John Kessler, Freelance Journalist Profile

Articles

Home Sweet Home | Flipboard

3 weeks ago | flipboard.com | John Kessler

3 hours agoIn a striking display of patriotism, about 800 members of the Jain Lotus Group in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, have cancelled their post-Diwali trip to Turkey. The decision, driven by Turkey’s recent support for Pakistan in its conflict against India, reflects a growing trend among Indian travellers who are …
Review: Thalaiva’s Spotlights the Southern Soul of India

3 weeks ago | chicagomag.com | John Kessler

There’s an exercise in journalism classes that goes like this: Spend five minutes writing about your favorite food, and don’t let the pencil leave the page. Then, working in pairs, read your essays aloud. Finally, you and your partner tell each other what you think the essays are really about. More often than not, the answers lie in one word: “home.” Thalaiva’s Indian Kitchen 110 S. Prospect Ave.
Indienne Is Precise and Articulated Fine Dining

3 weeks ago | chicagomag.com | John Kessler

If you, like me, are a fan of the Apple TV+ series Silo, then you probably give fewer props to the wooden acting and slow plotting than the amazing set design. In it, nuclear fallout shelters are subterranean cities that extend 144 levels underground via a spiral staircase and are decorated with a hyper-specific and aesthetically pleasing palette of colors. I recently returned to the River North restaurant Indienne for the first time since reviewing it two and a half years ago.
Indienne Is Precise and Articulated Fine Dining

3 weeks ago | l8r.it | John Kessler

If you, like me, are a fan of the Apple TV+ series Silo, then you probably give fewer props to the wooden acting and slow plotting than the amazing set design. In it, nuclear fallout shelters are subterranean cities that extend 144 levels underground via a spiral staircase and are decorated with a hyper-specific and aesthetically pleasing palette of colors. I recently returned to the River North restaurant Indienne for the first time since reviewing it two and a half years ago.
The War and Treaty defy and redefine 'country' music

3 weeks ago | knkx.org | John Kessler

Husband and wife duo Michael Trotter, Jr. and Tanya Trotter are The War and Treaty. Their music explores their relationship as a married couple, and combines influences from soul, R&B, folk and spirituals, as well as Americana and traditional country music. They received two Grammy nominations in 2024 for Best New Artist and Best American Roots for their song “Blank Page.” They have also received award nominations from the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music.
The blues blooms in the KNKX studios with Larkin Poe's Lovell sisters

4 weeks ago | knkx.org | John Kessler

Megan and Rebecca Lovell have been touring musicians since they were teenagers, first performing with their older sister Jessica as the bluegrass group The Lovell Sisters. In 2005, the Lovells appeared on the syndicated radio program A Prairie Home Companion and won the show’s Teen Talent contest. Their parents got them involved with music as children, enrolling them in classical violin lessons at age 3 and 4.
For These Chefs, Their Cooking Styles Started with a Mentor

1 month ago | plateonline.com | John Kessler

Stephen Gillanders arrived in Chicago a decade ago to try out for Intro—a restaurant that served as an incubator and residency program for up-and-coming chefs. If Gillanders got the gig, it would be a huge break. After working under Jean-Georges Vongerichten for 10 years in New York, he was more than ready to prove himself as a chef with his own culinary voice. The test ran almost like a single-contestant... Join for free to continue reading.
Review: Il Carciofo Is an Uneven Roman Holiday

1 month ago | chicagomag.com | John Kessler

If you order the rigatoni alla amatriciana at Il Carciofo, the cook starts with a handful of diced guanciale, cured pork jowl that looks like bacon but has a far denser texture. Over a flame it renders quickly — the fat liquefies while the flesh shrinks into porky pebbles. The cook tips white wine into the pan, and as it all simmers, the guanciale turns toothsome. Tomato purée goes in next, along with a pinch of red pepper, a splash of cooking water, and the rigatoni.
Tasting Menus Are Getting Shorter and More Affordable

1 month ago | chicagomag.com | John Kessler

One of the things The Bear really gets right about Chicago is the way the whole world-class tasting menu thing and the whole pizza-beef-hot dog thing basically keep the conversation here going by shouting at each other across the room. Those seem to be the two subsets of our vast and varied dining culture that elicit the most opinions, the most passion, the most words. But it looks like things on the high end are starting to change — maybe even come back to earth’s atmosphere.
Tasting Menus Are Getting Shorter and More Affordable

2 months ago | l8r.it | John Kessler

One of the things The Bear really gets right about Chicago is the way the whole world-class tasting menu thing and the whole pizza-beef-hot dog thing basically keep the conversation here going by shouting at each other across the room. Those seem to be the two subsets of our vast and varied dining culture that elicit the most opinions, the most passion, the most words. But it looks like things on the high end are starting to change — maybe even come back to earth’s atmosphere.