Always a popular place for romance, Las Vegas has been the destination for those in love and wanting to get married since 1939. That’s why it was called the “Marriage Capital of the World.” Indeed, in a recent online issue, Brides.com rated Caesars as the best overall venue for weddings. The reasons? Their numerous and include offering both indoor and outdoor venues for hosting intimate and large weddings, giving clients the option of choosing customizable all-inclusive packages, and available room blocks with discounted rates at all Caesars Entertainment properties.
Shania Twain
residence opening night
Zaps Theater Planet Hollywood
Dec 6 2019
Photos By Denise Truscello
So whether you’re looking for a romantic destination or a place to tie the knot, consider these Valentine Day romantic options available at Caesars Entertainment Las Vegas.
Bugsy & Myer’s Steakhouse at the Flamingo Hotel: With an authentic old-school romance vibe, this steakhouse, located at the Flamingo Las Vegas, is the perfect dinner spot this Valentine’s Day. The restaurant will serve a prix fixe menu, priced at $198 per couple. This price includes an appetizer, entrée, two sides, dessert, and a sparkling wine toast.
Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck at Paris Hotel
Paris, France is known as the city of love. However, for many, leaving the country is off the table. At 46 stories high, the Eiffel Tower located at Paris Las Vegas, is the next best thing. Taking a trip to this iconic replica is the perfect romantic activity for Valentine’s Day. To purchase tickets, please visit here.
Sweet Spa Specials from Caesars Palace
Located at Caesars Palace, the Qua Baths & Spa are offering remarkable Valentine’s Day specials for you and your partner. These specials include the Sweet Strawberry Crush Massage ($690 per couple for 80 minutes) and the Hugs and Kisses Facial ($250 per person for 50 minutes). Relax and unwind throughout the whole month of February- to book please visit here.
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Shania Twain live at Planet Hollywood
Couples can sing and dance the night away at Shania Twain’s “Let’s Go!” Las Vegas Residency. Held in the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Shania is planning to surprise her concertgoers with something special for the holiday! Valentine’s Day performances include dates, February 11th, 12th, and 14th. To purchase tickets please visit: here.
Get Hitched at Caesars Palace
There is nothing more iconic than getting married in Vegas! Starting at $3,000, Caesars Palace offers a wedding package at one of the largest chapels on the Las Vegas strip! This package includes Three nights in a Premium Room at Caesars Palace, VIP hotel registration for the wedding couple and much more! For more information and to book, please visit here.
Consider this when planning your Valentine’s Day getaway. In a study conducted by relationship expert Dr. John Gray, over 70% of surveyed couples reported that they enjoyed cooking together and were more satisfied in all areas in their lives compared to couples that didn’t. That’s why the The Broadmoor, located in Colorado Springs just launched a very good romantic reason to stay at this iconic luxury resort.
Besides the wonderful historic ambience–the hotel formally opened in 1918–the resort’s award winning chefs will be on hand to create hands-on culinary classes, movie-themed dinners, and a stunning luxury engagement package. Other features of the package include a jewelry consultations, private car services to and from the airport, romantic dinners for two and more — perfect for a proposal in the mountains.
A popular wedding destination and perfect proposal spot in the mountains, The Broadmoor offers several ways couples can make Colorado part of their love story. For the couples who loves to cook together or are interested in learning new or introductory kitchen techniques and recipes, or for friendly duos interested in sharpening their cooking skills, The Broadmoor’s culinary team is taking out their recipe books to share their love of cooking for the resort’s new Recipe for Romance package – an opportunity to reconnect, unwind, wine, dine, and cook with professionals and partners.
Available every Friday through Sunday beginning February through March, this new culinary couple’s offer includes accommodations, two cooking classes with the resort’s acclaimed culinary team, sparkling wine and strawberries upon arrival, plus a $50 breakfast credit per person, per night with rates beginning at $1,000++ based on double occupancy.
Couples will enjoy two culinary classes during their weekend stay (wine, recipes, coffee, and delicious food to-go included), one on Saturday afternoon and one on Sunday morning with each month featuring different regional cuisine themes. In February, guests will learn the pizza and pasta classics of the resort’s Ristorante del Lago restaurant while Broadmoor chefs share their techniques and tips for the best traditional pizza toppings & how to bake a pizza at home. Lovebirds will also learn how to make ravioli, hand cut pappardelle and how to make beef Bolognese followed by a lesson on how to make Tiramisu from scratch the next morning.
In March, guests will be transported to Madrid with a demonstration on how to make classic tapas. Broadmoor chefs will share the finer points of making tortilla Española, Croquetas de Jamon, Gambas al Ajillo, Patatas Bravas, Marinated Olives, and Pan con Tomate. The next morning guests will learn how to make classic Spanish desserts Crema Catalana and Chocolate con Churros.
While couples are encouraged to explore and enjoy the resort’s award-winning restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner, guests may also take advantage of the option for their own special dinner and a movie with a meal inspired by the actual movie and aligned with the monthly theme or culinary region. Chocolat, Julie & Julia, Toast, Big Night, Godfather, The Hundred-Foot Journey, anyone? Champagne and popcorn delivered to the room, of course.
And this culinary cooking package is just an amuse-bouche to the romantic offerings at The Broadmoor. Beginning May through October, The Broadmoor will kick the romance up a notch with its Love and Luxury package perfect for marriage proposals, anniversaries, and the start of happily-ever-afters. This special over-the-top luxury proposal option pulls out all of the stops and includes junior suite accommodations, dinner for two, an art & jewelry consultation, a celebration cake, roses, dance lessons, private car service to and from the airport, champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, and a $50 breakfast credit. Prices begin at $5,000++ based on double occupancy.
“We all know what makes a perfect date location: privacy, ambience and good drinks,” my friend Victoria Cohen tells me. “With cuffing season in full swing – the infamous New York City dating scene is back and better than ever. From fun and flirty – to sultry and classic, the location of a romantic night can make or break your experience. “
For those who don’t know, according to Merriam-Webster, cuffing season refers to a period of time where single people begin looking for short term partnerships to pass the colder months of the year. Cuffing season usually begins in October and lasts until just after Valentines Day. Since we’re already more than a month behind, we’ve better get cuffing.
And, of course, Victoria has suggestions on where to go.
Snuggle up with a first (or forever) date atop Hotel 50 Bowery at The Crown. With lo-fi hip hop and cozy couches – enjoy seasonal and classic cocktails with stunning views of Downtown Manhattan, impressive for any date. With light Asian-inspired bites and chic yet calming décor – this hot-spot is the place to be.
Privately tucked into Grand Central Station, The Campbell transports you and your date back to the 1920’s – complete with classic décor, ambient lighting and live jazz on Saturday nights.
