Ambergris Caye, Belize

Trip date: November 2024

Last year I thought I was going to Belize for Thanksgiving. I booked the trip for the 3rd Thursday in November and was really surprised at how inexpensive the flight was ($537.30 RT in Premium)! And that's when I realized that Thanksgiving is always the 4th Thursday, not 3rd! 

Well I was still really excited about going to this small Central American country on the Caribbean and having a relaxing and fun girls trip with my friend Gail. I wasn't however excited to be at SeaTac at 6am for our direct flight on AlaskaAir. And I REALLY wasn't excited to hear the announcement while waiting to board that our flight was canceled due to Tropical Storm Sara. Back home we went to wait for updates. Long story short we were re-booked for the next day but BZE ended up closing so we were finally able to fly out 2 days later.

*Pro tip: Lyft/Uber in Seattle are incredibly expensive and I burned about $150 to and from the airport. Luckily I had just purchased yearly travel insurance from Allianz as it was required to travel to Antarctica and I was refunded before even landing in Belize! I'm now buying this insurance yearly.

Because our 6-hour flight arrived in Belize City after the last water taxi to Ambergris Caye left, and I was afraid to fly out to the island in one of the small planes, we spent one quick night at the Harbour View Hotel. They have a restaurant across the street which was fine for a quick dinner and breakfast the next day, and they didn't charge us for having to change our reservation due to the storm. But in general I would recommend heading straight out to the island.

*Another pro-tip: there is a duty free shop at BZE next to baggage claim with much better options than you will find in the local shops.

It was an absolutely gorgeous morning when we took the 1½ hour water taxi to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. Everyone on the island gets around on golf carts so I had reserved ours in advance with C&S. They met us at the dock, helped us with our luggage, and drove us to their office which was conveniently attached to a grocery store. Golf cart and groceries procured we made our way to the Marriott Alaia where we had an oceanview 2 bedroom suite. I had found an offer called Belize-A-Little-Longer where we got our 6th night free and a cabana for a day.

The pool cabanas were so comfortable and once we found out they were only $100 we reserved another day. Having an entire day just spent at the pool is like heaven for me. And it didn't hurt that the spa was just steps away, so I also had a lovely massage one afternoon. 

The food and drinks at the pool were really great, I'd say my fish tacos were some of the best on the island! And sometimes a bottle of rosé from our kitchen just happened to find itself in an insulated water bottle and in the beach bag, hitching along to the pool.

Of course I did leave the resort and did some super fun stuff over the course of the week via golf cart, plane, and boat!

One of the things I've always had on my bucket list was to see the Great Blue Hole. You can either take a boat, which is 5 hours round trip + time spent snorkeling/diving or you can take a 1 hour flight and look straight down on the mysterious underwater sinkhole. 

There are only 2 local airlines that provide flyover tours, Tropic and Maya, I went with the latter. It was $230 for the hour flight and the schedule was filled solid when I booked. I chose to go on my first day just in case it was canceled because of bad weather, that way I'd have a few more days to try to book in. 

The tiny plane seats just 10 passengers and the pilot. The co-pilot seat is also available at a higher price. I actually have a pretty solid fear of small planes like this and before coming on the trip had been discussing if I would do the flight or not with a two good friends, the answer was OF COURSE so I took ½ a xanax and got on board!

Although Tropical Storm Sara hadn't left much of a trace on the island, there had been a lot of flight cancellations and the airline was still catching up. So our tour left 1 ½ hours later than scheduled. We flew over the Great Barrier Reef, Turneffe Atoll, and a very cool ocean freighter wreck before arriving at the Blue Hole. The pilot then did a full 2 revolutions of the hole on each side of the plane so that everyone had amazing views. 

                                        

The Great Blue Hole is roughly 1000-foot wide and 400-foot deep! It was an incredible site! But all of the scenery we flew over was really incredible! The clarity of the water is stunning!

On the way back we ended up landing in BZE to pick up some folks whose other flight was canceled and then dropped them off at the teeny airport on Caye Caulker before returning to Ambergris. Taking off and landing multiple times in about 5 minutes really was trying my phobia! 

