A classic chicken pot pie made by Hoosier Mama Pie Co. in Chicago. (Photo by Audrey Leon)

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Audio Slideshow: Charlie Trotters To Go pastry chefs give a behind the scenes look to their pies.
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By Audrey Leon, Ally Clark and Britni Day

Of all the pastries to become in vogue this year an old familiar dessert is poised to knock cupcakes off their public pedestal, pies.

The flaky, sweet treat earned the top spot in “Good Housekeeping” magazine’s “Top 10 Food Trends of 2011” and it is even replacing the traditional cake at some weddings. Every media outlet from the New York Times to television news magazine “Nightline” has declared that pie is making its comeback.

“We used to brainstorm names and daydream about a bakery,” said Dana Kruger, a pastry chef at Sweety Pies Bakery in Skokie.

The Kruger family opened Sweety Pies Bakery, 8042 Lincoln Ave., in late 2007. It was a dream that took many years to realize as Kruger’s mother Arden, a nurse, baked in her spare time. Soon after Kruger attended the French Pastry School of Chicago, the family was ready to open its own store.

“It’s nice to make things that we love,” Kruger said. “We get to make things the way we would for ourselves.”

While patrons can find cakes, cookies and other pastries available in the shop, pies are the house specialty.

“We have definitely (seen an increase),” Kruger said. “We’ve been selling a lot more pies.”

A recent Los Angeles Times article cited a NPD Group study that discovered Americans ate 722 million servings of pie in 2010, a steady increase from 2009.

It certainly hasn’t hurt that three of Sweety Pies’ signature pies – Chocolate Cashmere, Raspberry Pie Supreme and a chocolate pecan creation called Crocodile pie – were featured on local television show “Chicago’s Best.”

“That (TV program) really boosted people’s interest in our pies,” Kruger said.

Even with the increased profile, Sweety Pies still manages to be selective about its special orders, Kruger said.

“We’re doing a wedding this summer with vegan wedding pies,” she said. “Sometimes people want to switch it up.”

“We are definitely seeing people be more creative at weddings,” Kruger said.

There are plenty of places in Chicago to find palatable pies and there are stores more springing up all the time.
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Check out this map of Chicago pie shops:

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Hoosier Mama Pie Company, 1618 1/2 Chicago Ave., operates out of a tiny hole in the wall in West Town, but on any given day patrons will encounter its chef Paula Haney operating the register with a smile.

There are many empty storefronts on this stretch of Chicago Avenue, but the busy pie shop manages to be a bright spot in the neighborhood. “Bon Appetit” magazine recently named Hoosier Mama one of its “10 Best Places for Pie” in the country.

With seating for barely six people, the shop wows with a myriad of seasonal fruit pies and standards such as the Derby, a pecan pie with chocolate drizzle and a hint of bourbon. Hoosier Mama also features a host of savory pies with flavors like “spinach, mushroom and goat cheese” and a down home favorite “Chicken Pot Pie.”

Hoosier Mama Pie Company opened its doors on “Pi” day (March 14) 2009, but Haney sold her treats long before, starting with a stand at Green City Market and branching out to coffee shops around town like Metropolis Coffee, Charmer’s Cafe and Noble Tree.

Charlie Trotter’s To Go, 1337 W. Fullerton Ave., features plenty of decadent desserts from pies, tarts and cakes to ready-made entrees, soups and salads.

Baker Janet Hurley has been with Trotter’s To Go since summer 2010, and before that she attended both Kendall College and the French Pastry School of Chicago.

Hurley said that she didn’t see pies as a trend for weddings when she previously worked wedding cake bakery, but thought it was a great idea.

“I think that’s awesome that people are breaking away from tradition,” Hurley said. “Weddings should be a smorgasbord of desserts.”

An example of a wedding pie from Hoosier Mama Pie Co. (Photo by Audrey Leon)

Eva Frahm, another baker at Trotter’s To Go, said she believed pie and tart sales at the store have increased.

