the flavor of a city: randal ford for visit dallas
Fewer things are more telling of a city’s culture than its food, and, like most things in Texas, the flavors in Dallas are big, and getting bigger. In 2019 the city was named Bon Appetit’s Best Restaurant City of the Year, and photographer Randal Ford was brought in to capture those wielding the knives and spices—Dallas’s “finest in chef-driven cuisine”—and the culinary creations they’re cooking up.
“The shoot included a cool mix of different chefs with different backgrounds and different styles of food,” Ford remarks. The only natural thing was to bring them together, just like the scene of a memorable meal. In addition to photographing eight of Dallas’s hottest chefs in a group portrait, Ford did aerial shots of a long table set with stand-out dishes from their various repertoires. On the menu: homegrown Texan comforts like tacos, steak, and BBQ, plated beside internationally inspired Laotian boat noodles, ceviche, and sashimi.
It’s well known that the restaurant industry has been among the most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Ford’s photos (his last shoot before the early 2020 shutdowns), are reminiscent of the effortless intimacy that used to be found around a communal table. Food is powerful medicine, and we raise a glass to these Dallas proprietors for working against all odds to keep the body and soul of the city flavorfully fed.
To feast your eyes on more imagery, head over to Randal’s site.