Wine and Spirits Travel

  I live two hours from downtown Chicago, so I almost always stay overnight. Occasionally, the time is too short and the opportunity too great, so I make an exception. This was the case on the day my friend, Kim, and I went for brunch at Sofitel’s CDA and checked out the Driehaus Museum. The CDA Restaurant at Sofitel Hotel in Chicago is the epitome of modern elegance. The decor and service are first class, yet it feels very comfortable with the large windows and white design.  The brunch menu is most definitely French, though they do have their version of the Mexican breakfast favorite Chilaquiles. Named “Sofitel Chilaquiles Rojos,” they are made with sunny side eggs in a crispy corn tortilla and served with a cilantro yogurt. It was difficult to decide as everything sounded so good. After my initial excitement at the Ricotta Pancakes, topped with bananas and cocoa nibs, then drizzled with Cinnabon topping, I decided to save my sweet tooth for dessert and order the Chicken...

 A few years ago, I had a wine tasting and dinner with friends at Cooper’s Hawk in Indianapolis. It was my first experience at one of their restaurants and it was a great one. I was recently invited back to check out a contest they were running. This time I went to the Springfield, Illinois , location. It was larger than I had remembered the other had been. I found a lot had changed with the brand, and all of the changes were positive.   The tasting was my first clue Cooper’s Hawk has really upped its game. The number of wines they now produce, as well as the variety, rivals the largest wineries in the country. I also found they have invested in some other options, such as sangrias and sparkling wines. Cooper’s Hawk outsources grapes from around the world. They have a plant for bottling and a winemaker, Emily Wynes, for blending in the Chicago area to create the wines they sell at their nearly 80 locations. My friend, Amanda, was with me and chose the sweet selections and ...