Search results for

Blueberry Boy Bait may sound like a B-side song from an alternative band, but it’s actually just an ice cream flavor offered by Humphry Slocombe, a small shop in the Mission District. Owner and former pastry chef Jake Godby has made the name Humphry Slocombe synonymous with flavors and ingredients not often found in ice cream or sorbet. Case in point: best-seller Secret Breakfast, the flavor that launched a thousand Humphry Slocombe fans, a combo of homemade cornflakes and bourbon. Traditionalists will be happy to find “normal” flavors, too, but it’s Godby’s “march to your own drum” ethos that brings out his best work and keeps people lining up for creative scoops. Pick up a copy of The Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream Book, with 40 recipes you can re-create at home.

We weren’t quite lucky to see the snowcapped covered mountains in the lovely lakeside village of Pokhara since we visited during monsoon season. But it was a perfect way to start our introduction to the area and cross over to the trail leading up to the Peace Pagoda. Pay a few ruppees, pack a picnic lunch and guide yourself around the serene Lake Phewa.

The daily duck parade at Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate is quite the sight to behold. Every morning at 10 a.m., a single caller uses different whistles and motions to corral some one thousand Indian Runner ducks away from their pond and onto the grounds of the wine estate. While entertaining to watch, the parade is performed for more than just amusement—the ducks have been helping with pest control in the vineyards since 1984, devouring hundreds of snails, slugs, and other unwanted insects each day.

Recently, the vineyard also started working with WWF South Africa and other conservation agencies in the region on a project related to indigenous waterfowl habitat rehabilitation. Learn all about it on a visit, and be sure to ask about touring the duck pen and breeding area with one of the herders.

Charleston is a relatively small city to sport a food court, and Workshop’s out-of-the-way location on the Peninsula’s Neck underscores that. Situated in a Silicon Valley-esque complex of start-up office spaces, you’ll need to drive to get there, and once at the modern, industrial food hall, you’ll be faced with some tough decisions. The rotating vendors have included Juan Luis, a Tex-Mex spin from BBQ master John Lewis, and seasonal booths where the city’s up-and-coming chefs test out their latest concepts, from Japanese sliders to shareable Indian small plates. Although the vendors change regularly, there’s always a coffee shop, a craft pizza or burger stand, and a variety of ethnic options, making Workshop a must on any dining tour of Charleston’s latest and greatest. It’s also directly adjacent to Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co., a popular hangout and generally regarded among the city’s best breweries.

The moment you walk into Buba’s, you feel like family. It’s easy to understand why when you consider that surrounding this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it hillside restaurant are Buba’s house, Buba’s sister’s house, and Buba’s Brother’s house across the street. Buba’s own two daughters, nephews, cousins, and other miscellaneous family either host, help in the kitchen, play dj, man the bar, or simply greet visitors from their porches with welcoming, West Indian waves. This homegrown approach extends beyond hospitality to deliciously impact the food as well. Nearly every fruit, vegetable, and herb used in the dishes at Buba’s are all grown on the sloping overgrown gardens surrounding the restaurant. The result is a quintessential island restaurant with no real set menu. Instead, expect the freshest ingredients of the day lovingly coaxed into a collection of authentic Caribbean fare like rice and peas, stew chicken, steamed veggies, salad, and more.

Panificio Bonci, which opened in November 2012, is legendary baker Gabriele Bonci’s bread bakery. Located in the Trionfale district—not far from Bonci’s famous pizza-by-the-slice joint, Pizzarium—the bakery sells loaves, sandwiches, and a handful of pasta varieties. There is also pizza by the slice (though a more conventional variety than you will find at Pizzarium) and pastries. Perhaps the greatest menu item, however, is pizza con la porchetta, a flatbread sandwich filled with slices of moist roasted pork and its crispy skin.

Driving down an old dusty dirt road near Vila Verde da Raia in the area of Tras-os-Montes in northern Portugal I could imagine the area in the 19th or 20th century.The region probably hasn’t changed very much. I have seen pictures of this road from the 1940’s and I can’t see any difference. The road was not paved then and still isn’t. There are no modern homes or strip malls. I loved the natural vegetation and the peaceful vista. After following the road for about 10 minutes, it curved to the right.There were huge sycamore trees on both sides of the road leading into a tiny tucked away village that dates back about 1,000 years or so. The village of Vilarinho had a small plaza and a well. There was a post office on one side of the square, a beautifully restored church ( I wished that I could have seen the original), and many whitewashed granite and concrete homes. I saw that most homes featured modernized interiors. Past the church was the cemetery and large fields of many crops. At first, the residents were very curious but warmed up and became very friendly offering stories of the village, the farming, and tales of the relatives buried in the cemetery. As I walked the village and farm grounds they kept their eyes on this “stranger”, but they were very happy when I expressed such interest in their lives, homes, and their lovely village. A side trip is always a travel bonus and is one of the rewards of going off on your own to mix with the locals.

After 80 some odd years as one of Houston’s most lauded and refined hotels, the historic Warwick Hotel went from Bach to rock, when new owners gave it a slick makeover and renamed it Hotel ZaZa in 2007. A bold beacon in the Museum District, the dimly lit hotel is a virtual playground for adults, with daring decor, baroque details, and an outdoor pool with private piazza-themed cabanas. While it maintains much of its original 1920s architectural elegance and details, including Baccarat chandeliers, the interior walls are splashed with modern art and iconic editorial-photo shots of beloved celebs.

