Here are 2 completely different wineries located in different corners of the globe yet both are family owned and embrace the craft of winemaking:

Lasorda Family Wines

Better known for his passion and lifelong devotion to baseball as Hall of Fame pitcher and manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tommy Lasorda is also a lifelong wine enthusiast. Growing up in a large Italian family, food and wine always took center stage. He and his 4 brothers opened a restaurant in Exton, Pennsylvania for over 30 years and to this day, family gatherings center around home cooked meals and wide selections of wines.

Lasorda was introduced to the art of winemaking long before he ever put on a baseball glove. His father, Sabatino was an Italian immigrant hailing from the small town of Tollo in Italy’s Abruzzo wine region. As a young boy, Tommy observed his father’s home winemaking hobby and helped to procure and press grapes before distributing the results to family, neighbors, and local card players.

Fast forward to his post MLB days, Lasorda established his own signature Lasorda Family Wines label embracing the best of California’s Central Coast with a collection focused on Chardonnay drawn from Monterey’s cool-climate  appellation and Cabernet Sauvignon harvested from the rolling vineyards of Paso Robles. Their Monterey Chardonnay is fermented in neutral French oak exhibiting the grape’s characteristically crisp attributes like citrus and young peach across the palate. An intensely defined well balanced minerality ensures a refreshing finish.

Château Peyfaures

Now in its seventh generation, Château Peyfaures’s Laurent Godeau right outside of Bordeaux France has handed off operations to the Moraes family who purchased the Chateau in 2017. Grapes truly take center stage here with sustainable organic practices in the vineyard, natural fermentation in the winery, and delicate oak aging to enhance rather than mask their grapes’ expressions.

Biodiversity is key as evidenced by the lush grasses encouraged to grow between their vines planted in gravelly sand and clay-limestone in eastern Entre-deux-Mer in Génissac just across the Dordogne river from Saint Emilion and Pomerol.

Château Peyfaures’s techniques still reflect winemaking before modern, large-scale production dwarfed craft traditions. Grapes are gently crushed in a traditional basket press accentuating aromatics avoiding harsher green notes. Spontaneous fermentation is encouraged utilizing natural, indigenous wild yeast sourced from the winery rather than formulated in a lab.

As their carefree Bordeaux Superieur 2015, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon demonstrates, there are no exact predetermined numbers or timetables for production. Nothing is rushed and each vineyard block is fermented and aged separately exhibiting optimal character before blending into a lush dark fruity tasting experience with layered complexity driven by refined tannins and definitive acidity.

Photos courtesy of Lasorda Family Wines and Chateau Peyfaures.  Coverage made possible by participating in a sponsored tasting.

Schenectady has a long heritage of commerce and industry dating back to Dutch traders and later when the Erie Canal and the city’s strategic location at the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers just above Albany made it a thriving trade port. Evidence of this early prosperity abounds in the Stockade Historic District, the oldest residential neighborhood in the United States. Walking the streets is like stepping back in time with whole blocks of original Dutch & English 17th – 18th century buildings fully intact and lovingly preserved. Sidewalks take you past historical placards identifying key highlights of the neighborhood’s significance.

A few blocks further east in downtown on State and Jay Streets, evidence of a bustling center of commerce fueled by industrial prominence extending from the late 19th into 20th century is evident in the Beaux-Arts store fronts and office buildings along with the majestic circa 1925 Proctors Theatre. Major corporations like American Locomotive Company and General Electric, which still have a presence here, catapulted Schenectady’s status to one of the country’s wealthiest communities. But like all across the United States, the mid 20th century brought change closing factories and draining vitality from urban centers.

Former industrial sites, some of which were contaminated brown fields, decayed and were abandoned like the 60 acre former American Locomotive Company plant overlooking the Mohawk River. After much lobbying and community support, the derelict property was selected as 1 of the 4 locations by New York State as an ideal site for a commercial casino to generate revenue. A $480 million partnership of private & public funds remediated and repurposed this prime location into several projects including Rivers Casino and Resort.

Although opinions persist as to whether a casino was the best use for this site, staying at The Landing Hotel is an undeniably unique experience allowing you to luxuriate at a boutique-style hotel where not only can you walk downstairs through the lobby right onto the casino floor but straight  onto a sidewalk quickly connecting you to Stockade district and downtown attractions.

Rooms

Modernist in design both inside and out, The Landing stands out in Schenectady as the only brand new non-chain hotel. All 6 floors and 165 rooms are LEED certified & appointed with designer furnishings, original art work, and king & bay suites up to 650 square feet with wrap-around balconies affording either Mohawk River or city views.

Should you decide to cocoon rather than partaking in all the action outside your door, in-room treatments can be booked at onsite Splash Spa and 24 hour room service puts the menus of all 5 onsite dining venues at your finger tips.

Dining

When hunger strikes, your choices range from fast casual Johnny’s and Flipt to the venerable Duke’s Chophouse. Tapping into authentic local dining, Chef Justin Endineri teamed up with the Mallozzi Group, legends in their own right running Villa Italia since 1965 and more recently opening their main Johnny’s location several years ago on the corner of Jay and State Streets right across from Proctors Theatre.

Winner of Open Table Diners’ Choice Award in its first year, Duke’s Chophouse clientele have steadily expanded beyond hotel guests to repeat local customers and outside tourists. Inspired by Chicago’s Gibson Steakhouse, Duke’s menu features prime steaks and freshly prepared seafood appetizers. Weekend Brunch includes indulgent 6 egg omelets and either classic style or smoked salmon eggs benedict, Dukes’ Colossal Cinnamon Bun, a massive, pull-apart bun meant to be shared; lemon ricotta blueberry pancakes, and their opulent Bloody Mary Bar. During warmer months, doors open up onto the patio with sweeping views of the Mohawk River.

A cozy piano bar just off the casino floor was recently added to Duke’s lounge complete with its own tapas and martini menu including handcrafted Tempura Battered Buffalo Style Cauliflower Bites served with Buffalo Sauce, Crumbled Smoked Bleu Cheese and Gorgonzola Crème that pairs nicely with one of their stand out martinis like the Sicilian Manhattan made with Bullet Bourbon, and Tuaca & Blood Orange liqueurs. Don’t miss their local brews on tap including Rivers Rye made by Mad Jack Brewing Company specifically for the casino and resort.

Photos courtesy of Rivers Casino & Resort & Steve Mirsky.  Coverage made possible by participating in a sponsored visit.

Warmer weather and indulging in fine chocolates don’t always immediately go hand-in-hand when envisioning summertime activities like hitting the beach or joining a rousing game of volleyball. Chocolatier Nicolas Cloiseau at La Maison du Chocolat is working to bust this misconception with his new Bien Être Collection. Reconstructing ganache from the ground up, he did the unthinkable by removing cream and butter in his couvertures yet still maintaining a perfectly balanced silky texture.

