I traveled to Paris and immersed in nearly 30 brilliant restaurants, cafes, and bars on a 9-day whirlwind trip that was completely focused eating and drinking. With a like-minded friend, we camped out in Oberkampf. Each day, we ventured out with the goal of squeezing-in 4-5 Paris food venues for […]
Portland’s array of uniquely local wine bars, with their carefully curated chalkboard menus, are reason enough to set sight on the Pacific Northwest. Situated adjacent to Oregon’s iconic Willamette Valley appellation, I certainly expected Portland to be a compelling wine town. But what blew me away is the extent of […]
I found myself in charming Salthill by fate. What had started as frustration, in not being able to find a hotel in Galway’s Latin Quarter, ended up as opportunity. Staying in Salthill was the best all-around Galway experience: a perch in a charming seaside village on the Wild Atlantic Way […]
Winters, California is on the cusp of becoming as much of a foodie destination as any of California’s myriad wine country regions. Yet the Winters region is that new breed of agritourism with much more than wine. Winters’ agricultural bounty yields craft beer, wine, olive oil, cheese, and honey. And […]
Galway's Westend is densely packed with charming cafes and coffeehouses, award-winning restaurants, cutting-edge cocktails, and both modern craft beer and traditional pubs.
Captivating Dublin is always vibrant, changing, and just… quintessentially Dublin. And it’s why I’m compelled to keep returning. I have been traveling to Dublin long enough to have some favorite go-to spots that I long for when I’m away. So, my recent Dublin discoveries have only intensified competition for my […]
Vibrant, creative, and packed to the rafters, the recurring Our Street Night Market infiltrates historic R Street’s up-and-coming arts district, proving that Sacramento is hungry for more. Our Street Night Market Takes Over R Street The “Our Street Night Market” play-on-words with R Street is intended to both stake local […]
From vintage pubs to converted churches, Cork City has some of the coolest, intimate music venues. Set in the south of Ireland and known as the isle's Rebel City, Cork is one of my favorite destinations for its small urban setting, great food, and a terrific Trad and folk music […]
Sager + Wilde is passionate about wine, and their thoughtfully composed ambiance makes it a perfect wine bar destination. The intimately curated and changing wine list would alone make Sager + Wilde worth the trek to East London. But it’s the perfectly constructed setting that will make you want to […]
Sutter Creek’s main street reels you back in time to its gold rush days. Tucked into California’s Sierra Foothills of Amador Wine Country, Sutter Creek is a worthwhile day - or more - in California wine country. Amador is one of California’s premier wine regions, particularly renowned for Zinfandel. Rolling […]
The streets of edgy Oakland are always in a deep expressive flux. Yes, Oakland street art has some amazingly eye-catching murals. But look more closely as you trek its urban streets. It is also densely layered with some amazing graffiti, stickers, and stencils. The volume of in-your-face expression can result […]
The Botanical Garden’s graffiti-laced entrance portends its gin garden oasis. I discovered Liverpool's avant-garde gin bar one day, as I explored a stark graff-filled industrial alley in the edgy Baltic Triangle. Botanical's compelling façade is composed of a collage of colorful discarded doors, strewn with graffiti, that reflect its surrounding […]
Every wine lover passing through Paris should trek to Oberkampf for its vibey wine bar nightlife. Just steps away from the touristy Marais, Oberkampf seems a world away. Essentially a micro ‘hood of the 11th arrondissement, and just above Bastille, Oberkampf feels like you’ve stepped well-off the tourist path. Don’t […]
Liverpool’s vibrant neighborhoods inventively leverage its industrial past. Compact and walkable, the best way to get a feel for this reawakened city is to trek across its micro ‘hoods. Liverpool neighborhood are filled with stunning architecture is a mesmerizing contrast of industrial, Victorian-Georgian-Edwardian, and contemporary. Armed with a plan, I […]
Austere-industrial and graffiti-filled with dramatic architecture, the Baltic Triangle’s up and coming art quarter makes Liverpool cool. I first found the Baltic Triangle as I plotted my Liverpool Biennial itinerary. Streets of The Baltic Triangle - Liverpool The Triangle is fairly off-the-beaten Liverpool path, so you have to actively seek […]
Belfast made a lasting impression on me. From the moment I set foot in the city, I wondered what took me so long to finally make it to this vibrant and friendly city. A week wasn’t nearly enough time to do Belfast right. I found Belfast to be perfect for […]
