In June 2012 I came to DC for work for a few weeks. I stayed at Hotel Topaz near Dupont Circle. I loved walking through the side streets and exploring new restaurants. During my DC stay, I toyed with the idea of returning to the United States after seven years abroad. At the end of the trip, I was convinced to return. One of the places I visited during that time was Boqueria, a Spanish Tapas place conviniently located on the corner of 19th and M street. It was a warm evening and my friend and I sipped cava and sampled the tapas, our favorite being the bacon wrapped dates. I loved the ambiance of the restaurant, how lively the terrace was, and the amazing food.

When I lived in Brussels, I used to travel to Spain to visit friends three to four times a year. Boqueria reminds me of the tapas restaurants of Madrid and manages to somewhat cure my nostalgia of my Spanish weekend trips. Since my return, I have been several times for dinner and most recently for happy hour in honor of the restaurant's two year anniversary. We sat at the bar with a great view of the chef preparing the tapas, a nice tortilla sitting at the bar, and a very tempting whole jamón freshly cut on order. We indulged in a delicious pitcher of White Sangria, pan tomate, patatas bravas, and bocadillos. Although Boqueria is not a Mercado San Miguel, it does fill the void for freshly made, good quality, tapas and cocktails.
Few Boqueria tips: for a more affordable meal, go for happy hour. Order the churros for dessert, they are delicious!

Navy Pier, Chicago

One of the things I was determined to do once I returned to the United States was to discover places I have not seen before. When my friends decided to do go on a Ladies' trip, we decided on Chicago. I've heard great things about the city, especially its architecture and food. It did not disappoint. When I look back at our 48 hours in Chicago, I cannot get over how much we did, in such little time. We managed to eat well, run a five-miler, go to a ball game, do a little dancing, lovely brunch, and an architectural boat tour.

Room with a view: The Glass Walls of Chicago

We stayed at the Kimpton Allegro, a beautifully decorated boutique hotel at the Theater district. One of the best features about the hotel was its location. It was within walking distance to most of our points of interest without feeling like we were in a touristy area. The second best feature of the hotel is the wine happy hour which we missed because we were at the game. I arrived just after the end of it and the lobby was pretty happening. A good tip for solo travelers looking to mingle. We arrived late on Friday and decided to go to Giordano's for some famous Chicago deep dish pizza.

Ladies who Run... even on Vacation!

To work off the pizza, we went for a run the following morning. I am a big fan of going for runs while I travel. It not only it keeps you in shape while you try new and exciting dishes, but it shows a city from a different angle. We ran by the river and were amazed by the modern architecture which surrounds the Chicago River. We finished our loop running by Lake Shore Drive. It was the perfect scene: beautiful blue skies, clear water, and perfect fall running weather. Later in the afternoon, we made it to Wrigley Field to watch the Cubs vs Braves. Coming from DC where the Nationals have such a modern field, I was surprised how vintage Wrigley field is. The organs were playing versus the DJ music  at the Nats games. Local rooftops are rented in order for people to watch the game, would love to do that next time. Unfortunately, the game was quite slow. The score was still 1-0 when we left at the bottom of the 7th inning. Fortunately, we had a great time catching up (we all live in different cities) and indulging in a little people watching.

Take us to the Ball Game!

We finished the evening with an amazing dinner at EPIC (an on point recommendation by the Allegro concierge, Anthony). From the homemade pasta filled with lobster to the apple cream puffs, the dinner was delicious and the space as well. We then danced to a few of our college theme songs (Biggie, anyone?) at the bar below. Good times.

Interior of Hubbard Inn

On our last day, we had brunch at the Hubbard Inn. The restaurant has one of the most beautiful spaces I have seen in a while. From the tile on the floor to the tin walls to the original art on the wall, the place was warm and welcoming. I had a breakfast burger which hit the spot after a non-stop weekend. The only drawback was the restaurant was understaffed but our server Michael did an amazing job tending to the whole restaurant by himself.  Before we headed to the airport we headed on a Wendella Architectural Boat tour (a special shoutout for the very generous military discount). The view from the boat was amazing, especially when we crossed into the lake.  We took some beautiful shots of the Windy City.

From the Boat Tour

Although we accomplished quite a bit during our short period of time, I would love to return to Chicago and continue to discover more, especially the restaurants as every meal was delicious. Sometimes I miss my weekend trips to exotic places in Europe but then I realize there is so much more to be discovered in my very large and diverse country. Now time to decide where my next American adventure will take us!