It took Cloiseau 9 months of trials to achieve a similar texture with purées, fruit juices, and nectars. Honey and maple syrup are used as natural sweeteners, hazelnut oil for creaminess, and natural chicory fiber for rich texture. He also incorporated ingredients possessing dense nutritional values like mango, turmeric, aloe vera, propolis, squash seeds, and pomegranate boosting antioxidants, polyphenolic compounds, and vitamins. As an added benefit, the chocolate itself has a pristine expressiveness showcasing genuine finishes on the palate. And it’s all artfully exemplified in La Maison’s du Chocolat’s Bien Être Collection Gift Box:

• Mango Turmeric – A mouthful of subtly spicy mango encompasses this dark ganache with acidulous accents.  Blended with a sweet mango purée, the turmeric subtly unveils a long, powdery chocolate finish on the palate.
• Green Apple Aloe Vera – The focus on vegetal qualities invites you to discover the fresh flavor of aloe vera brightened by fruity green apple with particularly dynamic crisp sensations making it an energetic pairing.
• Praliné Squash Seeds – Under a dark chocolate couverture, roasted squash seeds are nestled in the heart of an almond and squash seed praliné.  74% fruit, this luscious praliné contains a high level of magnesium.
• Peach Propolis – With its fruity and acidulous tones, the peach serves up round, flavorful accents drizzled with propolis naturally created by honey bees.
• Pomegranate – A subtle explosion of pomegranate in this dark ganache tempered by a delicate fruit gelée with raspberry and chokeberry juice.  Fruity acidulous notes transform the astringency of the pomegranate into an invigorating, explosive cocktail.

Coverage made possible by participating in a sponsored tasting.  Photos courtesy of La Maison du Chocolat.

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Renowned as the United State’s most signature historic destination, America’s Historic Triangle (Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown Virginia) is packed with opportunities for gaining a more informed insight into how the American Revolution unfolded shaping the world’s great democratic experiment. The Historic Triangle is also becoming increasingly known as a mecca for craft food and beverages with historical tie ins as well as making history of their own.

Where to Begin

Geographically equidistant between Yorktown and Jamestown, Williamsburg is an ideal home base for exploring America’s Historic Triangle.  Fife & Drum Inn, the only bed and breakfast situated in the historic district, is just several blocks from Market Square, Governor’s Palace, and the sylvan campus of College of William and Mary, the nation’s second oldest institution of higher education behind Harvard. Several blocks further and you’re immersed in Colonial Williamsburg, the world’s largest living history museum.

Most of Fife & Drum’s rooms besides their separate Cottage accommodations are situated above the eateries and specialty shops of Merchants’ Square uniquely decorated with historically significant memorabilia like letters to 1920’s era merchant Webster Hitchens from John D. Rockefeller, Jr. concerning Colonial Williamsburg’s restoration.

A breakfast buffet each morning features fresh-baked casseroles, fluffy biscuits with Virginia ham accompanied by fresh-cut fruit, granola, hard boiled eggs, bacon, and locally roasted coffee from Aroma‘s just downstairs.

Colonial Williamsburg

Originally founded in 1632 as Middle Plantation, Colonial Williamsburg served as Virginia’s colonial capital from 1699 to 1780. Up until the 1920s, buildings and infrastructure remained remarkably intact although in urgent need of restoration. Dr W.A.R Goodwin, a local Reverend, and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. kicked in more than $20 million restoring the Revolution-era buildings to their former grandeur.

Restoration of Chowning’s Tavern, Colonial Williamsburg’s signature dining venue, began in 1939 while surveyors were mapping out the Colonial Parkway tunnel beneath Market Square. Modeled after surviving taverns in England and Virginia, the new structure was among the first to step beyond the confines of traditional exhibit buildings. Today, the menu’s classic dishes include Brunswick Stew, Welsh Rarebit, Shepherd’s Pye, and Bangers & Mash. More recent additions include a Fennel Roasted Shaved Pork Trencher filled with pepper relish, herbed serifina cheese, and roasted red pepper aioli. Desserts change with the seasons but may include sweet potato, honey-pecan and cheesecake graham cracker tarts and three flavors of Virginia-based Homestead Creamery ice cream.

Served by the pint or quart in salt glaze mugs, beers on tap include Old Stitch and Dear Old Mum brewed by exclusively for the tavern by AleWerks as well as Leibotshaner Cream Ale from Pennsylvania served at Chowning’s since the 1930s.  Grab a seat inside the historic tavern or outside at the Garden Bar and Grill in back under a decades-old scuppernong grapevine snaking its way over a sprawling trellis.

Exploring the Best of Williamsburg’s Craft Food and Beverage Scene

Outside Colonial Williamsburg, numerous food & beverage producers and artisan restaurants have been sprouting up like mushrooms. Here are some can’t-miss venues to add to your list:

Silver Hand Meadery – Possessing the creativity of craft beer and the elegance of wine, mead is one of the most historic fermented drinks found on earth. Created by fermenting sugars found in honey with additional herbs, spices, and fruits added to create unique flavors, Silver Hand’s meads typically range from 11% to 14% ABV including Coffee Contata, a blend of blueberry blossom and mesquite honey fortified with cold brew coffee sweetened with local Virginia wildflower honey and Dream By The Fire, a seasonal classic crafted with Virginia wildflower honey, freshly pressed Virginia apples, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. A member of the Williamsburg Tasting Trail, founder Glenn Lavender is ever on the lookout to share his love and knowledge of this often overlooked beverage.

AleWerks Brewing Company – Alewerks has been a brewer driven operation since opening in 2006. At the time, Virginia’s craft beer scene was in the throes of a rapid expansion that would eventually yield a total of the more than 200 breweries today. Brewmaster/Owner Geoff Logan has been racking up awards for stalwarts like their tasty Shorty Time Social IPA and Paycheck Porter. None of it is filtered and they recently doubled capacity to keep up with increasing demand while remaining a certified Virginia Green business.

Amber Ox Public House – The Amber Ox gives you the impression that they built their location in Market Square from the ground up as a grand emporium for savoring the many craft brews on tap made by sister brewery Precarious Beer Project as well as other regional favorites along with artisanal Farm-to-Table dishes like Pecan Smoked Wings, Day Boat Rock Fish, and Southern Style Fritto Misto deftly curated by Chef Troy and crew. Their wide open dining room overlooking Prince George Street nicely transitions to indoor/outdoor pub seating for more casual drinking and small plates. Their ever popular monthly Public House Beer Dinner series features 5 culinary creations expertly paired with eclectic favorites like Too Close to See, a kumquat gose or My Shadow is a Person, a belgian dubbel.

Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival – If you’re visiting anytime between May and July, Busch Garden’s Food and Wine Festival is worth dodging the packed crowds to sample over 60 specialty foods representing each country and many others along with 30 different wines, 25 craft beers and 20 unique cocktails not normally served in the park. Opening in 1975 as an amusement park themed around model European countries, it was originally called Busch Gardens: The Old Country but changed in 1993 to Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Upon entering, you are in England and then continue over a bridge to Ireland. From there the journey continues through heavyweights like Italy and Germany which is the most extensive complete with classic beer hall due to the obvious heritage of co-founder August Busch of Anhueser-Busch. Each food and beverage stop during the festival includes planters filled with herbs and vegetables commonly used in each country’s cuisine such as potatoes in Ireland or a pineapple plant and chili peppers in the Caribbean. 

