San Fran: The Hotel

In my 13 years traveling I have stayed at more hotels than I can count. One chain of hotels I haven't had the pleasure of staying in is The W Hotel brand. This time in San Fran, I got my chance. Granted, this hotel chain is a little more upscale than I would ever stay in if I was traveling on my dime. But if someone else is paying...I'm there!

I had a standard room, so it was small. But some of the touches were very highbrow.

Mirrored clouds on the headboards.

The art in the bathroom was also much more upscale than you find at most hotels. This piece is just amazing. It made me smile every time I peed.

Fashioned out of vintage airline tickets.

The elevators alone were amazing. Not for their speed, but for their art. The tree is a layered glass effect.

A little tripy, the leaves seemed to move as you did.

One thing this hotel does, that I guess a lot of hotels are going towards is being "Green". Upon checkin they offered me a deal where I could opt for maid service every other day and get 500 Starwood Guest Points for every day I didn't have maid service. Well, I'm not a messy person so I said yes to the deal. What it really comes down to is a way for them to save money on maid services. But who am I to complain. I did get to complain one day tho. 

After being at the convention center for 14 hours, I returned to my room at 7pm to find the maid still cleaning it. I was less than pleased and immediately went down to the front desk to complain. I mean, I had been gone for 14 hours...that maid had plenty of time to get to my room before I returned! The young lady at the front desk was sympathetic, she said, "Sir, how can I possibly make this right for you?" I said, "Well you can give me vouchers for a couple free drinks at the bar while I wait for my room to be ready." Without batting an eye she immediately produced 2 drink vouchers and sent me on my way. Moral of the story...a cocktail or 2 goes a long way towards my happiness.

I liked the cocktail as much as the flower.

That is the Meadowlark. It's a combination of vodka, fresh lemon juice and a lavender syrup. It was very tasty and 2 of these was well worth having to wait a bit for my room to be cleaned.

San Fran: The Food

Let's travel back in time to a few weeks ago. I was in San Francisco. I don't know exactly where any of you might have been. Even if I did know, I 'm sure I've forgotten by now. What I haven't forgotten is all of the wonderful food I was able to sample in San Francisco while I was there.

I have found a new love...don't worry Hubby, it's a burger. A Super Duper Burger to be exact. Around here we have Five Guys Burgers & Fries, but in San Fran, they have Super Duper Burgers, and I have to say...they are super duper! 

You can get a double or a single burger and their garlic fries are to DIE for! Yeah, I ate here 4 times during the trip. Twice was to prove to other people how amazing the place is. The sacrifices I make for others!!!

Heaven on a cute little metal tray!

You really do need that wrapper on the burger in order to eat it. They are so juicy that your hands are a mess till your finished even with the wrapper. A word or warning...if you order the garlic fries, you will smell like garlic through the following day. I woke up the next morning and even my pillow smelled like garlic.

My coworkers and I took the client out to dinner one evening to a delightful little place called oola. Right off the bat, I have to tell you that the service was less than exceptional. We were a group of 10 and they really didn't seem to have the ability to service a group that large. I would guess that a party of 2 or 4 would have a delightful experience here. 

Yeah, they need to clean the bird poop off their sign.

Their real claim to fame is their cocktail menu. They offer a lot of prohibition era cocktails that are made with the finest ingredients. I was intrigued by the Dark & Stormy. It's a combination of incredibly dark rum, ginger and lime. It is indeed dark, so much so that I had to light it from behind with a candle to get a photo of it.

A storm is brewing

Pretty amazing cocktail. I need to start making these at home. I just need to find some really dark rum to do it with.

For dinner, I chose their 4 Cheese Mac & Cheese and roasted brussel sprouts. Everything was very tasty, I just wish it had arrived faster. I do have to say...the waiter did keep the cocktails coming, that's a plus. I apologize for the lighting, the cocktails aren't the only dark thing at this place.

I don't remember what 4 cheeses...but does it really matter?

Tender, perfect!

The meal really was delicious. I am so glad I wasn't paying for it. I mean, those cocktails were $12 a piece and I know I drank more than 6 of them. Thankfully the big wigs didn't say a word. Cause if they had I would have answered with, "13 years...last show...pay up!"

