History at the Palmer House Hilton and Lyric Opera

My road trip through the Midwest had started nearly a week ago. I was now in one of my favorite cities with my mom.

We had stayed at the Palmer House Hilton previously and I knew how much my mom loved it. I also always had a great time at this classic hotel.

I called my friend, Ken Price, the hotel’s Director of Publicity, to arrange our stay.

Every time I’ve been to Palmer House, Ken has fascinated me with stories of the hotel’s history. He has mentioned his “History is Hott” tour and I was finally able to work out a time to do it.

After a good night’s sleep, we had a light breakfast and got ready to meet Ken.

We were saving our appetite for lunch at the Palmer House’s Lockwood Restaurant, which is included with the History is Hott tour.

Ken met us and we caught up over lunch before the rest of the people arrived for the tour.

I had the delicious French Onion Soup while Mom enjoyed the salad with shaved pears, hazelnuts, and greens in a buttermilk vinaigrette.

We also chose different entrees as I had the Spaghetti ala Chitarra with wild mushrooms, herbs, and parmesan, while she ate the BBQ Salmon, served with an asparagus salad. Both dishes were quite good, which I expect when I go to Lockwood.

We didn’t have time for dessert, but we took it to have later. It was “Bertha’s Famous Brownie.”

The first time it was made was in the kitchen of the Palmer House in 1893, to be served at the Columbian Exposition of the Chicago World’s Fair.

As we all know, the brownie became quite famous. Bertha Palmer also had a story and that’s what the History is Hott tour is all about. Ken Price tells the story of love, fire, architecture, and design in its entirety as you see original artifacts in the Palmer House Museum and tour the exquisite hotel.

The tour was as wonderful as I expected and I strongly suggest it to anyone visiting or living near Chicago (details and reservations information can be found here).

We went back to our room at the Palmer House and got ready for a special night. It was our first trip to Lyric Opera and we were going to see one of my mom’s favorite plays, Carousel .

We arrived early for dinner at the Florian Opera Bistro. It was set up like a French café and our dinner was delicious.

I had one of Romeo’s Savory Tarts, choosing the one with gruyere and zucchini, accompanied by a freshly made chicken noodle soup.

We shared a tart and some cookies for dessert and then headed up to the theater for the performance.

It was a majestic site. We had seats right in the front, though I doubt any seat could be bad at Lyric Opera.

The performance was the quality of a Tony winning Broadway show. Actor Steven Pasquale was amazing in the lead of this Rogers and Hammerstein musical.

I look forward to seeing more at Lyric Opera in the future. Their calendar is full and varied.

It was a long drive home after a week of road tripping in the Midwest that ended with a magical night in Chicago. 

One Chicagoland Girls Getaway Finishes, Another Begins

We had a perfectly relaxing day at Hotel Arista, enjoying the spa, food, and amenities. 

It was time for the Midwest girls’ getaway with my friend Lynn to end, but not before we explored more of the hotel and Naperville, Illinois.

I slept very well on the king bed in my spacious suite. It was a shame I only had it for one night.

Lynn and I met with Barb Hocker of Hotel Arista at Lavazza Café, which was a short walk through the hotel to the City Gate Centre.

We refueled with lattes, muffins, and yogurt, and talked about the hotel, which four diamond and a Preferred Hotel, as well as part of the Kiwi Collection.

After we finished breakfast, we toured City Gate, which also included the Tap Inn Pub & Carvery. Barb also showed us the golf simulator and I got to take a swing at it.

Lynn and I went back to our suites to freshen up for the rest of the day.

Carmia Stanovich, Director of Sales for the Naperville Convention and Visitors Bureau, picked us up and took us on a brief tour through her city. I was surprised at how much there was to do there and vowed to come back and explore.

Before heading back to the hotel, we stopped for lunch. I was pretty excited at the name of the restaurant, White Chocolate Grill.

As you can imagine, the motto at this restaurant is “dessert first.” We didn’t quite do that, but we did keep our eye on the dessert menu when ordering lunch.

While everyone else got salads, I decided to go with two of the items the restaurant was known for.

I started with the Tomato Gin Soup. I happen to love gin, but even if I didn’t, that bit of juniper made for a wonderful and unusual taste.

For my main course I went with the Veggie Quinoa Burger and it was fantastic, filled with vegetables and flavor.

With my burger I had a side of the Israeli Couscous. It was sprinkled with pistachios and was yet another dish which was unusual and tasty.

Choosing dessert at White Chocolate Grill was no easy task. We were able to narrow it down to two: a brownie sundae made with a (white chocolate) blondie and the restaurant’s signature White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. Both were delicious.

Carmia took us back to the hotel. Lynn’s flight back to New York wasn’t until the evening and we were able to get a late checkout at Hotel Arista so we had some time to chill at this beautiful hotel before leaving for the airport.