Williamsburg Farmers Market – Every Saturday since 2002, the Williamsburg Farmers Market at Merchant’s Square has been showcasing nearly 40 vendors offering produce and farm products grown or made in Virginia accompanied by live local music. Since no reselling is allowed, the same people growing and producing are doing the selling. Be prepared for some of the best dog watching in Williamsburg and come early if you plan to snag seasonal specialties like perfectly ripe strawberries or peaches.

Copper Fox Distillery – Rick Wasmund, founder and master distiller at Copper Fox Distillery, recently established his second location in what was once a motor lodge on Route 143. A perfect example of adaptive reuse, doors that once opened to motel rooms now reveal larger retrofitted spaces housing distillery operations like the malting floor and copper pot still.

After visiting many American distilleries over the years, Wasmund was inspired to create fruitwood smoked whisky. After interning in 2000 with the masters at Bowmore Distillery in Scotland’s Islay region, he returned to the States launching Copper Fox Whisky in Sperryville VA producing the world’s first apple wood whisky. He was also first in the U.S. to use a kiln and traditional floor malting since Prohibition repeal. All grains including a 6-row barley developed at Virginia Tech are locally grown by one farmer. Local fruitwoods like toasted apple wood are used instead of peat to gently smoke and dry the grain enhancing the malt’s smoky flavor. After tasting their full lineup don’t forget dessert with their whiskey infused ice cream sandwiches.

Virginia Beer Company – A former financial analyst, consultant, and high school teacher turned professional brewer joined forces in 2010 opening Virginia Beer Company, a community-based, philanthropy-focused brewery situated in a former 1960s-era car dealership and repair shop on 401 Second Street.

Originally from Atlanta’s Sweet Water Brewing, brew master Jonathan Newman leverages his creativity with a unique brewery-within-a-brewery production built with a large-scale 30-bbl brewing system accompanied by a smaller-scale 5-bbl pilot system allowing regular experimentation. The taproom features 16 draft selections with at least half rotating on a regular basis giving space for seasonal favorites like Blood Orange Deadbolt or High Heat Summer IPA.

In addition to retaining the building’s original industrial ambiance, bars and tables are built from reclaimed wood sourced from a circa 1907 barn. During warmer months, a roll-up garage door opens onto their 2,000 sq. ft. pet-friendly beer garden for outdoor imbibing while a different food truck pulls up to the curb each week.

Cochon on 2nd – Right down the street from the Virginia Beer Company nestled in a shopping plaza, Cochon on 2nd’s kitchen centric philosophy is immediately apparent with their 8-seat chef’s table overlooking Chef Neil Griggs’ open kitchen where fresh dishes like warm goat cheese salad & tuna tartare are prepared tableside and wood-grilled entrees like Scottish Salmon with Sorrell Sauce and Rosemary Marinated Rack of Lamb are cooked outside on a Big Green Egg. Decor connects you to the Grigg’s farmhouse upbringing like planks from his grandparents’ barn in Suffolk, Virginia used on the bar and kitchen paneling. A vibrant lounge occupies the other half of the restaurant featuring craft cocktails and an extensive wine list.

Yorktown

Opening a little over a year ago, the immersive indoor exhibits and outdoor living history of the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown convey a sense of the transformational and epic scale that the Revolution had on the United States. Immersive environments, short films, dioramas, interactive exhibits, and period artifacts like an exhibit case filled with paraphernalia found on board a war ship including rat sculls and smudgy tobacco pipes serve as a reminder of the harsh realities of life at sea.

A living-history recreation of a Continental Army encampment outside is based on records from the Revolution-era farm of 18th-century farmer Edward Moss and includes tents for soldiers and officers along with slightly upgraded quarters for the surgeon and quartermaster.

Food ways of the time figure prominently in a recreated farm house with an orchard to the back where Muskovy ducks and hens wander the grounds. In a separate log kitchen, you can learn about period dishes and try your hand mixing ingredients, some of which are grown in the nearby kitchen garden. Interpreters cook over an open hearth demonstrating how vegetables and herbs were harvested and stored for future use. The museum’s gift shop also features an extensive collection of historic culinary books.

Zipping up and down the bluffs of Historic Yorktown overlooking the York River on a 2-hour guided Segway PT tour via Patriot Tours & Provisions is the perfect way to explore in-town sites up close sans walking including circa 1730 Thomas Nelson House with cannon balls still firmly implanted in its exterior brick walls. It is here that General George Washington defeated British Commander Lord Cornwallis securing independence from England. Tours also explore Riverwalk Landing and the historic village along Main Street.

Jamestown

Designated a National Historic Site in 1940 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966, Historic Jamestowne originated in 1607 as James Fort and later developed into the 17th century city of Jamestown overlooking the James River.

Jamestown didn’t immediately meet with success as North America’s first permanent English settlement. Lack of access to food and rampant disease from 1609-1610 left only 60 colonists alive. Soon new arrivals grew the population above 500 making it a thriving settlement for a time even becoming the Virginia Colony’s capitol until 1698 when it relocated to higher ground in what is now Colonial Williamsburg.

After multiple uses and reconstructions over the years, the site’s lands are still revealing new discoveries with the most recent archeological site located beneath the floor of circa 1907 Memorial Church.

On your way back up Route 617 towards Williamsburg, Williamsburg Winery and onsite Gabriel Archer Tavern present the perfect place to stop for a break. The tall ships Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed led by Captain Gabriel Archer reached the shores of Virginia in 1607 exploring several sites along the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, including land where Williamsburg Winery, now stands before settling Jamestown.

Fast forward to 1987 when the Duffeler family, inspired by visiting estates throughout Europe when living abroad and traveling, opened the winery eventually constructing a restaurant on the footprint of an old shed that housed barrels and bottling equipment naming it Gabriel Archer Tavern. Today the tavern features farm-to-fork favorites like Border Springs Farms Lamb Sliders and Farro Risotto.  In addition to lettuce and herbs from their onsite half-acre produce garden and greenhouse, the Wessex Hundred culinary team partners with local farmers for fresh seasonal dishes that pair nicely with their wine lineup produced from 40 acres of vineyards ranging from Merlot and Chardonnay to more obscure varietals like Traminette and Albarino.

Coverage made possible by participating in a partially sponsored visit.  Photos courtesy of Steve Mirsky, Fife & Drum Inn, History.org, & Visit Williamsburg.

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Just 10 miles north of downtown Boston accessible by commuter rail, Hilton Boston Woburn overlooks marshland in a rather unassuming part of town just off exit 36 on I-95 surrounded by industrial/commercial space and apartment buildings. But the hotel’s recent $16 million renovation elevated what was once a hum drum business class hotel into an entirely new realm featuring historic connections to the surrounding community accompanied by onsite restaurant and local favorite Matadora.

Woburn Massachusett’s legacy of foot wear craftsmanship dates back to the 17th century when production was so prevalent that the town partially paid taxes in shoes during King Philip’s War. Cobblers and other artisans dominated the city’s economy through the mid-1800s and then shifted to leather quickly elevating Woburn to New England’s leading leather producer in 1885.

Much of Hilton Boston-Woburn’s design and decor incorporates both actual artifacts and memorabilia reproductions highlighting this industrial heritage. A glass ceilinged 6-story open atrium floods the lobby with natural light and retail-inspired check-in desks with built-in display cases showcase vintage shoe stretchers backed by wall murals depicting the classic Brannock measuring devices still found in stores today.