The sultry velvet tufted lounge offers delectable appetizers to complement their thoughtfully curated timeless cocktails. Listen to live jazz on Saturday nights or stop in for an after-work happy hour – The Campbell is the perfect spot to get to know someone special.
This it-spot of the lower east side is the perfect place to impress your date or spice things up in your relationship. This winter you can cozy up under the fur-lined blankets in the Veuve Clicquot Winter Chalet pop-up at Mr. Purple. Step into a larger-than-life heated snow globe atop the 15th floor of Hotel Indigo complete with chalet décor, a custom Veuve Clicquot champagne bar, and ambient lighting – this once-in-a-lifetime experience is sure to impress.
With signature and seasonal cocktails, great food, smooth live jazz performed weekly by Bobby Katz Trio and cozy lounges, Nearly Ninth located inside the Arlo Midtown offers a sophisticated date spot, perfect for a first-meet.
The clean and classic décor is city-chic while the comfortable couches let guests relax and enjoy private conversations in any of their three spaces: the side-walk level bar, private lounge, and rooftop space.
I love Chicago no matter the time of year, but this time of year with all the holiday lights and decorations, the streets and trees dusted with snow, it all takes on such a magical glow. That’s why I was happy when my friend Katie Papadopoulos of Choose Chicago sent me a list–and it’s a long one–of all the special ways to enjoy the city this season.
Visit the traditional Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza (celebrating its 25th anniversary this year) for a mug of glühwein and that perfect handcrafted gift. Lace up your skates and zip around The Peninsula Sky Rink (the only hotel skating rink in Chicago) followed by a traditional Holiday Afternoon Tea in The Lobby beneath the 20 foot Christmas tree. Marvel at the thousands of twinkling lights on display at ZooLights and Illumination at The Morton Arboretum or the dozens of festively decorated trees at the MSI’s Christmas Around the World display. Or head over to Navy Pier’s new “Light Up the Lake“, an indoor, temperature controlled experience featuring large-scale light-sculpture displays, a regulation-size Alpine ice rink, authentic holiday beer garden, kiddie train rides, Santa’s Village and gift market and other family-friendly events. Winterland at Gallagher Way will extend its festivities beyond the holiday season with ice bumper cars, skating lessons and curling lessons running through January/February 2022 and the popular Maggie Daley Ice Skating Ribbon will return with a fun new collaboration with the blockbuster art experience Immersive Van Gogh, projecting visuals of sunflowers and starry night brush strokes onto the ice.
Come find out why Chicago was once again designated by Conde Nast Traveler’s readers as the Best Big City in the U.S. in 2021, for the fifth year in a row and check out what’s new in Chicago this holiday season!
Visit the below links for more information regarding:
The holiday season kicks off in Chicago on November 20 with the BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, returning for the annual Tree-Lighting Parade down North Michigan Avenue with Grand Marshals Mickey and Minnie Mouse from Walt Disney World® Resorts in Florida. The event-filled day begins at 11:00 AM. starting at Lights Festival Lane (401 North Michigan Avenue) with a festive thoroughfare of booths and family activities, including photos with Santa Claus. The parade of fabulous floats, giant helium balloons, exciting marching bands, celebrities, musical performances, Santa Claus, and more begin at 5:30 PM., helping illuminate the more than 200 trees along The Magnificent Mile.
The City of Chicago’s 108th Christmas Tree lighting in Millennium Park will return November 19, 2021 and shine through the holiday season until January 9, 2022. The festivities begin with a pre-show by DJ Selah Say (5:30-6:00 PM), performances by Mariachi Herencia de Mexico, the cast of Chicago Opera Theater, a youth dance ensemble from the Kenwood School of Ballet and special guests Dreezy Claus and Sister Claus (6:00-6:30 PM), the tree-lighting and fireworks (6:30 PM) and a post-lighting concert featuring DJ Selah Say, Cirque du Soleil, Chicago Soul Spectacular and singer-songwriter Brian McKnight (6:35-7:45 PM).
Bring the holiday season onto the waters of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan with a series of brunch, lunch and dinner cruises from City Cruises by Hornblowercelebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Prices range from $60 – $300 and include 2-3 hours of buffet or plated dinner service, spectacular views of the city skyline and local landmarks, onboard entertainment, festive decor, open bar for select cruises or the ability to upgrade your drink menu with creative cocktails, wine and beer.
The Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light Exhibitsreturn to theMuseum of Science and Industry (MSI) from November 17, 2021-January 3, 2022, an annual tradition that began in 1942 with a single tree and now has expanded to feature a four-story, floor-to-dome Grand Tree, surrounded by a forest of more than 50 trees and displays decorated by volunteers to represent the holiday traditions from cultures around the globe. This year, MSI is celebrating the golden age of travel with themed décor and a spotlight on the Pioneer Zephyr train and Take Flight’s 727, which have been newly reimagined. Entrance to the exhibits is included in the regular cost of entry with museum admission ($21.95 for anyone Age 12+, $12.95 for any child 3-11) but those who wish to take a picture with Santa in his photo studio inside the Holiday Store must buy a special timed-entry ticket.
Christkindlmarket, the beloved annual holiday tradition returns for its 25th season this year in Daley Plaza (November 19-December 24, 2021). Modeled after the 16th century holiday markets in Germany, this Christmas bazaar is a hub for traditional German fare, delightfully warm beverages, charming musical performances and charming holiday vibes that the entire family can enjoy. Enjoy a mug of glühwein (traditional hot spiced wine), snack on currywurst, schnitzel and pretzels and shop for the perfect handmade gift. Another Christkindlmarket will take place at Wrigleyville (November 19-December 31, 2021).
Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park is thrilled to announce a new winter experience, Fairmont Lodge, debuting for its inaugural winter season starting November 20-February 2022. Completely transforming the hotel’s lounge, Fairmont Lodge celebrates the winter season with cozy décor, fire pits, festive programming, overnight packages and more. Chef William Schultz completes the experience with a seasonal menu of wintery-themed bites like Sweet and Savory Fondue and S’mores, Oaxaca Spiced Short Ribs and more. Signature hand-crafted cocktails include a Flaming Eggnog made tableside and Oh So Delish Hot Chocolate, both served in a Lodge-themed collector cup. Cozy up to one of Fairmont Lodge’s nine indoor fire pit tables (every Wednesday-Sunday), enjoy weekly Thursday Happy Hours in December and check the calendar for special events.
