tourism Archives - Page 2 of 2 - InspiringKitchen.com

Dec 21
0

Celebrating the Holidays with Max & Leo’s and Chicago Trolley

Posted by | Restaurants, Tourism | 8 Comments

Everyone knows that coming to Chicago is an adventure in architecture, food, the arts, shopping and sports! From a tourism perspective, there are endless ways to see all that Chicago has to offer. In the winter time, our options are a bit limited given the weather. Which is why our recent holiday celebration of artisan pizza from Max & Leo’s and a ride aboard the Chicago Trolley Holiday Lights Tour made for such a festive evening.

We started out at Max & Leo’s for its artisan pizza and wings. Made in 900 degree coal fired ovens, the pizza’s char crust is filled with creative ingredients from the always popular Margherita to the Brooksy (Mascarpone and sliced mozzarella, grilled chicken, caramelized onions and wild mushrooms) to L’Umina (ricotta cheese, sliced pears, caramelized onions, basil, fresh sliced prosciutto and drizzled organic wildflower honey) to many other varieties that you can see here.… Read more

Nov 09
0

Exploring the World of Food Tours

Posted by | Education, Entertainment, Tourism, Travel | 21 Comments

You know the expression “be a tourist in your own city”, have you ever done that? I haven’t and am just now realizing all that I am missing by not taking advantage of the awesome services, tours and events that go on in my own town.

Inspiring Kitchen Exploring the World of Food Tours

I recently had the pleasure of learning about an experience that any one interested in the culinary scene must investigate: food tours. No matter where you live, your town has a food personality and history all its own. Living in major cities where dining out is a big part of our entertainment, it never occurred to me to learn the history of restaurants, chefs, and products sold in my backyard.… Read more

Aug 14
0

Explore Chicago Architecture Aboard Shoreline Tours

Posted by | Education, Tourism | 21 Comments

When you think of visiting Chicago, what are on your list of must-do and see sights? You might think of our diverse food scene – restaurants achieving international accolades – to our sports teams from the Bulls to Cubs to Sox to Blackhawks – to the “Magnificent Mile of Shopping” on Michigan Avenue. But what you may not have thought of is the breathtaking architecture that is Chicago.

As locals, we rarely see our city for all its glory as we are just going about our day-to-day life. So, for the first time, my friends, family and I boarded the Shoreline Architecture River Tour  to see the city from a new perspective.… Read more

Jul 09
1

Airport Dining on the Run from AirGrub

Posted by | Dining, Technology, Travel | 23 Comments

Having been a business traveler (aka Road Warrior) for much of my career, finding good and hopefully healthy food while running through an airport is usually just a fleeting thought. The ultimate goal is to make the flight. How many times have you had to find a way to make a meal out of what you find in the newspaper shops at the airport? I have lost count! While airports have definitely improved their assortment of restaurants and quality of menu options, sometimes having the time to get to the restaurant, place the order and wait for it to be packaged to-go can be challenging.… Read more

Jun 30
1

New Modern Hotel Lands in Chicago

Posted by | Art, Design, Hotel, Tourism, Travel | 15 Comments

There is a new hotel in town. And it is different from the rest. This property is a partnership between Marriott and the Marcus Corporation. It’s called the AC Hotel. The brand is not new to the marketplace. It is actually a brand out of Spain with a strong presence in Europe with approximately 75 hotels. In the United States, this is location number 4 with many more to come in the next couple of years. 

The AC Hotel is designed to be a modern, approachable lifestyle brand with an appeal to the creativity and passions of travelers with a millennial mindset.… Read more

Jan 27
0

Escape to Sunny Puerto Vallarta

Posted by | Luxury, Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, Tourism, Travel | 28 Comments

The best part of winter in Chicago is escaping to a place where the sun shines bright, warms you all the way through, the water shimmers while the waves crash on the beach and you are welcomed by the locals who want to share their home with you. For me, that is found within the beauty of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. 

Inspiring Kitchen Escape to Glorious Puerto Vallarta

As someone who has been fortunate to travel for both work and pleasure, finding a warm weather vacation spot is always a bonus. And Puerto Vallarta, or P.V. to those frequent visitors, is a small piece of heaven.

Traveling from Chicago to PV is relatively easy if you are able to grab the one or two airlines that offer direct flights.… Read more

Jun 30
0

Grocery Store Adventures

Posted by | Cookbook, Ethnic foods, Grocery Stores, Spices | 3 Comments

If you are reading this blog, chances are you like to cook or have someone in your life that does. Today’s conversation is about ways to learn about all the cooking resources your city has to offer beyond visiting restaurants and reading cookbooks.

One of the more unique things that I have done in my free time is take advantage of all the diverse, ethnic grocery stores in my city. A couple years ago, my friend and I decided to go exploring these stores to learn about the food items available to us that fall outside the realm of our typical groceries.… Read more