Who wants BBQ?

When I saw the name Sweet Baby Ray's on one of the menu's back at the hotel, I knew it was vaguely familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it. I had never eaten there before but for some reason, I knew that name. Then it hit me... that's the name of the BBQ sauce I use at home. Could it be one of the same? Only one way to find out Sweet Baby Ray's was the choice for dinner that night, and as luck would have it, it wasn't far from the hotel we were staying at. Sweet Baby Ray's located at 249 E. Irving Park Rd, Wood Dale, IL is a small neighborhood restaurant. It's very rustic inside and their many different types of BBQ sauce are strategically placed so you don't miss them as you walk up to the counter. The bottles containing their sauces looked different than what I was accustom to seeing in the grocery store, so after asking a lot of questions to make they were one of the same (the restaurant & the BBQ sauce I buy in the supermarket), we met Baby Ray's nephew & partner Duce Raymond who explained why the bottles we were seeing looked different (that BBQ sauce was sold only at the restaurant), then showed us the BBQ sauce packaged in the bottles we were use to seeing (for sale in the supermarkets). Satisfied, we ordered.

I had Alabama smoked chicken with white gold BBQ sauce, coleslaw & corn bread. My friend dining with wanted to try a few things. She ordered hickory smoked pulled pork, sliced brisket, coleslaw, and baked beans. They had a variety of sauces (10 to be exact) & we both tried a few. The price was super reasonable, and the food was lip smacking, finger-licking good.

I noticed while eating, quite a few people were coming in for take out service. They also have a 32" TV showing you how they smoke their meat from start to finish. They also do catering. If you're ever in the neighborhood, hit the brakes if you see Sweet Baby Rays BBQ you wont regret it.

Chicago's Dinner Bell

Chicago has plenty of restaurants to choose from, as well as in the surrounding suburbs.  You can go dressed casual, after five, shirt required or shoes required. It all depends on what you want to eat, and where you want to eat it. Chicago is world renown for their Italian Beef which I must say is rightly earned, but that's for another post, I had a taste for seafood this particular evening. Now one of my rules in choosing to eat seafood when I  travel is to make sure the place I'm visiting has water flowing by it. It can be one of the great lakes, an ocean even a large river (like the Mississippi), but some large body of water. I'm not going to look for a seafood restaurant in North Dakota.

That being said, I chose a reputable chain seafood restaurant Bonefish Grill, 180 S Roselle Rd, Schaumburg IL. I've eaten in the Bonefish many times in various locations, however this was my first time at this particular one. It was very crowded for a Tuesday, in fact it was just 2 of us & we had to wait for a table which surprised me. Once seated, & handed a menu, I realized why they were so crowded on a Tuesday. It was Lobster Tuesday & it seemed like that's what everyone was ordering. I mean a lobster tail meal for $14, you can't beat that. So My companion & I joined them. We both ordered the lobster tail dinner, lobster bisque soup and I had Jasmine rice. The saying "you get what you pay for" is so true. Who gets a lobster dinner for $14? The soup had so much sherry in it we couldn't eat it for fear of getting a DWI driving back to the hotel. The jasmine rice was mushy & the lobster tails were water logged. How disappointing. The best thing was the bread & pesto sauce. The manager came over & wanted to give us another water logged lobster tail which we graciously declined, he did remove the soup from our bill because we barely touched them. Needless to say we both left there still hungry after paying $36 for dinner plus the tip. To be fair, we generally enjoy the food we get at the many Bonefish Grills we've visited in the past, but not at this particular one.

Breakfast in Chi town

It's said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It's definitely my favorite meal of the day, so why I wonder when I'm home, do I skip it so often, or settle for a quick bowl of cereal, or  low fat yogurt to eat on the run. You would think since it's my favorite meal I would be in the kitchen whipping up a gourmet, sit down, don't count the calories kind of breakfast. Since that's not the case, when traveling, I roll the die by visiting various restaurants & attempt to get that gourmet meal (that was a joke). However, a girls got to eat, so let's see how I did in my travels around Chicago.




I stopped at Elly's Pancake House 1624 N. Milwaukee Ave., Glenview IL. The first thing to catch your eye upon entering, is their fresh juice bar with hundreds of oranges waiting to be made into freshly squeezed orange juice. The atmosphere is casual & the staff is friendly. I ordered coffee, turkey sausage patties, 2 eggs scrambled, sliced tomatoes, whole wheat toast and of course a glass of their freshly squeezed orange juice. The juice was so SOUR I was unable to finish drinking it. The rest of my breakfast was okay, nothing extraordinary, but also nothing to prevent me from visiting again. Two of us ate and the check was $26.00 plus the tip.

