Chicago Reader: Feature

Joe Laiacona's Challenge to Deb Mell's Petition

mail@chicagoreader.com — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0600

The full document]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

A Kink in the Campaign

mail@chicagoreader.com (Hunter Clauss) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0600

If his challenge to Deb Mell's nominating petition succeeds, state rep candidate Joe Laiacona just might run unopposed in the Democratic primary. But can a leather master actually win in the general election? by Hunter Clauss Most people who signed Joe Laiacona's petition to run for state representative of the 40th District probably had no idea they were supporting a historic campaign. That's because Laiacona didn't tell them. One evening in August I followed the 62-year-old as he hoofed it down Sacramento between Irving Park and Addison. Wearing a short-sleeve plaid shirt tucked into jeans, he said almost exactly the same thing to anyone who'd open the door: "Hi, I'm Joe Laiacona. I'm running for state…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Food Issue

mail@chicagoreader.com (Mike Sula) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Rare pigs, vexing cheese, heirloom grains, black pepper gelato, farming for the city, and the best new restaurants of 2009 by Mike Sula The five major food groups provided the loose organizing principle for our annual food issue. It's an elementary concept, and maybe even corny, but also pleasingly broad, leaving room for a wide range of stories on developments in Chicago's culinary scene that reflect the larger culinary culture. Mike Sula's piece on a local effort to raise rare Mangalitsa pigs spotlights the growing farm-to-table movement and ongoing interest in local, artisanal, and sustainable agriculture, as does Lisa Shames's piece on Wisconsin's…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Food Issue: Meet the Mangalitsas

mail@chicagoreader.com (Mike Sula) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Local chefs invest in a rare breed of pig said to be the Wagyu of the pork world. by Mike Sula One early morning last month, a dozen Chicago chefs crowded into Stan Schutte's kitchen, listening to the stocky, buzz-cut farmer talk about the owls, hawks, and coyotes that harass his animals. "Coyotes I'm not so friendly to," he said. "I will kill a coyote. They're not so bad this time of year, but once it gets cold they'll start coming in closer and closer, and that's when they start to get a little bit greedy." Schutte said he didn't so…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Food Issue: Ambassador of Pepe Nero

mail@chicagoreader.com (Anne Ford) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0600

A gelato-smitten entrepreneur brings the unconventional Paciugo chain to Chicago. by Anne Ford One chilly Wisconsin evening in 2007, business consultant Ani Poddar walked into the Madison outpost of the Texas-based gelateria chain Paciugo with his wife and spotted a flavor called pepe nero—black pepper and olive oil. Poddar, who'd emigrated from India in 1998 to study manufacturing systems and industrial engineering at the University of Wisconsin, was a man who took his sweets very seriously, and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. It didn't help that "I had had a bit…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Food Issue: My Mozzarella

mail@chicagoreader.com (Julia Thiel) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Fast, easy, inexpensive, and delicious to make at home? I beg to differ. by Julia Thiel "I don't think it's going to work," I finally admitted to my friend Emily as I tried for the dozenth time to stir the mess of milk solids in the bowl together into cheese. It was supposed to be easy: several sources had assured me that nothing could be faster and simpler, or produce more delicious results, than making fresh mozzarella. Of course, a couple Web sites I'd come across had warned that making mozzarella was an advanced project that,…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Food Issue: City Farm

mail@chicagoreader.com (Lisa Shames) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0600

From a Chicago couple, a Wisconsin organic farm that understands its urban customers by Lisa Shames Bob Borchardt's family goes way back with food. His great-grandparents owned a store that sold produce, meat, and dry goods in Pilsen in the 30s and 40s, and his grandparents ran a restaurant and bar where his grandmother made hearty midday dinners of braised meats and spaetzle for the truckers coming in and out of the nearby South Water Market. In the 90s Bob took over his father's company, which serviced restaurants with specialized tasks like maintaining professional stove hoods.…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Food Issue: From Amaranth to Job's Tears

mail@chicagoreader.com (Anne Spiselman) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0600

