Edible San Luis Obispo: Heirloom Edition Now Available
The 52nd issue of the Edible San Luis Obispo is out now. Settle into the fall season by picking up a copy at one of the many locations across San Luis Obispo County.
You can also subscribe to have the issues delivered directly to your mailbox before the stories are released digitally.
It’s been one year since I was invited to join Edible San Luis Obispo as Art Director. Over the past four seasons, I’ve come to appreciate so much about the Central Coast. Each issue has introduced me to the farmers, chefs, winemakers and business owners who add the spice that makes this community so special.
The greatest joy of my design process for Edible is opening a new batch of photographs, each one a glimpse into a family, a craft and a labor of love. Every close-up detail, food glamour shot, handmade sign and portrait reveals layers of character. My mind starts turning: What are the stories behind these faces? What colors and shapes define their space? And, of critical importance, What would I order?
The theme of this issue is “heirloom,” something valuable passed down through generations. I come from a family of chefs and restaurant owners, and my mother is also a designer, so the interweaving of food and design — how they are connected through creativity and attention to detail — are my family heirlooms.
And while design is my career, food has always been a favorite hobby and — at times — my livelihood. From bussing tables at age 12 to serving tourists at Cheers in college, and exploring my new home city of Philadelphia through a dinner club I started with friends (yes, of course I designed matching T-shirts), food has been an unmistakable throughline in my world.
I’m drawn to places with substance, warmth and craft. Not just trends, but small treasures you carry in your heart and share with friends and family. I want to share with you some of my favorite fall flavors from my corner of the country: soup that’s affectionately called “liquid autumn” at Inn at Little Washington in Virginia, baklava ice cream at New City in Massachusetts, and a perfect roasted carrot dish at Philadelphia’s Vedge. I’d be remiss not to mention the perfect seasonal meal served at Talula’s Table in Pennsylvania’s Mushroom Capital, where a reservation must be booked a year in advance.
I hope my designs inspire people to discover a new favorite place, revisit a classic or simply appreciate the people whose passion and hard work fill this magazine’s pages. With each layout I design, I’m thinking of the business owner, the chef and the winemaker whose work is being shared and celebrated. I hope seeing their work highlighted on the page makes them proud. Most of all, I hope this issue becomes a small keepsake — a thoughtful collection of stories, recipes and experiences worth sharing.
Warmly,
Chandra