Another day Gail and I drove our golf cart out to Secret Beach. It's about an hour each way and the rough dirt roads are really rough! There were potholes that you could drown in! A few times we waited for another cart to attempt a pothole crossing before forging ahead!

Secret Beach is a big stretch of beach clubs, all with their own vibe. We chose Maruba Beach Klub (yes, with a K) because the music was a decent level and the loungers looked comfy (& they were). We parked the cart and were shown to the beach where a server set up our chosen loungers and got us menus. 

Even though it was a warm blue sky day, winds from the tropical storm were strong! The normal clear water was murky and rough! There would be no swimming or eating at a table in the ocean or playing on any inflatables. But we had a great day with margaritas, and nachos, and a serious match of giant Jenga!

There's no charge to enter the club but there is a food & beverage minimum which gets you your wifi, loungers, games, etc. 

We also did a ½ day snorkel trip from the Alaia dive dock to Mexico Rocks. Belize's barrier reef is the 2nd largest in the world and it lies just 1/2 mile off of Ambergris Caye. Being such a short ride out we were just in a small dive boat and when we got to the site there was a park ranger who met us in his boat to collect the park fees. Because these reefs are protected areas, a divemaster is always with snorkelers and divers, this is great as it makes Belize a place that I would travel solo to as I would still be able to snorkel!   

When we jumped in I was shocked at how warm the water was; it was like 80F! There were tons of rays, conch shells, tropical fish and amazing coral heads- which I had never really seen before. It was fantastic and the divemaster was really good!

Another day we did a full day out on a catamaran with Seaduced by Belize. It was an early start with just 10 others onboard and plenty of room for everyone as they had comfy bean bags on the bow. It's an older boat but in good shape with a great crew. 

We hadn't been sailing for more than 15 minutes when a large pod of dolphins came up beside us to race! Then a big turtle swam on by! Fantastic!

Our first stop was Hol Chan National Reserve; 160 square miles of seagrass beds and coral reefs. This reserve started off as only 3 square miles in 1987 when it was established!! This time the park ranger had their own floating office and we pulled up to pay our fees.

Then it was in the water for one of the most amazing snorkeling excursions I have ever been on! We had beat the other excursion boats and had most of the reserve to ourselves for a while. We followed our divemaster and saw barracuda, trumpet fish, huge schools of snapper, rays, tons of conch, a nurse shark, and an eagle ray!!! Not to even mention all the amazing coral. Wow!!

From here it was on to Shark Alley. This section of the reef use to be where fisherman would clean their catch and toss the scraps into the water, attracting nurse sharks and rays. We got in and tread water a safe distance away while the captain tossed some chum in. Because sharks have been used to this and it isn't changing their behavior, it is allowed in the reserve (vs in places like South Africa where chumming attracts great whites while people cage dive!). It was pretty crazy both in the water and onboard watching!

We continued sailing to Caye Caulker where we had a couple of hours to explore on our own. This little island is just 5 miles long and 1 mile wide so it didn't take long to see most of it! I had conch fritters for lunch at the Rainbow Grill, then Gail and I did a bit of shopping. All the roads here are sand and pretty much everyone was on a bike. There were quite a few oil-drum bbqs with lobster, fish, and shrimp kabobs along the road and picnic tables to eat at- I'd do that for lunch if I was there again.

It's a cute little place but I was very happy that we were staying on Ambergris! 

Our sail back was just stunning, the water is so clear, and so many shades of blue, the reef easily visible below. What an outstanding day!

As Belize borders Mexico to the north, there is an interesting mix of Caribbean and Mexican food. While we didn't have any "oh my gosh amazing" food moments we really liked our lunch at Elvi's Kitchen so much we also had dinner there one night!

At Caramba you pick out your fresh catch of the day and the owner encouraged me to get a whole lionfish which is invasive to the reefs. It was a delicious fish! So juicy and flavorful! I had to get a couple of stone crab claws too as you never get those on the west coast.

As for drinking, ee had late afternoon cocktails on the dock at Wayo's on our way back from Secret Beach. There are quite a few of these palapa bars around the island, this one was very friendly and lively!