The Midwest adventure was over for Lynn and I when I dropped her at O’Hare in Chicago, but it wasn’t quite over for me. Soon after Lynn’s flight left, my mom arrived from Florida.

We headed straight to her favorite hotel, the Palmer House Hilton in downtown, where we had some very special things planned for the next day.                                                                                                                           

The Latest Food and Spirits Tasting in Chicago

It was time for me to check out some more of Chicago and I planned a great two day jaunt through some restaurants, a distillery, a grand opening, and one of my favorite hotels.

Lisa and I made the two hour drive to downtown Chicago and our first stop, BLT American Brasserie. I  was instantly impressed with the combination of modern elegance in a very welcoming atmosphere. We got comfortable with some Infamous Goose Sauvignon Blanc and tried to narrow down the menu choices.

The restaurant is the first Chicago brainchild of Executive Chef Laurent Tourondel. The menu is creative, offering interesting touches without going to the wild side. It seemed as if we sampled it all, starting with the flavorful Spinach & Mushroom Dip. As good as it was, it couldn’t possibly top what came next.

Chef de cuisine Aksel Thielkuhl worked a week to perfect the Apple Soup and it was well worth it. It came with a “snow” shred of foie gras and shavings of roasted chestnut. We also tasted one of their wonderful Pizzetas, worth a trip on their own.

Lisa was my seafood taster and she said the Ceviche was the best she ever had, with large chunks of seafood and a nice cilantro sauce. She also raved about the Lump Crabmeat, fresh and served with both Dijionaise and cocktail sauce. She had a tender and tasty cod fish as her entrée.

For a main course I had the Veal & Pork Ricotta Meatballs. They were cheesy and not to heavy, served with a perfectly prepared polenta. We had a side of the Braised Brussels Sprouts, with a bit of pancetta for extra taste.

Of course, we found room for dessert, but first it was coffee, which is always served with dark chocolate and caramel popcorn (yum!). Then we managed to take a few bites of the Passion Fruit Crepes and Banana Pudding before getting our stuffed selves to the car.

I have been to quite a few hotels in Chicago (and still have many more to go), but one of my absolute favorites remains the Palmer House Hilton. There doesn’t seem to be anything that comes close to the history of this magnificent hotel and they always welcome me, this time with a corner suite that was just a bit bigger than my apartment! It also came with excess to their very large and well-appointed executive lounge.

After a good night’s sleep, I met for breakfast with the always gracious and entertaining Ken Price, who I can listen to for hours. He is now giving historical tours at the Palmer House that are both whimsical and educational (often including a stop for some wine). I strongly recommend you do one next time you are in Chicago.

Our first stop of the day was at Cantina Laredo, a cozy Mexican restaurant with a contemporary flare. I loved their cocktail menu with tequila flights, but since we still had a distillery to visit so I decided to take it easy with a delicious Pomegranate Margarita. With it we had incredible homemade guacamole, before an equally delicious Tamale de Barbacoa, a homemade tamale filled with slow-roasted brisket, artichokes, spinach, red pepper and cheese.

Lisa also liked the Enchilada Veracruz, which was surprisingly light. We shared two desserts – a Mango Cake and a Brownie in Brandy Sauce, with Butterscotch which was heavenly. Then it was off to Koval Distillery, located right in the city of Chicago.

I had tasted some of the Koval liqueurs previously, but they have certainly increased their product line. There is now 10 different whiskeys with different mash profiles (they use rye, wheat, oat, millet and spelt). Meghan took us through the five single grain whiskeys, as well as their aged counterparts under the Lion’s Pride Label. I was surprised to find that it was the spelt I liked best. It has the characteristics of corn in whiskey, with a bit of sweetness, though I was told the Dark Rye and Dark Oat are the best sellers.

Do not miss the liqueurs here. They are all great plain or mixed in cocktails. The Ginger and Jasmine were my favorites, while Lisa favored the Orange Blossom. The brand new Walnut was quite good too, though I tasted more anise that nut.

Koval Distillery is family owned by a husband and wife, Robert and Sonat Birnecker. In addition to making the products, Robert works with other distillers to teach them about the craft. Tours, tastings and sales are all available at the distillery.

In the evening, we went to one of the grandest openings I have ever seen (and probably ever will). I was at the Radisson Blu Aqua when it first opened. It was quite a beautiful hotel with all the amenities and a great location. For the grand opening party, they went all out with fantastic entertainment, cocktails and unbelievable food offerings. 

The place had the feel of Cirque de Soleil, with performers on platforms and a band in the background. Our first stop was at the Hangar Vodka station. We were handed gloves and then sipped the spirit out of ice cups! I then switched to the tasty blueberry mojitos and watched down some of the lamb, duck and pork from the carving stations, while Lisa was in heaven with the magnificent seafood and sushi set-ups.

The desserts, which included French macaroons and berries in Grand Marnier cream, were equally wonderful. It all reminded me how great the food had been when I visited the Radisson Blu Aqua and ate at their Filini restaurant.

