The Golden Globes (presented by The Hollywood Foreign Press Association) is Hollywood’s Party continues to bring the message for women to the forefront. The red carpet was glamorous with the Time Is Up movement and an evening full of entertainment.
Time Is Up
This evening the celebrities wear black bracelets with “Time Is Up.” The bracelets bring attention to the clock is running out on sexual assault, harassment, and inequality in the workplace. Ryan Seacrest wears the bracelet while being under accusations for sexual harassment.
Sandra Oh brings this message to the forefront as the first Asian to host the Golden Globes. She says, “I said yes to the fear of being on this stage tonight because I wanted to be here and look out onto this audience and witness this moment of change. I’m not fooling myself. Next year could be different and probably will be. But right now, this moment is real.” Equality is stepping forward one historic moment at a time.
Carol Bernette is honored as one person who is a barrier breaker throughout her career. This evening she is the first recipient of the Achievement in Television, the Carol Burnett Award. She was the first woman to host a variety show, awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and Kennedy Center Honors.
Red Carpet Glamour
This evening is the first red carpet of the new year. We are honored to cover presenter Jamie Lee Curtis. She brings the most amazing transformation look. She is all monochromatic ice white head to toe. She is wearing Alexander McQueen gown with glitzy silver, Perrin Paris clutch, Cathy Waterman jewelry, Camille Clark beautiful makeup complimenting the styling, and her new all white coif hair styling.
Jaime Lee Curtis Hairstylist Sean James
Sean James, the hairstylist to the stars, presents the top look of the evening’s red carpet. James states, “I used Fhi heats “Stylus” products for root lift, “high altitude” on towel dried hair, and then went through the hair section by section. I continued applying heat and letting it cool in the small round brush, this creates the volume. My favorite blow dryer to use is the FHI HEAT Platform Nano Salon Pro 2000. It’s Powerful Tourmaline Ceramic core helps control the heat without burning. This comes with a great cool button. Once I’ve created the lift and shape I go into the hair, pulling, shaping and separating the hair with “stylus “ hairspray “stay put .” I like to step back and look at it from all angles making sure that the hair is complementary to the face, ears, nose, eyes, and chin. I go over and give it one final spray with the stylus “Stay Styled. ” This makes hair flexible, Jaime can run her hands through it anytime she likes. When I bleached Jamie’s hair I used Neo bond. To protect and strengthen the bonds of the hair.” See below James has provided our readers with a special offer on the FHI Heat products.
The red carpet is known for its fun party atmosphere. This year the glamour was top and fabulous. The men looking all dapper in a great variety of tuxedos and great ties. Timothée Chalamet brings a new look for men to the red carpet with a sequin harness that has black iridescent and purple beads, seven different shades of sequin and a hidden pocket, with an embroidered bib, paired with a shirt, pants, and boots from Louis Vuitton.
The individuality of the women was very present this evening on the red carpet. The glamour is present with exceptional looks with personalized styling and fashion. Regina King wears an Alberta Ferretti floor-length dress features pink sequins with detailing along the sides. Lady Gaga pays homage to Judy Garland in a Valentino seven foot train gown. Judy Garland is the first actress to star in A Star Is Born and an influence for Lady Gaga. See the red carpet looks below.
Host Sandra Oh
AJ Gibson
Lilliana Vazquez
Missi Pyle
Margaret Gardner
Yvette Nicole Brown
Hosts Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer
Francia Raisa
Dave Holstein
Giuliana Rancic
Host Andy Samberg and Joanna Newsom
Ryan Seacrest
Joanna Newsom
Carly Steel
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, nominee Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer
Jodie Comer
Camila Belle
HFPA President Meher Tatna
Caroline Aaron and Kevin Pollack
Kiki Layne
Desmond Child
Joanna Newsom and Andy Samberg
Ken Jeong and Tran Jeong
Richard Madden
Simon Heath and Jed Mercurio
Alan Arkin and Suzanne Newlander
Paul Chen and Andy Sale from “EY”
Luke Evans
Lukas Dhont
Jameela Jamil
Judy Greer
Viggo Mortensen
Chrissy Metz
Anthony Rossomando and Mark Ronson
Dakota Fanning
Chrissy Metz
Allison Janney
Sarah Gilbert and Linda Perry
Golden Globe Party Presenters and Ceremonoy
Brian May, Rami Malek, and Roger Taylor Photo Credit HFPA
This year’s awards were presented by an all-star list of celebrities including: Antonio Banderas, Kristen Bell, Halle Berry, Emily Blunt,Chadwick Boseman, Sterling K. Brown, Steve Carell,Jessica Chastain, Olivia Colman, Bradley Cooper, Kaley Cuoco, Jamie Lee Curtis, Taron Egerton, Idris Elba, Harrison Ford, Johnny Galecki, Richard Gere, Danai Gurira, Justin Hartley, Taraji P. Henson, Felicity Huffman, Allison Janney, Michael B. Jordan, Nicole Kidman, Lady Gaga, Lucy Liu, William H. Macy, Chrissy Metz, Julianne Moore, Megan Mullally, Mike Myers, Lupita Nyong’o, Gary Oldman, Jim Parsons, Tyler Perry, Chris Pine, Amy Poehler, Sam Rockwell, Gina Rodriguez, Saoirse Ronan, Maya Rudolph, Octavia Spencer, Ben Stiller, Emma Stone, Taylor Swift, Dick Van Dyke, Lena Waithe Rachel Weisz, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Chuck Lorre
Cast and Crew
Sandra Oh
Jim Beach, Roger Taylor and Brian May of Queen, Rami Malek, Graham King, and Mike Myers
The 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards
Green Book
Rami Malek
Rami Malek Brian May Roger Taylor
Anthony Rossomando. Andrew Wyatt, Lady Gaga, and Mark Ronson
Jeff Bridges
Darren Criss
Glenn Close
Glenn Close
Nick Vallelonga, and Brian Currie
Carol Burnett
Darren Criss
Rami Malek with Brian May and Roger Taylor
Ben Stiller and Jamie Lee Curtis
Hosts Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh
Fiji, Lindt, and Moet
Rachel Brosnahan
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas
Melissa Mccarthy knew that dinner would not last through the three and half hour show. She provided 30 ham and cheese sandwiches for sharing.
We Say congratulations to Rami Malek on his best actor award. He was the top actor this year! It was a joy of a lifetime watching Malek performance.
The After Party
The evening concludes with a fantastic after party at the Beverly Hilton. They recipients are able to engrave their statues, celebrate, and enjoy great music.