And one night we had a spectacular sunset while sipping on some cocktails on the dock at Hula Bar. There were even rays swimming in the water below us!

Ambergris Caye is so relaxing and chill, I really liked it!

All Belize photos here

36 Hours in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi

Trip date: Dec 2023

In travel hacking there is something called repositing. This means that you fly to a different airport in order to take advantage of a great mileage redemption. And that's exactly what I did on my way to New Zealand. I paid $463 for an Alaska Air Premium Economy flight from Seattle to Honolulu. And then I was upgraded to First Class! 

I hadn't been to Honolulu since I was in college so I decided to stay 2-nights and enjoy the stopover.

I had booked the Sheraton Waikiki using Marriott points and got a big King room with a partial ocean view and balcony. Feeling a bit lazy after my day of travel (it's a 6 ½ flight to HNL from SEA) I decided to stay within walking distance for drinks and dinner and go on a little mai tai crawl.

First stop was the Sheraton's beachside bar Rum Fire. My mai tai was pretty basic and just served in a pint glass, but the Christmas lights and decor around the pool were quite fun. 

Next I walked over to the beautiful Royal Hawaiian aka the "Pink Palace". This is such a gorgeous old property! I made my way to the Mai Tai Bar, also located right on the beach, and had a much better drink.

And just next door I had dinner at Duke's, which had the best of the 3 mai tais. Duke's is hardly fine dining, but I've been eating there since I was a kid so it is fun for me.

In the morning before breakfast I took a walk down Waikiki Beach and found it a lot smaller than I had remembered! It was fun to see all the surfers and Diamond Head in the distance.

One of the reasons I chose the Sheraton was that their Edge Infinity Pool is only for 16+ year olds. Don't come at me parents, I just don't want to hear kids screaming while I'm chilling with my book & a cocktail at the pool! 

I was able to reserve a single mini cabana for $60 for the entire day. It wasn't too crowded, the service was great, and this is definitely one of the prettiest pools and views I've been to. That was a very relaxing day!

That evening I took an Uber to the Kaimana Hotel for dinner at their restaurant Hau Tree. First stop was the bar for a lovely martini. The bartender also told me that they had heard Jason Momoa was rumored to be stopping by since they were using his vodka brand. Exciting, but he didn't!

I had a table outside under one of the Hau trees; the setting is so pretty. The restaurant sits on the beach so the sound of the waves adds to the atmosphere. My appetizer of housemade vinegar and dill potato chips served with creme fraiche and caviar was perfect with a glass of champagne. I followed that with their fresh caught fish of the day and a lovely Russian River Valley pinot noir which they poured by Coravin. I really enjoyed this spot.

And that was about it! Mahalo Waikiki for the quick but enjoyable stopover! 

The next morning I headed out to the airport for my flight to New Zealand. I was really surprised that HNL does not have any duty free shopping and also the Plumeria Lounge for Hawaiian Airlines business class passengers was possibly the most basic lounge ever. First world problems...

All Honolulu photos here. 

More Chicago Deliciousness

Trip date: June 2025

Besides all of the amazing James Beard events I attended in Chicago, I had my own list of places I wanted to check out while in town. I didn't get to as many as I wanted but the one's I did were all fantastic!

The Loyalist had been on my list for years, and now that I've finally had a chance to go, I don't know if I will ever not be able to go when in town! Owned by the same folks at 3-Michelin star Smyth next door, this was the most delicious and elevated "tavern food" I have ever had! 

My friend Amy and I were lucky to sit in front of bartender Chris Martin and after peppering him with questions about practically every drink on the menu, I landed on one with mezcal, apple brandy, housemade apple horchata and lime. Amy decided on the "carrot cake in a glass" with pecan rum, cachaca, carrot, ginger, and cream cheese. Both were ridiculously good! 

We shared a variety of dishes, all had a surprise element which had us talking about them all night. Gougeres with smoked bacon cream, crudo with radish and kumquats, frites with aioli, and the most decadent roast chicken! It was served on a tranche of sourdough slathered with chicken liver along with a foie gras sauce. And the side salad featured mixed greens with herbs and smoked dates! SWOON!

