"Broadly speaking, short words are the best, and old words best of all." - Winston Churchill
FOOD & DRINK REPORTING
Food is all about people: it brings them together, it evokes memories of loved ones and it's a way of communicating a sense of place. The stories of how Chicago's restaurants came to be are often an insight into people's lives and what drives them. It's something we all have in common, and it's a subject that never ceases to interest me.
Sea notes: Aba review
Perhaps the most sought-after reservation in Chicago upon its opening in the ever-trendy West Loop, Aba has proven to be a delightful follow-up to its Mediterranean sister restaurant, Ema.
Jennivee's Is 'No. 1 Dream' For Trans Filipino Baker
One of the best parts of reporting for DNAinfo was speaking with people at the very start of their dream ventures. As Jenne Vailoces began work on her Wrigleyville bakery, we discussed what it meant to her.
Strings Ramen debuts in lakeview
As a beloved Chinatown ramen shop opened a second location in Lakeview, I broke down the varieties of ramen it offered for noodle newbies.
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FEAST ISSUE FEATURE
Our annual Feast issue is quite an undertaking, but one that I truly relished. Determining the 50 best things happening on the Chicago dining scene was a fun challenge, from the 10 most exciting new restaurants to dishing on where your favorite local chefs go for a bite to eat.
Men's Book: Prohibition
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Budlong Battle Leaves Owner Burned
While openings are usually an optimistic story to write, the falling apart of restaurants and partnerships are equally important. As Phil Tadros watched his Bow Truss empire unravel, he also tangled with the unexpected closure of Budlong Hot Chicken.
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Brass heart review
An all-vegan tasting menu piqued my interest, but Brass Heart proved that it was more than capable of satisfying both vegans and omnivores alike.
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Graceful
Beginnings:
Yugen review
I first wrote about Mari Katsumura while we both worked in Lakeview, so it was truly a joy to see her take the reins as executive chef for the first time with beautiful renditions of her favorite Japanese dishes.
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Off The line: alinea's new executive chef
When Simon Davies quietly stepped into his new role as the executive chef of Chicago's most acclaimed restaurant, I was eager to chat with him about how he landed the coveted role before turning 30.
FEATURE REPORTING
I love the poetry that comes with feature reporting and the opportunity to tell a story from every angle. Whether I'm highlighting the importance of patronizing LGBTQ-owned businesses in Chicago or sharing tales from the lives of the fascinating people I interview, making people care about my subjects is an honor I never fail to appreciate.
The Historical Importance Of Chicago's Gay Bars
In the wake of a horrific mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Boystown bar owner and LGBTQ activist Arthur Johnston explained the history of Chicago's gay bars and the major impact they had in creating spaces for the community.
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Black Women's Progress Collides With Stereotypes
While working as the Wisconsin correspondent for USA Today, I contributed to the newspaper's Black History Month issue. My article showed that, while underrepresented black women have made great strides in media, there is still so much to be done.
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Katsumura Dazzles Lakeview Foodies, Just Like Dad
Yoshi's Cafe is a Lakeview institution, but chef-owner Yoshi Katsumura never wanted his daughter to follow in his hectic footsteps. Following her father's death and the opening of Entente, Mari Katsumura said there was simply nothing else for her to do.
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From critic to opponent: Troy laraviere
One of the first to throw his hat into the ring for the 2019 Chicago mayoral election, Troy LaRaviere gave me an exclusive look at his early campaign plans after I covered his journey from a Lakeview principalship for years in this freelance piece for Chicagoly.
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Put Your Money Where Your Pride Is: LGBTQ Businesses
Ahead of the 2017 Chicago Pride Parade, I compiled an interactive map of more than 150 LGBTQ-owned businesses in Chicago as a way of encouraging neighbors to support the gay community during Pride Month and spoke with LGBTQ entrepreneurs about why such gestures are so important.
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is chicago rent control on the horizon?
I teamed up with my former DNAinfo colleague Mina Bloom for this expansive look at the possibility of rent regulation coming to Chicago. We delved into the data and spoke with supporters and critics, while also probing into the human aspects of the issue.
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Her Hands Built Homes, Saved Lives
Lillie Barnett has one of those life stories that is unassumingly fascinating. From growing up on the West Side of Chicago to opening her own massage clinic, she never quit, and she never took no for an answer.
