A Package from the Middle East

Q and the Mins are spoiled by Sophia, their incredible friend from afar! The Quatchis cherish her gifts, many of which are homemade.

They have never received anything from the Middle East before so this was a real treat. Thanks for the unique travel mug, Sophia! We've been putting it to good use already!

Bernie's NYC Foodie Tour

I've been lucky to benefit from some crazy flight deals lately. On a recent trip to NYC, Bernie was eager to try as much food as possible.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Ides at the Wythe Hotel. The views of Manhattan were fantastic. Bernie liked the lemony one on the left the most.

We put our names on the wait list for Lucali, knowing that we should kill time at a local patio. Two hours later, we finally got the phone call to trek back. The wait was totally worth it. The pizza could have been the best I've ever had.

We had a casual brunch at Cafe Habana. This place is famous for it's Mexican-style corn.

Maman in Soho is known for it's cookies. We were lucky to score an ice cream sandwich. There are limited quantities each day.

 The one big fancy dinner of our trip was at Gato, one of Bobby Flay's restaurants. Bernie liked how the appetizers were portioned. Just perfect for his size!

This kale and wild mushroom paella was the highlight of the meal. Order it! You won't be disappointed!

For late night food, we went to Halal Guys in LES. It hit the spot!

And for a quickie lunch, we went to Ivan Ramen. Since the day was hot and sticky, Bernie opted for cold noodles and a prickly pear lemonade.

We kind of went on an ice cream bender during our trip. Bernie's favourite spot was Morgenstern's. He tried Szechaun peppercorn chocolate, burnt honey vanilla, and green tea pistachio. It was hard to pick a favourite flavour!

Other noteworthy bites and drinks Bernie tried were the dip sandwich at Dirty French, ice cream at Odd Fellows, and cocktails at Lavendar Lake and Attaboy. Bernie left NYC will a full and happy belly!

More Fun in Chicago

It was great to catch up with my New Zealand "cuz". We picked up where we left off in Hong Kong a few years ago. We had a great coffee chat at Intelligentsia. Colin was a bit wired because the brew was strong!

We also did a whack load of touristy stuff together. Like check out the Willis Tower.

And stroll down the Magnificent Mile. Across the street is the Historic Water Tower.

We spent most of one afternoon in Grant Park, including Millennium Park. Here's the famous Cloud Gate, a.k.a. the Bean.

And here's the Crown Fountain. Even though it was cloudy, there were lots of kids splashing around.

The grass was soggy so we couldn't get up close and personal with the Jay Pritzker Pavillion. Who knew Colin could hang upside down with his hands in his pocket!

Before heading for an early supper, we made one last stop during our park walk at the Buckingham Fountain.

Overall, we managed to do a lot in 72 hours. We look forward to seeing my NZ cuz again, hopefully in Toronto! :)

Catching Up In Chicago

Colin joined me to meet my good friend from Thailand, by way of New Zealand. Little did Colin know we were heading to Chicago!

We stayed at the Hotel Allegro in the Loop. The lobby has been restored and it was super swanky.

Our room was equally swanky! It's hard to tell by Colin's face, but he liked the bed very much.

We had a fun brunch at Miss. Ricky's at the newish Virgin Hotel. Order the chilaquiles if you go!

There's lots of great public art in Chicago. Like this sculpture by Picasso.

And some cool historical landmarks. Including the Chicago Theatre. Yes, the "now showing" sign is for Pokemon!

The architecture in Chi-town is also first class. Colin liked watching the cars park at the Marina City towers.

Q went to Chicago in 2010 so he told Colin the Chicago River is a must-see! Colin was glad he had his hoodie because it sure was windy!