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PBG Marriott BlueFire Grille “Best Steak Ever”

May 20, 2013 By sami 2 Comments

During a recent stay at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott hotel, I quickly ascertained the property more than exceeded my expectations as the perfect location for both business and pleasure. While we got to enjoy offerings from their restaurant’s lunch menu during our business meetings, one question still remained…Would dinner at the PBG Marriott BlueFire Grille be worthy of staying ‘in house’ for?

After all, the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott is located right off I-95, only a mile or so away from my favorite Gardens Mall and the trendy Downtown at the Gardens, both chocked full of fabulous dining (& shopping!) options.

Still, the BlueFire Grille’s Edamame, Mahi-Mahi Fish Tacos & Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas delighted us enough at lunch to make us want to stay and try the BlueFire dinner options.

At first glance, the menu admittedly seemed a bit limiting and pricy. With just 8 entree options (even though you could still order from the lunch menu at dinner) and the steaks ranging in price from $28-30, one of my dining companions commented that at those prices, this would not be the place they would typically come for a $30 steak.

Still, we each ordered either a filet or rib-eye, wanted to fulfill our steak cravings after a long day in the boardroom. (Later, we also overheard the Linguini Carbonara was excellent too…).

Before our main course arrived, we unanimously agreed on trying the Classic Onion Dip, made with Caramelized Onions and served with Homemade Potato Chips (they are my cryptonite – I simply can’t say no whenever I see homemade potato chips anywhere in my travels!).

They did not disappoint.

Not only were the chips perfectly crisp, but they were still warm – cooked fresh to order. (Oh, and the dip was good too

But then the steaks came…

From the minute the manager AND the server simultaneously carried our plates to the table, we were drooling. My guests literally ate their words.

“This is the best steak I ever had…” emerged sheepishly between bites. All of us were in agreement.

Not only were they perfectly cooked and seasoned, but they were so tender. I found myself quickly running out of the mushrooms and glaze that accompanied it because of sopping them up with the roasted fingerling potatoes I ordered as a side accompaniment.

I want you to take special notice of the background behind the bite of steak, mushrooms & onions I’m about to devour in the picture below…

Do you notice the Smashed Potatoes & Green Beans on my friend’s plate? Those are the side dishes that typically come with the 8 oz Filet Mignon, but since she ordered the meal as it appeared on the menu, I thought I’d diverge with the Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and a Side Salad.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my choices, but her side dishes were amazing. I find mashed potatoes and green beans to be typically very average in hotel dining – these were very much to the contrary: smooth, velvety mashed potatoes and flavorful crisp green beans. I managed to steal a bite from her plate, but that was about it before they disappeared.

Needless to say, we barely left a morsel on our dinner plates. So when the offer came for dessert, we thought, “Well, maybe we’ll just try a bite…”

While I will still say the main course was the star of this show, we each enjoyed the sweet ending to our meal: the Tower of Carrot Cake, Chocolate Cake & Key Lime Pie.

Someone may have uttered at one point that the BlueFire Grill was their new favorite restaurant…

They only downfall we encountered was that amidst our dining experience, there was a larger group close to us boisterously hanging out in the lounge area, so it seemed a bit incongruous with our fine dining experience. But that idiosyncrasy still couldn’t eclipse the enjoyment of our meal.

What thrilled me most about discovering the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott’s BlueFire Grille was the fact that now I’ve not only discovered a good hotel restaurant, but I’ve discovered a new great restaurant. Period. And because I come back to South Florida so frequently, I’ll be able to come back regularly to the BlueFire Grill, even if my travels don’t include an overnight stay at the hotel itself.

If you live in Palm Beach County, you nave NO excuse not to check out this hidden gem, because I have a feeling it won’t be hidden much longer…

Filed Under: Restaurants, Reviews Tagged With: BlueFire Grill, florida, hotel, Marriott, PBG, restaurant

Art of Animation Cars Family Suite at Walt Disney World

December 4, 2012 By sami

Have you seen inside the Art of Animation resort at Walt Disney World yet? I’ve got a peak inside the Cars Family Suite for you this Christmas at the newest Disney resort, the Art of Animation.