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Drug Erases Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms
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Jim O'Heir: From Puppets To Prime Time
As “king of the guest stars,” O’Heir flitted from one TV show to the next until 2009, when he scored a gig on “Parks and Recreation”.
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ENTERPRISE & WATCHDOG REPORTING
Enterprise stories encompass all my favorite aspects of journalism. They combine data-based reporting with a human element, and while they're also the most labor-intensive projects, they're the ones I'm most proud of by the end. As a crime reporter, I am constantly on the lookout for a topic that needs examination, and my best enterprise pieces tend to spring from daily court or cops reporting.
Flaws Surface In Sexual Assault Cases
In Appleton, I uncovered a disturbing pattern in the course of my court coverage: Defendants charged with sexually assaulting children often pleaded guilty to lesser charges, meaning they avoided consequences like registering as sex offenders. Some were arrested again for similar crimes that would have been more difficult to commit had they not. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |
Drug Court Helps Addicts Break Cycle
Over a four-month period, I took an in-depth look at Knox County's drug court program, which claimed to lower costs and reduce recidivism for drug offenders. I analyzed the five-year-old program's success rate and highlighted the stories of three participants in this three part series. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
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Plamann Murder Defendants Freed
After six years, police thought they'd finally solved the homicide of Lara Plamann. The case unraveled, however, as the co-defendant's confession was tossed and police were chastised for making unreported payments to witnesses and destroyed evidence.
Sivenys freed | Police missteps | Confession issues |
Danger Lurking In Smartphone Apps
After a teen told police she was assaulted by a man she met through the Whisper app, I wondered how officials kept tabs on the ever-shifting popularity of messaging apps. Parents, also, face the challenge of figuring out who their children are talking to through social media.
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Prostitutes FACE MORE PROSECUTION
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Watchdog Report: A Campus Infested
As part of our Watchdog Report series, this investigative story focused on the rodent infestation in a campus office and dining halls.
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BUSINESS REPORTING
In a bustling city like Chicago, being the first to report on a business opening or closing requires having your finger on the pulse of the area you cover. Over my three years with DNAinfo, I worked my beats in Lakeview, the West Loop and Pilsen to make sure sources came to me first with their big news. Being based in the neighborhoods also gave me insight into trends and patterns in the ever-changing corridors.
The Alley Closes After 40 Years
For 40 years, the punk apparel store known as The Alley was a staple in Lakeview, but it closed after nearby construction "slaughtered" sales. But one year later, owner Mark Thomas decided to give it another go. I was there breaking news every step of the way.
Bow Truss Workers Planned Walkout
After months of bounced checks and disgruntled vendors, employees of the Bow Truss coffee chain walked out on the job, forcing the closure of all 10 locations in Chicago.
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Can Southport Stay Charming?
The best-known shopping corridor in Lakeview sprung up from nothing over the course of a decade. As national retailers moved in, I looked at how rising rent prices affect small businesses as neighbors look to keep the corridor diverse.
Coyne Lot Could Become Office Tower
Sterling Bay developers continued their domination of West Loop real estate with plans for a 24-story tower across the street from the former Coyne College building.
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Missing World Series 'Bittersweet' For Bar
As businesses along Clark and Addison streets closed to make way for a massive development, Red Ivy's owner reflected on what it was like to close before his dream of seeing the Cubs win the World Series came true.
Belmont Cafe Owed $32K Before Closing
The restaurant that briefly replaced Clarke's in Lakeview closed after one year. Employees and vendors claimed the eatery owned them thousands, prompting lawsuits and Department of Labor claims.
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CRIME & BREAKING NEWS REPORTING
The majority of my time at The Register-Mail and The Post-Crescent was dedicated to crime and court reporting. As I developed sources and discovered the art of beat reporting, I learned that a good crime reporter does so much more than re-word police reports or transcribe a trial. I found that my job was to show what sort of impact a crime has on a community, on a victim, on a family.
David Dudas Guilty Of Abusing, Raping Wife
A graphic, grueling sexual assault trial left me stunned by the unusually high community engagement. I tweeted from the trial and responded to dozens of questions and emails. While it was difficult to balance the need for accuracy with respect for the victim, the coverage resulted in a community discussion and heightened awareness. Trial | Verdict | Sentencing
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Men Rush To Save Teen Shot In Pilsen
After a teenager was shot in a neighborhood struggling to cope with gang violence, a neighbor recounts efforts to save the teen who was "literally dying in our arms."