That was all of the savory food from the trip. Some nights we were finished so late and I was so tired that I just grabbed a sandwich at Subway. One nice little treat were the cupcakes that the convention & visitors association brought to us. Yes, I ate one or two despite the carbs involved.

At first glance, I thought this cupcake was cussing at me.

Well, I don't travel again until New Year's and that will be to Las Vegas. So I might not have much on-the-road food to talk about until then.

All Good Things...

...come to an end. Eventually it was time to pack up and leave Rehoboth.

This image make me cry.

Gary offered each of us the job of Pool Boy to get us to stay, but I doubt the salary of a pool boy would pay my mortgage...as tempting as it may be. Oh, Cabana Boy!

No Trip Complete

I would be remiss if I didn't talk about 2 food items in Rehoboth that are simply unmatched in comparison with items I have found in my other travels.

The Chicken Salad from Lori's Oye Vey Cafe

Chicken salad is one of my staples in life. I've always been a fan of the stuff my mother whips up, but sorry Mom...Lori's is so much better! It's chunkier, which isn't always my choice, but then she adds sliced apples, slivered almonds and just a hint of bleu cheese. On our first day there I always order a side of it with my sandwich. Then I go back and order an entire pound of it to keep in my cooler and snack on. This trip, I went through 2 pounds of it. Nummy!

Death Fries from Arena Deli

This year Tod and I made a new discovery. We were at the pool the day before we left and decided we would order in from Arena Deli. Knowing that we had our dinner at Mixx that evening we decided we should order a light lunch. We would split a sandwich...very light. Well, then Tod decided he wanted an order of their fabulous Mozzarella Sticks and from there we just went downhill and ordered the Death Fries. What are Death Fries you ask? French fries that are fried and placed in the oven covered in cheese and bacon. After baking they are then drizzled in BBQ sauce and ranch dressing. I know, horrible for you, but soooooo good! I convinced myself they were low carb, because once you fry a potato in oil, it's not a starch anymore...it's a fat. That's my story and I'm stick'in to it!

MIxx It Up!

When in Rehoboth Beach, our last traditional activity is to go to Half Price Martini Night at Mixx. 

Also on that night they offer $8 burgers...who could ask for anything more? Well, I think next year we will arrive on Wednesday so we can do this our first night in town instead of our last. It sucks having to drive home with a hangover the next day.

Mixx always features the art of a local...well, I don't know how local, artist. This time there were these great comic book inspired paintings. If I had an extra $250 with me that night, I would have purchased this one.

Pretty much me, in a nut shell.

Ok, now on to the martinis and food. I started off with a refreshing cucumber martini.

Veggies! See, cocktails can be healthy.

I'm not a huge fan of cucumbers, but as you can see from this next picture, once they soak in vodka...they're quite good.

Yummy!

My next choice from their extensive martini menu was a little closer to home. And by home, I mean it was my cocktail of choice, just in a martini form.

The Mojito Martini!

Basically, it was a Mojito without all that nasty ice to get in the way and water it down. I will need to start making these at home. For dinner, (I know, the liquid dinner was going so nicely) I chose the Chicken Caprese Burger.

AND Sweat Potato Fries!!!!

It's a combination of a ground chicken patty that is topped with basil pesto, fresh mozzarella, and grilled tomatoes on the bottom. It is heaven, between two slices of Focaccia Bread. On to dessert!

Yes, dessert is more martinis

I mean, come on...they are half price! How can you blame me? I had the Expresso Martini and Tod had their Chocolate Martini. They were the perfect end to the perfect meal. Any meal is perfect when it contains an abundance of martinis!

The Place To Stay

I've talked about Cabana Gardens Guest House in previous posts. I can't extol it's virtues enough as THE place to stay when in Rehoboth Beach. It's clean, has a great selection of rooms, and is smack dab in the middle of everything you'd want to do in Rehoboth. Not to mention the fact that the owner, Gary lets us decorate our space. We always stay in the rooms that border the pool on the upper deck and we always bring our own accouterments.

Those lanterns and drapes...they're ours.

