The Siberian American

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Best Places for Brunch in Chicago

One of the emails I receive most frequently since our year in Chicago is people asking me where to eat in the city. I’m currently working on a huge guide to restaurants in Chicago, but today, I wanted to share my favorite places for America’s favorite pastime—brunch.


Wildberry Pancakes and Café
The Signature Berry Bliss Crepes is one of the best breakfast items I’ve ever had, and Chris really loved the Caramel Apple Pancakes. Put that together with their amazing Wildberry Orange Juice, and it’s pretty much the breakfast of my dreams. The only problem with Wildberry for brunch is they don’t serve alcohol, but their delicious orange juice makes up for it!

Wildberry is extremely popular, so I would suggest getting there as early as possible. You can also use the “No Wait” Yelp app to get in line without having to be there physically.

The Bongo Room
The Bongo Room is known for its pancakes, and Chris was a big fan of his. I opted for spinach flour breakfast burrito, which was both unique and tasty! The next time we’re in Chicago, I want to try the deconstructed lobster roll benedict.

Please note that the South Loop location does not serve alcohol, so if that’s important to you, go to Andersonville or Wicker Park.

The Gage
We went to The Gage for brunch when friends came to town for a girls’ weekend, and my only regret is not going again! The Gage has it all—great breakfast mixed with plenty of savory choices. I loved their cinnamon buns (made with salted caramel!) and peach bellini. We also decided to go crazy and try their fried pickles, and they definitely didn’t disappoint. The smoked serrano aioli they came with was spectacular. The Gage also has a spectacular location in the South Loop super close to Millennium Park.


Have you been to Chicago? What is your favorite place for brunch?

Monday, November 7, 2016

Seven Books I Read in October

How is it already time to share my books for October? Honestly, I had another blog post ready for today, and then I realized it’s time for the Show Us Your Books linkup. October was a weird reading month for me. I started out in a major reading slump. Nothing I read really worked until I switched to exclusively thrillers. One note: I have been thinking of categorizing my book reviews by how much I liked the book, like others do in this linkup. Would this be beneficial for anyone?


The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
(c/o NetGalley)
I really liked Room, so I decided The Wonder was worth a try. Lib, a nurse who trained under Florence Nightingale, is sent to Ireland to observe a young girl who has not eaten for four months. Is it a hoax, or is the girl really able to survive without eating? My problem with this book is it took me forever to get into it. I really liked the last fourth of the book but had a hard time getting there. It was a unique read, which I really appreciated, but I wish it took less time to set the story.


Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig
(c/o NetGalley)
In general, I liked this story of Flynn trying to figure out what happened to his girlfriend January after she went missing. This book is both a thriller and a coming of age story. I liked Flynn as a character, but I felt like the mystery was a bit formulaic and predictable. It was a decent read but not one I would go out of my way to recommend.


Siracusa by Delia Ephron
(c/o NetGalley)
I have mentioned it in the past, but I strongly believe that sometimes you read a book and don't really like it because of the frame of mind you are in at the time. I think that's what happened with Siracusa. I liked the writing, but most of the time I was really annoyed at the characters. The story did get better as it went on, but it never really wowed me.


You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott
(c/o NetGalley)
How far would you go to help your child excel? Devon is a child gymnastics prodigy, and her parents have devoted years to her success. Then, six weeks before her tryouts for Senior Elite, a tragedy occurs in the gym. I really enjoyed this book. I know how crazy the gymnastics world is, and this book explains it well. The thriller aspect was a bit weak at times, but I still really enjoyed it and read it in a day.


Baby Doll by Hollie Overton
(c/o NetGalley)
After eight years in captivity, Lily's kidnapper finally makes a mistake, and she escapes. This book is the aftermath of what happens-to Lily, her daughter, her twin sister Abby, her mother, and her kidnapper. It's suspenseful and emotional, and I couldn't put it down.


Beautiful Maids All in a Row by Jennifer Harlow
(c/o NetGalley)
I really liked this first book in a new detective series (though I think it works well as a stand alone). Iris is a unique character-an FBI agent who left the field after losing her husband at the hands of a serial killer. Two years later, a case makes her come back as a consultant. Then, the serial killer contacts Iris, and the story becomes even more interesting. This was a great thriller. It was interesting, with a few unique twists. I would definitely recommend it to those who love detective novels.


All These Perfect Strangers by Aoife Clifford
(c/o NetGalley)
This book surprised me. I saw quite a few negative reviews on GoodReads and thought I would hate it. There were definitely some problems: it was really a thriller and never felt suspenseful. I also wasn't a fan of the ending. That said, I thought it was a good character study. I mostly liked Pen, and the diary format worked. It's not the best book I have read, but it was definitely interesting!


Favorite reads in October: You Will Know Me, Baby Doll, and Beautiful Maids All in a Row

Linking up with Steph & Jana.

I love book suggestions. What have you read lately?

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Friday, November 4, 2016

Five Places I Want to Visit in Asia

Happy Friday, friends! Today, I wanted to fling my wanderlust further and talk about five places I want to visit in Asia. Considering the only country I have been to in Asia is Russia, I could have written a much larger list, but I thought I would go with the highlights for today!

Phuket, Thailand
Is it embarrassing to say the reason I really want to go to Phuket is because of The Bachelor? I knew I wanted to go someday, but seeing it on The Bachelor really put it high on my list. It looks so lush, and the beaches look gorgeous!


