Louisa Kung Liu Chu
Louisa Kung Liu Chu brings a chef’s experience and a reporter’s eye to her role as restaurant critic at the Chicago Tribune, focusing on how cooks, diners and the wider food world intersect in Chicago’s restaurants.
Restaurant criticism grounded in lived dining
Chu reviews restaurants by putting in the time as a regular guest, covering hundreds of miles across the greater Chicago area, standing in lines and sitting in dining rooms to experience service, atmosphere and food as her readers do. Her criticism centers on specific dishes and technical execution, such as her description of chef Becky Carson’s branzino as “impeccably cooked” and balanced by chimichurri and citrus, reflecting close attention to texture, seasoning and composition on the plate. She writes in clear, descriptive language, highlighting what a kitchen does well while still addressing what could be stronger, aiming to give diners a practical sense of what to expect from a meal. Her work sits within the Tribune’s two-critic model introduced after the departure of longtime critic Phil Vettel, with Chu contributing deep, experience-based reviews alongside her colleague.
Coverage of chefs, food books and Chicago food history
Beyond restaurant reviews, Chu regularly turns to the people and stories behind the food, covering chefs at all levels from local restaurant owners to Michelin-starred names. She moderates public conversations with figures such as chef Curtis Duffy about his memoir “Fireproof,” bringing her critic’s perspective to discussions of how personal history shapes a cook’s professional life. Her reporting includes pieces on new food books by Chicago authors, spotlighting titles that explore the city’s greatest foods, regional pie traditions and recipe collections that document local culinary culture. In those stories, she connects contemporary publishing with Chicago’s food history, showing how home cooks, bakers and writers contribute to the city’s evolving sense of itself through what they cook and write. Event appearances at institutions such as the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center further underscore her interest in food as a carrier of memory, love and history, rather than just nourishment.
Format, range and role in the food community
Chu’s work at the Tribune spans reported restaurant criticism, food features and service-oriented coverage that helps readers navigate where and what to eat. She joined the Tribune as a reporter in 2016 and moved into the critic’s role in 2021, bringing years of newsroom experience to her current beat. Earlier in her career she worked as a chef and as a food reporter at public radio, which gives her both line-level kitchen understanding and a broadcast journalist’s sense for clear, accessible storytelling. Her James Beard Award nomination for restaurant reviews positions her within the national conversation on food writing quality, while local event bios describe her as a renowned critic and nominee, underscoring her standing in the Chicago food community. Across reviews, book coverage and public conversations, Chu’s through-line is a focus on how real diners encounter food and how those encounters are shaped by the craft, stories and histories of the people who cook.
4 more food journalists.
Adam Maidment
Adam Maidment is a senior What's On and LGBTQ+ reporter whose food and leisure coverage is built around immersive, first-person reporting and concrete detail. He works at the Manchester Evening News, focusing on new restaurant and bar openings, regular food reviews, gig and event coverage, and issues affecting LGBTQ+ people. He treats restaurants, pubs, bars and experiences as stories about place, people and community, explaining what makes a venue different and how it fits into the local dining scene. His pieces cover pricing, service, atmosphere, crowds and concept, and he is willing to be critical when gimmicks undermine the experience. He writes character-led pub profiles, works shifts, joins treasure hunts and attends major cultural events, inviting readers to follow what he does and use his straightforward assessments to decide where to eat, drink and spend time.
Alice Lorenzato-Lloyd
Alice Lorenzato-Lloyd is editor at Secret Manchester, where she treats food as part of how people live in the city, not as an isolated subject. She covers restaurants, bars, street food and casual dining, linking new openings and food trends to neighbourhood change, local businesses and everyday routines. Her pieces focus on accessible spots, comfort dishes like pizza and tacos, and clear details of menus, presentation, atmosphere and practical information such as opening hours and booking. She often combines food, drink and live events, producing guides to venues for major sports tournaments and themed pop-ups as part of wider things to do. Alice also reports on hospitality business pressures, city-centre public spaces, charity initiatives, transport and infrastructure, always showing how food and drink fit into community and lifestyle stories. She previously wrote for other regional “Secret” sites as a staff writer and describes herself as a writer and food fanatic.
Aly Walansky
Aly Walansky specializes in service-driven food coverage that treats cocktails and dining as tools for celebration, focusing on how logistics, ordering options, and menu choices turn everyday meals and major holidays into shared experiences. She is a longtime food and travel journalist now writing for Forbes, where her beat centers on cocktails and occasion-driven dining. Her work includes practical, expert-driven roundups such as guides to many variations on the classic martini, shipped-meals gift lists for Mother’s Day, and accessible formats for Thanksgiving and other holidays. She reports through structured lists, restaurant features, and menu-focused profiles that highlight signature dishes and dining trends. Across outlets, she extends this approach to home cooking, grocery shopping, and recipes, and runs a newsletter that shares her current assignments and industry commentary.
Ben Hurst
Ben Hurst joins food, entertainment and cost-of-living angles, treating cooking, groceries and celebrity stories as everyday decisions for readers. He is Head of Lifestyle and Money at WalesOnline, shaping practical, trending coverage that is tightly written, headline-led and easy to scan and share. His food reporting leans on TV chefs and supermarket behaviour, turning their advice and product changes into clear tips and consumer explainers focused on value for money and household budgets. He also writes extensively about TV and celebrity figures, using recognisable names to carry stories about health, family challenges, cancer treatment and resilience. Alongside these, he produces visual, nostalgia-driven galleries and concise explainers on wide-interest phenomena, drawing on a senior newsroom background that includes executive editor, video lead and news editor roles.