FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Kid Travel: Chicago

October 15, 2022 by Kristin

The summer of 2022 has been one of the hottest ever in Austin, TX, and a hot Austin with a toddler has been pretty much… unbearable. We’ve made the most of dining out, water play, and indoor activities, but half way through the summer I had a major urge to plan a cool weather vacation. I came up with a simple list of criteria (direct Southwest flight, good public transit system, walkable, NO CAR SEAT REQ!) and all signs pointed to Chicago (Midway).

Let’s touch a bit on the no car seat thing. Toddler travel can be tough because toddlers are toddlers, but lugging around a beast of a convertible car seat is an underlying pain almost anywhere you visit. A convertible car seat *almost* makes a rental car mandatory. And outrageous rental car prices and paying for hotel parking just aren’t where I want to spend my dollars. 

Back to Chicago! We flew out on a Thursday morning and curb checked two suitcases and the travel stroller. I prefer to curb check, especially when flying without Kody, because there usually isn’t a line and it allows me to get rid of the heavy stuff ASAP. When we landed, Kody handled the suitcases and I took care of the stroller and navigation. I didn’t really put much thought into how we’d get to the train, but I remember it being pretty easy during my last visit in 2014.

The train station was a decent walk from baggage claim, but the signage was great and all walkways were enclosed. We purchased our Ventra tickets and, within minutes, we were on the Orange line. After 25-ish minutes on the train, we hopped off at State/Lake. And this would be our biggest challenge of the trip – not all train stops have elevators! We acted quickly and I carried Ez and the folded stroller. Kody was a champ and lugged our luggage with ease. From there, we walked another 15 minutes to the Sheraton Grand on the Riverwalk. The walk was pleasant: sidewalks were great, pedestrian crossings were timely, and the weather was perrrfeccctt! Side note: the elevator thing wasn’t a big deal the rest of the trip, it was merely an unanticipated challenge with luggage.

The hotel checked us in early and honored our request for a high floor away from the elevator (win!). Ventra tickets work on the bus, which was the best way to get to our first stop: The Lincoln Park Zoo. The vibration of the bus lulled Ez to sleep and we found ourselves at the zoo with a peacefully sleeping toddler. A quick change of plans led us to a quaint Italian restaurant where we casually sipped on very large dirty martinis and warm (warm!!!) calamari and prawns. Ez continued to sleep, so we continued to dine. It was a super peaceful impromptu date night that couldn’t have been better timed.

We set the theme of the trip: public transit to and walking home from our destination. We soaked up about two miles of city life, stopped at Whole Foods to grab a pizza dinner for Ez, and settled back at the hotel after a seemingly full day stuffed into a half day. I noticed the hotel had an indoor pool before we left, which was the perfect way for our late napper to burn off some energy and sleep soundly in a new city. 

Saturday was be our best day, a day where we’d clock over 20,000 steps! I packed a bunch of non-perishable snacks and Ez had fun working his way through the snack smorgasbord for breakfast while Kody and I did a little unintentional intermittent fasting before lunch. We hopped back on the bus for a do over of the zoo where I learned that 3-½ might just be the most perfect zoo age. Seeing giraffes, rhinoceroses, and polar bears was special for all of us! Ez snuck in a train ride and convinced us that he needed a pumpkin bubble machine glow stick before lunch. I hadn’t made lunch plans other than “find hot dogs nearby with a decent rating” and was pleasantly surprised when Google maps led us to hip Chicago’s Dog House on our way to the train. 

After we loaded up on hot dog goodness, we took the train south to Summer of George for an architectural boat tour. It was just as awesome as I remember it. Kody’s brain was filled with architectural facts by the time we finished and I loved how it super-charged his Chicago experience from that point forward. My big tips here are to buy boat tour tickets on Groupon (half the price!) and to plan this early in your trip so you have a greater appreciation during your city strolls for the remainder of your visit. 

After the tour we ditched public transit and walked to Buckingham Fountain and Play Garden. Ez was obsessed with the playscapes at Play Garden and could have spent an entire day there! I loved seeing him turn into a super climber and could tell he was feeling confident and independent. This park is a must if you have preschool/elementary school aged kids.

Kody’s only restaurant request was something that felt like the Sopranos would eat there. A quick Google search led me to La Scala and it was a perfect vibe match and wonderful for classic Italian.

Sunday came with a super slow start. In the moment, it didn’t feel like we accomplished much. But looking back, the few hours we spent at the Navy Pier checked a ton of boxes. As soon as we arrived, someone pulled us aside to let us know that Blue Man Group would be performing in a couple minutes. They pointed us toward a lake front stage where we sat in the grass and watched a short and sweet performance. Afterward, we encountered several other stage setups with live performances. There was so much happy energy at every turn! We worked our way to the Centennial Wheel and experienced the city from a birds eye view. And that was about the time all of us hit a tired tourist wall.