Golden Globe Recipients Party
Best film – drama Black Panther BlacKkKlansman Bohemian Rhapsody If Beale Street Could Talk A Star Is Born
Best actress – drama Glenn Close – The Wife Recipient Lady Gaga – A Star Is Born Nicole Kidman – Destroyer Melissa McCarthy – Can You Ever Forgive Me? Rosamund Pike –A Private War
Best actor – drama Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born Willem Dafoe – At Eternity’s Gate Lucas Hedges – Boy Erased Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody John David Washington – BlacKkKlansman
Best supporting actress Amy Adams – Vice Claire Foy – First Man Regina King – If Beale Street Could TalkRecipient Emma Stone – The Favourite Rachel Weisz – The Favourite
Best supporting actor Mahershala Ali – Green BookRecipient Timothée Chalamet – Beautiful Boy Adam Driver – BlacKkKlansman Richard E Grant – Can You Ever Forgive Me? Sam Rockwell – Vice
Best film – musical or comedy Crazy Rich Asians The Favourite Green Book Recipient Mary Poppins Returns Vice
Best actress – musical or comedy Emily Blunt – Mary Poppins Returns Olivia Colman – The Favourite Elsie Fisher – Eighth Grade Charlize Theron – Tully Constance Wu – Crazy Rich Asians
Best actor – musical or comedy Christian Bale – ViceRecipient Lin-Manuel Miranda – Mary Poppins Returns Viggo Mortensen – Green Book Robert Redford – The Old Man & the Gun John C Reilly – Stan & Ollie
Best actor – musical or comedy Christian Bale – Vice Lin-Manuel Miranda – Mary Poppins Returns Viggo Mortensen – Green Book Robert Redford – The Old Man & the Gun John C Reilly – Stan & Ollie
Best director Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born Alfonso Cuarón – Roma Recipient Peter Farrelly – Green Book Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman Adam McKay – Vice
Best song All the Stars – Black Panther Girl in the Movies – Dumplin’ Requiem for a Private War – A Private War Revelation – Boy Erased Shallow – A Star Is BornRecipient
Best screenplay Alfonso Cuarón – Roma Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara – The Favourite Barry Jenkins – If Beale Street Could Talk Adam McKay – Vice Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly – Green Book Recipient
Best foreign language film Capernaum Girl Never Look Away Roma Recipient Shoplifters
Best score Marco Beltrami – A Quiet Place Alexandre Desplat – Isle of Dogs Ludwig Göransson – Black Panther Justin Hurwitz – First ManRecipient Marc Shaiman – Mary Poppins Returns
Best limited series or TV movie The Alienist The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Recipient Escape at Dannemora Sharp Objects A Very English Scandal
Best actress in a limited series or TV movie Amy Adams – Sharp Objects Patricia Arquette – Escape at DannemoraRecipient Connie Britton – Dirty John Laura Dern – The Tale Regina King – Seven SecondsR
Best actor in a limited series or TV movie Antonio Banderas – Genius: Picasso Daniel Bruhl – The Alienist Darren Criss – The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime StoryRecipient Benedict Cumberbatch – Patrick Melrose Hugh Grant – A Very English Scandal
Best supporting actress in a limited series or TV movie Alex Bornstein – The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Patricia Clarkson – Sharp ObjectsRecipient Penelope Cruz – The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Thandie Newton – Westworld Yvonne Strahovski – The Handmaid’s Tale
Best supporting actor in a limited series or TV movie Alan Arkin – The Kominsky Method Kieran Culkin – Succession Edgar Ramirez – The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Ben Whishaw – A Very English ScandalRecipient Henry Winkler – Barry
Best TV series – musical or comedy Barry The Good Place Kidding The Kominsky Method The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
Best actress in a TV series – musical or comedy Kristen Bell – The Good Place Candice Bergen – Murphy Brown Alison Brie – Glow Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Debra Messing – Will and Grace
Best actor in a TV series – musical or comedy Sasha Baron Cohen – Who Is America? Jim Carrey – Kidding Michael Douglas – The Kominsky MethodRecipient Donald Glover – Atlanta Bill Hader – Barry
Best TV series – drama The Americans Recipient Bodyguard Homecoming Killing Eve Pose
Best actress in a TV series – drama Caitriona Balfe – Outlander Elisabeth Moss – The Handmaid’s Tale Sandra Oh – Killing Eve Recipient Julia Roberts – Homecoming Keri Russell – The Americans
Best actor in a TV series – drama Jason Bateman – Ozark Stephan James – Homecoming Billy Porter – Pose Richard Madden – BodyguardRecipient Matthew Rhys – The Americans Julia Roberts – Homecoming Keri Russell – The Americans
New Year’s Eve is just around the corner and the last holiday party. What a great time of the year. The best New Year’s Eve celebration is perfect for a grazing table with little work. This will be a great way to let the chef enjoy the evening events too. Kristen Seymour presents a step-by-step guide to the perfect party.
If you want the food at your holiday party or corporate event to be opulent and impressive—but still inviting—a grazing table just might be the answer to your culinary conundrum. And as a bonus, you probably won’t even have to cook.
This hot trend in entertaining isn’t exactly new. In medieval times, palace feasts often featured tables piled high with layers of food for guests to sample at their leisure. These days, grazing tables are more likely to feature local cheeses than, say, roasted peacock. But a year or two ago, a modern take on the grazing table began to take hold in Australia and New Zealand. Now it’s taking the U.S. by storm.
What, exactly, is a grazing table?
Typically, it’s a table (although it can also be a platter, a counter, a board, or any large, flat surface) with lots of visually appealing and accessible food. Most items aren’t contained within bowls or baskets but are instead arranged in piles that lavishly spill into each other. It’s artfully disheveled. Decadent, but relaxed. It’s a really flexible concept that can work for a wide variety of events, numbers of guests, locations, themes, and budgets. In a work setting, for instance, a grazing table is a great way to incorporate office snacks you already have on hand without the need to bring in or buy a ton of serveware and utensils.
New Year’s Grazing Table Menu
And if all that isn’t enough, one of the best aspects of a grazing table is the low maintenance set up, which allows the host to spend time with their guests. After all, parties are much more fun to throw when you actually get to join them. Interested in giving a grazing table a go? Here’s how to build your own for your next office party or gathering at home.
Planning for Your Party
The first decision to make is the shape and size of the table. Will it be large enough to hold everything you want to include? According to New Zealand caterer Sarah Jones, who was at the forefront of this trend, you can expect a table that’s one square meter (which is about three feet by three feet) to fully feed around 15 people and allow around 30 to graze. However, you can use layers to fit more food or add decorative elements to take up more surface area if the table you have is too large.
And don’t forget about location. Your grazing table should be situated in a way that makes it easy for multiple guests to access it at once, encouraging mingling while snacking. But you don’t want it to be in the way of traffic (or dancing!). If you’ll have small children or pets at the party, you might also want to use an elevated surface to keep snacks away from little hands and curious noses.
Now, onto the food!
With a grazing table, you don’t want to choose food only for its tastiness, although, that’s an important factor. You should also think about the aesthetics. Brightly colored fruit and veggies, breads and crackers with different textures and shapes, meat slices that can be folded artfully, and vibrant dips and sauces all add to the visual appeal of the table.
Be sure to pick up a variety of each type of food. For instance, when it comes to cheese, consider a soft Brie, a hard and nutty Manchego, and a sharp Cheddar—and then think about what would pair well with each type. This planning isn’t just for your shopping list, but also for your layout because you will want to make it easy for your guests to distinguish which cracker and spread complements the cheese they just sliced.
New Year’s Grazing Table Creation
And remember, this can be whatever you want it to be, so although the cheese, charcuterie, and crudités route is a common one, you can branch out in any way you’d like. Make big, brightly hued exotic fruits the main feature, layer your table with cakes and candies, or pick a sampling of easy-to-eat snacks from your favorite tapas restaurant. Living a healthy life? You can keep it vegan, paleo, or sugar-free, no problem. As long as you fill the space with food your guests can easily enjoy, the sky is the limit.
Creating Your Grazing Table
While it may look haphazard, a well-curated grazing table is anything but. It’s vital that you leave yourself plenty of time for the set-up process alone. Rushing to add the finishing touches as your guests arrive is no way to enhance that effortlessly chic atmosphere that a grazing table provides.
Step 1: Write out a list of all the foods you want to put out
You’d be surprised at how easy it is to forget what you’ve purchased until the party is over. A list will help you in step two. Consider whether you’ll be buying and preparing each item, or if you’ll go the corporate catering route instead.
Step 2: Plot your table
Time to decide what platters and other surfaces to put your food on. In keeping with the casually decadent feel, leave your linen tablecloth in the closet and, instead, stick with the surface of a nice, clean table, or cover it with kraft or butcher-block paper.
You can use baskets and cutting boards to organize more unruly foods, and of course, you’ll need bowls for dips or spreads. Adding a big, beautiful bowl of punch is a great way to take up space and add a pop of color, and now is the time to decide where any larger containers will go. That said, resist the urge to separate everything too precisely. You’re going for organized chaos, so just this once go ahead and let the grapes mingle with the prosciutto.
If you opt to decorate with non-food items, this is also a good opportunity to set out larger embellishments. Get creative with greenery and flowers, fresh herbs, whole fruits and veggies, unscented candles, framed art or signs, vases—anything that works with your theme and adds a bit of visual interest will increase the appeal of your grazing table.
Step 3: Use layers to create height
You can use cake stands, wine boxes, or just about anything else you have handy to add dimension to your table, but don’t use everything you have. Just a couple elements should do the trick. Place larger, more eye-catching foods—such as large cheese wheels or a pile of big brownies—on raised surfaces, and spread them out around your table. If you have large amounts of one item, such as salami slices, arrange them in two or three places around the table to break things up.
