“As soon as I arrive to how it all fits together, I have to fathom out the ‘system’ of the city, have to walk, sniff, observe, sit in the buses and trams, make the city my own.” – Cees Noteboom, “Nomad’s Hotel” Back for yet another installment on the one and only New Orleans (last article was on French Quarter… Read more →
A recent weekend trip to the Monterey/Pacific Grove/Carmel area was ‘just what the doctor ordered’ for my deadline/detail-overloaded mind lately. The Renaissance Man and I took to the rocks along the sea like kids, climbing as far out as we could get, oohing and aahing at big waves and shimmering blue. California is one gorgeous place and there’s a reason… Read more →
ANGELINI OSTERIA The best Italian I’ve eaten in Los Angeles… even LA Times calls Chef Gino Angelini: “hands down, the best Italian chef in LA.” Angelini Osteria is cramped: you’re literally sardine-packed in, but affably flirty Italian waiters and gustatory pleasures make you (almost) forget. You have to shout above the din, but even with a group of friends, I… Read more →
Back to incomparable New Orleans… I continue to share of my long list of finds after recently renting an apartment on the edge of the Quarter, exploring every neighborhood I could (here’s my last installment, more to come). The French Quarter, touristy though it may be, is everything it’s reputed to be and more (next time I’ll share fave jazz… Read more →
Having lived in Orange County/LA area a good portion of my life (with family still there), I head down South regularly, exploring LA haunts as much as I can, struggling much more in OC to find high-caliber food and drink but always on the hunt. My recent visit provided yet more experiences worth sharing… DRINK Seven Grand – This is… Read more →
New Orleans, city that enchants me. Even in its gritty crime and scarred, beating heart, it is radiant, full of history, color and hope. I have many places to write about here… too many for even multiple articles. But I’ll share some from time to time, hoping you’ll go and explore like a local. Here are favorites from Treme and… Read more →
Miami was never on my travel wish list. I don’t find much to excite me about Florida and am not at all drawn to the South Beach party scene in Miami in particular. But I didn’t mind the opportunity to visit close friends there with the Renaissance Man. I knew I’d love South Beach’s Art Deco architecture and Little Havana’s… Read more →
We’re back to enchanting Charleston for island eats and drinks with a view. CHARLESTON BARS VENDUE INN: A casual rooftop bar atop a charming, historic Inn. On a warm day, feels like a margaritas (regular or watermelon) and beer rooftop party: casual, relaxed, breezy. PAVILION BAR: On the Market Pavilion Hotel sits this romantic rooftop bar… ideal for taking in the sunset… Read more →
“Even without canals, Charleston is the Venice of America. It’s an incredibly beautiful city on the sea, perfectly preserved, a living museum, but not at all Disneyfied like Colonial Williamsburg.” – William Stadiem, “Everybody Eats There” What a shock to come through the drab drive across South Carolina and Charleston’s seedy outskirts to find a city so pristine, museum-like. It’s… Read more →
August led me to the tiny mountain town of Jackson Hole, at the entrance of the Grand Tetons near Yellowstone. Just landing in the airport, the only one inside a national park in the US, is a thrill. The Tetons’ jagged peaks pierce the bluest of blue skies, making a majestic line along the valleys of grass and wildlife below. Near this… Read more →