Lunch Stop | Iceland

On the third day of our road trip, Markus and I were driving along Route 1 and we realized that it was close to lunch time. We quickly saw that we were approaching an off-road exit. The next town wouldn't be for another hour and we decided that it would be best to stop. Honestly, I can't remember the name of the town or what we ate. I think it might've been some sort of cauliflower soup and a fish sandwich. What I really remember was the little mountain next to the restaurant and the beautiful views. That's one thing that I absolutely loved about Iceland, not matter where you went the views and landscapes were stunningly beautiful.

Noelle's Day Off | Chicago, Illinois

I was born in the 80s and like most kids, I was raised by the TV and loved movies, especially those directed by John Hughes. I devoured all of his films and they always resonated with me. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is in my top three John Hughes movies. In all actually, I just wanted to be as cool as Ferris. After I watched it for the first time, all I've ever wanted to do was follow in his footsteps and do the same things. When Markus and I moved to Chicago, I thought that my dream was finally going to come true. A couple years passed and I thought it was just going to be one of those things I said I would do, but never did. So cut to last November, Markus and I finally fulfilled my dream. I even convinced him to dress in the spirit of Ferris and Sloane.

Unfortunately, we didn't do everything featured in the film. It's highly unrealistic to be able to do all those things in one day. Also, the locations are spread out through Chicagoland. I cut it down to four things that were close and the most iconic. First, we stopped at the same parking garage they dropped off Cameron's car. We were able to park our car there for the whole day. Afterward, we walked over to Sears Tower. I know it's now called Willis Tower, but it will always be Sears Tower to me! This was the only place that someone recognized us dressed like Ferris and Sloane. I was surprised that no one else noticed, but I guess we did look Asian hipsters.

After we finished peering over the ledge at the Skydeck, we made a quick stop at the Flamingo Sculpture on Dearborn. It's the scene where Cameron and Sloane are looking for Ferris. Our last and final stop was at the Art Institute of Chicago, where I would finally see my favorite painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. After we spent a couple hours in the museum, I was exhausted, but in a good way. I was so happy that I finally had my own day off and explore cool places in the city. The whole experience was everything I hoped it would be and more!

Alcatraz Island | San Francisco, California

If you know me, you know that I'm a fan of Unsolved Mysteries and shows like it. I especially like shows where dudes go to haunted places and taunt ghosts. They always feel a chill, but never see a ghost. I can't stand horror movies, but when it comes to the real stuff, I'm all in. My high school best friend Heather is also a fan of these kinds of shows. Her husband, who is also named Mark, booked a tour of Alcatraz Island for Valentine's Day one year. I spazzed over her pics and she promised that we would go one day. Cut to April of 2015, when she heard that we were coming to San Francisco, she immediately booked a tour for us. She's incredible and so thoughtful!

Alcatraz always seemed like one of those places that might be overrated or a tourist trap, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was my first prison tour, so it was really interesting see what it's like. It was really depressing at times and also thought provoking. I loved the inside look into the famous escape by Frank Morris and the Anglin Brothers. I still remember the episode of Unsolved Mysteries about it and wondered if the three survived or not. I guess we'll never know! Either way, it was a fantastic afternoon touring a famous landmark and getting an inside scoop on the infamous island.

Boka | Chicago Restaurant Week 2016

I thought our meal at Sepia was amazing, but our meal at Boka was on another level. Markus and I almost missed out, but we both figured that Restaurant Week only happens once a year. I've been wanting to eat at Boka for ages now. It's been Michelin starred for the past four years and it's one of the most popular restaurants in Chicago. When I went to make a reservation, all the weekends were already booked and I could only book a table for two on Thursday, the last day of Restaurant Week. I'm so glad that we decided to keep our reservation because it was one of the best meals I've ever eaten. 

Cold Course
Roasted Beets, yogurt, almond, caraway
Marinated hamachi, kohlrabi, grapefruit, horseradish

Our first course was a cold course of roasted beets and marinated hamachi. We had a similar pairing at Sepia. I was completely blown away by both dishes. Every component melded together perfectly, creating something delicious. The beets were roasted nicely and the almonds and caraway were a nice touch. The marinated hamachi with grapefruit and horseradish was an incredible flavor profile and both dishes were a wonderful way to begin the meal. 

Hot Course:
Seared scallop, fennel, morcilla, sherry
Slow poached egg, squash, grains, parmesan

The second course was a hot course of seared scallop and slow poached egg. I love scallops and when they are cooked perfectly, it's like butter. The thing I enjoyed most was that the scallop wasn't overdressed in any sauce and the garnishes only highlighted their natural flavor. The slow poached egg was also very good. It was very simple in flavor but the real winner of the dish was the toasted grains that added a nice crunchy texture.

Entrees:
Grilled short rib, bitter greens, chestnut
Lightly smoked arctic char, beets, dill, brown butter

I loved everything about our entree course, which consisted of grilled short rib and lightly smoked arctic char. I tend to stay away from beef, but I couldn't resist the combination of beef, bitter greens and chestnuts. I was very intrigued and have to say, it tasted great. The meat was the real highlight and very tender. The arctic char was delicate and was accentuated by the brown butter, dill and beets. I loved how subtle the fish tasted and then when you added the garnishes, the flavor intensified. 

Desserts:
Dark chocolate mousse, 70% south american cacao, creamsicle
Coffee & hazelnuts, praline, whole milk ice cream

The dessert course was a delicious end to a wonderful four course meal. I love dark chocolate in all it's forms and I had to try the mousse. I really liked it, but Markus made a comment that the creamsicle crumbles tasted like Fruity Pebbles. After that, it was all I could think, but I like Fruity Pebbles, so it worked out for me. The coffee and hazelnut dessert was a teensy bit better than the mousse. I think it was because of the addition of the caramel. It added a little bit of sweetness that I didn't know I wanted. Overall, this entire meal from Boka was incredibly good and I would not hesitate to return even if it wasn't Restaurant Week.

Svartifoss Waterfall | Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland

By the third day of our trip, we were so exhausted, but we were running on pure adrenaline and excitement. We drove many miles and stopped at the black sand beaches of Vik. We also knew that we had to get to the Glacier Lagoon by 6pm. So we almost skipped Svartifoss. It was mainly because I was tired and didn't want to do the 45 minute hike to get to the waterfall. Of course Markus worked his magic and convinced me to soldier on. I'm really glad he did, because Svartifoss was definitely in my top three waterfalls in Iceland. After a while all waterfalls tend to look the same, but this waterfall was different. It was surrounded by basalt columns and it was absolutely stunning.