Cyn There Done That

Cyn There Done That Cynthia Marneris | Chicago & Austin Lifestyle - Digital Creator for all things food, fun + fashion

Officially one of my favorite vacations ever. 🇮🇸 Prior to my visit to Iceland, I heard others describe it as otherworldl...
12/23/2024

Officially one of my favorite vacations ever. 🇮🇸 Prior to my visit to Iceland, I heard others describe it as otherworldly. However, I didn’t fully grasp what they meant until I witnessed it irl. Iceland’s many spectacular natural wonders are just jaw-dropping, and honestly, these photos and videos don’t even do it justice.

We took an extraordinary three day tour through the countryside with , where we got to see Iceland in all of its glory. 😍 We experienced glaciers, ice caves, volcanoes, geysers, waterfalls, lagoons, black sand beaches, mountains, fjords, rainbow clouds and so much more! Albeit dim, we even got to see the northern lights. Unfortunately, the visibility and intensity were not cooperating, but I’m still grateful we got a glimpse.

We also spent a couple wonderful nights at in the country’s capital of Reykjavik, which is such a fun and charming city. 🌃 We enjoyed wandering around and admiring the architecture and holiday lights, as well as stopping in the cute little shops and restaurants. Our favorite meals in Reykjavik were at and . So good!

I truly believe everyone should have Iceland on their bucketlist. I don’t think you’ll regret it! 🥹

A couple side notes about traveling to Iceland in the winter:
🌅 the days are very short, with the sun rising for us at about 11:30am and setting at 3:30pm. This was a trip, but it did make for some insane sunrise and sunset views!
🧊 if you’re interested in activities like northern lights, glacier hiking and ice caves, they are only available during the winter months.
🥶 honestly, I hate the cold, but the temperature really wasn’t too bad (30s F, most of the time). In fact, it was warmer in Iceland than it was in Chicago. Someone told us, “there is no bad weather in Iceland, only bad outfits,” which is so true! You just need to pack for the occasion and dress warmly.

Birthday Dinner Part II. 🥂 It’s been a magical several days of birthday celebrations, and albeit a little tired, I am fe...
11/26/2024

Birthday Dinner Part II. 🥂 It’s been a magical several days of birthday celebrations, and albeit a little tired, I am feeling beyond grateful for the outpouring of love I have received from everyone. I am truly blessed to have so many special people in my life. My heart is overflowing with adoration and appreciation for you all. 🥹

As another amazing birthday surprise, my husband took me to 2-Michelin star in Chicago’s Fulton Market to partake in an extraordinary 10-course tasting experience. ⭐️⭐️ It was an unforgettable evening of elegant and innovative dishes, beautifully presented and thoughtfully paired with an incredible selection of wines from all over the world. I’ve shared a few shots from our meal, here, for you to peruse. The level of care and detail that goes into each and every plate is just astounding! 🤯 The service is also world-class and even included a brief tour of the kitchen, where all the magic happens.

Here is everything we enjoyed on the Ever tasting menu, with a little sparkle next to my favorites:
▪️Oscietra Grand Reserve Caviar - brioche, huckleberry, lemon balm
▪️Delicata - oats, kumquat, oxalis
▪️Coconut - lime, kaffir, coriander blooms ✨
▪️Hiramasa - mandarin, mustard, fennel ✨
▪️Maitake - watermelon, kombu, nasturtium
▪️Potato - picholine, vanilla, mushroom leaf ✨
▪️Wagyu - red wine, pistachio, hyssop ✨
▪️Cranberry - olive oil, sweet cream, verbena ✨
▪️Banana - hibiscus, passion fruit, hoja santa
▪️Tiny Sweets - raspberry or piña colada ✨

Such a spectacular journey of delicious flavors! I love the fun bread assortment they offer throughout the meal as well. Just a nice little extra touch. I very highly recommend Ever for your next special occasion! I’m going to nap for the next month now. I’ll see you in January. 👋🏻😉

So fresh and so clean, clean. 🧼 If y’all know me, you know I’m a little bit of a perfectionist. 🫣 I like things neat and...
11/13/2024

So fresh and so clean, clean. 🧼 If y’all know me, you know I’m a little bit of a perfectionist. 🫣 I like things neat and tidy and in their places. With that being said, I’m also very busy and often on the go (probably eating something somewhere 😉), so I don’t have a lot of free time to accomplish all my lil tasks, least of all taking my car to get washed.