If you watch the video, I also give you a tour inside Animation Hall, which houses registration, the “Ink & Paint” Food Court as well as the gift shop and arcade.

Here’s the tree inside the Art of Animation lobby:

The sky light just above the tree:

The registration area:

Detail of the animation wall:

I got to bunk with my friend Joey Fortman in a Cars Family Suite for the night while in Orlando for some meetings. The Art of Animation resort is 75% family suites, which means you can fit up to 6 people in these rooms. Take a look:

Each room contains a main bedroom with its own bathroom, a separate family room area with its own bathroom, a couch that folds out into a bed and a kitchenette. As you saw, they also have a family friendly desk with a murphy bed – too cool!

The courtyard around the Cars Family suites are also pretty amazing. It looks like you stepped right out of the movie into Radiator Springs!

I also LOVE the CARS details in the rooms. Of course this has nothing to do with the fact that our last name resembles most of the decorations…

I can’t wait to bring my family back to the Art of Animation suites here at one of our favorite vacation destinations, Disney World! The New Fantasyland also opens this week. Unfortunately I won’t have a chance to go into the parks this trip, but we can’t wait to uncover the fun and make even more memories here.

Have any of you stayed at the Art of Animation resort yet? Which section would you choose: Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Cars or Finding Nemo?

Filed Under: Reviews, Travel, Walt Disney World Tagged With: "art of animation", cars, Christmas, Family, hotel, suite, Travel, walt disney world

Gaylord Opryland Cyber Monday Christmas Deal!

November 25, 2012 By sami

I love that even Gaylord Opryland Hotel has a Cyber Monday Christmas deal for us! We just got to experience the most “Christmassy” hotel in the country last weekend for their Country Christmas and new Dreamworks Experience and it was AMAZING!

For the next 48 hours (or while inventory lasts) take advantage of room rates from $119 or value rates on the DreamWorks Experience package.

According to Gaylord Opryland hotel, the Cyber Monday Sale is valid for select Sundays through Thursdays at a very special rate for guests to experience Gaylord Opryland’s A Country Christmas celebration, save money and avoid the holiday hustle and bustle that occurs during the weekends and other popular times. Sale begins at 8 a.m. CST on Monday, November 26, and continues while inventory lasts.

Book online now

Trust me – this is an AMAZING price for an amazing place. I’ve also had a lot of you asking me for ICE! discount ticket deals; as of now there are no online codes, but I have all the Nashville locations where you can pick up ICE! coupons right now:

Click for ICE! Ticket Discount locations

Filed Under: Deals & Freebies, Nashville, Travel Tagged With: Christmas, cyber monday, deal, gaylord, hotel, nashville, opryland

American Girl Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago

September 2, 2012 By sami

IMG 5431 300x300 American Girl Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago

If you’re looking for a Chicago hotel experience that takes your daughter and her doll into the utmost consideration, consider checking out the American Girl® Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago.

On our recent “Luxury for Less” Chicago Road Trip, I wanted to introduce my children to some of the most special areas of my hometown, but I didn’t want to walk all over the city to do so.

Knowing that we were going to be spending time at the American Girl Place at Chicago’s famous Water Tower Place and that I would be alone with the kids, I wanted to ensure we stayed somewhere close by that would also extend their experiences beyond the store.

So I was thrilled to discover that American Girl already thought of this for me and partnered with some of Chicago’s fines hotels, like the Omni Hotel Chicago, to deliver their American Girl Place package.

IMG 5358 300x225 American Girl Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago

From the minute we pulled up just off of Michigan Avenue (and just a few short blocks from the American Girl Place), me AND my kids were treated like royalty, being greeted with kids’ activity backpacks and a selection of fresh, cold beverages…the perfect antidote to the Chicago summer sun!

IMG 5352 225x300 American Girl Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago

We didn’t have long to spend in our room before heading off to our American Girl adventure, but we were there long enough to discover for ourselves that the Omni Hotel Chicago is the Magnificent Mile’s only all-suite, all-plasma screen tv hotel that has also been named to Travel + Leisure’s list of top family hotels.