The ninth annual Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum returns as a walking experience from November 20, 2021 – January 2, 2022. Visitors can explore 50 acres of the Arboretum’s majestic trees during this one-of-a-kind spectacle of color, light, and sound, and see returning favorites and surprising new sights, including a special Human+Nature display and an experience featuring 150 colorful lanterns. Along the one-mile, paved walking path filled with festive music and lighting effects that highlight the beauty of trees in winter, guests can warm up by a crackling fire and roast marshmallows for s’mores, or stop in one of the concession tents for a snack and beverage. Advance purchase is recommended as many nights will sell out.
IllumiBrew returns for two nights (November 18 and 19), a special event where an ages 21+ crowd can sample seasonal beers, ciders, and meads from popular Chicagoland breweries stationed along the Illumination trail; each tasting ticket includes fifteen 3 oz beer samples and a souvenir light up tasting glass.
Navy Pier’s “Light Up the Lake“ will open on November 26, 2021 and run through January 2, 2022. This indoor, temperature controlled experience will feature large-scale light-sculpture displays (more than 600,000 twinkling lights), a regulation-size Alpine ice rink, authentic holiday beer garden, kiddie train rides, Santa’s Village and gift market and other family-friendly events. Every ticket also comes with a free ride on the Centennial Wheel. Light Up the Lake will also offer sit-down dining with holiday-themed eats, signature cocktails, and seasonal brews.
Santa Baby Bar, opening November 17, 2021, returns for the holiday season with a multi-room, multi-level, over-the-top Christmas experience. All guests must reserve online, for no more than six people, and all tables are limited to no more than ninety minute intervals.
Returning for its ninth season, The Peninsula Sky Rink (2,100 sq ft) is the only hotel skating rink in Chicago, located above Chicago’s bustling Michigan Avenue. Surrounded by Chicago’s skyscrapers and twinkling lights, the rink is tucked into a pine tree winter wonderland and bathed in festive music and snowflake lighting. The skating rink’s outdoor menu features a selection of hot beverages and snacks including hot chocolate, hot cider, and other treats, and is available for groups to rent or for private events. All monies collected include skate rental ($20 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under) and are donated to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and Hephzibah Children’s Association.
Winterland at Gallagher Way (November 19, 2021 – February 20, 2022) will include a ceremonial tree lighting (November 29, 2021), ice skating on an 8,000 square-foot ice rink,Santa’s Workshop, wreath making workshops (December 4-5, 2021), holiday movie screenings (Thursdays in December 2021) and special programming at Hotel Zachary (weekends in November-December, 2021). New to this year’s transformation will be a special celebration of Hanukkah (December 5, 2021), ice bumper cars and skating lessons (January 2022) and curling lessons (February 2022).
The popular Winter Wonderland returns to The Godfrey Hotel’s I|O Rooftop Lounge. The heated, clear-dome igloos on the rooftop’s outdoor portico will make guests feel like they are in their own personal snow globe. Order a hot cocktail and s’mores to roast over the outdoor firepits and enjoy winter in Chicago under the city lights.
Minimum required to reserve one of the smaller (6-person) igloos is one bottle while the minimum for a larger igloo is $500. Due to extremely high demand igloos are only available for a two-hour window and fully close by 11PM (8PM on Sundays).
ZooLights at the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago’s favorite holiday tradition, is back and better than ever (from November 19, 2021-January 2, 2022) with a new Pepper Family Wildlife Center at the heart of the zoo, a new holiday lights experience on the Main Mall, and an exciting new light show on the South Lawn. Also new this year: sensory-friendly visit times and an impressive 18-foot holiday tree sure to inspire festive oohs and aahs. Tickets are $5 per person (free admission on Mondays and Tuesdays).
Holiday Meals:
Guests at The Peninsula Chicago can enjoy Holiday Afternoon Tea in The Lobbybeneath the 20-foot Christmas tree; the menu features a traditional English tea menu, including a variety of finger sandwiches, fruit and plain scones with house made preserves, Devonshire clotted cream, seasonal pastries with choux, chocolate, and winter fruit creations. (Vegan and gluten-free options are available). Festive Afternoon Tea is offered through January 9, 2022.
Guests at The Peninsula Chicago can celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (December 24-25, 2021) with a Christmas Eve prix-fixe dinner in The Lobby featuring Wagyu, Maine Lobster, Scallops and Peking Duck followed by a lush dessert buffet. A trio band will provide the entertainment and dinner is priced at $205 per person, with an option to add wine pairings for $65 per person. Or they can join for brunch in The Lobby on Christmas Day with an American four-course menu featuring à la carte options combined with buffet items served from a carving, seafood, cheese and charcuterie station and a decadent dessert buffet. A string quartet will provide the entertainment as well as a balloon artist and magician to entertain children. Brunch seatings (10:00 AM to 5:00PM) are priced at $275 per adult, $75 per child (five to 12 years).
Ring in 2022, Peninsula-style at The Lobby’s New Year’s Eve Gala (December 31, 2021), where a five-course prix-fixe dinner and dancing will be accompanied by a live band. The 21+ event is black tie optional and is priced at $205 per person with an additional $95 for wine pairings. Z Bar will also be ringing in 2022 with a ticketed soirée starting at 8:00 pm with an open bar, abundant passed hors d’oeuvres, DJ-ed entertainment and a Champagne toast at midnight. The party concludes at 1:00 am. Tickets for this 21+ event are $195 per person, excluding tax and gratuity.
The Langham Chicago’s Holiday Afternoon Teawill return in partnership with Veuve Clicquot from November 17, 2021-January 9, 2022, where delicate pastries and savory petite sandwiches will be joined by Langham’s proprietary tea blends, seasonally-inspired treats and a special course from Veuve Clicquot.
Travelle at The Langham will serve a Christmas Eve Entrée Special (priced at $82 per person) on December 24, 2021 from 5:00-10:00 PM; the menu will include a truffled chicken “pot pie” for two adorned with herb-roasted chicken, truffled confit thighs, black trumpets, and Caroline ruby sweet potatoes.
On December 25, 2021 Travelle will serve a Christmas Day Brunch (11:00AM – 3:00PM) with a variety of breakfast favorites, omelets made to order, artisanal cheese and cured meats, exquisite sushi and seafood options, and heavenly pastries. (The buffet is $195 per adult and $60 for children 5-12 years of age, and prepayment and reservations are required through the Travelle Tock.)
Or there is a six course Christmas Day Prix Fixe Dinner ($165 per adult) from 5:00-10:00 PM featuring a Royal Kaluga Caviar Amuse, Beet Root Panna Cotta Salad and Wild Mushroom Risotto appetizer, followed by a Roasted Prime Filet entrée and dessert service of Mont Blanc and Petit fours by Chef Nitin.
