An exclusive note from Katrice Hardy

A look inside our newsroom and the stories we cover. ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏   [INSIDE THE NEWSROOM](     Why this Newsletter Matters We seek daily to produce journalism that drives discussion and impact and that ultimately helps our community prosper. This newsletter seeks to shed more light on our work and who we are in an effort to build more trust with you, our readers. Below is a look inside the DMN newsroom.   I couldn't contain my excitement last month when Sarah Blaskovich, our long-time restaurant and food reporter, broke the news that Michelin is coming to Texas. Now if you don’t know why the revelation that this French company has finally turned its attention to Texas has made me so happy, that’s OK. I’m here to explain. A Michelin star is the most prestigious honor any restaurant can achieve in the world. Until now, no Texas restaurant could earn one of its coveted star ratings, which makes the news that much more exciting. This fall, Michelin will announce which restaurants in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston and San Antonio earned its praise. The restaurants that win one star - or goodness gracious, two or three - will stay booked for months and become destinations for international travelers. “Michelin is the Olympics of food,” Sarah said. [It’s “where only the best and brightest restaurants in the world get a medal,”]( she wrote in one of her stories. Michelin's top-rated restaurants hire chefs who pay exceptional attention to small details. Here, Dallas chef Michael Matis puts finishing touches on a foie gras dish.(Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer) I’m confident that Michelin’s 2024 acclaimed Texas Guide will be filled with local stars. More times than I care to admit, I find myself out exploring our great restaurants, and because of it, battling with my waistline. But I digress. Which ones do you think will get the honor and privilege of saying they are among the best restaurants in the world? Sarah wrote this news so quickly and thoroughly because of her dedication to constantly educate herself about the industry she covers, because she’s spent countless hours getting to know her sources and having them get to know her, and because she’s earned their trust. In return, over the years, so many of them have shared their stories with The Dallas Morning News first - stories about their private health battles like [this one](. “My goal with our coverage of Michelin matches my goal with most of our restaurant stories: I want to be your friend in the know,” Sarah said. “I want to write stories that offer context and information, and I never want to lose sight of the fun parts of this job, too.” Dallas chef Dean Fearing garnishes Texas Wagyu beef carpaccio elotes at his restaurant Fearing's at the Ritz-Carlton. We have to wonder: Have Michelin inspectors eaten this dish yet?(Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer) Sarah loves this community. She was born and raised in D-FW and watched her parents faithfully read The News daily. She has worked here for 12 years and her first job with us was as a 17-year-old high school intern before she headed off to journalism school at The University of Missouri, or Mizzou. Later, Sarah returned and was our entertainment editor for years before returning to food - the beat she describes as the highlight of her career. Her devotion to serving you is exactly how she and our food team planned our Michelin coverage. Within 24 hours, they wrote six stories and followed up with two more in-depth stories. Their coverage included an [explainer piece]( by restaurant reporter Claire Ballor that tried to answer every question you have about Michelin. Reporter Imelda Garcia published a list of [13 pop-culture references to Michelin]( and provided fun and, as Sarah said, functional examples of how this rating system is glamorized and loathed across the globe. Sarah made an appearance on NBC5, published Instagram reels, spoke on local radio shows and engaged in a discussion with her teammates on our Eat Drink DFW podcast. One of my favorite parts of their coverage was the emotional, powerful interviews. In one story, Sarah spoke to popular Dallas chef Dean Fearing who had longed for Michelin’s move into Texas for his whole career. “He said so many things that became the emotional explanation of why Michelin's entry was a game-changing opportunity for Texas chefs,” Sarah shared. “Here's my favorite: “[We’re all scared to death.](" I can see that perspective, too. Now go find a restaurant and eat something great! As always, we appreciate and couldn’t do this work without you. [Tell us if we’re missing something, if you hate it or like it, and how we can better serve you](mailto:katrice.hardy@dallasnews.com). And please, send us story ideas! Thank you for reading. Katrice Staff Spotlight Maggie Doheny, Audience Journalist 1. What is your job and what do you love most about it? I am an audience journalist, specifically focused on The Dallas Morning News' social media platforms. In college, I found a love for audience journalism and the importance of connecting stories with readers. It doesn't matter what stories we write if they aren't reaching the people who need to see them. I really enjoy getting to be part of innovative projects and finding creative ways to convey stories to different groups of people on various platforms. 2. Where are you from and how long have you lived in the area? I was born and raised in Louisville, KY. (Go Cards!). For college, I headed to the University of Missouri's School of Journalism where I experienced dreadful winters but fantastic classes, teachers and friends. I moved to Dallas about two weeks after my graduation in 2022 and have been here since! 3. What are your hobbies? My main hobbies include watching almost any reality TV show, reading books, playing my guitar, going to concerts, playing board games and taking walks. 4. What is the coolest thing you've ever done? A few years ago, I went to Yosemite with my family. We decided to join a star viewing group and walked to a canyon where we laid down on a big tarp and looked up at a wide open night sky. I have never seen so many stars in my life. Someone talked through all of the different constellations and some space history. It was one of the most surreal and beautiful things I have ever witnessed. 5. What do you want readers to know most about your work and the team? Journalism is one of the core aspects of a democracy. While it continues to change formats to fit with society's changing needs, it's still necessary to hold people accountable and share important stories. That's exactly what the audience team is here to do: meet readers where they are. We are dedicated to spreading news in whatever ways people will consume it, which tends to be on a phone or laptop nowadays. We really enjoy creating content in different formats and seeing how our audiences interact with it. Thank you to the readers who engage with our stories on any platform! 6. What's your favorite book? One of my all-time favorite books is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. However, a recent favorite I read is The Alice Network by Kate Quinn.   EDITOR'S PICKS   [D-FW home prices continue slow crawl up as questions about supply, interest rates loom]( Dallas-Fort Worth home prices have continued their slow crawl upward as market watchers wonder what the future [...] [State Fair of Texas’ famous foods of 2024 include fried burnt ends and cotton candy bacon]( The Big Tex Choice Awards never cease to surprise us. [A driver says a toll road bill she received for someone else became an ‘ongoing stressor’]( The North Texas Tollway Authority advises drivers who receive an incorrect bill from them for another vehicle [...] [Can Mesquite get small-town downtown charm right?]( Like all North Texas communities vying for a slice of the population and economic boom in the region, Mesquite [...] [READ MORE OF THE LATEST NEWS]( [The Dallas Morning News]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [X (formerly Twitter)]( [YouTube]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Account Login]( | [Help Center]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Service]( [Manage Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( ©2024 The Dallas Morning News • 1954 Commerce St. • Dallas, TX 75201