“We probably sell more tarts than pies,” Frahm said. “Pies are not our specialty, but whenever we put them out they sell.”

“The chocolate pecan goes fast,” Hurley said. “We had a table full yesterday and it got wiped out.”

The pecan pie is one of Trotter’s To Go’s top flavors, but the store also offers seasonal fruit pies, such as rhubarb, in addition to coconut cream and custard pies. The baking team also enjoys experimenting with new flavor combinations.

“Sometimes we’ll have special orders and left over ingredients so we’ll play around with the recipes,” Hurley said. “We like to see if there’s new flavors we can do.

“We once did a chocolate with passion fruit curd and it didn’t go well.”

Hurley is enjoying pie’s return to prominence.

“We used to not get a lot of pie orders, mostly cake, but we’re getting more and more orders for pies,” Hurley said. “It’s kind of fun.”

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Visit our Storify capturing the buzz online about pies.

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For more information on A/B train service, click here.

Gapers Block publisher Andrew Huff speaks to a graduate journalism class at DePaul University on April 4, 2011. (Photo by Mike Reilley)

By Audrey Leon

The man behind the hyperlocal website GapersBlock, Andrew Huff, spoke to journalism students at DePaul University and discussed several topics including the site’s impending redesign.

Huff, who serves as editor and publisher, wants to streamline the website to better compete with its main rival: Chicagoist.

“They have a different style that makes it easier for Google to pick them up,” Huff said. “Chicagoist is a single column (blog) format that makes it easier to digest.”

Gapers Block plans to take its current three-column format and create a “waterfall” effect, Huff said.

The news items, which currently appear on the left, will move to the center column. A calendar currently resides in this section. In the planned redesign, this will shift to the right, just under the advertising square.

Advertisements will remain on the top left side. Huff admitted to the room of 25 students that ads are extremely important to the site’s bottom line.

“Advertising is one major way we make money,” Huff said, “Advertising and t-shirt sales.”

While ads bring money to Gapers Block, investment is a key financial source. Gapers Block received $35,000 from the Chicago Community Trust to fund its community reporting initiatives. This money enables Huff to pay freelancer writers $150 per article.

Recently, the Chicago Community Trust granted Gapers Block another $17,000 to focus its reporting solely on underserved Chicago communities, like that of the South and West sides.  Articles regarding these areas will net the author $250.

Huff said he is not only looking for writers that can produce quality articles, but those who are web savvy. Gapers Block writers can post upload content to the site to ensure that news is always pumping out. Currently, there are 90 volunteer writers and seven editors with Huff as the only full-time employee.

During a question and answer session, Huff said that journalism students should not limit their job searches to media companies.

“Think beyond journalism for journalistic jobs,” Huff said. “There are a lot of jobs for people with journalism skills, like corporate jobs with communication departments, that are easier to get into and pay well.”

Huff, who also has a degree in journalism from Ohio State University, advised students to take up beat reporting for future success.

“Find a niche to focus on,” Huff said. “If you want to have a blog or a side job.”

Andrew Huff speaks about Gapers Block to Crains Chicago Business.

Mashable’s Vadim Lavrusik lists eight traits tomorrow’s journalists should have, ranging from business savvy to web programmer and multimedia storyteller.

Journalists will have to get used to wearing different hats and going it alone for the long haul.

Lavrusik is correct that journalist – especially those entrepreneurial ones who decide to create and manage their own websites – must learn to be businessmen and women. Knowing ad rates for your site as well as your competitors (know thy enemy as EmediaVitals writes in this article) will allow you to keep partially funding your site and its mission.

But journalists must also wear a law hat (or wig, if you prefer). They must know the law, more than just libel, if entrepreneurial journalists are running their own websites and accepting freelance writers they must know something about contract law and proprietary ownership.

