Category Archives: BARS

SUNSET AT THE PALMS, NEGRIL, JAMAICA AND CHICKEN RUNDOWN

I know where Santa Claus vacations. And I know why he chooses Sunset at the Palms in Negril, Jamaica. The resort is the polar opposite of the North Pole. Here wooden treehouse-style guest rooms sit on stilts surrounded by tropical splendor.   A profusion of palms and ferns and bamboos fill the property, covering the […]

LAKE CHARLES, SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND SHRIMP CHOWDER

Laissez les bon temps rouler (let the good times roll) is more than a Cajun French catchphrase; the motto captures the spirit of Lake Charles in Southwest Louisiana especially at Mardi Gras, when the city costumes in fluff and finery and parades and parties like no other. (And by like no other, we mean no […]

KANE RUM BAR AT JW MARRIOTT ISLAND BEACH RESORT MARCO ISLAND

Yep. It’s true. I love rum. So imagine my delight discovering a rum bar at the newly refurbished and rebranded JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort. The bar is named Kane—I thought because rum is deliciously divinely made from sugar cane and drinking too much can muddle spelling, but not so. Marriott officials say that […]

LES COCOTTES DE CHRISTIAN CONSTANT

It’s chic and cheap by Paris standards, but those aren’t the only draws. Celebrity chef Christian Constant’s newish baby bistro, Les Cocottes de Christian Constant, serves casual and creative casseroles popular with locals as well as tourists from around the world.

ANSE CHASTANET, SAINT LUCIA, THE BENTLEY

Like gorgeous sisters, Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain share similar traits. Both resorts are located on the same mountainous hill overlooking the Caribbean Sea in the Soufriere area of south Saint Lucia. Both resorts are owned and operated by the talented Troubetzkoy family. And both resorts offer guests wonderful accommodations with a variety of luxurious amenities,

BARBECUE AT Q39 AND APPLE COLESLAW RECIPE

It takes a lot of nerve to open a new barbecue restaurant in Kansas City. Boasting over 100 extremely popular and enthusiastically patronized BBQ joints, shacks, stands and restaurants, KC seems saturated to the max. Then along comes championship barbecuer Rob Magee who opens Q39 and quickly sends most competition to the pits. The hip […]

Cameron House on Loch Lomond

I can’t say I’ve seen all of the resorts in Scotland (damn), but after a short stop at Cameron House, I think it has to rank as the best. Why? Cameron House wins my heart for its: WONDERFUL LOCATION about 20 minutes from Glasgow International Airport, on the bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomond—in the midst […]

CODY AND THE BEST LITTLE MOJITO MARGARITA IN THE WEST

Anyone trying to lasso the spirit of the old Wild West should head to Cody, Wyoming. Founded in the 1890s by pony express rider, army scout and flamboyant Wild West showman William Frederick Cody (a.k.a Buffalo Bill—a name he earned shooting a staggering number of bison), Cody remains western to the core. The town sits in the scenic […]

SECRETS AND COCKTAILS AT CHATEAU MARMONT

Those who say money can’t buy happiness have never had cocktails at Chateau Marmont. This iconic Los Angeles hotel sits overlooking the Sunset Strip like a beacon luring Hollywood stars and other A-listers connected with show-biz fame and fortune.First built as an apartment building resembling a French Chateau, the property converted to a hotel in […]

PARADISE COVE MALIBU CALIFORNIA

Nice is a word that applies. Easy-going too, and comfortably uncrowded (except on gorgeous-weather weekends and holidays). In fact, Paradise Cove on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, just might be the best-kept-secret sunshine place for L.A. families and friends to enjoy a beach/cafe experience without the razzle, dazzle hoopla of Hollywood or a touristy […]