Chris kept us in minis of drinks he was making for others or testing out. And since we were too full for dessert he served us the Toxic Avenger, a frozen tiki-ish drink of mezcal, Chartreuse, grapes, cucumber, sage, mint, and pineapple.

Honestly, I can not recommend The Loyalist enough!

My friend Frank, who was also in town, snagged us reservations at Chef Achatz's FIRE one night. It just also happened to be one of their last nights due to the building being redeveloped or something. I had been in this space years ago when it was the Roister and it was funny that even the chairs were the same!

Our dinner was fantastic! 8-courses, every dish touched by the live fire that we sat in front of at the pass. 

Everything was excellent but for me the standouts were:

-Horseradish and shiro cured scallop which was seared over charcoal and finished with shirodashi butter. Crazy good and I generally find scallop to be very boring.

-Cast ironed maitake mushroom with blacken cucumber and their own take on kimchi. And yes, they really ironed the mushroom right in front of us!

-Fig lacquered duck with wild berries, fermented rhubarb and charred mole. 

I have to say that not only was each dish pretty perfect, the service was incredible, especially considering that they were working their last days. The team was going out on a high note for sure!

Across the street is the absolutely wonderful cocktail bar Bisous. They don't take reservations but the queue on Saturday night moved pretty quickly and I ended up meeting some great folks in line who invited me to share their table. 

Bisous is pretty much my dream bar... they specialize in martinis and martini variations, it feels like a special occasion but is still relaxed, and the space is gorgeously outfitted with velvet booths and stunning wallpaper.  

My new friends were interested in trying lots of drinks from the menu and also wanted the caviar and chips! Our table was loaded with fantastic cocktails and snacks, it was a very fun evening! Bisous was voted #39 in the North America 50 Best this year, I won't be surprised to see it receive more honors. 

Kumiko was on my list as it it was voted #10 on the North America 50 Best and was also up for the Outstanding Bar award at the James Beard Awards. Spoiler alert, they won! 

Kumiko describes itself as a Japanese Dining Bar. Translated, I'd say that means a restaurant serving absolutely delicious Japanese food with a focus on creative and thoughtful cocktails. In fact I think there were 4 pages of cocktails when I was there including the special list.

I really loved both my dinner and my drinks here! The only negative is that with so many choices I felt like I was leaving a lot on the table! Obviously this spot deserves some repeat visits. 

After I checked out of my hotel, I met an old colleague of mine at RL Chicago for lunch. RL is not on any awards lists but if you love a restaurant that looks like you are in the sitting room of some swanky mansion, and boasts a menu that feels straight out of the early 90's, then you will enjoy RL as much as I do.

It was a stunning day so we chose a cute table for 2 that straddled the patio and the living room. It was perfect for people watching both in and out. And the people watching here is fantastic!

Caesar salad is always my go-to corporate restaurant lunch order, but at RL you can add lobster to it. Cuz that's the way RL (and I) roll! 

All photos here.

Previous post from this trip: 2025 James Beard Awards in Chicago 

2025 James Beard Awards in Chicago

Trip date: June 2025

*My views are my own, not those of the Foundation*

Last year I was honored to be asked to be a judge for the James Beard Awards. Three new categories were added to their restaurant and chef awards (Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service) which made getting involved even more fun! After months of eating and drinking, it all came down to the big award ceremony which is held yearly in Chicago. I was very excited to attend my first JBF awards and also just to get back to Chicago since the last time I was there was 2017!

Upon landing, I jumped on the L's Blue line which goes right from the airport into the city for $5 and takes about 50 minutes (vs 1 ½ hrs in a taxi because of traffic!). From the Lake Street station it was just a short walk over the river to my hotel the Westin River North. 

I will say that the River North hotel is really in need of a renovation but the location and the view from my window was perfect!

Throughout the weekend there were a ton of events, discussions, pop-ups, bar takeovers, dinners, etc. And I was on my way to my first one just an hour after checking in to my room!

