A stone’s throw away from Lake Shore Drive, the Reservoir is the first of many underrated restaurants to welcome you off the parkway and into the lively Uptown neighborhood. For those who stop by for a beer or a fresh burger, it’s a treat, to say the least, but for neighbors and residents living adjacent to Montrose Ave, it’s a second home. From their curated seasonal cocktails and brews to their daily specials (ranging from Taco Tuesday’s to Build-Your-Own Burger Thursday’s), this local watering hole provides more than just a warm meal and a place to gather, it’s the community so many are searching for amidst a city crawling with local options. If you’re lucky, you get to call yourself a customer. If you’re local, you instantly become a regular. From the back of the house to the best bartender North of Irving Park Road (lookin’ at you, Terri!) walking in the front door feels like you’re being welcomed home. It’s clear to everyone who eats there that David, the owner, treats his staff like family. And even when COVID shuttered most of their indoor seating options, he bent over backward to create an environment that both his staff and his customers felt comfortable dining in. If you’re in the Uptown area, you don’t have to look far for great food from all over the world, but if you’re looking for a simple beer and the best sweet potato fries you’ve ever laid eyes on, look no further than your local watering hole, The Reservoir.
The Russell: Nashville, TN
This past Thanksgiving, my husband and I had to make an impossible choice: to travel to Savannah to say goodbye to his dying grandmother, or to play it safe with COVID and stay at home.
It truly was a gift from God that the Russell was the exact halfway point for our road trip down South (traveling from Chicago). This breathtaking hotel, perched upon a hilltop in Nashville’s East Neighborhood, did more than provide a clean, contactless hotel experience. It gave us the opportunity to truly relax in the midst of what could be called “the least relaxing year of our lives”.
If the impeccable design choices and colorful interiors weren’t enough to persuade you to stay, the motives behind their mission statement just might seal the deal. The Russell is an active participant in the “Rooms for Rooms” program, and the average weekend stay in their gorgeous hotel provides 16 nights in a bed, 100 free showers, and 30 free meals to the homeless community in their own backyard of Nashville, Tennessee. Some could argue that turning a church into a hotel is “not the point of a church”. As a Christian, I would like to offer the following argument: is it not the soul purpose of the church to feed the hungry, provide for the least of these, and love thy neighbor? If that is the point of the church, then the Russell is the best example of any church I’ve ever attended in my whole 24 years of life.
Staying in a hotel can be a hard choice for many to make during this time. But if you’re in the Nashville area for a bit, or just stopping through for a night or two, there is no better place you could choose to rest your head for the night.
Little Arches: Barbados
It’s been just over a year since my husband and I stayed at the Little Arches. Every day that has passed since then, we have dreaming and saving any spare change we can find to get back to our beloved “Barbados Family”, a name we have dubbed for the incredible staff and servers at this life changing (no exaggeration) hotel.
Traveling internationally can be exhausting (we live full-time in Chicago), but the moment we stepped into our room at the Little Arches, we instantly felt like we were at home. One of the benefits of staying in a boutique hotel like this one is that every face is familiar. From the moment you arrive to the day you leave (you won’t want to, trust me) you are treated with the love, respect, and adoration of a beloved family member who’s just come home for the holidays.
Even if Café Luna (one of the islands most sought-after restaurants) wasn’t just a few steps from your room, you would be more than comfortable simply lounging in your quaint but spacious room. However, their sun deck and pristine pool isn’t a bad alternative either if you’re looking to soak up that glorious Barbados sun.
Even after a year, we feel closer than ever to the servers, bartenders (lookin’ at your Damien!), cleaning crew, and of course, the fabulous staff (Sandra and Emma are truly the best in the ‘biz).
This gorgeous hotel was restored by The Cothrans (you might run into them if you’re lucky!), and it’s abundantly clear in every brick, tile, and tassel that they care so deeply about not just preserving the original Bajan architecture, but elevating it to a design degree that is unparalleled anywhere else on the island.
We could not have asked for a better honeymoon location, and look forward to the day when this virus is over and we can head back to our Bajan Home again.
Source: https://www.littlearches.com/
Sonic Drive-In: Monteagle, TN
It is rare that a quick turnaround rest stop meal goes perfectly. However, on a sunny Tuesday at 10:30 in the morning, I had one of the best Sonic experiences of my adult life. My husband and I ordered two #14 combo meals (one sausage one bacon if you're really wondering), a large orange juice and a large iced coffee with milk and a little sugar.
We pulled up to the drive-thru window and received one perfectly packed bag and our two drinks. Two piping hot burritos were nestled underneath side-by-side tater tots, so fresh that steam wafted out of the bag when I opened it.
When I tell you this iced coffee was the best iced coffee I've had from a fast food restaurant, I'd be only telling you part of the truth. I have paid upwards of $6 for coffee that hasn't been nearly as satisfying and balanced as the iced cold brew prepared for me at this location. If you are taking a trip on Hwy 24 and have to stop to eat, look no further.