After a dreamy week in Hawaii, I have a slew of recommendations to share with you, which will be a multi-part series. This time around, I focus on street food and the KCC farmers market in Honolulu, then food on Oahu’s fabulous North Shore, surfing capitol of the world. HONOLULU Street Carts & Farmers Market KCC Farmers Market – The… Read more →
My January jaunt to LA yielded a number of discoveries from mediocre to delightful – here’s a rundown: Latest & Hottest A-FRAME, Culver City – I hit A-Frame, Roy Choi’s (of Kogi Korean taco truck fame) latest restaurant, just a few weeks after it opened. How could I not love the converted IHOP with a-frame shape and outdoor patio punctuated… Read more →
Not to be confused with downtown LA’s Library Bar (a pleasantly casual, book-lined hang-out, though not memorable on the drink front), the Library Bar, hidden in the back of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel‘s lobby, makes about the best cocktails I’ve ever had in LA (alongside the New York classicism of The Varnish and molecular creativity of The Bazaar). And that… Read more →
Fortaleza is truly a special tequila. On my recent visit to Tequila, Mexico, this distillery enchanted with its agave covered hillsides and haunting caves. Fortaleza means fortitude, though in Mexico, you’ll find their bottles labeled Los Abuelos in memory of the grandfathers of Guillermo E. Sauza, the fifth generation producer who passionately runs Fortaleza by old world methods. He comes… Read more →
My last jaunt to LA yielded a few spots I thought you should know about: OLD PLACE, Agoura Hills – Take to the winding roads of Agoura Hills where happening upon Old Place feels like a mirage in the wild West. The smell of BBQ lures you in, while a rustic wood porch makes you want to pull out a… Read more →
The gritty air and poverty in Guadalajara faces you as soon as you take a cab from the airport to downtown. But this first glimpse is hardly the make-up of the place. As dusk falls and you wander Plaza Tapatia, an enchanting 17-acre walkway that goes on for blocks in the Centro Historico (historic center) behind the largest and most… Read more →
A RESTAURANT, Newport Beach – PCH-situated A Restaurant in Newport Beach oozes 1970’s, from its shingled roof, red and white exterior, and neon lighting, to its wood-paneled, red-boothed interior. But what shocks is its gourmet inclinations, and heartwarming, retro spirit sans kitsch. Salads like Fig+Burratta ($13) showcase those two beauties over arugula with Marcona almond duck prosciutto and balsamic drizzle.… Read more →
“In New Orleans, gluttony is a way of life.” – Morton J. Horwitz I’m getting those Basin Street Blues again. I’ve done articles on the Uptown, Carollton and Garden District, more Uptown & Bywater, on French Quarter food and drink, and the Fauborg Marigny and Treme neighborhoods. Now I cover the more commercial, high-rise-littered CBD, where some of Nola’s best… Read more →
It’s New Orleans’ time… again. I’ve written on the Uptown, Carollton and Garden District, CBD, on French Quarter food, more Quarter eats and drink and the Fauborg Marigny and Treme neighborhoods. Here’s more from my July visit to Nola in the Uptown/Garden District and Bywater, plus coffee and breakfast stops. Uptown/Garden District HANSEN’S SNO BLIZ – In early 2009, I… Read more →
Tales of the Cocktail brought me back to my beloved Nola. I’ve done articles on the CBD, Uptown, Carollton and Garden District, Fauborg Marigny and Treme neighborhoods, and on French Quarter food. Now I’m back in the Quarter with drink and food updates… French Quarter Cocktails Loving the time-transporting atmosphere of the truly magical Jean Laffitte’s and the dank, historical… Read more →