Enter .co. When I heard about this mobile car wash service, I was intrigued by the mere fact that they come to YOU. 🫵🏻 Whether you’re at work, home, the store or your favorite restaurant, they will actually meet you at your Chicagoland location and get your car looking shiny and brand new again, both inside and out, in a jiffy! 🚗✨

I recently made an appointment and they came to my home to perform the Luxury Super Sport Service with extra focus on my seats (our furbaby joins us on a lot of our adventures, so pet hair!). 🐶 The whole process took a couple hours, and after they worked their magic, my car looked incredible. 🪄 I am obsessed with their thoroughness and attention to detail!

If you value your time like I do, definitely check them out. 👏🏻 They actually have Something BIG Coming for Black Friday this year that will upgrade your car care experience, so stay tuned and follow .co for the latest! This season, give the gift of convenience. 🎁

💦

Happy birthday to my best friend, my hand model, my favorite person ever. 👨🏻 What do you get the guy who never asks for ...
11/11/2024

Happy birthday to my best friend, my hand model, my favorite person ever. 👨🏻 What do you get the guy who never asks for anything? The answer is simple. Burgers. Lots and lots of burgers. 🍔

Burgers pictured here: , and don’t be fooled by the third burg—those are just socks. 😜

We also threw in some extra birthday fun:
😆 a conversation with Larry David
✨ a visit to a new Mexican restaurant with (more to come)
🥪 a brief break from burgers with The Dante
😱 a scary late night movie with Heretic

C’est si bon. 👌🏻🍔  set the scene on Sunday for a cute ladies’ brunch in Bucktown. This cozy neighborhood cafe and wine b...
11/04/2024

C’est si bon. 👌🏻🍔 set the scene on Sunday for a cute ladies’ brunch in Bucktown. This cozy neighborhood cafe and wine bar is Michelin-recognized (Bib Gourmand) and they have a fun, casual menu that rotates seasonally.

During our visit, we all really enjoyed the Crab Croquettes and I couldn’t help but devour the Slagel Farm Burger. It comes with two juicy beef patties, caramelized onions, pickles, american cheese, greens and a special sauce. 🤤 It truly hit the spot! Seriously, so good.

We also sipped Espresso Martinis and shared a nice bottle of Sancerre. The word “pompette” is the perfect way to describe our little Sunday Funday. 🤭

Happy Halloween, from Mr. and Mrs. Cheetah and Lil Flamin’ Hot. ❤️‍🔥Skip to photo 3 to witness the spiciest (and cutest)...
10/31/2024

Happy Halloween, from Mr. and Mrs. Cheetah and Lil Flamin’ Hot. ❤️‍🔥

Skip to photo 3 to witness the spiciest (and cutest) Hot Cheeto on earth. 🥵

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. 🤫 BUT since we’re friends, I’ll give you a little peek into our shenanigans and s...
10/25/2024

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. 🤫 BUT since we’re friends, I’ll give you a little peek into our shenanigans and share some of the highlights. 😈

🐺 La Mortazza (one of the best Italian meals, highly recommend)
🤠 Raunchy, hilarious, exciting
🍅 Signature Bloody Mary from Jardín
🌍 Finally visiting and seeing Postcard from Earth
🍸 The Bellagio Martini from Petrossian Bar
🎸 Reliving my youth with a view of
💜 Ube Stuffed French Toast
🏙️ Admiring the view from our room (pool and spa are incredible)
🍣 King Salmon Truffle
🤖 Meeting my first humanoid robot (she has a sense of humor, which is mildly frightening 😅)

Surf ‘n’ turf. ✨ We recently stopped by the stunning  patio in Fulton Market for a little date night. This restaurant ho...
07/06/2024

Surf ‘n’ turf. ✨ We recently stopped by the stunning patio in Fulton Market for a little date night. This restaurant holds a special place in my heart because we had our engagement dinner here several years ago. 🥹 It’s always such a nice dining experience! Their steaks are consistently tender, flavorful and cooked to perfection, plus their seafood is high-quality, well-brined and succulent.

