ChiLuxe Travel – Travels, Tips & Reviews

Retrobottega Restaurant, Rome: A Hidden Gem for an Unforgettable Dining Experience

February 19, 2025 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

Boy, I was really worried that we wouldn’t be hip enough to dine at Retrobottega in Rome. It’s dark and moody, there are communal tables, the staff is young and perky, and the front of house is jammed full of local Roman 20-somethings hanging out drinking delicious wines and snacking. Luckily, we weren’t the only ones here over the age of 40, and the lovely staff were welcoming, friendly, and attentive. I really should never worry while eating out in…

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RPM Italian: Deeply Disappointing Dinner in Chicago

February 12, 2025 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

We recently dined at RPM Italian, excited to try their restaurant week menu. However, when we arrived and realized that the price for restaurant week ($60) was not worth it for the food options offered, we decided to eschew restaurant week for their normal menu. Unfortunately, the food here was extremely disappointing, and they really need to work on describing the food better on their menu, not only here but at RPM Steak as well. It was so bad, that…

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Hidden For Centuries: The Rare Caravaggio You Can Only See In Rome at Palazzo Barberini Right Now

February 5, 2025 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

We recently returned from Rome for a totally intense weekend trip JUST to come to this museum to view one Caravaggio painting, never before on view to the public. The Portrait of Maffeo Barberini has been in a private collection for the last, essentially, 400 years, and hasn’t been seen by anyone alive apart from the folks who own it and those who know them. Indeed, they hadn’t even allowed actual Caravaggio experts and scholars (let alone amateur enthusiasts like…

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Esme Chicago Review: Culinary Brilliance That Deserves A More Inviting Setting

January 29, 2025 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

It’s restaurant week (more like month!) here in Chicago, and I always try to check out a few new spots each year, since the menu is usually such a great deal. Often, there are a handful of Michelin-starred restaurants offering a shortened tasting menu. Last year we checked out Boka, which I thought was really excellent, but had a somewhat uninspired restaurant week menu, making me want to go back and check out their normal prix fixe fare. This year,…

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Top 5 Activities and Experiences for 2024

January 23, 2025 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

We visited some of the busiest, most tourist-heavy cities in the world this year. What that means is that our year was full of some of the most touristy stuff you could do. We went to some of the busiest museums in the world, including The Louvre, and The British Museum. But what I also tried to do was take a few tours and go off the beaten path a bit, and try to get more of a sense of…

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Ultimate Guide to Visiting St. Peter’s Basilica During the Vatican’s Jubilee Year in 2025: Holy Doors, Tips, and Must-Knows

January 21, 2025 Aukse Comments 2 comments

We recently returned from a whirlwind weekend trip to Rome, and at the top of our list of things to do, as Catholics, was participating as pilgrims during the Vatican’s Jubilee year, and walking through the Holy Doors. There’s not a lot of very good information out there about what to do and where to go, so I’m going to break down a few things you need to know and do before heading to St. Peter’s Basilica this year. The…

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Top 3 Hotels for 2024

January 16, 2025 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

This was a tough list this year, mainly because we didn’t stay in too many spots that warrant being in anyone’s Top 5 list. I tried to save some money in London by staying at a pub, and there were some repeat stays in Las Vegas and Disney World that I didn’t bother to write about this year. That said, there were a few absolutely outstanding stays this year, and I wanted to highlight those three hotels and resorts in…

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Ritz Carlton, Chicago Festive Tea: A Luxe Tea At A Reasonable Price

January 14, 2025 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

I’ve done a few reviews of high tea around Chicago and around the world on the blog, as it’s a great way to spend an afternoon while traveling and enjoying local culture. Additionally, my cousins, my mom, and I go to tea in Chicago during the holidays as a tradition that has been going for over 20 years. This year, we decided to try out the Festive Tea at the Ritz Carlton in Chicago in mid-December for a lovely holiday…

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Top 5 Restaurants for 2024: World Edition

January 9, 2025 Aukse Comments 0 Comment

2024 was the year of big, big cities. We tackled three of the world’s biggest cities and one of the major goals in each place was to eat really incredible, hyper-local food. I think we succeeded in our quest this year, and it was tough to narrow down the top five best restaurants of the year. While the Chicago list had very few Michelin stars attached to it, our world list has a total of nine stars. I loved each…

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Exploring Borough Market & Bankside, London: An Authentic British Food Tour

January 7, 2025 Aukse Comments 2 comments

We absolutely love food tours when we travel, as it gives us a really great way to check out some local fare, learn some history, and perhaps even explore a neighborhood we might not have otherwise check out. In London, I was keen to check out Borough Market, though felt overwhelmed with the place and decided to book a food tour through the company Eating Europe. Our tour guide was funny and knowledgable, and the tour was jammed with food…

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