Monday, March 26, 2007

Flower Power

Spring is here—at least according to the calendar. Temperatures in Chicago will fluctuate greatly over the next couple of months, but the scent of fresh flowers is everywhere!

Macy’s on State Street presents Gadina Africana, a garden of African culture celebrating the beauty and history of the continent, from March 21st to April 7. Every spring since 1933, when Marshall Field’s Department Store (now Macy’s) began the flower show, over 3,300 square feet of flowers are displayed on the first floor at Macy’s State Street store.

Chicago is so flower friendly that we’re also home to two conservatories holding Spring Flower Shows. As you explore the Lincoln Park Conservatory and walk among giant banana trees, fragile orchids, staunch cactuses, and in and out of beautiful show rooms, you will feel as if you’ve stepped back in time, as the conservatory was built between 1890 and 1895 and retains a historical atmosphere.

The Garfield Park Conservatory opened in 1908 and was described as a work of “landscape architecture under glass.” Designed by Jens Jensen, the centerpiece of the conservatory is the aquatic or fern room, and includes some of Jensen’s most beautiful stone and water elements. Park admission to both conservatories is always free and the shows run through May 13.

Go just north of Chicago, drive through grandiose homes, and you’ll come to the beautiful Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG) where 23 different gardens are situated on 385 acres. The CBG offers many events throughout the year, such as the Antiques and Garden Fair from April 20 through April 22.

Right here on The Magnificent Mile, Tulip Days begin on April 16 and last through May 31. Thousands of tulips will be right outside the doors of the Chicago Radisson Hotel and Suites and line Michigan Avenue. In celebration, we’re offering a special Spring Break Tulip Excursion, beginning April 1, so visitors can fully appreciate Chicago in Bloom!

Monday, March 5, 2007

Taking the bus to school for lunch (and chocolate!) in the classroom

Chicago is a training ground for future food industry talent and boosts the most culinary schools in a major city. This means that there are opportunities for bargain dining and sampling gourmet food at student-run restaurants and schools in locations accessible from the Radisson Chicago Hotel and Suites via bus.

At the The Dining Room of Kendall College, guests can dine on innovative courses such as butter-poached alligator, duck gumbo and Pacific cod served with eggplant caviar and smoked oysters. The Dining Room has recently begun serving prix-fixe lunches for $18 and prix-fixe dinners for $28. Be sure to visit on March 15 when the Advanced Garde Manger class presents “The Grand Buffet,”an all-you-can-eat buffet for $25, prepared by the class for its final exam.

CHIC Café "is operated by students at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. This is a friendly spot where the menu changes daily and guests can bring in wine and beer. Students test their creations on the public before going on to work at Chicago’s finest hotels and restaurants, and they thrive off of diners’ feedback. Lunch is $15 and dinner is $25. Reservations are strongly recommended (312.873.2032,) as the café is sometimes closed for parties or due to school breaks.

The French Pasty, located in Chicago’s Loop, is the only school in the area that concentrates solely on desserts and pastries. I got the chance to tour the kitchen at The French Pastry the other night when I attended a Chicago Hotel Concierge Association meeting at the school.The smell of chocolate in the air has me excited for the “World Chocolate Masters 2007 National Championship,” which will be held there May 19 and May 20, 2007. If you can’t wait that long for delicious sweets come, to Chicago on March 10, stay at the Radisson and attend the French Pastry’s “Open House,” featuring an artisan bread and sugar showpiece demonstrations. Many other seminars and exhibtions also occur at The French Pastry throughout the year.

After you have had your fill of food at a Chicago school, take the bus back to the Radisson Chicago Hotel and Suites. Then engage in some physical education by walking around the Magnificent Mile and use your food budget savings toward shopping at all the great shops nearby!