Tribune Critic Uses Social Media to Rip Northwest Side Pizzeria’s Mask Compliance | Eater Chicago

"An Edison Park pizzeria drew sharp criticism after Tribune dining critic Nick Kindelsperger posted on Facebook and Instagram that none of the employees — including the cashier, kitchen workers or the owner — were wearing masks during his visit and that there was no sign on the door asking customers to mask. The post, which cited Chicago’s indoor-mask mandate (masks required unless actively eating or drinking) and referenced potential inspector fines of $75 to $2,500 per violation, prompted an immediate flood of phone calls to the restaurant. Owner Carlo Bertolli responded that staff were unmasked because they were eating, that he did not know the critic was there and that he would have addressed the situation if told; he called the social-media post “dumb and unprofessional” and framed it as inappropriate politicization of food writing. Others defended the restaurant and its pizza, while chefs and public-health advocates argued that enforcing masking is a basic safety issue akin to food-safety violations; some social-media comments (including criticism of the food) were later deleted. Kindelsperger, who says he eats out daily, wrote that he doesn’t see his role as “mask police” but had never seen such a flagrant disregard for the mandate and hopes the incident was isolated, and the episode has prompted broader debate about how critics should use personal social accounts to report on beat-related issues." - Aimee Levitt