Whenever I'm traveling, I pick up beautiful things for my kitchen, a tray and quirky bottle opener from a flea market in Paris, a salt cellar from Morocco, oils from Budapest, spices from Provence. I am always cooking. So, having the spoils of my travels...
I have never understood the hoopla over Disney World. As a tween growing up in South Florida, Disney was an easy, grab and go weekend activity. My mom packed up the station wagon and we schlepped five hours north to Orlando, my uncle and cousins often...
I don’t need much of a reason to head to LA for a few days. Especially in the middle of a Chicago winter. So, after a brief chat with my husband (don’t we need a parent getaway?) we packed our bags and headed west armed with a...
She’s boisterous, beautiful, and so dynamic that prolonged exposure to her charms is known to weaken the senses. New York City is a siren. Give her a few days and she will seduce you with her beguiling brand of grit and glamour. Pick your passion....
David Burke’s Primehouse at The James Hotel is known for massive steaks and classic, gut expanding sides. But, for summer, the restaurant veers from its meat and potato repertoire with a super cool ice cream program, a Friday afternoon Pop Up ice cream shop located...
Now that the weather has changed, it’s all about enjoying the great outdoors. Here are five excellent activities to take advantage of this June! AL FRESCO DINNER Expat 118 N Green St. Element Collective’s groovy al fresco pop-up restaurant on a sidewalk on Green Street features fresh,...
In this landscape of hyper esoteric menus, it is refreshing to break bread-or, ham hock hush puppies in an al fresco situation that offers high flavor and low pretension. Just west of the city, Parsons Chicken and Fish is a beacon for hipsters with a...
sAs an expert for Travel + Leisure, I get to do a lot of very cool test drives: chocolate tastings in London, cooking classes in Paris, spontaneous hotel reviews and more. But, writing this story about Chicago’s best rooftops was one of my favorite projects....
Her father may be fashion royalty. But, Dylan Lauren’s singular achievements in the sweets sector have cemented her status as America’s Confectionary Queen. With her just-opened Dylan’s Candy on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, Ms. Lauren has gobstopper sized plans for the Midwest. Not only is it her...
My morning coffee in Provence was not a minor detail of the day. It was a highlight. Why? A Provencal petit dejeuner is epic. Presentation is everything. Details as minute as the placement of a teaspoon (it is leaning upon a mini pot of local...
