dining (131)

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High above the 
Rhone Valley, I tried not to look as the bus driver deftly navigated the monstrosity around hairpin turns ever climbing. But there’s a thing about precipices where only a 2 foot high metal guardrail separates you from a vertical drop hundreds of feet into a rock encrusted ravine…it’s terrifying but ever so scenic! In this way, terror and enthrallment propelled my journey ever upward…how far was anybody’s guess…through the clouds? At 4593 feet, I reached 
Leukerbad, a Swiss villag

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Congratulations to
 Costa Rican chef Randy Siles
 and the staff at 
Hotel Tropico Latino
 in 
Playa Santa Teresa!

The star chef and that hotel’s 
Shambala Restaurant 
were featured in a recent article in Costa Rica’s important cuisine magazine
 Sabores. The full-page article features Siles’ fusion style called
 “Author’s Cuisine” – a freestyle way of cooking that lets Siles create original recipes from his imagination.

"Author's" fusion cuisine at Shambala Restaurant

Like an artist with a blank canvas, Siles skillfully creates gourmet art fusi

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I’ve been lucky to spend my time in three cities, San Francisco, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Los Angeles. One of my favorite things on earth is a hot pastrami or corned beef sandwich from Canter’s Deli in Los Angeles. Canter’s Deli is the closest thing to a true New York Deli on the West Coast. breakfast, lunch, and dinner all served 24 hours a day. Beef brisket, Canter’s reuben, lox, gefilte fish, roast turkey, burgers, tuna melts, and more.  Try Canter's bakery as well. I’ll bike miles through

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One of the best things about living in a tropical country is all of the fresh fruits and vegetables. Even better is if you live near the ocean for fresh fish as well!

In
Costa Ricawe enjoy year-round fresh produce thanks to the myriad of tropical micro-climates in our mountainous country.Pranamar Oceanfront VillasOrganic produce and meats are the latest hot thing too – another plus.
The open-air restaurant and tea lounge at
Pranamar Oceanfront Villas & Yoga Retreat, at
Playa Santa Teresa, specializes in healthy, organic

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I found that getting fully acquainted with Zermatt goes beyond taking your picture in front of the Matterhorn and doing some skiing or hiking. It’s about immersing yourself in local mountain heritage at the Matterhorn Museum and taking a stroll through the narrow streets of historic Old Zermatt. Getting to know some residents and dining at some of their favorite restaurants also helps you realize that rough mountain living dependent on sheep herding, local vegetable crops, and herbs has shaped

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You will most likely be frolicking in the public spas of Leukerbad or skiing the pristine snow fields of the Torrent before discovering the ancient Valais village of Albinen only about 10 miles away. This is due to the fact that it’s tucked away behind vertical cliffs through a tunnel remarkably constructed as late as 1980. In the centuries before this important milestone, reaching the village involved climbing an extensive network of ladders anchored into various crevices in the steely granite

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If you think you’ve seen it all, think again. Budapest is dotted with interesting and unique attractions and activities that will keep the whole family longing for more. And that’s perfectly okay, since Budapest has so much to offer it will probably take someone weeks to cover half of it. Additionally, food enthusiasts will rejoice with city’s abundant restaurants and markets carrying traditional and modernly inventive Hungarian cuisine. Claudette Covey covers Hungary from top to bottom.
 

Buda…

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What's for Breakfast in Burma?



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In many countries, especially those in Asia, breakfast is mainly soup.  While Americans are slurping cereal at breakfast time many others are breakfasting on a hearty and nourishing soup. The Vietnamese enjoy a delicious bowl of pho, while the Japanese start their day with miso soup, a broth made from fermented soybean paste, and the Chinese favor congee, a rice soup-like porridge perked up with fish, vegetables and herbs. And, in Myanmar, “The Golden Land,” the people enjoy mohinga, which is

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Sometimes you just gotta put the spotlight on the little guy. I doubt anyone cares about a tiny gyro shop tucked away on a busy street in Astoria, Queens, NYC, but my son is such a fanatic about their shawarma (sliced, ground lamb in a pita) that I had to give Pita Hot a try. First of all, the name is awfully cute, don't you think? A little play on Pizza Hut except that it doesn't really make sense, since in English, of course, we would say Hot Pita. I'm sure the owner either doesn't know or car

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Located on Lantau Island next to the Hong Kong International Airport, the SkyCity Marriott is more than your average airport hotel.  It is a destination with great culinary experiences awaiting the traveler looking for something out of the ordinary. Located on the mezzanine level with a view of the South China Sea, the Man Ho offers authentic dishes from the Pearl River Delta with a weekday special all-you-can-eat Dim Sum Luncheon.  From their wide selection of dim sum try their Pork and Shrimp

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The King of Dumplings at the SkyCity Marriott

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Located on Lantau Island next to the Hong Kong International Airport, the SkyCity Marriott is more your average airport hotel.  It is a destination with great culinary experiences awaiting the traveler looking for something out of the ordinary.