We ended the night back at the Palmer House Hilton, with a toast to another great trip to Chicago.

Checking Out Chicago’s Latest & Greatest

I try to take one big trip and one quick getaway each month. I often do the latter in Chicago, about two hours from my home. Even though I’ve been in the Midwest over two years now, I never have a problem finding something unique to do in the Windy City.

I started my latest Chicago adventure with a Chef’s Table event by The Local Tourist.  My friend Theresa Carter does a wonderful job with these events, which include everything from seven course formal meals, to pizza and wine pairings -- like the one I attended at Red Flame Pizzeria.  This restaurant/wine bar has many wine selections are reasonable, wide ranged and many are available by the glass.

The Chef’s Table event is a great way to network for business, or make new friends, while tasting food that Chicago’s Local Tourist will stand by.  At Red Flame we had a Brushetta Trio for a starter, followed by a selection of pizzas (including the veg HEAD, with wild mushrooms, spinach, roasted garlic, basil and extra virgin olive oil, and the crazyFLAME, four cheeses topped with arugula salad).  We even had a dessert pizza called S’mores -- flame-cooked dough topped with chocolate spread, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips and marshmallows!

The food was great at Red Flame, as was the wine, the favorites of which were Otto’s Constant Dream Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Budini Malbec from Argentina, The Velvet Devil Merlot from Washington and Grayson Cabernet from Napa. I tried to pace myself because there was plenty more food and drink to come on this trip, starting with lunch at Rock Bottom Brewery with my friends from Edible Ink PR.

The brews at Rock Bottom (there were nine on the menu) have won over 125 major awards and vary from “I’ll be back Winter Lager” to “Drink Me India Pale Ale.”  You will also find a great cocktail menu that includes martinis, margaritas and some house specials.  We had a selection of starters – loved the Ballpark pretzels, brushed with ale and served with a spicy spinach cheese dip – and then I had a tasty turkey burger with their delicious macaroni and cheese.  The menu is huge and has a selection that would please anyone.

Rock Bottom was just a few short blocks from my hotel for the night, the Trump Chicago. I had seen it tower over the city in its own little conclave, but this was my first time inside. I have to say I was extremely impressed.  I see a lot of five star hotels, but the attention to detail here is just amazing.  You feel it immediately when you walk in to face the concierge, not the front desk.  The area is large and welcoming, and they will pretty much take care of anything you want, from walking your dog (the Trump has its own dog walk), to getting your bottled water inside your room. (And, speaking of bottled water, I loved the way the valet brought my car back cleaned out and with fresh bottled water!)

My room was not a suite, but it was very large and had a kitchenette.  I also marveled at the enclosed shower and tub area. I had the pleasure of taking a tour around the property with the Sales & Marketing Director, Robert Prohaska.  The Spa Suites are wonderful, located on the floor with the extensive gym and spa, so you can keep the relaxation going in your room’s soaking tub when you finish your treatment.  The extras in these rooms (as well as the family suites) are amazing, especially the warmer for neck and eye wraps that comes with your nightly turndown service. I am scouring my schedule for some time for a more extensive look at these rooms! If you don’t have the opportunity to stay at
Trump International Hotel & Tower® Chicago, I suggest you at least come for a drink at ReBar, meal at Sixteen or, in the spring through fall, The Terrace, where you have breathtaking views of Chicago that include the fireworks over Navy Pier twice a week.

I had a magnificent breakfast at Sixteen, but I didn’t eat dinner there.  That was at one of my other favorites in Chicago, Palmer House Hilton.  I had stayed at this classic hotel a few months ago, but this time I was there to check out the Regional Wine Journey Classes at their Lockwood Restaurant.. They are led by Manager Sasa Sinanagic, who takes patrons through a different wine region each time.  I had come for Spain and Portugal, two areas I was eager to learn more about.  I wasn’t disappointed in the lesson or the wine that Sinanagic chose.

It’s only $25 to taste a selection of wines while you learn about the areas they are produced in. It’s always a small group so there is plenty of interaction. Sinanagic is very open to questions and was more than happy to provide those who wanted with some tasting lessons.  A big hit was the Portuguese Vino Verde, with citrus and green apple notes, this wine is only $24 in the restaurant.  Spain’s Orballo Albarino, full of tropical fruit like pineapple and melon, was also very good.  We were also introduced to wines that many in the group didn’t know, such as Tempranillo and Grenache. Sinanagic believes, “We owe our guests to better educate them to understand wine and food.”

As for the food, you won’t get any complaints from me.  I was in the mood for something a bit lighter and Lockwood Restaurant knows how to do even that in style.  The Butternut Squash and Apple Soup was flavorful and not too heavy and the Black Truffle Risotto was divine.  For more information on Lockwood and the Regional Wine Journey Classes, visit the website or call (312) 917-3404.