Ring in the New Year at Travelle at The Langham with a New Year’s Eve Prix Fixe Dinner on December 31, 2021 (5:00-10:00 PM) with a seven-course prix fixe menu featuring dishes including Nantucket Bay Scallop Ceviche, Hudson Valley Foie Gras appetizer, and Grilled Australian Wagyu NY Strip. To finish off a magnificent dining experience, guests can enjoy an indulgent dessert with Intermezzo featuring lemon with Grand Marnier and an extravagant Chocolate Experience with Manjari mousse, praline cremeux, and hazelnut ice cream. A splendid wine collection will also be available à la carte. Reservations must be made in advance through the Travelle Tock and prepayment is required at $190 per adult.
Private experiences with Santa, dinner packages and private events offered by Swissôtel Chicago for the 2021 holiday season include:
Holiday Tradition Package: Stop by Santa’s Presidential Pad with up to 15 guests to visit the man of the season and overindulge in unlimited Swiss hot cocoa, champagne and holiday treats including Candied Orange SnoBall Cookies, Reindeer Chow, Eggnog Truffles and more. The experience also includes cookie decorating, crafts with Make to Celebrate, face painting and letter writing, complete with a visit to Santa’s Post Office. $50 of the total price will be donated to SOS Children’s Villages Illinois. Available to book every Saturday and Sunday for $600/hour from December 4 – December 19, 2021; 10:00 AM-5:00 PM.
Family Dinner Package: Gather with six or more loved ones for an over-the-top holiday dinner in the Santa Suite, Duplex Suite, Vitality Suite or Chef’s Table Virtual Suite. Enjoy a 4-course holiday-inspired menu by Chef Dan McGee, with menu items including Roast Chicken with red cabbage, spätzle, raclette cheese, chicken jus, Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shanks with a pomegranate bordelaise, Chocolate Peppermint Cake and more. Holiday crafts are available upon request. Dinners are available to book daily beginning November 20-December 26, 2021 at $150 per adult and $50 per child.
VIP Reception in Santa Suite: Whether it’s a corporate holiday party or family reunion, the Santa Suite can fit up to 50 people for private events beginning November 20-December 26, 2021. Work with the events team to curate an experience with festive cocktails and a menu featuring Chilled Potato Soup & Caviar Shooter, Smoked Duck Breast Marmalade, Curry Chicken Salad Sliders, Pecan & Roasted White Chocolate Tarts and more.
A series of Yuletide specials this holiday season at The Langham Chicago(available November 19, 2021 – January, 2, 2022) include Oh Christmas Tree (including luxurious one-bedroom suite accommodations with a decorated Christmas tree in-room, deconstructed champagne cocktails inspired by the season; and bespoke cheese and charcuterie; rates beginning at $1,100) and Dive into the Season (including lavish guest room accommodations, $100 food and beverage credit for poolside snacks and beverages, two hours of exclusive access to Chuan Spa’s indoor pool and holiday-themed floats; rates begin at $825.)
Or splurge on A Signature Christmas in a 2,400 sq. ft. suite with floor-to-ceiling windows featuring panoramic views of Chicago, a four-course, in-residence dinner prepared by Executive Chef Damion Henry, in-suite dining entertainment, Club Lounge access and a custom-designed holiday tree set in the parlor. (Rates start at $13,525.)
At The Peninsula Chicago, holiday packages like the Holly Jolly Family Holiday Package and Merry and Bright Couple’s Holiday Package include such amenities as an in-room holiday tree or Menorah, holiday welcome amenity or bottle of wine/Champagne upon arrival, access to library of holiday themed movies, books and games for the kids or a $100 gift card to the nearby Neiman Marcus Michigan Avenue store, daily Peninsula breakfast and daily valet parking. Rates start at $1,250, packages available from November 26-December 31, 2021.
For six days, The Peninsula Chicago is offering special pricing for a Cyber sale commencing Thanksgiving Day (November 25, 2021) through Travel Tuesday (November 30, 2021) for 20% off rooms and suites on stays from December 1, 2021 – April 30, 2022. and special pricing on gift cards. The offers will only be available on the hotel’s website, or by calling the hotel directly.
For the eighth consecutive year, Swissôtel Chicago’s Presidential Suite will be transformed into Santa’s home-away-from-the-Pole for the holiday season, welcoming Chicagoans and visitors alike. The Santa Suite offers sweeping views of the city, and is filled with 17 Christmas trees, festive decor, games and holiday craft kits for the kids, cookie decorating stations, “Letter to Santa” packs, and more. Book the Holiday Penthouse Hideaway (starting November 20 through December 26, 2021, from $1,500 per night).
For a slightly more competitive price-point, consider a stay in an Elf Decorated Holiday Room featuring a Christmas tree and holiday room decor as well as a complimentary holiday amenity (Rates begin at $329 per night.)
Theatrical Performances:
A&A Ballet’s “The Art Deco Nutcracker” set in 1920s America and featuring Tchaikovsky’s beloved score, will play at the Athenaeum Theater on December 4, 2021.
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, a must-see Chicago holiday tradition now in its fifth decade and enjoyed by nearly two million theatergoers, is back playing at Goodman’s Albert Theatre, from November 20 – December 31, 2021.
A Christmas Symphony Tour, a new Christmas tradition by the world’s biggest-selling soprano and GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist, Sarah Brightman, will play at the Auditorium Theatre on December 10, 2021.
“Home Alone” in Concert with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the beloved holiday favorite will return to the big screen at Symphony Center; John Williams’ delightful, Academy Award-nominated score will be performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Riccardi Muti, from November 26-28, 2021.
Leslie Odom, Jr.’s The Christmas Tour brings the GRAMMY®- and Tony®-Award Winning vocalist, songwriter, author and actor to Chicago for a one-night holiday season concert at the CIBC Theatre on December 4, 2021.
Christopher Wheeldon’s reimagined classicThe Nutcrackerfollows young Marie and the Nutcracker Prince on a Christmas Eve journey through the 1893 World’s Fair; this annual holiday tradition celebrating the magic of the season and the rich cultural heritage of Chicago returns to the Joffrey Ballet from December 4-26, 2021.
“’Twas the Night Before…” by Cirque du Soleil i is the exhilarating spin on the beloved Christmas classic as only Cirque du Soleil can imagine a vibrant acrobatic spectacle about the joy of sharing and friendship at the The Chicago Theatre, playing from November 26-December 5, 2021
Follow the Cajun Bayou Food Trail: A REAL Taste of Louisiana Cajun Country
Just 45 minutes from New Orleans, the Cajun Bayou Food Trail is a journey through the heart of Lafourche Parish and the ultimate road trip for those wanting to explore Louisiana’s food scene. Known as the Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, this region of the state takes its culinary delights so seriously that the name Lafourche is French for the fork. While some will explain, patiently, the term is a geographical reference to a split in the Mississippi River, we’re thinking that any place with a name synonymous with an eating utensil surely knows its way around a menu.