On local menus: creative preparations of rare and unusual grains by Anne Spiselman Amaranth, barley, farro, quinoa, and other ancient grains are making a comeback these days, finding favor with chefs who appreciate their earthy flavors, chewy textures, nutritional benefits, and novelty value. On the local scene, chefs are dreaming up new preparations, seeking out rare varieties, and even helping to resurrect grains that have become almost extinct. Brian Enyart, chef de cuisine at Topolobampo (445 N. Clark, 312-661-1434, rickbayless.com/restaurants/topolobampo.html), says amaranth was widely used in Mexico until the conquistadors virtually eradicated it,…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Food Issue: The Best New Restaurants of 2009

mail@chicagoreader.com (Mike Sula) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0600

From Browntrout to Zebda by Mike Sula I hate the casual arrogance implied by those two words—the best—particularly when they're applied to the infinite universe of food, but really when they're applied to anything at all. You could spend a lifetime reading, listening, watching, eating, and chances are you still wouldn't have read, heard, seen, or eaten nearly enough to know what's "the best." And in a year when the relentless tide of new restaurant openings barely slows despite the crappy economy, it only becomes more improbable…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Fall Books Special: The Night Fred Hampton Died

mail@chicagoreader.com (Jeffrey Haas) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0600

An excerpt of a new book on the Black Panther leader's death and its aftermath by People's Law Office cofounder Jeffrey Haas by Jeffrey Haas The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther JEFFREY HAAS (Lawrence Hill) Maybe we all have points at which our consciousness changes and we cannot return to our former path. For many political activists, that dividing line occurred in the late 1960s. We were fed up with a system that thrived on war, racism, and patriarchy. We were young people who at first hadn't understood why the United States was waging war…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Fall Books Special: The Gritty City

mail@chicagoreader.com (Reader staff) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0600

New books about old murders, queer underworlds, race wars, and more by Reader staff Features The Night Fred Hampton Died An excerpt of a new book on the Black Panther leader's death and its aftermath by People's Law Office cofounder Jeffrey Haas My Dad Did It Steve Hodel, the retired LA cop who pinned the Black Dahlia murder on his pop, believes he was also Chicago's Lipstick Killer. By Mike Lenehan A Queer Eye, an Open Mind A new anthology, and a new appreciation, for local gay writer Jon-Henri Damski By Michael Miner Chicago's…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Actor�s Letter

mail@chicagoreader.com (J.R. Jones) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0500

A reminiscence from film noir icon Robert Ryan, newly unearthed by his daughter, sheds light on his Chicago childhood�and his family's connection to a tragic chapter in the city's history. by J.R. Jones The full autobiographical letter that Robert Ryan wrote to his children can be found here; for more on Ryan's filmography and an appreciation of his work, see "The Essential Robert Ryan." On-screen, Robert Ryan was a man with secrets. Film noir fans remember him as the bigoted army sergeant concealing his murder of a Jewish man in Crossfire (1948), or the small-town projectionist eaten up by his love for another man's wife in Clash by Night (1952), or the seething…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Shadow Budget

mail@chicagoreader.com (Ben Joravsky) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0500

The Daley administration commands an off-the-books kitty of taxpayer money equivalent to a sixth of the official city budget. Now we�ve got documents that show what they want to do with it. by Ben Joravsky Here are some of the documents referred to in this story--the portions of the proposed TIF budget (PDF) city officials provided to aldermen Robert Fioretti of the 2nd Ward, Rick Munoz of the 22nd, and Scott Waguespack of the 32nd. Budget items are categorized as �appropriated,� meaning (according to a city spokesperson) that the transaction has already been approved or finalized; �committed,� meaning it�s �locked in� or expected to be shortly; or �pending,� meaning it's been proposed. Under the project…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Walgreens Can't Kill Quirk

mail@chicagoreader.com (Cliff Doerksen) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Ousted by the chain, Oak Park's independent Sears Pharmacy keeps its sense of humor. by Cliff Doerksen The sign dominates the southeast corner of Oak Park Avenue and Madison Street in Oak Park. Rendered in that variably sized sans serif font familiar to anyone who's ever walked past a supermarket, it reads: We thank the Village and All its Residents for Supporting Us on this corner for over 60 years. IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR AND PRIVILEGE. THE NEW TENANT HAS A WONDERFUL PLAN TO TRANSFORM THIS CORNER. THEY ARE INVESTING IN OUR TOWN AND WE SHOULD…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Is It Too Easy to Clobber a Cabbie?

