|

Have a Home-Cooked Meal With a Local Thanks to MealSharing.com

I recently wrote a column for Men’s Journal on how to find the best restaurants on the road. As usually happens, someone contacted me after the piece ran and mentioned a new crowdsourcing site called MealSharing.com. Sign up to be a guest or host and simply share a home cooked meal around the world with locals. How cool is that? Guests are asked to bring a bottle of wine and share stories of their travels. Hosts typically want to discuss their culture and turn you on to their favorite things to do in their city or village. Some of my most memorable meals have been at local’s home, like the Friday night dinner I had in Jerusalem sitting next to an 11th-generation Yemenite Torah scribe. Or dinner Lisa and I had with an Amish couple in their home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Found a little notice at the local general store about this rare opportunity and had to show up. I remember the food was excellent and we discussed not only the differences but the striking similarities between our religions. Fascinating. Then he told me about his favorite homemade root beer joint in town. After all, no one knows his or her neck of the woods better than a local. 

 

Similar Posts

|

This Summer, Consider Hiking New Hampshire’s Cohos Trail

In 1978, a reporter for the Coos County Democrat named Kim Nilsen had a zany idea, to create a long distance hiking trail through remote Coos County. About the size of Rhode Island, Coos County sits at the northernmost tip of New Hampshire, connecting the White Mountains with Quebec. One of the most remote sections of New England, this swath of New Hampshire is known for its large lakes, hidden waterfalls, and 4,000-foot peaks. And now, thanks to Nilsen’s vision, a spectacular new 162-mile long-distance trek called the Cohos Trail. The last stretch of trail was cleared this past October. If you savor serenity in scenic locales, the Cohos doesn’t disappoint. Hike for a day on one of the 30 peaks and you’re more apt to see moose than humans. At least until words gets out about the debut of this new hiking trail. For now, there are three shelters on the trail, but there are plans to build ten more. 
 
|

Deal of the Month: Winvian in Litchfield Hills, Connecticut

When the Smith family decided to transform their 113-acre estate into one of New England’s most unique and exclusive resorts called Winvian, they spared no expense. In 2006, they hired 15 architects to create “cottages” nestled into the meadows, ponds, and rolling farmland that flanks their circa-1775 Main House. Today, these 18 finished works are rare architectural gems where inside each spacious abode, you’ll find hidden wonders like an intact fully restored 1968 helicopter that now serves as the bar and entertainment center in the Helicopter Cottage. The Treehouse Cottage is a two-story structure 32 feet off the ground, suspended atop a tree. We stayed in the Library Cottage, inspired by the libraries of yesteryear and dominated by double-story shelves of books. A ladder accesses a wraparound second level balcony surrounding a glorious stone fireplace.

 
When not admiring the cottages, you can stroll through the wildflowers to a pond where we spotted a great blue heron or take a much longer hike in the surrounding White Memorial Foundation, a 4,000-acre wildlife sanctuary. Afterwards, opt for a facial or massage at the spa. Winvian is a Relais & Chateaux property as you’ll soon realize at dinner or the exceptional breakfast where I dined on poached eggs carbonara, over a bed of fresh eggplant and zucchini just plucked from their garden. Dinner was a 4-course feast of tuna crudo, rabbit tortellini, and veal cooked two ways. Lisa’s Atlantic halibut was also tender and fresh. After dinner, we played a game of pool downstairs before walking outside and looking up at the shimmering stars in the night sky. This retreat is as close to perfection as you get in a New England country estate. 
 