So grab your car keys and your sunglasses—but you won’t need to bring your own Lafourche as any place on the parish’s Cajun Bayou Food Trail have their own—and hit the road. There are currently 18 restaurants on the trail including the recently added Cinclare Southern Bistro.
“We’re thrilled to be included on the Louisiana Cajun Bayou Food Trail,” says Michael Dalmau, the owner of Cinclare Southern Bistro. “The restaurants that span this historic waterway might be different in what they do and how they do it but know this …. they all do it well. In South Louisiana – and especially up and down the Bayou – feeding and serving friends and family is not only what we do to pass a good time, but it’s how we show our love and support. It’s part of our DNA and that’s why we’re so good at it.”
All the stops on the trail feature authentic food accompanied by the unparalleled Southern hospitality.
According to my friend Mindy Bianca, chefs down this way tell how their favorite recipes feature the finest local ingredients along with a true love of their surroundings and heritage. The latter means treating guests the same as family–well, almost, you don’t have to clean up after dinner like you would at your mom’s. All this makes navigating the Cajun Bayou Food Trail an unparalleled culinary and travel experience.
The lives of the people of Lafourche Parish are fully intertwined with the bodies of water that are accessible throughout the region, most notably Bayou Lafourche, a 100-mile waterway that bisects the parish, and the Gulf of Mexico. Residents of the area view the Bayou and Gulf as their personal pantries, finding seafood and other delicacies within and along their waters. If you live here, you’re most likely not going to get kicked you out of the parish for not knowing how to whip up a tasty gumbo (though we can’t promise that’s true) but fortunately most if not all figure it out from an early age using recipes passed down through the generations. That’s why those following the trail get to taste dishes authentic traditional foods that are part of the Parish’s gastronomic heritage–prepared and served as they have been for as long as some can remember. But that doesn’t mean some chefs don’t do their own riff with added ingredients or other ways to make them uniquely their own.
Celebrating not only the restaurants and local food purveyors that honor the culinary customs of the region, the parish also hosts six festivals and events dedicated to honoring and preserving its distinctive traditions. Think La Fete Des Vieux Temps in Raceland, Louisiana
Calling it a cultural gumbo, Mindy says that “restaurants lean toward plenty of fresh seafood and run the gamut from mom-and-pop operations to sophisticated dining rooms.
“The unifying element is that whether it’s fried shrimp at Spahr’s, a restaurant that now has three locations and that has been a staple here for more than 50 years, or an elegant and savory alligator-and-andouille sausage cheesecake appetizer at Kincare, which offers craft beverages and a more upscale dining experience in the heart of downtown Thibodaux, your meal is going to be both delicious and memorable.”
Visitors and locals alike are encouraged to pick up a Food Trail passport and map from any of the participating restaurants or download it from this website, then eat their way through the parish. Collect enough passport stamps and you’ll earn your way into a comfy Food Trail T-shirt. Trust us and order one size larger before hitting the trail. In these ever-changing and unpredictable times, requirements for completing a passport have been modified and the Food Trail can now be experienced more “virtually,” meaning that participating Trail restaurants offer curbside service.
For more information about the dining scene in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, to download your passport and map, or to check out some pictures and start dreaming of crawfish and crabs, gumbo and gator, please visit http://www.lacajunbayou.com. The local businesses up and down the Bayou are ready to fill up your plate and offer you a lafourche to use.
You can’t eat all the time, right? In between meals check out some or all of the following stops:
Swamp Tours
Described as an otherworldly experience, like time travel into the state’s prehistoric past by touring Lafourche Parish’s swamplands. Tour options includes the 2 Da Swamp Bayou Tours & Museum trips to Bayou Des Allemands with traditional Cajun music, and museum displays of artifacts Des Allemands’ early years. Airboat Tours by Arthur Matherne, open seasonally, is a high-octane thrill rides on its fleet of airboats. Torres Cajun Swamp Tours’ guides takes visitor the history and ecology of wetlands’ Bayou Boeuf.
The White family was once among the Louisiana’s political elite. Patriarch Edward Douglas White was the state’s governor in the 1830s; his son and namesake became a U.S. Supreme Court Justice in the 1890s. The elder White’s home is now a Louisiana State Museum site and is a step back into the past showcasing the state’s history. Built from cypress in the Creole Plantation style in 1825, White purchased the home, re-imaging it as a Greek Revival mansion. Learn about the White family, the history of both the home’s history along with that of Chitimacha Indians and Cajun settlers, sugar plantation owners and the slaves that worked the fields in service of them by taking a tour of the E.D. White Historic Site in Thibodaux.
Restaurants in Thibodaux
Thibodaux’s restaurants and fresh markets reflect the local culture and cuisine. Top-rated restaurant spots include Fremin’s Restaurant, where you can take in the architecture of Thibodaux’s downtown area. The food is prepared with a view into the kitchen and the duck-and-andouille gumbo is like heaven in a bowl. Head to Off the Hook, a down-home spot with awesome po-boys, fried seafood and more gumbo! And try something different at the Cajun Potato Kitchen, a quirky and casual restaurant serving huge baked potatoes loaded with Cajun toppings. It’s fun and different and popular with the university crowd. Get a full list of locals’ favorite restaurants.
You’d be hard pressed to find another museum in the U.S.—or really anywhere—that’s a Cajun-themed children’s museum. At Bayou Country Children’s Museum in Thibodaux brings together Cajun history, education and fun, making it a great stop for family fun. Here children can play on a full-size sugar harvester, toss beads from a Mardi Gras float, climb aboard a shrimp boat and more.
The wetlands flowing through Southern Louisianna are a distinct part of Lafourche Parish where more than 100 miles of bayou meander throughout the parish. The Center for Traditional Louisiana Boat Building, located in Lockport is the place to learn how traditional Cajun boats were constructed, including their iconic pirogue boats and flat-bottomed vessels known locally as putt-putts that once common in the region’s bayous.
Part of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve in Thibodaux, the center’s mission is to preserve Cajun tradition and offers such programs as their free Cajun music jam sessions every Monday afternoon, a Cajun-French meetup on Tuesdays, historical Thibodaux walking tours and boat tours of Bayou Lafourche. While there, stop at the Center’s museum store, which has Cajun music recordings, crafts and books for sale.
The trail, made up of 22 parishes includes Lafourche which is part of the Grand Isle Loop. The loop includes sections of Louisiana’s best-known barrier island as well as inland birding destinations teeming with shorebirds and seabirds. Download more information about the Grand Isle Loop on the Wetland Birding Trail.
They really know how to celebrate the two weeks leading up to Mardi Gras Day or as it is also known—Fat Tuesday. Typically there are more than a dozen parades roll through the towns of Golden Meadow, Galliano, Larose, as well as the parish seat of Thibodaux. Learn more about the parade schedules.
