This review took place in October 2016.
Early in the morning we left Sedona and made our way to our first stop of the day. We had previously been to the Grand Canyon South Rim but this would be the first for my parents. We found a parking spot easily and made our way to the visitor center area. My mother was unfortunately having a bad day with her knees but luckily there are several shaded areas for resting on the way up to the south rim. The 5 of us finally made our way to the Rim and we spent a couple of hours at different view points. Pets area allowed on trails above the Rim but I would love to go back and be able to go hiking in the canyon sometime.
When you are heading into the Grand Canyon South Rim and traffic starts to build up at the gates make sure you look around and see which gates are open. Apparently no one noticed the gate on the right hand side was open. We were able to by pass all of the traffic and sail right on through. Instead of heading back into the parking area we turned onto Desert View Rd to continue on to Kanab UT. Desert View Rd also offers multiple pull offs for beautiful and different views of the canyon.
Heading further north we were able to drive through Page AZ. In Page we got to take some peeks at Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam.
We have stayed in an Airbnb once before and we thought we'd give it a try on this trip. We booked a house in Kanab UT for 3 nights. Stewart's Point offered 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a great location, all the amenities you would need, and was very clean. Some areas of the house are a bit dated and there were some cracks in the wall but the home is very comfortable. I don't know if it's an Airbnb issue or an owner issue but I really wish all of the rules of the house were posted online. When we got to the house there was a booklet of rules. The rules weren't outrageous however it was a little shocking to arrive to that.
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For lunch we stopped at Pisa Lisa in Sedona. The patio at Pisa Lisa is pet friendly and our waitress brought over a bowl of water for Fred without us asking. We started the meal with the Caesar Brutus Salad (expect for me because it contains dairy). We then ordered Deluxe Semplice which is a vegan pizza. I was also able to order it on their gluten free crust. Everyone else ordered the Melanzane Parmigiana. Everything was delicious but I must go a step further and praise the restaurant for their gluten free crust. My vegan and gluten free pizza was a wonderful texture, salty from the tapenade, savory from the grilled eggplant, a touch of bitterness from arugula, and utterly satisfying! Oh how I wish I could get one of these in Boston!!!
On the way out of the restaurant my parents stopped to by a few items from their store. I noticed some gelato and sorbet and just had to try the coconut lemongrass. It was delicious! Bold in flavor and yet refreshing. I keep saying I would go all the way to Santa Fe for Taco's from El Chile Toreado and I would for sure go to Sedona just for this pizza!!
After lunch we headed up to the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Last year Greg and I only took pictures from the lower parking area. The Chapel was extremely busy and congested with cars but we were able to find a parking spot. My parents were able to catch a ride with one of the golf carts to the top. Greg, myself, and Fred walked the short distance. Not only is this Chapel unique and beautiful but the views are stunning.
We had dinner reservations for Creekside American Bistro so we headed back to our hotel to freshen up. We arrived at Creekside American Bistro on time and were shown to our table on the pet friendly back patio. The hostess gave each of us our menus....including Fred. Yes Creekside American Bistro offers a dog menu.
We started our meal with drinks, the charred calamari salad and the hummus sampler plate. For entrees we ordered the country style chicken breast, the duck confit, curried lamb adobo, and the seared scallops and pork belly. Fred thoroughly enjoyed his huge portion of steak tartar! The staff at the restaurant are always smiling, knowledgeable about the menu, and understanding when it comes to allergies. The food is beautifully presented, seasoned perfectly, and consistently delicious.
This review is from October 2016
This morning we got an early start so we would have time to explore in the unique cities along the way to Santa Fe NM. It was really nice to see Cadillac Ranch early in the morning. We were practically the only people there, the temperature was cool, and the sun offered us different views of the ranch. As an added bonus we found some paint cans that weren't empty. Naturally we had to contribute to the art!
In Tucumcari NM you will find many original Route 66 locations. On one hand Tucumcari is a little forgotten. There are lot of closed down buildings, a lot of rundown historic sites, and has a small population. With that said Greg and I both really like Tucumcari. We have found the people we met were friendly and cared about the history. We both have said that we would love to move there and restore more of the town.
One of our favorite stops in town is to visit Tee Pee Curios (pet friendly). We stop in for some nice conversation and for some fun souvenirs. The unique pictures we get to take of the outside is just a bonus.
Onward to Santa Fe and to some lunch!! We were getting pretty hungry so the minute we entered Santa Fe NM. We headed to El Chile Toreado!! I can't even begin to express how good these tacos are! These are my favorite tacos I have ever had. We ordered Carnita's, Al Pastor, and Chicharones (soft not crunchy pork fat). The Al Pastor were the favorite in my opinion. They were tender, rich, and not overly sweet from the pineapple. The Carnita's were also very good. A must on the Carnita's is El Chile Toreado's green sauce! YUM!!
