The chef-as-rock-star trend may have played itself out, but here’s a new spin: star chefs plus music icons. And no, they aren’t just sizing up each others’ tattoos. At a handful of events from coast to coast, our country’s top toques are catering alongside the most anticipated stage shows of the summer. Below, a few that we’re especially excited about.
The Great GoogaMooga (May 19-20, Brooklyn) New York’s first food-and-music fest makes its debut in a big way, with 73 chefs (including David Chang, April Bloomfield, Marcus Samuelsson, and Daniel Boulud) and 150+ wineries all aboard. As for music, expect The Roots, Hall & Oates, and Preservation Jazz Hall Band. And the best part? It’s free to enter and open to the public—though you may want to splurge on ExtraMooga, with culinary demos and tastings by industry greats like Ruth Riechl and Anthony Bourdain.
Ever heard of an "Air Cruise"? Neither had we. But that’s the MO behind Mauiva, a budding travel company that launched last June with an out-of-the-box idea: bringing the cruise concept out the sea and into the sky. And why not? Taking to the skies means less time in transit, more time to explore, and luxury bragging rights to spare (travelers fly by private plane, and spend nights at four-star hotels along the way). After a quiet—but successful—launch with itineraries on the East and West Coasts, Mauiva is announcing today that it's making waves along one of the most traditional cruise routes—the Caribbean.
In the mood for a little mid-winter R&R? Wherever you live, chances are there’s an affordable getaway just a short drive away. These domestic deals stretch coast to coast:
The Gastonome’s Beach Retreat Check into the Hotel Shangri-la in Santa Monica, CA, for a hedonistic seaside weekend: book two nights at $475/night, and you’ll enjoy a guided Malibu wine tasting tour for two, a private chef’s dinner featuring ingredients from the local farmer’s market with cocktail pairings, and score a free upgrade to an Ocean View One Bedroom Suite (complete with a chef’s kitchen for any further culinary experimentation). Total savings nabbed: $800. (To book, call (310) 394-2791.)
Los Angeles Where to Go: The molecular-minded Bar Centro at the Bazaar by José Andrés. The Drink: Smoke on the Water ($18). What’s in It: Blackberries, atomized Islay Scotch, liquid nitrogen, and a flaming orange peel.
Miami Where to Go: The new Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, helmed by Top Chef’s Jeff McInnis. The Drink: Smoked Pear ($8). What’s in It: Woodford Reserve bourbon, pear liqueur, lemon juice, maple bitters, and smoked-pear purée. 1600 Lenox Ave.; 305/538-5220.
Boston Where to Go:Clio, home to the city’s most extensive cocktail list. The Drink: The Hunter ($13). What’s in It : Sage-infused white rum, Willet single-barrel rye, and apple cider, plus a cloud of burned oak and cinnamon.
Nikki Goldstein is an editorial assistant at Travel + Leisure.
It used to be that great caviar came only from Russia and Iran—but other parts of the world are catching up. Eat these sustainably farmed varieties in situ, or purchase some for a perfect holiday gift.
Uruguay Type: Black River Sturgeon Uruguayan osetra Tasting Notes: Nutty and silky, with a long, rich finish and a glossy sheen. Enjoy It Locally: Punta del Este’s La Bourgogne(Avda. del Mar and Pedragosa Sierra; 598-42/482-007) pairs osetra with blinis, brioche toasts, and lemony crème fraîche. Buy:blackrivercaviar.com; 50 grams for $110.
There’s plenty to love about Boston, but until recently, much of the city’s culinary activity has been concentrated in that intellectual haven across the Charles, Cambridge. Not anymore. This fall, a few hot tables have cropped up in Boston proper, bringing a new foodie cache to the Hub.
Just across from South Station and the Greenway—which was overrun with Occupy Boston protesters during my last visit—is the newly opened Trade, by James Beard Award-winning chef, Jody Adams.
As the Dead Sea vies for a spot as one of the New7Wonders of Nature, the biggest archeological discovery it yielded has settled into a temporary new home. Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Biblical Times premiered at New York’s Discovery Times Square on October 28—the same venue that has housed other historic exhibitions like Titanic and King Tut. It marks the most comprehensive collection of ancient artifacts from Israel ever organized in North America, including the oldest known copies of the Hebrew Bible and a scale recreation of part of the Western Wall. With a video feed broadcasting activity at Jerusalem’s iconic Temple Mount, it’s perhaps the closest experience to the religious pilgrimage as one can make without making the 5700+ mile journey.
In our November issue, which just hit newsstands, you’ll find our seventh annual Global Vision Awards, which recognize the new leaders in responsible travel. This year, our winners included everything from Misool Eco Resort, a visionary property that’s responsible for setting up the first shark and ray sanctuary in Indonesia, to Rancho La Puerta, a luxury spa in Baja, Mexico that’s championing ecological restoration and education in the local community. In their own unique ways, these progressive thinkers represent the travel community’s best, most innovative solutions to some of the world’s most vexing problems: climate change, environmental degradation, cultural erosion, and economic inequality.
Last Friday, we invited our jurors and winners to New York City for our first-ever Global Vision Awards luncheon and round-table discussion, which took place at The Lambs Club in midtown’s Chatwal Hotel. Read on to see how the conversation unfolded.
Summer might technically end on September 21, but a few goodfolks are letting New Yorkers prolong the spirit: from September 23–25, the Hammer and Claws Blue Crab Feast will hit Chelsea for the first time, bringing an authentic, Maryland-style (steamed in beer, vinegar, and water, and dusted with Old Bay seasoning), all-you-can-eat blue crab feast right up to the Hudson Harbor. Tickets for each of the weekend’s four seatings cost $118, and include all the fixings—plus beer and cocktails. And it’s all for a good cause, no less.
Ever heard of an "Air Cruise"? Neither had we. But that’s the MO behind 
