Her name was Lola. Only she wasn’t a showgirl. She was, and is, the only cuoca (chef) in a charming, off-the-beaten-path eatery known as Chicco di Caffé (“coffee bean”) in Florence, Italy.
Desperate for a Florentine experience that didn’t include tourist traps with Chef Boyardee spaghetti, my boyfriend and I decided to rent a studio from […]

It’s rare to see a table full of boisterous eaters shocked into introspective silence by a single bite of food. But that’s what more or less happened the other night at a new seafood restaurant in Tribeca called Fresh.
The object of everyone’s attention was a square of seared tuna belly as big as a tea […]

I stepped out of the cab, in Downtown Chicago, but felt as though I’d traveled to France. An outstretched hand and the words, “Bon soir madame,” guided me up brownstone stairs, with the fragrance of les plats francais hovering over the threshold. I immediately succumbed to a magnetic gastronomic sojourn at Les Nomades.
Mary Beth Liccioni, […]

When you step through the threshold at the Excellence Riviera Cancun, relax and allow your breath to be stolen.
Forgive yourself, as you should, the complete and shameless abandon of your New York City bustle.
Drop your woes, Blackberry’s and day planners off at the Cancun airport - just scant minutes away from this dreamy paradise.
Allow yourself […]

The old building that houses Mark’s American Cuisine in Houston started as a Lutheran Church. The high arched ceilings, choir loft, and old Gothic windows pay quiet homage to the gorgeous restaurant’s beginnings.
Legend continues it was abandoned during World War I, and local octogenarians claim it came back as a brothel.
Since then, its been a […]

Hidden in the Hollywood district, in Portland, OR, a few blocks off the main drag, lies a chameleon.
Trees block some of the building, Chameleon Restaurant and Bar, from view.
A staple for 10 years, owner and chef Pat Jeung has created a haven that neighborhood fans visit frequently feeling as if they’ve walked into a dear […]

Imperial Fez, in Atlanta, GA, offers an upscale dining experience unlike any other.
Like most high-end restaurants, it offers attentive service, unusual cuisine and valet parking. The ingredients are fresh; the staff is experienced; and the menu is predominately price fixe.
That’s where the similarities end.
Instead of white tablecloths and stuffy silence, Imperial Fez features colorful, haphazard […]

Art comes in many forms: drawing, painting, photography, novel writing, music, and even gardening.
Mixing cocktails is an art form. Look closely at a five-layered pousse-café. Let the rainbow of pastel-like colors saturate your senses. Watching a skilled bartender make this drink is like watching Renoir paint “Luncheon of the Boating Party.”
The Golden Age of the […]

From the moment you drive up the tree-lined entryway to Rosen Shingle Creek, you know you’ve arrived in a very special place. Situated on 230 acres of lush landscape, Orlando’s newest meeting, convention and vacation hotel offers luxury accommodations, four pools, 18-hole golf course, spa and fitness center. Designed in Spanish revival architecture, the resort […]

Its location right in the middle of Saigon’s District 1 might bring to mind images of busy streets and loud hawkers, but Creperie & Café sits on quiet Han Thuyen St., in the shadow of Le Van Tam Park’s magnificent greenery.
Popular with Saigon’s business-oriented expats, well-dressed westerners on their lunch hour stroll by discussing the […]