Shrimp and Tasso Pasta
Recipe courtesy of Bourgeois Meat Market, a stop on the Cajun Bayou Culinary Trail
1 lb. Bourgeois Tasso
2 lb. shrimp
1 large onion
1 large bell pepper
1 talk of celery
1 can Rotel
1 qt. heavy whipping cream
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 bag bow tie pasta
Boil Bourgeois Tasso in a pot with just a little water until tender.
Add onion, celery, bell pepper, Rotel, and shrimp and smother down.
Add heavy whipping cream and let mixture come to a rolling boil.
Destination Kohler–one of the world’s foremost golf resorts and home to four Pete Dye championship courses–unveils The Baths of Blackwolf Run, the resort’s unique and entertaining 10-hole, par-3 course.
Spread across 27 acres between the first and 11th holes of Meadow Valleys, The Baths of Blackwolf Run offers holes ranging from 60 to 160 yards and four strategic water features, or “Baths,” situated throughout that are not forced carries unless desired. Although the course will play as a 10-hole course, The Baths’ imaginative routing allows for flexible alternatives for shorter or longer golf experiences.
Adding to the atmosphere, The Baths features a two-acre putting course, plus a log cabin food-and-beverage station with outdoor seating and a firepit surrounding the opening Bath.
Chris Lutzke and Herb Kohler designed the Baths. Lutzke spent over 30 years working alongside Pete Dye as he constructed many of his courses, including the two at Whistling Straits. Over the past three years, Lutzke prepared The Straits for the Ryder Cup, which will be contested Sept. 21-26, 2021.
Mr. Kohler, Executive Chairman of Kohler Co., has over 200 product design patents. He helped bring the course to life by calling upon his many years playing the game’s great courses in the U.S., U.K., and Europe. He also recognized a larger trend occurring within the sport of creating short layouts that promote more enjoyment for golfers of all skill levels.
“We look for ways to enhance the golf experience and grow the game for all golfers” Kohler says. “The Baths complement our four world-renowned championship golf courses while also honoring Kohler Co.’s 130-year history of bathing design. We are delighted to officially open this exciting and unique course.”
“The Baths will be a new twist for our resort guests, regardless if they are a serious player wanting to hone their game or someone yearning for an extraordinary closer to an amazing day on one of our 18-hole golf courses,” adds Dirk Willis, Vice President of Golf for Kohler Co. “Our continued mission is to find new and innovative ways to grow the game and make it more inviting and accessible to all. The Baths of Blackwolf Run allows us to do just that.”
Kohler Golf ushered in championship golf in the state of Wisconsin when it hosted the 1998 and 2012 U.S. Women’s Open at Blackwolf Run, along with the 2004, 2010, and 2015 PGA Championships at Whistling Straits.
The historic American Club is the Midwest’s only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond resort hotel. The nearby boutique Inn on Woodlake recently launched new two- and four-bedroom suites that are well-appointed for group and buddy travel.
Tee times at The Baths can be reserved by calling 800-344-2838 or visiting the resort’s golf booking page. For golf package information, call 855-444-2838. Visit DestinationKohler.com for more information.
About Kohler Co.’s Hospitality & Real Estate Group The Kohler Co. Hospitality & Real Estate profile includes The American Club and world-renowned championship golf venues Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run. The Inn on Woodlake in the Village of Kohler is a three-diamond property. Their sister property, the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa in St. Andrews, Scotland, is located at the birthplace of golf literally alongside the 17th fairway of the Road Hole, the most famous and difficult par-4 hole in golf.
Herb Kohler created Kohler Co.’s Hospitality & Real Estate Group with the reclamation of The American Club and then built world-renowned championship golf courses, The Straits and The Irish at Whistling Straits, and The River and Meadow Valleys at Blackwolf Run. Kohler Waters Spa is the only five-star spa in Wisconsin and has four locations elsewhere in the world. The resort features 12 dining establishments from the remarkable Immigrant Restaurant and Winery Bar to pub fare at The Horse & Plow. And then there is River Wildlife. Herb Kohler believes River Wildlife, located in a forest next to a river on an early Winnebago Native American encampment, has the best country gourmet dining in the United States.
The resort is located in the Village of Kohler, Wisconsin, one hour south of Green Bay, one hour north of Milwaukee and two and a half hours north of Chicago, just off of I-43.
Recipes
Kohler’s is known for the wonderful food served at its many restaurants. Here are two recipes from Kohler chefs Paul Smitala and Evan Wallerman that showcase the creativity of their foods.
Bloody Mary Eggs Benedict
4 slices of English Muffins
8 slices applewood bacon (cooled and chopped)
1 cup mushroom duxelles (recipe below)
1 cup Bloody Mary Hollandaise Sauce (recipe below)
4 poached eggs
Toast English muffin and cover with 1/2 cup mushroom duxelles that has been warmed.
Top with poached eggs, cover with hollandaise sauce and finish with chopped bacon.
Bloody Mary Hollandaise
4 egg yolks
1/2 pound butter (melted and warm)
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons celery salt
1 1/2 teaspoons horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco
½ juice of one lemon juice
2 cups + 2 teaspoons horseradish vodka
1/4 cup tomato paste
Salt and pepper
In a 2 quart sauce pan, combine shallot, garlic, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce, tomato paste and vodka. Heat on medium, allow to flame and reduce to one cup and strain through a fine mesh sieve.
In a separate pan, melt the butter and keep warm.
In a 2 quart sauce pan bring 1 inch of water to a simmer, place a bowl on top of pan to make a double boiler. Add the 4 egg yolks and reduced liquid to the bowl and whisk until the mixture thickens slightly. Do not let the water boil.
Slowly stream the melted butter into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly until all the butter is incorporated.
Add the 2 tablespoons of vodka, celery salt, lemon juice, season to finish with salt, tabasco and Worcestershire to taste.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar baking powder and salt. Pour in the sweet potatoes, egg, beer and melted butter; stir with a whisk just until blended, a few lumps are okay. Fold in cooked bacon.
Heat a waffle maker to desired temperature. Follow directions on your specific waffle maker. Coat with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot surface for each specific waffle maker.
In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter and stir in 3 tablespoons flour.
Cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in chicken stock and heavy cream, bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Add Chipotle Peppers and Wisconsin Maple syrup, simmer for 20 minutes.
Little did we know that when we dined at the corner restaurant near our hotel in Paris that we were eating at a place where for years there’s been a fight over the secret sauce that’s served with their steaks.
Maybe it’s a French thing.
