Today Dishing: Day-cation.

Think of your last vacation. Consider the money you spent to get to your destination on airfare or train  tickets or gas for the car. Then add up the amount spent on accommodations. All this money is spent before the vacation even begins.

My suggestion is to be a tourist in your own city.

When was the last time you spent a day exploring Chicago? Too often we trek into the city for one event then return home. Curiously, many of us are guilty of living in, what is in my opinion, the best city in the country and not taking advantage of all the city offers.

Ask your friends who live within a 35 mile radius of the city how many of the top 10 tourist attractions they have visited. Shouldn't we know the city like the millions of tourists who visit each year? Ferris Bueller had the right idea when he played hooky to explore the city for one day, including a Cubs game.

Plan one day,  even give it a theme if you like and go! Marianne and I planned a food inspired day to celebrate her birthday which included seven stops.

FIRST STOP: EATALY

Back in March I blogged about my first visit to this eating emporium but that field trip took the better part of the day. This visit was stop #1 of 7 for the day which of necessity made it shorter. A quick nosh of proscuitto, homemade mozzarella and ravioli accompanied by red wine and prosecco provided needed nourishment for our shopping spree.

This is what you have to get past on the first floor before even getting to the second floor. Photo courtesy Google.

                              
Each department in the retail section provides an education. Who thought even I could spend forty minutes reading and learning about olive oils?

Photo courtesy of Google.

                                  


When you go, not if you go, I highly recommend any of Lidia Bastianich's sauces. I have yet to try Mario Batali's sauces but regardless of the hefty price, Lidia's sauce will not disappoint. Hard to believe something so authentic comes from a jar.

Because this was the first stop in a long day, we were not able to purchase items requiring refrigeration, which provides a reason for my next visit.

We drop off our full shopping bags in the car and head to our next stop.

NEXT STOP: PIERROT GOURMET

Today Dishing: Three days in Austin, Texas

An invitation to a 40th wedding anniversary celebration precipitated our visit to Austin. Our stay was brief but we packed in as much as time allowed. And just for the record, the temperature does not cool as your travel south in Texas.

These are the sight and sounds we experienced "deep in the heart of Texas".

Let's just put it out there and begin with 6th Street. The home of South by Southwest and other movie and music festivals, this street and its' adjacent streets have grown in popularity. A large draw for the college kids, the allure of the area is not confined to twenty-somethings. You can find music of every genre as well as street entertainment. The nights start late and end in the wee hours of the morning. It is a unique area that will provide a unique experience.

TEXAS STATE CAPITOL BUILDING is the 6th tallest capitol building in the U.S. Because when built the building was just short of the U.S. Capitol Building, the statue The Goddess of Liberty was added to the top of the dome to then make it taller than the U.S. Capitol. Remember everything is bigger in Texas.
                                          

FOOD TRUCKS
We feared having difficulty finding the famous food trucks, but honestly you'd have difficulty missing them. Food truck havens are situated throughout the city. When in Austin, a food truck stop is a must.




                                                                                  

LADY BIRD LAKE, named after former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, is a reservoir on the Colorado River in downtown Austin. Because motorized vehicles are prohibited, the area serves as a popular recreation area for kayaks, canoes and rowing shells.


ANN RICHARDS BRIDGE named after the 45th Governor of Texas, runs across Lady Bird Lake on Congress. The bridge houses the largest urban bat colony and each night at duck from March to
September, 1.5 million bats emerge from under the bridge to feast on insects. A sight to behold.

Ann Richards Bridge by day. Photo courtesy of Google.

Bridge by dusk. Photo courtesy of Google.

                                                        

BARTON SPRINGS POOL, a man-made recreational "swimming hole" is located in Zilker Park. The pool, filled by water from Main Barton Springs is the 4th largest spring in Texas. We went there on July 4th and it was a sea of folks looking for relief from the sweltering heat. And I believe they found it because to say the water is cold is an understatement.



THE DRISKILL HOTEL, 604 Brazos, was built in 1886 and is situated smack  dab in the middle of the music district. The marble floors and stained-glass dome hint to the opulence that is the Driskill. Even if you don't stay there, do yourself a favor and stop in to eat or for a drink or just to enjoy the beauty of the building.

Photo courtesy of Google.

Lobby of the Driskill. Photo courtesy of Google.

ROARING FORK, 701 Congress Ave, where the business district meets the music district. This elegantly styled dining room offers a calming experience amid the bustle just outside  the doors. Happy hours is offered daily from 4-7pm. We ate there on July 4th and luckily happened on a 2 for 1 special. Elegant eats and a bargain to boot............good deal.