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Man Attacks Woman After 'Good Morning'
Video surveillance footage captured two men suspected of knocking a woman unconscious after she greeted one of them with, "Good morning," in the West Loop neighborhood.
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'Punk Cowards' Attacking Elderly
Violent home invasions on Chicago's North West Side had elderly residents on edge. I spoke with them and their anxious families ahead of a press conference where activists called on the community to band together.
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Victim's Mother: 'He Didn't Deserve To Die'
A Sunday morning fatal stabbing sent me to Chestnut Street in search of answers police officers wouldn't provide. I was lucky enough to speak with the victim's family, who told me the story of a bright, genuine man. We broke the story Sunday afternoon, a full day before police sent out the press release.
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Judge Slams Police Murder Interrogation
In the worst case an Outagamie County judge said he's ever seen, three-fourths of Mastella Jackson's confession was tossed from court proceedings. The judge said police failed to explain Jackson's rights and kept her in the dark during the eight-hour interrogation. |
NEWS REPORTING
Reporting for DNAinfo Chicago means covering all aspects of news, from education to politics to human interest. It gave me a chance to expand my abilities as a journalist after years of sticking mostly with crime and court reporting. Getting to know a community from every angle has many benefits, but chief among them was the opportunity to become an expert jack-of-all-trades and learn about Chicago as a whole, all from my own little corner of the city.
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It was a true pleasure to interview one of Lake View High School's brightest stars. As the neighborhood STEM high school sought to shed its reputation as a "last resort," its valedictorian showed just what students can get out of their education there.
How CFD Investigates City's Biggest Fires
Two major fires in Lakeview displaced almost 40 people in the span of a single week, which left me wondering: How do Chicago firefighters determine what causes the city's biggest fires, and what can residents do to prevent them?
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Gentrification is a big issue in Pilsen, a majority Hispanic neighborhood facing displacement of long-time residents. After activists filmed an interaction with a restaurant accused of being a part of the problem, it and another nearby business were defaced.
Rep. Cassidy Speaks Up About Abortion
As Illinois legislators considered a law that some said would ban abortions should Roe v. Wade be overturned, one representative decided to speak up about her own abortion.
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When I started covering Lakeview in 2015, Troy LaRaviere was an outspoken principal and noted critic of Rahm Emanuel. With a couple years, he was ousted from Blaine Elementary and subsequently elected as the leader of CPS principals.
'Slopapalooza' Took Grant Park By Storm
The desecrated Grant Park looks like a rock ‘n’ roll battlefield — the fields are muddy and bare, waste is strewn about and a stench of stagnant water and stale beer lingers in the air. Follow up here.
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CHICAGO CUBS REPORTING
Anyone who has met me can tell you that sports aren't exactly my forte. But covering Lakeview and Wrigleyville for two years meant that I had to educate myself quick on the finer points of baseball — particularly as the Chicago Cubs headed to their first World Series win in over a century. Spending so much time covering the team's impact on the neighborhood gave me an appreciation for the historical aspects of what I wrote about, and I found plenty of opportunities to find fun angles to my work.
A History Of Night Games At Wrigley
The argument over the number of night games the Cubs are allowed long predated the first night lights lit up Wrigley Field. As the Cubs asked for another increase, I detailed the past requests and what they meant for neighbors.
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Cubs Tussle With City Over Plaza Use
As Wrigley Field was transformed with a massive renovation plan, a central debate rose over the use of its new plaza. I covered each twist in the story as the Cubs, the alderman and Mayor Rahm Emanuel played the negotiating game.
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Bars Charge $1K For World Series Tables
As the Cubs headed to their first World Series championship in 108 years, bars in Wrigleyville cashed in on the rare opportunity. I was the first to report that bars were charging hundreds of dollars for entry, plus up to a grand for a table.
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5 Signs Those Cubs Tickets Are Fakes
Counterfeit tickets were a big issue during the playoffs, and I wanted to give fans some insight into the latest tricks of the trade with the hope it would keep some of them from being duped into spending big bucks on fake tickets.
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Fans Write 800-Foot Ballpark Love Letter
One thing that really won me over during the World Series was the earnest love I saw from fans. Their chalk messages to the team were heartfelt and inspiring, and my coverage led to an appearance on ESPN.
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Your Ultimate Cubs Holiday Gift Guide
With Christmas just around the corner after the World Series win, I knew nothing would fly off the shelves of Lakeview retailers like Cubs gear. I rounded up the best of the best for this holiday gift guide.
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