Step 4: Fill it in
Add your remaining foods to the empty spaces, making a point to separate similar items from one another. Place foods people may want to pair in close proximity (you could surround a wheel of Brie with pear slices, a crusty baguette, and a jar of fig jam, for example). The ideal grazing table will encourage people to move from one end to the other, sampling bits and bites from all areas.
Once you add your main foods, fill in the remaining spaces with handfuls of nuts, dried fruit, berries, pieces of dark chocolate, or any other small foods you’d like to sprinkle throughout. You can also scatter flowers or other decorations if you have room. Though the design is completely up to you, a traditional grazing table leaves very little bare space, so don’t be shy about adding more. Abundance is a theme that’s hard to overdo.
Step 5: Take a tour
Approach the table as if you were a guest and make sure everything is accessible (can you reach for that biscuit behind the candle without burning your hand?) and inviting. Slice a corner of each block of cheese and tear off a few chunks of the baguette to encourage guests to dig right in.
Step 6: Snap a picture before your guests dig in!
The photogenic nature of the grazing table is inversely proportional to the amount of noshing that’s been done, so ‘gram it for posterity’s sake right away.
New Year’s Grazing Table Savings
Happy New Year! May you have a wonderful celebration and year filled with the best lifestyle. Thank you to ZeroCater for the collaboration and exceptional article.
The Winter Garden is the Golden Globes theme for this dinner party. This year’s dinner brings a new Executive Chef and first ever gluten-free dessert.
Executive Chef Matthew Morgan
Golden Globe Awards Dinner in the Winter Garden
Executive Chef Matthew Morgan
Executive Pastry Chef Thomas Henzi
Golden Globe Awards Dinner in the Winter Garden
Golden Globe Awards Dinner in the Winter Garden
Menu
Matthew Morgan, first time as the Executive Chef for Golden Globes, creates a menu using fresh ingredients from his own garden. The evening will have 10,000 meals served. The menu includes:
Appetizer
Sweet Potato Vichyssoise
Wild Micro Chives, Golden Leeks, Organic Red Garnet Yams, and Roasted Pepitas
Entrée
Chilean Seabass
Forbidden Black Rice, White & Green Asparagus, Globe Carrots, Crispy Herb Leaves, and Sweet Pepper Concasse.
Vegetarian Entrée
Stuffed Honeynut Squash
Local Organic Honeynut Squash, Piquillo Pepper Hummus, Braised Rainbow Chard, Crispy Chickpeas, Quinoa, Golden Raisins, and Sunflower Sprouts
Thomas Henzi, the Pastry Chef, creates the first ever gluten-free dessert. This is a flourless chocolate cake with a white chocolate cheesecake, cherry, blackberry, pistachio cream, and Amaretto.
Dessert
Pistachio Cream Cheese Ivory
Flourless Chocolate, Vanilla Kirsch Genoise, and Cream Cheese Charlotte Pistachio Center
Moët & Chandon champagne, the official champagne of the Golden Globes, is serving a champagne cocktail that transports guests to South America. The cocktail created by actress Camilla Belle from her Brazilian heritage. They will serve over 500 cocktails.
Michael Uncapher, from Mark’s Garden, talks about the decor and flowers. They are doing a Golden Globe statue out of flowers, a great option for celebrity selfies. The color and flower for the night are yellow tulips and roses with a modern clean look.
Recipes
Moet Belle
1oz Cachaça
0.75oz mango juice
0.5oz ginger syrup
0.25oz fresh lime juice
2.5oz Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial
Edible flower to garnish
Shake the first four ingredients together with ice.
Strain into a coupe and top with Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut.
Garnish with an edible tropical flower or tropical flower decoration and serve.
The Golden Globes hosted by Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg Jan. 6, 2019 at 8 PM EST on NBC from the Beverly Hills Hilton. Stay tuned here for complete Golden Globes coverage. See the list of nominees here.
Traveling across the country you find a variety of traditional American food to traditions for each region. There is beautiful colors, smells, sounds, and exceptional people to meet. Here are a few of the food finds from Arizona to North Carolina.
Arizona Food
Chesapeake Bay Bistro
Chesapeake Bay Bistro
Pulling out of a local shopping plaza fish sounded good for dinner. As I Google the nearest location I did not have a clue that there was one tucked in the shopping center, Chesapeake Bay Bistro, this is was a treasure find.
The restaurant owned by James and Yolanda Brown ventured to open this location during the height of the pandemic. It was an exceptional decision.
Chef Zandra (Zantastic) Vaughn creates fish your way everyday. The menu is created to make your fish your way. The fish is homemade with fresh fish with every effort to use sustainable methods and recyclable goods. The hushpuppies are scrumptious.
The fish is fresh and crabs are live and flown in from the Chesapeake Bay in the East Coast on a daily basis. We make sure that our ingredients are of the highest quality.
The fun is adding your name to a flip flop and looking for an open space for your addition. The customer service the best. Yolanda is passionate and full of energy. The food was delicious and enough for a few meals.
Cameron Trading Post Highway 89
Cameron Trading Post
The food made from scratch daily and is a fusion of the three food cultures. This place is perfect for travelers with their lodging, restaurant, art gallery, garden with fountains, and a massive gift shop. The trading post opened in 1916 and welcomes everyone like a guest in their homes. Prior to being a trading post, the place served as an apothecary.
Breakfast:
Navajo pancake this is a blue corn pancake
Prickly pear stuffed french toast this is French toast served sandwich style with a prickly pear jam and cream cheese
Warrior Surprise is a mini-Navajo Taco topped with one egg
Lunch:
Southwest taco salad served with a prickly pear cactus fruit vinaigrette
Gunslinger ham and cheese with diced green chile to the classic ham and American cheese sandwich
Navajo burger A juicy burger patty served on Fry Bread with salsa and all the trimmings (this was a delicious choice)
Dinner:
Nakahee Becheeyeh ( means south of the border) includes a pork tamale, a meaty beef taco, and one cheese enchilada
Served with tortilla chips, our spicy homemade salsa, refried beans, rice, and your choice of red or green chile
Trout dinner with lightly breaded grilled fish
Liver and Onions Beef liver grilled with onions and bacon
served with soup or salad, a fresh mini loaf and a choice of mashed potatoes, baked potato, French fries, sautéed vegetables or rice pilaf.
Each dish enjoyed this evening brought a new experience to something familiar. We enjoyed the Navajo burger (with a vegetarian patty), club sandwich (served gluten-free) and Navajo taco (made with Blue Bird flour). Ellie enjoyed a milkshake and nibbling off everyone’s plate. Miss “Foodie” (Ellie) really recommends their fantastic french fries. The menu includes the Navajo language providing a fun conversation with the staff. We enjoyed the local flavors and expansion of cultures. The food to the ambiance provided a complete experience with cultural diversity.
Ranch House Grille
Ranch House Grille
This was a great place to meet with a high school friend and his beautiful wife. We enjoyed breakfast at Ranch House Grille. It was a very local place. Many entering the grill knew other patrons and shared stories of their families and community. It was a wonderful meal. Large portions, good café coffee, and great hash browns.
Utah Food
Ray’s Tavern
We stop in Green River just before Colorado. Lisa Sherman recommended having lunch at Ray’s Tavern. This was our first travel contest. Congrats, to Wes Hawkins at Utah Travels for knowing what city we were enjoying lunch. We ordered the chicken sandwich and a Garden Burger®. They had a Utah tradition on fry sauce, created by Don Carlos Edwards in the 1950s. It is as simple as ketchup and mayonnaise whipped together. I have seen variations with adding sour cream or buttermilk. This was a treat for sure. It was a great place. The waitress extremely friendly and the food fresh, including the fries.