Inez, who is a member of the cleaning staff came by the pool the first day we were there to say, "When I saw the decorations, I knew you were back!" 

Our vacation space

I provide the lanterns. This year I decided to go with slightly more expensive nylon lanterns that would survive any weather we might get without running and fading of the color. I also figured that we could use them from year to year. We did lose one in a storm that hit our second day there. A small price to pay to have such a colorful and inviting space. Tod fashions the drapes. In the late afternoon the sun just burns into the second story deck. Having the curtains to close during that time is a welcome relief. No burned feet or sweaty bodies that way.

The late afternoon view.

What a marvelous spot to sit and read a book, or in my case, sip a cocktail. Next year, with the addition of one more set of curtains it will be complete. It's nice while on vacation to be given the latitude to make a space which isn't your own, your own. Maybe Gary let's us do it because we have been staying there for so long, but for whatever reason...I'm really happy that he allows us to customize our vacation experience.

Confucius say...EAT!

One of the places we like to eat at the beach is Confucius. It's a delightful asian restaurant slightly off the beaten path. What I love about the place is that it's not your typical "Chinese" restaurant. They have a great selection of appetizers and soups, not to mention a large selection of entrees. When I'm dining out, I like a place that has a good selection of smaller plates. It allows me to try a few things instead of having to select one entree. Here at Confucius, I tried 3 items.

Pork and Cilantro Dumplings...Yum!

Garlic & Scallion Sautéed Green Beans

Ginger Chicken Soup...I added the brown rice myself

Everything was delicious and full of flavor. The best part is by ordering in this fashion, you don't leave the restaurant stuffed to the gills and feeling miserable. I had enough room left to get my Sissy Cup of Vanilla Soft Serve at the ice cream shop afterwards.

OK! Let's Talk About The Beach

Miss me? I know, I've been back for 2 weeks without hardly so much as word. Sorry about that. I'd promise to do better, and I'll try...but you all know how that goes. We have a lot of food and drink to talk about, so let's get started!

Tod and I spent 7 glorious days in Rehoboth Beach at The Cabana Gardens Guest House. It is our oasis in the middle of our summer. We eat, we nap, we drink, we tan by the pool, we always say we're going to make it down to the ocean and we never do.

We both pack our own bars for this trip. Mine usually includes the fixings for Mojitos and various other Rum drinks. Tod is more of a Vodka fan and his bar reflects that choice. For some reason this year, we were laying by the pool the second day and I got a hankering for a Bloody Mary. Well, I don't usually have this hankering, so I hadn't packed anything that would allow me to concoct a Bloody Mary.

Luckily, right down the street, within easy walking distance, is Bin 66...a delightfully appointed liquor store. So, on go the flip flops and the t-shirt (I know! Me shirtless, try to get that image out of your head!) and off I go. What I wasn't prepared for was the entire shelf of Bloody Mary mixes they had to offer. I eeny-meeny-miney-moed one that turned out to be pretty good. Sorry, I don't remember the brand or I would share it here.

Once I got back to the guest house I set to work mixing. Now, I am not a fan of Vodka, so I made my Bloody Mary's with Rum. Gasp all you want, but Rum is so much smoother. Here is my first attempt.

Pretty, but not what I was going for.

The mix was really thick! It took a lot of stirring to get things incorporated. Also, as you can see, I didn't leave a lot of room for stirring. If I were making this cocktail at home, there also would have been more garnish, but at the beach...you do what you can and I did have fresh limes. The second round went much better.

Bigger is always better!

First, I went with a larger glass. Then when mixing the drink I added the rum and filled the glass only three quarters full with the mix. I then stirred it all up to mix it and then topped it off with more mix. This accomplished 2 things. It mixed up the rum and then allowed for the melting of the ice. As the ice melted it thinned out the mix on top so the drink didn't become watery towards the end.

What's to come? I want to have a party with a Bloody Mary Bar where you fashion your own drink. Course a Bloody Mary is typically a brunch drink, so the first hurdle is that I'd have to wake up early enough to have that party. My mother has given me some of her home made canned tomato juice and I would love to create my own Bloody Mary mix for future use. I'm sure Pinterest can help me find some recipes.