With room key in hand, you’ll pass the Rivet Room, a newly created gathering spot overlooking the hotel’s indoor swimming pool featuring a full cocktail bar outfitted with oversized leather armchairs, billiard table, and a giant reproduction of a shoe making factory ledger mounted above the bar.

A glass enclosed elevator overlooking the lobby leads to 344 newly renovated guest rooms with decorative flares like finely forged metals, lacquered hard goods, embossed leather bed headboards, and 3D wire art enhanced by modern comforts like Serta beds, rain head showers, and designer toiletries. Some rooms include balconies overlooking the enclosed yet airy open-atrium exuding summertime vibes all year long.

The extra sunlight also makes a big impact on Matadora restaurant below making you feel like you’re seated on a terraza in Barcelona rather than a Hilton outside Boston. The other transportive effect is Chef de Cuisine William Jimenez and his team deftly crafting tailored tapas and prime meat cuts like Rare Yellowfin Tuna and Long Bone Pork Chops from the open kitchen’s centerpiece wood-fired grill.

Small plates include a curated selection of Spanish meats, cheeses and olives, shrimp toast, charred Galician octopus, wood grilled broccoli and Basque street corn. Hot Churros and Cantabrian Ricotta Cake are dessert favorites while an array of sangria, cava, sherry, and signature cocktails round out the beverage offerings.

Reclaimed wood, distressed leather, and colorful murals punctuate the dining area along with a life-size bull sculpture handcrafted in Thailand from scrap metal. An outdoor patio with fire pits and lounge sofas flows seamlessly inside to the central bar and a variety of seating options ranging from high-top leather banquettes to a large rolling communal table and stools at the Chef’s Counter.

Photos courtesy of Hilton Boston-Woburn & Steve Mirsky.  Coverage made possible by participating in a sponsored tasting.

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Situated in the refreshing trade wind breezes of the Leeward Island chain in the West Indies, Nevis remains authentically Caribbean eschewing the homogenization that has befallen so many other island destinations. This means absolutely no strip development, fast food chains, casinos, or stoplights and only one international brand resort on this 36 square mile island. Nevis’s 12,000 residents live in villages where no buildings exceed the height of a palm tree and locally grown and prepared foods dominate the markets, roadside stands, and most notably, the kitchens of inns and hotels.

Nevisians have long raised their own goats and pigs and tended extensive backyard gardens supplying their tables with year round fresh produce but it wasn’t until 25 years ago that the island’s bounty began making its way to tourists’ plates when Cades Bay Agriculture Farm was established. Unreliable growing practices impacting supply chain stability made it difficult for hospitality and restaurant establishments to consistently source local ingredients like mangos ripening on the trees outside and bountiful seafood just off shore.

Established in partnership with Taiwanese agricultural consultants, Cades Bay worked with local farmers to rectify these issues increasing output from an original 4-acre plot to 198 acres today generating nearly $1 million annually. Sweet potato yields are now exponentially higher and new crops like star fruit and watermelon are thriving. Best of all, the livelihood of island farmers has improved and the need for imports has steadily decreased.

Nevis’s Mango & Food Festival is a crowning achievement of this success. Mango harvest is now celebrated several days each July showcasing the nearly 44 varieties growing on Nevis alone. Opportunities exist to sample a hand full of varieties side by side experiencing the distinct differences in flavor and texture helping you envision how each may be best suited for different uses in recipes ranging from gazpachos, salads, spicy sauces, glazes & marinades, and desserts like homemade ice cream and cakes.

Highlighting the festival for several years now, Master chefs like UK Iron Chef/restaurateur Judy Joo and chef/owner Seamus Mullen of NYC’s Tertulia and El Colmado showcase their signature twists on mango infused island dishes. Joo’s signature mango-infused Korean barbecue takes center stage while Mullen has been leading master cooking classes preparing pan seared mahi-mahi with mango and fresh vegetable salsa. Other chefs local to the Caribbean and Nevis have included mixologist David Barker from Barbados preparing a smoked mango rum punch and Four Seasons’ Chef and Nevis native Llewellyn Clarke, creator of his own signature hot pepper sauces, jams, and salad dressings.

The following restaurants, inns, and hotels showcase the best of what Nevis has to offer not only as a vacation escape but as an immersion into the foodways of the Nevisian community.

Riviere House

A renovated and reconfigured historic home with an open air covered veranda, Riviere House is a mix of community center, art gallery, restaurant, and soon-to-include residential cottage ownership opportunities next door. Two rooms inside the house are converted into a small cinema used by school children to watch educational movies examining wildlife conservation fostering a greater appreciation of the island’s ecosystem and inspiring a new generation of environmental stewardship.

An art gallery on the first floor showcases local paintings and sketchings while to the back, an outdoor covered full bar and dining room present the perfect opportunity to sip a drink and sample everyday islander dishes like goat water soup, conch chowder, and salt fish cakes.

Golden Rock Inn

Ensconced in the foothills leading to Mount Nevis, what is now Golden Rock Inn dates back to an early 1800s sugar plantation and refinery. Many of the original gray stone structures are still standing and retrofitted into 11 unique villas and standalone cottages surrounded by meticulously planted grounds making it the perfect place to check out from the world for a while. Restored and expanded by artists Helen and Brice Marden and designed by architect Raymond Jungles, Golden Rock’s landscape is defined by an array of hand selected tropical plantings, winding pathways, and a series of reflecting ponds punctuated with vibrant outdoor flourishes like scarlet-colored gates, shutters, and art gallery worthy seating.

All but four rooms don’t have air-conditioning, phones, or TVs but reliable complimentary property wide WiFi and the trade winds’ cooling effect more than make up for it inviting you to kick back and keep it real island time. A 2-story conical Sugar Mill with spiral staircase is the inn’s largest room with an oversized king bed upstairs overlooking Windward Beach in the distance while 2 twin beds and a full bath occupy the downstairs. The property’s refreshingly non heated spring fed pool flanked by a bougainvillea and hibiscus encrusted pergola to one side with towering palms overhead is just steps away.

Freestanding cottages like Paradise, a pink duplex perched higher above with better views and Dar, a private retreat with screened in back porch that opens into a private garden surrounded by stacked stone walls, are as far as you can get from a cookie cutter hotel experience. The main house containing a bar and lounge has been painstakingly restored to its original stone-hewn grandeur enhanced with colorful wooden panels and contemporary art pieces.

Dining at onsite ‘The Rocks” restaurant is alfresco on terraces surrounded by intimate gardens and koi ponds while their bar situated under stone vaulted ceilings serves signature cocktails like the Mount St. Helena. A la carte breakfast options include Nevisian-style egg white omelettes, Caribbean French toast, and an ultra healthy fruit and yoghurt parfait.

Four Seasons: The Island’s 5-Star Resort

Originally opened in 1991, 196 room Four Seasons Nevis is the largest and only branded hotel chain on the island. A $120 million renovation in 2010 after major hurricane damage fully revived the property with a new beach side restaurant, four private beach cabanas with butler service, and added a third infinity-edge pool. Further enhancements underway include a multi phase renovation of all rooms and and complete reconfiguration of the common areas. One thing that won’t change is having walk out access to the best swimming opportunities on the island.

