Growing up, I associated Chicago with only two things: Ferris Bueller and deep-dish pizza.
So when I came to the city for the first time, I quickly sought out the iconic dish. Accompanied by my new friend Sara, I arrived at Lou Malnati’s in Evanston with high hopes.
But to my disgust, these dreams were soon suffocated by a thick, globby layer of cheese.
Unusual tasting crust, unappealing texture and chunky tomatoes. Chewing on my pizza, I smiled at Sara, though I imagine it looked more like a grimace. Why did I drag her here?
After paying the check, we returned to Northwestern’s campus and our multitude of tasks. My papers were stacked up high, thicker even than that travesty of a pizza. In the second week, our assignment was to write a full-length feature article.
Sara and I left campus searching for a story. Evanston and Northwestern were new to me: endless streets, glimpses of a vast lake, and imposing glass-and-concrete buildings. Although features had always been my favorite to write, I felt stuck.
I called the Frances Willard Museum hoping to write about the legacy of the temperance activist, but the woman on the phone had a bit of a temper. I investigated the historical statue of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, but had trouble with sources. I considered writing about Northwestern’s bunny population, but I couldn’t track one down for an interview. All of my ideas fell flat.
When I exhausted all other options, the pizza I hated so much saved me. I wrote about whether Chicago locals really enjoy deep dish more than alternative styles. Nearly everyone I talked to found it to be a heavy, once-a-year thing. I was proven correct: New York Style took the cake, or the pie I suppose, as the superior pizza.
“Digging deep into deep dish: A slice of Evanstonians speak out on the Chicago staple” turned out delicious.
From this experience, I learned that compelling articles do not have to be about earth-shattering topics. I didn’t discover a Kraken lurking in the waters of Lake Michigan. I didn’t witness a newsworthy scandal or crime. Sometimes the best results come from something simple.
