Friends of Tabletop: Meet Food Writer Layla Khoury-Hanold
We are so excited to continue our monthly series highlighting the many social influencers and bloggers who have become not only our colleagues, but our friends throughout our journey with Tabletop Media Group. Last year, we started a new series here on the #TabletopTalk blog called, “Friends of Tabletop.” We’re here to spread some positivity and highlight the bloggers + influencers who we enjoy collaborating with and who are so incredibly talented!
This month, we’re featuring the lovely Layla Khoury-Hanold. Layla is a freelance food writer who works with publications like Food Network, Saveur Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, Refinery29, and locally, IndyWeek. Check out our fun Q&A with her!
Tell us about your role in the food writing world (i.e. when did you start it, what do you cover, etc.).
I started writing about food while taking some memoir writing classes in New York. Initially, I wanted to capture some of my childhood memories and stories from living in places like Paris, France; Aberdeen, Scotland; and Jakarta, Indonesia. All my stories revolve around food; I think it’s how I assimilated into different cultures and found comfort.
I experimented first through my now neglected blog Glass of Rosé, wrote restaurant profiles as my side hustle while working in media in NYC, then went freelance when we moved to the south in 2015. I cover restaurants, travel and home cooking, sometimes cocktails and wine too; my work has appeared in Food Network, Saveur, the Chicago Tribune, and Refinery29; locally I contribute to INDY Week (where I used to be the food editor before my family moved to Virginia) and to Our State magazine.
Why do you write about food + Triangle area happenings?
I was lucky enough to call the Triangle home for a year and a half (2017-2019) and I just fell in love with it. The food and beverage and hospitality community here is unlike any I’ve seen; there’s an energy and synergy between restaurant owners and diners, and the community at large. There is so much happening every day but what makes it so special is the way that people are telling increasingly personal stories through food and it’s contributing to a flourishing and diverse restaurant community.
What are you currently reading?
Women on Food, which is a collection of essays, interviews and thoughts from a variety of food world talent from chefs to writers to TV personalities. I also recently finished two very powerful memoirs, one called Burn the Place, by Chicago chef Iliana Regan, the other called Saying Grace by restaurateur Steve Palmer; they're each very different but both explore substance abuse and their journey to sobriety. I’m also working my way through the Indian-ish cookbook; Priya Krishna is an incredibly talented food writer whose work I admire and her voice really shines in this book too. The recipes are approachable and very reflective of how her immigrant Indian parents cooked and ate where she grew up in Dallas.
What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
I love ice cream so much. My daughter Ava and I eat it year round. It depends on my mood and where I am. In N.C. I love Andia’s. The double chocolate is a staple but also love the rose pistachio, baklava and specialty flavors like malted Kit Kat & Twix or Chocolate Indulgence. And The Parlour in Durham’s vegan soft serve is magic. If I’m home in Roanoke it’s Blue Cow for lavender honey or blueberry goat cheese, or anything from Homestead Creamery.
What is your least favorite food?
It’s a mixed blessing and a curse that there aren’t many foods I don’t eat. I was not a fan of haggis (a Scottish dish made from sheep's stomach) probably because I was 8 years old when I tried it and my dad tricked me into tasting it when we were living in Aberdeen, Scotland. I'm also not a huge fan of sweet breads (animal glands); it’s something I feel like I’m supposed to like as a food person. But maybe I haven’t had the right preparation yet!
What about favorite food?
Noodles. I could eat them everyday. Pasta, ramen, udon, mein. My maternal grandma was Lebanese but she learned to make red sauce and pasta dishes from Italian immigrants, so her baked manicotti remains one of my all-time favorite dishes. Noodles equal comfort for me. Some faves in the Triangle include Rose’s belt noodles, Dashi’s ramen, anything at Mothers and Sons & Mr. Dumpling’s chili-oil-seared noodles.
Bar order?
Depends what I’m in the mood for—maybe a glass of red wine or a cocktail with a citrus bent—but ideally with a snack to nibble on with it. Kingfisher and Alley Twenty Six, both in Durham, hits the mark on the food and snacks front, as does Hummingbird in Raleigh. I love the cocktails at Lucky and River and Rail in Roanoke. And as my social media handles imply (@theglassofrose), I love a glass of rosé any time of year.
What's the most useful lesson you've learned from being a writer?
It’s taught me to be even more empathetic. When someone trusts you to tell their story, it makes you pay even more attention to the nuances that make us all human. You never know what someone is going through, where they’ve been, or where they’re going. Being a writer also means being a great listener. You have to be present and meet your subject where they are in their journey, and then tell that story in a compelling way that honors their truth.
If you could redo one thing in regards to your career what would it be?
I used to think that I wish I had started sooner, but I think that my experiences working in fashion and media in New York helped to shape my perspective and approach.