And it’s not hard to see why. Just take a look at these elegant yet classic rooms:

IMG 5355 225x300 American Girl Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago

I love that Kariss could be playing with her dolls in the sitting room while her brother could enjoy the flat-screen in the bedroom…and not bother each other!

And speaking of playing with her dolls, look at what greeted her as soon as we walked in!

IMG 5354 225x300 American Girl Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago

Every girl receives their very own American Girl bed, outfit & book…to keep! For my daughter who didn’t even yet have an American Girl of her own, this was such a special introduction!

And of course, we all LOVED the view!

IMG 5357 300x300 American Girl Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago

I also loved that even though we got back from our American Girl Chicago River cruise past bedtime, we didn’t have far to walk back to the Omni Hotel…and you won’t believe what awaited us when we got there:
IMG 5429 300x225 American Girl Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago

I had mentioned to the concierge before leaving for the day that we were at their hotel celebrating my daughter’s & my birthday…and would it be possible to have a card or a cookie for her once we got home. I couldn’t believe all the trouble they went through to make our double birthday celebration extra special!!!

IMG 5423 300x225 American Girl Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago

IMG 5422 300x225 American Girl Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago

IMG 5424 300x225 American Girl Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago

But what was even more special was the personalized note & turn down service that Kariss received:
IMG 5418 225x300 American Girl Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago

IMG 5425 225x300 American Girl Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago

Of course, what I didn’t realize was that everyone who partakes in the Omni Hotel Chicago American Girl Package receives the special candy display In fact, take a look at all the Omni Hotel Chicago AMerican Girl package includes:

Welcome card at check-in for the girl
American Girl® Doll-Size Travel Bed(s) to take home
American Girl® Pajama set for dolls including slippers for the girl to keep
American Girl® book to read at bedtime
Sugar and Sweet All-American Candy Display on night of arrival
$50 USD food and beverage voucher for the Omni Chicago Hotel per day
Voucher valid through room service or in 676 Restaurant
Cookies and milk with turndown service on night of arrival
Valet parking for one car per night
Entry into the quarterly drawing to win an American Girl® Doll (choice of doll not available)

Did you see the part about the food & beverage voucher? We chose to use ours for their fabulous (& that’s an understatement) breakfast buffet. With their combination of homemade jellies, locally grown produce, organic options and even a table just for kids, I would return to the city just to eat here!

IMG 5449 300x300 American Girl Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago

They even had special booster seats for the American Girl dolls!
IMG 5446 300x225 American Girl Place Package at Omni Hotel Chicago

And to think that these packages start at just $279 a night, even this frugal girl can’t find fault with the experience you receive for the value!

My only critique would be that the first impression when you walk in to your suite is a bit bland. When you consider the detail that has gone in to the rest of the room, not to mention the entire hotel, I wish there was a bit more pizazz in the parlor, but I suppose they didn’t want to take away from the amazing Chicago skyline

But don’t let that tiny insight dissuade you. My family didn’t want to leave our little piece of heaven just off of Michigan Avenue. We’re already plotting a trip back before Christmas when I believe the hotel and surrounding area would be even more magical!

Check out this link if you want more information on planning an American Girl getaway of your own at the Omni Chicago!

Disclosure: Our family received this package as a guest of the Omni Hotel Chicago in exchange for our honest review of the experience…and we would gladly do it again!

Filed Under: Reviews, Travel Tagged With: american, chicago, doll, girl, hotel, omni, package, Travel, vacation

Gaylord Opryland Summer Fun with Shrek package may surprise you

August 1, 2012 By sami

The Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention center really stepped it up when they created the Summer Fun with Shrek & Friends package!

When we were first introduced to the Dreamworks collaboration last year at the hotel, we were delighted to see the incorporated some character experiences into Opryland for the kids, but they still didn’t feel like they were part of the Opryland family just yet.

However, this summer was an ENTIRELY different story! Not only did they pack a TON of fun into a short amount of time, but each of the character interactions were well thought out from a kids’ point of view, not just an executive’s!