Spicy Thai and Joe’s Cafe
Orem Utah Reunion Time Road Trip
Meeting up with my dear friend Lisa Sherman was like we never missed even one day, even though it had been a few decades. Lisa and I have known each other since we were three. We ran the neighborhood streets as two determined little girls could. We enjoyed breakfast at Joe’s Cafe. The food was so delish. Lisa even enjoyed the grits. A dish she was convinced she did not like. Joe said, “You will love them. Nothing comes between your lips and my grits.” It was so wonderful catching up with Lisa after all these years.
Dinner was a fabulous reunion with my bestie from high school, Brenda Anderson. She and I meet at the Spicy Thai in Orem. This was an excellent choice for the food was excellent. Their menu had a great selection of Thai food with the ability to choose your heat. The evening ended at her home where we spent time catching-up, relationships talk, and a little (very little) drinking. Her cute little dogs entertained up throughout the evening. They are both such a ball of energy.
Colorado Food
Aloha Poké Co.
Aloha Poké Co. provides a light refreshing meal with a wide choice of vegetables and rice. This is a perfect meal for this long day of road travel. Cherie and I sit outside enjoying lunch in the spring sun and looking back at the Rocky Mountains thinking a strong contrast from the last two days to the journey that lays in front of us.
Missouri Food
Sugarfire Smokehouse BBQ
Sugarfire Smokehouse BBQ St. Louis Missouri
St. Louis is known for its arch and barbecue. This being a late Sunday afternoon we realize that many locations are not open, but find one near the ball field, Sugarfire SmokeHouse BBQ! This is an award-winning restaurant under Chef Mike Johnson has studied with Myron Mixon, cooked under Emeril Lagasse and Charlie Trotter. It was a great experience of community, exceptional food (sweet potatoes the best) and BBQ pork and salmon.
Cincinnati, Hebron, and Indianapolis Food
3 Sisters Cafe
The first food stop of the trip is 3 Sisters Cafe in Indianapolis, Indiana, in business for 20 years. They serve a large choice of elegant breakfasts from sweet to savory and great lunch menu as well.
They have great beverages (no alcohol) with flair. I enjoyed the turmeric and ginger iced tea. It was a great flavor not too sweet or sugary. The brunch was perfect a great hollandaise sauce over Scottish lox, poached eggs, fresh tomato, and locally made English muffins with caviar on top. The English muffin was fresh with a nice sourdough flavor. The hollandaise sauce was perfect with just a little heat. The porridge was a new experience. It was creamy with a hint of cinnamon.
Hebron Grille
The evening meal was a quaint place in Hebron Kentucky called Hebron Grille. The waitress, Brenda, was so friendly and informative. She provides insight into the southern menu. I decide on the Catfish Grand Bayou. This was a meal for two. It was perfect for a later time as well.
The fish was perfectly cooked with Cajun spice, white wine, lemon, capers, diced tomatoes, grilled shrimp, crawfish, angel hair pasta, and grilled asparagus. The capers brought an exceptional flavor and salt to the dish. The crawfish is a wonderful additional treat.
Abby Girl Sweets Cupcakes
Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati Ohio, my niece and I stop by Abby Girl Sweets Cupcakes. This was a delightful find in the lobby of the Hilton Netherlands Hotel lobby. This little shop has a variety of sweet and moist cupcakes. We enjoyed the coconut, black raspberry chip, red velvet, and peanut butter cup. They were perfect after a long of competition at the USA Gymnastics event.
This business is owned and operated by Nathan & Andrea Thompson (husband and wife). The name comes from their daughter, Abby Girl, she is the top taster for the cupcakes. The cupcakes are sweet and well-flavored.
Champaign Illinois Food
The Midwest food is all American. The area settled by Europeans including Germans, British, Italian, Hungarians, and Scandinavians. The simple hearty foods with strong Christian influences continue today. The fusion food trend is not found here as much. You will find that true honest food as it was from the beginning.
This town is a place you find all American food. It is a place worth stopping and checking out the food scene. This area is in Central Illinois about 2.5 hours south of Chicago. The area surrounded by small farm and dairy communities. It is known for farmers markets, fresh dairy (yes you can buy fresh milk at the farm), ethnic foods, and the classic American food.
Sleepy Creek Vineyard Road Trip
Sleepy Creek Vineyards
Driving in from St. Louis, you take exit 206 from I-74. The winery is a great location to come for many events. Weekly they have local musicians, wieners and wine, and Winery Mary Bar Every Sunday. The winery has great yearly events from Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and more.
The wine is sweet not a real full-bodied wine. They have a jalapeño red wine they substitute with vodka in the bloody Mary served on Sunday. The place is beautiful and serene setting. Locals bring their picnic lunches, you can buy cheese and crackers, or at times, a food truck might be here. The day we were there they had a band playing in the large barn, a strong community presence sitting outside by the creek overlooking the vineyard.
The Courier Café Urbana
The Courier Café brings Champaign history and old Victorian styling in the decor. The main dining room has:
A large palace chandelier from the Opera House in Erie Pennsylvania
The cash register is the first electric cash register
The courier clock pendulum filled with mercury makes the time keeping right
The stained glass comes from a Danville church predating the Civil War
The Pullman lamps light the aisle for passengers on the Pullman railroad cars
The brass chimes a gift from George Malford, a Nickelodeon Maker, they are steamed powered
The Café’s name is for the Courier newspaper that operated for decades in the building. The building was almost lost to fire and remained empty for decades. In 1980, the current owners began remodeling and opened for business on November 10, 1980. They are a farm to table restaurant with the garden and bees on the property for the freshest ingredients.
The menu is a hearty all American menu with breakfast served daily until 11 AM then lunch and dinner menu until closing. The breakfast is traditional eggs, omelets, fantastic pancakes, and hash browns. Their coffee is fresh ground daily and they have special blends. The lunch/dinner menu is hearty with a ribeye sandwich, fries, soups, and steak. The food has that home cooked look and feel. They do have a few items for vegetarians including breakfast sausage. They do have one special treat “Courier water that is sparkling water from deep below the café. It is a great place for large parties and a sense of the community in Champaign.
Amaravati Indian Royal Cuisine Champaign
Amaravati Indian Royal Cuisine primarily brings Southern Indian cuisine to Champaign. Southern Indian cuisine based around rice, lentils, and stews. Dishes The authenticity found in the menu. The waitress knowledge of the menu and very helpful with the dishes.
Enjoying Paneer Tikka Masala with cubes of fresh cottage cheese cooked with green peas in an onion, tomato & cashew based sauce. Garnished with Kasturi methi and cashew pieces. The flavors linger on your pallet. The rice is perfectly cooked. Dessert is rasamalai it is juice and cream. It is a sweet and good amount of heat. This dish has a history of being created in Britain by a Bangladeshi chef.
Champaign Food Road Trip
Core Life Eatery Champaign
Entering the eatery, you hear a local band on an early Saturday morning. The eatery is a location of freshness and wholesome. The food is GMO, grass-fed steak, all-natural chicken, and no GMOs. The broths are center to the soups. You pick your ingredients from a fresh selection that looks like a produce stand.
The soup is heavy in a great vegetable broth the Sriracha soaked bean sprouts make a nice substitute for noodles and Sriracha brings heat to the soup. The kale and Napa cabbage are barely cooked by the hot broth this brings a freshness and crunch to the flavor. The shiitake mushrooms add texture to the soup. It is refreshing with flavors that linger on the plate.
Chicago Food
Chicago sits in the Midwest has a history of all American food. This history is changing to one of sophistication and elegance. The dining experience is one set for the various neighborhoods in Chicago. The traditional American and deep dish pizza is found in each area, but the elegance is found with 25 Michelin-starred restaurants. Chicago is known for their yearly Taste of Chicago a food and entertainment weekend usually held the second week of July. There is a covering deep dish pizza this is a bucket list trip with deep dish pizza on the list.
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria Road Trip
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
This was a fantastic place to take a crowd for lunch. There was a little bit of a wait but well worth the wait. They do allow you to order ahead of time. The entire party pizza enjoyed the pizza. They had great selections with gluten-free and vegetarian options. The gluten-free crust was one of the best. They have a real family feeling to the pizzeria.
