After another visit to Prime Catch I knew I had to revise my previous review. I must have been having a bad day or something, because I've completely changed my mind about Prime Catch. We came for dinner this time, not for lunch, and the food was excellent. I had Chilean sea bass on a shrimp cake in sweet corn chowder and it was delicious. like for real delicious. Everyone at the table loved their dishes and they all looked beautiful.
So here is the deal. The food is very good and it is worth coming to Prime Catch, even if you don't get a table outside. I wasn't as impressed with my lunch experience at Prime Catch, but dinner was wonderful.
I stand corrected.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach
This review is only for lunch at the four seasons.
To cap off our visit to Florida, my grandfather took us out to lunch at the Ocean Bistro at the Four Seasons. It is a casual lunch spot with, quite honestly, spotty service and (just) okay food. But, the atmosphere is beautiful. Coming from a Chicago winter, there is nothing better than sitting outside and being able to feel the breeze off the water. Plus, the Four Seasons is such a gorgeous hotel that the okay food is elevated to be something a bit more special than it probably is. While normally I deem having to wait half an hour for some sandwiches unforgivable, the Ocean Bistro somehow managed to turn it into an enjoyable experience.
To cap off our visit to Florida, my grandfather took us out to lunch at the Ocean Bistro at the Four Seasons. It is a casual lunch spot with, quite honestly, spotty service and (just) okay food. But, the atmosphere is beautiful. Coming from a Chicago winter, there is nothing better than sitting outside and being able to feel the breeze off the water. Plus, the Four Seasons is such a gorgeous hotel that the okay food is elevated to be something a bit more special than it probably is. While normally I deem having to wait half an hour for some sandwiches unforgivable, the Ocean Bistro somehow managed to turn it into an enjoyable experience.
Chico's
Chico's
266 S Ocean Blvd
Lantana, FL 33462
You might be wondering why a 23 year old is reviewing Chicos. And if this is what you are thinking, I don't blame you. I have no business shopping here. BUT my mom and aunt LOVE Chicos so we always stop here. And what do you expect me to do, stand around and not look? That's just not my style. If I'm in a store, I will shop. And I shop to buy.
So - that is why Chico's get's four stars from me. I can always find something to buy and mix into my clothing rotation.
Eventually, I'm sure I will end up buying more and more of my clothing here as I plan to be a stylish older lady :) I guess I'm just starting a bit earlier than most.
266 S Ocean Blvd
Lantana, FL 33462
You might be wondering why a 23 year old is reviewing Chicos. And if this is what you are thinking, I don't blame you. I have no business shopping here. BUT my mom and aunt LOVE Chicos so we always stop here. And what do you expect me to do, stand around and not look? That's just not my style. If I'm in a store, I will shop. And I shop to buy.
So - that is why Chico's get's four stars from me. I can always find something to buy and mix into my clothing rotation.
Eventually, I'm sure I will end up buying more and more of my clothing here as I plan to be a stylish older lady :) I guess I'm just starting a bit earlier than most.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Portillo's Hot Dogs
I love a chicago hot dog just as much as the next girl - but portillos is just okay in my book. IMO they are lacking in flavor and character. My friend's italian beef did look pretty delicious, so maybe I'm just ordering the wrong thing. I suppose they should get extra points for having a drive through, but on the downside I'm pretty sure it encourages driving under the influence. Who doesn't want to satisfy the munchies with fries and a dog?
Bin Wine Care
This is more of a "Yay! I'm a fan . . I think". I feel Bin Wine Cafe deserves another trip before I make my final final judgment. Some thoughts:
Showed up unannounced with a group of 7ish around 7 on a Saturday night with no reservations. After some hemming and hawing and waiting at the bar, they graciously sat us.
Menu is surprisingly small and clustered in two price categories. On the low end, there are hamburgers (11) and pizza (11 or 12). On the high end, there were entrees for 20ish. I wasn't feeling either and so I got olives (5), a beet salad (8), and the tempura green beans. The serving of olives was extremely generous and the beet salad was delicious. The tempura green beans were snooze. Tasted my fiance's burger - it was wonderful. (Note to self: go back to bin on a tuesday for 5 dollar hamburgers).
Atmosphere was warm and jovial. I'd really like to go back with a smaller group and eat a full dinner. I have a feeling I'll really enjoy it :)
Showed up unannounced with a group of 7ish around 7 on a Saturday night with no reservations. After some hemming and hawing and waiting at the bar, they graciously sat us.
Menu is surprisingly small and clustered in two price categories. On the low end, there are hamburgers (11) and pizza (11 or 12). On the high end, there were entrees for 20ish. I wasn't feeling either and so I got olives (5), a beet salad (8), and the tempura green beans. The serving of olives was extremely generous and the beet salad was delicious. The tempura green beans were snooze. Tasted my fiance's burger - it was wonderful. (Note to self: go back to bin on a tuesday for 5 dollar hamburgers).
Atmosphere was warm and jovial. I'd really like to go back with a smaller group and eat a full dinner. I have a feeling I'll really enjoy it :)
Monday, January 11, 2010
dolla dolla bill
In my last few posts I've been hyper aware of how much I have mentioned money. money and the difficult decision of spending money versus saving money. as i was writing, i couldn't help but think about how my words made me look. will people think i'm a penny pincher? will people think i'm broke? will people think its boring to hear about money problems dilemmas?
I found myself asking these same questions on saturday night when I went out with some of my classmates.
