A Taste of Community

Our associate editor — a self-proclaimed foodie — dishes on the December issue

Hi, readers!  

It’s so nice to finally speak — well, write — to you. You might’ve noticed my byline popping up in COMO Magazine and COMO Business Times over the past few months. I joined COMO Companies as a writing and marketing intern back in January, and now, four months into my full-time role, I’m writing an associate editor’s Letter. Who would’ve thought I’d make it this far? (This is where editor Jodie Jackson Jr. chimes in, “Me! Me! I did!”)  

As a self-proclaimed foodie, I’m excited to share December’s “Food & Drink” issue with you. Columbia’s dining scene is full of unique, vibrant flavors, and what I love most about our college town is 1) the diversity of cuisine and 2) the abundance of local restaurants. With choices ranging from Vietnamese and Burmese to Syrian, Ethiopian, Indian, and Japanese, it’s hard to get bored around here. And let’s be honest, eating local always beats a chain. No offense, Texas Roadhouse — I still love you!  

During my senior year at Columbia College, I took a class called “Food Communications.” I figured it would be a fun, easy course to round out my communications minor, but it turned out to be unexpectedly meaningful. One topic that stood out was how food unites us — not only around the dinner table with friends and family but also within our communities, across generations and cultures.  

One book from the course, The Cooking Gene by culinary historian Michael W. Twitty, left a lasting impact. In it, Twitty explores food’s deep connection to family, history, and cultural identity, sharing his journey through the Old South and back to his African roots. He writes:  

“My first baby food was cornbread and potlikker, the broth from a pot of collard greens; the first taste of the world given to multiple generations of my family going back to the time of slavery. However, growing up in a world of flashing color TVs with kid-seducing pizza, chicken nuggets, juicy burgers, and crispy fries led me astray. Like many African American kids, the search for identity and a sense of place put me through mental contortions before I found a way into our story through food. In the process, I went on a journey that would lead me back through the Old South to our Ancestor’s origins in Africa, tasting from the pots of Southerners of all colors, and in turn, I got a lesson in the real meaning of the word family.”  

Here at COMO Magazine, we may not serve food, but we do create a product that unifies our community, and we share a sense of family among our staff — and with you, our wonderful readers.  

I hope you enjoy exploring Columbia’s food scene through this issue. And check out some of my own snaps from local restaurants because, as the kids say, “The phone eats first!” 

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