Dinner Out: Thrive!

While in Atlanta, my coworkers and I went to my favorite downtown restaurant, Thrive! 

I have been here a few times in the past and it just continues to be wonderful every time. It's got an amazing contemporary interior and wonderful food. Here is my first Ginger Mojito, a concoction that I recommended to them 2 years ago and they have since placed on the menu.

A classic Mojito using their Ginger Beer instead of soda water...Yum!

Yeah, I had 6 of those...who could resist? Everyone knows how I feel about Sushi, but this restaurant has sushi items on the menu that are flash fried...they fry everything in the South. Because these are gently cooked I don't run into the usual texture problems I have with raw Sushi.

The Dragon Roll!

It consisted of spicy tuna and salmon, avocado and a spicy cream cheese. It is then flash fried for mere moments to perfection. I have got to find a place around here in Maryland that does this!

One More Canada Post: Rogue

While in Vancouver, I ventured out with my coworkers to a wonderful eatery call The Rogue Kitchen + Wet Bar. I can be such a hermit when I'm on the road for such a long time, but I am really glad I took them up on their invitation that night.

Not to be confused with Rogue Brewery in San Fran. Very different.!

It's a charming space located in what was once a terminal of some kind. I'm not sure if it was a railway or seaport terminal. I suppose it could have been both. 

I want one of those chandeliers in my house!

Much like I have with the church, they took a very classic space and updated it with a bunch of very modern touches. I am in awe. Makes me wonder what I could have done to my house with a few hundred grand more (investors???) 

Now, the reason we wound up here is because I was searching for the best Poutine in Canada. For those of you who don't know what Poutine is...they take very crisp french fries, crumble cheese curd over them and then smother them in hot brown gravy. I know...HEAVEN ON EARTH!!!

Rouge was the closest place to our hotel and I think they came up #2. So off we went. They serve an appetizer called French Fries x3, which we ordered for the table You get fries done in the Poutine style, as well as, a set with gorgonzola cream and bacon, and then ones coated in truffle oil with garlic. Amazing!

As if I hadn't had enough Poutine at that point, I had another order brought with my dinner. Here they are with my Grilled Bacon and Three Cheese sandwich. 

Yes, I only got half a sandwich!

Of course, that wasn't enough for me. I also ordered the Tomato Basil Bisque which I dipped the sandwich in YUMMY!

Cheesy, tomato goodness!

So, after eating all of that rich food I was miserable for the rest of the evening, but it was SOOOOOO worth it!

NOTE: You may remember from a previous post that Poutine bears a striking resemblance to the Boo Fries that you find in New Orleans. The only real difference is that in New Orleans they use shredded cheddar cheese instead of cheese curd. Both are delicious in their own way.

What I LOVE About Canada: Giant Spinning Globe

Another cool thing I found in the convention center. It spins! Now I don't know if it spins exactly at the rate our real planet does? But it was Hella Cool!

What Irks Me About Canada: Toilet Drinking

Apparently drinking out of the toilet is a big problem in Canada. So much so, that they had to warn me every time I stepped up to a urinal or toilet bowl.

I think it's really great that they use non-potable water to flush their toilets. Even someone who is against the environment as much as I am sees the point in it. I think it's a great idea to use slightly unclean water to flush really unclean stuff.  But do they really think I'm going to be drinking from a toilet any time in the near future? I think not!

What I LOVE About Canada: The Olympic Cauldron

Ok, Ok, I don't want to sound all down on Canada. There were some pretty cool parts to the trip as well. The Convention Center is located right next to the plaza where the 2010 Olympic Cauldron is on display.

Here is it early one morning. I just love it, one of the best Olympic Cauldron designs ever! I wish they made a miniature version as an oil lamp (Anyone know where I can find one?). Now the only thing that could have been better than just seeing it is seeing it lit. Ta Da!

Yes, they lit it just for me. Seriously tho, I found out that it costs 10K to light this thing for 3 hours. I wasn't ponying up that kind of cash...even if it was in Canadian currency. Thankfully, I didn't have to. They held some sort of fundraiser on the plaza that day and someone else paid to light it. AND the only better than seeing the cauldron lit...seeing it lit which Stormtroopers posing in front of it!!!