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria is a local favorite. The first restaurant opened by Lou, an Italian, opened a pizzeria in a Jewish neighborhood on an Irish holiday in 1971. They are always busy at all 51 locations in the Chicago area. Each pizza is hand created to each patron’s desire.
Pequod Pizza Chicago
Pequod Pizza, 25 years in business, is a popular place in Lincoln Park. We arrive with the dreams of deep crust pizza and watch the Cubs play ball. Arriving we realize that the wait is down the street. Heading into the small hostess station they tell us, “there is an hour for a table about another hour for service from seating.” We walk around the block and decide to find a place with appetizers to wait out the hour seating time. We find a great place called Distilled Chicago.
New York City mayor’s press secretary Eric Phillips has put in his vote on Twitter for the best pizza “Chicago pizza is the best pizza in America, and it’s not even close.” The tweet has a photo of Chicago-style deep dish pizza from Pequod’s. We return for our pizza as our buzzer for the table goes off.
We take the pizza back to the Air BNB for snacking and dinner on Saturday evening. It is a fabulous bucket list experience. Normally a thin crust pizza lover this was a true experience. The crust is caramelized and not as heavy as expected. The cheese strings as you take a bite making it a true cheese pizza. The sauce is the best to date. It is loud and excitable as the patrons are enjoying the final innings of the Cubs game.
Distilled Chicago
Distilled Chicago was a fantastic find just down the street from Pequod Pizza in West Lincoln Park. We sit at the bar. The decor is black and gold with an early 19th century feel. The Cub’s are playing on the TV. It is neighborhood experience as locals enter to enjoy the local menu with a modern twist on bar favorites. We enjoy a glass of wine and a beer. It is best known for being a whiskey bar with our 100 varieties. These are paired with the menu items.
The food is fabulous. We order the mac ‘n’ cheese bits, sliders with fries, and Italian beef egg rolls. The Italian beef rolls turn out to be a delightful surprise with the Au Jus Sauce. This fusion of Asian and Italian together well and our the favorite of the night. The mac ‘n’ cheese bits are crispy and tasty. The dipping sauce is house ranch. There is a good textual experience. The fries are crispy and the bacon jam brings the classic slider to a unique experience the arugula brings a fresh peppery flavor, caramelized onions, and the top quality Angus beef takes a bar classic to elegance. This became dinner. It is a great place to enjoy a ball game, the community, and an American classic menu with an elevation.
Scone City
Scone City located in Wicker Park is wonderful for a morning after bar hopping or late night in Chicago. Jessica and Tim Canning along with chef Laurie McNamara took on the endeavor in a specialized sweet and savory scone menu. This place was perfect stop as my sister Cherie is heading to the airport to return to her family in Idaho. It was so wonderful sharing this experience with here. Seeing places and enjoying the cross-country journey. I truly miss her every day. She enjoyed a sweet blueberry w/ lemon glaze scone she says, “It was delicious!! Sweet. Soft. Perfection!!! Soooo tasty.” They have savory scones as well. I enjoyed a hot Vanilla Bean Latte with the house-made vanilla syrup. It is a perfect start to a day of exploring Chicago.
Bangers and Lace
Bangers and Lace, a local bar in Wicker Park, has a rustic lodge atmosphere and is a great place for a good drink and great company. The patrons are friendly. The bartender for the evening was an instant win with a Big Lebowski shirt. The best feature is the is the classic beer tap handles. The restaurant’s name is Bangers for the British term for sausage and Lace for Brussels Lace, the intricate veil of beer foam that clings to the glass side. This was a great evening spot near the Air BNB for cocktails and a glass of wine. They have a menu of sausages, English beans, vegetarian option, and Belgian fries.
The atmosphere is friendly, fun, and did get crowded as the night went on. It is a great place for sports, conversation, and good drinks. What a fun experience.
Kanela Chicago Road Trip
The last morning of the road trip in the Midwest is brunch at Kanela, the Greek name for Cinnamon. This restaurant place is Wicker Park neighborhood on a street with many older shops. It is a great place, voted best in Chicago by USA Today, for a Sunday morning brunch. The coffee tops and wonderful after an evening at Bangers and Lace.
Brunch includes California Benedict and Fried Egg Sandwich this was an exceptional meal. The hollandaise sauce perfection with a nice touch of heat, the poach egg picture perfect. The sandwich was fabulous with the chili aioli brings the flavors together. The seasoned potatoes nicely cooked not too soft or undercooked. It was a nice brunch with my sister. We do agree that this is a great place for brunch.
New York City Food
Wild Ginger NYC
Wild Ginger NYC
This quaint Asian Fusion restaurant is next door to my hotel, Pod 51, in Midtown New York. Thankful for this find after being delayed at the airport. The restaurant is full of large parties enjoying an order your favorite roll and share mine. I can hear them discussing what they like about each other’s choices. That is a fun way to enjoy a menu. The decor is transforming, and fitting for the theme. The menu filled with a variety of traditional Asian and fusion dishes like Singapore thin rice noodles. Enjoyed steamed veggie dumplings, salmon roll, and mermaid roll. The sauce on the plate is sweet, sour, and a little heat. The food is fresh and elegant.
Milk Bar NYC
Milk Bar NYC
Super excited to try crack pie and coffee for breakfast. This is a planned find in NYC. Watching Chef’s Table on Netflix. I knew I needed to try Milk Bar. This is Christine Tosi’s and is part of the Manhattan-based Momofuku restaurant. This is my first stop in the morning. The little shop has great cookies, cakes, pies, and bagel bombs. I order an iced coffee, bagel bomb with spinach, and crack pie. The bagel bomb warm and filled with spinach and cheese. It is a nice bite for the start of touring NYC. I save the crack pie for a little later, but it is delicious. The filling is something like a custard, but buttery. The oat crust is light and flaky. This is a must stop and see.
Pizza NYC
$1 Pizza NYC
The little find during the day is Market Pizza. It is a small little shop off 6th ave. It is $2.99 for two slices of pizza and soda. This is a great place for a traditional New York pizza. It is good, friendly, and always ready. They have a variety of pizzas. There is a small communal area to sit to eat your pizza before heading back on my NYC adventure. Always fun to explore these great places.
Pescatore NYC
Pescatore NYC
Walking Midtown after a day of exploring and the fashion event it is overwhelming with the choices near the hotel. The restaurants’ selection vast and enticing aromas. The dilemma is decided as rain begins to fall. I wonder into Pescatore. It is a traditional setting with the seasonal tulips on each table. My waiter is Bryan Royas. He is very informative about the menu and attentive.
It is a really amazing experience to see spaghetti Carbonaro done tableside. This dish is pancetta, onions, pecorino cheese & egg mixed in a Parmigiano wheel. The family sitting near me order this dish. There is something about seeing the food prepared tableside. The smells, sounds, and visual bring anticipation.
I enjoy pasta ripiena, warm bread, with Bousquet Mendoza Argentina Malbec, and dessert. The staff that brings me zeppoles with fruit dipped in brandy. The ripiena is homemade pasta sheet stuffed with fresh spinach, ricotta, topped with tomato sauce and crispy parmigiana. The homemade pasta is delectable and the tomato sauce fresh. The dessert is light and sweet the vanilla, chocolate, and raspberry sauces. The raspberry sauce is my favorite brings a little tart to the sweet. The fruit with the brandy is scrumptious.
Wilmington North Carolina Food
Kilwins Chocolate Wilmington NC
This is a must stop when visiting Wilmington You can smell the sweetness down the street. This is just the start of the sensory experience provided. When entering the story your eyes are drawn to all the beautiful handcrafted chocolates and sweets. Located in the Historic Downtown. Ice cream is a popular treat in Wilmington. Kilwins makes bomb waffle cones, exceptional chocolates, and it is worth the wait.
They make their own ice cream from their original recipe with 40 premium, unique and delicious flavors including Mackinac Island Fudge. They use local farms for ingredients. The chocolate creations are amazing.
