Saturday, March 22, 2008
O'Rourke's Office
This place used to be Mike's Western Pump, next door to Leona's on 111th & Western in Chicago. They have fixed it up cute, warm colors, plush seating, warm lighting. The martini menu is good, the wine list as well, and they have a good selection of beers, including some microbrews. This bar is around the corner and across the street from the Beverly Arts Center, so I recommend it for pre-and post- BAC events.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Rhapsody
Had lunch this week at Rhapsody in the Chicago Loop. This is a convenient location for dinner if you’re attending a performance at Orchestra Hall or the Auditorium Theatre.
Upon being seated, we were offered either Perrier or Fiji still water. Nice touch, very European.
The melted brie and apple on brioche was tasty. The apples were warm but still crisp and the cheese was just melty enough. I had the trio of grilled fish, which included salmon, pike and tuna. This came with spinach and fried capers. I’d never had fried capers before and the taste is interesting. You have the salty, briny flavor of the capers, but they’re crunchy from being fried. Each piece of fish is served on top of a piece of onion ravioli.
The food was very good and reasonably priced for a fine dining lunch downtown. Our reservation was at noon and it wasn’t too crowded. Their website is www.rhapsodychicago.com. They have the menu up on the website with prices.
Upon being seated, we were offered either Perrier or Fiji still water. Nice touch, very European.
The melted brie and apple on brioche was tasty. The apples were warm but still crisp and the cheese was just melty enough. I had the trio of grilled fish, which included salmon, pike and tuna. This came with spinach and fried capers. I’d never had fried capers before and the taste is interesting. You have the salty, briny flavor of the capers, but they’re crunchy from being fried. Each piece of fish is served on top of a piece of onion ravioli.
The food was very good and reasonably priced for a fine dining lunch downtown. Our reservation was at noon and it wasn’t too crowded. Their website is www.rhapsodychicago.com. They have the menu up on the website with prices.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
South Side Irish Parade
Marched in the South Side Irish Parade this past weekend. The parade is a fun time. The weather was very cold, but luckily we were with Float No. 2, so we made it through pretty quickly. Went to the Beverly Arts Center party after, total rip off. The cover charge is $5 per person, $15 for a family. We had to pay $15, even though we had two babies with us. You have to get tickets for the food & the food and drinks are really overpriced. They really get you with the fact that there's nowhere else to go. Next year, we will walk in the parade & then go to Gaelic Park. There's more room and the party is better.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Jack Desmond's
We had my son’s third birthday party yesterday at Jack Desmond’s in Chicago Ridge, Illinois and I just have to rave about it.
The room was adorable. The service was perfect. The prices reasonable.
The food was great. Tender chicken, delicious corned beef, mashed potatoes seasoned just right. The cabbage was cooked so that it wasn’t too soft and still had some crunch to it. The carrots and parsnips served together and were just the right combo of sweet and savory with a little spicy kick to them.
The waitresses were lovely. My baby fell asleep in his high chair. They went to the trouble of removing a table so the two seats of the booth could be pushed together for the baby to have someplace comfortable to sleep.
The room is as cute as it looks on their website: www.jackdesmonds.com, or call them at 708-857-7910. The menus and prices are on the website, too.
The room was adorable. The service was perfect. The prices reasonable.
The food was great. Tender chicken, delicious corned beef, mashed potatoes seasoned just right. The cabbage was cooked so that it wasn’t too soft and still had some crunch to it. The carrots and parsnips served together and were just the right combo of sweet and savory with a little spicy kick to them.
The waitresses were lovely. My baby fell asleep in his high chair. They went to the trouble of removing a table so the two seats of the booth could be pushed together for the baby to have someplace comfortable to sleep.
The room is as cute as it looks on their website: www.jackdesmonds.com, or call them at 708-857-7910. The menus and prices are on the website, too.
Friday, February 29, 2008
New Orleans
I stayed at the Comfort Suites downtown. I’ve also stayed at the Wyndham Whitney Hotel on It was Everclear and juice. A staple of Bourbon Street is Pat O’Brien’s, great Hurricanes, Mint Juleps and they have a flaming fountain. Poydras in the downtown area.
