Category — Restaurants + Bars

1. Wolf down a wacky doughnut from Voodoo Doughnuts

Voodoo Doughnuts is famous for a reason- they have fabulous donuts and a slick sense of humor. While I opted for a relatively tame maple-bacon bar (maple bar with 2 thick slices of bacon on top) the special that day was intriguing: a caramel/Cheeto mashup called “Chester’s Revenge.” There’s often a line, so get a cup of coffee before you stake out your spot.

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I would love to tell you about all of the best restaurants in London, but London, of course, is enormous! It’s also expensive. So I will just have to tell you about my personal favorites. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it’s what works for me. In no particular order, here is what I like to eat…

Tea and toast at Paul Rothe & Son is a treat – and one of the cheaper things on this list. This generations-old shop in Marylebone is the perfect way to start a very English morning. Their white toast slathered with hunks of creamery butter and homemade jam go perfectly with a big cuppa.

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Shanghai might just be my all-time favorite Chinese city. This history-rich melting pot offers a little bit of everything you want—which shouldn’t be too surprising, considering its position as one of the world’s major global ports and the financial center of Asia, boasting a young, open-minded, and fast-growing population that currently tops off at close to 30 million. If you’re dreaming of visiting, here is a look at some of my favorite things. First, what to do, then, what to eat, and finally, where to sleep.

A tip for finding things: when possible, you should look up where you’re going on the excellent website SmartShanghai.com, which gives you a map to help you find the location, the nearest metro station, and the option of a taxi printout in Chinese that you can give to a cab driver. [Read more →]

{A note: This has taken me a long time to write–years, in fact–and I’m still not really satisfied with it. I have tried to put my thoughts and pictures together many times, but haven’t quite been able to get a handle on what I wanted to share. I find that with certain places I have traveled, what’s in my mind is very difficult to put on paper. So this is an imperfect attempt to do so, at best. I’m grateful not to be a writer on a deadline!}

Beirut is not on most Americans’ list of top travel destinations- but I would argue that it should be. With a picturesque seaside setting on the Mediterranean Sea, a location that’s been the epicenter of world change and growth for thousands of years, and a unique culture that’s a result of demographic diversity and strong national pride–what’s not to like?

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People ask me for travel advice all the time, and sometimes I just don’t get around to blogging about it in advance. Here’s your chance to ask me anything about anywhere! If I have any good intel–I’ll gladly share it with you.

The question: “This summer, I’m going to Italy- biking from Rome to Venice, through Tuscany, with lots of stops in between. What are your favorite things to see, eat, and do there?”

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In the heart of unassuming Albuquerque, New Mexico, lies a street that’s neat for those who like mid-century masterpieces and sci-fi spectacles. Central Avenue, surrounding the University of New Mexico in a neighborhood known as Nob Hill, is a fun street to walk around and provides surprises and delights at every turn.

The first sighting was a rocket ship and a UFO within a few stores of one another, housing a used clothing store (rocket ship) and a cafe (UFO.)

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There is great food to be had all over Syria, but the far northern Syrian city of Aleppo is the one that’s known throughout the Middle East for its refined cuisine and innovative use of flavors and spices. Kebab Karaz, an unusual and unexpectedly tasty combination of lamb meatballs with cherries, pomegranate, and pine nuts, is one of the signature dishes of the region. The flavor combination is unusual but wonderfully balances the richness of the lamb with the sweet and sour notes in the sauce.

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People ask me for travel advice all the time, and sometimes I just don’t get around to blogging about it in advance. Here’s your chance to ask me anything about anywhere! If I have any good intel–I’ll gladly share it with you.

The Question: “I am planning a girls trip to Palm Springs in two weeks, and I wanted to ask for your advice on hotel and restaurant recommendations.  I’m looking for a cool “happening” central hotel with pool where we could hang out.  We’ll want to have a nice dinner on Saturday night, and may be squeeze in a lunch or brunch as well.  Any advice?”

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San Diego! Land of enchantment. Oh, wait, I think that’s actually New Mexico. Anyway, I love San Diego, and since I went to college there (Go Tritons!) AND since San Diego doesn’t change and morph as quickly as certain other cities (Brooklyn, I’m looking at you), I still know a lot of cool places to go there. At least, I think they’re cool. Let me know if you disagree.

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People ask me for travel advice all the time, and sometimes I just don’t get around to blogging about it in advance. Here’s your chance to ask me anything about anywhere! If I have any good intel–I’ll gladly share it with you. This is the question that inspired the start of this new regular feature!

The Question: “Me, my wife, and my 2-year-old son are going to Europe for the month of May.  We fly into Berlin at the start of the month and we fly out of Rome at the end.  We will definitely make our way to Paris in between, but that’s all we have.  I’ve only been to London, Amsterdam and few cities in Spain, so I am completely overwhelmed with the many choices of where else we could go. So, I’m wondering if you know of any easy-to-get-to great locales in between Berlin, Paris and Rome. Also, any train advice you have would be helpful.  I know that flying between the cities would be cheapest, but I’m trying to avoid flying and airports as much as possible.

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