Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Robinson.
Rebecca, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I don’t even know where to begin! I was born and raised in Dallas and always grew up cooking with my mom in the kitchen. We used to do “themed” nights where my brother and I would alternate on who got to pick the theme for dinner. I just always grew up in the kitchen and doing something food-related.
Fast forward to 2011 – I graduated from The University of North Texas with a degree in Radio, TV, and Film. I started my first job as an overnight editor and producer for The CW33 News in Dallas. At the time, the national morning show was called “Eye Opener”. Because I got off around 10am and had nothing to do all day…I would go home and bake desserts and bring them to work the next day. One of the producers thought that there might be a segment there. So, we started a short segment on Eye Opener called “Outside the Box”. I baked a dessert with a secret ingredient (like…velveeta or okra) and the hosts would try it live and say if it was a “chew” or a “spew”. It was a lot of fun! Outside of work, I started going to Wine Chats at the Mansion and meeting so many people in the food industry! I became obsessed with all things F&B but realized that morning TV was not for me. So…I quit my job and did a three month mission trip in Italy. When I got back, I worked at a production company in Dallas and started a new segment on Eye Opener called “Spirited Cooking” where I cooked with alcohol.
From then on, I stayed involved in the food and beverage industry. But, I could never really figure out what I wanted to do. Last year (2018), my husband and I got married. He was from Oklahoma and I had family in Denison so we decided to make this our home. I decided to start from scratch and started my blog The Denison Dish. I try to focus primarily on all things related to Denison. And I’ve recently started hosting “underground dinners”. It’s so much fun! I also started working for The City of Denison in February as the Marketing and Tourism Coordinator. I have honestly never been happier. I love my full-time job and I love the direction my blog is going.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been smooth! But what is? When I graduated from college, I wanted to be a sports reporter and live in NYC. But, I didn’t know what the TV world was really like until I had my first job. You don’t know until you try. Looking back at my cooking segments, sometimes I feel like there were a lot of missed opportunities. Maybe because I’m a cautious person and never really wanted to take a huge risk. Or maybe I never really believed I could do it. I miss doing those segments so much. I would give anything to be able to do cooking segments on a regular basis. But, it’s hard to do with a full-time job and bills! Even moving to Denison and starting this blog has had its moments. I’ve gotten mean comments on Facebook and emails sent to me saying I should move back to Dallas and that I’ll never understand Denison. The main thing is, I’m 30 years old and after working in TV and the restaurant industry, I’ve grown a thick skin and learned to just be me. If you don’t like it, unfollow me!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Denison Dish – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I’m honestly not sure! It’s so funny to be out in public and people stop you and say “you’re The Denison Dish! I follow you!”. I think I’m most known for promoting local. Whether it’s my own recipes, local boutiques, or events. I’m really trying to put Denison on the map and show how many amazing things we have here. From farmers to craft beer, whiskey, vineyards, boutiques…etc. But, if I take vacations along the way, I like to blog about that as well.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I really love the quirkiness of Denison! There are so many artists and creative people here. I really believe it’s going to be like the Bishop Arts District one day.
I think what I like least is the lack of options. Coming from Dallas, I had thousands of wine bars, restaurants, grocery stores, specialty stores…etc. It’s been an adjustment but Denison has some really cool things here now and some awesome things coming! It’s such a great place to start a business and with all of the creatives and entrepreneurs, I’m excited to see what the future holds!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thedenisondish.
com - Phone: 2146864114
- Email: rebecca@thedenisondish.
com - Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/thedenisondish/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/thedenisondish/? ref=bookmarks
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