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Bao Ju, etc.
Posted by Lynn Peters on 1/19/09 |
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 On Saturday I was in Neenah with friends and wanted someplace new and different for lunch. Bao Ju, located at 415 S. Commercial St., was our choice. The lunch specials are all around $6.50 and included a choice of soup, eggroll, entry with steamed or fried rice, and the obligatory fortune cookie. Lots of food, good service and the price was right. And besides that, everything was yummy.
Afterwards we stopped at the Eco Candle Company at 130 W. Wisconsin Ave. Wow! It was a carnival of scents. I sniffed every candle and soap in the place, 'til I couldn't tell what smelled like what. I especially liked the pretty homemade soaps and will remember them for future gift giving. There's lots of information about the shop and products at ecocandle.com
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Downtown Dash
Posted by Pam Seidl on 1/9/09 |
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 I had a few minutes between meetings while in Downtown Appleton the other day, so I thought I'd check out a few of the newer shops. First, The Corner Shop inside the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel. It has all the various sundries required of a store in a full-service hotel, but it's also THE place to get your Appleton and Wisconsin souvenirs, including the ever-popular cheesehead.
Live Oak Market features organic and locally produced grocery items, as well as a make your own salad station and several light options for a quick lunch in Downtown. Love the Bo-Bo bars.
Brewed Awakenings was bustling this late afternoon. They are not "new", but I always like to duck in and see what flavors of gelato are available. Even on a cold afternoon, the s'mores (with real graham crackers and marshmallows mounded on top) and the kiwi strawberry (with HUGE fresh strawberries) look phenominal!
Be sure to check out the new Downtown Appleton video on our website: Downtown Appleton Video
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2009 Visitor Guides Arrive
Posted by Lynn Peters on 1/9/09 |
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Our new Fox Cities Visitor Guides are here! If you're here in the Fox Cities, take a moment to stop in at the Visitor Center to pick yours up. If you're elsewhere, drop us an email or call us and we'll pop one in the mail to you.
The new guide has great photos and it's loaded with up-to-date info about things to see and do in the area. If you look hard, you'll spot me in one of the photos! |
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My New Year's Resolution
Posted by Lynn Peters on 12/29/08 |
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This year I plan to take a different approach to New Year’s resolutions. Instead of my usual “lose 20 pounds” resolution, I’m making a list of things I want to do in the Fox Cities in 2009. Every time a friend suggests a get-together, or when I’ve got a weekend with no plans, I’m going to pull it out and pick something I’ve never before done in the Fox Cities. Here’s what’s on my list so far:
-Shop at Chic to Chic
-Go cross-country skiing at Bubolz Nature Preserve
-Check out the new Michael’s craft store near the Fox River Mall
-Stay overnight at a Fox Cities B&B
-Have a long lunch the Tiki Bar at Waverly Beach
-Take a knitting lesson at Yarns by Design
-Enjoy a picnic lunch in the middle of the Fox Cities Trestle Bridge
-Take pictures of an eagle at 1000 Islands Nature Center
-Eat a giant steak at Lombardi’s Restaurant
-Look at every car on College Avenue during “License to Cruise”
Got other ideas for me? Email your suggestions to tourism@foxcities.org and (assuming they’re appropriate) I’ll include them in a future posting on this blog.
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Plum Hill
Posted by Lynn Peters on 12/22/08 |
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For my birthday I got a gift certificate for Plum Hill Cafe in Kaukauna, and what a nice gift it turned out to be! I went there for breakfast with my friend Sue on Saturday. Big mugs of excellent coffee got us off to a good start, followed by the croissant French toast for me and some kind of yummy looking crepe for Sue. We made so many "ooh" and "yum" sounds that some other guests decided they should check out our meals. The service was attentive and nice, the setting pleasant and the food delicious. Breakfast for two, with many refills of coffee, came to just under $20.