Belfast had been calling for a while… and I finally relented. I decided to plant myself in one of Belfast’s most charming, walkable, and oldest neighborhoods - the Cathedral Quarter. It came with promises of cool street art, great music pubs, and tasty modern restaurants. And it more than delivered […]
The Testaccio Market is a Rome foodie adventure, only a short metro ride from the Centro Storico. I love getting off the beaten path when traveling, but especially when food is involved. It's a thrill to wend your way through the Testaccio Market shopping for dinner ingredients, but even the most casual walk-through […]
Rome has some of the best wine bars in the world, yet it also has an emerging craft beer scene that now competes for my attention to lounge in cool bars and imbibe terroir-driven beverages. See my post on 6 Amazing Rome Wine Bars. While I typically design my Rome […]
After a whirlwind day in Naples we jumped on a ferry in the shadow of Vesuvius for an hour-long boat ride, headed to our island destination of Ischia and the resort of Punta Chiarito, set at the mouth of the Bay of Naples. We quickly left Naples in our wake. The impetus for […]
In my travels to Italy over the years, I had pondered Naples. But even with numerous trips to nearby Rome and the Amalfi Coast, time after time I reluctantly decided to pass Naples by. I had read articles and heard personal anecdotes that Naples was dangerous and crime pervasive. So, […]
On a recent Sunday in London, I headed east to explore Brick Lane street art, having no idea what awaited me. I was at the end of a month-long trip traveling around Europe, and I was in the mood to just chill and wander London with no set plans. When I […]
I could spend my days ensconced in Soho, wandering its charming, cozy streets from cafe to galleries to eateries to bars, completely content that I had fully experienced London. London is enormous, and best navigated by Tube. But when I think of it as series of neighborhoods, I don’t find […]
I first descended into Nero’s underground world of the Domus Aurea on my first trip to Rome in 2002. Also referred to as Nero’s Golden House for its once abundant gold leaf, I was awestruck by this ancient architectural masterpiece. I didn’t realize then just how lucky I was to […]
Rome Wine Bars are my favorite way to dine when I'm in town. After I’ve been in Rome for a while and satiated myself with pasta, pizza, and fritti - the Rome dining experience can start to feel a little homogeneous. From restaurant to restaurant you will typically find the […]
Verjus is an enthralling dining adventure from beginning to end. It was an exhilarating experience that left me perfectly happy to have dropped $150 on a meal… and look forward to doing it all over again. A bit of a travel splurge, but well worth it. From the moment I made my online […]
Also see new Paris Cafe additions in My 9-Day Paris Food Obsession. I recently packed too many activities into five too-short days in Paris, but I always prioritized passing time in a favorite Paris cafe. Patronizing a Paris cafe these days may instill ambivalence or inspire defiance. To me it’s the quintessential Paris sightseeing activity. I’m satisfied to […]
After a day-long drive al We had intentionally made no reservation so that we would have no time pressure as we popped in and out of cute towns along the coast. By early evening, we had checked into our strategically situated downtown hotel. Our plan was to have a leisurely […]
My amazing 3-day trip along the Maine coast could surely be conveyed in pictures alone. Lots of gorgeous scenery and tasty food. Maine really is dotted with picturesque lighthouses that peer out over a rocky blue ocean. And my big discovery may be that three days in Maine is just […]
I had been interested to visit Boston’s SoWa Sunday Market for a long time. So, on my recent New England vacation, I dedicated my last full day in Boston to an immersive dive into this hip outdoor market. The SoWa Market features unique food and artisan goods in a vintage […]
Oleana had been on my Boston food list forever. And this trip I made it happen. Still jet-lagged from my red-eye, I had kept myself awake on my first day in Boston with a sensory-filled excursion through the South End, and a stellar tapas lunch at Toro. But Oleana was earmarked as my […]
I was anxious to check out Toro on my Boston travels, for its modern take on Spanish Tapas – and luckily it was conveniently located not far from my South End hotel. I knew that Toro was popular and trending – and didn’t take reservations. So strategically, I aimed for […]
I just returned from two amazing weeks in New England, and while it was filled with stunning scenery and interesting festivals, it was clearly dominated by food. I spent nearly half the trip in Boston’s city center, with focus on the city’s hip South End …but also did a lot […]
Meeting House Square is one of my favorite cozy spots, located in the heart of Dublin’s Cultural District. It is a charming and modern modular square that packs a ton of activity inside its high walls. It is ringed with tasty restaurants, art, and history. Here you will find indie […]