You can also book one of 46 private residence villas available in a neighborhood setting overlooking the resort’s Robert Trent Jones II 18-hole championship golf course overshadowed with a full view of Mount Nevis. Their Catch It and Cook It packages take you out in a boat with a local dive master and a Four Seasons Chef to catch some Caribbean spiny lobster and bring it back to include in a barbecue lunch on the beach.

Sunshine’s Beach Bar & Grill

Just a quick walk down Pinney’s Beach from Four Seasons, Sunshine’s Beach Bar & Grill presents the perfect spot for relaxing on the patio or chilling on the beach with access to lunch and dinner menus featuring BBQ in many forms and fresh salads along with their island famous Killer Bee rum punch. You may get lucky and meet Sunshine, the proprietor and unofficial island ambassador himself. Seemingly every inch of the restaurant’s interior is covered with Sharpie messages, posters, photos of celebrities who visited at one time or another, and clusters of errant license plates on the walls.  Fresh squeezed locally prepared juices of all kinds at the bar await mixing.

Montpelier Plantation

Constructed around one of the island’s many original 18th-century sugar plantations, Relais and Chateaux Montpelier Plantation & Beach is situated on over 64 acres in the foothills of Nevis Peak with an entrance defined by a large weeping fig tree nearly obscuring the front of the Great House. Princess Diana and her sons stayed here for a stretch following her separation from Prince Charles.

Today, Montpelier’s 300-year-old sugar mill has been converted into Mill Privée, a special-occasion restaurant for private candlelit dinners where advance reservations get you a 5 course-tasting menu prepared by Executive Chef Dimitris A. Zouka. Super fresh eclectic dishes still good enough for royalty are also served at onsite Restaurant 750 featuring regional artwork on the walls and a wraparound veranda perfect for savoring specialties like oak smoked duck breast, jerk seasoned lamb, and a mean orange syrup sponge cake.

The 1687 inn’s 19 air-conditioned rooms and plantation cottages have been reinvented as guest suites while ancient sugar-mill machinery such as iron wheels now serve as garden decor.  The perks of staying here also include shuttle access to their own private beach 6 miles away and a bicycle to use whenever you want it.

The Hermitage

Surrounded by colorful gingerbread cottages perched on a hillside with Nevis Peak looming large in the background, The Hermitage‘s circa 1670 Main House is commemorated as being the oldest surviving wooden house and first hotel on the island still standing thanks to being constructed from lignum vitae (ironwood) that’s extremely impervious to rot.

The Hermitage hosts a classic West Indian buffet each Friday in the Main House parlor that takes all day to prepare. A whole pig is rubbed with herbs and roasted on a spit for 7 hours over Acacia coals.  Mango chutney and hot sauce both pair perfectly with the cracklings and delectably juicy cuts of meat. Other main dish contenders include either line caught Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, Grouper, or Snapper served with a brandied creole sauce or beef short ribs and BBQ chicken slathered in sauces with with rum, brown sugar, rosemary, and honey as base ingredients.

Most dishes are served in traditional clay serving trays and bowls made from Nevisian clay including an endless parade of side dishes like red beets marinated in orange juice with feta cheese crumbled on top, Gingerland-slaw made from red and white cabbage shredded with a ginger vinaigrette, stuffed local pumpkin mixed with herbs, spices, & black beans, or fritters made from tannia, a local root typically shredded, battered, and deep fried. Rounding off the feast is either breadfruit soufflé, mango crumble, or a decadent rum soaked bread pudding.

All this good eating may have you booking a room here for the night. Your options range from gingerbread cottages to an entire yellow manor house all to yourself.

Nisbet Plantation

Dating back to 1778 and transformed into a hotel in 1949, Nisbet Plantation on Nevis’ north coast uniquely boasts a direct beachfront setting accessible via a palm-lined path known as the Avenue of Palms leading from the property’s Great House. Thirteen cottages and six suites accommodating 36 guests, none more than a minute’s walk to the white sand beach, are spread across 30 acres.

“Ting with a Sting”, the rum punch here, is concocted with a bottle of the island’s signature grapefruit-flavored soft drink and a small bottle of CSR, a cane sugar rum produced on St. Kitts. Dining here either alfresco at Coconuts or in the plantation-style dining room connects you with Executive Chef Tony’s creations like grilled mahi mahi with peas and rice or same day caught Caribbean lobster on a menu that changes daily.

Photos courtesy of Steve Mirsky, Nisbet Plantation, The Hermitage, Montpelier Plantation, Four Seasons Nevis, & Golden Rock Inn.  Coverage made possible by participating in a sponsored visit.

The post Experiencing the Real Nevis Through Artisan Dining and Locally Run Inns appeared first on Gastro Traveling.

Downtown Eugene Oregon is decidedly more laid back and outdoorsy than much larger and more renowned Portland to the north. The University of Oregon’s extensive in-town footprint and streets packed with local non-chain shopping make it a pedestrian haven. Strolling here especially on weekends during the warmer months envelops you in the city’s music scene like a sax player belting out tunes under a cavernous overpass enhancing the acoustics and gritty blues guitarists busking on street corners.

More formal cultural events range from the Oregon Festival of American Music to the Lane County Farmers Market held every Saturday. A genuine counter cultural spirit pervades the city stemming from the Whiteaker district, a storied counter cultural outpost on the northern edge of town where communal living and open mindedness still define daily living. Exploring this neighborhood also rewards you with key stops along Eugene’s Ale Trail and Distillery Trail like Heritage Distilling Company and Falling Sky Brewing’s Pourhouse and Delicatessen.

Surrounded by the Cascades and situated next to the Willamette River, it’s no wonder that outdoor activities reign supreme in Eugene. Birthplace of Nike and known as the “running city”, lacing up your sneakers for a jog is commonplace but so is hiking the multitude of trails within striking distance of downtown including in-town Skinner Butte Trail winding past historic Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson house. Along The Willamette River Trail, a paved and multi-use trail system passes through a string of parks including Owen Rose Garden spanning 29 miles including 5 pedestrian bridges connecting both shores.

Inn at the 5th

Boutique hotel Inn at the 5th in the heart of downtown adjacent to the E. Skinner Butte Historic District and across the street from the Amtrak train station offers immediate access to all of this. Ranked #15 hotel in the U.S. by TripAdvisor’s 2018 Travelers’ Choice awards and in the Top 25 U.S. Hotels for the second year in a row, your experience begins with door-to-door Mercedes-Benz transportation from the airport.  Pulling up to the inn’s front entrance, modern glass panel doors slide open inviting you into their naturally lit wood floored lobby.

Check-in presents you with choosing between a welcome glass of Southern Willamette Valley wine or locally crafted beer. Sculpture, photographic prints, and paintings by local artists often depicting key aspects of Southern Oregon living strikingly define the public spaces and room interiors. Diorama-like displays above each bed headboard range from umbrella and boots to a Buddhist statute. Private balconies overlook the Garden Plaza while fireplaces beckon on chilly nights.  Butler’s pantries where room service orders are delivered to your room via a separate door make in-room dining a delightfully unobtrusive indulgence.

