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Showing posts with the label Koval

A Fun & Delicious Day in Butler County-Part One

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I almost always use this blog for a story representing each day of a trip. The idea is to be able to talk about all the little things I don’t have a chance to put in published stories. Sometimes I need to break with tradition, and this trip was one of those exceptions. We had so many things to do, and I have so many photos, on day two that it deserves two blogs! One of the things I was told about Butler County before I arrived was that they have a Donut Trail. I’ve never been one to shy away from baked goods so this sounded like a scrumptious addition to the weekend. Heather, Teddy, and I got started with the trail first thing Saturday morning at Holtman’s Donuts in West Chester, just a few miles from the Marriott we were staying at. It became instantly apparent that this was going to be a challenge and I wasn’t backing down. The crew at Holtman’s was waiting for us with a box of donuts. I asked them, as I did on all the following stops, what their most unusual and popular donuts were...

The Latest Food and Spirits Tasting in Chicago

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It was time for me to check out some more of Chicago and I planned a great two day jaunt through some restaurants, a distillery, a grand opening, and one of my favorite hotels. Lisa and I made the two hour drive to downtown Chicago and our first stop, BLT American Brasserie . I  was instantly impressed with the combination of modern elegance in a very welcoming atmosphere. We got comfortable with some Infamous Goose Sauvignon Blanc and tried to narrow down the menu choices. The restaurant is the first Chicago brainchild of Executive Chef Laurent Tourondel. The menu is creative, offering interesting touches without going to the wild side. It seemed as if we sampled it all, starting with the flavorful Spinach & Mushroom Dip. As good as it was, it couldn’t possibly top what came next. Chef de cuisine Aksel Thielkuhl worked a week to perfect the Apple Soup and it was well worth it. It came with a “snow” shred of foie gras and shavings of roasted chestnut. We a...