Stephanie’s outdoor dining provided an idyllic setting to watch the hustle and bustle of the world go by. Once inside, you were surrounded by dark walnut, a fireplace in the bar, soft golden lighting and casual conversation over what Chef Stephanie Sidell called “love food.”
“I have big news,” started Julia as they waited to be seated. “We earned a Marconi.”
The Boston Herald was one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. Founded in 1846, it had been the proud recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes. Julia’s rise at the Herald was meteoric. Following her graduation from Boston University, she was immediately assigned to cover Senator John Kerry’s 2004 campaign. Through some remarkable investigative reporting, she uncovered voting irregularities in Florida and Ohio, which stemmed from dual state registrations. Julia earned a Payne Award for ethics in journalism.
Later, Julia was named the first political editor in the paper’s history, consistently delivering a libertarian viewpoint. The journalist community panned the move as risky, warning the shift would reduce the Herald to “tabloid status.” Their analysis couldn’t have been further off the mark. The Herald was rewarded with a tremendous surge in its circulation. By 2012, its circulation increased at a time when most print media outlets had declined. Even the“Old Gray Lady,” the New York Times , had reduced its staff. Once again, the Herald was rewarded for its efforts by being named one of the “10 Newspapers That ‘Do It Right’” by the newspaper industry magazine— Editor & Publisher .
Unfortunately, Julia’s stewardship of the Herald ’s editorial content was not given the proper credit by her counterparts, since the Herald often contradicted the mainstream media’s left-leaning bias. Scorned by the establishment, she dug deeper into the numbers, motivated to prove them wrong. When the marketing department reported a surge in online readership of the Herald ’s political content, she found what she needed. In 2013, Julia launched the Boston Herald Radio network, which broadcast locally on the AM band, but more importantly reached an audience of millions worldwide via their website. The overnight success of the venture sent the media pundits scurrying. Eighteen months later, Julia was ready to share more big news about her career.
“Sargent, party of two?” asked the perky hostess.
Sarge smiled and nodded affirmative.
“Right this way,” she added.
The wait staff at Stephanie’s was crisply attired with starched white button-down shirts, burgundy ties and waist-high aprons. Sarge always admired a well-run restaurant operation, especially one with well-trained staff. A restauranteur may have found the best location, perfectly designed, with a fabulous chef, but if a guest was not greeted by a smiling face and the proper level of attentiveness, the restaurant was doomed to failure. Sarge and Julia were seated at a cozy table next to the window.
“Angie and John will be your servers this evening. Enjoy,” said their hostess, handing a menu to each of them and a wine list to Sarge.
Sarge settled in and admired Julia. He could get used to this.
“Tell me more about your Macaroni,” said Sarge, knowing he was about to be abused for this.
The swift kick in the shin from her red-soled heels was his answer.
“Ouch,” exclaimed Sarge.
“Shut up or I’ll do it again,” said Julia. Sarge knew she meant it.
“Good evening, I’m John,” said John the server.
“And I’m Angie,” said Angie the server.
“We’ll be happy to serve you this evening,” said John-Angie in unison. Shtick, I like it.
“This evening we are featuring two of Stephanie’s favorite comfort foods—a pumpkin cider-brined pork chop served with a maple bourbon squash and a stuffed twice-baked potato, or you might prefer our fabulous Irish beef stew, served with mixed root vegetables,” said Angie.
Sarge and Julia were
“I have big news,” started Julia as they waited to be seated. “We earned a Marconi.”
The Boston Herald was one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. Founded in 1846, it had been the proud recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes. Julia’s rise at the Herald was meteoric. Following her graduation from Boston University, she was immediately assigned to cover Senator John Kerry’s 2004 campaign. Through some remarkable investigative reporting, she uncovered voting irregularities in Florida and Ohio, which stemmed from dual state registrations. Julia earned a Payne Award for ethics in journalism.
Later, Julia was named the first political editor in the paper’s history, consistently delivering a libertarian viewpoint. The journalist community panned the move as risky, warning the shift would reduce the Herald to “tabloid status.” Their analysis couldn’t have been further off the mark. The Herald was rewarded with a tremendous surge in its circulation. By 2012, its circulation increased at a time when most print media outlets had declined. Even the“Old Gray Lady,” the New York Times , had reduced its staff. Once again, the Herald was rewarded for its efforts by being named one of the “10 Newspapers That ‘Do It Right’” by the newspaper industry magazine— Editor & Publisher .
Unfortunately, Julia’s stewardship of the Herald ’s editorial content was not given the proper credit by her counterparts, since the Herald often contradicted the mainstream media’s left-leaning bias. Scorned by the establishment, she dug deeper into the numbers, motivated to prove them wrong. When the marketing department reported a surge in online readership of the Herald ’s political content, she found what she needed. In 2013, Julia launched the Boston Herald Radio network, which broadcast locally on the AM band, but more importantly reached an audience of millions worldwide via their website. The overnight success of the venture sent the media pundits scurrying. Eighteen months later, Julia was ready to share more big news about her career.
“Sargent, party of two?” asked the perky hostess.
Sarge smiled and nodded affirmative.
“Right this way,” she added.
The wait staff at Stephanie’s was crisply attired with starched white button-down shirts, burgundy ties and waist-high aprons. Sarge always admired a well-run restaurant operation, especially one with well-trained staff. A restauranteur may have found the best location, perfectly designed, with a fabulous chef, but if a guest was not greeted by a smiling face and the proper level of attentiveness, the restaurant was doomed to failure. Sarge and Julia were seated at a cozy table next to the window.
“Angie and John will be your servers this evening. Enjoy,” said their hostess, handing a menu to each of them and a wine list to Sarge.
Sarge settled in and admired Julia. He could get used to this.
“Tell me more about your Macaroni,” said Sarge, knowing he was about to be abused for this.
The swift kick in the shin from her red-soled heels was his answer.
“Ouch,” exclaimed Sarge.
“Shut up or I’ll do it again,” said Julia. Sarge knew she meant it.
“Good evening, I’m John,” said John the server.
“And I’m Angie,” said Angie the server.
“We’ll be happy to serve you this evening,” said John-Angie in unison. Shtick, I like it.
“This evening we are featuring two of Stephanie’s favorite comfort foods—a pumpkin cider-brined pork chop served with a maple bourbon squash and a stuffed twice-baked potato, or you might prefer our fabulous Irish beef stew, served with mixed root vegetables,” said Angie.
Sarge and Julia were
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