Boy, 2023 was the year of revisiting places I had been before. This year was my second time to Costa Rica, third time to Bali, somewhere around the tenth time to Walt Disney World, and gagillionth time to Las Vegas and San Diego. Our little jaunt to Kansas City in November was the only new city that I added to my list this year. Yes, we were in Singapore for an overnight, but I barely count that apart from our…
I recently came to Bar Mar to have lunch with a friend in early December, 2023. Bar Mar is part of a complex of two restaurants by Jose Andres in the Loop area of Chicago, specializing in seafood. The space is bright and open, with lots of glass, giving it an open-air feeling, even though you’re inside. The furnishings are modern and funky, and I love the light fixtures as well. For lunch, Bar Mar offers a tasting menu of…
Moody Tongue Brewery is the only two-star Michelin brewery in the world, and it’s right here on the South Side of Chicago! Typically, I take my husband Brian out to a steak house for his birthday, but this year, I thought I’d switch it up and take him here. He loves beer, and his “Untappd” app entries grow every week. Well, he was super excited to add 10 new beers to his app, and I was excited to add another…
Kansas City sure was a surprising little trip for me. Coming from Chicago, one of the greatest cities on the planet, I usually have pretty low expectations for small towns especially in Middle America. Let me say, though, that Kansas City really blew me away! It’s hilly, there’s lots of parks and trees, it’s neighborhoody, everyone is super nice, and can also be very chic and fancy. You can really see a lot of what there is to be seen…
I absolutely adore small boutique hotels, and when possible, I will 100% choose one over a large, chain hotel, no matter the location. This year has been tough in that regard, but for our last trip of the year to Kansas City, I chose the tiny Truitt Hotel, a six room renovated mansion close to the Nelson-Atkins Museum for our 48 hour stint the first week of November, 2023. The Location The Truitt is located on the south side of…
I really am not sure if I could ever be a Michelin Guide restaurant reviewer. It’s because the Michelin stars are given out based on, allegedly, the food alone. The quality, the uniqueness, the chef’s spin on it are all the things that go into Michelin stars. The problem for me is that, even when the food is absolutely outstanding, if the service is sub-par, or the ambiance of the place is meh, it impacts my experience way too much….