Winvian reopens Wednesday with the best rates of the year, $399 a night. The rate is only available for stays from March 20 through April 4. So if you need a quick escape at a one-of-a-kind resort, please contact ActiveTravels and we’ll check availability. 
 
|

Fiesta Time in San Antonio

In 1891, the city of San Antonio held a single parade to honor Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and the other heroes of the Alamo and the battle of San Jacinto. Fiesta has since grown into a 10-day event starting today that features live music, art fairs, and a slew of parades including The Texas Cavaliers River Parade. I had the good fortune of going to Fiesta in 2012. As soon as my flight landed, I took a taxi to Market Square, the largest mercado north of Mexico to take in the festivities with the crowds. There were bands playing, churros cooking, and a frenzied crowd dancing and drinking margaritas under the hot sun. I made my way to Mi Tierra, a beloved Mexican restaurant on the square since 1941, found a seat next to the mariachi band and ordered enchiladas with a sweet and spicy mole sauce. One bite and I was happy to be back in town. Stay in my favorite neighborhood in the city, The Pearl. Home to the San Antonio branch of the Culinary Institute of America, James Beard award-winning restaurants, and a chic boutique hotel built from the remnants of the Pearl Brewery called Hotel Emma. The hotel is featuring a Viva Fiesta package that includes a half bottle of Moët & Chandon, smoked salmon toast with avocado and caviar, and two Hotel Emma Fiesta medals upon arrival. 

 
|

How to Get the Top Ranking on TripAdvisor

I just sat down for lunch with Dan Donohue, General Manager at the Lenox Hotel and asked him how the Lenox Hotel earned the number one ranking of all hotels in Boston on TripAdvisor. I always believed these rankings, especially as hotels inch their way to the top, are totally random. But he disagrees. He told me there’s a simple reason the Lenox is the number one hotel in the city–service. When he first took the job at the Lenox, he visited many of the lobbies of other hotels in the city. He sat and watched and realized that hotel employees wouldn’t even say hi to each other, let alone give a gracious nod to their guests. Not at the Lenox. His workers always go up to guests to ask them how their day is going. But what I really like about the Lenox is there’s no extra charge for that water in the mini-bar. There’s no extra charge for Wi-Fi. Guests aren’t nickled and dimed to death. “If a child wants a candy bar,” says Donohue, “we’ll find him one.” I visited two hotels this summer, Wequassett on Cape Cod and The Athenaeum in London, where everything in the mini-bar is free except for that bottle of Moet Chandon and other alcohol. There’s a certain degree of respect between hotel and guest when you’re not charged silly fees for beverages and Wi-Fi. On the other hand, nothing pisses off your guest more than charging them for these basic services after they already paid a decent amount for a night’s stay.
 

|

Latest Boston Story in Alaska Airlines Inflight Publication

Over the years, I think more friends have found my stories in inflight pubs than any other outlet, including the hundreds of articles I wrote for Boston Globe, Yankee, and Men’s Journal. Yesterday, I received a text from a college buddy flying to Seattle on Alaska Airlines who spotted my feature on Boston (the piece starts on page 90). If you’re planning to head to New England this fall to see the foliage, the story is a good primer on the city. It includes many of my favorite sites, restaurants, and hotels including a must-stop at the MFA, dining at Shojo, and spending the night at Kenmore Square’s Hotel Commonwealth. Downstairs from Hotel Commonwealth you’ll find Eastern Standard, the restaurant our family came to celebrate after my son’s high school graduation. So rest assured that I’m giving you all my insider picks. 

 
|

Greece Week with Heritage Tours: A Sunset Cruise on the Santorini Caldera

All trips to Greece should end with a sunset cruise aboard a private boat in the sublime Santorini caldera, a mesmerizing mix of aquamarine waters, jagged volcanic islands, and the whitewashed houses on the island clinging precariously to the cliffs. Add the reddish/orange/pink orb of a sun melting into the sea, shading this scene with the full spectrum of color, paired with a glass of crisp Santorini wine, and you have a fitting ending to a memorable trip. It took me 25 years to return to Greece and I hope I don’t make that mistake again. In the meantime, I’ll certainly be selling the experience with passion to the members of ActiveTravels. I want to thank John Cagle at Heritage Tours for designing an ambitious itinerary. We packed a lot into a one-week trip.  

 
Have a great weekend and keep active! 
 

Leave a Reply