During the next few days, I’ll be concluding the online publication of Food & Dining Magazine’s “lost” Spring 2026 print edition (Vol. 89).
The Spring edition was almost ready to be sent to the printer in late February when John Carlos White, F&D’s founder and publisher, died suddenly at 65.
The SPRING 2026 (Vol. 89) F & D Compendium
The articles and photos were almost entirely finished and ready; only the restaurant listings and maps were incomplete. Collectively, everyone involved expressed the desire to release whatever could be shared electronically.
I thank them profusely. The team John built over the years is stellar, and it has been an honor to be part of it. F&D was never a better publication than it has been these past few years.
Obviously, the magazine cannot possibly be the same in this truncated format. Still, my view is that closure comes in many forms, and this method of publication works best for us at the present time. The future of the magazine remains uncertain; in my colleague Marty Rosen’s words, it “hinges on the disposition of the estate.” That’s a family matter, and all we can do is wait.
The past two months have been unlike any others I’ve experienced in my employment history. I’ve previously mourned friends who died, and I’ve lost jobs in a variety of ways both fair and foul, but have not been faced with both losses at the same time. I wouldn’t characterize my response as depression so much as demoralization.
As I’ve tried to keep F&D alive online pending the settlement of John’s affairs, it’s as if he’s been looking over my shoulder ― something that seldom occurred in a negative sense while he was alive, because while being very detail-oriented, John didn’t micromanage once he knew you were capable.
Consequently, “looking over my shoulder” is to be taken as John showing support from The Great Beyond. It has been strange and emotional, something I’ve described as being in the cockpit, continuing to fly the plane, while everyone else is gone, and I’ve no idea when the fuel runs out.
So, I just keep going, and will continue until someone tells me to stop.
I knew John for almost 25 years, but since I began the stint as digital editor in...Read more
