Monique Stringfellow2013-05-18T04:22:41-04:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=monique-stringfellowCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Monique StringfellowGood old fashioned elbow grease.Savvy Traveler: Language Learning In The Age Of The iPadtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.18837242012-09-18T07:00:00-04:002012-11-18T05:12:02-05:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-stringfellow/Tumi carry-on or sleek leather passport holder, it's an at-least elementary grasp of your destination's native tongue. From reading menus to asking directions, dealing with local transportation -- and not getting taken for a ride -- familiarizing yourself with the lingua franca might just be the singlemost important thing you can do to improve your travel experience.
These days, we live much of our lives online, and the field of language learning is no exception. While those with the time and money can easily sign up for a language class the old-fashioned way (a 10-week, 30-hour Spanish course at New York's Instituto Cervantes will run you between $455 and $535, for example) many of us have neither the bandwidth nor the inclination to commit that kind of face-time to improving our foreign language skills. And that's OK! These days, there are more options than ever, and, thanks to technology, it's easier than ever to sneak in a half-hour tutorial on your morning commute.
In anticipation of an upcoming trip to Ecuador, I've been researching best bets for brushing up. I studied Spanish in college, spent a semester in Buenos Aires and a year in Madrid -- but eight years in New York have me feeling rusty on the finer points of ser and estar and, well, just about everything else, too.
The two standouts I've come across are Livemocha and Yabla.
Brazilian site Livemocha takes the concept started by person-to-person chat sites like Chatroulette and puts an educational spin on the interaction. For just $9.95 a month, you can chat with native speakers all over the world -- a good thing, for, as anyone who has learned via immersion will attest, the best way to learn is by speaking. There are also programs to watch and videos with instruction on grammar, vocabulary and other fundamentals.
Also $9.95 a month for unlimited access, it was a no-brainer to sign up for Yabla's Spanish language site. What makes Yabla unlike any of the others I looked at is that they continuously update their sites with exclusive original content. They also use TV shows and movies, but the videos that I found the most engaging were the interviews with native speakers.
Some recent footage came directly from London's Olympic village, giving the programming a very current feel. Much of the content deals with cultural issues, so the vignettes often cross over into travelogue territory, a pleasant surprise for someone with a trip planned. Some examples: the French site features a behind-the-scenes look at macaron making as well as tours of favorite Parisian neighborhoods led by the quartiers' denizens themselves.
Since I'm heading to Ecuador, I searched by that location. (A great feature allows you to filter videos by desired accent. Perhaps you speak a passable Spanish from your time in Mexico but want to adjust your ear to lispy Castilian, for example.) I found interviews with Ecuadorean musicians, a lively group of Ecuadorean expats sharing mojitos in Miami and more. Each video comes with the option to enable or disable Spanish subtitles and English translations, listen to particular phrases on loop or play a game relating to the segment. Also, all content is optimized for iPhone and iPad, making it easy to take advantage of your subscription even when you're on the go.
Of course, for the tech-resistant, Rosetta Stone is still a great option. Boasting a strong track record and a legion of devotees, it's ideal for someone willing to put in the time -- business travelers, for example, who might listen to lessons on the road. But the gold standard of at-home language learning doesn't come cheap: the complete five-level course goes for $499.]]>Between Sun And Sea On Singapore's Sentosa Islandtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.14624622012-05-02T07:00:00-04:002012-07-02T05:12:13-04:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-stringfellow/my trip to Singapore we opted to stay not in the city itself but rather on neighboring Sentosa, the city state's man-made resort island.
Here's why this was a great idea:
Coming off of the beaches of Batu Ferringhi and Langkawi, it made for an easy transition back into city life. We had two days before a long flight back to New York and it was nice to take advantage of a little more sun and swimming.
We stayed at the Shangri-La Sentosa, the island's only beachfront resort and, with 454 nicely appointed rooms and suites, a huge property. We started both days at the gigantic and all-around amazing breakfast buffet. With everything from Western classics like omelet stations and pancakes to congee, Indian roti canai, Japanese salted salmon and noodles. After breakfast, we steered clear of the macaque monkeys that had gathered on the patio in the hopes that hotel guests would share their croissants and went for a walk on Siloso beach. The result of a civic project the city that began in the 70s, the beach looks anything but man-made. The sand is fine and the water is much clearer than on your average city beach.
Elsewhere on Sentosa Island, there's ziplining, an alpine luge, two golf courses and a cable car offering a scenic commute to downtown Singapore. The Sentosa Monorail is yet another tourist friendly option for going back and forth: Unveiled in 2007, the $140 million monorail system arrives every three minutes in peak times and travels from terminus to terminus in a speedy eight minutes.