In partnership with Pendleton®, a 6th-generation family-owned Oregon business renowned for over 150 years of crafting blankets and woolen fabrics, Inn at the 5th recently unveiled a Pendleton Suite complete with a woolen blanket menu for selecting your night’s covering. Historic photos of the Pendleton Woolen Mills adorn the walls and Pendleton fabrics abound on interior furnishings like upholstered window seats and pillows.

For guests with an itch for adventure, perhaps the most dazzling amenity of staying at Inn on the 5^th is a complimentary cruise bike always at the ready for heading down one of downtown Eugene’s many bike lanes or only blocks away in the other direction onto the Willamette River Trail.

5th Street Public Market

Next door and an integral part of staying here is the 5th Street Public Market filled with 25 artisan shops and eclectic eateries in a multilevel space with an open courtyard once occupied by the original Nike store. Provisions Market Hall, the anchor venue within the market stands ready to supply the most discerning picnic baskets with treats like Oregon hazelnuts, local cheeses, bread, and charcuterie. Shoppers scour the aisles for fresh produce, coffee, fresh baked pastries from their artisan bakery, locally raised meats, and a carefully curated selection of wines from the Southern Willamette Valley and beyond.

Market Ramen and Winner Winner, 2 new open kitchen eateries on the market’s recently refurbished top floor continue defining the dining scene here along with their flagship sit down restaurant Marche on the ground floor celebrating Pacific Northwest bounty with a seasonally changing menu featuring dishes like Chicken Paillard and Burrata & Panzanella Salad all using locally grown and sourced ingredients.

Exploring the Wineries of the Southern Willamette Valley

Inn at the 5th’s Oregon Wine Tour Package includes a bottle of red or white Sweet Cheeks wine, tote, and signature bottle opener accompanying a half-day wine tour. Tours begin at onsite Sweet Cheeks tasting room situated in the Garden Plaza and continue with luxury transportation to the rolling hills of the Southern Willamette Valley for tastings at 3 different wineries which may include favorites like:

Antiquum Farm Winery

The process and methodology here take precedence over the wine and owner/winemaker Stephen Hagen is quick to admit that some people in the industry consider him crazy. He does everything the hard way.  “They don’t see how using draft horses, grazing livestock and poultry in the vineyard, or infinite hours of meticulous hand labor can create a wine that is more unique, intense and full of life.” Hagen, like the many other small family run vineyards throughout the Valley, works the fields and harvests the grapes.

Wheat grown between the vines is cut and piled in the rows smothering weeds while poultry scratching for the grain plants the next crop. Soils are also fertilized in the pre-1940s agricultural tradition with trained Katahdin and Dorper sheep rotationally grazing between the vine rows eliminating the need for outside fertilizers.

Antiquum’s two vineyard plots each produce a distinctly different crop of grapes. At an elevation of nearly 800 feet, their Big Field vines experience wide diurnal shifts challenging grapes to yield voluptuous fruit profiles with some of the lowest ph levels in a region renowned for high acidity thanks to thin Bellpine soils of silty clay loam over sandstone. Vines are challenged to root deeper yielding what Hagen considers the ultimate Pinot Noir, a union of deep, dark, powerful fruit coupled with rippling acidity and exotic flavor profiles.

A quarter mile away in Turnbow Creek Valley, their other Little Field 6 acre vineyard produces Pinot Gris. Its lower elevation keeps it consistently cooler with a vastly different soil profile perfect for slowly ripening acid and mineral-rich, texturally-driven white wines. Soils here are defined by the creek bed and river rock with deeper soils slowing the ripening to a bright, tightly focused varietal driven by acid and minerality.

Brigadoon Vineyards

Nestled against the coastal foothills in a secluded canyon, Brigadoon is a 66 acre multi-generational winery also embracing sustainable agricultural practices making their vines LIVE and Salmon Safe Certified. From soil preparation to planting and harvest, each family member takes part in the process from father Chris Shown as vineyard manager, his wife Sheree who is often consulted with difficult blending decisions, and winemaker son Matt who learned by working in the vineyards since 8 years old eventually earning a degree in Horticulture at Oregon State University and working at other wineries as far afield as New Zealand.

For such a small space, the vineyards here produce a surprisingly wide range of grapes with 2 ½ acres of Pinot Noir on the eastern exposure along with ½ acre of Riesling. On the other side of the creek, facing west is 3 ½ acres of Pinot Noir along with 4 acres of Pinot Blanc. Bellpine soils combined with elevations between 400 and 600 feet create ideal growing conditions for fuller fruit and flavor development without the higher sugar levels.

Broadley Vineyards

Originally established in 1981 by Craig and Claudia Broadley, Broadley Estates continues into its second generation with their son Morgan and his wife Jessica. The winery’s fabled 1994 ‘Claudia’s Choice’ Pinot Noir put Broadley on the map building a loyal following ever since.

Now principal wine maker & vineyard manager, Morgan utilizes meticulous farming practices with the philosophy that great wine is first made in the vineyard. Similar to Antiquum, Broadley utilizes sheep for weed control and sustainable organic fertilization.  Pinot Noir grapes are harvested from several designated blocks including Claudia’s Choice, Marcile Lorraine, and Jessica, named after their daughter. Additional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are sourced from hand selected local vineyards that share Broadley’s viticultural standards.

Vineyards are situated on 33 acres on a cool North/East slope in the banana belt, a uniquely warm and dry area of the Willamette Valley just outside the small town of Monroe. Volcanic Jory and Hazelair clay soils make dry farming possible eliminating the need for irrigation impacting the wines’ flavor profile with minerality and spice undertones.

2 distinguishing production techniques at Broadley are the use of whole clusters in wooden fermenters infusing the wine with a richer, deeper complexity while exhibiting the fruit’s full intensity and lyre trellis systems that split the vine canopy into two walls of grapes improving sun exposure and air flow for healthy ripening.

King Estate Winery

Although larger and more closely resembling a big league winery in the South of France or Napa rather than a small farm-based operation, King Estate is still family run and operated by Ed King Jr. and Ed King III. King Estate is the Valley’s top producer of Pinot Grigio but when visiting, keep in mind that their onsite restaurant comes close to rivaling wine as the main attraction here.

Originally an aviation electronics supplier, Ed King, Jr. established the winery in 1991 eventually growing into a 1,033 acre estate. Long before it was the gold standard, King Estate adopted sustainable growing practices eventually becoming Oregon Tilth Certified Organic. Now they a thriving raptor program, 14 acres of orchards, and an apiary producing over 100 pounds of honey per year.

A combination of Austrian Peas, Crimson Clover, Wheat, Oats and flowering perennials provide native ground cover between the vines. Fertilizer is supplied by a massive composter that produces 1000 tons per year powering the most clonally diverse Pinot Gris vineyards in North America across 314 certified-organic acres resulting in lower crop yields with greater intensity and complexity of flavor.

Coverage made possible by participating in a sponsored visit.  Photos courtesy of Steve Mirsky, Inn at the 5th, and the featured wineries.

