Tag Archives: wine

Jul6

When in doubt , head to Italy ! 

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Italy is my favorite country in the world.  New York is where I wanted to live as a child , Italy (  Regions of Tuscany or Umbria ) are where I would love to retire. 

Day 1 in Milan. We checked in at the Bulgari. A true test of a hotel is what they do when they are in trouble. With that internet down , printers not working the hotel was in trouble. But with a smiling face and no stress visible they handed it like complete pros. 

We had the 4 th floor room , garden view. Very nice. 

Candy and a tamarind drink at the lobby. 


Drinks at the ever popular bar with outdoor seating. Felt like an oasis in a busy city. Loved it. 

We did lunch at convivum restaurant. It overlooks this piazza.  Everything is gorgeous here. 


We dined at the 2 Michelin star restaurant , Seta. We really enjoyed our meal. The lamb was one of the best I have ever eaten. ( At the Mandarin Oriental ) 


Day 1 – a success !! We also went to the gym – so that was great. Could slightly justify the over eating. 

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May26

Day 4,5 and 6- Italy 

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after bidding adieu to Portofino, our next stop was Porto Ercole. A Tuscan Island where locals go on holiday. 

Before heading there we decided to do a slight detour to “The Mall”. A big designer outlet shopping center in Rappello , Tuscany. 

We then headed to Porto Ercole. We stayed at the Argenterio Golf and Spa resort. It’s a member of the design hotels. There is one Leading hotel of the world on the island , Il  Pelicano , incase you are wondering. 

  

  

  

 

  Modern property with a black and white decor. We had a  junior suite with a terrace. 

Dinner Herrera was modern Tuscan good with local ingredients. 

     
We decided to explore the island a little Porto Stefano was the nearest to followed by Orbetello. 

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We ate dinner at a beach restaurant called “I Due Pini”. It was just beautiful. 

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Hubby did a golf lesson at the hotel. I used the gym. They had 2 pools.indoor and outdoo the gym was well equipped. 

The next day we decided to return to one of our favorite Tuscany cities- Siena. It was just a 90 m drive. It was the only day it rained but it was still wonderful. 

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After a fantastic lunch at a cave restaurant ( boar’s meat sauce on Papadelle) , we had some great coffee followed by gelato. 

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Since we couldn’t get a table at Pelicano due to the inclement weather  , we ended the trip with some delicious wine and dessert.   

 

  The drive to the airport was just 90 m. 

Bye Italy. See you again soon !!!

May20

Day 3 – Portofino-Cinque Terre

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Day 3 we had decided to eat breakfast at the hotel ( delicious ) and head to Cinque Terre. We took the train from Santa Margarita to the furthest village Monterosso. There is an unlimited train ride option which we purchased. Monterosso is beautiful but due to the tourist influx, become a tourist town. 

  
         It was gorgeous. 

     Edit  Edit  Edit  EditWe thought we could take  the ferry from Monterosso to Manarolo but at lunch time the ferry wasn’t working so we took the train to Vernazza. We ate lunch here and then decided we were going to do the hike back to Montirosso. (1:45 m).

The hike was not super easy. This was my first real hike and it wa a super fun but stressful in places where there was nothing to hold on to !

Made it back with my recovering achilles  tendon , so all good there.  

  

  

  

   

  

  

  

  

  

A drink after this crazy hike followed by a train ride back to Portofino  and another dinner at Puny. ( yes – again!). 

Off to Tuscany next. 

May20

Day 2- Portofino, Italy 

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We were well rested this morning , having slept 12 hours !! The bedroom was so dark and we had no screaming kids ! 

We got ready and walked down to the town on Portofino. The Belmond has 2 properties here. One high up on a hill ( where we were staying ) and one right on the water ( Belmond Splendio Mare). The hotel has a shuttle service back and forth every 20 mins as well. 

   

Walking this path led to the habor. For a fishing town , it has some very beautiful high end designer stores. 

I love buying fruits as they taste so different and natural. 

  
Morning espresso. A Double. 

  

Pictures below of the harbor. 

   
     
Lunch was at a restaurant called o Magazin. Delicious fresh pasta and seafood. 

   
 

Portofino is around 1:20 mins drom Thr UNESCO world heritage site of Cinque Terra. More on that day 3. 

We ate dinner at a restaurant called PUNY. Super food. They take themselves quite seriously and if they don’t think you should , they will advise against cheese in their food lol. 

The speciality if this area is pappardelle pasta , made with pesto and tomato sauce. 

Steven our waiter shared that Denzel Washington is a big fan and has come back at 1 am ( after an earlier meal) to prepare this with the chef. 

In any case ,  the pasta and the fish we ate were so delicious we decided to come back the next night. 

Dessert was gelato ! 