The action is all on Bourbon Street, but I’ve found that I actually prefer to get away from the heat of all that and stay in a hotel downtown. Bourbon Street is still walking distance or a short cab ride.
A staple of Bourbon Street is Pat O’Brien’s, great Hurricanes, Mint Juleps and they have a flaming fountain.
The food is amazing. I’m someone who loves spicy food & I love Cajun and Creole. There’s plenty of good food for those who like it mild, too. One of the best meals I have ever had was at Nola, one of Emeril’s restaurants. The restaurant called “Emeril’s” in New Orleans is very touristy and always crowded. Nola is lesser known and off the beaten path, but it has the same Emeril quality, it was excellent.
Café du Monde is the best place to get a beignet, which is a little fried donut. Café du Monde also has great hot chocolate and chicory, which is a smooth-flavored coffee-type drink.
Be careful of the local drinks. They are often fruity and don’t taste like they contain as much alcohol as they actually do. My friend and I went into a bar one night and asked if they had a house special. After downing one, we asked what was in it. It was Everclear and juice. I love going on ghost tours. If a city has one, I’m there. New Orleans has several good ones. There’s also a vampire tour that’s even better.
New Orleans is best known for jazz and Dixieland-type music, but you can find all types of great bands playing, mainly on Bourbon Street.
I haven’t been back there since Katrina, but I hope to within the next few years. From what I’ve heard, the main tourist areas are back to normal.
The action is all on Bourbon Street, but I’ve found that I actually prefer to get away from the heat of all that and stay in a hotel downtown. Bourbon Street is still walking distance or a short cab ride.
A staple of Bourbon Street is Pat O’Brien’s, great Hurricanes, Mint Juleps and they have a flaming fountain.
The food is amazing. I’m someone who loves spicy food & I love Cajun and Creole. There’s plenty of good food for those who like it mild, too. One of the best meals I have ever had was at Nola, one of Emeril’s restaurants. The restaurant called “Emeril’s” in New Orleans is very touristy and always crowded. Nola is lesser known and off the beaten path, but it has the same Emeril quality, it was excellent.
Café du Monde is the best place to get a beignet, which is a little fried donut. Café du Monde also has great hot chocolate and chicory, which is a smooth-flavored coffee-type drink.
Be careful of the local drinks. They are often fruity and don’t taste like they contain as much alcohol as they actually do. My friend and I went into a bar one night and asked if they had a house special. After downing one, we asked what was in it. It was Everclear and juice. I love going on ghost tours. If a city has one, I’m there. New Orleans has several good ones. There’s also a vampire tour that’s even better.
New Orleans is best known for jazz and Dixieland-type music, but you can find all types of great bands playing, mainly on Bourbon Street.
I haven’t been back there since Katrina, but I hope to within the next few years. From what I’ve heard, the main tourist areas are back to normal.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Nassau
The Bahamas are a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Nassau is the most popular destination.
The two main areas for lodging are Paradise Island and Cable Beach. The Atlantis resort is located on Paradise Island, very expensive, but an incredible place. If you can’t afford to stay there, at least visit the casino or go there for a drink. It is a sight to see. There is a Comfort Suites hotel on Paradise Island that is very affordable considering the location. Cable Beach is more budget-friendly and near all the touristy spots.
I stayed at the Clarion on the south side of town. This is away from the busy areas, but great if you just want peace and quiet. It’s right on the beach. You can order food and drinks right from the beach and charge them to your room. There is a restaurant inside that has a nightclub with a dance floor and live music on some nights. Aside from tropical drinks, the Bahamas is known for conch fritters. These are addictive. I also became quite fond of a drink called a Yellow Bird.