As an example, let’s say a new writer that is working for free decides to repost the same content he provided to you on another website that has a similar audience to your own. While it is a problem that is not rampant, it is a situation that requires finesse and an end result that may have you deciding to draw up contracts for future content providers.

Ultimately, the one trait all journalists, regardless of platform (web, broadcast, print) must exercise journalism fundamentals. And being an engaging writer who doesn’t embellish the facts but presents them in a way that is easy to comprehend is absolutely essential for your audience. Speaking of your readers, it is important to know who they are and what they care about if you intend to make any impact on them.

Earlier this month, I compiled my Top 10 albums of 2010 for Chicago music news website LoudLoopPress.com. So on here I’d like to unveil my top 10 concerts of 2010.

I’ve been an avid concert-goer for many years before deciding to do it (semi)professionally. There’s nothing better than watching an artist make art. It’s simply thrilling.

Without further ado…

Audrey Leon’s Top 10 Concerts of 2010.

10. Slutter @ Liar’s Club – Chicago, Ill.

If you haven’t scene the magic, the spectacle that is KISS live and in person, an all-female homage to the greatest rock show men is second-t0-none. The women of Slutter perform fiery KISS hits like “Love Gun,” “Calling Doctor Love” and the gentle ballad “Beth” with as much gusto as the now-60 year old rockers did in their prime. It’s a blood-spewing good time. Don’t forget the leather and makeup.

Check out my Slutter review at LoudLoopPress.com.

9. Tim Kasher @ Schubas – Chicago, Ill.

Cursive/The Good Life frontman Tim Kasher is decided he was finally ready to go solo with this year’s acoustic/rock album The Game of Monogamy. Kasher brought his “I’m not ready for adulthood, but  I should be” song and dance to a tightly packed Schubas in late November. Kasher played exactly what the crowd wanted to hear, old material from his past projects. Out came versions of old Cursive standards like “The Recluse.” It doesn’t really matter who Kasher plays with, his music speaks for itself.

Check out my review of Tim Kasher’s Chicago show at LoudLoopPress.com.

8. The Maybenauts @ Cubby Bear – Chicago, Ill.

Maybenauts - Photo by Audrey Leon

If you haven’t heard of the Chicago trio (once a four-piece) The Maybenauts, perhaps you need to head to the Windy City. This silver- and space-obsessed group has enough spunk and funk to get you through a cold January night. The glam-pop rockers put out a marvelous EP called Big Bang in early 2010. The Cubby Bear gig was, perhaps, the most prestigious as it was an opening spot for the once-hot 1990s rock band Spacehog. The band looked and felt electric in Cubby Bear’s neon light display.

7. Broken Social Scene @ The Riviera – Chicago, Ill.

Broken Social Scene is a circus and co-founder Kevin Drew is its circus master (I’m plagiarising myself.) The live version of Broken Social Scene rotates between 6 core members and as many as 14 players on stage at one time. The blur of running guitarists, ducking keyboardists and singers singers singers could nearly be too much for the senses, but some how it works. Visually and aurally, Broken Social Scene make beautiful music that you can dance to and all parties leave satisfied.

Check out my review of Broken Social Scene’s Chicago show at Loud Loop Press.

6. Sky White Tiger @ Adler Planetarium – Chicago, Ill.

Seeing a laser light show set to the recordings of psychedelic heroes Pink Floyd is one thing, but seeing a laser light show set to the live stylings of Brooklyn’s space rock group Sky White Tiger is a completely different animal. There’s so much to see and to hear. You almost don’t know where to start. Most comfortable rock show of the year.  More bands should take advantage of such an  intimate, yet fully expressive setting.

Check out my review of Sky White Tiger’s Chicago show at Loud Loop Press.

