One Year of Dig In!
I never imagined I would have this much fun
It all started with a waxy mouthful of cheese.
My desire to understand the Yucatán’s obsession with a Dutch cheese called queso de bola was what ultimately led me to start my Substack one year ago. You can read all about my cheese exploits in this post, but suffice it to say that a Mexico City food experience led me to book a trip to Yucatán’s capital Mérida last March, which set the wheels in motion for this newsletter.
I spent the weeks following our return from Mérida writing about cantina culture and an otherworldly dish called relleno negro and put these stories up on my site without telling any of my friends or family about my new project. Through these posts I connected with a wonderful Mexico City-based writer and recipe developer
who made me feel at home in the Substack community.
From there I started posting about Chicago area restaurants and started following other local Substackers including
, a talented writer and humorist whose Food is Stupid and Party Stack newsletters are must reads. I took a chance with a piece I entitled, “Sorry, Dennis Lee, the Best Gyros are in Andersonville” and Dennis responded with extreme generosity, reposting my article and sending lots of readers my way. While we haven’t yet met in person (soon, Dennis…I hope) I’m grateful for his support.
Nearly a year after launching Dig In! I’m back in Mexico, this time in the awe-inspiring capital, Mexico City, which is one of my favorite places on earth. In the coming weeks I plan to share dispatches about the food and the people of Santa María La Ribera, the neighborhood we are calling home for the next month, as well as write-ups on some incredible spots around the city.
As I explained in my inaugural post, my favorite writing demonstrates how food serves as an entry point for learning more about the people and culture of a particular place. In the year to come I hope to deliver on this promise by honing my journalistic chops (which means working up the nerve to interview people — a work in progress).
In addition to eating delicious food and having a lot of laughs along the way, what I’ve enjoyed most is interacting with all of you. Your comments, hot tips and passing mentions of trying out one of the restaurants I’ve written about on Dig In! are the best part of this project.
Year Two, Here We Come!
Whitney
¡Felicidades querida!
You're doing fantastic work. Sorry about the late comment, but better late than never? And yes, we will meet up at some point. Might take a bit due to current circumstances, but keep it up, glad you're here in the scene with us.