Dheeraj has been my masseur--and friend--for four years now. He is a remarkable masseur and a wonderful human being. His massage truly is like no other. His oils from India are different from standard massage oils. They clear the sinuses and stimulate the skin. He was obviously well trained in his massage school, but his techniques are unique--truly "Dheerajian." He somehow uses hands and knees simultaneously so your muscles are stretched in several directions at once. His studio is clean and comforting, and if you're lucky, his cat Naina will let you pet her. But it's always HER decision. Obviously if we have a four year massage/friend relationship, Dheeraj is doing something--everything--right.

I took Crystal up on her invitation and came back to Troquet a day or two ago, hoping the clove vodka cocktail would still be available. It was, and that made me very happy (even happier after I drank the potent little cuss!)

Everything else was quite good too: a nice serving of knockwurst and a mug of hard cider. As a Nutella fan, I especially enjoyed the Nutella mousse for dessert, rich enough to be wicked but a small enough portion to avoid downright sinfulness.

The service remains excellent. I like this place.

Not normally fond of sports bars and such but this place is a welcome exception. The bar area has a slight country club ladies who lunch vibe, but food more than compensates. The booth was too dark to read (a real problem for book loving single travelers). Fortunately the in-boothTV had been removed from my table and I could ignore all the other TVs in the room. (Good God, America! How many sports channels do we need?)

The sangria was good and potent--gave me a slight buzz. Since it was a chilly early-fall night, I ordered the braised short ribs with root vegetables. They were delicious. Service was attentive and personable. A good meal for my night in Normal.

I didn't experience any of the problems that others have experienced here. This is a slightly older hotel, and since it's in a college town, I suspect it gets rough treatment on football weekends. Nonetheless the hotel is clean and comfortable. There were no problems with my room. The lobby is a little dark and dreary, at least on an overcast early fall morning. The free breakfast was suitable, but if you want more, there are a couple of places within walking distance. There was almost no one here on a Thursday night, so the place was almost morbidly quiet. The pool is small, more for kids than swimmers. I scoped out other local hotels and found them to be -- ahem -- abnormally pricey for this area ($150 for a weeknight room in Normal? You're kidding. I can get cheaper rooms in the Loop.). If all you want is a Normal place to sleep and shower, stay here and pocket the sixty bucks you'll save.