Opting for a longer route, we boarded a shuttle into town and spent most of the day in the markets and stalls of Chinatown. Antique shophouses in baroque and Victorian "painted lady" style evidence the neighborhood's long history--documentation has shown the area to be a locus of Chinese immigrants as early as 1330 and was well-established at the time of Singapore's founding in 1819. We bought tea to bring back for friends and some simple tops crafted from bright silks. Browsing in curiosity shop-like apothecaries, we looked at herbal poultices designed to treat overheating of the body and marveled over the sharkfins and deer antlers that would be ground to make powders and pills. We stopped at a sidewalk cafe to try "carrot cake", a local favorite that's nothing like the American version, but a stir-fried savory dish with daikon radish, egg and chicken.
As the sun set, we headed back to our island paradise, to sleep in a room overlooking the ocean before setting out for one last day in Singapore...
]]>An Earthquake And Culinary Curiosities In Penang (PHOTOS)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.14275032012-04-16T07:00:00-04:002012-06-16T05:12:01-04:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-stringfellow/Traders Hotel in Penang when we felt it, a queasy movement, subtle enough that I couldn't place it until I heard someone say "earthquake." Our fellow Anglophone travelers were quicker than us to realize what was happening. Then we heard the chiming glass beads of the gigantic crystal chandeliers. I jump up from my seat and ran to a spot unadorned by thousand-pound ceiling fixtures.
Pre-quake in front of one of George Town's many temples
Thankfully, the shaking was only the ripple effect shocks of the 8.6 magnitude quake in Sumatra. We were waiting in the lobby to catch a shuttle back to our hotel the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, a beachfront resort a half an hour down the coast from George Town. Back at our hotel, the tsunami watch was on, guests told to clear the beach as the security team kept watch, cellphones in hand, waiting for word from the nearby island of Langkawi, which, in the event of a tsunami, would experience the tidal wave about 20 minutes ahead of us. Director of Communications Suleiman Tunku Abdul Rahman was on hand to allay our fears, explaining that the type of earthquake it had been made a tsunami unlikely and pointing out that the height of the hotel (a lofty three stories and set back from the beach) made even the worst-case-scenarios not that threatening.
Beachfront at Batu Ferringhi
In addition to the impressively capable way they handle possible emergency situations, Rasa Sayang is a lovely place to stay when visiting Malaysia's most historical island. Penang's capital George Town was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 2008 for its well-preserved 19th century colonial architecture. A British colony for almost 200 years, George Town bears this legacy gracefully--from the 18th century stockade of Fort Cornwallis to the Eastern & Oriental Hotel, a gilded era structure whose teak verandah beautifully captures the opulence of the 1890s.
The driveway of the E & O
Penang is also considered one of the best places for eating in the world. Malay cuisine borrows from India and China, its dishes shot through with coconut, tamarind and fish sauce, a rich mix that references Vietnam and shares much with Thai cooking. In short, it's its own thing, but seems to capture all the best parts of its neighboring cuisines.
Barbecued ducks in Penang
Two hours after the earthquake, Rasa Sayang officially called off its tsunami watch. Apparently, if nothing happens for two hours, you're in the clear. Crisis averted, we set out for Batu Ferringhi's night market, a kilometer-long strip of hawker stalls and craft sellers a two-minute walk from the resort. Having already experienced the hawker stalls of Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and, earlier that day, George Town, Batu Ferringhi was much less chaotic.
The grounds at Rasa Sayang
You can take your time, leisurely walking the strip, weighing your options for satays and curries, grilled meats and spicy noodles. We settled on a dark wooded restaurant with an outdoor garden, ordering beef rendang and kari kapitan, a rich chicken dish studded with insanely hot red peppers. I ate one whole by mistake and had to sip water and wait for the numbness to wear off, a memorably imperfect moment to end a memorably off-kilter day.]]>Shopping And Dining On Singapore's Orchard Roadtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.14136152012-04-11T07:00:00-04:002012-06-11T05:12:02-04:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-stringfellow/
Of course we had done research: DVRing Anthony Bourdain's The Layover Singapore episode, buying a Lonely Planet book and picking the brains of my parents, who recently traveled here. One of my favorite things about traveling -- second only to guessing where other tourists are from -- is seeing how much expectations match the reality of the place. In spite of all the information, there are always little surprises in store, things you just don't know until you go.
