The Roanoker - November/December 2018 - 10

Eating Well Thanks to You
Dream jobs and holidays remind us to be even more grateful for the
opportunities we're offered.

H

ONESTLY, THERE ARE FEW THINGS
I love more than food (just look at my
Instagram page; it's basically my dog and food
... okay, and maybe prosecco, too). We have so many
fantastic establishments in our region that offer good
service, affordable prices and, of course, incredible food.
I love the Dining Awards each year because our
readers share their favorites, which in turn has me
checking out so many new places, many of which I
didn't even know existed before the polls closed. Thanks
to you, my breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts and even
drinks are covered!
Readers also told us what they're most excited about
in today's dining trends, including farm-to-table meals.
It's clear that these days, we're more interested than
ever in knowing where our food comes from. Christina
Nifong's piece on the New Faces of Farming is
fascinating (page 65). By meeting these young farmers
changing the face of the industry, I learned something
new. Their challenges and successes are not only based
on what they can sell, but weather, land and other
factors make it an incredibly hard-working business.
The fact that they are undeterred by the "what if 's" of
it all is so inspiring.
As I close the book on my first year at this editor's
desk, I am happy to report I am still counting my lucky
stars. "Middle school newspaper editor-in-chief me"
is so thrilled to showcase my favorite city and all the

great people in it, and to have made it my career. That's
why Dan Smith's piece on "Dream Job Miracles" deeply
resonated with me (page 32). I love seeing people light
up when talking about their passions, and it's even
better when they're able to do it for a living.
Lastly, as the holidays approach, I'm reminded
to take a breath, step back and embrace the special
times with family and friends. Luckily, I can now
impress them with Becky Ellis's incredible recipes for
entertaining (page 80), and find great gifts for them
from local businesses in our annual gift guide (page
84). And if you're looking for ways to give back to the
community, flip to Jennifer Fenrich's nonprofit coverage
to learn about a few organizations you might not know
about (page 88).
I, and the rest of the team here at The Roanoker, wish
you very happy holidays and a wonderful New Year. I
already can't wait to celebrate 2019 with you as we look
forward to the great content planned for our readers.
Thank you, dear friends, for the best first year as editor
I could ever ask for.

TELL US ABOUT...

your new or favorite
holiday traditions.
What do you love
most about the festive
season? Share your
thoughts on our social
media pages!

WE WANT TO
HEAR FROM YOU

Questions, comments
or feedback about
The Roanoker?
E-mail llong@
leisuremedia360.com

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Cheers!

llong@leisuremedia360.com

MEET THE

CONTRIBUTORS

10

Jennifer Fenrich

is a National Board
Certified Reading
Specialist and former
Reading Recovery
Teacher. She lives
near the Blue Ridge
Mountains with her
husband and one cat,
and loves spending
time with family,
writing, exploring the
outdoors and traveling.
Read her piece on
Nonprofit Coverage on
page 88.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

Chris Link

is a life-long Virginian
transplanted to Roanoke
in 2013 when he married
his wife Elizabeth. An
engineer by trade and
accidental freelance
writer by choice he
enjoys fathering his
daughter, canoeing,
gardening, learning to
barely play as many
musical instruments as
possible and, of course,
sandwiches. Read about
his piece for the Great
Sandwich Quest on
page 76.

Christina Nifong

is a freelance writer
with a decades-long
career of profiling
fascinating people,
places and ideas. She's
also a committed
locavore, an urban
gardener and mother to
three kids, five chickens
and the sweetest kitty
on the planet. Read
Christina's piece on
the Changing Faces
of Young Farmers on
page 65.

John Park

has become the
quintessential food
evangelist for SW
Virginia and the
surrounding regions.
Though John lives in a
suit by day, he prides
himself on sharing his
love of great eats and
the people who make
it possible. Follow his
social media moniker
@hungryasianrke and
see his photos in our
Dining Awards and
dining section starting
on page 70.

Dan Smith

is an award-winning
writer, author and
photographer and a
member of the Virginia
Communications Hall
of Fame. He is founding
editor of a Roanokebased business
magazine and a former
Virginia Small Business
Journalist of the Year.
Read Dan's piece about
Dream Job Miracles on
page 32.

Laura Wade

is the founder of
Thrive by Heart and
offers workshops and
individual guidance to
empower women to live
and love their lives. She
is passionate about her
family, holistic health,
personal transformation
and sharing ideas to
inspire others to live
their best lives. Read
Laura's pieces in The
Gist starting on page
16.

TheRoanoker.com

LIZ LONG HEADSHOT: AMY PEARMAN

Becky Ellis

is following her passion
after a career in health
care dining and nutrition
management. Becky
created Bubblybee, a
champagne and food
blog. Her motto is
"Don't wait to celebrate!
Pop the cork now!" Find
her creative recipes
and champagne tasting
notes at bubblybee.
net. Get her Holiday
Entertaining Recipes on
page 80.
http://www.TheRoanoker.com
The Roanoker - November/December 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker - November/December 2018