mail@chicagoreader.com (Kari Lydersen) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Walid Ziada's fellow cabbies say his attackers are getting off lightly�despite a new state law intended to protect taxi drivers by Kari Lydersen In the wee hours of Saturday, January 25, taxi driver Walid Ziada was cruising west on Belmont toward the six-way intersection with Ashland and Lincoln. The bars had just closed, and he expected to find plenty of fares. On the far corner of Belmont and Lincoln, Ziada would later tell a judge, he saw a tall, burly blond man with a camera flagging him for a ride—or so he thought. When Ziada pulled over to the curb, he said, the…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Reader's Guide to the 45th Chicago International Film Festival: Week One

mail@chicagoreader.com (J.R. Jones) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Selected films making their Chicago premieres at the festival through Thursday, October 15 by J.R. Jones Something tells me the Brazilian movies are going to be a tough sell this year. But in the wake of Chicago's unsuccessful Olympic bid, it's worth noting that every year since since 1965 the Chicago International Film Festival has done what the 2016 committee only promised, welcoming people from around the world to compete and share their gifts. For its trouble, CIFF has always struggled with the second-city syndrome that swept through Daley Plaza last Friday. Unlike the big festivals…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Police Torture in Chicago

mail@chicagoreader.com (John Conroy) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0500

An archive of articles by John Conroy on police torture and related issues by John Conroy The Persistence of Andrew Wilson A cop killer who fought to expose torture in the Chicago Police Department has died, but his testimony from beyond the grave could still help bring down its perpetrators. November 29, 2007 Is This a Gag? The city�s lawyers claim a gag order prevents them from discussing the strange deal they made to settle police torture lawsuits. There�s no order. September 28, 2007 The Meter's Still Running and the Mayor's Still Mum Since 2003 the…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Made-Up Life and Real Death of Clyde Angel

mail@chicagoreader.com (Jeff Huebner) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:00:00 -0500

The Made-Up Life and Real Death of Clyde Angel: The identity of a popular but mysterious outsider artist is revealed. Or so it seems. by Jeff Huebner [Read Jeff Huebner's 2000 story, Has Anyone Seen Clyde Angel?] The artist known as Clyde Angel had been dead for about two years when Barry Marcus found out about it last fall, through the Judy Saslow Gallery in Chicago. A folk-art enthusiast who had only recently discovered the internationally exhibited outsider artist and Iowa "highway wanderer" but quickly became obsessed with him, Marcus was stunned by the news. It was a moment, he told me in January, "where your conventional…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Lost to Lariam?

mail@chicagoreader.com (Kari Lydersen) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0500

When Juan Torres heard his son had died on an air base in Afghanistan, he became convinced that he�d been murdered�perhaps for knowing too much about the heroin trade on the base. But now he and many others believe John Torres was driven to suicide by a legal drug he was required to use�the antimalarial mefloquine hydrochloride, brand name Lariam. by Kari Lydersen John Torres's last day alive was a lot like all the other days he'd spent in the past eight months, serving on the Bagram air base in Afghanistan. The 25-year-old army reservist, who worked an administrative job as a "load planner," organizing supply movements, bought some DVDs, made and then canceled plans to get a massage, played video soccer with a buddy—Argentina versus Mexico—and talked about celebrating his friend's birthday the next day with dinner. John normally worked nights, but…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Fall Arts Guide 2009 People to Watch: Laura Cohen and Joe Winston