Mission BBQ Wilmington NC
Mission BBQ Wilmington NC
Always looking for good BBQ traveling across the country. Each area has their own special BBQ. Wilmington’s Mission BBQ is American and traditional to the area. This place brings the flavors of the region to dinner. Enjoying collard greens made with tomatoes, mac-n-cheese, and green beans with bacon, brisket and NC Style pulled pork with the vinegar BBQ (this food tradition is from original settlers, African slaves on plantations and modern ones). This is an Eastern-style sauce that is vinegar and pepper, no tomatoes. Bar-b-que is serious here making it all the way to state Congress to declare the official barbeque.
Mission BBQ opened 09/11/11 ten years after 911. There is a tradition in the 52 restaurants stops at noon on Fridays to honor the military members and stars and stripes. The decor follows this continued theme with a patriotic dining room full of tributes to those who make our country great. There is really nothing more American than a barbeque.
Wilmington North Carolina is history, fabulous food, sea, beaches, and boardwalks. The town is celebrating 275 years of rich history of food and life in America. One of the most southeastern cities in the US is a great escape for a beautiful vacation.
Explorations
Battleship North Carolina Wilmington NC
Battleship North Carolina Wilmington NC
This ship begs visitors to come aboard. It is visible from downtown. In 1960 the ship commissioned to honor the men that served and keep the ship’s history.
Battleship North Carolina was the first to be constructed in sixteen years in New York in 1937. The history during wartime is 144 commissioned officers and 2,195 enlisted men, including about 100 Marines. This ship participated in every major naval offensive in the Pacific and saving the carrier Enterprise. The ship earned 15 battle stars. They only lost ten men in action and 67 injuries.
Exploring the ship you get a sense of daily life and a feel for battle. It is cramped and you do have to go up and down stairs to see the ship so proper footwear is important. It makes you think about being out to sea for months on end with the same people, cramped quarters, and war around you. This is a must see when coming to town.
Cape Fear River Wilmington NC
Cape Fear River Wilmington NC
This river is the connection to the Atlantic Ocean. This river brings ships from all over the world to Wilmington. There are many restaurants that have great views of the river and sunsets. It is a fun place to enjoy a good pub crawl, but most bars in the area do not have happy hours.
For centuries this port has brought Europeans to America. Cape Fear River was often used for fleeing slaves to escape slavery. Orange Street is where 22 slaves escaped to freedom by way of the Cape Fear River. Orange Street place designated in 2005 by the National Park Service as part of its National Underground Railroad Network (click link to read about the Levi home) to Freedom Program. The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program is to preserve and commemorate the history of the Underground Railroad.
There is plenty to see and do in Wilmington for families, history buffs, and couples from:
This is a must stop when visiting Wilmington You can smell the sweetness down the street. This is just the start of the sensory experience provided. When entering the story your eyes are drawn to all the beautiful handcrafted chocolates and sweets. Located in the Historic Downtown. Ice cream is a popular treat in Wilmington. Kilwins makes bomb waffle cones, exceptional chocolates, and it is worth the wait.
They make their own ice cream from their original recipe with 40 premium, unique and delicious flavors including Mackinac Island Fudge. They use local farms for ingredients. The chocolate creations are amazing.
Mission BBQ Wilmington NC
Mission BBQ Wilmington NC
Always looking for good BBQ traveling across the country. Each area has their own special BBQ. Wilmington’s Mission BBQ is American and traditional to the area. This place brings the flavors of the region to dinner. Enjoying collard greens made with tomatoes, mac-n-cheese, and green beans with bacon, brisket and NC Style pulled pork with the vinegar BBQ (this food tradition is from original settlers, African slaves on plantations and modern ones). This is an Eastern-style sauce that is vinegar and pepper, no tomatoes. Bar-b-que is serious here making it all the way to state Congress to declare the official bar-b-q.
Mission BBQ opened 09/11/11 ten years after 911. There is a tradition in the 52 restaurants stops at noon on Fridays to honor the military members and stars and stripes. The decor follows this continued theme with a patriotic dining room full of tributes to those who make our country great. There is really nothing more American than a barbeque.
The staff is exceptional and give a lot of insight to the food and history. The food is a delicious find.
@4ChionLifestyle
Photo credit and travel collaboration Raymond L. Forchion Jr.
Chicago is one big city that sits in the Midwest of the USA. This is a dream comes true with a visit to this city. Driving in from Champaign, with my sisters Tina and Cherie, we see this massive modern American city, but as you explore you realize that the city has great neighborhoods that swallow the big city vastness. Each neighborhood feels like you are in your own hometown.
Chicago Road Trip
Chicago Neighborhoods
Lincoln Park
This was an excellent choice for dinner(see below). It is no the north side in Chicago. This area has some great restaurants, shopping, and entertainment. This neighborhood has the Lincoln Park Zoo (America’s oldest zoo) and the Chicago History Museum. The streets this evening had many out for dinner and to watch the Cubbies play ball.
River City North
Sending my sister off in the morning was sad. She is a lot of fun to travel with and drove 1,300 of 2,400 miles of the cross-country journey. Tina and I take the subway into River City North. We enjoy a glass of white wine and watch families enjoy the riverfront. We also enjoy Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria.
The neighborhood looks or feels nothing like it started as an industrial and warehouse district. This neighborhood is modern as the many buildings tower over the river. This neighborhood is known for art. It has the largest concentration of galleries outside of Manhattan. We enjoy exploring the many wonderful statues, theatre area, and the most restaurants in Chicago.
Chicago Road Trip 4Chion Lifestyle b
Old Town
Walking to Old Town was a fun adventure to see the other areas of the town. Old Town is filled with old Victorian buildings, churches, great pubs, coffee shops, and history. The streets are lined with beautiful trees. This area was first settled by Germans. Around 1846 the immigrants established St. Joesph’s Parish. The history here is rich from buildings that survived the 1871 Chicago fire, to former speakeasies and ornate beautiful churches. We enjoyed a nice lunch at an Irish Pub.
Chicago Road Trip
The Loop
This is where you will find the “Bean” the name for the statue is Cloud Gate. The sculpture is by Indian-born British artist Sir Anish Kapoor. This was so gorgeous at the night. It is located in Millennium Park in The Loop neighborhood. The statue is a 110-ton elliptical sculpture of a seamless series of polished stainless steel plates and a 12-foot-high arch. The inspiration for the statue is liquid mercury. It is an incredible piece of art. Uber (see the discount code below) provided a great get around from one neighborhood to the next during the evening.
Chicago Road Trip
Wrigleyville
Closing out the first night in Wrigleyville. A great night to see the stadium and experience one of the great bars in the area. It is a great spot day or night. It is a great place for nightlife. We enjoyed Sluggers, a great sports bar. My sisters enjoyed the batting cages and I took in a little music with the dueling pianos. This neighborhood offers some great Chicago experiences
Wicker Park is a wonderful neighborhood. It really takes to a small town feeling. It is close to the subway, has great shopping, and good bars. This neighborhood has many lush gardens with great events in the parks from movies, exercises, farmers markets, and concerts. This area is great for Wicker Park is known for local hipster culture, the art community, nightlife, and food scene. It was a great place to stay in an Air BNB (see discount offer below).
Old Navy Pier
This is a fun adventurous place to visit. Ellie (granddaughter) loves exploring the pier. The great boats, fun, and ice cream. We enjoy walking the pier. The Fifth Third Family Pavillion was so much fun. This is a beautiful place for a wedding, family fun, and weekly events.
The Navy Pier is on Lake Michigan and is 102 years old. We enjoyed an Uber (see discount code below) ride. They have this well set up for pick up and drop offs. Much easier than trying to park. The Old Navy Pier is the vitality of Chicago. Ellie enjoyed the Original Rainbow Cone even though she said it was not good she finishes it. The group enjoys a drink at the Billy Goat Tavern.
Chicago Food
Chicago sits in the Midwest has a history of all American food. This history is changing to one of sophistication and elegance. The dining experience is one set for the various neighborhoods in Chicago. The traditional American and deep dish pizza is found in each area, but the elegance is found with 25 Michelin-starred restaurants. Chicago is known for their yearly Taste of Chicago a food and entertainment weekend usually held the second week of July. There is a covering deep dish pizza this is a bucket list trip with deep dish pizza on the list.
