This year, since we’ve eaten so much amazing food, I’ve decided to do two Top Five Restaurant lists – one for Chicago, and one for around the world. This year, the Top Five list for Chicago is going to be really steak heavy, but it’s all leading up to my Top Five Chicago Steakhouses list, which I hope to publish sometime in 2025. We ate really well here in Chicago this year, and I’m looking forward to another year of…
We visited The Louvre museum in Paris on our recent trip in November, 2024. Our main purpose was to see the three Caravaggio paintings housed there, which you can read all about here! Apart from the excitement of checking out these incredible paintings, most of the rest of the museum for me was a massively frustrating, and really made me question tourism, especially over-tourism, in general. I had been to the Louvre before, about 15 years ago, and when I…
Well, as usual, I’ve pretty much got the first half of 2025 all planned out already. I’ve got some Europe, some beach, and some Vegas already planned for the first six months, and I have no clue what will happen after June. More Europe for some Caravaggios? Possibly a trip to New York City? Of course, Disney World is always on the table too. First up in 2025 comes right after the New Year. Brian and I are jetting over…
I’m always looking for tours that are unusual, hyper-local, and private, in order to get the most out of our trips. I wouldn’t be caught dead in a 50-person herd following a young guide around carrying a flag or brightly-colored umbrella to make sure folks don’t get lost. I also don’t like massive commercial companies with pre-arranged impersonal tours that just always go to the same places. “WithLocals” is a European-based tour company (you will always pay in Euros) with…
During our trip to London over the summer of 2024, I really wanted to bring some history to life for the kids, and a good friend of mine suggested a Henry VIII theme which included seeing Six, the musical, and venturing out to Hampton Court Palace the next day for more context. Additionally, you can’t skip The Tower when you’re in London for the first time, so these activities all put together in one short itinerary really made history seem…
Our annual outing for Brian’s birthday usually brings us to a steakhouse in Chicago, and with seemingly zillions to choose from, there’s always something different to try. Also, I’m really trying to hone and curate my top five Chicago steakhouse list before publishing, so they are top of mind right now. We visited RPM Steak in Chicago on November 30, 2024, and were pleased with a lot of the nice, celebratory touches they added to our meal to make it…
On our recent trip to Paris in October/November of 2024, our primary goal was to view as much art as possible, and eat as much fabulous food as possible during our short, four-day stint in the city. I chose the neighborhood of Saint Germain due to its proximity to the best art museums, and quintessential Parisian vibe. Pavillon Faubourg Saint Germain, or Pavillon FSG, is a boutique hotel made up of three connected buildings, close to the Seine, recently gutted…
Did you know that there’s a two-star Michelin restaurant in the Eiffel Tower? Typically, such a huge tourist location (one might even say tourist trap!) will only offer the most basic, mass-produced food to cater to the gobs of tourists moving through. But, here in Paris, you can find one of the city’s most elegant dining rooms occupying the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. Le Jules Verne is a very special place, and we ate here on our last…
The L’Orangerie Musuem, located in the Tuileries Garden opposite the Louvre in Paris, is often overlooked due to its proximity to such an overwhelming place, but you shouldn’t miss this lovely gathering of Impressionist and post-Impressionist Art. We visited in early November, 2024. This museum building literally used to house the royal orange groves, so it has an open and airy feel inside, even if it is minimalistic and modern. Full price tickets are 12.50 Euro, but they are free…
When you dine at a Three-Star Michelin restaurant, you expect perfection both with the food and the service, and, spoiler alert, Arpege was perfect with food and service. Choosing restaurants in Paris, especially ones with coveted stars, is an extraordinarily daunting task, but I decided to book at Arpege for a couple reasons. First, they allowed bookings relatively far out (over 3 months) which, as a planner, I love. Second, Chef Alain Passard has been serving exclusively a vegetarian tasting…