We ate at a lovely wine bar in wicker park--a place neill and i have never been to because of how expensive the menu looked--and I found myself mentioning money on more then one occasion. Something along the lines of "Oh, we don't eat out much anymore because it's just so expensive". On top of that, a trip to Vegas that my classmates are planning for Spring Break came up - a trip that I simply can't afford. Perhaps someone with more tact would skip over that bit of information and make an excuse for not attending, but obviously that's just not my style. We just can't afford it - I'm not embarrassed about it so I don't see any reason to hide that fact. (Of course, I secretly want to ask everyone how they can afford it because I know we all make less than 20,000 a year. But, I have enough sense to keep such a prying question to myself!).
Money is a fact of life and so we should be able to talk about it frankly, right? But, it's easier said than done. People are sensitive about money. Secretive sometimes. Even among my bestest friends, we don't get down to the nitty gritty details of it. We talk about the size of our jeans or the number of partners we've had - but never the size of our bank accounts. Why is that?
I've been inspired and so I plan on writing a few posts on money. I'm certainly no expert, but I can speak from personal experience. I can write about what I'm saving for, what my goals are. I can write about money and relationships. money and independence. I hope you guys find it interesting!
dolla dolla bill y'all
I found myself asking these same questions on saturday night when I went out with some of my classmates.
We ate at a lovely wine bar in wicker park--a place neill and i have never been to because of how expensive the menu looked--and I found myself mentioning money on more then one occasion. Something along the lines of "Oh, we don't eat out much anymore because it's just so expensive". On top of that, a trip to Vegas that my classmates are planning for Spring Break came up - a trip that I simply can't afford. Perhaps someone with more tact would skip over that bit of information and make an excuse for not attending, but obviously that's just not my style. We just can't afford it - I'm not embarrassed about it so I don't see any reason to hide that fact. (Of course, I secretly want to ask everyone how they can afford it because I know we all make less than 20,000 a year. But, I have enough sense to keep such a prying question to myself!).
Money is a fact of life and so we should be able to talk about it frankly, right? But, it's easier said than done. People are sensitive about money. Secretive sometimes. Even among my bestest friends, we don't get down to the nitty gritty details of it. We talk about the size of our jeans or the number of partners we've had - but never the size of our bank accounts. Why is that?
I've been inspired and so I plan on writing a few posts on money. I'm certainly no expert, but I can speak from personal experience. I can write about what I'm saving for, what my goals are. I can write about money and relationships. money and independence. I hope you guys find it interesting!
dolla dolla bill y'all
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Honeymoon Part III
I'm sure everyone has been on the edge or their seat waiting to find out what Neill and I decided to do about our honeymoon. We based our decisions on a few basic ideas:
1. Taking a honeymoon was important to us as a couple. We want time after the wedding to revel in being a Mr and Mrs! While I think this could take many different shapes and forms for different couples, for us a honeymoon was a perfect fit.
2. Saving money is important, but we also want to be able to spend our money on things that are important to us. Let's face it - there will always be a million things to save for. But, that doesn't mean that there aren't things that are worth spending money on either. For us, saving money for the future shouldn't be about denying yourself important things in the present. (key word here is "important". Creating a value system of what is important and what isn't may be the most important financial task a couple can take on)
Once these were articulated, it was a pretty easy decision for us. And the winner is . . .
Jamaica! Specifically, Couples Negril. Check out these pictures from the couple's website:
I'm beyond excited! In the end, Neill and I decided to go with our gut. We've always wanted to do an all inclusive resort trip to Jamaica! We want our honeymoon to be as stress free as possible and I'm so excited we don't have to worry about budgeting for dinner or every single drink or what not. Plus, I can't wait to take advantage of the complimentary water sports, spa services, and boat rides! While I am still a little nervous about the weather, after doing more research it seems most likely that it will only rain for an hour or so every day. The morning should still be sunny and with our beach front suite, I'm sure we will be able to take advantage of the beautiful weather. During the rain we will just enjoy the indoor honeymoon activities ;) I can't wait for these sunsets . . .
1. Taking a honeymoon was important to us as a couple. We want time after the wedding to revel in being a Mr and Mrs! While I think this could take many different shapes and forms for different couples, for us a honeymoon was a perfect fit.
2. Saving money is important, but we also want to be able to spend our money on things that are important to us. Let's face it - there will always be a million things to save for. But, that doesn't mean that there aren't things that are worth spending money on either. For us, saving money for the future shouldn't be about denying yourself important things in the present. (key word here is "important". Creating a value system of what is important and what isn't may be the most important financial task a couple can take on)
Once these were articulated, it was a pretty easy decision for us. And the winner is . . .
Jamaica! Specifically, Couples Negril. Check out these pictures from the couple's website:
I'm beyond excited! In the end, Neill and I decided to go with our gut. We've always wanted to do an all inclusive resort trip to Jamaica! We want our honeymoon to be as stress free as possible and I'm so excited we don't have to worry about budgeting for dinner or every single drink or what not. Plus, I can't wait to take advantage of the complimentary water sports, spa services, and boat rides! While I am still a little nervous about the weather, after doing more research it seems most likely that it will only rain for an hour or so every day. The morning should still be sunny and with our beach front suite, I'm sure we will be able to take advantage of the beautiful weather. During the rain we will just enjoy the indoor honeymoon activities ;) I can't wait for these sunsets . . .