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When visiting a city for a few days even as a dedicated well researched traveler, it’s difficult to cover all the can’t-miss attractions let alone sample the wide crosscut of renowned food and beverage offerings. Markets and food halls provide a solution with an array of choices under one roof instead of visiting each establishment individually scattered across many neighborhoods. One of the first in the United States, Philadelphia’s public markets have provided the perfect environment for food halls to flourish. Here are some public markets and recently opened food halls all within walking distance from Center City bringing the best of what Philly has to offer in concentrated clusters:

Reading Terminal Market

Public markets have been a key part of Philadelphia’s history since William Penn laid out the city in the late 17th century. Food vendors at the time hawked their wares from individual carts making it difficult to enforce cleanliness and fair business practices. As the city grew into the mid 19th century, public markets expanded into a string of market sheds 6 blocks long. In time, these open air markets fell out of favor due to health concerns, nuisance complaints, and ever-increasing streetcar traffic.

Reading Terminal, the grand daddy of all Philly food markets, opened in response to all this in 1893 below a railroad terminal that’s now a National Historic Landmark. It’s where all-under-one-roof shopping got its start continuing to this day with locally grown & exotic produce, select meats and poultry, fresh caught seafood, cheeses, and kitchenware of all types. In addition to bulk ingredients, dozens of restaurants dish up breakfast and lunch daily with choices ranging from Pennsylvania Dutch specialties like scrapple & apple dumplings, Thai cuisine, corn dogs, pork sandwiches, baked goods, and confections of all types.

The Market provided relief from the rigors of World War II rationing with vendors providing a surprising variety of foods that were scarce at the time. Ironically, the 1960s and 70s threatened the market’s viability more than the Great Depression due to declining freight and passenger traffic driving the train station, the market’s upstairs landlord, into bankruptcy. But thanks to a handful of dedicated vendors and stalwart customers, the market held its own into the early 1980s when a renewed interest in artisanal food and increased development in the city center spurred a renaissance. Operations moved upstairs into the redeveloped space you see today making it Philly’s most popular tourist destination after the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.

9th Street Italian Market

Beginning in the mid-to-late 1880s when Italian immigrant Antonio Palumbo opened a boarding house in the neighborhood for fellow émigrés, businesses sprang up to serve this growing community forming what would become the largest continuously operating outdoor market in the United States.  In addition to traditional Italian specialties like fresh sheets of pasta and silky ribbons of homemade chocolate drying in storefront windows, today’s offerings are just as likely to be Southeast Asian or Mexican.

The market presents a healthy mix of restaurants and vendors in conjunction with an extensive maze of outdoor bins of fresh picked fruits and vegetables while the air bursts with the aroma of pungent herbs and spices, locally sourced seafood, and fresh ground coffee.  Best of all, visiting 9th Street Italian Market puts you several blocks from Philly’s dueling cheese steak titans Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks giving you a double barreled reason to explore this section of the Passyunk Square neighborhood especially when hunger strikes.

The Bourse

Right across the street from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia’s Historic District, The Bourse (place of exchange) was established in 1890 making it the first commodities exchange in the United States. The entire first floor of the yellow bricked Victorian-era skyscraper listed on the National Register of Historic Places has been transformed in the style of Chelsea Market into an artisan marketplace with 29 local vendors including Mighty Melt (grilled cheese), Scoop de Ville (ice cream), Bluebird Distilling (booze), Prescription Chicken (soup), Chaat and Chai (Indian), and Chocodiem (decadent chocolate).

The $40 million renovation restored original elements like ornate ironwork and a mosaic floor while modern touches were added like subway tile, communal seating and natural light.

Cherry Street Pier

An abandoned maritime warehouse built in 1919 was recently transformed into a more-than-55,000-square-foot public gathering space. Now called Cherry Street Pier, this public market is decidedly more mixed use with space divided into themed sections including The Garage, a co-working space and artist studios constructed from re-purposed shipping containers; The Platform, an open space for art installations and public events; The Market, a pop-up space showcasing area makers and artists; and outside in The Garden, an open-air space overlooking the Delaware River features a café and park with sweeping yet close up views of nearby Benjamin Franklin Bridge.

When it’s time to eat, visit The Hub filled with vendors like South Philly’s family-run Hardena/Waroeng Surabaya offering a unique twist on Indonesian cuisine with dishes like rendang served as a hoagie with lettuce & tomato and veggie corn fritters with sweet and spicy chili sauce. Birdie’s Biscuits’ fluffy golden treats range from sweet like blueberry cheesecake and apple cobbler to savory options like mushrooms and brie. Little Baby’s Ice Cream will be at the ready with a rotating selection of unique milkshakes like Birch Beer Vanilla Bean, Blackberry Sage, Buttered Popcorn, and Earl Grey Sriracha. The market bar is set to have wines on tap along with local beer as well as cider from local producer Kurant using fresh pressed Pennsylvania apples.

Chinatown Square

Philly’s Chinatown’s ever-changing foodscape on the streets has a 2-story anchor of permanency in Chinatown Square, the neighborhood’s very own food hall packed with street food ranging from Philly Poké’s Hawaiian-style poké, raw-fish served in their poke-ritos, sushi to go, and musubi; Khmer Grill’s home-style Cambodian barbecue; and Mexican-Korean hybrid taco joint Coreanos featuring bulgogi tacos on corn tortillas with gochujang and Korean sweet peppers sauce with Mexican cheese.

Open well past midnight, cocktails and karaoke are just as much of a staple at Chinatown Square as the food. While The Bao Bar serves steam buns featuring bò lúc lắc (“shaking beef”) they supplement it with a full bar serving craft beers. Hi Kori’s (“fire and ice” in Japanese) key components on the menu are kushiyaki (fire) and craft tea-infused cocktails (ice). Sake and Japanese whiskey are also at the ready. Access Karaoke on the second-floor mezzanine is entirely occupied by karaoke rooms like The Johnnie Walker Lounge, an open-seating-style lounge that can be rented for private parties.

Franklin’s Table Food Hall

Tucked into a glass walled street front building on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus, outposts of more established sit down restaurants located throughout the city surround communal seating accommodating 170 people.  Favorites include DK (Double Knot) where chefs swiftly wrap salmon rolls and plate bento boxes, rolls, and sashimi on the go. Falafel hotspot Goldie, renowned for their crunchy on the outside, pillowy soft in the center mainstay also serves ultra smooth tehina shakes, a liquified version of the Middle Eastern dessert halva made from sesame seed paste.

Starting out as a food truck, Pitruco Pizza built its reputation on top-notch wood-fired pies like margherita, spicy garlic, pepperoni, or more exotic yet authentic toppings like radicchio and fennel. Their open kitchen celebrates the fanfare of dough tossing along with the mechanical efficiency of pies being slid in and out of their wood–fire oven.  In addition to 3 burgers (including one loaded with cheddar, crispy onions, barbecue sauce, and roasted long hots), KQ Burger chef/owner Michael Pasquarello sizzles up fried chicken, cheese steak, and mushroom sandwiches served on potato buns. Their digital kiosk with 2 large touch screens allows you to customize the type of cheese, sauce, and toppings on whatever you’re ordering.