Our last stop of the day was to our hotel www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/new-mexico/hilton-santa-fe-historic-plaza.../index.htmlThe Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza. We were welcomed as Diamond Members. We were given 2 Deluxe King Rooms on the 3rd floor (last year we were lucky enough to be upgraded to a suite), breakfast vouchers and access to the executive lounge. Our room was large with a king bed, chair, couch, table, fridge, and coffee machine. The Bathroom door isn't 100% private (similar to a sliding barn door) but it doesn't bother us. This was our 2nd stay at the hotel and we found the staff just as friendly/helpful, the property in great condition, and the rooms comfortable.
During our stay we ordered drinks from the bar a couple of times and enjoyed them out front on the patio furniture and lit fireplaces. Since we had Fred with us we had to take our breakfast to go. The staff helped us with napkins, utensils, and a bag. We again enjoyed our food out front on the patio furniture. We would definitely stay here a 3rd time and recommend this hotel to others.
For dinner we went to Casa Chimayo which was pet friendly. We were seated right away and had a nice corner table where Fred wouldn't be too much of a bother. Perfect for us! Our waitress was very nice and offered suggestions. To start we ordered chips, salsa, and El Burro's (vanilla bean infused vodka mules). My entree was the Chicken Mole. The Mole was good and plentiful but I was hoping for a little more depth in flavor. Greg enjoyed the Blue Corn Enchilada's which were also featured on The Food Network's Diners, Drive In's and Dives.
My parents stayed back at the hotel that evening so we brought them some dessert. We brought them some Pastelitos's (apples in flaky pastry), and Elena's Sopa (a type of bread pudding).
Here's a map of our route for the day!
This review is from October 2016.
We left Dublin OH early in the morning but just had to make a quick stop before leaving town. How can you not stop at a field of concrete corn cobs!!! The giant cobs of corn are a reminder of the area's long history of agriculture.
Our next stop for the day was an unplanned stop at the Warm Glow Candle Outlet Store in Centerville IN. We were thrilled to see that their store was pet friendly! Fred loves to be included in shopping trips! Inside we found unique candles, gifts, foodie finds, clean restrooms, and a cute cafe. We put our purchases into the car and headed to our next stop!
The 2nd stop of the day was to see the Kaskaskia Dragon in Vandalia IL. We went into the liquor store across from the metal dragon and purchased a couple of tokens. These tokens are the way to make the dragon breathe fire. Unfortunately, we were fighting the sun and the wind so pictures of the dragon don't show the fire but it was fun to see in person. For lunch we stopped at Five Guys for burgers and french fries. I know it's not a local spot but it's one of the safest options for me and my allergies. When I was younger my family always made road trips to Colorado. Each time we headed west we would stop in St Louis MO to see the Gateway Arch. We didn't get out of the car on this trip but it was nice to see the arch again. For the 3rd stop of the day we visiting the town of Cuba MO. Along route 66 in Cuba you will find the Murals of Cuba. The Murals are out doors and are truly unique and beautiful.
Our stopping point for the day was Springfield MO. We booked the DoubleTree Springfield hotel for the night. We were welcomed as Diamond members and given our two rooms we requested online. Thanks to our membership we were given access to the 10th floor lounge and breakfast vouchers. The lounge is 24 hours which we found nice (a few other Hilton properties no longer offer 24 hours). Our rooms were clean and offered the usually amenities that DoubleTree is known for.
For dinner we opted for room service. We ordered Thai Chicken Wings, Char Crusted Ahi Tuna, and a Brentwood Chicken Sandwich. The staff also took note of my allergies. The service was quick and friendly and the food was fresh and flavorful. Breakfast the next morning was also good and the staff allowed my husband to take breakfast back to our room since we had Fred with us. This review is from January 2017.
We had been hoping to try Momosan since it's opening. We walked to the restaurant since it was close by and arrived a little before 8 p.m. We were seated right away at a communal style table. We opted to sit next to each other rather than across from one another. We ordered buta kimchi (fermented cabbage and pork jowls) and crispy mimiga (pigs ear) to start our meal. The buta kimchi was mild in spice but for my tastes it was a bit too sour. The crispy mimiga was crunchy, salted, and addictive! For our entrees Greg chose the tonkotsu ramen (pork) and I opted for the special duck ramen. Both ramens offered flavorful broths, slightly chewy noodles, and tender meat. We decided to splurge for our "dessert." We ordered two glasses of the Morimoto 10 year aged sake. It was delicious and the perfect end to our meal. Both of us can't wait to return! This review is from January 2017.