I knew there was lots of shopping but expected it to be mostly high street brands and massive luxury houses like Prada, Louis Vuitton and Chanel. What we weren't prepared for and were pleasantly surprised by were the less obvious boutiques. We wandered into a glass box Comme des Garcons Play store that carried the line's ubiquitous heart tee, perfume and wallets as well as myriad styles I'd never seen before. Across the street was a Tsumori Chisato boutique, a Japanese designer whose whimsical pieces that can be hard to find in New York.
And to cap it all off they've got Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Starbucks I expected, but New York only got its first CBTL outpost a couple of months ago.
The main shopping area, Orchard Road, offers more than just opportunity revamp your wardrobe. It's a bustling, air-conditioned center of activity. The 600,000-square-foot ION Orchard is the grandest shopping mall, home to some 400 shops and restaurants since its 2009 opening. The food court was unlike any I've ever seen: dim sum, Indian rotis, sushi, ramen, Malayan "hawker food" and so much more all side by side in the gleaming basement area.
ION Orchard
Our hotel, the Valley Wing of Shangri-La Singapore was just off of Orchard Road, a five-minute walk from the action. The most luxurious of the three wings at Shangri-La Singapore, the lobby of the Valley Wing is covered in white orchids and hung with silk murals and crystal chandeliers. The service is impeccable and guests are treated to complimentary champagne and high tea. We sat and enjoyed Moët and finger sandwiches one afternoon while it poured outside -- our teatime coincided perfectly with a three o'clock thunderstorm.
Champagne Bar in the Valley Wing Lobby
The hotel had a strong sense of place, not unlike The Raffles Hotel, a historic property founded in the late 1800s. Tourists come here for the Singapore Slings, but the museum is just as appealing as the bar. Featuring photos, letters and memorabilia from the heady days of late empire travel, the museum includes correspondence from Somerset Maugham and other characters. It makes for a fun look into a past that seems worlds away from the Singapore of today.
Longbar at Raffles Hotel
The much-touted hawker stalls are a pretty amazing sight to see and the dim sum and chicken satays I had were good -- but the culinary standout of my short stay in Singapore was the Indian food! From fish head curries to buttery naan and mutton mysore, a dry rubbed dish that I'd never seen before, it was seriously the best Indian I've ever had, not a designation I take at all lightly.]]>Seven Reasons To Visit Lake Placid Before The Snow Flies (PHOTOS)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.9632602011-09-17T08:32:00-04:002011-11-17T05:12:02-05:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-stringfellow/
Going up just one week after Hurricane Irene, I was a little worried that the area would be in recovery mode and wasn't sure what to expect. I had read that some towns had sustained flooding and some damage. It turned out Lake Placid was pretty much unscathed and the town's Main Street was bustling, business as usual for Labor Day weekend.
Back in January, most of the visit was spent snowboarding on Whiteface Mountain. So how does one spend weekend in Lake Placid this time of year?
Boating: The lakes -- frozen over last winter -- are now the perfect setting for a bracing swim or bucolic boat ride. We rented a rowboat at Mirror Lake Boat Rental but had the option of taking out a one or two-seater kayak, canoe, paddleboat or even a small sailboat. We got lucky and there was a band playing at the lakeside gazebo, so we spent a relaxing, tune-filled hour drifting and paddling on Mirror Lake.
Hiking: When in the Adirondacks, you have to take advantage of the hiking. We did the 6.7-mile hike up Haystack Mountain. It's great workout but not so hard as to make it a no-go for an out-of-practice hiker (such as myself).
Dining:Liquids & Solids, a year-old gastropub in town, features an all-star list of handcrafted cocktails and a comprehensive menu of small plates and larger ones. We shared the pulled pork (made extra rich with the addition of a fried egg), short ribs and lemon ricotta spring rolls. I highly recommend its pitch-perfect mix of a casual setting and thoughtful offerings.
Shopping: It's nearly impossible to not be charmed by the rustic-flavored décor that sets the region's signature look. We ended up coming home with two Adirondack chairs. Dartbrook Rustic Goods in Keene offers a high-end mix of antiques and handmade pieces that are definitely worth a look.
Sundowners: Since après-ski is out, start a new ritual with après-hike cocktails. There's no better way to end the day than at Lake Placid Lodge. Grab a drink at luxe-rustic Maggie's Pub and take it outside to watch the sunset over Lake Placid. The expansive grounds and grand lodge, which dates from 1882, transport you back in time to when the area was primarily known as the home of hunting lodges for gilded age tycoons.
