We took a ferry to Bainbridge Island while we were in Seattle. I would highly recommend going there. It is very pretty and easy to walk around. We shopped, had coffee and pastries, but the highlight was our lunch at Amelia Wynn Winery Bistro.
There are two patios at the restaurant and we sat on the back patio. It was really quiet and pretty. There were and umbrellas and that was good because it was sprinkling. We stayed dry and it was nice. There was plenty of room for us to sit comfortably. I am not sure that the front patio is accessible, but the back patio was just as nice. The inside of the restaurant is small, but there would be room for a wheelchair if you had the right table. Bainbridge Island doesn’t seem too busy, so it was nice and quiet. It had a very relaxing feeling.
We were able to walk right up, but for dinner, we heard them on the phone turning away reservations, so a reservation is probably a good idea.
They had really good octopus (but don’t tell my cousin Diana–we saw an octopus at the aquarium that she really loved). It had a spicy aioli and salad on top and served with potatoes. The octopus was grilled really well and the sauce was great! We all split a charcuterie board and empanadas. The empanadas had beef, potato, green pepper and olives in a puff pastry–YUM!!! My parents split a beet salad that they said was great. My mom tasted some of their wines and said they were amazing. She bought a few bottles to bring home. We could have sat there all day and tried everything on the menu; it was so good!
Bainbridge Island was a really good place to go and explore. I would highly recommend going and definitely have a meal at Amelia Wynn Winery Bistro. You will be happy you did!!!
Charcuterie condimentsCharcuterieBeet saladOctopusEmpanadas (2 missing–ate them too fast)
This hotel was amazing. We chose this hotel because we weren’t going to rent an accessible van for the trip and this one looked like it was in a good location. We were wrong, it was in a GREAT location!!! We were able to get everywhere we needed by walking. We went to restaurants along the waterfront, we walked to the Mariners’ ballpark, to Pikes Place Market, to the ferry to Bainbridge and to the Great Wheel. We did a lot of walking, but it was easy. Seattle has a lot of hills and there was an elevator one block down from the hotel that allowed you to miss going up a really steep incline. We didn’t venture much into downtown, so that might have been harder, but to do the touristy stuff, it was great.
The accessibility of the hotel was great. My mom remembered to get an accessible room this time and it was really roomy. We had a large entryway and the beds were spaced nicely. I could get anywhere in the room and not feel cramped. The bathroom was big and easy to use. We got a nice view of the water and the huge cruise ships coming and going. The hotel was easy to maneuver. They have large sliding glass doors at the entry and a very spacious lobby. This is a good thing because it is very busy due to the cruise ships. A lot of people who are cruising stay at this hotel for a night or two and then all check in and out at the same time. I never had a hard time getting through, even when it was really crowded. They had a side sitting room with a fireplace and lots of seating that was easy to get around. I didn’t use the pool, but went and looked at it. It had a chair to get in and out of the water and was easy to get around the pool deck. Next time, I’ll bring my bathing suit. They had an M Lounge that we can use because of my dad traveling a lot; these usually have breakfast, snacks and drinks all day. Due to Covid, this hotel had just snacks and drinks throughout the day, nothing hot. It was well laid out and had lots of seating that I could get to. It had a large automatic door and I could get around easily.
The beds were really comfortable and the room stayed nice and cool. The blackout shades worked well and I slept great! It is amazing how quiet the room was. There was a train down below and we never heard it. They have some construction going on in the hotel, but we never heard it in our room. The hotel is being remodeled and the areas that we were in (including our room) were finished. The lobby and common areas look great. Our room was very nice too. We had flooring in ours probably because it was accessible and it was easy to move around. We did stop on the 2nd floor for the pool and gym. I don’t think this floor was done yet as its colors and furnishings were a little dated. Once it is all done, it will be great!
I am not going to do a separate review of the restaurant, so I will talk about it here. We ate here a lot. We had breakfast everyday and 3 dinners here. They claim to have excellent clam chowder and they do. I had it 3 times and loved it. My mom ate their salmon and risotto twice because she liked it so much. They had flatbread pizzas that were really good. The only thing we didn’t like was their house salad; it wasn’t anything special.
The breakfast was really good. I shared with Mom and Dad. My mom loved their waffles with lemon, berries and butter, so we had that a few times. It was really tasty. My dad and I split crab Benedict and that was delicious. The hash they make is great; it doesn’t look like a typical hash. It had chunks of meat, potato and vegetables. We did not go wrong with any breakfast selection.