First of all, we got to stay in one of the newly remodeled Delta rooms. We’ve never stayed in the Delta before and with so much of the Shrek & Friends going on in the Delta atrium, we loved this location!

I think it’s safe to say the kids liked the room too

Upon arrival, each child received either Shrek or Fiona ears, along with a scavenger hunt guide, crayons and a coloring book, so even when you’re enjoying your atrium view with a beverage, the kids still have something to do!

The first stop on our adventure shortly after we got situated was the Princess Fiona Cookie Castle Decorating. You can read my entire post about our creations, but this was the perfect activity to both get in the Shrek spirit that got us all working and laughing together!

From there we moved out to the Magnolia Pool for some fun at the Madagascar Crack-a-lackin pool party! I do have to say that it was rather crowded and forgot that this was not a kids’ only pool. While there were plenty of games and poolside activities for everyone to enjoy (limbo, freeze dance, etc), adults could (& did!) participate too, especially in the karaoke….which turned more into “Nashville Star” than poolside fun.

We didn’t have long at the pool before coming in for dinner at Paisano’s (the have an AMAZING gluten free personal pizza…you just have to ask for it. Very reasonable – I’d come back just to eat that!). And then we had to make our way back to get ready for the parade of characters!

I suggest lining up a half hour early, otherwise you won’t get to borrow a costume for this event. Though it seemed like a little much to have to stand in line and wait for, the kids ended up loving it! Each character marches in the parade and each has it’s own costume elements that they hand out to the kids marching with them. Britton really wanted to be Puss ‘n Boots (I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the sword)…

And Kariss of course wanted to dress like a princess and march with Fiona…

The kids & characters marched all throughout the Delta atrium, eventually ending up just outside the Shrek character greeting area alongside the Delta river. Some of the kids in the parade even got to toss out gold, chocolate coins to the spectators!

While it was a bit of a pain to coordinate, it seemed well worth it in the end. They even had their own band leaders for the march! (Yes, that’s my son sandwiched between them & Po in the picture below).

But no rest for the weary. NO! We had to immediately go back out to the pool for the evening edition of the Crack-a-lackin pool party and what turned out to be one of the kids’ favorite parts of the weekend, swimming in the dark and watching a movie under the stars:

I kept thinking they wouldn’t make it through the whole movie, but they did. (Of course the free popcorn and proximity to the swimming pool helped!). After coming back for showers and chocolate on the pillows, her highness finally seemed ready to settle down for the night.

Yet we didn’t get much sleep before it was time to wake and enjoy our Shrek Feast:

and of course study under Master Wu at the Kung Fu Panda Academy of Awesomeness (my personal favorite of the entire weekend):

The kids sure were sad to go…

…but not without first getting our free bowl of special ingredient noodle soup they earned for being such brave dragon warriors!

The great thing about Gaylord Opryland for us is that it’s practically right in our backyard in Nashville, yet it offers us an affordable way for our family to escape for a weekend and truly feel like we’ve taken a vacation…even though we’ve never left our hometown! More importantly, the kids love it and as a parent, there’s little else you can ask for than that

You know we’ll be back, will you?

Filed Under: Reviews, Travel Tagged With: friends, fun, gaylord, hotel, Kids, opryland, shrek, summer, Travel

Princess Fiona’s Cookie Castle Decorating at Gaylord Opryland

July 28, 2012 By sami

We recently got to experience Princess Fiona’s Cookie Castle Decorating experience Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, TN. It was actually the first thing we did after checking in for our Summer Fun with Shrek & Friends package and it was the perfect way to start our stay with our DreamWorks friends.

After we were seated in the Water’s Edge Dining Area (the same area where the Shrek Feast is held), a baker’s helper came out with Fiona. Even though she had a wireless mic on, it was hard to understand her, though I think she was setting up a story about how the Fairy Godmother had ordered a bunch of cookie castles and she wanted us to help her make them.

All our daughter cared about was that she got to see Fiona after taking care to braid her hair just like Fiona and put on her Princess Fiona Ogre ears….