Great hotels: We booked a lovely room at the Courtyard by Marriott Lake Placid hotel. Friendly staff, a fireplace downstairs and a just-off-of-Main Street location made it the perfect base from which to access the town, the trails and smaller towns like Keene and Keene Valley. Rooms start at $129 per night.
Festivals: With the mountains ablaze in a red, yellow and orange tapestry of autumnal color, fall is a fantastic time to visit the High Peaks region. Between the leaves changing and harvest season celebrations, the calender for the coming months is chock of full of activity. Here are a few events that should be on your radar should you venture to upstate New York:
Oktoberfest, September 23-25, in Hague: Enjoy German food, beer, children's activities and games.
Adirondack Harvest Festival, October 1-2, in Blue Mountain Lake: Don't miss wagon rides, cider pressing, love music, pumpkin painting and more.
Lake George Region Restaurant Week, September 26-30, in Lake George: Find discounts on lunch and dinner at the region's many restaurants.
Oktoberfest, October 1-2, in Wilmington: Enjoy fall foliage gondola rides to the top of Little Whiteface Mountain, try German food, enjoy live music and authentic Bavarian dancing.
Flaming Leaves Festival, October 8-9, in Lake Placid: A family-fun event at the Olympic Jumping Complex with barbecue, lawn games, a horseshoe tournament, craft vendors, chairlift rides to the top of the 120-meter ski jump and more.
Annual Harvest Days, October 15-16, in Peru: Babbie's Rural & Farm Learning Museum will offer demonstrations on threshing and corn production.
]]>Sicily's Wild Western Coasttag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.9014692011-07-18T18:48:00-04:002011-09-17T05:12:01-04:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-stringfellow/ Erice
Take a dizzying cable car ride to the top of Mount Eryx and the town of Erice, perched some 750 meters above sea level. Its medieval center is home to 60 churches and cathedrals and Pasticceria Maria Grammatico, which is said to have the best cannoli in Sicily.
Pastries at Maria Grammatico
Even more impressive than the pastry is the Castello di Venere, a Norman castle that began life as a pagan temple of Venus some three millennia ago. Despite its tumultuous history (the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and Normans each came through), it is remarkably intact, and the mountain's unique microclimate keeps it shrouded in a thick fog that adds to its mystique.
The Castello surrounded by mists
Trapani
This coastal city wears its Moorish history on its sleeve. Its namesake dish, cuscus alla Trapanese, is a tagine-like couscous served with seafood soup, prawns and monkfish, and its historic center features tightly packed streets that were once surrounded by the casbah walls. A later period of Spanish rule left stately Baroque architecture and grand boulevards. Join the locals for their nightly passegiata, or evening stroll, and take part in a centuries-old tradition that is still very much alive.
The local specialty
Verdura Golf & Spa Resort
The maestro of luxury hotels, Sir Rocco Forte, ups the ante with his first resort, Verdura. Set among ancient olive groves and rolling hills, the 570-acre property borders more than a mile of picturesque shoreline and is home to three golf courses, one meticulously appointed spa, and four restaurants, helmed by a Michelin-starred chef. The spa's four thalassotherapy pools have different temperatures, jet speeds and mineral contents and are open to all hotel guests. While away an hour and feel renewed in mind and body. Since its opening in 2010, Verdura Resort has set a new standard for luxury in Sicily.
Oceanfront golf at Verdura
The view at sunset
DOC Wine Route
Sicily has more vineyards than any other part of Italy and 19 DOC regions. Lesser known varietals like Zibibbo (from the nearby island of Pantelleria) and Grillo are made into crisp, seafood-pairing whites that will appeal to those who like Sancerre and Sauvignon Blanc. Marsala is known for the port-like wines that take their name from the town. Take a tour of a historic winery like Cantine Florio and see the giant oak casks that give the fortified wines their rich flavors and tawny hues.
A barrel of Marsala wine from 1939
The cellar at Cantine Florio
Egadi Islands
Hop aboard a ferry in Marsala or Trapani and make way for the tuna-fishing stronghold of Favignana, the largest of the Egadis. Rent a bike and spend the day exploring coves and shoreline. Crystalline waters and clearly marked signposts make the island an easy locale to discover on your own. Sample the local delicacy at one of the town's many restaurants or bring back a jar of tonno preserved in olive oil or bottarga, a dried roe that adds flavor to pasta dishes.
