What a gorgeous sunny day in Chicago!

What better to do than lunch and shop on a crispy cool Spring day?!

Where better to go for both than Barney’s and Fred’s?!

A seat next to the window with a glorious view of the Gold Coast was the perfect way to enjoy this beet and goat cheese salad!

Fred’s is a cool upscale spot which features organic and local food as much as possible.

The atmosphere is pure Gold Coast; Comfortable luxury!

The salmon was wild caught, tender and juicy.

The spinach was perfectly cooked and flavorful.

This is a great combination.

I can eat salmon and spinach everyday!

The avocado and tomato salsa made this the absolutely perfect meal for me!

All my favorites on one plate with green onion, too!

Very fresh. Delicious!

My honey had the linguine with clams in a very light tomato sauce.

This dish was garlicky and spicy.

Absolutely fantastic!

We were both jockying between the two plates trying to decide which was better.

It was a tie.

We were so full!

But that did not stop us from completely cleaning our plates!

Of course, we walked around Michigan Avenue for a while.

I shopped, he tried to stop me from shopping, and so it went until we stumbled on Tavern on Rush……..

The waiter warned me and I just assumed he was a wimp. A supermodel in waiter clothing.

How could he think for a moment that I could not finish a piece of cake?!

It was just lovely! and HUGE indeed!

There was no finishing this cake but it was spectacular!

Not too sweet, moist and a chocolate buttercream landscape of heaven!

It was a brisk and windy Chicago day and we spent it on the patio of Tavern on Rush, sipping coffee and nibbling on this cake!

There was people watching and the luxury of a carefree afternoon with my loved one.

A small pool of creme Anglais, fresh strawberrries and a delicate chocolate sauce created the perfect balance of flavor and texture!

Look at this! From every angle a monument to yumminess!

I can’t wait to go back and do it all over again!

Lunch at Carpaccio in Bal Harbour was the ultimate “Miami” brunch experience.

Let’s forget about the food for a moment. Carpaccio is the place to see and be seen.

Sunday afternoon brunch, after a long night of clubbing in South Beach, is the only remedy for what long nights have to offer!

The patio offers the best people watching opportunities.

This fresh mozzarella and vegetable platter was the perfect morning after meal.

Linguine with clams…

Margherita pizza….

Angel hair pasta with basil and fresh tomatoes….

The food was going fast!

Dancing until 4:30 in the morning can make a girl pretty hungry!

Fried calamari and zucchini was the fried food fix we all needed!

These were crispy, hot, salty and delicious!

A long leisurely meal, great friends, and the post-mortem of the night’s shenanagins with a cold bottle of Sauvignon Blanc is the best way to say “Good-bye” to Miami!

This wonderful dessert at Dante’s in Cleveland, Ohio was perfect after a early evening dinner on crisp Spring day.

The coffee at Dante’s is also some of the best ever.

Here’s a photo of the Double Baked Chocolate Brownie, caramelized bananas, Calicchia honey ice cream.

The polenta is amazing.

I don’t have any photos but I have to say that the polenta is creamy and perfect.

We had the wild mushroom and goat cheese polenta. So Delish!

Also, Sushi for happy hour is a must.

Dante Boccuzzi makes sushi like no one else in town!

I’ll have more on Dante soon. He is truly amazing and a true gem in Cleveland.

“Spice of Love”, fresh jalapeño, passion fruit syrup, mango essence, Svedka, Cointreau.

Sugarcane in Miami is simply beautiful!

The plantation style decor and the outdoor patio dining area are absolutely amazing.

But I have to say that the food was disappointing.

Items were undercooked, bland or simply less than interesting.

Or, even worse, the dishes were too fussy with too many ingredients.

“Hibiscus Blossom”, citrus essence, native mint, hibiscus infused cachaça.

I do, however, have no complaints about the cocktails!

These lovely concoctions were fresh and tasty!

Mint, mango, cucumber and spices were perfectly combined to create delicious libations of heavenly proportions!

“Eden”, japanese cucumber juice, fresh cilantro, Herradura Tequila, aromatic celery bitters.

Roasted Peppers.

These peppers were actually quite good.

Duck Confit with Waffle.

Grilled Sweet potato with Maple and Soy.

Caulifower.

Grilled Octopus.

Pan Seared Squid.

Goat Cheese Croquettes.

Broccoli Rab.

This was another favorite.

Crudo with Papaya.

Ricotta Cheesecake with Nutmeg Ice Cream.

This ricotta cheese cake was, also, very good and I learned something.

This cake was smooth and creamy.

The cakes which I have made in the past were always a bit dry and lumpy.

This one was wonderful and I am going to try to make it myself!