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….
The National WWI Memorial and Museum is definitely a must-visit when you’re in Kansas City. We were there on a Sunday afternoon in November and it was not too busy. The tower in the middle of the property is unmistakeable, and the museum itself is chock full of history and artifacts from the Great War. The experience in the museum starts with a 15 minute movie providing the background leading up to the war. You then begin your tour, and…
We ate at the Westport Cafe in between lots of touring around Kansas City. We were hungry and we needed fuel to get us through the rest of the day. Westport Cafe was exactly what we wanted – an adorable french bistro with an extensive menu with a ton of options for filling us up. We ate here on our only full day in Kansas City, November 5, 2023. Westport Cafe is in a neighborhood full of coffee shops, bars…
Anthony Bourdain once said that Joe’s Bar-B-Que is the best BBQ in Kansas City, which means it’s the best BBQ in the world. This place is on his 13 restaurants to eat at before you die list, and none of these superlatives are an exaggeration. I’m not hugely into BBQ, so I may not be the world’s foremost expert on its quality, but I can easily say that Joe’s in Kansas City, Kansas, is the best I’ve ever had, and…
We came to the Nelson-Atkins with the primary purpose of seeing its Caravaggio painting – “John the Baptist in the Wilderness.” You can check out the how, where, and why of our Caravaggio hunt here! When we arrived, we realized that there was a huge party going on for Dia de los Muertos, and it was one of the busiest days of the year for the museum. No worries though, our purpose was singular, and we went straight to the…
The moment you walk into this historic, renovated building, you are awed by the high ceilings and high design elements throughout. This warm, rustic, and cool space is totally inviting, and promises a delightful evening. We ate at Fox & Pearl on our first night in Kansas City on November 4, 2023. I loved the space here. The main floor has a gorgeous bar and beautiful mustard colored banquettes as well as wooden tables and chairs throughout. We were taken…
I came to Napa Valley early on in my wine passion journey. I planned the trip with my cousins, and we came here in the fall of 2014, right after a big earthquake hit the region and devastated so many buildings and wineries. You could see the damage pretty much everywhere, but folks in this gorgeous region of California are resilient, and have a positive attitude. The earthquake didn’t end up impacting our trip much, apart from the fact that…
The first time we brought our youngest two to Las Vegas, they were 8 and 9 years old – old enough to appreciate the epic pools and massive hotels around The Strip. They loved the wave pool at the Mandalay Bay resort, and we spent a LOT of time there. Check out my itinerary with the kiddos from back in 2019 here. In that article, I list a whole bunch of other stuff you can do with kids, but it’s…
Gosh, I can’t even count the number of times I’ve enjoyed Avec in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago. It’s cozy, casual, fun, loud, and always delicious with a super interesting and diverse wine list. When people ask me where to eat in Chicago, Avec always makes it towards the top of my list, and now that they’ve been featured in the FX series, “The Bear,” they are more popular than ever. I visited most recently with a friend on…
I stayed at the Vdara Resort for the first time on our most recent trip to Las Vegas in early October, 2023, to see a bunch of concerts. The room prices were reasonable, and the location of the Vdara compared to the Dolby Theater and the Sphere were key to my decision as to where to stay this time. While the room was large, and the location excellent, our room was in poor shape and in desperate need of updating….