Chicago :: The sights v.1

Way back in May, D and I headed out to Chicago for an early summer vacation.  Chicago had been on my bucket list for quite a bit, so I was thrilled to finally visit one of my coveted cities.  We headed out for five nights, and it was the perfect amount of time for exploring Chicago.

We got in late on a Wednesday night and got a hotel accessible to downtown Chicago.

The Palmer House Hilton is absolutely stunning.  It's old, and I won't bore you with the history of it.  It was right down the street from awesome restaurants and sites in Chicago.

We were only blocks from this gorgeous view.  It was a dreary, foggy, and chilly first day.  We ate breakfast nearby then decided to check out the Bean while we were in the vicinity.

Millennium Park was two blocks from our hotel.  While I wish it would have been a bit warmer to really enjoy and explore, it held the crowds off.

We hadn't heard of the Crown Fountain at the park prior to visiting.  I'm so glad we got to see it, but it's certainly...interesting.

LEDs illuminate videos on the the 50 foot tall granite towers with water running through them from May to October.  My understanding is that the videos change.  You could see scenery or pictures of Chicago locals!  That's an amazing way to display art.

After checking out our apartment we rented through Airbnb, we headed back downtown to the Bank of America Theatre to see The Book of Mormon. 

Seriously, the best of times.  D and I had access to a full bar (free drinks!) with apps and desserts before and during the show.  I'd go so far as to say this highly increased our love for the show, but it's definitely a must see!

Also, congrats to Shelley on winning the Esprit de She giveaway!  Please contact me via email by Wednesday!

Food & Beer Friday :: Flower child.

I'm still out of the loop.  To be fair, this week has been hectic and chaotic.  I'll bring a life lately update on Monday, but for now.  Enjoy this quick little beer spotlight!

I pulled one out of the archive from that Chicago trip that I've yet to recap.  Of all the drinking we did in Chi-town, I tried to drink only things that I couldn't access back in NC.  Half Acre Beer was a company that I really enjoyed.  One of my only regrets was that we didn't go visit the brewery.  On our last day of vacation, we picked up a four-pack of the Daisy Cutter to wind down and watch some of the new season of Arrested Development.

Half Acre characterizes the Daisy Cutter as a "west coast" pale ale even though it's brewed in Chicago. It's a perfect pale ale at 5.2% alcohol.  I'd say it's a pretty standard pale ale, but it's pretty damn delicious for something that's brewed close to you (we don't have a great pale ale brewed in NC in my opinion).  I'm always a big fan of canned beers, and this one hit the spot.  I mean it's nothing special like the Rosa was for me, but this would be a go-to if I lived near Chicago!

I'm keeping it short and sweet this week, but if you really need a food pairing check out last week's beer.  In the meantime, go see what Sarah chose to feature this week! Then link-up!  Link-ups will be open through Monday and you can link any food or beer post from the week.  Come join us!

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Food & Beer Friday :: May flowers bring Rosa.

While I know I've been gone for a week, I've got a great Chicago-themed beer for you this week!  I'll be back next week with lots of Chicago and lots of updates!

One of the places we visited while in Chicago was Revolution Brewing.  I absolutely fell in love with their Rosa Hibiscus Ale while there.  While I was told that Revolution does not distribute their beer, I remembered Erin featuring this beer in a can a little bit before.  I'm still not sure why Chicagoans say that it's not sold?  Nonetheless, I'm smitten with this beer (who wants to mail me some?).  This brew is a little tart with just the right amount of sweetness.  It's brewed with hibiscus flowers and a bit of orange peel.  The ale has a bit of a pink tint (from the flowers) and is really easy to drink.  At 5.8% alcohol, this is the perfect summer beer.  It doesn't have that overwhelming sweetness of wheat beers, but it's not as tart as a sour beer.

We visited the Revolution brewpub and not the brewery itself.  I loved the open and well-decorated space.  If I lived in Chicago, I would definitely frequent this spot.

Of course we had our fair share of samples, but I couldn't resist the Rosa.  Since we've returned home, I've mentioned this beer at least five times.  The fact it comes in a can is certainly an added bonus (hello beach beer!).   I'm definitely trying to figure out how in the world I can get this beer to my doorstep...

Now go check out what beer Sarah has picked this week (and the chances of her and I picking the same beer are much slimmer this week!) and link-up any food and beer post you have from the past week.

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