Meet David Cook, Sarah Unger, and Alex DeHart — the folks behind Food as a Verb. What comes to mind when you think of the word food? It might be sustenance or necessity, but what if food was framed as an identity that connects us all? This idea is the heartbeat behind the local publication Food as a Verb. Pioneered by Chattanoogans David Cook, Sarah Unger, and Alex DeHart + Julie Ellison who joined in late 2023, this team is dedicated to telling the stories of local food, farmers, chefs, and restaurants — from seed to plate, and everything in between.
It’s no secret that Chattanooga has a robust food scene, but the relationship with the food and where it comes from can often be forgotten. Cook said Food as a Verb was born out of the intent to help us remember that food means something more to us as humans — that it represents community, meaning, pleasure, comfort, and memory.
You won’t find things like restaurant reviews in Food as a Verb, instead think of the publication as a storytelling version of the Slow Food Movement. You’ll find calming, nourishing stories about how food integrates with everyday life.
Ready to dig in? To get you started, here are some of Cook + Unger’s favorite stories they’ve told so far:
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