During our most recent visit, we enjoyed a glass of welcome champagne, followed by the following:
🦞 Half Seafood Tower
🥩 24oz Bone-in Ribeye
🍟 Beef Fat Fries
🌱 Blistered Asparagus
🍸 Dirty Gin Martini
🍹Paloma

As always, everything was incredible. I feel like BLVD is underrated. If you’ve never been, definitely add it to your Chicago hit list! 👏🏻

Mind, body and soul. 🤍🤍🤍 We are now back from Sedona, AZ, and I must say, it was really tough to leave. Sedona is the pe...
05/30/2024

Mind, body and soul. 🤍🤍🤍 We are now back from Sedona, AZ, and I must say, it was really tough to leave. Sedona is the perfect destination to unwind, meditate and admire the beauty of nature, and we had such a nice time getting some much-needed R&R. This trip was extra special because our sweet pup, Lucy, came with us on her first-ever plane ride. 🥹

Aside from a little pool time and general sightseeing, here are some of my favorite things we did:
🏜️ Sedona Tour - we visited several sacred spiritual sites and vortexes with , including Airport Mesa, Amitabha Stupa & Peace Park and Seven Canyons
🧖🏼‍♀️ Spa Treatments - we partook in some healing and relaxing massage treatments at , particularly the Nature and the Myofascial Bodywork
💃🏼 Local Culture - we visited , a charming arts and shopping area inspired by a traditional Mexican village
🌈 Psychic Readings - we experienced aura readings by (enjoy my mug shot! 🤭), where we were photographed to see what energy colors surrounded our bodies, the colors were then interpreted to gain insight into our emotional and spiritual well-being

Although eating and drinking were not the focus of this trip, you know we visited some great restaurants. Here are my faves:
🍕 - casual Italian, great for lunch, multiple patios, red rock views, pet-friendly with a doggy menu, we enjoyed the Calabrian Sausage Soup and the Gluten Free Chicken Club Wrap
🍳 - casual American, perfect for brunch, misted patio, red rock views, pet-friendly with a doggy menu, we enjoyed the Normandy Brie Soup with Black Truffle and the Healthy Baja Shrimp Tacos
🥩 * - upscale Latin, gorgeous interior, red rock views, we enjoyed the Cubano Skirt Steak and Lisa’s Lovely Lemon Mashed Potatoes with Luscious Lobster Scampi
🍸 * - upscale Italian, elegant decor, we enjoyed the Siciliana Cozze (Mussels) and the Dirty Martini with Blue Cheese Olives

*Top 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America for 2024 by OpenTable

#2024

A little gals’ night out. 🍝✨🍷  in Chicago’s Gold Coast is an all-around hit with a cute aesthetic, hearty pasta dishes a...
05/11/2024

A little gals’ night out. 🍝✨🍷 in Chicago’s Gold Coast is an all-around hit with a cute aesthetic, hearty pasta dishes and a nice wine selection. We really enjoyed our dining experience! Here’s a breakdown of the menu items we ordered for your perusing pleasure:
▪️Lavender Haze Collins - Ford’s Gin, lavender simple, lemon juice, club soda
▪️Barbera d’Alba, GD Vajra - Piedmont, Italy, 2021
▪️Whipped Feta & Truffle Honey - house-marinated olives, pistachios, roasted peppers, rustic sourdough (added prosciutto di parma)
▪️Garganelli alla Norcina - fennel sausage, black truffle cream sauce, pickled fresno chilis
▪️Squid Ink Campanelle - rock shrimp, saffron chili butter, tarragon, pangrattato

Everything was so good! Highly recommend this sexy spot for your next ladies’ or date night destination. 💃🏼🤌🏻❤️

Who you gonna call? 👻☎️🗣️ As an 80s baby and someone who grew up on everything Chicago,  was a household name during my ...
04/09/2024

Who you gonna call? 👻☎️🗣️ As an 80s baby and someone who grew up on everything Chicago, was a household name during my childhood. From Blues Brothers, to Ghostbusters, to My Girl, to Coneheads (the list goes on, really), I spent endless hours watching his movies, several of them on repeat. I, personally, believe he’s a comedic genius and icon, and I am so sincerely grateful I had the honor of meeting him last night at an event hosted by and . A night I will never forget! More on that to come in a future post…

Isn’t my dress giving Slimer? 😁💚 The fit courtesy of: Rumia Dress by .

Where to eat right now in Austin!🍸✨🥘 If you’ve been to Austin, you know they have some amazing food destinations, so aft...
03/27/2024

Where to eat right now in Austin!🍸✨🥘 If you’ve been to Austin, you know they have some amazing food destinations, so after being there for nearly three months, we, in the words of Larry David, ate pretty, pretty, pretty good. It was really tough narrowing my list of favorite dining experiences, but here goes nothin’!

My top 10 dining experiences of this most recent trip to Austin:
🥩 .tavern
🐙
🍣
🍜
🦞
🍝
🥯
🥙
🍷
🌮 (particularly, the Taco Omakase experience)

For a fantastic meal, I HIGHLY recommend any of these spots. I am excited to make my return! 😋👏🏻🥰

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