Cala Rossa, "the red cove", on Favignana
]]>Postcard From Paris: Ralph Lauren's Vintage Race Cars at the Musée des Arts Décoratifstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.8708812011-06-03T16:19:35-04:002011-08-03T05:12:01-04:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-stringfellow/
Whether or not you wear Polo, Ralph Lauren, or any of his many lines, most would agree that Ralph Lauren has a great sense of style. Beginning with his breakthrough job as the costume designer for the 1974 film The Great Gatsby, starring Robert Redford, his impeccable eye for detail has changed the face of American fashion.
What is less well known is that his refined aesthetic extends to cars. Not just any cars, though: Lauren's collection of more than sixty is considered among the world's most valuable vintage race cars. And, this summer, he'll be exhibiting seventeen outstanding automobiles at Paris' Musée des Arts Décoratifs. They'll be on display until the end of August, so if you do get to France this summer, be sure to put the show on your short list. The cars featured in the expo are design objects, works of art. They are truly a meeting of technique and artistry, a celebration of elegance and innovation. Some exhibit standouts include a 1929 Bentley "Blower", the shark-finned Jaguar "D type" that won Le Mans in 1955, 1956 and 1957, and the 1938 Bugatti Atlantic, of which only four were produced.
1938 Bugatti 57S Atlantic
All seventeen are European and most are from the 1930s to 1950s, which means seeing the show is like a trip back in time. These automobiles conjure up the romance of Princess Grace, the je ne sais quoi of the French Riviera's golden age. Who knows, after seeing the exhibit, you might feel inspired to hop on a bullet train and spend a few days on the Côte d'Azur. If you do, have some rosé for me!
Photo courtesy of Nice Tourism
The exhibit will run at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs through August 28th, 2011.
Bugatti photo courtesy of Michael Furman
]]>Best Places in New York to Celebrate Mardi Grastag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.8292412011-02-28T13:46:45-05:002011-05-25T18:35:25-04:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-stringfellow/I love New Orleans. It's one of my favorite cities and I am continually charmed by its energy, quirkiness and unique way of doing things. I was just there in January and won't be back for Mardi Gras this year, but that doesn't mean I won't be celebrating carnival season. Here are the five boroughs' best spots for channelling that Big Easy je ne sais quoi.
Down in Red Hook not far from the waterfront, Fort Defiance serves New York's best muffaletta. Piled high with soppresata, coppa, mortadella, Emmenthal and provolone and topped off with olive salad, it might give the Central Grocery some competition if it weren't so firmly on the opposite side of the Mason-Dixon line. For drinks, try the Vieux Carré cocktail, based on a formula pioneered at the French Quarter Hotel Monteleone's rotating Carousel Bar.
A recent addition to Williamsburg's Bedford Street, this oysters and cocktails spot is home to an absinthe fountain and marble-topped horseshoe-shaped bar that will have those who have visited New Orleans' Olde Absinthe House feeling a serious bout of déjà vu. As the décor would suggest, the green spirit is on the menu and bartenders prepare it 19th Century style, diluted with water from the fountain and a dissolved sugar cube.
These twin bars (one in the East Village and the other in Williamsburg) actually have a triplet on New Orleans' Frenchman Street. Though the Marigny location is more of a music venue than either New York branch, both the Manhattan and Brooklyn locations are recommended for their vast drink selections and spacious outdoor gardens.
On Tuesday March 8th, Chef Tenney Flynn of GW Fins fish house brings his talents to the James Beard House for a Mardi Gras Seafood Celebration. Chef Tenney is a globalist in his approach but the evening's menu features plenty of Gulf Seafood including barbecued Louisiana shrimp and Pontchartrain blue crab cakes. Reserve in advance to be part of this intimate evening.
Chef Tenney's Pompano
Jazz Brunch
The jury's still out! Let me know in the comments if you have any ideas. New Orleans' Court of Two Sisters sets a high standard for this Sunday tradition. While I doubt New York has any institution that could truly rival the French Quarter mansion's open courtyard, ebullient jazz trio and classic dishes like crawfish étouffée, we must have some contenders.
Courtyard at Court of Two Sisters, image via Terry Thibeau
]]>The East Coast's Best Ski Town: The Case for Lake Placidtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.8125512011-01-27T15:13:30-05:002011-05-25T18:25:24-04:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-stringfellow/Lake Placid has a storied winter sports pedigree. It was the setting for the 1932 and 1980 games, the latter of which hockey fans will remember as the year of the "Miracle on Ice" wherein the underdog USA team beat the Soviets. These days, it has plenty to offer bunny slopers and black diamond riders alike, not to mention those "skiers" who prefer drinking hot cocoa in the lodge to actual skiing. Whiteface, its premiere mountain, features 86 trails and a peak elevation of nearly 5000 feet. Its manicured runs benefit from the area's unique microclimate; with an average of more than 100 inches a year, there's a fresh dusting of powder more often than not. As far as East Coast skiing goes, it's one of the best and less expensive and crowded than comparable Vermont destinations. My husband and I had the pleasure of visiting last weekend.