Many rooms and event spaces are themed, including the space-inspired “Houston, We Have a Problem” Suite and the Conspiracy Room, which nods to Prohibition. A recent refresh includes newly renovated 11^th-floor meeting rooms, new mattresses, new carpet, spa and fitness center upgrades (including treatment room tweaks and the addition of innovative infrared saunas), and new in-room flat-screen TVs. Bottom line: even an overnight stay feels like a true escape.

Formerly the 1888 Hotel.
What used to be a wool shed in the middle of a sheep farming area is now a youthful hotel that celebrates the Pyrmont district’s heritage while featuring the full suite of modern amenities. Opened in 2013, the hotel is an extravaganza of wool, which is found in the felted black lampshades attached to old pulleys in the lobby, in the lower wall panels in the hallways, and as carpeting throughout the building. The old Wool Brokers Arms is visible across the street from the heritage rooms on the west side of the hotel. Modern and cheeky touches also abound at this boutique property, known as the world’s first Instagram hotel. There’s an empty “Selfie Frame” hanging amid mismatched furniture in the lobby, and guests with at least 10,000 Instagram followers are offered a free night’s stay. (Mere Instagram mortals have a chance to win, too, by using the hashtag #1888hotel to be entered into a monthly photo contest.) 1888 is also a leader in sustainability; the hotel preserved the building’s original ironbark beams and built desks from recycled floorboards. The minibar is more conscious than usual, too, stocked with Alter Eco chocolates, Charlie’s juices, coconut water, and fresh milk. The best things about 1888 are the little surprises. Even the hotel’s name has a double meaning: 1888 was the year the building was constructed but was also the year that the Kodak camera debuted.

This incredibly innovative Catalan-inspired restaurant is led by world renowned chef Daniel Negreira, who learned his craft under the watchful eye of Ferran Adrià at the former Number 1 restaurant in the world, elBulli. DN innovación is a great example of how fine dining has recently exploded in Taipei, a city known as much for its food as for its tourist sites. Although Negreira was trained in the mountains of Spain, he gains a lot of inspiration from Taipei, especially the city’s many markets. Be sure to make reservations well in advance, as this popular restaurant fills up fast.

Woolloomooloo’s quirky name was sourced from a town in Australia, as are the coffee beans used to make its signature “flat white” coffee drink (served in a glass, Aussie style). Opened by a Taiwanese-Australian architect, this popular eatery offers a solid menu of Western dishes in an industrial-chic space. Though it’s called a “cafe”, Woolloomoolo is more communal canteen than intimate coffee shop, boasting long wooden butcher tables and steel-clad walls. Though its menu includes staples such as pizza and pasta that are found in almost all of the many Western-style cafes throughout the city, Woolloomoolo stands out from the pack through specialties like Aussie meat pie and Greek moussaka. Avoid the lunch rush on weekdays, when Woolloomoolo transforms into a sophisticated cafeteria, with crowds of nine-to-fivers squeezed around the tables to take advantage of the hearty lunch specials. Patio seating is also available at the Xinyi location, a perk rarely seen in Taipei eateries. When weather permits, enjoy a flat white made with imported Aussie beans while sitting in the sunshine. 886/(0)2-8789-0128 (Xinyi Store)

Hong Kong’s tram system dates back to 1904 and still plies some of the same routes, stopping on average every 820 feet. Locals affectionately call the trams Ding Ding because of the bells rung when the trams approach a stop. The main line runs across the whole northern edge of Hong Kong Island, along what was once the waterfront, between Kennedy Bay and Shau Kei Wan Road, passing through the Central Business District and bustling Causeway Bay area. The six routes cover 19 miles and more than 100 stops. Most cars are double-decker and were rebuilt in the 1980s or later, but No. 120 dates back to the 1950s and still sports seats made of rattan and teakwood.

There are two ways to walk up to the Galata Tower from Karakoy Tram Station: One is to follow the pedestrian traffic and ascend an uninviting steep staircase close to the tram way; the other is to take the more picturesque Kamondo (Camondo) steps on Bankalar Caddesi. Neo-Baroque and early Art Nouveau styles were fused here in the 1870s to create this curvaceous thoroughfare up one of Istanbul’s steepest hills. Abraham Salomon Camondo, of the wealthy Sephardic Jewish Camondo family, funded the construction. He inherited the banking and business success of his forefathers and went on to become the prime banker for the Ottoman Empire in the district of Galata where the stairs are located.

Stop by Loló’s new and improved location on Valencia street for a colorful atmosphere, delicious mezcal cocktails, and a creative Jaliscan-Californian cuisine. Owned by a husband and wife restaurateur duo from Jalisco, the western Pacific district of Mexico, Loló is open for dinner and brunch, highlighting traditional Mexican flavors with fresh Californian ingredients. Order several of the smaller plates—try the panko avocado tacos or the huitlacoche and requeson, stuffed wonton ravioli—and share. Reservations available. Loló is open Mondays through Thursdays from 6 pm to midnight and Fridays through Sundays from 11:30 am to 5 pm and 6 pm to 1 am. Sunday brunch is available from 11 am to 4 pm.

Bangkok, of course, is very much its own city. But New York districts, specifically Brooklyn, are exerting a strong influence in certain quarters. These Williamsburg stylings are, for the most part, mercifully unaffected with little of the self-consciousness often associated with hipster culture. One such vibrant enclave is located on Sukhumvit Soi 51 near the Thong Lor skytrain where ZudRangMa Records and WTF sit cheek by jowl up a small side alley. ZudRangMa specializes in retro Thai sounds and releases excellent compilations on its own imprint. Next door, WTF Gallery and Café has a winning combination of potent cocktails, eclectic sounds and occasional art happenings and events.