Entries Tagged as 'four seasons'

Happy Belated Birthday and Merry Belated Christmas

April 5th, 2009 · 3 Comments

This weekend my mom drove down from Wisconsin and cashed in on her birthday and Christmas gifts. For her birthday gift we went out for dinner and then to see Jersey Boys at the Bank of America Theatre.

Rhapsody Restaurant
Wild Striped Sea Bass :: Rhapsody, The Loop, Chicago

Dallas suggested dinner at Rhapsody because it was nearby the theater and he’d been there before for lunch and liked the food. I thought the food was good, but we were kind of wedged into a table with people really close to us on each side. The service was just ok.. and compared to other fine dining restaurants that are still kind of fun and casual, Rhapsody felt a bit stuffy. Lots of suits in there. Still, we had a good dinner.

For a starter we split a daily special of seared scallops. I haven’t had scallops in a really long time and these were really good. The portion was a bit small. I think the dish was $10 and you only got 2 scallops. For wine we split a half bottle of Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc. It was nice and crisp and refreshing. For an entree mom got the pork tenderloin that was cooked with apples. I got a wild striped bass (above). Surprisingly, after our starter, the entrees were pretty good sized. We each enjoyed what we ordered. We also split a side of first of the season peas with mint, almonds and preserved lemon. They were so fresh and flavorful. I spotted a dessert next to us that I thought looked interesting, so we ordered it to finish off our dinner. It was called chocolate symphony. You got four different small desserts, maybe a bite or two for each of us, which was just the right amount. The four desserts were warm chocolate lava cake, chocolate peanut candy bar, chocolate chip pain perdu, and cookies & cream lollipop.

Jersey Boys at the Bank of America Theatre
Rachelle & Mom :: Bank of America Theatre, The Loop, Chicago

After dinner we walked a couple blocks over to the Bank of America Theatre to see Jersey Boys. I Tried to get my mom tickets to see the show for her last birthday but they were all sold out. Jersey Boys was worth the wait, though. I was surprised that I knew or recognized most of the songs even though they are 40+ years old. I thought it was interesting to see the timeline of the Four Seasons and how the personal lives of the band reflected on the music. The cast was really talented. The recession was showing at the theater. Half the seats on our level were empty. I’d recommend this show, especially if you’re looking for something to take your parents or grandparents to .. people who would remember the songs the first time around. The theater could probably use your money too.

The next day my mom cashed in on her Christmas gift: Brunch and manicures and pedicures.

Bongo Room - Chocolate Tower French Toast
Chocolate Tower French Toast :: Bongo Room, Wicker Park, Chicago

I took my dad to Bongo Room once a few years ago and he still talks about it, so I thought my mom would like to see what all the fuss was about. Plus, I made our spa appointment at a place right next to Bongo Room. Mom and I decided to split two things, one savory and one sweet, so we got the sweet potato and black bean breakfast burrito and the chocolate tower french toast. Both were very good. We were glad we didn’t get two really sweet things to eat. With the burrito, the savory balanced out the sweetness.

After lunch we took a much needed walk around Wicker Park. It was nice and sunny out and we had a bit of time to kill. It’s pretty crazy how different some of the neighborhood is compared to when I lived down there.

Mojo Spa Pedicure
Mom :: Mojo Spa, Wicker Park, Chicago

Next, we went to Mojo Spa to get manicures and pedicures. My mom never had a pedicure before so I thought she’d enjoy it when I gave it to her as a gift. She was a little apprehensive because she’s had foot surgery and stuff, but the nail technicians at Mojo were perfect. They took their time and explained everything and were very friendly. It seems like most nail places are either high-end, expensive and stuffy or completely the opposite: a rush job. This place was funky and cute and personable, not busy, and somewhere in between. It was just the right choice. I think my mom might be hooked on nail treatments now!

Mojo Spa Pedicure
Rachelle :: Mojo Spa, Wicker Park, Chicago

Great weekend that went by too fast!

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Pretending Bar Nachos Are Steak At The Ritz

January 11th, 2009 · 9 Comments

logan_bar_and_grill
Logan Bar & Grill, Logan Square, Chicago

Last night Dallas and I got all decked out – new suit for him, new dress and heels for me – to go to his belated company holiday party at the Four Seasons Ritz-Carlton downtown. Cocktails began at 6 p.m. and dinner was to start at 7:30. We figured we’d arrive at about 6:30 or 7:00, in time for dinner, but not showing up right as it was starting.

At 6:00 we called for Yellow Cab. I was on hold forever, but when got through eventually. I got a call back about 10 minutes later saying that our cab would be there in 7 minutes. Great! I put my coat and scarf on and waited. 20 minutes later I was on the phone to the cab company complaining that the cab never showed up. I was put on hold forever and then told our cab was 3 minutes away. 20 minutes later the cab never arrived and I was on the phone with the cab company again. Long story short, we waited over an hour for any cab to come and get us and none did. By that time it was past 7:00 and even if a cab showed up that second we wouldn’t make it to the party in time for dinner. I called the cab company one last time so I could give them a piece of my mind and tell them how they ruined our night and how I was never going to use their service again. The dispatcher blamed the cab drivers for never showing up and the weather (it snowed for 2 days straight) for causing them to be so busy. She said that they had the orders logged and for some reason the cabs just never showed up at our place. Fine. I still yelled at her though, and I felt kind of bad because it wasn’t her fault, but she’s the face of the company and someone needed to be told.

The other part of this cab problem is that where we live now we can’t really just walk out on the street and get a cab like we used to in every other neighborhood we lived in. The times that we have tried have been futile so we are completely dependent on calling for a cab, which obviously doesn’t always work out, especially if the weather is bad. We were going to call two companies to make sure one showed up, but last time we got a cab we were talking to the cab driver and he told us how cab drivers will kind of blacklist you if you do it and they both show up, so now we’re hesitant to call multiple places for a pick up. Still, if the option is risk the ire of a driver or ruin your plans, I think we’ll take the risk.

In the end Dallas and I changed out of our fancy clothes and went to our neighborhood bar. We drank a couple beers, had a bean dip/nacho appetizer and ate dinner salads. We sat by the warm fireplace and watched the snow. It was cozy and warm. We talked a lot and watched the Cardinals upset the Panthers. A perfectly nice night, but not steak at the Ritz.

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L’Occitane en Provence

November 15th, 2007 · 4 Comments

L’Occitane
Four Seasons, Palo Alto, CA

At the Four Seasons they use all L’Occitane products. I’d never used them before, but liked L’Occitane so much that before my stay was even over I’d already gone online, purchased shampoo, conditioner and lotion, and had it shipped to my apartment.

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