As far as dining goes, the Graycliff is a fine dining establishment that has been around since my parents went to the Bahamas on their honeymoon. Looking for something more budget-friendly, we asked our cab driver one day to recommend a restaurant and he suggested the Bahamian Café. This place was a hole in the wall off the beaten path and a perfect place to try local dishes. It was fantastic. Also in Nassau is a place called the Junkanoo Seaside Café, very affordable and very good. Try the cracked conch. On Paradise Island is the Blue Marlin, where I had the best lobster bisque I’ve ever had in my life. They have a very entertaining limbo show in the evenings. On the particular evening my travel companion and I went there, we were chosen to participate in the show, basically as lovely assistants holding the limbo stick. It was a lot of fun and I got some great pictures.
I am not much of a swimmer, but I braved my fear of water to go snorkeling. I didn’t regret it. The brilliant colors of the fish were like nothing I had ever seen before. My friend took pictures because no one at home would believe I jumped into deep water. Book way in advance if you would like to swim with the dolphins. The cruise ships take up a lot of the slots, so try to make a reservation at least a few weeks before you’re going to be there. We met some young men at the pool of our hotel who had opted to be put in a cage, lowered in the water and have up-front encounters with sharks. The day they went, they were approached by people from Discovery Channel who were looking for tourists to film swimming with sharks. Exciting for them, but not exactly my cup of tea!
The Bahamas are truly paradise on earth. It’s amazing to stand waist-high in the ocean, look down and actually see your feet! This is the perfect place to go if a soothing environment is what you’re craving.
The two main areas for lodging are Paradise Island and Cable Beach. The Atlantis resort is located on Paradise Island, very expensive, but an incredible place. If you can’t afford to stay there, at least visit the casino or go there for a drink. It is a sight to see. There is a Comfort Suites hotel on Paradise Island that is very affordable considering the location. Cable Beach is more budget-friendly and near all the touristy spots.
I stayed at the Clarion on the south side of town. This is away from the busy areas, but great if you just want peace and quiet. It’s right on the beach. You can order food and drinks right from the beach and charge them to your room. There is a restaurant inside that has a nightclub with a dance floor and live music on some nights. Aside from tropical drinks, the Bahamas is known for conch fritters. These are addictive. I also became quite fond of a drink called a Yellow Bird.
As far as dining goes, the Graycliff is a fine dining establishment that has been around since my parents went to the Bahamas on their honeymoon. Looking for something more budget-friendly, we asked our cab driver one day to recommend a restaurant and he suggested the Bahamian Café. This place was a hole in the wall off the beaten path and a perfect place to try local dishes. It was fantastic. Also in Nassau is a place called the Junkanoo Seaside Café, very affordable and very good. Try the cracked conch. On Paradise Island is the Blue Marlin, where I had the best lobster bisque I’ve ever had in my life. They have a very entertaining limbo show in the evenings. On the particular evening my travel companion and I went there, we were chosen to participate in the show, basically as lovely assistants holding the limbo stick. It was a lot of fun and I got some great pictures.
I am not much of a swimmer, but I braved my fear of water to go snorkeling. I didn’t regret it. The brilliant colors of the fish were like nothing I had ever seen before. My friend took pictures because no one at home would believe I jumped into deep water. Book way in advance if you would like to swim with the dolphins. The cruise ships take up a lot of the slots, so try to make a reservation at least a few weeks before you’re going to be there. We met some young men at the pool of our hotel who had opted to be put in a cage, lowered in the water and have up-front encounters with sharks. The day they went, they were approached by people from Discovery Channel who were looking for tourists to film swimming with sharks. Exciting for them, but not exactly my cup of tea!
The Bahamas are truly paradise on earth. It’s amazing to stand waist-high in the ocean, look down and actually see your feet! This is the perfect place to go if a soothing environment is what you’re craving.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Traveling with Toddlers
Traveling with toddlers is challenging. Make sure the diaper bag is packed in case of airport delays. It's also a good idea to pack snacks like goldfish crackers or fruit snacks. Ear popping upon take-off can be painful, so have a sippie handy to give them. Swallowing will help if their ears start popping. A portable DVD player is a nice distraction on the plane for an older toddler who can hold it on his lap. If you're renting a car, I strongly recommend checking baby car seats with your luggage. Car rental companies will charge you up to $10 per day per car seat and sometimes they don't even have car seats available, or the car seats are worn and outdated.
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