Everything I Wrote in 2026 (so far)
I usually track my work at the end of the year but why wait. Here’s what’s been published in 2026 so far.
Eater Chicago (January 7, 2026): This South Side Soul Food Spot Serves Yakamein With a Side of Jazz SoulFood Lounge 2 on Chicago's South Side offers a fine dining experience with global fusion soul food dishes like yakamein and Hong Kong honey shrimp.
Remezcla (January 8, 2026): This Mexican Couple is Behind Chicago’s Longest-Running Non-Alcoholic Shop
Eater Chicago (January 23, 2026): Time Out Market Is Leaving Chicago, But the Company Is Still All-In on Food Halls As Time Out Grroup closes its Boston and Chicago food halls, vendors are left picking up the pieces.
Chicago Sun-Times (February 4, 2026): Mahari proudly embraces its roots in Hyde Park, celebrates African, Caribbean, Creole and Afro-Latino ancestry “We’re not from a large family or money … we’re just from the Chicago streets and we bring elegance from where we’re from,” Mahari executive chef and owner Rahim Muhammad said last month at the Jean Banchet Awards.
Chicago Sun-Times (February 17, 2026): Learn how to make dumplings for Lunar New Year with Minyoli's Rich Wang The little pockets of flavor are often eaten in celebration of Lunar New Year because they’re a symbol for wealth, good luck and prosperity.
Chicago Sun-Times (February 18, 2026): Lunar New Year events in Chicago to celebrate the Year of the Horse Several restaurants are hosting special dinners featuring traditional celebratory foods to welcome the new lunar year.
Also published on WBEZ.
Condé Nast Traveler (March 8, 2026): The Women Who Travel Power List 2026 From record-setting adventurers to diasporic filmmakers and chefs, these are the women defining the way we see—and move—around the world right now.
Pitched, interviewed and profiled Martha Stewart and Napheesa Collier for the package.
Chicago Sun-Times + WBEZ (March 10, 2026): Owner of Middle Eastern restaurant Old School in Palos Hills brings a personal touch to dining Outside of Ramadan, Old School prepares an average of 125-150 meals a day for the restaurant and catering orders. That number jumps to 400 and can go as high as 600 during the holy month.
Chicago Sun-Times + WBEZ (March 10, 2026): Ramadan nights turn Bridgeview’s Yemeni coffee shops into late-night hubs For many cafe owners, the late-night crowds are about more than coffee. They serve as a reminder that hospitality, connection and community transcend cultural boundaries — the very spirit of the holy month marked by reflection, prayer and fasting.
Salon (March 10, 2026): The supper club everyone calls Each year, thousands dial a century-old Wisconsin supper club hoping to win the December reservation lottery
Eater Chicago (March 12, 2026): Six Exciting Chicago Bar and Restaurant Openings to Have on the RadarMoody cocktails, boundary-pushing steakhouses and more
Inc. (March 18. 2026): Martha Stewart’s Resurgence is a Masterclass in Resilience Decades after redefining domestic work as big business—and surviving a public downfall—Stewart is proving that reinvention has no age limit.
