Food + Drink
10.08.09
Travelers to Morocco usually check out the typical attractions: the ancient alleys of Fez, the snake charmers of Marrakesh, the dunes of the Sahara. But on my visit, my friends and I were fortunate enough to discover a relatively little-known escape: the charming, blue-tinged village of Chefchaouen in the Rif Mountains about four hours from Fez.
After a few hectic days getting lost in Casablanca and dodging donkeys in Fez, this relaxing retreat was just what we were looking for. The tiny town is known for its stunning medina, bathed in breathtaking shades of blue. It’s the kind of magical place you plan as a 12-hour detour and wind up staying for three days.
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10.05.09
No one who knows me would ever mistake me for a mountaineer. Though I’ve happily met all manner of challenges on flat ground (including Patagonian glaciers, Australian desert, and Costa Rican rainforest), high-altitude adventures have always set me whimpering.
So recently, I decided to test my fear of heights in the cushiest possible way: with a customized, weeklong guided foray into the Italian Dolomites.
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10.02.09
I received an email invitation to this event a few days ago, got exceedingly excited, and will literally remain excited until the big day: the Chocolate Show, a worldwide celebration of All Things Cacao, is starting its world tour.
Over 65 exhibits include chefs using the miracle ingredient in unusual culinary creations, a Chocolate Beauty Pavilion (with mini-massages!), and—obviously—copious opportunities to taste. $28 to feel like a kid in a candy store again? Count me in.
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09.29.09
"Every time I visit San Francisco I ask out loud 'Why don't I live here?'," traveler-artist-musician-blogger David Byrne recently confessed to the Wall Street Journal. I could not agree more. And I know exactly where I'd live: The Mission.
Two weeks ago I discovered all the basics that I would need in a four-block radius: a perfect grocery store (with an outpost for homemade ice cream), an ideal neighborhood gastropub, and a surprising boutique featuring young designers.
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09.24.09
If you’ve ever traveled to Mexico, you know that—contrary to popular belief—the cerveza más fina south of the border is not Corona, that ubiquitous and admittedly tasty siren of beer. Nor is it Dos Equis (meh), or Tecate (God forbid). No, the country’s best beer is Negra Modelo—a German-style, exceedingly palatable, complex amber lager.
Now you don’t have to go to Acapulco—or even to your best-stocked corner store—to find your favorite Mexican beer. Just grab a pint at your local bar.
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09.17.09
People just can’t get enough of Oktoberfest—from shouting out “Zigga-zagga zigga-zagga hoy hoy hoy!” and singing, “Ein Prosit, ein Prosit, gemutlichkeit!” endlessly (and endlessly, and…) to doing the Chicken Dance while drinking beer with Homer Simpson. Or is it just me?
The original Oktoberfest, in Munich (above), kicks off this Saturday, September 19, and runs through October 4. But if you can’t be in Germany this year because you’re traveling, chances are pretty good there’s an Oktoberfest celebration wherever you’ll be. Here, some of the more interesting fall beer-fests in some unlikely locations:
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09.11.09
As a New Yorker I’m seldom envious of other cities’ food scenes. Climate, basketball teams, affordable housing stock, sure, but not food. And then there’s San Francisco. I hate you, San Francisco, because I love your food so much. Not too long ago I was there for a two-day visit and spent pretty much the entire time eating, in one long progressive meal. Thank God I was on foot.
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09.10.09
Since I've dined (and dined, and dined) at all of the restaurants in my own lovely neighborhood of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, I've set a new task for myself: To explore the rest of New York City's blossoming borough, one fabulous meal at a time, forking over no more than $10 a plate.
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09.08.09
Some people can’t wait for dessert. Me? I count the minutes till breakfast—especially when I’m on the road. When I open my eyes in a foreign country, I can’t wait to hit the streets and check out what the locals are eating for their first meal of the day. Pho in Hanoi (above), congee in Hong Kong, dosa in Mumbai, poke (POH-kay) in Maui: I’m a quick study.
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09.08.09
I wasn’t going to let the rain get in the way of seeing the quaint city of Zurich, Switzerland. I had just landed and only had a few hours free, so I made a beeline to the famous confection shop, Sprungli, on Paradeplatz to meet with a friend.
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