We have to give a shout out to Chris and Hank, who work in the restaurant. They are so short staffed, but you would not know it by the service you get. Chris and Hank were there every morning when we went down to breakfast. We started chatting with them and found out how many hours they are working. They are there all the time and giving awesome customer service. The hotel has not been able to open the full restaurant for lunch or dinner due to staffing shortages, so you order and eat in the bar area. It works out just fine, but I feel bad for all the people who are working so hard. At this hotel, we never felt like the staff was overworked (which we are sure they are). They did not let it show to the guests. Everyone was nice and accommodating, but we have to really thank Hank and Chris for all the great service, conversation and recommendations they gave.
If you are going to Seattle, I highly recommend this hotel. I will be back!!!
(I will get better at remembering to take food photos before we start eating; we are just ready to dig in).
Clam ChowderSalmon, risotto & broccoliniMeat FlatbreadHash WafflesFamily in the lobby
I have known Tanner for 18 years and he was my neighbor (his parents still live down the street). He is marrying this beautiful lady, Jessica. I am very proud of him because he got a good one.
They are getting married in California in June so his parents had a party here in Colorado so that his local friends could celebrate with him.
The food was amazing. It was catered by Cloud Nine Catering and the chef is John Olde. It was a greek theme, but they also had some really yummy Mac and cheese that you could put bacon on top of. It was so good. There were also gyros with all the fixings, salads and bacon wrapped figs. I liked all of it.
For dessert, there were cookies, candy and cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes. I had some of everything and it all was really good.
Tanner’s parents know how to throw a really good party. There were games set up in the backyard and lots of tables to sit and eat. We got to see some of our neighbors and some friends from my high school. It was great to see Adam, who is now working at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Tanner’s mom set up some fun games for Tanner and Jess. They played the newlywed game and then a game where we had to guess if a statement was about Tanner or Jess. It was a fun way to get to know them.
It was a really nice afternoon and a great party.
Congratulations Tanner and Jess. I wish you the very best.
5151 San Francisco Road NE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109
Accessibility
🥄🥄🥄
Had to maneuver to get to some common areas.
Comfort
🥄🥄🥄
Very comfortable bed. Good amenities.
Location
🥄🥄🥄🥄
Right off I-25, but not too close to any attractions. North end of town.
5 Spoon Rating
I stayed at the Marriott Albuquerque Pyramid North hotel from April 21-24 and we were not as pleased as we have been in the past. It may be due to Covid, but at some point, that cannot be an excuse anymore.
We had a really rude waiter at the breakfast buffet. We sat down and they said they would be right with us. We waited 15 minutes and no one came, so my dad went to pour juice (other patrons did as well). She snapped and told him that she would do it. Waited 5 more minutes and she didn’t show up, so he went back and poured our juices and coffee. We got our own silverware and my dad had to hunt them down to close out the check. No one helped us at all during that meal.
We get to go in the concierge lounges at Marriotts and the one here is not open on weekends, so that is why we tried to eat in the restaurant on Saturday. Glad we didn’t have to do it again.
My mom forgot to request an accessible room. A regular room with 2 double beds is really tight for a wheelchair. I was parked in between the 2 beds if we were in the room.
The hotel is built around an atrium and it is a little cumbersome to get into it if you need the ramps. You can get around, but we had to move some furniture to sit down there and enjoy a drink.
We did not use the pool this time, but you can access it fairly easily.
Marriott is not doing daily maid service any longer. You request it when you want it and then you can ask for room items and have them brought to you. That would be great if they actually brought you the items. We requested more towels on two of the days. No one ever brought them, so my dad got them from the pool area. Same with coffee for my parents; he finally just went to the front desk to get some. They never emptied our trash cans. We had two lights out in the bathroom and we asked them to change them and they never did.
This was not the most pleasant stay, unlike the ones we have had in the past. We will probably pick a different hotel next time.
It is large old home converted to a restaurant. It was easy to get in, but the dining are old rooms and tables are close together. Parking lot is dirt, so a little difficult but not too bad. Not very much handicap parking.
Noise Level
5
It was easy to have conversations with people at the table. Not a lot of background noise.
Food
4
Good selection of New Mexico favorites.
Katie, Moira, Mom, Me, Dad, Aunt Emily at El PintoFried Green Chile Strips
We had a great time at El Pinto catching up with my Aunt Emily and my cousin Katie. We went there on our first night in Albuquerque (Thursday, April 21). We hadn’t seen them since last July, when they came to Colorado.
