What’s an indecisive foodie to do when visiting a new city? Happy hour hop! Follow me on a romp through some of Vancouver’s best happy hour spots, where locals, business travelers, and tourists alike can sample some of Vancouver’s great dishes, cocktails, beers, and wine – all while sticking to a budget. My first trip…
Category: Adult Beverages
Blue Water Cafe: An iconic seafood restaurant in Vancouver, BC’s Yaletown
When visiting a new city for the first time, any foodie’s first question is, “Where do I eat?” I rely on cross-referencing friends’ recommendations with Trip Advisor and Yelp so I ensure I go to places locals would eat and not the easy, middle of the road places that happen to be popular. My first…
Maui Wine: Not a complete oxymoron – a novel tasting experience
The idea of Hawaii as a wine producer may seem far-fetched. But Hawaii’s wealth of climatic zones means this tropical paradise has opportunities to create decent, even good wine. Maui Wine offers delicious wines made from Pineapple, as well as up and coming estate grape wines. Faithful readers, please forgive me for my lack of…
Gloria Ferrer: California sparkling house with Spanish Catalonian flair
Sample some French-style, Spanish-influenced sparkling wine (yep, that’s a thing!) made in Sonoma County, California at Gloria Ferrer. Nestled in the cool bayside Carneros region of Sonoma County, the vineyards of Gloria Ferrer are well situated to grow Chardonnay and Pinot noir grapes, the key components of most sparkling wines. Having visited nearby Domaine Carneros…
A tour of Willamette Valley, Oregon’s best wineries
Where in the USA can you go to experience world class wines in a gorgeous setting, among friendly faces, and all without breaking the bank? Oregon’s Willamette Valley! After nearly a decade since my last visit, Oregon’s Willamette Valley has transformed from an up and coming wine producer to a globally recognized producer of complex…
TwoBirds/OneStone: When you want an amazing meal to go with your Napa wine tour
Today, I highlight the newest breakout in Napa’s wine country restaurant scene. Two Birds/OneStone, located on the property of St. Helena’s Freemark Abbey winery, is Japanese-Californian yakitori fusion at its best. A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to experience the Grand Reopening celebration for Freemark Abbey’s renovated winery and new tasting room facilities….
The Funk Zone: Santa Barbara’s Urban Wine Trail, Part 2
Curious about wine – but find wineries to be pretentious? Santa Barbara, CA’s Funk Zone is for you! In our last post, the CD showed you three refined tasting rooms along Santa Barbara, California’s Urban Wine Trail. Today, we’ll switch gears and visit a few of the irreverent, well, funky tasting rooms and a brewery…
Wine on the American Riviera: Santa Barbara’s Urban Wine Trail, Part 1
Join the CD for the first in a two-part tour of Santa Barbara, California’s Urban Wine Trail, where we’ll visit three of Santa Barbara’s more refined tasting rooms. The crown jewel of the self-proclaimed American Riviera, Santa Barbara is part beach resort town, part college town, and increasingly, part wine town. The city’s Urban Wine…
Bouchon Bistro: The French Laundry’s more accessible sister pulls its weight
If you are a resident or visitor to San Francisco or New York, you’ve probably heard of Bouchon Bakery. If you are a foodie anywhere, you at least have a passing familiarity with the name The French Laundry. You might not pay much attention to its sister restaurant, Bouchon Bistro – unless, of course, you’ve…
Apres-surf cuisine in Punta Hermosa, Peru
Where and what do Peruvian surfers (and their friends!) eat after long rides down El Pico Alto? Find out here! I consider it the ultimate privilege to have been let into a secret few but the most worldly of surfers or locals know: the gem that is the area surrounding the Pacific seaside town of…
The Culinary Diplomat 