Back in June of last year, a group of twelve of us had an incredible experience dining at The French Laundry in Napa Valley. Immediately afterwards, we started plotting our next group dining experience and set our sights on Alinea in Chicago. I really liked the idea of dining with a group, but after my inquiry returned a quote of $36,500…
We walked into the former macaroni factory-turned-artists’ lofts, a character-filled space perfectly befitting Jessica and Alex. After we ascended six flights of stairs, we were treated to the most spectacular gem, with all of downtown Chicago ready to serve as the backdrop to the wedding ceremony. It turns out those 80% chance thunderstorm forecasts were all bluster….
In mid-July, I found myself taking a spontaneous trip to Chicago to meet Jesse who was there for work. We then commenced with lots of eating and even a bit of boating. Meal one as soon as I got in from O’Hare: Boka, (located next door to Alinea, but we’ll be back for that next…
July started with a bang as we headed to Atelier Crenn, recently remodeled with brand new interiors and an expanded tasting menu. Chef Dominique Crenn is oft cited as the only female chef in the country who has two Michelin stars, and she very memorably writes her menus as poems, with each line representing one…
We opened the second half of 2014 with a lovely week in the Bay Area when Jesse came to visit. Basically, we ate our way around the Bay and enjoyed some Fourth of July fireworks too. We got to use the remainder of a gift certificate I had to Pizzaiolo in Oakland. And them some ice…
My first visit to Houston! I was Jesse’s guest to his friend Stephanie’s wedding. We were in Houston for only two days, but we survived the stifling humidity to enjoy this beautiful wedding and check out… the mall? See below! Ashton Gardens was such a gorgeous venue just north of Houston. Everything was indoors but…
Back in New York City again! I photographed this beautiful Brooklyn wedding in June, and of course I got to spend some time exploring more of Manhattan while I was there. We kick it off with a classic shot of Grand Central Station– this was en route to our Blue Hill at Stone Barns day trip….
On an absolutely beautiful early summer day, we hopped on a train from Grand Central and headed thirty miles north of Manhattan to the bucolic Stone Barns Center in New York. Blue Hill is a restaurant located on Stone Barns, their sister farm. We spent the afternoon nibbling on bites from the farmer’s market and the…
I visit Seattle pretty regularly but it had been two years since my last visit, so when the opportunity came up to pick a west coast destination for Memorial Day, we flew on over to Seattle. As always, it was a wonderful time with delicious eats and good friends! Our first stop from the airport: The Whale Wins. Margaret…
We drove off the ferry and headed in to Richmond, BC, for our first stop: beef noodle soup. And so began our relaxing vacay filled with delicious eats and relaxing outings. Highlights below: I’m not sure if I ordered the wrong soup, but the beef noodle soup at Chef Hung’s wasn’t nearly as awesome as…
We awoke promptly at six in the morning and drove north from our quick overnight in Seattle up to Anacortes, Washington. We drove the car straight onto a boat– a strange sensation if you’ve never done it before– and we were ferried through picturesque islands toward Victoria, British Columbia. Victoria is the capitol city of British…
I didn’t gamble or go clubbing or even do much shopping, but I did enjoy a very fancy hotel stay and lots of delicious meals during my time in Vegas. A bit unconventional perhaps, but since Jesse was there for a work conference, I simply tagged along for the week! It also kicked off our little West Coast…