Thanks for coming back! If you liked this post, you may want to sign up for my weekly blog roundup. Thanks for visiting and continuing the conversation!On a cloudy Seattle summer day, a coworker and I took our lunch break in Pioneer Square. Not only did we see the inimitable New Orleans musician Trombone...

Commander’s Palace, that venerable turquoise restaurant in New Orleans’ Garden District that’s been around since 1880, has always been one of my favorite “occasion” restaurants, in a city where people go out of their way to find reasons to celebrate, no matter what disasters...

I’ve been lucky to enjoy some sumptuous meals in my day. And last week, I added to the list of once-in-a-lifetime gastronomic experiences with a tasting meal at Guy Savoy in Paris. I must admit, I’ve been stalking Guy Savoy a bit from afar for years. I almost booked a meal at his restaurant...

  I’m the type of traveler who doesn’t “need” a Michelin star restaurant to be happy, although I do like to splurge for at least one meal. But if a once-in-a-lifetime foodie experience is available? I’m there. My Michelin trip to Paris this week included several stops...

Of all the luck: the New York Wine Expo was going on at the same time as the New York Times Travel Show – in the same building, no less. So after the travel show, I headed to the other side of the Javits convention center for the Expo’s first Grand Tasting.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t have high hopes for Columbus before I arrived on Thursday. That’s my own ignorance at play. I didn’t know, for example, that Columbus is actually the biggest city in Ohio (yep, at 1.5 million people, bigger than Cleveland or Cincinnati)....

I went back to Jose Garces’ restaurant Distrito last night for what ended up being a “quadruple date” with four couples. Distrito had been my favorite of the new Iron Chef’s five Philadelphia restaurants so I was looking forward to the meal. We started with drinks at the...

I’m a sucker for places that dole out authentic ”road food” – the greasier the spoon, the better (especially at breakfast). So I couldn’t leave the greater Tampa/St. Petersburg area without visiting Skyway Jack’s, an institution near the Sunshine Skyway that’s...

While I haven’t been following The Next Iron Chef, I do want finalist Jose Garces to join the ranks and beat New Yorker Jehangir Mehta tonight. Garces is one of Philadelphia’s few celebrity chefs, opening five restaurants there since 2005. Some of them have become go-to favorites, including...

Normally, I’m a little cautious at the airport. I get there in plenty of time – and usually stay there, even if the layover is a lengthy hardship. I’m just too paranoid about missing the flight. But I lived a little today. Faced with a six-hour layover in San Juan, I checked my bag...