A new six-day tour opens up the skies for the ultimate views of the Aurora. The Stars of Scandinaviatour from Off the Map Travel takes visitors to Kilpisjärvi, Finland and Rovaniemi, Finland, known for their magnificent views of the Aurora. The six-day tour includes uniquely luxe overnight stays in igloo-style, glass-roofed cabins surrounded by the Finnish tundra.
Talk about user friendly. Guests can enjoy a comfy and warm experience luxuriating in queen-sized beds in rooms custom designed views of the night sky above. Special low-level red lighting aids viewers’ eyes in adjusting to the night sky.
The Stars of Scandinavia tour begins in Tromso, Norway and then first travels to Kilpisjärvi, Finland where the new two-story Wow House “igloo” cabins face North for optimal viewing of the Northern Lights. Just 30 miles from the Arctic Ocean, tiny Kilpisjärvi (population just over 100), has virtually no light pollution making it an ultimate aurora and star gazing destination.
Traveling south, second stop is in Rovaniemi, Finland, the capital ofLapland, located right on the Arctic Circle. As an aside Rovaniemi is the official home of Santa Claus though we can’t promise you’ll meet him. The ecologically designed Lappish Kammi Suites combine both pristine viewing of the Aurora as well as sustainable accommodations. The igloo design encompasses full glass domes over the mezzanine level bedrooms for crystal clear night sky gazing.
But it isn’t only stars and dark nights. There’s plenty to do during the day such as quintessential Lapland adventures that shouldn’t be missed. Think dogsledding, fat bike tours over the frozen tundra, and snowmobiling journeys to the Norway-Finland-Sweden border to meet reindeer and indigenous people in an exploration of Sami culture.
The current starting price, based on double occupancy, for the six-day/five-night “Stars of Scandinavia” tour is $2454 USD per person includes some meals, all transfers, four-star accommodations in Tromso with four nights in luxury glass-roofed “igloos,” and all activities. Airfare is additional. The tour is available from December 2021 through March 2022.
Developed by travel experts at Off the Map Travel as a way for those wanting an exciting, sustainable, and socially distanced holiday, this trip has it all.
“With two top locations for viewing the Northern Lights, plus a range of outdoor activities, we can offer a trip that’s both fulfilling and safe,” notes Jonny Cooper, founder of Off the Map Travel. “The snowy magic of Lapland makes for a special winter experience.
Here is the full itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Tromso in northern Norway, often referred to as the “Paris of the North.” Guests are transferred to a harborside hotel with stunning views of the fjords evening. Next up is a nighttime adventure into the snow-covered wilderness on a husky dogsled looking for the Aurora in the sky above.
Day 2: After breakfast, transfer across the border to Finland. Tonight, after a 3-course dinner, you will sleep in a design-forward igloo cabin with the chance to see the Northern Lights from the comfort of your bed. With little light pollution, the region of Kilpisjärvi provides optimal viewing dark sky opportunities.
Day 3: Enjoy an exhilarating snowmobile experience to where the borders of Finland, Norway and Sweden meet. In the afternoon, fly across the snow and ice while on a fat bike tour.
Day 4: Continue your Arctic adventure with a transfer south to Rovaniemi for a stay in an igloo-style suite for two nights. Enjoy dinner and sit back to watch the skies.
Day 5: Meet Lapland’s most iconic animal–the reindeer and enjoy a short reindeer sleigh ride. Learn about Sami way of life and enjoy a short reindeer sleigh ride. Hopefully, the Northern Lights will be out, creating the perfect ending for your journey. Enjoy the lights while staying warm and comfortable in your suite as you gaze upward through the sky-view, windowed dome.
Day 6: Check out after breakfast and transfer to airport.
About Off the Map Travel
The team at Off the Map Travel creates experiences and destinations for guests to explore hidden wonders of our planet. Specializing in Soft Adventure, Off the Map Travel also curates tailor-made holiday itineraries that showcase authentic experiences not offered by many larger travel companies. For more information on Off the Map Travel itineraries visit www.offthemap.travel; call +44 (0) 800 566 8901; email info@offthemap.travel or join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or
Are you ready for live music, specialty beers, games and local food trucks? Then Perrin Brewing Company’s Backyard Bash is the event for you. Celebrate the Michigan-based brewery’s 9th Anniversary Celebration and Backyard Bash on September 25 from 4-11pm. Tickets are available here.
Music
The day’s funky local music lineup will include:
The Polyphonic Element 3:15pm – 4pm
Nathan Walton and the Remedy 4:15pm – 5:15pm True to the Michigan rock and roll spirit of Bob Seger, Rare Earth and Grand Funk Railroad, the soulful West Michigan native’s original music delivers a level of compassion, understanding and depth well beyond his years.