Patti's Sunrise Cafe

We also ate at Patti's Sunrise Cafe, 78 Burr Ridge Pkwy, Burr Ridge, IL.  This was our 3rd time eating breakfast here, and we've never been disappointed. It's a family owned business serving only breakfast & lunch and these folks know what they're doing. Various flavored coffees grace their menu depending on the season & the cups are bottomless. The cafe is modern & upscale, without the upscale prices. Don't get me wrong, they're not cheap, but you get what you pay for. I ordered coffee, chicken sausage, eggs, grits & toast. My friend ordered the same thing except she had turkey sausage. It was delicious. I don't remember what we paid, but probably about $30 plus the tip. It's definitely worth checking out. I know I'll go again & again & again. I'd rate this cafe an 8. Those of you searching for it on your GPS, it shows up as Moon Dance Diner, so if you're looking for breakfast & that pops up... pull over. I promise, you wont be disappointed.

Holiday Inn in Chicago Area

While in the Chicago area we also stayed at the Holiday Inn 860 W. Irving Park Rd, Itasca, IL 60143. Itasca is located about 20 miles west of Chicago. It's close to O'Hare international airport. We got a smoking room with 2 queen beds. It stated on their website that the hotel was newly remodeled, but it looked to me as if only the lobby had been remodeled. The room was very dated & the only new thing I saw was a 32" TV. The room was so far from the elevator, I felt like I should have called a cab after getting off on my floor. There isn't to much right around the hotel, so you surely need transportation for food etc. This is a full service Holiday Inn so they do have a restaurant on the premises. I didn't eat there, so I can't comment on the food. We did have an AARP rate of about $120 per night, the internet was complimentary, the beds were comfortable and we stayed for 3 nights. I have stayed in nicer Holiday Inns in the Chicago area this was not one of the better ones, but definitely not one of the worse & I would stay again if I needed to. I would rate this Holiday Inn on a scale of 1-10, a 5.

Entrance

Front Desk

Lobby

Seating area in lobby

Outlet Shopping in Wisconsin

 Who likes to shop? Better question.... who likes to save money? I certainly do.  So during my travels I stopped at an outlet called Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets 11211 20th Ave, Pleasant Prairie, WI. It's conveniently located off Interstate 94 (Lakeview Pkwy exit), and they have every outlet store you can think of. Gap, Chico's, Banana Republic, Coach, Kate Spade, Ann Taylor, Columbia Sportswear, Cole Haan, Brooks Brothers, Michael Kors and more. There's a total of 90 outlet stores, you really need more than one day to see all of it. I had been there a few years ago, but they have upgraded a lot so now it's a much better shopping experience.

I actually was looking for a Christmas present for myself, and decided on a pocketbook. Every store was having a huge sale for the holidays. 40-60% off, which was pretty cool. After all you're already in an outlet getting deeply discounted prices, so to cut the discounted prices in half, believe me I was leaving with something. I've gone there in the past & settled on an item because of the price, even though it wasn't exactly what I wanted, but not today... there would be no settling. After looking in a few stores & not seeing exactly what I wanted, I wandered into Cole Haan & BAM there it was, a gorgeous black leather weaved hobo bag. The strap was long enough to go over my shoulder without adding a connecting strap (which so many of the bags have today). The price was $368, and I paid just under $200. Merry Christmas to me. This outlet is a must stop and shop if you're ever in the area, It's pretty large so wear some comfortable shoes and you're sure to find something.

Cole Haan black hobo bag

Eating in Wisconsin

A girls gotta eat while doing all  this traveling, and I find that quite a few restaurants that are recommended to me as having good food, well, I beg to differ. I believe there are two types of people who give recommendations on restaurants. Those who eat out all the time, because they don't like to cook or they cannot cook, and those who go out to eat occasionally, because they usually cook at home and they're pretty good cooks at that. I myself am a pretty good cook (not bragging, just fact), & I often wonder why I think a place was pretty lousy after it came so highly recommended. I finally realized that the people who eat out all the time... well their take on good food is much different than mine, because let's face it, there are very few restaurants that can top a good home cooked meal.

I stopped for breakfast at Perkins Restaurant 2010 Ryan Rd, Oak Creek WI.(right outside Milwaukee). I was on the highway, starving & it was right off Interstate 94. Usually I only order the pancakes at Perkins & they have always been good, but I was living dangerously this morning and ordered an omelette  with tomatoes, spinach & cheddar cheese (specify you want real eggs, or they'll use eggs out of a carton). I also had chicken sausage & whole wheat toast. It was surprisingly good. Eggs not over cooked & the spinach was lightly cooked not totally raw inside the omelette. This breakfast rated a 6.

A few days later we stopped for dinner at Birchwood Grill 7515 125th Ave., Kenosha WI. Also off Interstate 94, the exit is Hwy. 50. It was recommended by a friend of mine who is also a good cook, & she did not lead me wrong. The atmosphere was nice, the staff friendly & the food good. I ordered from the 'calorie corner' section of the menu & had Ginger sesame chicken with spinach. My traveling companion had the same thing except she opted for the salad bar & a cup of beef barley soup. We both enjoyed everything. The chicken was so flavorful, moist & grilled to perfection. The spinach was perfect (I want my spinach cooked not raw if not in a salad). The salad bar had a good variety of fresh items and was kept neat & clean. I don't remember the exact price, but it was very reasonable. We didn't pay $50 for the both of us. If you're ever in the neighborhood, it's worth checking out. They're open for breakfast, lunch & dinner. I rated them an 8. 

