The multinational Ottoman Empire that once spread from the borders of Persia to just outside Vienna and as far south as North Africa, greatly affected the Turkish cuisine culture. Turkish cuisine now offers a wide variety of choices from meze, soups, meat and...
Why is a Michelin plate hanging in Treviso’s Le Beccherie? L’Assiette Michelin, or Michelin Plate shows that the Michelin inspectors enjoyed food that was not only of good quality, it was also notable. This restaurant might have a Michelin Star on the horizon....
Our 13-day Legendary Rhine & Moselle* River Cruise with the top ranked UNIWORLD Boutique River Cruise Collection began in Amsterdam, the capital of The Netherlands, with a canal sightseeing cruise. Amsterdam is surely one of the most under-rated capitals of...
Switzerland is a small county tucked in between France to the West, Germany to the North, Italy in the South, and Austria to the East. Based on its geographical position adjacent to these other countries there are three official languages - plus English, that is...
Ouzeri is the Greek equivalent to a Spanish tapas bar that serves ouzo – a potent distillate from grape or grain-based alcohol, which is distilled with anise, fennel, and other herbs and is similar to the French Pastis, only drier – to accompany a multitude of small...
Off the beaten track in the Veneto Region of Italy is the "something for everyone" picturesque medieval town of Treviso. This ancient walled city is replete with meandering canals, waterwheels, bridges and winding streets filled with picturesque photo ops at...
Located in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula, with coasts fronting both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, lies the second largest autonomous region in Spain: Andalucía. It is best known for gifting to the world Flamenco, Bullfighting, and its own...
After an absence of a few years because of COVID, the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux had its yearly tasting at the converted bank hall that is now New York’s Cipriani restaurant on 42nd Street, across from the Grand Central Station. The tasting was organized by...
The term “champor-champor” is a Malay expression which loosely translates to “a bit of this and a bit of that.” The restaurant is located in South East London and I find it irresistible as it makes me feel transported to exotic locations through a cuisine that I like....
At a recent tasting that took place in Manhattan, at Il Gattopardo restaurant on 54 Street, we had a chance to taste some white and red libations from Irpinia, an Italian region near Naples that produces exceptional wines. The Irpinia name, from the language of a...
A new generation of winemakers have taken over Greek winemaking, and a good percentage of them is women. According to my thinking, women make better wines, especially when dealing with indigenous grapes, because I believe they have a more sensitive palate than men. So...
Athens, Greece, is a very desirable tourist destination with millions of travelers arriving each year, especially in the summer months. Nowadays, there are numerous luxury hotels with some old-line, iconic 5-star properties dotting the center around Syntagma Square,...
The Corinthia Hotel is a stunning 5-star property right across the street from the River Thames, Whitehall Gardens, and the West End’s Playhouse Theatre. The Victorian building, which was modeled after Parisian architecture, dates back to 1885 and began as the Hotel...