Wine, Food, Beer & Cheese.....uh?

Photo: Andrea Cannistraci

For the 4th year out of five years, I headed down to the Annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival, now in it's 8th year. (I missed 2010 when I was in Morocco--well worth it!) This international showcase of the world’s premier wines, spirits, chefs, culinary personalities, and gourmet foods did not disappoint! And I invited my man, John Puopolo, along this year to indulge with me.

Since we are both huge Kimpton Hotel fans, we called Hotel Solamar home for the weekend. It's an amazing property located in the heart of the vibrant Gaslamp Quarter.

Our weekend of gluttony included a Belgian Beer Tasting & Cheese Pairing with Chef Daniel Joly (Mirabelle at Beaver Creek). This was all for the boy as I dislike "white" beers and we all know how I feel about cheese. I guess this is what being in love is all about :) And at the Reserve and Limited Tasting Event, it was more than just wine... There was scotch!  SipSmokeSavor was pairing scotches with chocolates...and I was in my glory.

It was a sunny San Diego Saturday for The Grand Tasting Event down at the Embarcadero where we ran into a number of unique luxury brands such as Chuao Chocolate, DelGrosso Sauce (yes the sauce from back home!) Wild Hibiscus, and Ca’momi Wines.

The Best Concierge in the World

I just interviewed Frank Laino. Not only is he the Head Concierge at the Stafford, but he's been voted "The Best Concierge in the World" by Virtuoso for the past five years! How cool is that?! Not only does he give me tips on what to see and do in London and how to best do it, he gets me and John (and our friend's Jeff and Kelly) reservations for TONIGHT into the hottest restaurant in London: Heston Blumenthal's "Dinner." I can't believe it! The wait list is usually three months. Running up to the Suite now to get ready...

* Check out my full interview here:http://bit.ly/o7kKFZ

The Stafford. Our Residence Whilst in London.

The Stafford London is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!

THIS is what luxury is all about--old school, high-brow luxury. We have just arrived in our Mews Suite--which is an apartment with two bathrooms, a library and living room, a grand master bedroom, and gigantic master bathroom. The shower is bigger than our 6x6 compartamento on the train. Really. And oh yes,  I will be using that soaking tub!

I've never been to London. I want to explore. But right now, I have no desire to leave this room...

We're Staying at the Stafford. Where?

We've taken the train from Stansted into London's Liverpool station. Being the adventure travellers we are, we decide during this 45 minute ride we're gonna take the Underground from the station to the hotel. It can't be that difficult, right?

For the first time since the "morning suitcase ritual" on the train, I lose it. After asking 3 people at the Liverpool Train Station the best way to arrive at our hotel, The Stafford, we still have no idea. (I'm tired, and I'm hungry.)

First, we're in London: We are all speaking ENGLISH. Second, The Stafford is the most luxurious hotel in London (if not all of Europe), and Third, Kate's family just stayed there for the Royal Wedding. How can you not know The Stafford?!

I announce, "we're taking a taxi!" And off to the taxi stand we go. The driver knows exactly where the Stafford is (although he does look a bit curious as to why the two of us are staying there...)

Difficult Jet

Bilbao is a great base city in which to explore other European cities. There are inexpensive flights on EasyJet out of BIO. But a word of caution if you've never flown DifficultJet: We may have only paid $50USD for our flight to London (which lands at Stansted--an hour outside of London) but since we were each checking a bag--we added about $40USD/each. Plus, since we'd been in Europe for awhile (and I'm a female!) said pieces of luggage were over 20kg/each and we paid 12 Euros for every kilo we were over. (Yes, I about dropped over when the agent said, "You are 8 kilos over. That will be 96 Euros.") Our $50 USD flights from BIO to STN ended up costing nearly $300 USD (yes, that is EACH!) My advice, take British Airways.

Berets (pronounced like ferets)

It's our last day on the train! We toured the famous La Encartada Beret Factory Museum and bought matching chocolate-colored berets. These will be part of our official Nut Brown Hare Club uniform. Berets (Vanessa the tour guide pronounces it like "ferets") are originally from Northern Spain (not France!) We were fed the bean soup they used to make for the workers over a hundred years ago. We have quite arrived!

Tonight, we can sleep in a proper bed...and together! Yeah!

Disclaimer: We have survived three nights and four days in a 6x6 room. What a testament!

Chupito!

The Basque equivalent to grappa (or port) is called Orujo. It’s a spirit distilled from wine and flavoured with special herbs or coffee.