For some background, my husband and I were on our honeymoon and had booked a Viking River Cruise on the Seine and then added some before and after stays in Amsterdam where it is more easy to get run over by a bicyclist then a car and Paris where we stayed at a little hotel near the metro in the 17th arrondissement so we could visit other parts of the city without spending a fortune on cabs. Though we didn’t plan it this way, Hotel 10 Le Bis, our hotel was near numerous little cafes and a little grocery store where we could easily—and cheaply eat or buy food for quick meals and snacks.
One intriguing café was Le Relais de Venise where every night we would see long lines of people waiting to eat either in their dining room or on their outdoor patio. Though the interior of the restaurant looked so French bistro with its polished dark wood, tiny tables with crisp white table cloths, and servers dressed in black uniforms, the outdoor section was right on a busy corner filled with traffic and pedestrians, noise, and the rumbled of trucks and sounds of horns honking.
What could be so great about lining up to eat there, we wondered. But one evening, after climbing up from the metro station and seeing there was no line, we decided to give it a try. The only tables available were outdoors and so we sat at a very small table next to another small table where a single woman sat, smoking a cigarette. That turned out to be a very lucky thing.
When our server arrived I asked to see a menu and she (we would find out later her name was Gertrude) abruptly told us she was the menu. Well, what could we order? Steak frites, she replied—either “bloody or well done.”
We told her “bloody”, and she gave us an approving look. But we were a little baffled. Was there really only one dish on the menu? It turns out that at this restaurant which opened in 1959, there was only one entrée and steak with French fries was it. When our waitress returned with a salad topped with walnuts (no one inquired whether we had a nut allergy—which fortunately we don’t) and a crusty French baguette, I saw there wasn’t butter on our table and asked for some. Oops, one would think I had tried to order a Big Mac.
“No butter,” Gertrude told us.
“There’s no butter?” I asked.
“No butter,” she replied.
“How about olive oil?”
“No olive oil,” she told us.
Now, I knew that in a French restaurant there had to be both in the kitchen, but I guess neither butter nor olive oil was allowed to be carried into the dining area, so we ate the bread—which was very good—without either.
This is when the woman at the table next to us decided to intervene. She lived in Paris she told us but had spent years in the United States working as a publicist for musicians in New York. Le Relais de Venise was unique, she continued, because they only served one dish—steak with French fries served with Le Venice’s Sauce de Entrecote. I guess that makes decided what to order for dinner super easy.
Since the creation of the sauce, its exact ingredients have been kept secret and that probably worked until the invention of the internet. After some type of family squabble and a going of separate ways, the sauce itself became a battleground so complex and full of intrigue that the Wall Street Journal did a lengthy article about it all six years ago. I guess when you serve only one dish and the sauce is a necessary part of it, feelings about who owns the recipe loom large.
Anyway, after we ate our salad (no choice of dressing as it already was dressed with a vinaigrette which was very good), our steak with fries arrived—with the sauce spooned over the meat. It was delicious.
What’s in it? I asked the woman next to us.
“It’s a secret,” she said. “But I’ve been eating here for decades so I know it. But it’s really better to come here.”
She promised to give me the recipe, but I think she changed her mind because she never sent it. She may have been afraid that Gertrude would get mad at her or maybe the restaurant owners wouldn’t allow her back in. Neither would surprise me.
I noticed, as we were eating, that the servers were moving through the crowded café with platters of meat and piles of French fries. And almost as soon as I had cleared my plate, Gertrude showed up again, heaped—without asking but that was okay—more French fries and slices of the sliced steak and sauce on my plate. At no charge.
“They’ll do that until you say you don’t want anymore,” the woman told us.
“Is there a charge?”
“No, it’s all part of the meal.”
Which was a deal as the tab wasn’t very high even with the addition of a glass of the house wine which is made at the family owned vineyard Chateau de Saurs in Lisle-sur-Tarn, 30 miles northeast of Toulouse. Indeed, the restaurant was opened by Paul Gineste de Saurs as a way to help market the wines but now there are at least three—the one in Paris and then another in New York and London. As for the sauce there are several stories. A rival restaurant said to serve a similar sauce says that it is not new but instead was one of the classic sauces said to be the backbone of French cuisine.
Of course, as soon as we got back to our room, I Googled the restaurant and the sauce. It took some digging, but I found recipes for both the secret sauce and the salad. Or so I think. I’m planning on trying them soon along with a French baguette or two from Bit of Swiss Bakery which I will be serving with butter.
Le Relais de Venise-Style Salad Dijon Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar Kosher salt to taste (nutritional info based on 1/4 tsp) Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or walnut oil)
Whisk or shake in a mason jar until mixture is homogenous.
Serve on a bed of mixed salad leaves topped with some chopped walnuts and shaved Parmesan.
Serving Size: 4
Le Relais de Venise’s Steak Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large shallots
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons mustard
1 bunch tarragon
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Peel and slice the shallots.
Peel and roughly chop the garlic.
Add the olive oil to a small pot over medium heat.
Add the garlic and shallots and cook until soft and slightly colored.
Add the chicken stock. Simmer for three minutes.
Pull the tarragon leaves off of the stems and put them in a blender.
Add the remaining ingredients to the blender.
Carefully pour the chicken stock mixture into the blender.
Puree until completely smooth.
Pour back into the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for one minute. If the sauce is too thin simmer for a few more minutes.
Pour over slices of rare or as Gertrude calls it “bloody” or however you like your steak. Serve with potatoes or French fries.
When Prince-Elector Friedrich V married Elizabeth Stuart, the daughter of King James I in 1613, it was–like the majority of royal marriages—based on political alliances and gains. Love had nothing to do with it.
Photo by Jane Simon Ammeson
But sometimes it worked out differently and so it was between Friedrich and Elizabeth who fell in love. Heidelberg Castle, where they lived, was already old, dating back to 1200s and the Prince-Elector wanting Elizabeth to love her new home added an English Palace and an elaborate Baroque garden.
But theirs was to be a tragic love story. There were battles, a throne lost, regained, and then lost forever. During all that, Elizabeth bore 13 children before Fredrich died and she sought life in exile.
Heidelberger Schloss
The castle, a romantic ruin of seemingly endless staircases and corridors taking you here, there, and sometimes nowhere, stands 330-feet above the Alstadt, Heidelberg’s wonderful old town. Towers and battlements protect stone facades, their decorative features still intact though the rooms behind them are gone. Views into the multitude of windows reveals not an interior but woods and the Neckar River below.
“Deserted, discrowned, beaten by the storms, but royal still, and beautiful,” is how Mark Twain described the Gothic-Renaissance castle. He was one of many poets and writers who spent time in what they considered the most romantic city in the world.