The High Peaks Resort, conveniently located on the main shopping-and-dining drag and overlooking a frozen Mirror Lake, is truly the best of both worlds. Main Street is home to an Eastern Mountain Sports (great for forgetful underpackers like me!), cute cafes, fine dining and even a movie theater - while the view from our room was an icebound moonscape of mushing sleddogs and twilit silence. Load up on a pre-ski power breakfast at Dancing Bears, High Peaks' casual restaurant. Decorated with retro Olympics posters and black-and-white winter sport photos, the kitchen turns out classics like Eggs Benedict and substantial build-your-own omelets with hash browns that provide much needed fuel for your day of shredding or schussing.
Frozen Mirror Lake, the view from our room
The Lounge at High Peaks Resort
Whiteface is a short, scenic 9-mile drive from town. Booking ahead can save money on lift tickets, as can taking advantage of special offers like $35 Sundays - visit Whiteface.com for specifics. We each booked a lesson and had the amazing luck to get one-on-one time with our instructors when it turned out there were fewer students than teachers. Now, I hadn't been on a snowboard since Y2K was a thing but two hours with my wonderful Swiss instructor had me contemplating moving upstate to become a ski bum. And under the watchful gaze of his tutor, hubby -- a true beginner -- had learned the rudiments of carving by noon. The last lift leaves at 4PM, but by that time we were sore, happy and ready to hang up our snowboard boots anyway. Whiteface Mountain
Besides, Lake Placid boasts a diverse après-ski scene that we were eager to experience. Beer drinkers will have to make a pit stop at the Lake Placid brewpub, where craft beers (including the award-winning Ubu Ale) lubricate a lively crowd whose chapped cheeks show they've earned their suds with a day on the slopes. My parents told me to check out the Mirror Lake Inn, where they had a memorable Julia Child sighting in the early 80s. We figured that was a good sign. Sitting at the polished walnut bar over martinis, I can confirm: Julia had good taste. In restaurants and in ski towns, too, it would seem.
]]>New Orleans' Dining: August, Plus a Look at Current State of Gulf Seafood With Chef John Beshtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.8066642011-01-18T18:08:17-05:002011-05-25T18:25:24-04:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-stringfellow/New Orleans is known as a great eating town. For the next few posts, I will be writing about my recent culinary adventures in the Big Easy.
Jackson Square on New Year's Day
First up is August. Having had our trip pushed back by the blizzard of 2010, we were thrilled to finally be in NOLA and even more thrilled to be kicking things off at this outstanding restaurant. Located in the chic Warehouse District, it is the crown jewel in Chef John Besh's burgeoning empire. August's Dining Room
As a frequent Food Network guest and author of the cookbook My New Orleans, you might be already familiar with Chef Besh. Here's a little background in case you aren't: Besh has six restaurants in New Orleans and one in San Antonio, Texas. A Southern Louisiana native, he is considered one of the biggest influences on New Orleans fine dining and is regularly cited as a major force in the elevation of its cuisine. Because it was New Year's Day and we were feeling festive and also because this was our first time at August, we went with the six-course tasting menu. The first of two amuse-bouches was a scooped out egg filled with seafood sabayon and topped with caviar -- as ingenious a plating method as I've ever seen.
Cute, no?
The second was a small serving of black-eyed peas, a nod to the Southern New Year's Day tradition of serving the legume to bring about prosperity in the coming year. I've also heard that what you do on New Year's Day sets the tone for the rest of the year. If that's the case, a first course of bourbon- and citrus-cured foie gras torchon and a later dish of butter poached lobster set across a thick slab of spiced pork belly have me feeling excited about 2011. Other highlights included house made apple- and rosemary-infused bourbon served with pralined bacon and a stunning cauliflower soup served with P&J oysters.
Caramel Nougat Beignets with Chicory
Before arriving in New Orleans, I had been wondering how much Gulf seafood we would see on menus, in light of the BP leak and ongoing cleanup. I was happily surprised to see it so well represented at August.
Here is what Chef Besh had to say on this:
"I don't think there's been a point in history where a chef is so familiar with what exact area each oyster, shrimp crab and fin-fish come from. It's been incredibly frustrating to see so many of our coastal communities struggle, but the key to recovery is keeping gulf seafood on the menus. The seafood from the gulf that's coming in has never been more scrutinized or so good."