Melophobix 5:35pm – 6:35pm Cage-free funk from Grand Rapids. Melophobix presents dynamic live performances driven by genre-bending songwriting, and fueled by depth of instrumentation and vocal capabilities.
Flexadecibel 6:45pm – 7:45pm A high-energy seven-piece funk/rock/soul band that brings the heat!
The Hacky Turtles 8pm – 9:15pm Hailing from Grand Rapids, The Hacky Turtles whip up an eclectic recipe of Alternative Funk/Rock with a decent dollop of Durty Folk.
Desmond Jones Band 9:30pm – 10:30pm A sensational midwestern jamboree complete with twangy rock and rocking twang.
Beer
Every backyard hang needs great beer, so Perrin’s brewers crafted something special for the 9th anniversary Backyard Bash: Bashtoberfest (5.5% ABV). Offered on draft and in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, this sessionable German lager offers notes of biscuit and caramel with aromas of black pepper for a sweet, malty finish.
Malted Milk Ball (12% ABV) will also return in 2021 on draft and in 22 oz. bottles. The beer deconstructs the flavor profile of a malted milk ball treat into a malt beverage brewed with lactose and spiced with vanilla and cacao nibs and laid down to age in oak bourbon barrels.
Cornhole
While you’re enjoying a freshly crafted Perrin beer, test your hand-eye coordination! The annual cornhole tournament will take place at 3pm. Early Registration is required. Cost is $40 for a team, and the fee includes admission to the party. Register here.
Other on-site vendors will include Nothing Bundt Cakes, offering mini bundt cakes; Pop Daddy Snacks, who will sample pretzels and popcorn; Maddie Ann Soap Co., with soap, candles, bath bombs and lotion; and MMS Pottery, with pottery and beer glasses. You can also find art by Old Growth Creative; creams and other products by Purely CBD; handmade headbands from Leopard and Lotus; etched glassware and collectibles from Cheers & Happiness; and freshly printed tees from Citizen Shirts.
Bash Your Own Backyard
For the second year in a row, Perrin will offer Bash Your Own Backyard take-home kits. Can’t make it to the celebration? We’ve got you covered. The Bash Your Own Backyard box includes:
6-pack of Bashtoberfest
Two cups
Two koozies
Nothing Bundt Cake
Spotify Playlist of the Bands
Surprises from Vendors
Stickers and pin
Each box costs $28.99, and can be preordered online here. Boxes can be picked up from the Pub September 21-26 during Pub hours.
Senior Marketing Manager, Lindsey VanDenBoom said, “The Pub is a community-focused spot, and every year we look forward to putting on this fun backyard party for all of our friends and neighbors. We’re making up for missing last year’s bash, so bring your dancing shoes and come ready to party!”
Samovar Tea business partners and brothers Jesse Jacobs and Joshua Jacobs have officially launched Joyride Pizza now open at two prime San Francisco locations–Yerba Buena Gardens (730 Howard Street) and Joyride Valencia at 411 Valencia Street. The locations of Joyride Pizza, a new classic Detroit-style pizza, transforms architecturally stunning spaces into a mecca for Detroit pizza. Yerba Buena, with its floor-to-ceiling windows captures the San Francisco cityscape and offers gorgeous outdoor dining capable to seating 49 seats along with complete access to the gardens for those ordering to-go. The Valencia Street spot celebrates the poured concrete and limestone aesthetic on this popular urban thoroughfare.
The brothers bring the same commitment to creating a fantastic culinary experience as they did with Samovar Tea. When it comes to Detroit pizza, visitors at Joyride can enjoy such creations as frico–pizza with a crispy caramelized cheese topping a 48-hour fermented focaccia with Sonoma County sourced organic ingredients.
Joyride Pizza celebrates the nostalgic pull of pizza, one of America’s favorite food. The concept started during last year’s COVID-19 shelter-in-place when co-founder Jesse Jacobs started tinkering in his home kitchen by using sourdough starters for baking bread with his wife and making pizzas in their Detroit style 8×10 cooking sheet for family dinners. It connected Jacobs with memories of the first time he ate pizza in 7th grade. It was from Pino’s Pizza in Brighton, Massachusetts and the taste was vastly different than the foods of his boyhood home where foods were strictly macrobiotic and organic. Pizza, as far as his family was concerned, was the antithesis of brown rice, lentils, and seaweed.
But that didn’t prevent his first taste of pizza and its intoxicating aroma to be an ecstatic though guilty pleasure. Jesse sums up this life changing experience in one word: Joy.