Photo Jane Simon Ammeson
The castle is also home to the Heidelberg Tun, a 58, 124 gallon wine barrel said to be the largest in the world. It was built in 1751 on orders from Prince Elector Karl Theodor to store the wine paid in taxes by the region’s wine growers. We should all be so lucky to have too much wine.
Brews and Pork Knuckles
Taking the funicular down to the old town, I meet friends at Vetter’s Alt Heidelberger Brauhaus on Steingasse, Europe’s longest carless street. It’s one of those baronial style Germanic places with high ceilings, large wood beams, long tables and a lot of dark highly polished wood.
Famed for their Vetter’s 33, which they say is the strongest beer in the world, its alcohol content is—you guessed it—33%. But it isn’t all beer her, they’re famed for their traditional German food and so I decide to go full German, ordering the pork knuckle, sauerkraut and dumpling with gravy. Skipping the 33, I opt for the Hubier—a mix of the lager and elderberry syrup.
History, Luxury and a Family Touch
Courtesy of Hotel Europaischer Hof Heidelberg.
My love affair with the city began several years before when I checked into the five-star Hotel Europäischer Hof Heidelberg. The hotel, one of the few five-star family run hotels in Europe, opened in 1865 and has been owned by von Kretschmann family since around the turn of the last century.
Courtesy of Hotel Europaischer Hof Heidelberg.
I’d heard that Sylvia von Kretschmann, who with her husband Ernst-Friedrich, ran the hotel for a half-century before their daughter Dr. Caroline von Kretschmann took over, regularly did the hotel’s large floral arrangements. So it was no surprise when I ran into this very elegant woman doing just that in Die Kurfürstenstube, the hotel’s opulent dining room that opened in 1866. Such a romantic place and romantic tradition—how could I not fall in love?
Courtesy of Hotel Europaischer Hof Heidelberg
Chocolate Kisses
My romance continued at Chocolaterie Knosel where owner Liselotte Knosel talked about studentenkussor or student kiss, a chocolate covered nougat created by her great grandfather Fridolin Knosel in 1863. His Café Knosel was frequented by male university students who admired women from a local finishing school who were, alas, chaperoned by their governesses. A gift of student kisses was a sly way to start a flirtation.
We don’t know how well it turned out for the students but these confections, still hand crafted, remain best sellers more than 150 years later. Café Knosel—the city’s oldest café—is my go to spot for coffee and a pastry at one of their outdoor tables overlooking the church on Marktplatz.
At dusk, on my last night, I boarded Patria, a 1930s ship for dining and a cruise along the Neckar River. Watching the city lights sparkle in the calm water, I knew that though my visit was ending, the romance was just beginning. I would be back.
The flavors and foods of Miami, with its imaginative and creative cooking, wide ranging cultural traditions, and unique culinary identity, are brought to the fore by its amazingly talented and award winning chefs and mixologists, Sara Liss, who has been writing about the city’s food scene for more than 15 years captures the culinary essence of the city’s fascinating food scene in Miami Cooks. Presenting 75 signature dishes and drinks from 35 of the hottest restaurants and chefs, either just rocketing to fame or James Beard winners, Liss shares their recipes–ranging from craft cocktails to satisfying brunch dishes to airy desserts. The flavors are global–Cuban food capital of America, but it also home to so many other cuisines―Peruvian, Venezuelan, Puerto Rican, Haitian, Jamaican, Cuban, Mexican, Asian, classic French with a Miami twist, and Floridian (of course). All evoke the passionate gastronomic spirit of The Magic City.
Avocado Pizza. Chef Helene Henderson of Malibu Farm Miami Beach. Henderson recommends Caputo (or “00”) flour for the pizza dough as it is an authentic Italian flour used by pizza makers to produce a very soft, flavorful thin crust.
But Liss takes it one step further. Stating that her mission was to make the entire creative process acceptable and achievable for the home chef, she makes it easy for us to take our cooking to the next level.
Miami Cooks, published by Figure 1m is currently available for purchase now.
With beautiful photographs and intriguing recipes, here are a few more to contemplate:
Cubano “Croque Monsieur” – This recipe was crafted by Executive Chef Frederic Delaire from Bar Collins. A Cuban play on a French classic, this towering sandwich teems with slow-roasted pork, an indulgent béchamel sauce, and many layers of ham and Swiss.
Hamachi Cilantro Rolls – “You’ll be sure to wow your mom with some homemade sushi rolls! It might seem intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, the technique is fairly easy,” writes Liss.
Shrimp Cakes – This recipe is an Executive Chef Klime Kovaceski specialty from Crust. Riffing on the classic crab cake, Chef Klime has created an easy go-to dish when you’re looking for a hearty brunch course.
Golden Geisha – This raspberry vodka cocktail recipe is from Owner David Grutman of Komodo. This refreshing cocktail is deceptively easy to prepare and heightened to a luxe level with edible gold leaf flakes.
Jim’s Yellow Fedora – From Executive Chef Daniel Roy from The Jim and Nessie, Jim’s Yellow Fedora cocktail is made with whiskey and chartreuse – a liquor distilled using 130 natural herbs, spices and flowers. In this recipe, it adds depth to whiskey for a play on the classic green hat cocktail.
Korean Braised Chicken with Glass Noodles
This popular Korean dish, also known as Andong jjimdak, originates in the city of Andong, Korea. All at once savory, sweet, and spicy, it sees spicy braised chicken cooked together with Korean glass noodles for a dish that explodes with flavor.
Serves 2 to 3
Marinade [ingredients]
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper
41/2Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp concentrated pear juice (see Note)
2 Tbsp mirin
11/2tsp sesame oil
Marinade [method]
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
Note: Korean cooking often calls for pear juice for marinating and tenderizing meat. It can be found in most Asian markets.
Chicken [ingredients]
2 lbs, bone-in chicken thighs
Marinade (see here)
5 to 6 oz Korean glass noodles (sweet potato starch noodles)
Sesame oil, for searing
5 dried red chiles (divided)
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
5 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 scallions, roughly chopped
Chicken [method]
In a large bowl, combine chicken and marinade, turning to coat, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Soak glass noodles in water for 20 minutes, until softened.
Coat a large skillet with sesame oil and bring to high heat. Add 3 chiles and sauté for 5 to
7 minutes, until the chiles darken. Discard chiles.
Add chicken to the skillet, reserving marinade, and sear for 4 minutes on each side, until browned. Transfer chicken to a plate.
In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the reserved marinade and 4 cups of water.
Bring to a boil, then add chicken, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until chicken is almost fully cooked. Add the remaining 2 chiles and the potatoes, onion, and carrot and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, until vegetables are softened.
Add noodles, mushrooms, and scallions and simmer for another 6 to 8 minutes, until noodles are cooked. Remove the 2 chiles and serve immediately.
