The Eat Real Festival just completed its 7th year, and it was more popular than ever. Foodie crowds tightly packed charming Jack London Square marina vying for delicious and inventive artisan food. Each September, food trucks, pop-ups, and familiar local restaurants take over the picturesque marina for three days of lively food […]
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 […]
I discovered Irot one day walking down Webster Street in Oakland, when I happened upon his stunning “Indian Chief Wearing War Bonnet,” striking against its bold red brick wall. I was mesmerized. And I immediately began following Irot on Instagram, which is how I discovered that he had a show […]
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. […]
Jump to Video I’m obsessed with the Shifting Topographies public art installation at the 17th Street Gateway in Oakland. Several months ago, my favorite hidden BART entrance to the 19th St. station suddenly closed. A few months later, the tiny Gateway alley that bridges Broadway and Telegraph reopened featuring a swirling […]
The Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento has been on my must-visit list forever, but somehow the opportunity to visit had eluded me. But with the recent opening of the Toulouse-Lautrec and La Vie Moderne, I made a point of going before the exhibition closes on April 26. As we headed […]
When I urged my family to have lunch at The Rind in downtown Sacramento one Sunday afternoon, it didn’t take much persuasion. What could be better than all things cheese? Not much. And The Rind certainly knows how to stay on a theme. Having never been to The Rind before, […]
Just as I was contemplating being more open-minded about California wine, Fog Crest Vineyard comes along and steals my heart. Now I may now have to forsake all other California vineyards. Set in the Russian River in Sonoma County, on a day trip we decided to just explore... and let fate guide […]
I’ve been interested for a while now to check out up-and-coming Livermore Wine Country, just east of San Francisco. These days, where isn’t there wine country in California? Even though it’s not far from my Oakland digs, Livermore has been elusive since I’m car-free. So, when some friends invited me […]
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 […]
The next time I go to L. Mulligan, I will go hungry. Sure, I knew it was going to be stick-to-your-ribs, inventive pub fare with an interesting beer selection, but I wasn’t prepared for how immensely filling it would actually be. And with all the other great food options in Dublin, I didn’t appropriately […]
After a whirlwind roadtrip around the countryside, we arrived back in Dublin for our five final days in Ireland. We immediately made a reservation at The Chop House restaurant for the next night. The Chop House had intrigued me for its modern Irish menu and focus on local products. I […]
Hung-over from lack of sleep on my overnight flight from California to Dublin, I stumbled into my hotel, stashed my luggage, and headed immediately to one of my favorite breakfast spots, The Queen of Tarts. Only about two blocks from my hotel and nestled in the unassuming Cows Lane, lies […]
My first jetlag night in Dublin and I had been struggling to stay awake since my 6am arrival. Six weeks before I had brazenly decided to book theater tickets on my first night in Dublin, as part of my strategy to maximize performances of the Dublin Theatre Festival. When “Spinning” […]
Escaping Galway’s bustling center of shopping and swarms of students, we crossed the River Corrib into a more peaceful neighborhood. We had ended up at Kai Café & Restaurant for lunch rather than dinner simply by how the puzzle pieces of our numerous dining options fell into place during our short 2-day […]
Our first night in Galway, we decided to stop first at Cava Bodega for drinks and an appetizer before heading to Ard Bia for our 8pm dinner reservation, down by the Spanish Arch. We had only two days in Galway and there were a lot of interesting food options to […]
I arrived at the Hotel Isaacs in Cork City and immediately made a reservation at their downstairs restaurant Greenes. Greenes came highly recommended as creative modern Irish cuisine, with a focus on seafood. Having Greenes just downstairs was a big plus, and it seemed like the perfect first night-in-Cork dining experience. […]
On a recent visit to Cork City, Cafe Paradiso was one of my must-try restaurants, based on many rave reviews. Even I, as a mostly-vegetarian, was biased that a restaurant solely focused on vegetarian cooking could really be a fine dining foodie experience, since they are often an afterthought. But […]
The English Market was at the top of my list to check out on my visit to Cork City. As someone obsessed with food, markets are always a priority. So map in hand, I wended my way through Cork’s tangle of small angled streets searching for the elusive entrance. […]
Cork City to Cobh During my recent five day visit to charming Cork City, I popped over to the historic harbor town of Cobh. Normally, it’s a quick 20 minute train ride from Cork City to Cobh, but on this day there was rail construction and buses were shuttling travelers from […]
Arriving back in Dublin from Galway, our first priority was lunch. Since The Fumbally was on my must-try-before-leaving-Dublin list, we headed off-the-beaten path to find it. St. Patrick’s Cathedral Diversion En Route to The Fumbally We walked down the wide trafficky boulevard where Patrick St. turns into New St. and […]
I was drawn to the Adare Manor for its elegant Afternoon Tea that appeared as if it would be picture perfect. Situated in the small and charming Limerick countryside, the town of Adare is renowned for its funky thatch-roofed houses. It was a short scenic drive from our wonderful stay at The Old Convent in County Tipperary, […]
We had been drawn to this part of Ireland by Castles…and a former Convent. After we bravely picked up our rental car at Shannon Airport, we made our way from the miniscule town of Bunratty toward County Tipperary. Traffic on the roads was light and we quickly grew accustomed to […]
While I love to cook and have complex-menu dinner parties, sometimes I just want to keep it simple so I can actually enjoy my own dinner party, instead of frazzling away in the kitchen. But I still want my guests to feel like I gave dinner some special thought. So, when I decided to invite a couple […]
When I planned my trip to Dublin, I chose the dates around the Dublin Theatre Festival. Once my flight was confirmed I waited for tickets to go on sale so that I was poised to purchase the second they went on sale to be sure I could get the performances […]
I’m the first one to admit that I had preconceived notions about Galway based on preliminary research and had initially scratched it off my list when I thought I would be traveling solo. But when a friend decided to join me on the second half of my trip, I thought […]
Car Ferry to County Clare After two days of driving around counties Tipperary and Limerick, we got up early anxious to jump back in our car and escape our soulless Adare hotel. We were excited about our Tarbert Ferry ride from County Kerry into County Clare, which we had decided to do rather […]
Spoiler Alert – I loved Cork City. It was urban, but down to earth. Sophisticated, but unpretentious. Cork felt European with a tinge of edginess – and, in a way, a little reminiscent of my hometown Boston. Falling in Love with Cork City on Day One Arrival into Cork City’s small […]
When I decided to travel to Ireland, I knew that I wanted to get off the beaten path as much as possible. I shied away from places such as the Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula. Although I’m sure they are heavily travelled because of their stunning beauty, I was […]