Because we traveled mostly by foot, it was a vacation that celebrated the journey while being rewarded with the destination. 

Filed Under: lifestyle Tagged With: no car seat, toddler, travel, travel from austin, travel with toddler, vacation

The St. Anthony Hotel – San Antonio, TX

November 11, 2016 by Kristin

st-anthony-hotel-sun-room

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had the biggest, baddest travel bug. Exploring new places, eating meals in different settings, and breathing in unfamiliar air – I just can’t get enough. So when I found out Haven’s third birthday {my boyfriend’s daughter} fell on an event-free weekend, I suggested we celebrate on the road.

San Antonio is a quick 90-minute drive from Austin, which is perfect for a 3 year old’s {and 33 year old’s} attention span. We planned a simple itinerary, packed up the car with presents, and headed to the St. Anthony Hotel in Downtown San Antonio.

st-anthony-hotel-room

With an unassuming exterior, the St. Anthony quickly transformed into the most beautiful, elegant space the moment you passed through the front door. Green and gray {my two favorite colors} were dominant throughout. And there were no less than fifty chairs that were so cozy, so inviting, that you longed to plant yourself and take an extended seat.

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Thankfully there was also a cozy seat in our room, because Miss Haven was in the biggest hurry to open presents. After all, they had spent an entire 90 minutes looking at her during the ride. We opened a row of gray, floor-length drapes to let in some light. And then she eagerly plopped herself up on the wingback chair to see what year three was all about.

bread

The weather had been gloomy all day, but decided to clear up just in time for an early dinner on the patio. And a very shy Haven warmed up quickly after a handful of hotel staff wished her the happiest birthday.

watermelon-salad

Following typical blogger suit, we requested menu items that were as photogenic as they were delicious and went the small plate route in order to maximize our exposure to the menu. The dishes I liked best included the watermelon salad pictured above.

We’re in the final days of watermelon season and warm weather, so I was happy to have one last hurrah of a watermelon dish. Watermelon and feta is always a winning combination. And this dish inspired me to look for ways to incorporate sumac into my cooking at home.

ricotta-broccoli-raab-pancakes

Next up was ricotta and broccolini pancakes. Not only do I love, love, love savory pancakes, I really liked how this dish was predominantly vegetarian topped with a meat accent.

octopus

And the octopus! Filled with texture and vibrant colors, this dish was my favorite to photograph. And when it was time to eat, I was pleased with how tender the octopus was as well as how it paired with the pesto.

We had plans to walk the Riverwalk after dinner, but since the weather wasn’t cooperating we headed back to the room to play with new toys and called it a night.

steel-cut-oats

The next morning we took it easy and ordered room service. Pancakes for the birthday girl, steak and eggs for Kody, and steel cut oats for me. This steel cut oats was another dish that sparked inspiration for me at home. How fun would it be to have some girlfriends over for a breakfast get-together with an oatmeal bar?

haven-sun-room

After a leisurely breakfast, we spent the rest of the morning touring the hotel. I can’t tell you enough how perfectly each room was decorated. The hotel went through a major renovation beginning in 2013 and they did such a wonderful job preserving the historic elements of the original design.

st-anthony-hotel-pool-deck

It was too dreary to spend extended time by the pool, but the rooftop pool deck would be worth coming back for. A super crisp and clean design with gorgeous views of the surrounding historic buildings. The lounge chairs were also partially submerged in water which, if you’re familiar Texas heat, couldn’t be more perfect for summertime sunbathing.

sky-terrace

We ended our tour with a visit to the Sky Terrace, which was BEAUTIFUL. The hotel is currently working on programming for the space, but could you imagine a sunset concert series or a cocktail hour lounging on this deck?

Overall, our quick stay at the St. Anthony Hotel was a delightful escape from our daily routine. I look forward to coming back to visit my newest favorite hotel in Texas and exploring more of San Antonio soon!

Disclosure: Although the St. Anthony Hotel kindly hosted us, the opinions in this post are completely my own and based on my experience.

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: downtown san antonio, san antonio, st. anthony hotel, texas, travel, weekend trips

Five Days In Phoenix

September 15, 2016 by Kristin

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Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass – Resort Pool

A couple weeks ago, Amy from What Jew Wanna Eat and I met at the Austin airport, caught up over coffee and tacos {like Austinites do}, and hopped on a plane to explore Phoenix, Arizona. Both of us were smack dab in the middle of exciting professional transitions and couldn’t have welcomed a celebratory vacation an ounce more.

