Get Your Sleep On – The Surfcomber Hotel South Beach (Miami, Florida)

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My girlfriends and I stayed at The Surfcomber Hotel South Beach (a Kimpton Hotel) January 9-11, 2015 for my friend’s bachelorette party in Miami, Florida, and we were all very impressed and extremely pleased with the service and hotel in general. I’ve stayed at Kimpton hotels in NYC before (more than once) and this property blows them out of the water with its level of service.
I’ll just preface this that I didn’t take many photos because I didn’t have a camera with me, and only had my iPhone. Sorry.
Some of the folks who made our stay so great deserve special mention – Chase is a customer service dynamo and anyone can see that he is the perfect man for his job as Director of (Day)Life. Laz at the beach really took care of us and went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure we were enjoying ourselves and had everything we needed, and even made sure that we transitioned seamlessly to a pool cabana from our VIP bed when it started pouring rain while we were at the beach. Andy at the beach did everything he could to remedy any issues we had with service or food/drinks. Gia at the pool was so sweet and provided great, prompt service. Tony at the door helped us store our bags and hail taxis when needed and was friendly, efficient and kind. And finally, Brad from concierge was a doll – and we saw a lot of him, because the bachelorette’s friends kept having champagne delivered to our rooms throughout the whole weekend.
With 4 girls sharing a room, yes, the room was a bit small and yes, the bathroom was small. But Continue reading →

In Vino Veritas – Enoteca Al Duomo (Orvieto, Italy)

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The Enoteca Al Duomo: My husband and I loved this place so much that we came here twice in one day during our honeymoon back in October.  Aptly named, this enoteca is literally next to the famous Duomo in Orvieto, Italy. Looking at the front of the amazing façade, it’s on the left-hand side, on the side of the building (facing the beautiful striped sides of the duomo). Can’t miss it.

It was truffle season so we opted for a full-on truffle lunch: bruschetta assortment including truffle bruschetta, tagliolini with fresh truffles, and then a prosciutto and truffle sandwich on fresh ciabatta.

Enoteca al Duomo in Orvieto, Italy
Bruschetta

 

Enoteca Al Duomo in Orvieto, Italy
Cheese plate…including truffled cheese

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Top 6 Things To Do in Long Island City in the Springtime

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Spring is in the air… finally! This morning,  New Yorkers crawled out of their winter dens, stripping themselves of snow boots, misery and wool coats, slapped on a (temporary) smile and ventured outdoors for what seems like the first time in ages to enjoy the balmy 65-degree Fahrenheit, sunny weather we’ve been blessed with on a weekend day. Hallelujiah! Spring is here!
With the better weather comes a responsibility that most weekend warriors will understand. On the two days a week you’re not stuck indoors at your office, if it’s nice outside, you darn well better be outside enjoying it. Let’s be clear, though. You shouldn’t ditch the black boots and long sleeves yet. We’re still in New York and it’s April, and it could very well snow tomorrow … so don’t get too excited.
An old friend we met in Argentina, but just so happens to also live in NYC, came over today and we set out to enjoy the best of what LIC (that’s Long Island City….which, while technically geographically located on Long Island, is very much part of New York City and one Subway stop away from Manhattan on the 7, E or M trains – sorry to blow your mind) has to offer.
So, we took her out to enjoy our favorite weekend rituals for good weather in Long Island City. What are those, you ask? I’m so glad you did!

Here are my Top 6 Favorite Things To Do in LIC in The Springtime:

1.  Visit the LIC Flea & Food

Inaugurating the unofficial delayed start to the season this weekend was the grand reopening of the LIC Flea & Food, a celebrated local food and artisan fair held every Saturday and Sunday during the spring and summer outdoors at the corner of 46th Avenue and 5th Street, just one block from Center Boulevard in Long Island City, Queens.
Tons of food options, tons of artists and craftsmen – making for a few hours of fun at the Flea
Keep your eyes out for a detailed post about the “Flea” in the coming days.
For more on the LIC Flea & Food, visit http://www.licflea.com/ .

2.  Enjoy Gantry State Park

Iconic Pepsi-Cola sign? Check.

Amazing, unobstructed views of the New York City skyline? Check.

Ample room to sit, lounge, stroll and enjoy the waterfront? Check.

Dog park with (what I think is) the best view you can get? Check.

Ferry landing, where you can grab the East River ferry to Manhattan or to various parts of Brooklyn? Check.

 



Trouble finding the park? Walk straight from Center Boulevard towards the skyline. Stop before you fall in the East River. Easy peasy. Continue reading →

Pic of the Day – Texas State Capitol

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They say “Everything’s bigger in Texas”, and the state capitol building is no exception. In fact, the statue at the top of the cupola actually makes the Texas Capitol Building, located in the state’s capitol city of Austin, almost 15 feet (4.57 meters) taller than the one in Washington, D.C.

Date Taken: December 8, 2012
Location: Texas State Capitol, Austin, Texas

With a winter like we’ve had in NYC this year (coldest February on record since 1934), I am definitely homesick for my second home: Austin, Texas!

Get Your Sleep On – Hotel Santa Margherita Palace (Santa Margherita di Ligure, Italy)

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My husband and I stayed here at the Hotel Santa Margherita Palace for 3 nights during our honeymoon in October 2014 and were very pleased with our decision.

I half-jokingly submit that one of the best things about this hotel is its proximity to the train station. After a long day of travel, taking trains from Florence, switching in Pisa and praying that we got off at the right stop, we found ourselves bleary-eyed and travel-tired on the platform of Santa Margherita di Ligure station as we watched the double-decker train chug away into the dusk.  We argued about taking a cab or not, and I checked my iPhone map and realized that the hotel was literally down the street. Downhill. Double points for convenience!

Lobby lounge, as seen from the front desk/reception

The hotel staff were fantastic – especially Paola, who gave us so much information and really took care of us throughout our stay. There was another really helpful guy at the front desk – his name started with an R, and he also helped us plan our day trip to Portofino. Santa Margherita di Ligure was the perfect home base for us as we explored the Italian Riviera and Cinque Terre. It had just enough going on to feel like a vibrant little town, without being so far away from the picturesque areas that you spent half the day traveling. The ferry is walking distance and you can take it to Portofino, San Fruttuoso and other coastal towns.

My husband surprised me and upgraded us to a honeymoon package which included Continue reading →

In Vino Veritas – Winterose Portofino (Portofino, Italy)

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A day in Portofino should never be complete without a visit to Winterose Portofino, a wine store and wine bar right on the edge of the marina, to sip champagne and fine Italian wines lazily at a little table or even sitting on the edge of the water, while you enjoy the Italian Riviera sunshine and rest your weary legs after a long day of shopping and being fabulous.
One of my absolute favorite things about Italy, and its wine bars and cafés in particular, is that when you order wine, it comes with a very nice plate of antipasti, gratis. In a world where nothing comes for free, it’s nice that this is still what I would say the “norm”.  So, it’s a good idea to wait until you’ve sat and ordered your drinks until you order a small bite – a snack might already be on the way.

We found Winterose after I connected to some local WiFi and was looking for a wine bar with good ratings on TripAdvisor. Winterose had the highest rating of any, and was right on the water. We headed over faster than I could close the browser on my iPhone, and lucked out, finding two seats at a cafe table right in front.

After a brief panic attack wondering if I had just accidentally spent all of our wedding gift money by sitting at a wine bar in the Italian Riviera without looking at a menu, Continue reading →