A few weeks ago, fellow GT blogger John Wroblewski wrote in “Blog Inspiration” about giving and receiving suggestions of where to go and what to do through the GT blogs and the magazine itself. Just this week I used one of John’s recommendations from one of his blogs to enjoy some great dining and a fun and unique atmosphere while visiting my daughter in the Chicago area. We dined at Two Brothers Roundhouse Brewery in Aurora, Ill., and found it a delightful experience and one we’ll want to repeat in the future.

We’ve recently enjoyed some other great dining experiences, and the idea for seeking out each came from two different sources. While in the Napa Valley recently, my husband and I decided to leave the confines of the resort where we were staying and poke around town a little bit and find a place to eat. We went without a clear idea of what kind of cuisine we were looking for, planning on just strolling the streets and figuring we’d come upon a place, peruse the posted menu and be inspired (or not) to step inside for a meal.

We took advantage of the resort’s shuttle bus to drop us in the heart of downtown Napa, along with a few other couples. Our driver informed one of them that our next stop would be at their destination, a restaurant called Grace’s Table. My husband recalled having read something about the place (perhaps in the in-room dining guide back at the resort), and right then and there, we decided to give it a try. We were completely happy with the “global kitchen’s” locally sourced and wonderfully prepared dishes and thanked our fellow resort residents for providing the inspiration to lead us there.

Another inspiration for dining out came to us this week from a theater program. We’re visiting my daughter to see her performance as Mina in a local community theater production of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Seeking somewhere to dine early before Sarah’s call prior to last night’s performance, I remembered seeing an ad in the play’s program I perused over the  morning’s breakfast. After checking out the menu online, we settled on Mécénat, located just a few blocks from the theater in the Chicago suburban village of Western Springs. Once again, we enjoyed a delicious meal in a warm, inviting atmosphere with great service and decided we would happily dine there again.

I realized that our inspirations for where we choose to dine or stay or seek out leisure pursuits come from diverse and sometimes unique sources. I hope you’ll share some of your stories of unusual or inspired sources for entertainment and dining options.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor