20 years ago my dad’s cholesterol was really high, so the doctor put him on a 30-day, no-meat diet. He decided he liked it, and hasn’t eaten meat since. I was still living at home at the time and had no desire or plan to give up meat (and still don’t), so when they cooked, …
Heather and I have been friends for 17 years, starting when she began working at Maryland…geez that makes me feel old. We’ve been there for each other through thick and thin, good and bad. I don’t need to go into details…she knows what I mean. My summer trip back to Maryland almost always coincides with her birthday. I got …
Karen and I have been friends…well literally forever. Her parents and my parents have been friends since they lived in Trinidad, long before we were even a glimmer in their eyes. She is exactly 18 months older than I am, and her parents brought her over to see me when my parents first brought me home from …
There are thousands of restaurants in Philadelphia. Make sure Sabrina’s Cafe is on your list. With fabulous food and all-day breakfast, you cannot go wrong. A couple weeks ago, Kara and I did a 3-day East Coast tour. She met me in Maryland, and our first stop was breakfast at Miss Shirley’s Cafe in Baltimore. Our …
About 3 weeks ago I was watching The View, and they were talking about the best places around the country for ice cream. One of them was Serendipity 3, located in NYC, and their most famous item on the menu is the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate. They also have a Golden Opulence Sundae that’s topped with …
NYC’s Rockefeller Center boasts the iconic ice rink in winter. In the summer, it transforms into the must-visit Summer Garden & Bar at Rock Center Cafe. My college roommate Kara and I just got back from a weekend adventure to New York City. We don’t get to see each other very often, as she lives …
When Kara and I make plans, it’s all or nothing. When we were in college, the Maryland men’s basketball team beat UMass to advance to their first Sweet 16. The second the game was over, we looked at each other and said “we have to go”. I don’t even think the internet had been invented yet …
When I was a kid, the downtown area of Silver Spring was pretty run down. Most people didn’t hang out down there…it was just a place to pass through from one part of town to another. There was a historic movie theater and a few restaurants, but that’s about it. When Metro built a station …
I really need to get on the ball now that I’m a week–and 3 restaurants–behind. Last Wednesday I flew back from Minneapolis, and since it was July 4th most of the downtown restaurants were closed. Airport dining used to dredge up memories of limited choices and bad food. Now that so many people spend so …
The day our ALSD conference ended, Krista and I were the last 2 of our group who were still there. Last week I had found Broder’s Pasta Bar on the Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives website, and it looked like a fun place. I also found out that it was the Cucina Italiana (deli) that was …
The conference ended on Tuesday afternoon, so we decided to have one last group lunch together following the last session. We decided to go to The Local. It was on the corner, about a block from our hotel, and every time I had walked by during the week the outdoor seating was packed. We got there about 1:45, …
Sunday night, when we got back from the tour at TCF Bank Stadium (U of Minnesota), we headed to Brits Pub, about a block from the hotel. They have a really cool rooftop, with lounge seating and a big area for lawn bowling. Nobody in our group tried the bowling, but a lot of our …
There was a conference-sponsored lunch with a keynote speaker and awards on Sunday. But c’mon, who wants to do that when there’s so many restaurants walking distance from the hotel! Jessica and Krista went with the crowd to the lunch, but Blair and I were rebels and decided to go find some sushi. The concierge …
I didn’t take my laptop to Minneapolis, so I’ve got 4 new restaurants to review. But between conference sessions, tours, and much-needed power naps, I wouldn’t have had time to update the blog anyway. The conference didn’t start until late Saturday afternoon, but I took an early morning flight, for 2 reasons. First, it was …
I just got back from my Association of Luxury Suite Directors (ALSD) conference in Minneapolis. I have to admit, I wasn’t too fired up when I first heard we would be in the Twin Cities, especially since the last 5 years we were in Phoenix, Miami, Dallas, NYC and LA. But we were assured the …