May20

Day 1 – Portofino, Italy 

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DH and I arrived in Rome and headed to pick up our rental car. ( better signage would have helped at the airport ). After an hours wait we got our cute Audi and we were off on the long drive to Portofino. (4 hrs ). 

  
The long windy roads from Rapello to Santa Margerita to Portofino were out of a James Bond movie ( though we were not chasing nor being chased lol).  

Hotel Belmond Splendido was just gorgeous. Old school charm. We had a junior suite with 2 terraces to lounge in. Just brilliant views.  

  View from terrace 

  The hotel was full of regulars. People checking in had been there multiple times. It’s a place where everyone knows your name. Also well loved by movie stars ! 
We ate dinner at the Hotel the first night on ther terrace , taking in the beautiful  scenery. 

A hotel with only 62 rooms , it sells out quick. Contact me for specials and exclusive deals. 

Dec30

10 year wedding anniversary celebrations- NYC

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Hello all,
Last post of 2012!
It was our 10 year wedding anniversary on the 28 th. Since we just had our 2 nd baby 6 weeks ago , a vacation was not possible.
I decided to plan a ” Stay-cation” , a term my friend D introduced me to!
With my mom in law here to watch the kids , we managed a 3 pm check in.
Now, being peak season at MO , I was expecting a standard room , as that’s what I paid for. But in this business , it’s REALLY about who you know! Thank you S.D. Rooms, service were all top notch. It was very festive and their NEw Year Eve Gala is very popular.

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Room 4730. Park and water views. It was gorgeous. A super home, away from home!!

We popped a 10 y bottle of Bollinger champagne , also a decade old. It was yummy !!
We had a drink at the bar, before heading to Marea.

Now, we have been to Marea before , hubby more times than me. Their bone marrow pasta is just divine.

The meal was good. We ordered the 6 course tasting. Found the service snobby and the sommelier wasn’t friendly per say. Still waiting for the tasting list he’s to send us.
It’s a great place if you are into seafood.
Here are pics from the dinner.

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We had a great evening – but comparing the service at Atera vs. Marea, I just wasn’t impressed.

Overall , I would say to try it for sure!

Brooklyn Fare in Feb, and I just can’t wait for that meal. Pics when we go there.

Here’s to many many more decades with the man who gets me and makes me so happy. ( Granted , gets me annoyed too!- I love you. ).

Dec9

Lauro- A new addition to the West Village

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Dinner last night was at “LAURO”. A new joint in the West Village ( our favorite part of NYC).

Even though our 2nd baby is only 3 weeks old, we decided a night out was in order and my parents are visiting from India too, another reason to go out.

Read about this in Urban Daddy, the reviews sounded good, so decided to give this a shot.

Louro
142 W 10th St
(between Greenwich and Waverly)
New York, NY 10014
212-206-0606
official website

Read more: http://www.urbandaddy.com/nyc/food/20887/Louro_A_Permanent_Version_of_Supper_Club_Um_Segredo_New_York_City_NYC_West_Village_Restaurant#ixzz2Ec5TzFRM

The menu was a mix of different kind of cuisines- the bread was served with Portuguese butter- herbs and butter infused, with pepper. Delicious!

 

PlantainsRoasted beet saladPeri Peri Shrimp

Roasted pumpkin salad with arugula and huckelberru

Fry bread with kale and tomatoes

Cod fish

Pork with baked beans

Snapper kind of fish - special of the day

Veg fresh pasta with artichokes and parmeseanPrune dessert with bay leaf icecreamHeavenly molten cake

 

Overall a great meal. Service was ok, the tables were a little too close togehter, but it was a nice evening and great fresh food, with portions that were actually the right size.

I would go back and I do recommend it.

 

Jul19

Philadelphia is a great city !

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We decided to take our 2 year old to Sesame place over a Saturday. We rented the car- hertz on demand ( which , with Gps was over $100 cheaper than regular hertz and a 20% promo btw). It was a 1:45 min drive from NYC.
Now, if you haven’t looked at pictures of this place it’s kind of overwhelming. Aarav was in complete shock to see such a large Elmo and all his friends. For some kinds it was as exciting as going to a Justin Biber concert. ( there is a Sheraton right next to the park of you plan on going for 2 days ).

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After 4 hours of being here , we then decided to to go our hotel which I booked the four seasons in Philadelphia. Great property, friendly staff and service. I wouldn’t expect anything less.
We were all exhausted do went to get pizzas and take a stroll.

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The next day we had planned to go to Phillisburg, NJ to see Thomas the train.
It was 98 degrees and just insane. We had a good time though.

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I would have loved to spend more time in Philadelphia. It’s a fantastic city – great food , culture and vibe. Reminded me of the times I went to visit my friends in college.

We will go back !