Great Wall of China
I have wanted to see the Great Wall of China since I was a little kid, so of course it made the list. I’m not sure I’ll ever go, though, because Chris is “eh” on going to China, and I can’t go without my favorite travel buddy.


Bali, Indonesia
I love the ocean, and the water in Bali looks incredible! I would love to see the Klungkung Palace and hike to a volcano.


Kyoto, Japan
Japan has always been high on my list of places to visit, and as much as I would like to see Tokyo, my first choice is Kyoto. I’d love to see some of the temples and the stunning gardens. Walking through the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove looks absolutely magical.


Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Since most of the places I picked for this list were for beautiful nature or temples, I had to go with Dubai as my final choice to mix it up a little. I would love to see all that luxury and interesting technology up close. Dubai is constantly changing, which makes it all that more fascinating to me!


Check out some of my other travel lists: 

Have you been to Asia? Where would you want to go?

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Seven Essentials for Every Road Trip

Lately, I have grown fond of going on road trips. As much as I love flying when we don’t have time to spare, when Christopher has a week off, we enjoy exploring the country on the road. In the last year and a half, we have been on three major road trips: from San Diego to San Francisco, a Lake Michigan Circle Tour, and our recent trip to the Smoky Mountains. If we had flown, we would have missed taking in spectacular views while driving on Highway 1, seeing gorgeous lighthouse on the shore of Lake Michigan, and taking in gems like Little River Canyon National Preserve.


Now that we have logged some miles on the road, I wanted to share my road trip essentials. I hope they’re helpful for the next time you hit the road!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link, I receive a teeny tiny commission.

Snacks and drinks
Before we head out, I like to go to the grocery store and stock up on snacks and drinks. As fun as it is to pick out random goodies at the gas station, that takes time while you’re on the road and is more expensive. Plus, gas station snacks are generally unhealthier. On our recent road trip, we picked up some Sensible Portions Veggie Straws, which made for a great snack.

Baby wipes
You know those veggie straws I just mentioned? They’re delicious and relatively healthy but also super messy. I love having a package of baby wipes around, so I don’t have to deal with sticky hands until our next restroom break.

A comfy pillow
As I’m getting older, I’m experiencing more back pain on road trips, so a comfy pillow is a must. I’ve tried so many different types of pillows, and this memory foam pillow from JCPenney is my favorite for road trips (and it’s super cheap compared to most memory foam).



Waze app and a map
Waze is a must on road trips. It’s a great way to find out where there is road construction or traffic when you don’t know an area well. I’m also a big proponent of having a physical map (or downloading all the maps you will need to “offline” on your phone). There have been many instances where we didn’t have service and had to rely on a physical map.

Dry shampoo and a hairbrush
After hours in the car, my hair isn’t at its best. Whenever we are making our big stop of the day, I like to freshen my hair with dry shampoo and brush it out. My favorite dry shampoo is Batiste or Amika.



Stain remover
Sometimes things can get messy while you’re eating or drinking in the car, so I like to keep the Tide stain remover pen in my purse. If you’ve ever met my husband, you know this is an essential!

Travel backpack
A travel backpack is an essential for me on every trip, but it’s especially important on a road trip. I don’t like to clutter the aisle of the car, so a backpack is perfect to pack everything we need while on the road.

Our travel backpack was getting old, so when Just Porter contacted me to try out one of their backpacks, I was excited. My excitement grew when I found out that for every purchase, Just Porter donates a backpack filled with school supplies to a child in need. There’s nothing better than a company that gives back!


Chris and I decided to go with the Hazen Professional Work Bag because it could double as his work backpack when we aren’t using it for travel. The separate padded laptop area in the front makes it perfect for both!


I love a travel backpack that can fit a lot of items without being super bulky. The cinch straps that make the bag look small even when it’s filled is fantastic, and I’m a fan of the lined sunglasses pocket. Large travel backpacks aren’t necessary for us on road trips since we can pack a suitcase, so the size of the Hazen is perfect! Now I want a second one for us for the next time we’re in Europe.


I received a Just Porter backpack for free to review, but all opinions are my own. 


Are you a fan of road trips? What are some of your road trip essentials?

Monday, October 31, 2016

Little River Canyon National Preserve: Fort Payne, Alabama

One of my favorite parts about road trips is getting to stop at interesting destinations along the way. On our Lake Michigan Circle Tour, that meant lighthouses. On our recent road trip to the Smoky Mountains, we were all about beautiful spots with nature and fall foliage.


To get to Tennessee and North Carolina from Texas, we had one long driving day and spent he night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The goal for the next day was to spend most of it in Chattanooga, Tennessee and get to Gatlinburg in the evening. Chris and I had done tons of research before this trip, and Little River Canyon National Preserve kept popping up when we looked into what to do in Alabama. Since it was on our way from Tuscaloosa to Chattanooga, we knew we had to stop by.


The biggest reason we wanted to visit the preserve was for the Little River Falls. Unfortunately, Alabama has been really dry this year, and the falls were non-existent. It didn’t spoil our fun, though, as we still got to see some pretty fall color and gorgeous views. Plus, we knew there were many waterfalls to come on this trip!


We love mini stops to break up hours of dropping, and Little River Canyon National Preserve was worth a visit. I would love to explore the area more if we ever come that way again.

Do you love mini stops on your road trips? What was one of your favorites?