Kariss was especially excited to show Fiona the doll she found of her at a consignment sale, and Princess Fiona seemed equally excited to meet her mini-me:

We didn’t waste any time starting in on our cookie castle decorating. We had a choice of white or green castle (we chose green), then were given white frosting and a bunch of candy to decorate with. Considering my lack of decorating skills, the kids were very grateful that daddy made it to Opryland in time to assist with this project:

Our first born dove right into this project:

And while our first-born took painstaking care in choosing what candy to use where in the castle, our second-born took equal care in choosing which candy to eat first

OH, and he also found some creative uses for the squeezable frosting that was supposed to be used as our glue:

At the end of the construction process, the kids took part in a very cute ceremony where they each received unique names from the kingdom.

Princess Fiona seemed very grateful for their help:

And of course daddy couldn’t let Fiona go without a picture with the fair princess:

The Princess Fiona Cookie Castle decorating was included in our Summer Fun with Shrek & Friends package, but anyone can go to Gaylord Opryland and pay $29.95 per family to participate without even staying there in the hotel. To be honest, I’m not sure if I would have traveled there exclusively for this event alone, but it truly was a great way to kick off our weekend, not to mention a fun activity we all got to participate in together as a family!

In exchange for my honest opinion, our family was provided this experience by Gaylord Opryland. I’d love to hear what you thought of this experience if you’ve taken part in it as well!

Filed Under: Events, Reviews, Travel Tagged With: Castle, cookie, Decorating, Fiona, Fiona's, gaylord, hotel, Kids, nashville, opryland, princess, resort, tn, Travel

Gaylord Opryland Country Christmas 2012 Announcement “Shrek the Halls”

July 19, 2012 By sami

Have you heard the news? Gaylord Opryland made their 2012 Country Christmas announcement yesterday, and this year’s celebration will feature Shrek & Friends in a new ICE! adventure “Shrek the Halls” November 16, 2012 – January 1, 2013.

Even though the temperature’s were skimming 100 degrees at yesterday’s press event, it was Christmas in July at Nashville’s iconic Gaylord Opryland resort! All of our favorite Dreamworks characters were there to help make the announcement and even start hanging some of the millions of lights that will go up by November to transform the resort into the most “Christmassy Hotel in the Nation” (as deemed by the Travel Channel).

You can watch just a little bit of the celebration here:

Another new addition to the 29th annual Country Christmas will be the Lorrie Morgan Enchanted Christmas Dinner & Show. This Grand Ole Opry member will replace the Louise Mandrel show you may recall from year’s past. Lorrie will be joined by her family of musicians to take audiences on an “enchanting journey through Christmases past & present, featuring songs from Lorrie’s popular Merry Christmas from London album along with many hits of her platinum-selling 16-album career”. Though I’ve enjoyed past shows, I can’t way that they have always been engaging for younger audiences, so I’m looking forward to seeing what this new show has to offer for families of all ages.

In addition to the 2 million twinkling lights, other returning favorites include the Holiday Shrektacular, Holly Jolly Town Square, The Hall of Trees and more. You’ll also be able to see one of my favorite shows, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes at the iconic Grand Ole Opry house right next to the Gaylord Opryland Resort.

If you just can’t wait five months for all this fabulousness, don’t forget that you can still celebrate Summer Fun with Shrek & Friends through September 2, 2012.

And of course, what’s a trip to the Gaylord Opryland Resort without a relaxing cruise around the Delta. I don’t care how many times we’ve done this boat ride, it never gets old!

If you’re looking for a deal on A Country Christmas Package, or on the Christmassy DreamWorks Experience package, make sure to check out the Gaylord Opryland Facebook Page or their Twitter stream for savings of 20% off!

Filed Under: Events, Reviews, Travel Tagged With: "Shrek the Halls", 2012, Announcement, Christmas, country, gaylord, hotel, nashville, opryland, Travel

Walt Disney World Coronado Springs Resort Review

May 27, 2012 By sami

This Walt Disney World Coronado Springs Resort Review is based on our 7 night stay in May 2012 that included both a blog conference event stay and a family pleasure stay.

