About TABLE — The table, whether it’s in the kitchen, set beautifully in the dining room, or in the backyard for a summer soiree, is where we come to share life. TABLE acts as the platform, and the forum for exploring the most progressive, creative, curious, unexpected and culturally rich topics every season.

Whether it be our vibrant food culture, a cutting-edge design scene, a growing neighborhood, or a flourishing educational climate, what we discuss around TABLE will always spark deeper conversation, consideration, and exploration.

Keith Recker  | Editor in Chief

Keith Recker is Editor in Chief and Co-Owner of TABLE Magazine, where he directs editorial coverage of food and drink culture, interior design, fashion, travel, and the arts across the publication’s Pittsburgh, New Mexico, and online editions.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Keith spent 30 years working in New York, Rome, San Francisco, and beyond before returning to his hometown. His career includes leadership roles as VP of home furnishings at Gump’s San Francisco, Bloomingdale’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue, along with more than 35 years of experience in media content creation, merchandising, licensing, and global artisan business development across nearly 60 countries.

For almost 20 years, Keith has worked as an independent color and trend forecaster, providing color intelligence to industry leaders including Pantone, WGSN, Stylus, and the Color Association of the United States (CAUS). He is a co-founder of the Open Source Colour Association (OSCA), an organization dedicated to transparent, accessible color forecasting.

Keith is the author of three books on color and craft: PANTONE: The 20^th Century in Color (Chronicle Books, 2012), published in eight languages; True Colors: World Masters of Natural Dyes and Pigments (Schiffer Books, revised second edition, 2020); and Deep Color: The Shades That Shape Our Souls (Schiffer Books, 2022), published in two languages. His essays have also appeared in many publications and platforms including the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Museum of Art and Design, Brooklyn Rail, The Santa Fe New Mexican. He has contributed chapters on color to Proud South, published by Edelkoort Inc, and to Michael Mandapati’s book, Modern Kilim, published by Simon and Schuster.

A frequent speaker on color perception and forecasting, Keith has presented for organizations including Carnegie Mellon University, Parsons, University of New Mexico, Museum of International Folk Art, ASID, and others, discussing topics ranging from the psychology of color, emerging consumer trend research, marketing, and leadership. He has appeared on numerous podcasts including: The Color Authority, EcoFashion Hub, Botanical Colors, and The Long Thread.

Why I write about design, color, culture and food

I’ve spent my career at the intersection of color, design, and culture, as a trend forecaster for companies like Pantone and WGSN, and now as Editor in Chief of TABLE Magazine. As a native Pittsburgher, I know its neighborhoods, its restaurants, its makers and shopkeepers, and the design history embedded in its architecture, because I’ve lived among them for years, not because I researched them for a story.

Food writing comes from an equally personal place. My passion for cooking began in the kitchen of an accomplished home cook, watching, learning, and eventually cooking independently, and deepened during the years I spent living in Italy, where a world of farm-to-table ingredients, exacting technique, and deeply traditional dishes took root in me. That grounding shapes how I write about Pittsburgh’s restaurant scene today: I taste with an eye toward technique and tradition, and I know the difference between a dish that’s trendy and one that’s genuinely well-made.

I write about Pittsburgh’s arts, culture, design, and food scenes because I believe this city deserves coverage as sharp and considered as what you’d find in any major metro. I know how to do that. My work forecasting global color and design trends means I bring an outside-in perspective to local stories: I can tell you not just what’s happening in Pittsburgh, but how it fits into broader currents in design, taste, and culture. My job, every day, is to notice what’s worth paying attention to before it’s obvious, and that’s exactly what I try to do for TABLE’s readers.

Areas of expertise: color theory and forecasting, textile and artisan craft, interior design, luxury materials, editorial strategy, food, dining, and photo styling.

Contact: keith@tablemagazine.com Read Keith’s articles here: tablemagazine.com/author/keith-recker Follow him on Instagram: @TheChromosapien.

Justin Matase  | Publisher and Co-Owner

Justin Matase is Publisher and Co-Owner of TABLE Magazine and TABLE Media, where he leads business strategy, advertising, partnerships, audience development, and growth across the company’s print, digital, and experiential platforms. He acquired TABLE in January 2020 alongside Editor in Chief Keith Recker, taking over from founder Christina French and steering the company’s expansion into digital content, events, and new coverage areas including fashion, design, and travel.

His work spans TABLE Magazine Pittsburgh, TABLE Magazine New Mexico, and SHADY AVE, with a particular focus on strengthening local journalism, supporting independent businesses, and expanding the reach of regional food, culture, design, arts, and lifestyle coverage. At TABLE, Justin works closely with businesses, cultural organizations, nonprofits, restaurants, and community partners to develop campaigns and editorial initiatives that connect organizations with engaged regional audiences.

Based in Pittsburgh, Justin has spent more than a decade in publishing, media strategy, advertising, and digital marketing. Before TABLE, he was Associate Publisher of the Pittsburgh City Paper, where he led business, sales, marketing, and strategy operations and helped drive the paper’s transformation into a leading digital-first regional news outlet. Earlier in his career he worked in advertising sales at Steel City Media and in business development at Matrix Solutions where he worked with the world’s largest broadcast television and radio groups. He is also the founder of Yellow Bridge Digital, a digital marketing agency specializing in integrated advertising, audience targeting, search, social media, and campaign strategy.

Justin is active in Pittsburgh’s civic and journalism community. He has served on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh and the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, and was the vice chair of the University of Pittsburgh’s Student News advisory board, where he oversaw the finance committee of The Pitt News, the university’s student newspaper.

Areas of expertise: publishing and media business strategy, digital-first transformation, advertising and revenue strategy, audience development, integrated and digital marketing, Pittsburgh media and civic affairs

Contact: justin@tablemagazine.com Read Justin’s articles: tablemagazine.com/author/jmatase Follow: LinkedIn

Julia Platt Leonard | Regional Editor

Julia Platt Leonard is Regional Editor of TABLE Magazine New Mexico, covering Northern New Mexico’s food, interior design, shopping, and community spheres. Based in Santa Fe, she explores both the City Different as well as the surrounding region — from farmers’-market recipes and cocktail features to guides on where to shop for artisan furniture, home décor, and jewelry. 

A graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in Boston, Julia’s path to food writing ran through professional kitchens: she worked as a pastry chef and bread baker for chef Todd English before moving into food writing and consulting full-time. She spent years writing about food for The Independent and has contributed to other food blogs and magazines exploring regional and international cuisine. She is also the author of Cold Case (Simon & Schuster), a children’s mystery novel set in a restaurant. 

Julia is co-founder of the Santa Fe International Literary Festival, which she helped launch in 2022 alongside Clare Hertel, bringing nationally known authors to Santa Fe alongside the city’s own literary community. She has hosted culinary events and interviewed chefs and food writers for venues including the Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, Soho House, and Octopus Publishing’s Cookbook Confidential series at the Southbank Centre in London. 

Julia’s areas of expertise include food writing and culinary journalism, restaurant and hospitality background, Santa Fe food and culture, and literary event programming. She is also an expert chef and food stylist. You can reach her at julia@tablemagazine.com. 

Read Julia’s articles: newmexico.tablemagazine.com/blog/author/julia-platt-leonard · tablemagazine.com/author/julia-platt-leonard