“Samovar Tea was on the cusp of expansion prior to the pandemic,” says Jesse. “I spent 20 years developing Samovar into an iconic brand. Similar to other restaurateurs across the country, COVID-19 dissolved the brick-and-mortar businesses to the point of no return. We needed to creatively adapt to the moment. Homemade pizza has brought so much joy to my family over the past year that my brother and I ultimately decided to go all-in and develop the best Detroit pizza we could imagine. We’re making nutrient-rich pizzas from local farm ingredients. We couldn’t be prouder of the menu, and can’t wait for people to try it out.”
The Jacobs brothers always had a love for Italian cuisine. It was, after all, a happy alternative to macrobiotics. On the non-macrobiotic side of their family, they enjoyed homemade fresh pastas, pizzas, sauces, and meats.
Later Joshua worked as a waiter at an Italian restaurant in high school, while Jesse worked as a pasta cook, waiter, and busser at various Italian restaurants in Boston’s North End and throughout New England.
Their ambitions ultimately took Jesse to Japan and then San Francisco and Joshua into the East Coast tech scene. The pandemic caused them to reflect, asking: “How can we bring the values and principles of Samovar Tea into the comfort food space that brings people instant joy?”
The answer was Joyride Pizza.
The Jacobs brothers developed a new digital retail store for Samovar Tea in an effort for beverage aficionados to continue to purchase their premium organic teas globally (LINK). To realize their epic pizza dream, they brought in acclaimed pizzaiolo Alastair Hannmann as Culinary Advisor & Regional Operations Manager of Joyride Pizza. A close friend and former employee of 13-time World Pizza Champion, Tony Gemignani, Hannmann was the master pizza maker who helped bring the vision and operations to life. Hannmann has a world-class track record that includes running an award-winning pizza chain in Hawaii, managing production at Zume, Inc., and winning accolades from the Guinness World Records for “World’s Longest Pizza” that was 1.5 miles long.
Joyride Pizza — Sonoma County PurveyorsBased in Sonoma County, Jesse Jacobs sought out small-batch, organic purveyors in Sonoma County for as many ingredients as possible for the Joyride Pizza menu. Petaluma’s hand-selected grains from Central Millingbecame a staple of the focaccia dough allowing for a sophisticated level of craftsmanship to carry on the Bay Area tradition of artisanal bread baking. Grown in California’s Central Valley, the newly planted organic wheat strain Yecora Rojo is custom blended for Joyride Pizza and the perfect varietal for a two-day fermentation. Higher proteins in the wheat offer greater strength in the dough for longer fermentation and bubbly, delicate, and delicious dough with naturally sweet and malty notes.
Artisan cured meats are from Zoe’s Meats in Petaluma including nitrate-free pepperoni, chicken, charcuterie, and wild oregano. Sonoma County Meat Companysupplies all-beef meatballs, Italian sausage, and Applewood smoked bacon. Gourmet Mushroom Companysustainably grows Mycopia mushrooms in Sebastopol and Joyride Pizza utilizes the seasonal Chef’s Blend. Double 8 Dairy hand delivers ricotta cheese to Joyride Pizza, and Sonoma Vinegar and Sonoma Salt Companyalso provide essential products. In Lodi, Joyride Pizza sources Corto Olive Oil for the focaccia dough, sauces, and finishing oil. Tomatoes are from Stanislaus Tomato Company in Modesto, Calif. Authentic to Detroit pizza is Brick Cheese, which is brought in along with mozzarella cheese from Buholzer Brothers in Wisconsin.
Joyride Pizza – Yerba Buena Gardens sits atop one of San Francisco’s glorious outdoor green spaces. Joyride Pizza offers indoor dining as well as 49 seats of awe-inspiring views outside on its promenade. To-go orders can be enjoyed in the gardens below. Joyride Pizza – Yerba Buena Gardens serves six Classic Detroit Pizzas including The Cheese, Zoe ‘Roni Pepperoni, Meatzza, Pestoriffic, Sweet Heat Pineapple, and Eat Your Veggies (as well as Build Your Own). The menu features handcrafted Housemade Fresh Pastas (Red Sauce, Fusilli Pesto, Chiocciole Bolognese, Bucatini Carbonara, Kid’s Pasta); Salads (Spare Parts Chop, A Date With A Nut, Caesar with Anchovy Chimichurri, Mixed Baby Greens); Hand-Carved Charcuterie with a selection of locally cured meats, cheeses, and olives; and Desserts (Four Barrel Coffee Affogato, Gelato – 5 Different Flavors, Cannoli with rainbow sprinkles, pistachios, or chocolate chips, Vanilla Cheesecake, and a Root Beer Float).
