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 […]
Cheryl Cox
20 posts
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 […]
I don’t need much inspiration to make a beeline for a wine bar, but this past weekend National Rosé Day prompted me to go on a hunt for Rosé across the downtown Sacramento grid. Summer has definitely descended on Sacramento’s lush tree-lined streets and its sidewalk cafes are filled with […]
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. @artistmrblack Chalkupy in front of City Hall […]
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 […]
How I approach travel planning is the same attitude that makes me picky about Instagram feeds. As a traveler who likes to get off-the-beaten-path from the usual guidebook fare, I rely on local bloggers and Instagrammers for the most current and inside tips. And for vicarious travel when I'm at […]
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 […]
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 […]
Last weekend I headed to Clarksburg spurred on by my recent interest in checking out more off-the-beaten path wine country surrounding the Bay Area. I've been finding some interesting wines that have renewed my interest in the California winemakers who have decidedly moved away from the traditional oaky-buttery days of yore. […]