Good Taste is the Worst Vice

Oriole, Chicago

o·ri·ole /ˈôrēˌōl/ 1. Type of blackbird with yellow or orange markings 2. Member of the Baltimore baseball team 3. Superb new restaurant in Chicago Oriole carves out a space somewhere between high end luxury and cool BYOBs: the dining room has a casual, even industrial feel but there are ... continue reading...


New Year’s Eve in Zihuatanejo

Before we get too much farther into 2016 (!), I wanted to share a few memories of New Year's Eve in Zihuatanejo. We kicked things off with dinner overlooking the bay - luckily for us, the final sunset of the year was a glorious one! We had champagne, of course, and a nice fixed course ... continue reading...


La Casa Que Canta, Zihuatanejo

Our hotel in Zihuatanejo was the glorious La Casa Que Canta ("singing house"), built into the hill at the point between La Ropa and La Madera beaches. La Casa has everything one could possibly want - really, I could stay all day and be perfectly content - open-air breakfast and lunch, a wide ... continue reading...


Coconuts, Zihuatanejo

Another day, another excellent restaurant in Zihuatanejo!  This time: Coconuts.  The entrance is on a busy street, but you walk through a long entryway before finding yourself in the main dining area - a walled garden strung with fairy lights. We started with what had quickly become our ... continue reading...


Zihuatanejo, Mexico

We rang in the New Year in Mexico with D's parents, who introduced us to Zihuatanejo.  It's on the Pacific coast (part of the Costa Grande), originally a fishing town and now a popular holiday spot. Zihuatanejo is built on hills around a bay - the steep inclines remind me a bit of San ... continue reading...


Dining (and drinking) on Petit St Vincent

On Petit St Vincent, you can enjoy fish and lobster straight from the sea, eggs from PSV's own chickens, and salad greens from the island garden.  And there's no shortage of rum! *** Breakfast We started every day with room service breakfast on our patio.  Sometimes I'd have the goat cheese ... continue reading...


Sailing on Beauty, Petit St Vincent

One ship stands out among the white catamarans and motorboats off the shore of PSV - the blue sailboat aptly named Beauty.  The Grenadines are a famous sailing destination, so a day trip on Beauty was a must.  We headed out mid-morning, joining another couple along with our captain, Jeff, ... continue reading...


Petit St Vincent

10 things I learned on Petit St Vincent Call it PSV Yellow flag means "I have a request" Red flag means "privacy please" The Windward Islands are no joke - it's really windy! Erica's hot sauce is also no joke Request a small lobster - it will still be bigger than your plate, but ... continue reading...