El Pinto looks like an old house that was converted to a restaurant. It reminds me of Armando’s in Colorado. The parking lot was dirt and there weren’t very many handicap spots compared to the size of the parking lot. We had to park out aways and since there were a few of us, we unloaded the van and then my dad parked in a regular spot. It was easy to get in the main entry, but then you went down hallways. It wasn’t bad, but a little tight. We did not go out to a patio, so I am not sure about how accessible those are. The tables were kind of close together, but I had room at the head of the table. The gift shop was really tight and I didn’t really get to see everything in it. My mom brought stuff over for me to see. I bought a T-shirt.
We started with appetizers of fried green chile strips and guacamole. The green chile strips came with a red chile ranch; it was really delicious! I want to make it at home. In all the years we have been to Mexican restaurants, we have never had this and it was amazing. Their guacamole was great too. It had big chunks of avocado and was really fresh and served with good chips.
For dinner I had their famous red chile ribs. They fell off the bone and they were so tender. It wasn’t that spicy. They were named #3 ribs in America by the Food Network. My aunt had them before and she didn’t really like them because she was expecting a saucy rib, but they are more like a dry rub. My Uncle Miles really liked them and I really liked them too.
My dad had a combination plate; he liked their red chile the best, but enjoyed the whole thing. My mom had the queso burger and said it was just all right–not too much flavor. Moira had tacos and she liked them. Katie had a burrito that she really liked and I think Aunt Emily had tacos.
The older folks had margaritas and tequila and said it was all really good. They have their own tequilas and everyone seemed excited about that. I don’t drink because of my acid reflux, so I won’t really comment on alcoholic drinks, except to tell you if my parents were excited about it and they really were here.
It was easy to have conversations here. There wasn’t very much background noise and I could hear everyone at the table. It was a really nice atmosphere in the whole restaurant. It made me feel like I was on vacation.
I25 & Colorado Blvd near Dave & Busters, Denver CO
No Reservations Required, Upscale Food Hall
5 Spoon Scale
Accessibility & Seating
5
Very accessible. It is a wide open food hall and it was very easy to get around. There is also a lot of seating.
Noise Level
4
It was easy to have conversations with people at the table. There was music, but it was not too loud. It is wide open, so there is a lot of background noise.
Food
5
It was very good. It is a food hall so everyone can pick what they want. Lots of good choice.
I went to The Junction on April 18th with my friends Tara, Brenna, Mary Kate and my mom. It is an upscale food hall with around 10 different restaurants. For those interested, there is a full bar. There is also a coffee shop (whew)!
Later, I got an iced mocha latte at Sonder Coffee & Tea. It was really strong, so I had to put more chocolate in it when I got home. The espresso is really good though. My mom got an Americano and really liked it.
Mary Kate also went to Cleaver & Co. She got the chicken tenders and the mild was kind of spicy for her (she has a low tolerance for spice). My mom got the prosciutto sandwich at Mr. Miner’s. Tara got a sandwich there as well and Brenna had what looked like a falafel taco.
Getting around the food hall was easy. The tables are spaced out well. There are some community tables, but a lot of tables for 2-4. I could go around and look at the different restaurants and not feel like I was blocking anyone. There is outdoor seating, but it was a little cool when we got there. The noise was not too bad. I could hear everyone at our table and was easy to have conversation. There was some background noise because it is so wide open, but it was not too bad. I would highly recommend you go check it out. Everyone can get what they want and have a good time.
Located in Main Terminal of Denver International Airport on the 6th level
Accessibility & Seating
5
Wide open; opens into airport
Noise Level
5
Typical airport noise
Food/Drink
5
Awesome
`5 Spoon Rating
I love the airport and I went last night to pick up my cousin, Moira (she is one of my caregivers as well). Of course, I always have to stop for a coffee and I found this new place in the airport. I ordered the iced marble mocha. It was really rich and yummy. It had dark and white mocha in it and I topped it with whipped cream and a mocha drizzle. It wasn’t too strong, which I like because I have acid reflux and too much coffee can bother me.
I want people to come visit me and we will try it together when you fly in.
The airport is starting to look new as they are opening up the finished areas. There is still construction, but they have it marked well to get around. I can’t wait to travel and use the new check in kiosks. I will let you know how that goes when I travel this summer.
Hold On and Get Ready for Take Off 