How's that for starting the year off on a positive note?
]]>New Orleans' Dining: GW Fins, a Fish Housetag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.8102562011-01-18T09:55:15-05:002011-05-25T18:25:24-04:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-stringfellow/New Orleans Magazine -- is aiming to change that with his French Quarter flagship, GW Fins, where fin fish and crustaceans vie for top-billing on a menu that is firmly devoted to marine life. Standout dishes include the cold-smoked oysters, which arrive sizzling on a bed of rock salt, seared but mostly raw, a dish that combines showmanship with smarts.
The Amazing Oysters
Louisiana favorites like blackened redfish and pompano have their place on the menu but the cuisine betrays a broader range of influence and provenance. One seafood stew had a base of coconut curry that was more Bangkok than bayou while a glistening yellowfin tuna duo of tartare and sashimi was distinctly Japanese in its preparation. Yellowfin Tuna Tartare and Sashimi
In a town with so many outstanding classic seafood dishes to its name, it takes a certain amount of courage to go global. If you are dead set on trying a knockout gumbo or a stellar shrimp remoulade, you won't go hungry but the overall vibe of the menu encourages a little tastebud tourism. Expect to find Maine lobster, blue crab potstickers and bouillabaisse served just the way it is in Marseille, in a rich saffron broth. Blue Crab Potstickers in Pea Shoot Butter
Just to note, there are a few dishes on the menu that aren't seafood, to appease the most strictly non-pescatarian diners I guess. Then again, ordering the rib-eye at GW Fins is a bit like getting the fish of the day at Peter Luger: just because you can, it doesn't mean you should.
]]>New Orleans' Dining: Marriott's Un-Conventional Approachtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.8076272011-01-11T16:57:36-05:002011-05-25T18:25:24-04:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-stringfellow/New Orleans Marriott might not be the first thing you envision when you think New Orleans dining. Nonetheless, it should be on you radar. James Beard Award-winning Chef Mark Quitney presides over the kitchen with a mix of culinary skill and infectious enthusiasm in the face of a job that could be daunting to a less capable chef.
Chef Mark Quitney
At the New Orleans Marriott restaurant 5 Fifty 5, you'll find classics like the Marriott Club Sandwich and Marriott Burger, which are served in all of the 1000-plus Marriott restaurants around the world. But what you'll find here and nowhere else are NOLA-centric productions, like the fried oyster BLT and BBQ alligator baby back ribs. And it's not just the menu that's fun - conventions have become anything but conventional. For an upcoming AOL corporate group, the chef and his staff will be holding an Iron Chef-style competition for the 1000 attendees. For a meeting of Marriott's executives, dinner for 45 was served in the kitchen, so that behind-the-scenes became the scene itself. "We like to give people something extra, more than they're expecting from the experience," says the chef. I was lucky enough to spend a recent afternoon dining at the six-person table in Chef Quitney's office. To start, there was a roasted Creole tomato soup, served with a small grilled cheese sandwich that used cheese from a local supplier. The main course was a creamy Cajun Pasta, a classic dish that in the 5 Fifty 5 iteration featured jumbo shrimp and wild mushrooms.
The aforementioned Cajun Pasta
A dessert sampling - note the mini pecan pie
The office, decorated with glitter-encrusted shoes and coconut heads salvaged from Mardi Gras parades of years past, reflects the pervasive influence of the Big Easy, strongly felt even within the walls of one of the country's largest hotel chains. "You can't be in New Orleans without absorbing the culture," says Chef Quitney. Indeed, the Bronx-born, California-raised chef seems to have taken quite well to his adopted home. At the end of the meal, he presented each of us with a small box of chocolates, "for lagniappe," the local word that means a little something extra.
Chef's Executive Office - can you tell we're in NOLA?]]>Art Basel Miami Watch: An Interview With the Owner of Miami's Art Hoteltag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2010:/theblog//3.7859412010-11-23T17:47:59-05:002011-05-25T18:15:22-04:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-stringfellow/
MS: Tell me a little about the origins of the Sagamore. I know you've been an art collector for more than 25 years. Did the idea for the Sagamore come from your desire to display the collection?
CT: We purchased the Sagamore in 1997, did a complete renovation and added 16 additional bungalows behind the main building totaling 93 suites. In December of 2001 we were gearing up to open the doors of the hotel to coincide with the first Art Basel Miami Beach; however, it was officially cancelled because of high security risks. International collectors and artists were already here and the local community had prepared so much. We felt the show must go on! I looked at our personal art collection in our home and on impulse decided to place it in the hotel. We invited our friends in the art world to celebrate anyway with a big brunch and started an art world tradition that continues to this day. The community celebrated the idea and we never looked back.