Birchwood Grill inside

Birchwood Grill

 

 

Salad Bar

 

Hilton in the Chicago Area

My first stop was the Hilton Hotel, 2855 N. Milwaukee Ave, Northbrook, IL 60062.  Northbrook is one of Chicago's northern suburbs located about 20 miles from downtown Chicago.  I am a Hilton honors member as well as a priority club member (Holiday Inn), so I stay in their chains quite a bit. I was traveling with a friend and we're both smokers, so we got a smoking room with 2 queen beds. The AARP rate was $178 after taxes. They do charge $10 for internet connection per night however they were gracious enough to give it to us complimentary. The room was clean, a nice size with a frig & micro wave however the bathroom was so tiny, you had to step outside of it to change your mind.. They were on point with their service, we requested another ash tray & it was delivered to us in 5 minutes. I also called the front desk to tell them that one of the light bulbs on the night stand was blown out. Within an hour, maintenance came to change it. Where they did slip up was on my wake up call. I requested a 6:30 AM wake up call which never came. I have stayed there before, & will stay there again. On a scale of 1-10, I'd rate it a 7.

It had been a long day so we opted for room service. We both ordered the same thing, Angus beef burger (medium well), with a Riverfront salad w/sherry vinaigrette dressing. It was pretty good and cost $55 for the both of them & we gave the guy a $5 tip. I'd rate it a 5 1/2.

You wont go wrong if you stay here.

Tambor Beach, Costa Rica

The next stop on our vacation was Tambor Beach. We stayed at the Barceló Tambor Beach resort, 771-1150 Tambor, Playa Tambor, Costa Rica. This also was suppose to be a 5 star resort. I'll give it 2 1/2 stars. We were told that in Costa Rica, what they consider 5 stars, was not the same as what we were use to nor what we considered 5 stars... no kidding! This was a family resort where a lot of the locals visit & bring their children (Not at all what I was expecting). There was suppose to be a casino complete with gaming tables... SURPRISE.. It had been closed for two years. Tambor Beach resort was also a part of our all inclusive trip. The drinks were included and very watered down, on a scale of 1-10... they were a 0. The food (buffet) was lousy I'd rate it a 4. In their defense, they did have a steak house at the resort and that was pretty good I'd rate that meal a 7. There wasn't much to do at the resort, but they had quite a few excursions that I was unable to go on due to my traveling companions limitations, but I understand that the horseback riding was nice, the zip line was fun but very strenuous and the snorkeling excursion to Tortuga Island was absolutely fantastic.

We took a bus, a ferry and the bus again from San Jose to Tambor Beach it was suppose to be a scenic tour but it wasn't so I slept most of the way. The entire trip there took about 4-5 hours. therefore when it was time to return to San Jose, we opted to fly back. That's where the International airport is & we were flying home from there. The plane from Tambor Beach to San Jose was quite small (12 seats), they weighed us & our luggage before we could board, but the flight was extraordinary, and the scenery was something you only see in books. It was a 20 minute flight from take off to landing. On a scale from 1-10... that was a 20!

Tambor Beach from the sky

Plane from Tambor Beach to San Jose



San Jose, Costa Rica

San Jose, Costa Rica

Outside Palacio hotel in San Jose, Costa Rica

I wish I could say getting there was uneventful... absolutely not. We left from JFK international airport in NYC on Jet Blue, & had a connecting flight leaving out of Ft. Lauderdale FL. Our flight left 1 hour late from JFK (paper work was the reason they told us). Of course we missed our connection (the only flight leaving for Costa Rica for the day). We were put on a bus to Orlando (5 hour ride), given two $12 food vouchers and housed at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando's airport to catch a 8am flight the following day. Can you say PISSED OFF?

We stayed at the Barceló San Jose Palacio hotel, 10107 San Jose de Costa Rica, San Jose de Costa Rica which was suppose to be a 5 star hotel. I'll give it 3 1/2 stars. They don't like to give you wash cloths, but if you ask you will receive one. They stated there was a casino on the property. There was, it was a small room with about 20 slot machines and if you win, they only pay you with colones (costa rican money). The rate is about 520 colones to the US dollar. They say in their brochure that you can change your money at the front desk, but what they don't tell you is that they only change the American dollar to colones not visa versa. It was all inclusive & the food was pretty good. A nice variety and on a scale of 1-10, I would rate the food a 6. Unfortunately, we missed the tour to the rain forest & volcano due to Jet Blue getting us there a day and a half late, so I can't rate that. I heard it was awesome.