5. The Dead Weather @ Marquardt Trucking Company – Chicago, Ill. (Microsoft Kin Secret Show)

The Jack White-helmed Dead Weather  pulled off an amazing performance at a packed secret show at an old trucking company’s hollowed out warehouse. Beautifully decorated by Microsoft’s people, the Marquardt Trucking Company could be the next hottest Chicago music venue, if someone wanted to use it that way. The Dead Weather played musical (instrument) chairs, running around on stage, mugging the camera pit, and sweating up a storm while playing a mix of both its albums. Singer Allison Mosshart moved her thin body to the beat of the music, fully seducing the crowd with her siren wails. A moment that must be seen to be believed.

Check out my review of The Dead Weather at Loud Loop Press.

4. Jemina Pearl / White Mystery @ Beat Kitchen – Chicago, Ill.

Jemina Pearl - Photo by Audrey Leon

Wild child ex-lead singer of Tennessee’s Be Your Own Pet, struck out on her own with a fist-fight of a solo record Break it Up. Pearl wiggled, twisted and shook her body furiously to every chord and drum beat with pure punk rock authority. It’s hard not to see her as a disciple of the 70s band The Runaways. Pearl’s opening act on this night was the equally untameable group White Mystery. A brother/sister duo of fiery redheads who raised some hell promoting its self-titled debut album.

Check out my review of Jemina Pearl and White Mystery at Loud Loop Press.

3. Local H @ The Metro – Chicago, Ill.

Local H - Photo by Audrey Leon

Local H have played countless shows around the Midwest and the Metro (in particular) for years since its breakthrough hit “Bound for the Floor” burst forth from the airwaves in 1996. What made this show so special was that it was the culmination of its Six Angry Records Tour, which had the band performing one of its six records in its entirety for fans (chosen from a hat). For diehard fans, it was a chance to hear your favorite songs no matter how long ago they were created. On this final night, one lucky fan pulled Local H’s last major label album Pack up the Cats out of the hat. The brilliant and extremely underrated album bounced off the magestic Metro’s walls and fell onto the ears of the packed, but contented house.

Check out my review of Local H at Loud Loop Press.

2. Pavement @ Pitchfork Music Festival – Chicago, Ill.

Pavement - Photo by Audrey Leon

The most adored early 90s alternative band finally rose from the ashes of its breakup and reappeared a the holiest of hipster music festivals this summer. It was the moment fans new and old had long awaited and Pavement did not disappoint, playing classics like “Gold Sounds” and “Shady Lane.” The band, while probably still in hate with each other, sounded like they had never left. And that’s only a good thing.

1. Mission of Burma @ Double Door – Chicago, Ill.

Mission of Burma - Photo by Audrey Leon

Some bands, like a fine wine, only get better with age. Mission of Burma is one of those bands. They tour as hard as  20 year olds with a passion to see new places and rock new worlds. Mission of Burma played three shows in Chicago in 2010, but the first – it’s Double Door show – ranks at the top due to a mixture of a good, slightly older crowd, and the liveliness of the band. Now, Mission of Burma is always on point, but this show had it all. It especially had crowd favorites  like “That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate” and “That’s When I Reached for my Revolver.” Last year’s The Sound The Speed The Light could have come out 20, 30 years ago and still been a classic Burma record. The songs on it such as “1,2,3 Partyy!” and “Feed” meshes well with older material. Mission of Burma still have plenty of good days left in them to compete with any younger band of whippersnappers.

Check out my Mission of Burma review at Loud Loop Press.

Audrey enjoying some Beef Donburi at Nada Tea and Coffee House.

Catch my last couple of entries here at 2400 North/1200 West (the title, a nod to Chicago’s grid system).

I have already profiled select spots located on North Lincoln Avenue and West Fullerton Avenue. So if you are in need of a good taco or cheap eyebrow waxing, head on over to 2400 North/1200 West!

