0 Comments
Fine dining can mean different things to different people. For me I look for impeccable service, inviting atmosphere, high quality ingredients, and innovative food. We recently tried L'espalier in Boston to celebrate Greg's birthday. Unfortunately, the dinner was almost a complete letdown. I made a reservation noting the celebration as well as my dairy allergy. The day before our reservation we called to confirm my dairy allergy. The staff member noted our reservation and clarified that I couldn't eat any dairy (including butter and goat's milk cheese). An hour later another staff member called to confirm our reservation and our dairy allergy but didn't ask any questions this time. We arrived on time for our reservation, checked my coat, and were shown to our table. Our waiter came over to welcome us and again asked if I could eat butter. That would be a no. We opted for a bottle of wine and the chef's tasting menu (our preference is always a chef's tasting or an Omakase).
The inconsistencies in service and food prep, along with the lack of high-quality ingredients (note that it is truffle season) left us disappointed and we wouldn't return.
At 3:30 a.m. the alarm is not a happy sound but up we went. We quickly dressed, grabbed our bags, and checked out of the hotel within a half an hour. Thanks to our early departure we made it to Boston in record time. My family wanted to do lunch together since my cousin from California was visiting so Greg and I stopped for take-out.
We parked and walked over to the Gourmet Dumpling House in Chinatown. I placed our order and had a 20-minute wait. The creature of habit that I am I crossed the street and ordered a bubble tea at Tea Do and then picked up desserts for everyone at Bao Bao Bakery. Our lunch was a lot of fun and I was so happy to see my cousin before she headed home. Finally, we made it home and started to unpack and get ready for the week ahead.
We skipped lunch so we decided to have an early dinner before checking into our hotel. We decided to try The Vault Kitchen & Market for our meal. We were seated close to the bar area and our server was warm, offered suggestions, and very professional. My perfectly balanced and refreshing cocktail was the Thai Margarita. I ended up ordering a 2nd one throughout our meal since I enjoyed it so much. For food we ordered the grilled calamari, seared shumai, duck dumplings, lao sausage, and chicken claypot. The grilled calamari was cooked well and had a gentle seasoning. We both loved it. The dumplings were kind of a hit and miss for me. The first issue was it's the same dough and shape. The shumai was fine but the duck dumplings were too finely ground for my taste. Greg enjoyed his lao sausage entree and the flavor was bold which I liked. My chicken claypot was outstanding. The dish was comforting, warmly spiced, and the chicken was tender.
We slept in, which for us is 7:30 a.m. and stopped in the lobby for coffee. Greg enjoyed a hot coffee while i opted for a caramel iced coffee. The Kimpton Brice Hotel offers an adorable selection for their guests. We continued our sightseeing of Savannah with a morning walk around the historic district. We love the architecture, parks, churches, and cemeteries.
After a short rest in our hotel room, we decided to take another evening stroll down River Street. We enjoyed watching the riverboat dock, purchased pralines at River Street Sweets, and tried to find a spot for drinks and snacks but nothing seemed to work for us.
We headed back to the Kimpton Brice and decided to order drinks and appetizers at the bar. My cucumber collins was refreshing and well balanced. Unfortunately, the staff was a bit frazzled again and Greg's Manhattan ended up as an Old Fashioned. Greg enjoys both drinks and didn't really complain. The octopus we ordered was very tender and seasoned well but the potatoes weren't cooked fully. The brussels sprouts were crispy and slightly sweet. Finally, the fried baby artichokes we ordered were delicious. These were the closest I've had to fried artichokes in Rome Italy. The artichokes were crispy, salty, and the dip was a good accompaniment. Before heading up to bed we ordered a Manhattan and a Bourbon and again there was a mistake and we both got Manhattans. Not a huge mix-up but a little annoying to get two drink orders wrong.
For my birthday my friend booked an appointment for a massage at the Mandara Spa at Disney World. I opted for the first time of the day so that Greg and I could spend the rest of the day together. Greg and I both drove over to the Dolphin hotel and valeted the car (which was validated by the spa). I checked in and a staff member showed me around the spa. Once inside you will find a men's and women's changing room with lockers, showers, steam rooms, and other amenities. The next area is a relaxing area for before treatments. I sat back and relaxed with a nice cup of coconut hibiscus tea. My masseuse welcomed me and showed me to my room where I enjoyed a light Balinese massage. After my massage, I was given a complimentary glass of champagne and shown to another relaxation area. To continue the celebration my husband booked us a cabana by the pool at the Waldorf. The staff showed us to our assigned cabana, showed us the stocked fridge, menus, and helped settle us in. The cabana was relaxing and I loved being able to get some shade since it was a hot and sunny day. There were a few things that I feel could be improved upon. The first thing is that the fridge comes with complimentary soda and 2 bottles of water. Once you drink those waters the staff bring you tap water. For the price of the cabana, I feel like bottled waters should be given throughout the day. A staff member asked us when we would like to receive our fruit plate. I don't know if he didn't tell anyone or what happened but 11:30 a.m. came and went and we ended up having to ask someone else about it after 12:00 p.m. The poolside restaurant staff are wonderful. The server was always coming by the cabana area for drink and food orders. For lunch, we enjoyed a couple of different cocktails, the Asian salad with shrimp, the edamame, and the peel and eat shrimp. The drinks and food are pricey but we couldn't complain. We made it inside the hotel to relax before dinner right before a pretty strong rain shower.