Hawksmoor Chicago was hosting a pop up with New York bar Sip & Guzzle which has been getting a lot of press since opening in Jan 2024. They debuted at #5 on the North America’s 50 Best Bars list and won Best New Cocktail Bar at Tales of the Cocktail this year. I haven't had a chance to visit yet but heard that it is a unique set up of dual bars- one focused on creative and classic cocktails, and the other on delicious and not-so-serious drinks. 

Ben Yabrow, the head bartender and partner of the New York-based bar, was mixing drinks from both menus. As the room was quite big, and people were queue up to order, he was calm but definitely in the weeds. When I made it to the front, I asked him how he was before placing my order and he responded "My bar has just 5 seats!" And here he was mixing for probably 50!

My friend Amy and I had The Tomato Tree from Sip; one of their signature drinks that combines tomato water, dill-infused gin and shochu, a Greek resin liquor called Skinos Mastiha, St. Germain, and clarified lemon juice. It was complex and unexpected. I wasn't a huge fan but I tend to not always enjoy real savory cocktails. From the Guzzle menu we had the Yuzu Margarita with Don Julio Blanco, yuzu, shiso, and palm salt. And it was indeed a guzzler! Yum!

The next day I attended a seminar called Beyond the Bar: Innovations, Trends, and Challenges in the Beverage Industry. This was a great conversation moderated by Dr. Erinn Tucker-Oluwole, Professor and Co-Founder of DMV Black Restaurant Week. The panel was made up of bar professionals and industry writers;  Esther Tseng, Pam Wiznitzer, Will Patton, Andra "AJ" Johnson, and Christine Duke. 

I appreciated that the conversation was really about individual's opinions around what is going on and what is changing. It was interesting to hear everyone's thoughts and ideas on things like post-pandemic challenges, the rise of N/A beverages, new ingredients & flavors, etc. 

That evening I met my friends Frank and Dick on the rooftop of The Pendry Hotel. Their cocktail bar, Chateau Carbide, was hosting Bar Colette, one of the 2025 “Best New Bar” finalist from Dallas, TX.

What a stunning location for these delicious drinks! I had asked one of the Colette bartenders about the significance of a particular garnish being used. He told me he wasn't sure, but the next day at another event, he remembered me and my question and introduced me to Rubén Rolón, their bar director, who graciously gave me a little back story. So not just fantastic cocktails but over the top professionalism and service! I need an excuse to get back to Dallas!

The next morning I attended the Low Intervention event at Maxwell’s Trading. Maxwell's is a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, and gathering place with a lovely rooftop garden and event space. 

Hiyu Wine Farm and Jolie-Laide were both pouring wines; my first time having either and both can count me a fan now!

Stuart Brioza & Nicole Krasinski from State Bird Provisions in San Fran (2025 James Beard finalists for Outstanding Restaurateur) were serving delicious bites along with the owners of Maxwell's Trading. And there were sweet and savory pastries from Mindy Segal of Mindy's Bakery. 

What a fun event with a lot of excellent food and drink and also a lot of very interesting people to talk to; the event was specifically for JBF board members, nominees, presenters, and judges.  

In the afternoon I walked from my hotel to the alley next to Three Dots & a Dash for the inaugural Chicago Cocktail Classic. No surprise that this was the event I was most excited about (besides the actual awards)! 

Upon checking in we were given 12 golf tees, each good for one cocktail from 30 different bars! The bars were set up in the alley, inside Three Dots, next door in the historic Courthouse building, across the street at Salon 61 event space, and inside Gus' Sip & Dip!

I met up with new friends Esther and Noelle and we maximized our golf tees by sharing many of the drinks. The drinks were smaller but not what I would consider a mini, and we were having quite a few, so the sharing was a good strategy.

There was so much talent at this event! Bartenders had flown in from all over the country, Mexico, London, and Paris! It was really such a fun event!

One of the spaces was dedicated to just JBF nominees. It was great to be able to taste from Scotch Lodge in Portland, OR, Water Witch in Salt Lake City, UT and Wolf Tree in White River Junction, VT - all 2025 nominees for Outstanding Bar. 