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria Road Trip
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
This was a fantastic place to take a crowd for lunch. There was a little bit of a wait but well worth the wait. They do allow you to order ahead of time. The pizza was enjoyed by the entire party. They had great selections with gluten-free and vegetarian options. The gluten-free crust was one of the best. They have a real family feeling to the pizzeria.
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria is a local favorite. The first restaurant opened by Lou, an Italian, opened a pizzeria in a Jewish neighborhood on an Irish holiday in 1971. They are always busy at all 51 locations in the Chicago area. Each pizza is hand created to each patron’s desire.
Pequod Pizza Chicago
Pequod Pizza, 25 years in business, is a popular place in Lincoln Park. We arrive with the dreams of deep crust pizza and watch the Cubs play ball. Arriving we realize that the wait is down the street. Heading into the small hostess station they tell us, “there is an hour for a table about another hour for service from seating.” We walk around the block and decide to find a place with appetizers to wait out the hour seating time. We find a great place called Distilled Chicago.
New York City mayor’s press secretary Eric Phillips has put in his vote on Twitter for the best pizza “Chicago pizza is the best pizza in America, and it’s not even close.” The tweet has a photo of Chicago-style deep dish pizza from Pequod’s. We return for our pizza as our buzzer for the table goes off.
We take the pizza back to the Air BNB for snacking and dinner on Saturday evening. It is a fabulous bucket list experience. Normally a thin crust pizza lover this was a true experience. The crust is caramelized and not as heavy as expected. The cheese strings as you take a bite making it a true cheese pizza. The sauce is the best to date. It is loud and excitable as the patrons are enjoying the final innings of the Cubs game.
Distilled Chicago
Distilled Chicago was a fantastic find just down the street from Pequod Pizza in West Lincoln Park. We sit at the bar. The decor is black and gold with an early 19th century feel. The Cub’s are playing on the TV. It is neighborhood experience as locals enter to enjoy the local menu with a modern twist on bar favorites. We enjoy a glass of wine and a beer. It is best known for being a whiskey bar with our 100 varieties. These are paired with the menu items.
The food is fabulous. We order the mac ‘n’ cheese bits, sliders with fries, and Italian beef egg rolls. The Italian beef rolls turn out to be a delightful surprise with the Au Jus Sauce. This fusion of Asian and Italian together well and our the favorite of the night. The mac ‘n’ cheese bits are crispy and tasty. The dipping sauce is house ranch. There is a good textual experience. The fries are crispy and the bacon jam brings the classic slider to a unique experience the arugula brings a fresh peppery flavor, caramelized onions, and the top quality Angus beef takes a bar classic to elegance. This became dinner. It is a great place to enjoy a ball game, the community, and an American classic menu with an elevation.
Scone City
Scone City located in Wicker Park is wonderful for a morning after bar hopping or late night in Chicago. Jessica and Tim Canning along with chef Laurie McNamara took on the endeavor in a specialized sweet and savory scone menu. This place was perfect stop as my sister Cherie is heading to the airport to return to her family in Idaho. It was so wonderful sharing this experience with here. Seeing places and enjoying the cross-country journey. I truly miss her every day. She enjoyed a sweet blueberry w/ lemon glaze scone she says, “It was delicious!! Sweet. Soft. Perfection!!! Soooo tasty.” They have savory scones as well. I enjoyed a hot Vanilla Bean Latte with the house-made vanilla syrup. It is a perfect start to a day of exploring Chicago.
Bangers and Lace
Bangers and Lace, a local bar in Wicker Park, has a rustic lodge atmosphere and is a great place for a good drink and great company. The patrons are friendly. The bartender for the evening was an instant win with a Big Lebowski shirt. The best feature is the is the classic beer tap handles. The restaurant’s name is Bangers for the British term for sausage and Lace for Brussels Lace, the intricate veil of beer foam that clings to the glass side. This was a great evening spot near the Air BNB for cocktails and a glass of wine. They have a menu of sausages, English beans, vegetarian option, and Belgian fries.
The atmosphere is friendly, fun, and did get crowded as the night went on. It is a great place for sports, conversation, and good drinks. What a fun experience.
Kanela Chicago Road Trip
The last morning of the road trip in the Midwest is brunch at Kanela, the Greek name for Cinnamon. This restaurant place is Wicker Park neighborhood on a street with many older shops. It is a great place, voted best in Chicago by USA Today, for a Sunday morning brunch. The coffee tops and wonderful after an evening at Bangers and Lace.
Brunch includes California Benedict and Fried Egg Sandwich this was an exceptional meal. The hollandaise sauce perfection with a nice touch of heat, the poach egg picture perfect. The sandwich was fabulous with the chili aioli brings the flavors together. The seasoned potatoes nicely cooked not too soft or undercooked. It was a nice brunch with my sister. We do agree that this is a great place for brunch.
Tina, Cherie, and Tammy Forchion Chicago Road Trip
This was a fantastic weekend with my sisters. This was one of the few trips we have taken just the three of us. It was hard saying goodbye to Cherie, but we have some fantastic memories and stories. Stay tuned as the road trip continues.
This year The Oscars® is celebrating 90 years. The Governors Ball is pulling out the very best for the years celebrity party.
Wolfgang Puck and his catering company will bring the best in food, entertainment, and ascetics for the best in the film industry at Oscars®. His goal with each event he caters to is, “revolutionized the dining landscape with a singular focus: to exceed expectations whenever our guests gather for a meal.”
Lois Burwell and Master Chef Wolfgang Puck
This year’s menu brings some favorites back and new experiences. His Oscars® menu is set to meet everyone’s pallet and needs. The menu includes:
The Rocky Mountains (Rockies) was home for me for decades. Many of my ancestors crossed over these mountains to settle the Salt Lake Valley. These gorgeous mountains brought each seasons beauty with exceptional colors. Heading over the Rockies my sister, Cherie, joins for the rest of the journey.
Utah Rocky Mountains Road Travel
Utah Rocky Mountains
Growing up near the mountains, the seasons each bring a wonderful set of adventures. Mount Timpanogos, a view seen from the deck of my childhood home, is the second highest mountain the Wasatch Range. It is a great place for:
Crandall Historical Printing Museum (covers 400 years of printing)
The area has exceptional art and culture events as well. This is a great place for family road trips and staying for a week of fun.
Lunchtime
Leaving Utah County through Spanish Fork Canyon is a beautiful drive. Spanish Fork Canyon goes south over Soldier Summit (7,477 ft.) and then back down through Price Canyon. The drive is very scenic and great for Geology fans. It is full of wildlife. The Rocky Mountains are such a beautiful relaxing place to play and explore.
We stop in Green River just before Colorado. Lisa Sherman recommended having lunch at Ray’s Tavern. This was our first travel contest. Congrats, to Wes Hawkins at Utah Travels for knowing what city we were enjoying lunch. We ordered the chicken sandwich and a Garden Burger®. They had a Utah tradition on fry sauce, created by Don Carlos Edwards in the 1950s. It is as simple as ketchup and mayonnaise whipped together. I have seen variations with adding sour cream or buttermilk. This was a treat for sure. It was a great place. The waitress extremely friendly and the food fresh, including the fries.
Ray’s Cafe Road Trip Travel
Colorado Rocky Mountains
Full and ready to get through Colorado to Denver. We hit the road again and see the landscape change more. You lose sight of the Rocky Mountains. The Green Rivers flow into Colorado River (the mighty river that creates the Grand Canyon). The highway follows this along through Colorado Rockies.
Cherie and Tammy Road Trip
The I-70 takes on new meaning to the Rockies. You enter this large canyon and marvel at the engineering feat you are driving. Colorado River runs through the narrow canyon that has two-lane traffic in each direction through Glenwood Canyon. The rain and temperature begin falling. Soon iMaps lets us know that we are not going to make to Denver for the night. The freeway closes just up the road for snow. I need to find a hotel before they fill-up. We find the Eagle River Lodge. This was a perfect place to stay for the evening.
