The Bear and the Phoenix

John will compare the restaurant cultures of Atlanta and Chicago—two cities he's covered as a critic and lived in—as a way to explore how dining reflects deeper civic identities. Atlanta, like its symbol the phoenix, has reinvented itself again and again, moving from flashy post-Olympics spectacle to a food scene grounded in Southern ingredients, collaboration, and open-source creativity. Chicago, the powerful bear of the Midwest, has long stood as a titan of fine dining—but now faces hard questions: Has its energy stagnated? Has its obsession with concepts, Michelin stars, and massive West Loop restaurants dimmed the city’s spark?
Blending memoir, cultural criticism, and original reporting, this presentation asks: What makes a restaurant city matter? What are the signs of growth versus stagnation? And how do we balance pride with reinvention?