With its polished veneer of gleaming walnut woodwork, leather-upholstered barstools, and intimate lighting, Roka Bar at Roka Akor on Montgomery St in San Francisco’s North Beach is all cool and gleaming elegance on first impression. But the name Roka stems from two words in Japanese, “Ro” and “Ka”, the first of …
As anyone who has spent a reasonable amount of time in the beautiful but oft-overcast city of San Francisco knows, October through November is San Fran’s time to shine. Nights are crisp and clear, the nearly ever-present fog lifts from the bay, and days are often warmer and sunnier than …
The luxurious but charismatic Athenaeum Hotel at 116 Picadilly in London’s upscale Mayfair isn’t your typical lackluster, hospital corners, corporate operation. The building’s colorful history spans from serving as private residence of a mildly eccentric millionaire and patron of the arts in the 1850’s to housing a high end gentlemen’s club …
“The cocktail world always goes through trends and fads, some which stick around, and some which fade back into obscurity. The one trend that won’t ever fade away is the one for incredible tasting drinks created with fantastic attention to detail in both presentation, taste and service.” -Ben Manchester, Bar …
In San Fran’s Embarcadero there are about as many options for dining as there are fish in the adjacent Pacific, touts for tours to Alcatraz, or colorfully-adorned street performers cheerfully separating tourists from their good-naturedly relinquished cash. Even the smuggest aficionado who thinks of him or herself as a “Foodie” …
Prefer your whisky with body, heft, and richness—the characteristics often translated into the generic descriptive term of “meaty”? The secret is worm tubs. Now we do know that ”meat” and “worms” are not necessarily two words you’d like to hear in the same sentence, but the “worms” in this instance …
Comprised of a line of opulent Victorian townhouses just minutes from Buckingham Palace, Mayfair, and the best of the heart of London, the deservedly 5-star Taj Hotel manages top-echelon luxury and service whilst managing to blend discretely into the beautiful and historic neighborhood that once housed the Lords and Ladies of …
Robatayaki means “fireside cooking”, and the method involves slow-grilling food items (usually a combination of seafood and vegetables) over hot charcoal. Robatayaki, or robata, to which it is often shortened, originated several hundred years ago on fishing boats in Northern Japan. The fishermen needed a way to cook their catch …
Fittingly enough for London’s vibrant, theatrical, and artistic West End, the St Martins Lane Hotel in Covent Garden could be described as a one-of-a-kind work of art itself. Designed by innovative French architect Phillippe Starck and recently renovated in keeping with Starck’s original sleek light-filled concept, St Martins Lane is as colorful, …
Ahhh, those precious golden September or early October afternoons where the sun is shining warm upon our heads, the ocean still retains its summer warmth, and depending on the region, perhaps the first few red and yellow leaves of autumn are beginning to pepper the treetops with color. We refer …
Good news for the itinerant imbiber: this summer Cointreau has launched a solution for your classy-cocktail-on-the-go needs. The Cocktail Maker from Cointreau is designed to be a vessel in which to shake up a classic Cointreau Fizz, (with plenty of fresh lime juice and topped with sparkling water) but hosting an …
Kona Brewing Company has been crafting “Liquid Aloha” for over 20 years,. When co-founder Cameron Healy was in the planning stages of the brewery with his son in 1994 he remembers: “We had a vision to reflect the spirit of Hawaii, its people, culture, and respect for this beautiful land, …