Best New Bar nominees Agency in Milwaukee, WI, Bar Colette in Dallas, TX, Identidad Cocktail Bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Merai in Brookline, MA and Vice Versa in Miami, FL were also there, as was Strong Water in Anaheim, CA which was up for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program.

I can't say enough about how well run this event was, how generous the bartenders were with their time and energy, and how absolutely delicious everything was! I'd happily sit at any of these bars!

This is going to be an annual tradition in Chicago and tickets are available to the public, so if you live in the area mark your calendar for next year!

And because Esther and I decided that we needed just one more drink (or two) after the Cocktail Classic ended, we showed up at Estereo for the Italian-Cumbia-Ranch Party and had drinks made by Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service nominees Nacho Jimenez, from Superbeuno in NYC and Mary Allison Wright & McLain Hedges from Yacht Club in Denver. More deliciousness and more running into new and old friends at this event!

All of this led up to Monday; the big day! There was a meet-up for all the judges in the early afternoon, and for me it was the first time meeting so many people in my region (judges maintain anonymity during the season, even from each other). 

And then a few hours before the awards there was one more event; Gus' Sip & Dip invited nominees and judges to a private pre-ceremony party! They served up their entire menu of drinks and dishes for free! Let me just say that I had already fallen in love with Gus' the day before at the Cocktail Classic, this party just sealed the deal!

I had walked over on my own but was soon in multiple conversations with the other folks around me. And then ran into new friends Caroline and Will which was just the cherry on top! 

I can't imagine visiting Chicago without a stop in at Gus'! Let me just say that the folks here are very generous with their service and their deliciousness! 

I had heard that the awards were long and that people were starving when they were over, but now I was fueled by that excellent wagyu dip sandwich and a martini! After changing for the black-tie event Caroline and I grabbed a car to the Lyric Opera House; it was officially time for the "Oscars of the Restaurant Industry!"

The red carpet was packed with nominees, celebrities, photographers, media hosts, and handlers. Everyone looked so good and there was so much excitement in the air! We chatted with other judges, wished nominees luck, and had our own step and repeat photos!

The 35th James Beard Awards were hosted by chefs Nyesha Arrington and Andrew Zimmern. There were also so many big name presenters including Rick Bayless, Daniel Boulud, Dale DeGroff, Suzanne Goin, Stephanie Izard, Danny Meyer, Marcus Samuelsson, Gail Simmons, and new Top Chef winner Tristen Epps! 

As each category nominees were announced, there was so much positivity and support from the crowd of peers, and of course as each winner was announced their joy just lit up the auditorium. 

It was an amazing night celebrating people who work so damn hard and deal with so much day in and day out, just to make sure we are all fed, quenched, and happy! Thank you industry professionals, fantastic job nominees (including Seattle restaurants Atoma and Archipelago), and congratulations winners!

Check out all the nominees here and check out all the winners is here.

But wait! After the final award was presented, everyone walked to the gorgeous Union Station for an amazing afterparty! The Great Hall, which holds 1,300 people, was filled with booths and tables manned by restaurants, bars, and celebrities serving up so much food and drink! 

The entire evening was completely over the top in a great way! It was an awesome end to an already awesome weekend filled with talent, inspiration, good vibes, and... caviar! 

Naturally, I used points for the trip. Here's the breakdown:

✈️ One way First Class ticket on Alaska Air SEA-ORD booked for $464. I used $16.72 which was in my Alaska wallet funds and put the balance on my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, triggering my $300 annual travel credit, for a total out of pocket of $146.58

✈️ One way First Class ticket on United ORD-SEA booked for $382.81 using my United Travel Bank. I fund this by purchasing Travel Bank cash on United's website with my Amex Platinum and Amex Gold annual incidental fee credits ($200 each). $0 out of pocket. 

Total price for round trip First Class flights $146.58 

🏨 For my 4-night stay I chose the Westin Chicago River North, a Marriott property.

1st night- 52k points + tax

2nd night- Free Night Certificate + tax

3rd & 4th night- $299 promo rate + tax per night

All Chicago photos here.