Boston punks Mission of Burma perform live at Wicker Park Festival in Chicago, Illinois on July 31, 2010. (Photo by Audrey Leon)

I have to admit that on the first night of the festival my primary reason for attending was solely focused on Boston post-punks Mission of Burma. The group began in the late 70s, put out three solid albums and then disbanded in the mid-80s. Mission of Burma reunited in 2004 and has been recording and touring ever since, putting out another three solid records. Mission of Burma is currently touring its latest album The Sound, The Speed, The Light.

Mission of Burma opened its set at Wicker Park fest with the song “Donna Sumeria” from 2006′s The Obliterati. The set included many tracks old and new including “That’s when I reach for my revolver” from 1981′s Signals, Calls, and Marches, “Trem Two” from 1982′s Vs. and “1, 2, 3, Partyy!” from 2009′s The Sound, The Speed, The Light.

For older gentlemen, Mission of Burma have not lost its spark. They could easily compete against any band of twenty-somethings and Mission of Burma would likely outperform them all with the amount of passion and conviction which they display on stage. Burma was the highlight of the weekend.

Mission of Burma bassist Clint Conley performs at Wicker Park Festival on July 31, 2010. (Photo by Audrey Leon)

On Sunday, I went primarily for Chicago hard rockers Local H. I secured spot for the show just as local DJs the Hood Internet had whipped the mostly young crowd into a dance frenzy with remixes and mash-ups of hip-hop and dance tracks.

Chicago hard rockers Local H perform for a rabid Wicker Park Festival crowd on August 1, 2010. (Photo by Audrey Leon)

Lead singer Scott Lucas was in a playful mood, taking a black White Sox cap from a fan and even wearing it for a song. A ballsy move considering Wicker Park Festival is in Cubs territory. After the feedback from the last song ended, Lucas thanked the crowd (who went hyper-wild for “Fritz’s Corner” and “California Songs”) jumped into the crowd to crowd surf briefly. It was a rare display that I am certain only happens at the shows that contain the most energetic and enthusiastic crowds.

Scott Lucas of Local H performs with a fan's White Sox cap at Wicker Park Festival on August 1, 2010. (Photo by Audrey Leon)

Wicker Park Festival is a great way to experience the neighborhood and take in a few bands. As to be expected, it was about as crowded or even more so than Pitchfork, so bear that in mind if you plan on attending next year’s edition.

Now that I am back in Chicago I have hit the ground running, keeping constantly busy, which could be good and bad.

Even though it has come and gone, here are some final thoughts on Pitchfork Music Festival 2010.

Recently reunited alternative rockers Pavement close the last night of Pitchfork Music Festival on July 18, 2010. (Photo by Audrey Leon)

On Sunday, July 18, I attended the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago’s Union Park. It was my first time attending Pitchfork Fest, but it was far from my first summer festival and I cannot say with certainty that it will be my last; although, I love to say that.

The headliners on this night were the 90s alternative rock group Pavement. I grew up listening to Pavement with my friends and laughing at all the absurdities contained within Stephen Malkmus’ lyrics. So it was sweet vindication to finally see the band, reunited, in the flesh.

For Chicago, this third day of the festival was particularly sweltering. And if you know me, there’s nothing I can’t stand more than being drenched in mine and other people’s sweat. Add that with the very good possibility that the day was oversold and overcrowded for such a small park, you’ve got my own personal version of hell.

I will give Pitchfork Festival credit for keeping the cost of bottle water very low ($1) compared to other festivals I have attended. The food options were endless and delicious. I tried both Connie’s pizza and the Chicago Diner. If you haven’t had Chicago Diner’s Karma Burger, you’re missing out. The mango-pineapple sauce is the perfect complement.

There were some surprises for me the last day of Pitchfork. I was pleasantly taken aback by both Lightning Bolt and Neon Indian. Lightning Bolt furiously and loudly blasted its abrasive rock music all over Union Park. It was especially entertaining to watch drummer and vocalist Brian Chippendale rain blows upon his drum kit while wearing what was likely a very uncomfortable lucha libre mask.