mail@chicagoreader.com (Andrea Gronvall) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Two local filmmakers adapt Tom Frank's What's the Matter With Kansas? to the big screen. Opens September 18 at Gene Siskel Film Center. by Andrea Gronvall Sitting in his dining room in Lincoln Square with his son, Milo, on his knee, director Joe Winston only vaguely resembles the tousled host of This Week in Joe's Basement, the Chicago Cable Access show he created 20 years ago after graduating from Yale. Today Winston wears a T-shirt that reads, save your mind. kill your television. He doesn't own a TV set, despite being an Emmy-nominated editor who's worked on documentaries for PBS, A&E, Discovery, and HGTV. And with…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Nest Issue: The Best Room In The House

mail@chicagoreader.com — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Six Chicagoans show us their favorite living spaces: Busy Beaver button lady Christen Carter, Columbia assistant prof and fashion scholar Virginia Heaven, arts advocate Paul Klein and floral designer Amy Crum, architect Brad Lynch, and artist Jackie Seiden My wife and I were sitting on our front porch one evening this summer, having a drink and watching the sunlight head west up the street, and she said, "This is the best room in the house." And I agreed. And that's how this year's Nest Issue got its theme. Our porch is 115 years old, with a varnished wood ceiling and a painted wood floor. It's open on three sides to let the breeze come through. But it's also…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Jackson Find

mail@chicagoreader.com (Jake Austen) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0500

This was supposed to be the story of the Jackson Five�s first single, cut in Chicago in 1967. But while he was writing it, Jake Austen picked up a trail leading to a tape nobody knew existed: the earliest known studio recording of Michael Jackson and his brothers. by Jake Austen When the world paused this summer to look back on Michael Jackson's extraordinary career, one chapter was missing from all the retrospectives, which skipped straight from the Jackson Five's formation in Gary, Indiana, to their explosive rise to stardom on Motown Records. Though every last recording by Elvis and the Beatles—the only other pop stars of Jackson's magnitude—has been meticulously documented, not even the most obsessive collectors have the whole story behind "Big Boy," the Jackson Five's first single. Die-hard…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Chicago's 2016 Olympic Bid

mail@chicagoreader.com — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke on Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games Dear International Olympic Committee One last argument for why Chicago doesn�t need, want, or deserve the games. (10/1/09) Olympic Compromise The City Council authorizes the mayor to spend as much money as he wants as long as he tells them about it afterward. (9/10/09) Funds and Games: Chicago 2016's "Stewardship Report" A new donor report claims transparency but obscures details on who�s paying for the Olympic bid. And then there's the question of why they're paying. (9/10/09) There's no "NAY"…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Billy Pierce: Almost Perfect

mail@chicagoreader.com (Steve Bogira) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:00:00 -0500

The difference between a Mark Buehrle and a Billy Pierce? One out. by Steve Bogira When White Sox center fielder Dewayne Wise made his perfect-game-saving ninth-inning catch this summer, he leaped straight into White Sox history—and not just figuratively. Tampa Bay's Gabe Kapler had driven a Mark Buehrle fastball toward the seats in left center. Wise—in shallow center, guarding against a blooper—turned instantly and sprinted for the left-field wall. The eight Sox players whose numbers have been retired smile out from that wall: Fox, Baines, Appling, Minoso, Aparicio, Lyons, Pierce, Fisk. Buehrle, his teammates and…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Fall Arts Guide 2009 People to Watch: Eric Simonson

mail@chicagoreader.com (Albert Williams) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Writer/director of Fake, opening at Steppenwolf September 20 by Albert Williams When he was a kid growing up in Milwaukee, Eric Simonson recalls, "my dad came home one day with a cowboy hat and a pickup truck." Simonson's father, a real estate agent, announced that he'd had enough of city life. "He moved us to a farm in Eagle, Wisconsin, where he raised pigs. It was a culture shock. I'd been a city boy till that time. But I'm glad we did it. I got to see another side of life."…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]