We had one full, very busy day in Florence on our recent trip to Italy, and towards the very end of our afternoon, we decided to head over to the Pitti Palace to check out some (more) Baroque Art. The Pitti Palace is a massive museum south of the river, and is very impressive. The most impressive part to me, however, was how NOT busy it was on a sunny summer afternoon in Florence. We arrived around 3pm without having…
We love to snag a Michelin star or two while on vacation, especially exposing the teens to new cuisines and trying things that we most definitely will not be trying at Chez Aukse. Our summer trip to Italy was quite pricey, so we settled for only adding one star to our long list, and luckily, there is a Michelin starred restaurant at Como Castello Del Nero, where we were staying. La Torre is located in the main building of the…
The Duomo in Florence (actually properly named the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) is the number one thing to see in this city, and it’s easy to see why. One of the oldest cathedrals in all of Italy, and one of the largest cathedrals in the world, there is massive history here. And while most of the main part of the church is not really all that much to see, having the opportunity to really take the time and…
It was another year, and another cousin’s birthday dinner, when my two amazing cousins and I have to choose a place for our revered celebration. This year, we chose Osteria Langhe in Logan Square to catch up and raise a glass to another year around the sun. We dined here in August of 2026. Osteria Langhe has a very cozy neighborhood vibe with wood floors and a minimalist bar anchoring the space in the front of the restaurant. It’s not…
I’m so excited to share our experience at La Capanna Del Gallo in Tuscany, Italy, because it was easily one of the best meals we had on our entire trip to Italy. Not only was the food extraordinary, but the service was cheerful and easygoing (though not inattentive), and you can’t beat the sunset views here. La Capanna Del Gallo was recommended to us by the concierge at the Como Castello Del Nero where we were staying for three nights,…
Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf in Chicago is known to be one of the best, if not the best steakhouse in the city. I continue to praise their steaks, service and vibe, and regularly go to the Bavette’s outpost in Las Vegas (where it’s actually much easier to get a reservation!). This article, though, is going to focus on my recent (birthday!) experience sitting at the bar at Bavette’s Chicago as a walk-in. If you’re looking for my review of the…
If you’re a long time follower of ChiLuxe Travel, you’ll know that we’re on a mission to see every Caravaggio in the world, and have been so inspired by our search, that we’ve started a not-for-profit organization to bring Baroque Art more into the mainstream, making it more accessible through specially curated itineraries, interesting stories, and finding out more about the history of the time period. Obviously, when we were in Florence for a day in July, 2026, we had…
I have been loving the side-gig restaurants to high end Michelin-rated establishments lately, and All Well is no exception. Coming from the folks at two-starred Oriole (probably my favorite restaurant in Chicago- check out my ode to their awesomeness here), All Well is the even more chill (and less expensive) outpost where you can enjoy the incredible artistic vision of Noah Sandoval without having to spend a week’s pay. The prix fixe menu in the dining room is $120 per…
We’ve dined at Swift & Sons Steakhouse in Chicago on multiple occasions, and it’s about time I posted a review of the place based on all of our experiences. Listed at number 73 on the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list, Swift genuinely delivers an authentic Chicago steakhouse experience, without blending in with the rest of the crowd. The restaurant is located in the bustling West Loop neighborhood of Chicago, and occupies a massive corner space. It’s been open now…
This review has been a long time coming. It’s tough to be inspired to write about average experiences, and even after being somewhat let down, I thought that maybe time would improve my thoughts on this resort. Unfortunately, it hasn’t, and it’s time to finally put my thoughts out into the world about the Banyan Tree Mayakoba resort. We stayed here for our 10th Anniversary trip in February of 2026. The Location Banyan Tree Mayakoba is located about 50 minutes…