PERLA, 1400 S. Congress. While investigating the shops along South Congress Avenue, we desperately needed to be somewhere air-conditioned to hydrate ourselves. Although Perla boasts a shaded patio, we opted for the air-conditioned in-door dining area. Specializing in fish and seafood, Perla, supplied us with just what we needed..... fresh food, cold drinks and many working ceiling fans.

Other Austin attractions experienced on previous trips but not to be missed are:

University of Texas Campus. Located 1mile north of downtown Austin, this sprawling campus houses the LBJ Presidential Library.

Texas Hill Country. If time allows spend time exploring the hill country and eating spectacular Texas Bar-B-Que.

Texas is a big state and these are just a few of the sights and tastes it offers. You just might want to plan your trip during the winter months.

Today Dishing: Dallas, More Places to Eat

In the biting, unrelenting cold that was this past winter, I vowed to never again complain about summer heat, and then I visited Texas in July. Are you kidding me? The humid heat that is summertime in Florida, is just plain heat in summertime Texas.

The following is a list of more places to eat and things to do in Dallas to add to the list offered in March.

The Belmont Hotel-901 Fort Worth Avenue
While ascending the steep driveway up to the Belmont Hotel, if you didn't know you were in Texas, you'd swear you had gone back in time to the 1940's Hollywood Hills. This boutique, throw back hotel owns one of the best views of downtown Dallas, while being steeped in history it's also a tad bit creepy at the same time.

Photo courtesy of Google Images.

"Pathways connect various peaceful gardens to the patio... where John F. Kennedy spent the night with Marilyn Monroe" was written in the Dallas Observer as the Belmont's greatest claim to fame.

SMOKE, the restaurant next to the Belmont brings us back to 2014 offering up-scale barbecue and creative mixology. In general, they take their drinks very seriously in Dallas and this establishment is just one example of that fact.

BOLSA MERCADO, 614 W. Davis a foodie spot with a lively patio and American cuisine. And did I mention, they take mixology seriously here.

Hey, Y'all, drinks for the guys and the gals at Bolsa.

                                          
SODA BAR, 1325 LaMar, located in the NYLO Hotel is a roof-top bar which features an outdoor pool and provides panoramic  views of the Dallas skyline. Night or day, the view from Soda Bar does not disappoint. (Photos courtesy of Google Images)

                                                                             

 

SAVOR, 2000 Woodall Rogers Freeway in Klyde Warren Park. Amid a menagerie of food trucks and flying frizbees stands Savor. The floor-to-ceiling windows allow patrons to dine in elegance while enjoying the activities in the park. This swanky spot offers classic cocktails in sleek surroundings. In Dallas, the ladies who lunch, seem to lunch at Savor.

The outdoor seating area at Savor allows a view through the entire restaurant.

                                       
CBD PROVISIONS  located in the Joule Hotel at 1530 Main Street. This after work meeting spot proved too bustling for our laid back vacation mode but it is a happening place with good appetizers.

WOOLWORTH'S, 1520 Elm Street. If you don't believe how serious they are about their cocktails in Dallas visit Woolworth's. The Old Fashion-ed Vanilla contains rye whiskey, brown sugar, madagascar bourbon, vanilla extract, bitters and is garnished with a cinnamon stick. Can you say, yummy?
But the cocktail to top all cocktails, in my opinion is Smoke and Spice. This concoction contains tequila with jalapeno and cumin, infused simple syrup, fresh squeezed lime juice and is garnished with a cayenne sugar rim. Smoke billows from the drink. How? I don't know but a drink with a kick plus entertainment.... how do you top that?

The Smoke and Spice cocktail at Woolworth's

                                         
HATTIE'S, 418 N. Bishop Avenue in the Bishop Arts District was closed during my last visit. This restaurant delivers impeccable service in an up-scale modern setting. The low-country cooking, comfort food and hospitality boosts this place to my second favorite spot.

The subtle, delicate appointments add to the sophisticated feel at Hattie's

        

                                                           

                                                                         Linen tablecloths highlight the distinctive plating  at Hattie's

                                                                                       
BOULEVARDIER, 408 N. Bishop Avenue This place bears repeating. For the food, the service, the ambiance, this is my favorite restaurant in Bishop Arts and perhaps in Dallas. It is a French Bistro and it acts like one. What they do, they do very well. This is a spot not to be missed.

Enjoy a shrimp cocktail at the bar at Boulevardier.

       

Cold water oysters are not to be missed.

                                                                        

Crawfish beignets are a house specialty.

KATY TRAIL a 3.5 mile jogging, waking, inline skating and bicycle path runs through the Uptown and Oak Law n areas of Dallas and it follows the path of the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad which was known as the MKT or the Katy. The path includes several rest stops along the route including the Ice House. Amid the hustle and bustle of the city this serene path is a welcomed 

get-away. If you try it, I guarantee you will like it.


This Texas trip also included a stop in Austin. Things to do and places to eat in Austin to follow.