fell for restaurants because they are the beating heart of a place. I love the pace, the people, the history, the conversations: every day is different. Hospitality, after all, is all about you.”
You can read her work online at TNT Diner and in print on Fridays in the GO section.
Her email is ksherred@thenewstribune.com, if you want to reach out with a hello or a news tip.