MS: I know that you have worked with some well-established artists in the past. What do you have planned for Art Basel this year?
CT: In the past we have featured artists such as Yoko Ono, Spencer Tunick and Olaf Breuning during Art Basel, but this year we decided to celebrate artists from the collection. The collection has grown over the past few years and we have so much work that has never been shown in the hotel. Even so, we will have a special presentation at the Saturday brunch.
MS: How have you seen Art Basel change through the years? How has the Sagamore's role changed?
CT: In the early days Art Basel at the convention center was the main fair with exhibitions at galleries, private collections and a few smaller fairs. As the years passed more people wanted to participate and more satellite fairs opened. Last year there were about 20 fairs and I think that this year there is a bit of a contraction. Our Saturday brunch has become a tradition at this point, offering a time to wind down and relax after an exciting week.
MS: What advice would you offer to someone starting a collection? CT: Never buy something because you think it will go up in value. You might be disappointed. Buy what you love. It does not matter how much you pay for a piece as long as it resonates with you and you enjoy living with it.
Not making it to Miami in time for the art fairs? Staying at the Sagamore is the best way to get a dose of the action any time of year. Located on Collins Ave. at the foot of the Lincoln Road mall, the Art Deco District boutique hotel features ongoing installations. Guests can arrange for a tour to take in some the city's growing list of museums and permanent collections.
Check it out here.
]]>Five Reasons to Go to Vietnam's China Beach Nowtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2010:/theblog//3.7601042010-10-13T15:34:18-04:002011-05-25T18:00:30-04:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-stringfellow/Nam Hai resort on Vietnam's central coast, it is impossible not to notice the vast stretches of construction and "Opening Soon" signage that line the beachbound side of the road. When I remark on the phenomenon to one of the Nam Hai's owners, he says the area -- known as China Beach to foreigners -- is poised to become the next Phuket. Having never been to Thailand, I can't compare the two. It did, however, remind me somewhat of the Riviera Maya. Here are five reasons that coastal Vietnam should be on your travel radar right now.
]]>Sensible Splurge: When Not to Cut Corners on Lodgingtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2010:/theblog//3.7481922010-10-12T13:09:43-04:002011-05-25T17:55:20-04:00Monique Stringfellowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-stringfellow/Park Hyatt Saigon. Here's why splashing out made sense to us.
The lounge at the Park Hyatt.
We had just finished a long trip. After passing through twelve time zones, we knew comfort would be key and wanted to be absolutely sure we wouldn't encounter any wonky mattresses or finicky showers. Also, being a full-time freelancer means that dependable in-room Internet and a comfortable desk from which to work are a necessity. Like many who work for themselves, being out of touch makes me paranoid; I knew that after all those in-flight hours, I would need some quality time with a high-speed connection.
Bright lights, big city.
We were in unknown parts. Neither my travel companion nor I had been to Saigon. Without knowing the lay of the land, there were none of the wildcard options that you have in a city like Paris, where a boutique hotel in a hipster neighborhood might actually be affordable; or Florence, where the pensions are so numerous that you need not pay upwards of $70 a night to find a frescoed, high-ceilinged suite in what was once a monastery. Our Lonely Planet guide to Vietnam lists places to stay in every price category. Most of the cheaper ones, however, seemed out of the way and had descriptors like "adequate." Adequate could have turned out great but after such a long trip, who wants to leave it to chance?
The city is so affordable otherwise. Having spent our first two nights here, we are very happy with our decision. Cabs are never more than a few dollars, meals rarely cost more than a twenty and the hotel is every bit as nice as we had hoped. In addition to the aforementioned connectivity, a comfy kingsize bed, AC and pool, the Park Hyatt occupies amazing real estate. Located in a grand former colonial hotel in a well-appointed central square, its placement cannot be beat. With no discernible road rules and swarming mopeds, crossing the street in Saigon has a reputation that precedes it. The night we arrived, the fact that there were a number of nightcap options that didn't put us in the path of oncoming traffic was very nice. Dazed and tired but not ready to sleep, navigating the city with any seriousness would have been more than we could handle.
Traffic here is no joke.
Tomorrow, we are venturing out into the Mekong Delta, where, after two restful nights in superb accommodations, we will be bedding down in decidedly less luxurious digs. But that's OK. Batteries recharged, we are ready to rough it.
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