It's served in a "chupito"--a small shot-like glass and is referred to simply as a "chupito." The "blanco" smelled and tasted like paint thinner, the "cafe" was similar to a kahula-flavor, and the "herbal" reminded me of Anisette.

Teamwork

Our large suitcases barely fit under the bottom bunk, and to access them, we have to fanangle them about...which means this morning he had to lay in his bottom bunk with his suitcase on top of him, while holding the lid of my suitcase open on the floor as I rooted through for my outfit of the day.

As I was showering the train rounded a bend and I went flying out of the shower and across the bathroom--the whole 6 feet--and landed in the toilet. As he lay in the bottom bunk with no where else to go--witnesses the entire thing. (I think this is how I may have sprained my finger.)

Compartamento #41

After the initial shock of boarding the train, realizing we were the only Americans, and the only people under 70, we were lead to our living quarters. For the next three nights and four days, Compartamento #41 would be our home. (Note: photo does not do justice.)

Enter shock part two: The living quarters on the train are 6x6, (John is 6'4"). The two single bunk beds were going to allow for no intimacy--heck, we weren't even sure if John could fit on the bunk to sleep!

This calls for alcohol. Where is the bar on this train?!

Our LUXURY (ummm) awaits!

We were so excited for our "main event" part of the trip as we named it. Around 3pm we boarded the El Espresso de la Robla: an "Orient-Express-like" sleeping train operated by the local FEVE that was going to take us on a four day/three night journey into the true heart of Basque country.

Well....things aren't always what they appear. Being under 70, we found ourselves as the only "dark hairs" on the train. An observation we made straight away. We had no idea we'd be "realizing" caves, churches, aqueducts--all in cities that we've never heard of, our friends have never heard of, that are not in any guide books, and not even noted on maps. This was the real, local deep-dive, folks.

A Not So Beautiful Day for the Incline

We had a few hours before our luxury train across Basque country Spain departed, so we took the Artxanda Funicular up to the top of Bilbao for what we were hoping were amazing views of the entire city....but it was super cloudy and not such the best idea that day! Oh well...time to board the train!

Our claim to fame with the Guggenheim

We stayed at the hotel that the famed architect Frank Gehry stayed when he first had his vision for the Guggenheim! Hotel Lopez de Haro is where it all started. In fact the first rough sketch of the Guggenheim was made on the bedside stationery.

Can we just stay in San Sebastian forever, please!

We definitely loved San Sebastian! Best idea for a day trip. We were both so excited that the San Sebastian International Film Festival was happening during our visit! The 50 minute bus ride was pleasant and easy. We wandered into a wine store called Luka's and was surprised to hear perfect English! Ben, a surfer from San Diego, poured us a few awesome wines and gave us the lay-of-the-land. I felt right at home in this seaside resort town. La Concha Beach is the place to sunbathe and the walking path along the waterfront allows for great views. A great place to stop for a beer by the water is a small bar called Akerbeltz. We enjoy the local brew, Estrella, and was invited to do shots with the bartender! We asked for the "local" liquor of orujo --they laughed at us and gave us tequila. The best pintxos ever were found at Ganbara. The restaurant is known for it's amazing dinners, but that would require us waiting until at least 9pm when restaurants open. (Note: our bus back to Bilbao was at 8pm. Needless to say, we missed it! We were able to get the very last bus back to Bilbao at 10pm, but would have stayed the night in a heart beat had we'd been able to find a hotel!)

Shopping in Bilboa

We've been in Spain for a few days now, and I haven't done a bit of shopping! I declared that today we are shopping! I'm in search of a cool spanish leather purse and that he should help me select:) He less than excitedly agreed. After visiting a few stores on The Ercilla Street (it's lined with shops!), I found "the" purse at Salvador Bachiller! I also snagged a sweater at the Spanish store, Sfera...it's a light weight sweater in the "dippy egg orange" color. And in the end, the shopping day was a HUGE success, because we found a store called, Nice Things! where we bought little rabbit pins and started our secret bunny club:)

Churros con chocolato!

The hot chocolate in Spain is rather thick--almost like pudding. A great place to try this yummy dessert is Avemay Cafe.

No more Pintxos!

Throw all ideas of what you think Spain is like, out the window. You've arrived in Basque Country! No tourists. No flamenco dancing. No sangria. The wine list is simple, "red or white." And the local white wine is "txakoli". And if you think "tapas" is a type of restaurant--think again. "Tapa" means "cover" and it's a way of serving the food. And they don't even use the word "tapa"....in Basque country it's "pintxos". (The "tx is pronounced like "ch") And after eating these "pintos" for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for three days, you may never want to see a pintxos again! And if you're a fan of fried eggs, you'll be happy to know they are quite popular at breakfast time and you'll notice straight away that the yolks are very orange.