A couple of weeks before our trip I found that The Palm Court restaurant offers a vegan afternoon tea menu. I was thrilled that they would offer sandwiches, scones, and pastries that would be dairy free for me. We were greeted at the hostess station and the staff brought us a regular and vegan menu. We opted for some Lavender Oolong Tea and both of us chose the vegan option. In addition to this we decided to go for a glass of bubbly (my favorite just happened to be their offering of Veuve Clicquot). The sandwich offerings were a roasted tomato and basil, cucumber, asparagus, avocado, and a peanut butter and jelly. The tomato basil reminded me of summer and was my favorite item I ate at the tea. We received two scones each and they were fine but nothing memorable. The "pastries" portion was sadly lacking. One of the most frustrating things in fine dining is when you say you have a dairy allergy or are vegan and the options are a salad, fruit, or sorbet. At the tea we received dried fruits, caramelized bananas, pate de fruits, raspberry sauce, a dry cookie, piece of chocolate and a mini shell filled with fruit. None of these items are a truly a pastry nor worth mentioning when compared to the non vegan options. I bake all the time and can whip up cakes, cookies, biscuits, etc that are dairy free, vegan and/or gluten free so why can't The Plaza? I really found the value of the afternoon tea less than the vegan options delivered. I will say that other tables around us looked much more appetizing. This review is from January 2017.
Our preferred dining scenario is going to a restaurant with an Omakase menu. We have dined at O Ya in Boston, Morimoto in NYC, Oishii in Boston, and Zuma in Miami. Nobu Next Door sadly came in last place when comparing to these other establishments. Even though we arrived a little early the hostess seated us right away. Unfortunately, this was the first of several issues. The tables for 2 are literally inches apart. The table next to us had to move two tables for the customer to be able to be seated. Our waiter came over and knew about my dairy allergy and so that was lovely. We ordered the $150 Omakase menu but we were told that they aren't able to do a Sake pairing with our meal. Our waiter suggested a single Sake for the entirety of our meal. Our meal consisted of an amuse bouche which was a type of seaweed wrap, a salad, lightly broiled oysters, Salmon and Tuna Sushi, battered and fried lobster, miso cod, and ended with a chocolate cake for Greg and sorbet for myself. We had to struggle to remember what we ate because the meal was that forgettable. The Oysters were the highlight of the meal. They were simple and silky. The worst courses of the meal were the miso cod (overly sweet to where I couldn't finish it) and my sorbet (the clementine was inedible due to it's bitterness). For a $400 meal the courses we dined on could have been prepared by any above average Japanese restaurant. When we compare this meal to the other Omakase menu's we've dined on it seems like those other restaurants have gone above and beyond in innovation and in variety. This review is from December 2016.
It's lunch time on Newbury Street and we thought we'd give Haru a try. We started with a Sake tasting for each of us. We ordered the Shishito peppers and a variety of sushi. Everything was fresh and beautifully presented. When you read about different sauces, toppings, and additions you expect bold and vibrantt. Sadly the dishes were a touch lackluster. I would give the restaurant a 2nd try though. This review is from December 2016.
A few years ago we dined at Bar Boulud in London and it was one of our favorite meals to date. We didn't have very high expectations of Bar Boulud Boston due to online reviews. Sadly the reviews were mostly accurate. We started our dinner with drinks in the bar while waiting for our table. For appetizers we ordered Crispyy Pork Rinds, Beef Tartare, and Pork Belly. We could not stop eating the pork rinds! Unfortunately the pork belly was just okay and the Beef Tartare wasn't to our taste and the accompanying potatoes were inedible due to salt. For our entrees we orderded the Duck breast and the Coq au vin. While both dishes were fine the salt content was again much to high. Sadly our dinner was disturbed by the customers next to us. When a customer's credit card is declined for whatever reason I feel it would be best to pull the customer aside not discuss it at a table with other customers a foot away. This process went on for at least 20 minutes! We probably wouldn't return nor recommend this location. Making a reservation at Tasting Counter is different than most restaurants. On their website you buy tickets for lunch or dinner on a specific day and seating time. A dinner ticket (which we booked) is $180.00 per person and includes your dinner experience, your paired beverages, taxes, and service tip.
The evenings 1st service was late so we didn't enter room until 8:20. I really feel dinners should be at 6 and then 8:30 instead of 8 giving the team time to turn things over when there are guests who lag behind. We were checked in and seated but had to get back up to have my coat checked. The chefs were very impressive especially considering that their schedule was a bit off. I was also thrilled to see that my allergies were taken seriously. The chefs didn't just remove components from my dishes but made separate items to accommodate. The sommelier offered us a nice selection of sake however o ya selection was more diverse. I will say there was a few faux pas by the sommelier. For instance drips on the counter were wiped up by her hand. Over all the food was beautiful, refined, modern and cooked perfectly. My husband and I do tend to lean towards bold flavors so we both agreed that the seasoning here was on the subtle side. |
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