Letter from the executive editor: Meera Nagarajan’s final words at Sauce

After 16 years, July 2 was my last day at Sauce Magazine. To be honest, I am sad to be leaving a job I love, but I’m thankful that I get to leave Sauce in the hands of a talented team. When I went to get my masters in journalism, I said I wanted to work at a food magazine, and Sauce immediately fell into my lap. How lucky is that? I started with the magazine on March 10, 2008, as assistant art director, before going on to become art director and finally executive editor. 

I have always loved restaurants. They play a vital role in creating a thriving community and I am thankful I have had the rare opportunity to spend so much of my career to date covering them. I’ve had so many dishes and drinks here in St. Louis that really did change my life – the margherita pizza at The Good Pie, the Niche egg, Sump Coffee, the In a Pickle at Planter’s House, ribs at Pappy’s Smokehouse in 2008, elk at Terrine, the crab cake at Wright’s Tavern, anything at SweetArt, the spring rolls at Banh Mi So No.1, the burger at Revival, the sesame cake at Vista Ramen, and so many others. These were all dining experiences that challenged what I thought I knew, and they became my new gold standard. 

If you have ever loved a job, then you know it’s because of the people you work with. I have had the privilege of having the best colleagues, both past and present – professionals who are trained journalists, writers, editors, photographers and designers. I got to learn from each of them and they have been my greatest teachers. They all care, like I do, about producing a magazine, website, social content and events that serve our readership. So, if you’ve ever picked up one of our magazines, used the website, shared one of our posts or discovered a new favorite restaurant, bar or food truck by attending one of our events, I’m talking about you! Thank you for reading and for supporting local food journalism. 

 

 

I’ll end with the greatest lesson I learned during my time here and it’s this: You cannot pay people to care. People care or they don’t, and not because of rewards or incentives: It’s just who they are. I really care about recommending restaurants and dishes and experiences that excite and challenge me and that I believe are worth both your money and your time. For me, it has always been about serving our readers. It’s rare to have a job you love, and even more so to have it for a long time, but I look forward to welcoming new challenges. To borrow from another former executive editor, I don’t really buy into the idea that all good things must come to an end: I prefer the best is yet to come. 

Find Nagarajan’s final issue on stands today. You can also listen to her final podcast episode.