 

The SkyCity Marriott’s Man Ho Restaurant strives to provide meals a cut above what guests expect but during Chinese New Year they pull out all the stops.  The restaurants specializes Dim Sum lunches and fresh

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There is still time to hop a flight to Hong Kong where celebrating Chinese New Year is special with fireworks and a great parade.  The Chinese New Year celebration starts on Jan. 23 goes to February 5.  According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar it will be the Year of the Dragon 4710.  The flight to Hong Kong from New York State is long – very long so book a stay at the SkyCity Marriott located on Lantau Island next to Hong Kong International Airport.  The luxury hotel is the perfect place to recu

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I am not ashamed to admit it I like to eat. and I prefer to eat really great food. My nickname when I worked on cruise ships was the food scout, and my book Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships is filled with vivid descriptions of the wonderful meals I have eaten across the globe. So when I heard that there was an all you can eat lobster buffet at Valley View casino - a small casino set in the mountains north of San Diego I knew that I had to go there. I know some people don'

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Dionysia at New York’s Kellari Restaurant

FOOD IS LOVE. . .ESPECIALLY WHEN ACCOMPANIED BY WINE
by Denise Mattia
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"Valentines Day...What better day to open a restaurant and bring the culture and customs of my homeland to New York."

Since opening on February 14, 2006, one of the customs Stathis Antonakopolis has continued is his native tradition of wine celebrations at his restaurant, Kellari, a Greek Seafood Taverna at 19 West 44th Street in Manhattan.  The 1500 year-old Dionysian festival of wine cultivation takes place traditionally thr

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by Emily Guilmette

While I know that gourmets have been savoring the world’s most fabulous foods since the dawn of time, I do think that the past few years (at least in the U.S.) have seen a particular renaissance of appreciation of great eats. There is more interest in local food, less processed food, traditional tastes and culinary innovations than ever. Perhaps economic tough times have made cooking and food even more of a comfort – and a relatively affordable adventure. We’re more and more op

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Restaurant Etiquette in Paris

A new country means a new way of dining. And France is no exception. Food and eating out is a national obsession. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that dining etiquette is considered as important as the cuisine itself. Whether it’s Haute or casual fare dining, these few pointers will help you have a desirable experience in the City of Light and might just help you pass for a Parisian.
 
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Once you scope out your restaurant of choice, wait at the entrance and establish eye c
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Traveling to a new destination is about learning more about the culture, by getting to know the locals. And you will mix best with them, by trying to eat what they eat. Unusual and different, trying these local drinks and dishes border with ‘extreme dining’ to many of us. Sure, we all get excited by trying something new and little bizarre, but read on and you tell us where you draw a line.

#1. Birds Nest Soup in China

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nest of twigs and leaves wouldn’t be edible, but the Swift’s nests, made of sa

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We stumbled upon a very detailed step-by-step, illustrated guide on how to "crack, crunch and suck out the best bits" of Shanghai hairy crabs, on CNNGo. Couldn't have stopped for a second to wonder why on earth would anyone eat anything that looks like a mitten, from another planet.

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A hairy crab is not exactly the prettiest creature to crawl out of Yancheng Lake into your plate, but they are certainly the most sought after, at this time of the year. When a slight chill can be felt in the air, an

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La Jolla, California's Newest Ocean-View Café

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Caroline’s is perched on a sandstone bluff and serves up a 180° blue-water panorama, as well as healthy, California-style meals.

Some time ago, I wrote about “San Diego’s Best Beach Breakfast,” which described Snackropolis on the SIO (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) campus. However, that landmark closed in early August when Caroline’s Seaside Café opened in the nearby Scripps Seaside Forum.

Caroline’s is named for the wife of Nico Nierenberg, whose father William A. Nirenberg served as dire

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