There's a small boutique on the second floor, but as far as I'm concerned, the restaurant alone made it worth the drive! You can see Plum Hill's menus at plumhill.biz
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Confucius Restaurant
Posted by Lynn Peters on 12/9/08 |
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In the midst of a heavy snowstorm, I met several friends for dinner at Confucius Restaurant for a wonderful dinner. I'd never been there before and was surprised by the decor. White table clothes and pale golden walls give it an upscale look, but the prices were quite reasonable.
With the snow blowing around outside there weren't many other people there, but even if it had been busy, the dining room is spacious and there's plenty of room between tables.
The menu includes a Thai food in addition to the usual items you find in a Chinese Restaurant. Jean had the Cashew Chicken, which looked delicious and Kathy had Moo Shoo Pork, which our waiter carefully wrapped in delicate pancakes.
In fact, our waiter was delightful. Without intruding into our conversation, he explained Moo Shoo Pork comes with pancakes instead of rice. And when Kathy laughingly commented that she didn't like the fortune in her fortune cookie, he returned with an entire platter of them. After she'd picked another, he tucked the rest into her bag to take home. How nice is that?
You can get details about Confucius at www.confuciousrestaurant.com .
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Wicked Tickets
Posted by Lynn Peters on 12/4/08 |
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Tickets for the Broadway blockbuster "Wicked" go on sale to the public at 7 AM this Saturday, December 6 at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. Doors open at 6 AM.
My friends at the PAC tell me tickets are likely to sell very, very fast, so if you're interested I encourage you to be there wickedly early! |
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It's Big - It's Green - It's Wicked!
Posted by Lynn Peters on 11/25/08 |
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| There's something huge and green being built at one of Miller Electric's Fox Cities facilities, inside sources tell me. When I combined that little tidbit with the fact that Miller's CEO Mike Weller is on the board of the Fox Cities PAC, I've come to the conlusion that decor for "The Wonderfully Wicked Gala" is shaping up at Miller. Is it the Emerald City? That's what I think! Want to know more about the gala? Go to foxcitiespac.com |
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Find Your Inner Artist
Posted by Kim Tisler on 11/20/08 |
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 Each year, the Fox Cities CVB staff sets aside a day to brainstorm the many ways in which we can further our mission of attracting visitors, convention groups and sports tournaments to our area. These strategic planning meetings serve a dual purpose in that they strengthen our commitment to the Bureau and to our ‘team’ of employees, and they allow us to visit and experience first-hand, one of our areas many attractions.
This year we found ourselves heading to ‘The Fire’ for a group art project. The Fire is a fine art studio in downtown Appleton, specializing in painted pottery and mosaics. We were greeted by the studio’s director, who did a wonderful job of showing us the wide variety of options from which we could choose, including painted pottery, mosaic mirrors, wall hangings and frames, and fused glass pendants and trays. We went from feeling quite overwhelmed initially, to being completely submersed in a creative art project of our own design and choosing. There were countless, reasonably priced ideas for projects and the staff was so helpful, friendly and encouraging. Here, individuals can find respite from their busy lives, and groups can gather for bridal showers, birthday parties, team-building activities, graduations, reunions, or time to simply reconnect with friends.
The Fire welcomes young and old alike, and families will find this creative activity to be a great way to channel a child’s extra energy, while spending quality, educational time with them. Whether or not you consider yourself an artist, with a little imagination, one can find their inner artist, and take home a beautiful piece of artwork all their own. |
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News of Note
Posted by Pam Seidl on 11/19/08 |
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Couple of items to note as you plan your visit to the area:
Downtown Appleton will host its Holiday Open House November 22nd. Retailers will feature free cookies and the Downtown Cool Trolley will be running from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. making stops all throughout College Avenue and the Riverfront.
Future Neenah will be holding its Community Christmas event December 4-6. The event features a Holiday Pops Concert, live mannequins, breakfast with Santa and more. Here's a link to the details: Future Neenah Community Christmas Event
Finally one of my favorite restaurants, Cannova's, in downtown Neenah will be opening for lunch beginning December 2nd. Lunch will be served Tuesday through Friday. Yeah!!! |
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