Arts
One of the first people to champion Chef & Song was Judy Smithey. She encouraged me every step of the way. And at our first delicious revel, she brought the biggest, rowdiest crowd of hometown folks to help us celebrate. She and fellow Chef & Song patron, Dotti Pennebaker, met me at David’s Seafood Grill in Cedar Hill to offer me feedback. We got caught up talking about music, art, theater, food, mixing cocktails, serving the community, and travel. Afterwards, they invited me to have dinner with them and a few friends at the restaurant. For this pair, “a few friends” meant the restaurant staff accommodated the growing number of guests by adding tables end-to-end as more and more people arrived. This went on until the final party required a table almost the entire length of the dining room. I have so much to learn from these ladies. So. Very. Much.