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort is located between Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park and falls into their “Moderate Resort” category.

I had stayed at the Coronado Springs resort years ago, but it has since been renovated and some nice amenities have been added, most notably free wifi throughout the resort and beautiful sliding doors dividing the sleeping area from the bathroom. This latest feature served us especially well especially since I had to wake up much earlier than the rest of the family and it allowed me to get ready with ease knowing I wasn’t going to disturb their sleep! (Formerly, only a curtain pulled to divide the two areas, which did not give nearly as much privacy or sound protection.

We typically don’t stay in moderate resorts because we don’t feel like the small increase in room size over the value resorts & the inclusion of a “beverage cooler” (aka mini fridge) warrants the substantial difference in price. However, the Coronado Springs resort is laid out beautifully, and I appreciate the inclusion of the Rix lounge to hang out in and work, along with the new quick service snack shop located right off the main lobby where you can grab a quick snack or even refill your Disney refillable mugs.

The pool was also a big hit with the family. While we had a “quiet pool” located right outside our rooms, we also spent a good deal of time at “The Dig”, the much larger pool featuring not only a large pyramid in its center, but also a very fun and non-threatening water slide with a spitting jaguar that even my 44″ tall 6 year old felt comfortable going down by himself.

While the convention center was not the grandest nor the newest of facilities on the Walt Disney World property, everything was VERY conveniently located and the furthest ballroom was less than a 10 minute walk from my room in the “Cabanas” (Building 9B). This made it nice if I had to go back to my room in the middle of the day to drop something off or freshen up.

The Coronado Springs resort also features two other restaurants: The Maya & The Pepper Market.

I have yet to eat at the Maya, which is the nicer of the two restaurants, however we have frequented The Pepper Market over the years. It looks exactly like you’d imagine as an open-air market, but one thing has changed in 2012. Though dinner you can still visit various stands and make your choice among them, breakfast and lunch have become all you can eat buffets (around $14.99 for breakfast and $16.99 for lunch). If you go for dinner, try the nachos or fajitas, both of which are plenty to share amongst two people and will cost you around $10.

Other fun free activities to make note of for the kids at Coronado Springs:
* Daily pool activities & games (with prizes!)
* Campfire every night at 7pm
* Disney movies shown outside under the stars at 9pm

We got a great rate with the conference that extended through our entire stay, but otherwise I still don’t think I’d pay the extra money for the moderate resorts. Also, when traveling with a conference, you’re eligible for discount theme park passes, including some “After 2″ and “After 4″ passes, so that you can enjoy the parks after you’ve been in your meetings all day

Have you ever stayed at Disney’s Coronado Springs resort? How would you review the property?

Filed Under: Real Women, Travel, Travel Tips, Walt Disney World Tagged With: coronado springs, hotel, moderate, resort, review, Travel, walt disney world

Disney Art of Animation Resort Project Manager Interview

May 25, 2012 By sami

I’ve taken you in the lobby and out to the pool at the new Disney Art of Animation Resort, but now you can get a sneak peak inside the rooms as I interview Nicole, a project manager for the latest Walt Disney World Value Hotel.

She helps us discover the thinking behind the rooms, what differentiates it as a family suite and how they carried out the theme without making it too ‘kitchy’!

2012 04 28 DSSM Art of Animation 034 300x168 Disney Art of Animation Resort Project Manager Interview

2012 04 28 DSSM Art of Animation 035 300x168 Disney Art of Animation Resort Project Manager Interview

2012 04 28 DSSM Art of Animation 041 300x168 Disney Art of Animation Resort Project Manager Interview

Filed Under: Reviews, Travel, Walt Disney World Tagged With: "art of animation", hotel, interview, nemo, resort, room, walt disney world

Disney Art of Animation Nemo Pool Video

April 29, 2012 By sami

Continuing in our sneak peak into the Disney Art of Animation resort hotel, we move out of Animation Hall and out into the Nemo pool area!

You are literally made to feel as if you’re the size of Nemo swimming in the ocean, complete with larger than life coral and those pesky seagulls perched atop the neighboring hotel stairwell