Bilbao here we come!

In the heart of Basque country is Bilbao: the home of the Guggenheim. In this modern, working city there are few tourists. (Which means no English.) Bilbao is small enough to explore on foot in one day, and easily navigable. Even John and I, who both have NO sense of direction, found our way easily...

We tackled the old city (referred to as the casca vieja) where we wandered through narrow cobblestone streets, grabbed pintxos and a beer at a Berton (more or less a pintxos chain). I really enjoyed photographing the Zubizuri Bridge (which means "white bridge" in Basque). Of course, no visit to Bilbao would be complete without a visit to the Guggenheim. Even if you're not a museum person, the place is cool. There is just as much cool art outside, as there is inside. We snapped up some pics of Puppy and took some "illegal" pics inside of the Serra exhibit.

Glacial Pot Holes, and Flowers, O' My!

Why are we driving two hours east of Boston today to a tiny Mayberry-esque town called Shelburne Falls? To see Glacial Pot Holes and the World Famous Bridge of Flowers, of course.

Even though it is "world famous" we had never heard of it. Originally built in 1908 to carry trolleys back and forth between Shelburne and Buckland, the 400 foot, five arch concrete span was converted in 1929 to a pathway. Now over 30,000 visitors from all over the world visit the world famous Bridge of Flowers each year. The bridge is adorned with decorative vines, shrubs and over 500 varieties of plants and flowers....and lots of bees!

Zip Lining Through the Berkshires

In my never-ending quest to try new things, I can now check "zip lining" off the list. Inspired, I must admit, by a recent episode of "Expedition Impossible", We set out to have our breath taken away and live on the dangerous side.

If you've never zip lined before, an excellent (and inexpensive) way to experience four zips in under an hour is at Berkshire East in Western MA. But if you are adventure seekers like us, you may walk away wanting more.

Turns out, the intro "base camp tour" left much to be desired. At 30 feet above the ground and reaching speeds of around 15 mph, (I was a bit slower due to weight) we were hoping for faster, longer experiences. More rush, more heart-pounding suspense. But, now that we know not to "pencil" or "starfish" we think we'll try it again...perhaps across some raging rapids in Spain this Fall.

Rhode Island. Check!

It's true, I've been to some pretty cool places around the world. Every year I swear, "I'm gonna explore my own country more this year." Well, check off Rhode Island from my list! That's right, I finally made it to The Ocean State.

My Rhode Island visit was an unplanned, direct response of the crappy rainy, cold weather in Boston.We packed up the Ford F-150 rental truck and drove two hours to Newport, RI, home of "The Gilded Age Mansions."

Before we embarked on our "mansion hopping" we stopped at the Red Parrot. Still in search of the perfect Bloody Mary, we did NOT find it there...

Located along the water's edge are 11 historic "summer cottages" previously owned by tycoons such as Berwind and Vanderbilt. These summer estates are mansions...and while they cost "only" $1 million in the late 1800's that equals about $22 million by today's standards. We opted to take two tours: The Breakers--which is a MUST and The Elms. The tours come with audio headsets so you can go your own pace through the properties and listen to as little or as much information as you like. (And even sneak off for some alone time, if you wish)

After two tours, we were "all mansioned out" and decided to take a quick stroll along the Cliff Walk before indulging in a few adult beverages. The Cliff Walk was beautiful, with stunning views. But living in Hermosa Beach for nearly 5 years now (has it been THAT long?!) the views reminded me of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and I was less than wowed.

We were both in the mood of a wine bar and tapas...reminiscent of Bin 26 in Beacon Hill. We found sort of what we were looking for at Fluke's Wine Bar & Kitchen. The fire roasted octopus was great, the bacon wrapped dates filled with almonds were amazing. The Spanish Mencia was quite nice. However, the "crispy squid" should have been described as "your typical plain, boring breaded, fried calamari."

And what better way to end the evening than with hookah! Genie's Hookah Lounge was the perfect venue to wind down and talk about our adventure. Double -apple tobacco, apple tea...it was a little bit of Turkey....in Rhode Island.

It's Sunny in Boston. Really!

It's a great time to be in Boston. It's early June, it's in the 90's, and the Bruins are in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1972!