Colorado Rocky Mountains Road Trip
The driving time cut short we enjoyed an evening of great local food and beauty time. Cherie went out to pick-up dinner from Luigi’s Pasta House salad and a medium vegetable pizza. After dinner, we enjoyed a night of cleansing, moisturizing, and using masks on our faces and lips with Burt’s Bees. I have been on the road for a week and traveling through various climates, different types of soap and water, and sleeping locations my skin was feeling tired and dry. Burt’s Bees is so wonderful. Cherie even enjoyed the results. When on a road trip it is important to remember to take care of your skin. Playing on the television in the room was a marathon of Tom Hank’s movies. We head off to sleep for another day of road tripping across the US.
Planning the road trip across the US there was a detour from Yellowstone National Park due to weather. The next best stop for national parks was Zions National Park just off highway 89 in Utah. Stopping in Page to meet with high school friends and fill up for the next leg of the journey to Zions and Utah.
Ranch House Grille Road Trip
Page Arizona to Kanab Utah
It was a great morning meeting with Jeff Lott and his beautiful wife at Ranch House Grille where we enjoyed reconnecting and enjoying a beautiful breakfast. Leaving Page Arizona you cross Glen Canyon Dam taking you into the beautiful1.25 million acres of the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area. This area is home to Lake Powell, a place that brings fun, sun, and water sports to the southwest. The white ring you can see is known as the bathtub ring and a formed from calcium carbonate deposits. A few of great activities in the area include:
Boating
Camping
Rainbow bridge (only accessible by boat or 14-mile hike)
Escalante Arm
Fishing (a favorite of foodie Ellie)
Foodie Ellie Fishing Road Trip
Zions National Park is about 104 miles from Page. It is a beautiful drive as the landscape changes from the red rocks to a borderline Mediterranean climate. Kanab is the first town you come to after Page. This town is the center of all sorts of great outdoor adventures including Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Bryce Canyon National Park, the Grand Canyon (North Rim). This is well-known for the great Hollywood film production. A few of the films produced in this region are:
Highway 89 takes you to the stunning and resplendent Zions National Park. This park became a national park when by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. The park continues to keep the natural beauty with a project called Zions Forever. This project is in place to protect and sustain the park for all living beings and future generations. This is a leave no trace area. You need to make sure that you have trail etiquette and leave nothing behind:
Remove all waste (make sure you use the restroom you must take this waste of the trail)
Keep dogs on a leash
Place trash in designated receptacles
Be considerate of other visitors
Hike quietly
Enjoy the sound of nature
Hike in single file
Ascending hikers have the right of way
Have plenty of water this is a desert terrain
Be ready for changes in weather from rain forecasts, extreme heat or cold
Careful on trailheads they are slippery
You enter the park, there is a $30 fee, but well worth it. The canyon stretches 15 miles long and spans up to half a mile deep. You drive on the Zions-Mount Camel Highway that winds slowly downgrading with gorgeous views of Navajo Sandstone that is tan, cream, pink, and red color. There are locations where you can see hanging moss, trees at different angles, and You follow the Virgin River on the path taken to carve this canyon. It is so It was fantastic seeing the snow against the colored mountains. You pass through several tunnels. There is a tunnel that is more than a mile long. This is one impressive drive even in the dark. You continue down the hill until you reach the visitors center.
Zions National Park Road Trip
Here is your opportunity to continue to explore more of the park. The concept of keeping the pristine the rest of the park is accessible by shuttle, hiking, backpacking, and hiking. The many activities at include:
This was a wonderful journey on the road trip. Many years as a child this was one place we enjoyed as a family. It was a sunny bright day just as winter was beginning to change to spring. There is plenty of lodging in the area as well as food and restaurants.
Orem, Utah
The remainder of the drive continued on interstate 15 to Orem Utah where I grew up. It was wonderful getting to a warm home with my parents. The days filled with reconnecting with friends and family before continuing the road trip.
Orem Utah Reunion Time Road Trip
Meeting up with my dear friend Lisa Sherman was like we never missed even one day, even though it had been a few decades. Lisa and I have known each other since we were three. We ran the neighborhood streets as two determined little girls could. We enjoyed breakfast at Joe’s Cafe. The food was so delish. Lisa even enjoyed the grits. A dish she was convinced she did not like. Joe said, “You will love them. Nothing comes between your lips and my grits.” It was so wonderful catching up with Lisa after all these years.
Dinner was a fabulous reunion with my bestie from high school, Brenda Anderson. She and I meet at the Spicy Thai in Orem. This was an excellent choice for the food was excellent. Their menu had a great selection of Thai food with the ability to choose your heat. The evening ended at her home where we spent time catching-up, relationships talk, and a little (very little) drinking. Her cute little dogs entertained up throughout the evening. They are both such a ball of energy.
Dennis and Eileen Road Trip
The next day was spent with my parents. We enjoyed dinner at King’s Buffet. My time with my mother we went over old photos, stories, and the fun times we shared in our life. She brought me a photo of my first haircut that she taped back together after tearing. My father enjoyed being the dad he has always been, making sure the car is ready for the next part of the journey. He took to put Rain-X on the windows. This was a great addition to the journey. Stay tuned for all the details in the next part of the journey.
Cameron Trading Post located directly off Highway 89 between Flagstaff and turn off for Tuba City is a mix of American, Mexican, and Native American food. The restaurant is located 21 miles from the Grand Canyon and overlooks the beautiful Colorado River Gorge.
Cameron Trading Post Cameron Arizona
The food is made from scratch daily and a fusion of the three food cultures. This place is perfect for travelers with their lodging, restaurant, art gallery, garden with fountains, and a massive gift shop. The trading post opened in 1916 and welcomes everyone like a guest in their homes. Prior to being a trading post, the place served as an apothecary.
Many who stop here will be hungry after the many outdoor adventures found near the trading post. The adventures include:
The menu is filling for each meal of the day. Accommodating to many foodies, appetites, and diets. You can enjoy breakfast until 11 AM, but the rest of the menu is available until closing. There is no alcohol at this restaurant, but they do offer a wide choice of coffees, juices, teas, sodas, milkshakes including Prickly Pear (a must try if you have never had this great desert fruit), and non-alcoholic beer.
Cameron Trading Post Highway 89 Arizona
Breakfast:
Navajo pancake this is a blue corn pancake
Prickly pear stuffed french toast this is French toast served sandwich style with a prickly pear jam and cream cheese
Warrior Surprise is a mini-Navajo Taco topped with one egg
Lunch:
Southwest taco salad served with a prickly pear cactus fruit vinaigrette
Gunslinger ham and cheese with diced green chile to the classic ham and American cheese sandwich
Navajo burger A juicy burger patty served on Fry Bread with salsa and all the trimmings (this was a delicious choice)
Dinner:
Nakahee Becheeyeh ( means south of the border) includes a pork tamale, a meaty beef taco, and one cheese enchilada
Served with tortilla chips, our spicy homemade salsa, refried beans, rice, and your choice of red or green chile
Trout dinner with lightly breaded fish that is grilled
Liver and Onions Beef liver grilled with onions and bacon
served with soup or salad, a fresh mini loaf and a choice of mashed potatoes, baked potato, French fries, sautéed vegetables or rice pilaf.
Navajo Taco Cameron Trading Post
Each dish enjoyed this evening brought a new experience to something familiar. We enjoyed the Navajo burger (with a vegetarian patty), club sandwich (served gluten-free) and Navajo taco (made with Blue Bird flour). Ellie enjoyed a milkshake and nibbling off everyone’s plate. Miss “Foodie” (Ellie) really recommends their fantastic french fries. The menu includes the Navajo language providing a fun conversation with the staff. We enjoyed the local flavors and an expansion of cultures. The food to the ambiance provided a complete experience with cultural diversity.
Ellie at Cameron Trading Post
The dining room is a place that feels like a large welcoming dining room. It is decorated in traditional Native America artifacts and a large stone fireplace, it was a beautiful addition to the atmosphere and ties well with the menu. The ceiling a pressed tin is so intriguing. The beauty outside the cathedral windows is breathtaking. You can see the gorge and the suspension bridge (built-in 1911 for highway 89 traffic) from this place. The sunsets here are magnificent with the gorge and bridge.
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