Map: Where to Eat in Reno

View Reno: Where to Eat in a larger map

This is the start of the map. The name will change and I'm going to add personalized comments for each location.

November 17, 2011: Extracting Thesis Statements

Story: What is I.B.M.’s Watson?

Thesis: Watson, IBM’s artificial intelligence computer system capable of answering questions posed in natural language, processes information with speed far superior to that of the average human. However, the new form of artificial intelligence cannot match the human brain’s ability to contemplate subjective answers.

Story: A Solitary Jailhouse Lawyer Argues His Way Out of Prison

Thesis: In 1995 Chris Collins was convicted murder. Over a decade later, after years of arduous investigating in an effort to prove his own innocence and countless setbacks, Collins left prison a free man.

Podcast: Dreaming of Plastic Crates in Haiti:

Haiti has had more than its fair share of problems since a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the country nearly two years ago. Fixing even the simplest of these problems hasn’t been easy. Could addressing poor post harvest techniques, such as the way the mangos are transported in plastic crates, help improve the lives of some of the poorest people on earth?

Discovering a New Side of Reno One Bite at a Time

Driving down highway 80 from Lake Tahoe, the Reno skyline doesn’t look much different than it did 15 years ago. The lights from the high-rise casinos shine bright and the billboards pointing travelers in the direction of loose slot machines and all you-can-eat Lobster buffets are aplenty. But if you look closer, you will find that Reno is on the brink of something great: a gastronomical revolution. For years, Reno has been considered something of a culinary dump, a city of free buffets and generic casino steakhouses. The city has often faced an unfortunate negative stigma that is more or less due to a lack of understanding about the area. But all that is about to change. Recently, the city has seen an impressive number of new restaurants and an emergence “foodies” calling Reno home.

“I used to not look at Reno as competition, the foodies on vacation from the Bay tended to not wander over state lines,” says Billy McCullough, the owner and head chef of Dragonfly Cuisine in Truckee. “Nowadays, you hear more and more about these great new places opening and people driving down to Reno to get dinner while on vacation. That never happened 10 years ago.”

Finalized Thesis with Possible Interactive Elements

Thesis Statement: The city of Reno, which harbors a reputation for being a dusty casino town with dining options limited to all-you-can-eat casino buffets and musty steakhouses, has seen an impressive amount of new restaurants call this city home in recent years. Could a food renaissance change they way the public perceives Reno?

Outline:

Interviews/ Investigations:
-Sterlings Seafood/ Steakhouse
-Loulu's, Chef Troy Cannan
-Amanda Burden, Editor, Edible Reno Tahoe
-Sophie Karadanis, farmers market vendor

• The city has often faced an unfortunate negative stigma that is more or less due to a lack of understand about the area.

• For much of its history, Reno has been considered something of a culinary dump: a city of free buffets and generic casino steakhouses.




POSSIBLE MEDIA COMPONENT: ANIMATED TIMELINE using vuvox.com showing the history of Reno’s restaurants and culture as it pertains to food.


• Unique and not necessary positive factors have always drawn people to the area.
-Examples being the “divorce business” and gambling.

• The creation of culinary focused publications such Edible Reno Tahoe is a step in the right direction.



• The recent influx of local farmers markets to the area.
-Possible interview of farmer’s market vendor

POSSIBLE MEDIA COMPONENT: Photo slide show using Picnik.com

• Examples of other cities that have been changed for the better by food
-Possible interview with food critics from one these cities, and their thoughts on how food can change the way that a city is perceived.

Other digital opportunities to enhance the storytelling or create interactivity that I would like to use:

Google Maps-create an interactive map that showcases the locations of old new restaurants in the area who are helping to change Reno’s food culture.

A Photo Story-Photos of diners, restaurant owners, chefs, food and drinks from all over the city.
-I’d like to use this idea to showcase the variety that Reno has to offer.