Room 925 is a Disney View Suite with a large king bedroom, living room, and dining area. The four of us went to check out our room and wait for the luggage before heading out to an early dinner. The room was very clean and mostly kept up. The living room couch was a little sad looking and could use a replacement. The view was terrific and let us watch multiple fireworks from the park during our stay.
Our friends dropped us off at the Waldorf before heading home for the night and we made plans to get together again tomorrow. After unpacking some of our belongings we decided to take a sunset stroll along the golf course. The weather cooled down slightly, the golf course was empty, and we had a relaxing stroll with plenty of spots for pictures.
To end the night we enjoyed a glass of wine on our balcony and watched the fireworks from Disney World. Our alarm went off at 3:30 a.m. and we pulled ourselves out of bed to finish packing and to load up the car. Once fully awake we drove to my moms where we settled Fred in for his week's stay with grandma and grandpa. We hopped back in the car and began our drive south to Florida. I kept myself awake by snapping pictures in NY, DE, and MD. Today's drive wasn't easy at all. We hit traffic entering Delaware and tons of traffic in Virginia. Our 16-hour drive ended up being a little over 18 hours. After shopping at Target for a few forgotten items we opted to eat lunch at Five Guys. Five guys make simple but good burgers and fries that are save for those with a gluten and/or dairy allergy (lettuce wrap). We had plans to stop at Sweatman's for our usual BBQ fix but we knew we would either get there after closing or after all the food ran out. It was 11:00 p.m. when we pulled up to the Hampton Inn in Brunswick GA, our hotel for the night. The staff simply handed over our keys and our waters rather than a warm welcome. Our room was very clean however it was in desperate need of updating. The furniture was a little beat up, the air conditioner extremely noisy, and the bathroom was outdated. In addition to all of that the area was busy and the walls thin so we heard everyone who was coming and going. We've stayed here in the past but now agree that we won't return.
We each enjoyed a nice glass of Matua Sauvignon Blanc before getting to bed so we could leave early for Orlando in the morning. We made plans with friends and purchased tickets to the Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl in Boston this past week. Before meeting up with our friends we used ParkWhiz and found a fabulously priced parking garage right across the street from Government Center. We used our emailed pass at the entrance, found a good spot, and hopped in the working (one section wasn't usable to where we were heading) elevator. For lunch we decided to walk down to the Boston Public Market. We grabbed a couple of Banh Mi's and a rice bowl from Bon Me and sat at the outdoor picnic tables. Bon Me offers consistently balanced food with terrific flavors. Unfortunately, the Thai basil limeade was heavy on the sugar and ended up being too sweet for me. We were heading back to to the event area and I got completely distracted by the beautiful stone pieces from American Stonecraft. Thanks to the amazing help we got from Diane we purchased a stunning food slab for our kitchen island. Food slabs are food safe and can be chilled; perfect for serving. The food slabs are easy to clean with just soap and water. Diane spent a time going through multiple shapes, sizes, and colors and was wonderful in helping us find just what we needed. I was thrilled with the piece we selected and it's a beautiful addition to our home. American Stonecraft also offers cook slabs which can be used in an oven or grill, trivets, coasters, and bowls. We joined the rest of our group and were quickly through the check in and security area of the Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl. How amazing is it that you can help raise money for a great cause while enjoying lots of delicious ice cream. Inside the event there were multiple ice cream vendors, games, beverages, live music, and seating areas. Your ticket provides you with unlimited ice cream. My first stop was to Haagen Dazs for their dairy free Chocolate Salted Fudge Truffle Non-Dairy. The ice cream was smooth, rich, and extra chocolate. Next up was Ben and Jerry's and their Caramel Almond Brittle. The Caramel Almond Brittle was sweet, salty, and crunchy; delicious!! Others in our group got to try ice cream from numerous vendors but I was thrilled with my options. After the event we walked back to to our car and only had to sit in a little bit of rush hour traffic during our ride home. |
Categories
All
Archives
January 2020
|