Chicago

For the past few years, I had to visit Chicago quite often and I got to know the city pretty well.  It's such a vibrant, photogenic city with great cityscapes around every corner.  I've spent many nights just wandering the city to see where I could take great pictures.

The best thing about the city is all the great restaurants.  I have so many favorites that it's hard to choose where to eat.  

Pig's Ear with Crispy Kale, Pickled Cherry Peppers & Fried Egg @ The Purple Pig

Milk Braised Pork Shoulder with Mashed Potatoes @ The Purple Pig

Turkey Leg Confit, Crispy Lentils, Treviso, Endive, & Agrodolce @ The Purple Pig

Prosciutto Stuffed Squid @ The Purple Pig

Teatime for the Empress @ Slurping Turtle

Drinks @ Mercadito

Italian Beef @ Portillos

Deep Dish Pizza @ Lou Malnati's 

Yearly NYC Trips

Every year, I try to make at least one trip to NYC to visit friends and to explore great sights and food.  I always love visiting New York because even after so many trips, each trip is different with new things to do every time.  During this trip, we managed to have a good mix of old favorites and new finds.  We did a lot of rooftop hopping and had great views of the city.

Houston by Night

Once in a while, I like taking an easy night to go around town to snap pictures.  It's nice to take some time just clear my head and relax.  Houston has so many great places to take photos, I wish I had more time to explore.  Anyone have suggestions for your favorite spots to take photos?

Day to Night in Washington D.C.

Last year, I took a quick weekend trip to Washington DC.  I visited as a child, but it was part of a road trip just passing through on the way to New York.  This time, I was determined to see all the tourist sights in one trip.  We managed to see most of the monuments and about half of the Smithsonians.  All in all, it was a great trip packed with lots of walking and sightseeing.

Eating around LA

I used to live in Orange County so I would go to LA pretty often.  With the great weather and beautiful beaches, it's always great to make a quick weekend trip there to relax.

Whenever I visit LA now, it's all about food.  I'm always so torn between going back to my favorite places or trying new places.  I could easily fill up a trip by just going back to all of my favorites.  This time, I'm glad I got to try a handful of new ones.

Omusubis

Office Burger

Smoked Eel

Sea Urchin Cream Udon and Beef Tataki

Galbi Poutine

da KFC

One of the best meals I've had was at Bestia.  A fantastic Italian restaurant that is in an old industrial building.  We ordered as much as we could and stuffed our faces.  If you ever find yourself in the LA area, I would highly recommend making a stop here.

Chicken Liver Crostino

Slow Roasted Lamb Neck

Pan-Roasted Chicken Gizzards

Roasted Marrow Bone

Mussels and Clams

Spaghetti Rustichella

Strozzapreti al Nero di Seppia

Tagliatelle alla Zafferano

Agnolotti alla Vaccinara