The noise rock group Lightning Bolt sends a sonic boom of sound all over Union Park at Pitchfork Music Festival on July 18, 2010. (Photo by Audrey Leon)

Neon Indian is better band than I have previously bestowed credit. The chill-wave group’s leader Alan Palomo is more than able to reproduce the 80′s new wave sound in a live environment and get people on their tired feet and squeeze out just enough energy to get them dancing. Plus it is just a thrill to see Palomo go to work. Not only does he have multiple keyboards, he also has a theremin with which to mess around on stage.

Neon Indian wows Pitchfork Music Festival audiences with his technical prowess on July 18, 2010. (Photo by Audrey Leon)

The show was rough in some spots. The band started, stopped and restarted the track “Spit on a Stranger” from the group’s final album Terror Twilight. The set contained a fair amount of singles and old gems from Pavement’s massive catalog including “Cut Your Hair,” “Range Life” and “Shady Lane.” The group ended the night’s set with the b-side “And Then (the Hexx)” a shorter version of the song that appears on 1999′s Terror Twilight.

It was nice to see Pavement reunited and playing together again, even if this is a cash grab/glory days reunion tour that so many bands before them have done.

Hopefully, Stephen Malkmus will take his last solo album Real Emotional Trash on a proper US tour after the reunion is over.

Stephen Malkmus of the alternative rock group Pavement performs at Pitchfork Music Festival on July 18, 2010. (Photo by Audrey Leon)

Pavement returns to Chicago on September 13 at Jay Pritzker Pavilion inside Millennium Park.

Photos of Pavement, St. Vincent, Big Boi (of Outkast), Lightning Bolt, Beach House and Neon Indian can be viewed here at Flickr.com.

The Houston skyline at Free Press Summer Fest 2009. (Photo by Audrey Leon)

Just mere hours after turning in my last written final to conclude the first year of graduate school, I hopped a plane to my hometown — Houston, Texas.

Every time I leave town something changes. For instance, I wrote about how my favorite Vietnamese restaurant burned down earlier this year. This time, Hobby Airport completed its remodel.

The baggage claim is smaller. When I entered the room, I was immediately engulfed by an invisible cloud of heat and humidity, which seeped into the beige room from the open luggage shutes.

It’s good to home. I made it just in time for the start of Hurricane season.

One thing that hasn’t changed about Houston is the ever-pressing need to drive everywhere. In Chicago, you can hop on whatever mode of transport you wish. I stick to trains and buses. Alas, in Houston, I’m behind the wheel of my parents car.

One thing I always appreciated about cars is listening to music while driving. Nothing makes a person feel free like getting out on the open road (well, less congested road) and jamming out to some tunes.

Chicago institution Local H has been my band of choice to rock Houston’s pavement. The duo’s 2008 album 12 Angry Months works well for rush hour traffic.

While not out driving around, I still find time to work on pieces for LoudLoopPress.com. My latest announced “Obbityfest,” which is taking place in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.

The festival is being produced by local psychedelic rock group The Earth Program. If I were in town, I would definitely check it out. It seems like a good time filled with music, food, and fun.

That’s all for now. Until next time.

-Audrey

Folk-pop duo She and Him perform at Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium Park, Chicago, Illinois, for the city's "Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays" outdoor concert series on June 7, 2010. (Photo by Audrey Leon)

With the publishing of my last two entries, my “Reporting for Converged Newsrooms” class at DePaul University has come to a close.

It was another great quarter filled with learning many new strategies for working in an online environment.

Even though the class for which this blog was created is now over, this blog is not. I intend to use this space to include discussions on  news pieces from various sources or inform you readers of articles I have written for other websites.

To keep up with my latest articles, head to LoudLoopPress.com.

In the left-hand corner, there are a few photos from the free She & Him concert held in Millenium Park for the City of Chicago’s Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays event that I shot on June 7, 2010.

That’s it for now.

Until next time,

Audrey.