I don't know why they were there, but their costumes were aamazing. They even had electronics that changed their voices to sound like Stormtroopers. Star Wars and the Olympic Cauldron...great day!

What Irks Me About Canada: Mayo

I recently spent some time in Vancouver for work. I believe I have mentioned prior how much I really don't enjoy international travel. That being said, Canada is just international enough to irk me.

First lets talk about condiments. I asked for Mayo and this is what I got.

Not Mayo! Close, but no cigar.

I'm beginning to think that Mayonnaise doesn't exist in Canada. Every time I asked for it I got some slightly off version of it. Most of the time what I was offered was some sort of flavored Aioli. Now I like a flavored Aioli as much as the next guy...but sometimes I just want plain uncomplicated mayo.

Now That is One TALL Drink of....Coffee???

So, here I was in San Francisco for work. Thankfully, there are more Starbuck's per capita in this city than there are stray dogs. Don't get me wrong...I'm not a HUGE fan of the franchise(I don't brew it at home), but when I'm traveling, it's a common denominator that I can always depend on.

Anyway, at one of the 6 Starbucks within a block of the convention center, I stumbled upon this.

Coffee GIANT!

This guys is like 8 feet tall! And he's working with Coffee Midgets, so it makes him look outrageously tall. Keep in mind, in that photo he's actually bending over a bit! I felt a little sorry for him, I mean, he had to bend down to hand me my change! I also can't imagine him comfortably living in a house or apartment with conventional ceiling heights. I looked for signs of him having often bumped his head.

Indy…and I don't mean Jones!

I recently spent some time in Indianapolis for work. I have come to find that Indianapolis is one of the countries most under rated cities. Of course, having just hosted The Super Bowl, I'm sure that may change.

First, let's get the unpleasentries out of the way. I was attacked by this horrible monstrosity!

Sent to the Emergency Room in fact! Fine, ok…I did it to myself, but that horrible rack was an accessory to the crime. See that seemingly innocent central bar? Well it wound up rammed into my chin. Blood everywhere! 

I won't frighten you with the original image of the wound, but here it is all glued up by the ER staff. Yes, don't I look scruffy? I wound up looking even more scruffy because I couldn't shave around the wound.

Ok, enough of the bad stuff. Here is the fun stuff. On our first day there we ate lunch at a wonderful place called The Noodle Company.  As it turns out we wound up eating lunch there every day. They offer some great selections. Noodles and sauces and additives galore! The coolest thing is that you can assemble your own creation from any of the ingredients on their menu. It is a custom orderers delight! You can check out their menu at the link above. What was funny tho, as we exited the restaurant, someone had gotten a little creative outside as well.

Isn't he cute? I imagine that the carrot was originally his nose, but to me it looks more like he's barfing it up. Those creative Indianapolisians!

I got to stay at the brand new J.W. Marriot in Indy. It was built for The Super Bowl. Wasn't even there this time last year when I visited. I was afforded a corner suite and access to the Concierge Level of the hotel. For those of you who haven't experienced a Concierge Level, it's pretty darn cool. It's a lounge that offers breakfast, evening cocktails and food, and then later dessert. I didn't eat dinner out once while I was in town! Here are some of the sweet treats I enjoyed from the lounge.

3 Tier Chocolate Mousse, Apple Tart and a Brownie

For Valentine's Day…Awwwwww

Cookies and Strawberries and Macaroons…Oh My!

So, I didn't lose any weight in Indianapolis, not a ounce! But that's ok, it's winter and I can hide it under sweaters.

On the way home, I got to the airport way earlier than I needed to. What does that mean? Hit the bar! Right by my gate I found a wonderful little bar…too convenient! Here I ordered a Bloody Mary.

Yep, that's a pickle!

I have got to give them points for garnish. Usually it's a piece of celery or a lime wedge and an olive. But this place sunk and entire dill pickle into their drink. It really turned it into breakfast. I think the only way it could have been more of meal would have been to have sunk a piece of bacon and a fried egg in there. It was yummy! I had 3 of them and then slept very nicely on the plane.