Where to Stay & Dine Outside of the Markets

When it’s time to hang your hat in between market excursions or visit an actual sit down restaurant, Philly’s historic Rittenhouse Square neighborhood in City Center is within walking distance of all the public markets featured above. The Warwick Hotel, a circa 1928 gem presents a perfect blend of yesterday and today with sleek décor and furnishings, vibrant colors, and modern technology in a historic landmark building. The last of Philadelphia’s original 3 “Grande Dame hotels” , the Warwick celebrates its legacy with impeccable service and ongoing getaway packages that often include key perks like complimentary parking and free admission to various museums.

On property Spice Finch run by Chefs Jennifer Carroll and Billy Riddle cook up modern Mediterranean dishes served in a bright and airy art deco-inspired designed dining area overlooking the street. Menu highlights range from fresh baked flat breads, spreads, and salads to elaborately spiced whole fish and octopus escabeche making it the perfect antidote to binging on Philly’s iconic cheese steaks and pork sandwiches.

Just several block away, The Love Restaurant presents a broad selection of American comfort dishes in a setting that’s 50/50 bistro and intimate plush seating. Authentically prepared from scratch favorites include Whistle Stop Fried Green Tomatoes, seasonal pastas like Tuscan Black Kale Risotto, Acorn Squash Pomodoro, and their signature Lovebird, seasonal buttermilk fried chicken, whipped sweet potatoes, bourbon aioli, cider braised mustard greens & black-eyed peas.

Photos courtesy of visitphilly.com, Reading Terminal Market, The Love Restaurant, & Steve Mirsky.  Coverage made possible by participating in a partially sponsored visit.

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Just two blocks from the White House and within walking distance to everything the nation’s capitol has to offer, it’s easy to see why The Willard InterContinental in Washington DC is known as the “Residence of Presidents” and has remained an anchor in a town that’s undergone countless transformations over the hotel’s 200 year existence.

In 1862, National Hawthorne wrote, “The Willard may be much more justly called the center of Washington and the Union than either the Capitol, The White House, or the State Department.”  Welcoming its first presidential patron, Martin Van Buren, followed by Franklin Pierce in 1853, and then Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration in 1861 where he took residence in the days leading up to his Presidency, the hotel has welcomed nearly every U.S. president since.

Key moments include President Coolidge hanging his hat in the Willard Suite for a month in 1923  where he also took his second oath of office. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt & President Roosevelt celebrated Teddy’s 60th birthday here in 1938 and Dr. Martin Luther King sat in the hotel’s lobby with his closest advisors in 1963 making final edits to his famous I Have a Dream speech. In 1968, the hotel was tragically shuttered descending into abandonment until preservation groups and a Historic Landmark designation saved it from demolition reopening in 1986 after a complete restoration to an even higher level of grandeur.

Although its facade inside and out exudes timelessness, it’s hard to believe that in addition to its rebirth in 1986, the property has undergone a metamorphosis since its inception. Starting out as a row house on the corner of 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in 1818, The Willard spent its first 30 years under a series of different names before Henry Willard took over as manager in 1847. He immediately spearheaded a complete makeover tearing down the original exterior replacing it with a new brick exterior and larger interior. It remained this way until 1901 when it was completely torn down to make way for the soaring Beaux-Arts style structure you see today.

The grand main lobby that opens to Pennsylvania Ave. is also connected to the other side of the block by Peacock Alley, an opulently appointed corridor leading to the F Street NW entrance while also connecting to 3 historic ballrooms and a room showcasing an extensive mixed media exhibit documenting the property’s evolution with photos and newspaper clippings from its early years, coverage of famous guests, to its eventual abandonment and restoration.

A crown jewel in the many events held at The Willard on an annual basis, cherry blossom season is the most significant celebrating their unique role in hosting Japan’s first delegation to the United States on behalf of President James Buchanan in 1860. Every March 20 – April 15, real cherry blossom trees are displayed in the common areas while Cherry Blossom Afternoon Tea, Japanese inspired cuisine, specialty cocktails, and nightly programs promote traditional Japanese art and culture.

Refreshed Luxury

Ranging from 425 square foot Classic Guest Rooms up to 3,000 square foot Presidential Suites, The Willard has a wide range of choices with some of the largest hotel rooms in the District including The Jenny Lind Suite complete with a sunken spa tub allowing you to luxuriate in front of windows overlooking close up Washington monument views.

Commemorating its 200th birthday in 2018, The Willard completed a 6-month $18 million renovation impacting all 335 guest rooms and suites. While maintaining original historic flairs, bathrooms are now enhanced with walk-in marble showers and in-room technology upgrades include furniture with integrated power outlets & USB charging ports. Customized drapes, reupholstered antiques, gold leaf embroidered headboards, and crystal lighting further define the interiors’ impeccably appointed ambiance.

Café du Parc

Renovations also encompassed onsite authentic French brasserie Café du Parc including reinvented menus and the addition of several new Pershing private dining rooms featuring birds eye views of the lobby and Peacock Alley.

Café du Parc showcases Executive Chef Luca De Marchis’s philosophy that traditional dishes should maintain the essence of their core ingredients yet evolve with modern culinary techniques and influences. Originally from Sestri Levante, a small Italian village between Cinque Terra and the French Riviera, Chef De Marchis’ Mediterranean and Italian culinary roots are richly displayed in classic dishes like Supreme de Canard and Steak au Poivre.

Rooted in his birthplace of Tokyo, Sous Chef Gyo Santa’s passion for Japanese culinary traditions is expressed in the quality and freshness of ingredients balanced with presentation like their Grilled Vegetable Strudel and salads including their signature Blueberry Kale.

In room dining here isn’t merely an amenity but a must-do experience.  Even turn down service includes a bite of history with small servings of animal crackers, opera cake, and peanuts upon arrival commemorating “Swedish Nightingale” Jenny Lind who stayed at the Willard in December 1850 while on her national tour managed by P.T. Barnum.

Round Robin Bar

Open since 1847, The Round Robin Bar at the Willard features portraits of past guests like Walt Whitman, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, and Presidents Wilson, Harding and Coolidge. Their monthly History Happy Hour is a 2-hour event distilling American history through cocktails and a hands-on mixology class led by Jim Hewes, winner of Historian of the Year in 2017 by Historic Hotels of America, who has been serving up cocktails for over 30 years at this iconic watering hole.

Round Robin’s signature mint julep was established when U.S. Senator Henry Clay famously shipped in a barrel of Kentucky Bourbon for his diplomatic efforts. Known for bringing together the North and South, Clay frequented the bar to imbibe juleps during his 40 years in Washington. “Without a doubt, the Mint Julep is an iconic American cocktail,” says Hewes who still uses Henry Clay’s original recipe including sour mash corn whiskey distilled in Bourbon County. To this day, the Mint Julep is The Willard’s most popular drink with nearly 20,000 of them served each year.

Photos courtesy of The Willard Intercontinental, Wikimedia Commons, & Steve Mirsky.  Coverage made possible by participating in a sponsored visit.

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The Duboeuf family has been producing wine in the south of France for more than 4 centuries but it wasn’t until 1964 that Georges Duboeuf launched Les Vins Georges Duboeuf. Duboeuf’s perpetual quest for high quality grapes adheres to his ancestors’ traditional methods rooted in unique terroir and authentic wine making techniques, rigorous selection, and […]

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