In between a week of rainy, cold weather, Wednesday, June 8, 2011 in Boston was *the perfect day*....really. After waking up in a gorgeous room at the European boutique property Beacon Hill Hotel, having a yummy breakfast in the Bistro, we headed to the Public Gardens. I was all ready for my swan boat ride in my new salmon colored sundress (yes Erik, it's not pink, it's salmon!) The Gardens were in full bloom with colors everywhere. Even the famous statue of George was adorned with a colorful Bruins jersey. Now that's a photo you likely won't see again!

After that, it was a stroll along Newbury Street--"the Rodeo Drive" of Boston. They may have cool, trendy shoppes but they certainly need some help in the Bloody Mary category. I'm not even gonna mention the place that we had the first one--it was.so.terrible.

I spoke with Chef Rich at Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro, and he suggested we try Gargoyles, Highland Kitchen, or East Coast Grill for Bloody Mary's. I mean, how hard can it be to make them? This is my newest project...making the perfect Bloody Mary. Stay tuned....

Chihuly!

When I was looking for a fun "indoor" activity for us on a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon in Boston, I thought a "hand blown glass exhibit" sounds cool. (Remember, I did live in Italy for some time) I never dreamed I'm be amazed as much as I was! It takes a lot to impress me these days. And I was impressed. The exhibit is at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts until August, so you still have time to catch it! My favorite, was the "Ikebana Boat" (pictured here). Some other pieces of note: Reeds and Spears and the Persian Ceiling. The "Baskets" series is really cool too.

Jazz, Paint, and Love in the Desert

While I have been to Palm Springs many times, he has not. So what better way to celebrate his belated (ok, reallly belated) birthday than a CA get-away to Palm Springs. And it wasn't just a swanky hotel...oh no! We did this trip "Andy-Style".....staying at the La Quinta Resort and Spa, VIP Table front and center for the “Grooves in the Grove” jazz series featuring Rick Braun! We had a dinner tasting with Chef Michael Vaugn too! The dinner tasting consisted of Buffalo chicken lollipops, deep fried devil eggs, fried tomato soup, hanger steak with tater tots, and a TV Dinner. (Yes!) And for dessert, Chef made us Captain Crunch ice cream. Then for breakfast the next morning we started off with a Bloody Mary—made with bacon infused vodka! Then a pizza was delivered to our table—a green eggs and ham pizza. How fun! Def the most unique tasting I've had:)The next day it was over to Miramonte Resort & Spa for the Pittura Festa. In an open-air cabana you paint your partner with natural colored clays that have natural healing powers. At the end, you both look like warrior indians---but, hey, it's fun and very intimate.

On the Red Carpet with Michael C. Hall

For the third year now I have had the opportunity to be on the Red Carpet for the Newport Beach Film Festival. This year's opening film, EAST FIFTH BLISS, directed and produced by Michael Knowles (who I interviewed), starred Peter Fonda and Michael C. Hall. While at the festival, I called the Balboa Bay Club & Resort home. It's an amazing property right on the water in Newport Beach. A few films I saw that are of note include: FORT MCCOY, SILVER TONGUES, and NIGHT CLUB.

The Racing Chef

For the third year now I have been down in the pits at this world-famous race! This year was no exception as I rubbed shoulders with Danica and Dario, and even chatted up racing legend Bobby Rahal, who was in the pits helping his son, Graham. Then I got up close up with the Grand Marshall for this year’s event—Chef Gordon Ramsey! I had the opportunity to attended Chef’s press conference and got some inside scoop on Hell’s Kitchen and also a food few tips from Chef Gordon. Now when I'm in the Dining Room of Hell's Kitchen on May 31 for the taping of Episode 4, Season 10--I'll be prepared!

Beauty in Death (Valley)

While I am loving my hobby of photography, I'm always looking for fun, interesting ways to learn more and take better pictures. On March 2, I embarked on a 5-day workshop in Death Valley, CA that was like "Photography Boot Camp." We were up at 5am to shoot sunrise, and stayed up well past 2am to shoot star trails. This workshop was lead by Scotty Stullberg and Jennifer Wu. If you ever have a chance to take any of their classes--do! They are educational and so much fun. (Just don't plan to get any sleep.)

It was challenging and tiring, and made me cranky (and there was limited cell phone access--so enough said there!) But I learned so much on the trip, took some amazing photographs, and walked away a better photographer! I learned how to light paint, and shoot star trails!

Located near the border of California and Nevada, Death Valley is filled with breath-taking scenery and unique geological formations. With miles of pristine sand dunes, colorful rocks and canyons, and evaporated salt fields, Death Valley is a pretty trippy place!