After a long COVID winter with limited or no dining in at restaurants, a special four-course meal at Boston’s No. 9 Park was even sweeter. Located in Beacon Hill and directly across from the famed Boston Common, chef-restauranteur Barbara Lynch’s flagship restaurant has continued to deliver perfect French-Italian dishes for more than two decades. On…
Tag: #restaurants
Throwback Thursdays: Lodging and Dining at the real-life ‘Hotel Rwanda’
Join us for another installment of ‘Throwback Thursdays,’ where we travel around the world to share cuisine and culture from some of our most interesting trips. Today, we head over to Kigali, Rwanda, where I found myself an overnight guest at the Hotel des Mille Collines, the same hotel that was the subject of the…
The Willows: When a cheeseburger alone just isn’t enough
Yes, your eyes didn’t deceive you. That featured photo was neither your standard grilled cheese, nor your standard cheeseburger. It is an insane, lusty menage a trois wherein two textbook American grilled cheese sandwiches surround, yet manage not to completely overwhelm, a meaty cheeseburger. Yes, what I’m describing is food porn and nearly almost is…
Mykonos: Know Before You Go
Mykonos. The Greek isle has quite the reputation as a luxury party destination. Does it live up to the hype? The island can offer a wide range of experiences, depending on your preferences. Looking to party like European royalty? Mykonos has you covered. Relaxation or a romantic retreat? Check. An action-packed LGBT-friendly getaway? Check. Looking…
The Talisman: A magical expat nook in southwestern Nairobi
The omnipresent developing world traffic of Nairobi, Kenya can’t stop expats from flocking to The Talisman, an eclectic, cozy gastropub for international culinary fusion or cocktails with friends. I joined that set for a night during my trip to Kenya, and the restaurant didn’t disappoint for food and atmosphere. For those of you who haven’t…
Meriwether’s: Portland, Oregon’s original farm-to-table restaurant
Taste the farm without leaving Portland’s city limits at Meriwether’s, Portland’s first – and still fabulous – true farm to table restaurant. The farm-to-table concept is no longer just a hot trend in the food world. It’s now so well-integrated into the mainstream restaurant industry that it almost seems commonplace. Yet Meriwether’s literally brought the…
Celadon: A garden spot for California cuisine in Napa, California
No trip to Napa County is complete without good wine and food. The area has an overwhelming selection of both, so how can one choose? I offer one suggestion for a great dinner of California-influenced global cuisine in a literal garden spot in the city of Napa: Celadon. My experience with Celadon came to be…
An après ski happy hour at Park City’s High West
Join me for an après ski happy hour at the restaurant and saloon of Utah’s beloved distillery. It is one not to miss! Park City is one of America’s best ski towns and also home of the Sundance Film Festival each spring. With predictable influxes of visitors from around the world, investment, restaurant and retail…
Trading Ski Boots For Elegant, Organic Cuisine at Vail’s Terra Bistro
After a cold day on the slopes, pizza and beer are an obvious apres ski choice. But for those in search of fine dining in Vail, Colorado, look no further than Terra Bistro. It’s easy to be skeptical when one’s hotel recommends a restaurant, and you find that practically everyone in your hotel ends…
Cotogna: Escaping El Nino with cozy, boutique Italian
There are memorable meals, and there are those meals that give us the sensory equivalent of a photographic memory. Every flavor, every texture is etched into vivid memory. The latter was my experience with Cotogna, one of San Francisco’s outstanding boutique Italian cafes. I realize that saying “one of” doesn’t exactly sound like an overwhelming…
The Culinary Diplomat 