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

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.

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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.

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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}.

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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.

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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.

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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

Seattle Vacation – Day 1

April 23, 2015 by Kristin

Ballard Street Bucketfeet

Looking back, it’s pretty stinking unbelievable how much FoodFash mom and I were able to accomplish during our weekend trip to Seattle.  Friday was spent mostly in the air.  But Saturday… her eastern time body woke up in the sixes and headed out to a work function.  An hour later, my central time self crawled out of bed and quickly researched the best shopping in Seattle and the best brunch in that particular hood.

The virtual world directed me toward Ballard Avenue and The Hi Life.  I headed to the bus stop like I knew what I was doing, like it hadn’t been eight years since my feet hit Seattle pavement.  But all went well, thanks to the King County Metro app, and I was dropped a few blocks from the restaurant without a hitch.

Hi Life Brunch

I requested a table for one {near a window} and sipped my coffee out of a thick-rimmed mug as I waited for my breakfast to arrive.  Green chile grits and eggs with black beans, chorizo, and pico – there was just no reason to continue reading past the spring specials on the menu.  And when it arrived, I wondered why I’d never seen {or made} black beans and grits before.  It was quite the combination!

Prism Seattle

After I stuffed myself silly, I hit Ballard Street and 20th Ave and worked my way towards 22nd.  How wonderful it was to try on clothing after being the freshest member of the clean plate club.  But fullness aside, I loved the street before stepping foot in a store.  Ballard, tree-lined with mid-rise historic buildings filled with independent retailers, was a street worth loving.  And it took only a few stops to find my favorite store {ever} {seriously}: Prism.  I chatted it up with the sales clerk and… purchased every variety of cropped top Native Youth had to offer.  New favorite store, new favorite brand.  No other shop on the strip compared, but I continued browsing until it was time to swoop my mom up.

Car2Go Seattle

In a Car2Go!  I was all sorts of excited to use my Austin Car2Go membership in Seattle.  I put the keys in the ignition and {for the second time} acted like I was cruising down familiar streets.

Cafe Presse Seattle

It was on FoodFash mom’s list to check out Capitol Hill, so we parked in that area and asked around for lunch suggestions.  We were directed to Cafe Presse, a French bar-cafe, that was oh so cozy.  And I was ready for cozy food and drink.  The chicken liver terrine and a Last Word cocktail hit the spot.  Then I introduced her to Chartreuse, filled her in how the Blue Album was playing overhead on repeat, and we caught each other up on our mornings.  It was beautiful.

Kurt Cobain's House Seattle

From there we headed down Lake Washington Boulevard, gawking at incredible houses with even more incredible views, before arriving at 171 {Kurt Cobain’s house}.  It was an odd feeling, the entire experience. Taking a picture in front of a house, in front of a random someone’s house, was strange.  And knowing what took place yards away 21 years ago, eerie.  It felt wrong to smile.  So I didn’t.

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We soaked up more lakefront views and then headed to our dinner reservation at Lark.  At that moment, I felt like I couldn’t have had a better food day.  Every place was exactly what I hoped for and Lark was no exception.  We shared the Montana wagyu steak tartare and the {unpictured} Olsen Farm’s potato leek soup and Semolina gnocchi with artichoke hearts, anchovy, guanciale and toasted pine nuts.  And we uncharacteristically snuck in last bites rather than offering them up because everything was that delicious.

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It was another perfect Saturday with FoodFash mom for the books!

Filed Under: lifestyle, Travel Tagged With: seattle, vacation

NYC Adventures

September 3, 2014 by Kristin

Alphabet City

It had been over five years since I last visited New York.  But for one good reason or another, LA is how I had chosen to spend {almost} all of my spare time for as long as I can remember.  That is until Jackie and Agie {pictured below} did a stellar job of convincing me that a visit to their city was long overdue.

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So I purchased a ticket for Labor Day weekend that landed me on a rooftop in Alphabet City with two long-time friends and a couple bottles of rosé.  After lots of cheers-ing and catch-up, we walked downstairs for our dinner reservations at Root & Bone, headed back to Jackie’s rooftop for dessert, and then made our way to another rooftop for a birthday party.  Within hours of being in New York, I had already soaked in the most gorgeous of city views.

Tompkins Square Bagels

Being the early riser that I am {these days}, I woke up the next morning and ventured out solo on a mission to find a gluten-free bagel.  I landed at Thompson Square Bagel: cash only, line out the door.  It was decidedly perfect.  Jackie met me in Thompson Square Park, where we snacked on our bagels, snuck in some people watching, and planned our day.

PS1 Warm UP

We spruced ourselves up and hopped on a train to Queens for the second to last PS1 Warm Up of the season.  The second we stepped foot into the courtyard, I knew this would be a favorite of this trip.

PS1 Warm Up

Music, architecture, art, perfect weather, enjoyable company, crisp wine on tap, fashionable folks in every direction – I fell in love with the day.

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Sunday was a slower start.  We lounged around and took our time getting ready before getting our lobster roll fix at Luke’s Lobster.  Luke’s Lobster, which not only had a gluten-free bun, but rolls with so much lobster meat and just a tad of butter and mayo.  This roll replaced any memories of lobster roll past and became the ultimate foundation for another daytime dance party.

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This time we ended up in Brooklyn for the Tiki Disco party, where we met up with Shayne and Bret {two more forever friends from home}.

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It was an incredible feeling to be in such a unique setting so far from home, but have bits of middle school, high school, and college past in a single scene.  We danced, we had the time, we ended up at a bar in Brooklyn that was playing The National {a favorite of mine from Brooklyn} as we walked in.

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And then it was time to create our last memory of this adventure.  Agie suggested we lunch at Reynard, insisting we complete my visit with a perfect table followed by a perfect view.  What we didn’t anticipate, was squeezing ourselves together on a banquette upon finishing our meal and ending this trip with the perfect giggle.

Thank you both for such a fun-filled weekend – I will certainly be back soon!

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: vacation

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Kid Travel: Chicago

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