I always felt a really BIG birthday called for a really BIG birthday dinner celebration. I talked to my party planner (Marla) and she said…“I hate to disappoint you but we have a couple of problems.” “I understand you want to go big but we…
There is a certain “je ne sais quoi” for dining experiences which stay in your memory bank year after year. These often magical moments are much more than the creative craft in the kitchen. It could be an important celebration, the unique aesthetic ambiance of the restaurant’…
This week on Facebook I asked family and friends for favorite restaurant ideas. I’ll share their choices as we travel a culinary journey far away and close to home. Pour yourself a glass of wine and let’s see what people people loved. I’ll begin…
It was beyond wonderful to be back in the Hawaiian Islands again! Marla’s cardiologist made us cancel our March 2022 trip, so this visit was very special! We began our trip with three nights in Waikiki on Oahu. We haven’t been in Waikiki for almost 20…
2022 was amazing on so many levels! Wonderful moments with family, friends, and an adventure or two. After Marla’s doctor gave the “OK” for European travel we were all in for 3 weeks. It was a hard recuperation! I was overly excited and take full responsibility…
The news this week on the international front has me plunging into the comfort (read: escapist) zone of past wonderful dining experiences. When I become stressed, I do love favorite foods and wine! Be my guest as we explore dinners from fancy to deliciously simple. I love to dress up…
I’ve kept copies of menus from some of our favorite restaurants over the years. Last week I looked at one from our first trip to France’s Alsace region many years ago. While attending Heimtextil, the world’s largest textile trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Marla…
Big trips with the family are a rare event these days. COVID-19, business commitments, daughters and sons-in law schedules, and grandchildren’s academic and athletic programs can totally mess up grand schemes and best of plans. In 2020, I saw a window of opportunity and immediately began…
This week I’m exploring my favorite main course & dessert dishes. Our favorite foods are a fascinating subject and much more than just the science of taste. The ingredients of why we love certain foods include our genes, age, environment, and into the mix we must add a…
On our morning walks, a needed ritual these days, we often talk of places we want to visit in the future. France is one of those places with a powerful allure. I’ll share a little of my favorite France, “ que cela t’inspire.” We’…