Diva-liscious

Mark DeCarlo visits the island of Maui and invites you to join in on all the fun. As heard on Mad Dog's radio show in Palm Springs: The Maui Prince, Hawaii -Filled with enchantment and romance, this Hawaiian paradise will find its way into your hearts without emptying your pockets. Rated one of the top hotels of the island, the Maui Prince is now offering amazing rates for all their rooms, including ocean front rooms. Their amenities range from spa to complimentary valet to wi-fi in your room, should you need it. Take advantage of their Special Packages or let them take the worry away from planning a wedding! That's right, lucky divas! They also have wedding packages, complete with every detail, including the fabulous backdrop of Black Rock and red sunsets. *** Email us at diva@travelingdiva.com for more info and special rates not advertised on their website! and..... shhhhhh... the secret to their free upgrades!!!!!! diva@travelingdiva.com

By Angela Rocco DeCarlo Thanksgiving conjures multitudes of memories and impressions in our minds of stupendous family meals.  There is the enduring image of going to grandma’s house where she spent all day in the kitchen cooking up homemade ravioli and other special holiday dishes - a feast for her eager family.  While the adults snuggled around the dining room table, the kiddies caused a ruckus in the kitchen. These days I’m no longer the young mother with small children, but the grandmother, who has never made homemade ravioli. The shame of it haunts me – but only for a little while. Times change. This year I engineered our Thanksgiving dinner, but did not cook it, as we dined in comfort and charm at the splendid Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach, California. I’m sure my mother never enjoyed such luxury back in Chicago. The BBC provided the ideal venue for an elegant family Thanksgiving dinner, serenely soothing with tinkling piano in the background, and I knew every song being played, including the lyrics. It wasn’t just recorded noise…it was authentic music. The four-course menu offered several choices ($75 adults; $37 children) – and all were declared “delicious.”  Though I am the only ...

It's that time of the year again... summer is gone and the slow, steady cold winds of winter start to creep up. Angelenos need a break from the everyday. Away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, you'll find a thriving city with the charm of a small town in which to relax. Claremont, once again, a diva's getaway. From LA: Take the 134 to the 210 exit North Towne Avenue South. Ontario International Airport (ONT) - 10 miles; Los Angeles - 40 miles Hotel Casa 425 is just what it claims to be: a home away from home. Located on the town square, within steps of fine restaurants, cafes, boutiques, art galleries and the prestigious Claremont Colleges, Casa 425 is a sophisticated boutique hotel with spacious rooms with clean lines and understated art. This diva recommends you grab a drink at the hip lounge or a complimentary green apple on your way out.   Another great alternative is the Doubletree Hotel Claremont. DIVA's TIP: All Doubletree Hotels offer a warm cookie at check-in. If you are nice, you can get more than one.... :) Want to float off into winter? Try Essentials Day Spa & Salon at the Doubletree ...

Who would say no to dining Chicago style with Arlene & Joe Mantegna? This diva found herself amongst a herd of Bears, Chicago Bears that is, in the valley's only authentic Chicago style restaurant. Taste Chicago offers a culinary gateway to the Windy City and a great alternative to hum-drum LA food. "Fugetabout"calories, tofu, or fat free anything when you go through the doors at Taste Chicago. You'll be overwhelmed by the smell of Chicago pizza. My favorite.. sausage..yum! The pizza, as advertised, is truly ' a meal in itself.' You may want to ask the server to cut it in half or quarters and share with your group, that way they are forced to order something different to share with you. ;) Try the meatballs, with that delicious red sauce, and of course the famous beef 'sangwich.' Thin sliced of authentically seasoned roast beef, served on a bakery fresh Italian roll with your choice of sweet green peppers or hot giardiniera. Ahhh.. slice of heaven... For the more adventurous type, the Taste Chicago hot dog is not your ordinary wiener. This all beef Vienna sausage comes with an array of mustard, celery salt, relish, pickles, onions, tomatoes, and peppers.. just no ...

By Angela Rocco DeCarlo Warning: This is not an unbiased review. I love Las Brisas Restaurant for its incomparable location. The place is quaint, just comfortable enough to satisfy, with flashy rose gardens in seasonal bloom, but make no mistake, it is the ocean which holds pride of place. It sits on a promontory overlooking the sun-dappled Pacific Ocean, with curving Laguna Beach to the south replicating vistas of Italy's Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, our families' ancestral home. For us former Chicagoans, the place, especially in January, represents a fantasy of beauty and breezes (hence the name The Breezes) to which we've brought our most beloved family and friends. Our Chicago-born fathers, Mike DeCarlo and Pete Rocco, taking their first plane ride in their 80s, relished the experience of eating in sunshine on a winter day. My sister, Christine, and others have shared our delight in merely being in this sublimely spectacular spot. Native Californians cannot fathom the depth of pleasure experienced by we cold-clime folk, who find ourselves squinting into the winter sun as we munch delicious Las Brisas nachos on the terrace. We can almost feel we're again visiting fabled Positano, Italy, seated on the terrace of the celebrated ...