When we landed in Phoenix, we were greeted with blue skies, the hottest sun, emoji-like cacti, and {what we’d come to find out was the norm in Phoenix} the friendliest faces. Our driver took us straight to our first hotel, The Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, where we shared our first jaw-drop. The lobby was as grand as grand could be with stunning views of the mountain ranges beyond and beautiful murals depicting the lives of local Pima tribes. And just like that, we transitioned into vacation mode!

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Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass – Aji Spa Café

We dropped our belongings in our room, soaked up more desert views, bounced around the room like kiddos in anticipation of hitting up the resort pool, and headed to the Aji Spa Café for a quick lunch before our spa treatment appointments. We sat by the “adult pool” and enjoyed cocktails and goat-cheese grilled cheese until it was time to robe-up.

I was really excited about the spa treatment for a handful of reasons. I’m about as tightly wound as they come and having forced relaxation is the best way to get me to slow my roll. But also, I’d never experienced a clay wrap and I was looking forward to deviating from my typical deep tissue work. During the treatment, they applied indigenous white clay to most of my body and secured me with a wrap while they massaged my scalp {heaven!}. I’m certain it was no more than five minutes before I was off to dreamland.

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FoodFash & What Jew Wanna Eat

Afterward, we prettied up for dinner at another of the hotel restaurants, Ko’Sin, where we forgot to pace ourselves for the remainder of our food-centric vacation. We ordered the Crow’s Dairy goat cheese and corn dip, honey hot pork wings {pictured below}, charred eggplant, grilled filet mignon, and goat cheese cheesecake.

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Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass – Ko’Sin Restaurant

And the friendliness continued as both chefs came out to introduce themselves to us and describe the dishes we ordered. Both Amy and I frequent media dinners and we were still pleasantly surprised with how much attention was paid to our table.

avocado-toast

Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass – Ko’Sin Restaurant

The next morning we checked out Ko’Sin again for breakfast and managed to sneak in some time to work. Egg-topped avocado toast may be overdone these days, but it’s been my go-to-feel-good breakfast for as long as I can remember and I was pleased to see it on the menu. We sat on the patio and admired the pool where we’d soon be wading.

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Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass – Resort Pool

It was pool-time where I first registered how much I enjoyed traveling with a blogger friend. Neither of us minded “extra takes” of photos and both of our blogger brains were on the constant hunt for creative shots. We passed the time by slurping up fruity, vacation coladas and posing in Amy’s bagel float.

After a relaxing day at the pool, it was time for the most special meal of our trip: dinner at Kai. From the moment we sat down and were politely requested that cell phones and cameras remained tucked away, we knew every detail of the Kai experience would be intentional {and it was}.  Each menu was covered with a hand-painted scene by a local Pima artist. A Russian service style, where a server assigned to each guest and dishes are presented in a synchronized  manner throughout the experience, was flawlessly executed. And palette and sensory cleansers were provided between courses to ensure each phase of our meal was enjoyed to the fullest. Amy and I shared the seared Hudson Valley foie gras and butter poached Nova Scotia lobster followed by the wild buffalo tenderloin and wild scallops.

We were stuffed to the max with culinary goodness, but that didn’t stop us from the total excitement of the treats to come! The chefs brought out an unexpected course, which was a cheese plate served with fresh honey comb that was harvested by a former Kai chef. It was the sweetest, most delicate honeycomb I’d ever tasted.  We finished our meal with an eggless custard with prickly pear sorbet and a coffee parfait and left in amazement that we had spent four hours fully engaging with each other, our meals, and our servers.

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Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass – Room Service

The next morning we woke to the delivery of the room service breakfast order we scheduled the night before. We shared every breakfast staple as we packed up our belongings and got ready for our next adventure with Visit Mesa.

joes-hot-dog

Joe’s Farm Grill

The folks from Visit Mesa took us on their Fresh Foodie Trail that highlighted local and farm to table eats. We snacked on Infatuation-worthy hot dogs at Joe’s Farm Grill, ate cupcakes at neighborhood coffee shop, and toured Agritopia {an urban farm that provides organic produce to its neighboring community}.

queen-creek-olive-mill

Queen Creek Olive Mill

Also on the Fresh Foodie Trail, was a stop at the Queen Creek Olive Mill. There we learned about olive oil production and sampled house-made olive oils and balsamic vinegar reductions. The Meyer lemon olive oil was my favorite and I loved their suggestion of using it to top salads. We also tried white balsamic reductions, which were both delicious and a first for me.

bruschetta

Postino Wine Cafe

We ended the trail with happy hour at Postino, which was super lively for a Thursday afternoon. The patio area was reminiscent of Austin’s Rainey Street as there was a ton of outdoor seating and games. And their bruschetta board, with staple varieties as well as seasonal, was an easy dish to share with a group.

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Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs – Room View

By this point we were FULL {like jam-packed stuffed}. We checked into our new room at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort and felt like we had been dropped off in a foreign paradise. Palm trees, mountains, blue skies, and colorful buildings made for quite the patio view. And again, we took some time to rest and appreciate our surroundings before heading to another meal.

A shuttle brought us to a restaurant at the highest point on the property, Different Pointe of View. Even at night, the view from the dining room was breathtaking. The chef created a tasting menu for us that allowed us to try his favorite dishes.  The shrimp ravioli, seared Berkshire pork belly, seared stone fish, and tomato infused grilled bistro steak were beautifully presented and equally as delicious.

chompies-brunch

Chompie’s

The next morning, we met the lovely Lovey Borenstein, owner of Chompie’s {Arizona’s New York Deli} for brunch. Salmon topped latkes, corned beef hash, cheese blintzes, fried matzo balls – it was deli heaven! But even better than the food was the quality time we spent listening to Lovey’s story. She had Amy and I cracking up when explaining how, when her family brought bagels to Phoenix, people were ordering the chocolate doughnuts {pumpernickel bagels}.

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Frank Lloyd Wright – Taliesin West

One of the top highlights of the trip was touring Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West, Wright’s winter home for the last 20 years of his life. With loads of natural light, strong angles, bursts of bright colors, and Japanese influence – I couldn’t help but crush on the buildings on this property.

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Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs – Poolside Salsa Demo

And by the time we arrived at our last adventure, we were exhausted. We threw on our suits and sluggishly worked our way down to the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs poolside cabana. But as we turned the corner, we noticed the cabana was filled with emoji beach balls and food-themed pool noodles. And within minutes of emoji ball excitement, every tropical drink imaginable was was brought to our cabana and Chef Abel pulled up with a super smile and all of the ingredients necessary to make the most fabulous homemade salsa and guacamole. And just like that, Amy and I were energized and ready to make the most of our last night in Phoenix.

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Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs – Poolside Cabana

We spent our final morning in Phoenix reminiscing about our trip over breakfast at Pointe in Tyme {another restaurant at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs}. We joked about how stuffed we were, how tight our pants felt, and how much it was all worth it. We discussed how well Phoenix treated us every moment of our stay. We got a little bit mopey about not wanting to get back to real life. And then it dawned on us {like really, really dawned on us} how well we traveled together and how thankful we were that this trip gave us the opportunity to become closer friends.

I left Phoenix already contemplating reasons to return. Another girls’ trip? Mom-daughter vacation? My very preliminary 2017 calendar was spinning through my head the entire flight home.

Disclosure: Although Visit Phoenix kindly hosted our trip, the opinions in this post are completely my own and based on my experience.

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: mesa, phoenix, travel, vacation, visit mesa, visit phoenix

The Hanz Is Here!

July 13, 2012 by Kristin

“Could this place be any more you?”, Hansell said as we sat down at Elizabeth Street Cafe to order his first meal in Austin, ever.  “Even the waitress’ outfits are you”.  Flattered, I encouraged my old Tampa roommate to look at the menu, assuring him that the food was every bit as good as the atmosphere.

I didn’t give him much of an option as far as apps were concerned, we were going to order escargot.  Not only is their broiled escargot flawless, but the first time I ever tasted escargot was with Hansell and Lex at a crazy little place in Tampa called Front Porch Grill.  It was a sentimental order backed up by extreme goodness.  Hello, Thai basil curry butter, how does it feel to be perfect?

Hansell ordered the waitress’s suggestion of Singapore noodles.  There was a solid flow of yummy noises coming from his direction, so I made the safe assumption that he was happy with his selection.  I reached over with my chopsticks for one of my infamous bites and decided to see for myself what it was all about.  Elizabeth Street is spot on in every flavor department – wonderful balances of strong flavors with subtle flavor highlights.  Everything is bold without being the slightest bit heavy.

I ordered the poached shrimp and hard boiled egg banh mi and coated every inch of freshness with sriracha and the occasional dollop of hoisin.  This sandwich was so fresh and totally up my alley.  You could think of it as the Vietnamese version of a chicken salad sam – cool, filling and fulfilling.

Lastly, we ordered one of each of the daily macaron flavors, chocolate curry and peach cinnamon.  I’m not the hugest macaron fan, but there just so darn cute I can never resist.  Both of us agreed that the peach cinnamon was where it was at, which made think a homemade peach pie is in The Hanz’s Austin future.

We’re off to adventure!  Have a happy (early) weekend!!

Filed Under: lifestyle, restaurant reviews Tagged With: austin, banh mi, elizabeth street cafe, french, texas, travel, vacation, vietnamese

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Kid Travel: Chicago

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