Doug Dalton and Brian Sheehy (Co-Owners, Future Bars Group) supported the craft cocktail menu design along with Fred Acebo and Dan Sheel at Joyride Pizza – Yerba Buena Gardens featuring classics such as the Old Fashioned Joyride, Negroni, Bijou, Pineapple Smash, Pizza-Bloody Mary, and Bellini ($12/cocktail or $60/carafe). A selection of whiskey and amaro is available (2 oz. pours). Small-production California coast wines are on the menu from wineries such as Una Lou (Sonoma, CA), Pence Vineyards (Santa Rita, CA), Carignan (Mendocino, CA), Gail Wine (Sonoma, CA). Craft beers are from Fort Point and Temescal Brewing; other drinks include Golden State Cider and JuneShine Hard Kombucha. Non-alcoholic drinks include Samovar Organic Tea (Black, Green, Herbal), Four Barrel French Press Coffee, and a variety of sodas.
The Joyride Pizza – Valencia menu includes six Classic Detroit Pizzas (The Cheese, Zoe ‘Roni Pepperoni, Meatzza, Pestoriffic, Sweet Heat Pineapple, Eat Your Veggies as well as a Build Your Own); Salads (Spare Parts Chop, Caesar with Anchovy Chimichurri); Sweets (Cheesecake); Sides (Mike’s Hot Honey Packet, Marinara Sauce, Homemade Ranch), and Sodas.
Nestled on a peninsular formed where the curve of the Galien River is intersected by a small unnamed creek, Goldberry Woods Bed & Breakfast is definitely off the beaten path even for those who know their way around the backroads of Southwest Michigan.
“Yet we’re close to Lake Michigan and Red Arrow Highway,” says Julie Haberichter who with her husband Eric own and operate the inn.
You wouldn’t guess that by looking around at the surrounding woods and lack of traffic sounds. And, of course, that’s part of the charm. Here on 30 acres of woods, old and new orchards, grapevines, and gardens, the Haberichters have re-imagined an old time resort albeit one with all the modern twists—swimming pool, farm-to-table cuisine, kayaks ready to go on the banks of the Galien, walking trails, and cottages and their Innkeeper’s Inn with suites for large groups or individual stays.
Goldberry Woods is the story of how a couple painstakingly restored a resort that had fallen into disrepair, creating a major destination for those who want to get away from it all.
But this is also a story about how two engineering majors from the Chicagoland area met in college, discovered they lived just towns apart, married, honeymooned at a B&B that was a working flower farm in Hawaii and decided that quirky inns were the type of places they wanted to stay.
That is, until, while vacationing in Harbor Country in 2011 they happened upon what had been the River’s Edge B&B in Union Pier and decided that unique places were instead where they wanted to live. By 2012, Julie and Eric had bought the property, restored it and had opened Goldberry Woods B&B.
A little more explaining is needed here. If you’re like me and are thinking goldberries are some rare, antique type fruit like say lingonberries, marionberries, or gooseberries, you’d be very wrong. It turns out that Goldberry, also known as the River Woman’s Daughter, was a minor character in Christopher Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, though she never made it into the movie series. An ethereal blonde with a penchant for green velvet gowns, she was from the Withywindle River in the Old Forest and certainly seems as though she’d be at home here surrounded by ripening fruit and veggies.
It’s obvious that the Haberichters are more familiar with The Lord of the Rings than I am but then Julie also knows someone who learned to speak Elvish, the language of the elves. If that sounds unique, consider this. According to some sources, there are more people now who speak Elvish as it is spoken in The Lord of the Rings movies than Irish.
Whether that’s true or not, I’m not sure but the name Goldberry does speak to the charm of this place where the Haberichters forage and grow old fashioned foods, plant organic, practice sustainability, and harvest the eggs from the heirloom chickens, ducks, and quail that at times run free range in Goldberry’s gardens.
Julie brims with excitement as she takes me on a tour, pointing out the novelty and heritage produce she grows. There are pumpkin eggplants also known as pumpkin-on-a-stick which indeed look like miniature pumpkins, ground cherries which she uses in her Jasmine and lemon tea, Malabar spinach with its rich glossy oversized leaves, and cucumelons (tiny little veggies that can be eaten straight from the vine) among many others.
Because what’s in season changes quickly as does the weather, there’s always something different or a variation of a favorite at Goldberry Woods.
“The oatmeal we serve at Goldberry Woods is constantly changing from season to season, served hot or chilled based on the outdoor weather and the availability of seasonal fruit,” says Julie, who shared the summer version of her Chilled Coconut Steel Cut Oatmeal (see below).
There’s also some serious forging going on.
“We started looking for as many fun and unusual ways to use the wild plants growing throughout our flower beds and woods as possible,” says Julie. “ We have experimented with dandelions, violets, spruce tips, and sassafras to name a few.”
While she’s talking, Julie brings out glass jars of jam. I try the spruce tips—made from the new tips of the spruce tree at the beginning of spring. Scooping up a small teaspoon to try, I note a definite evergreen taste, refreshing and somewhat woodsy with just a touch of sweetness. It would work on buttered biscuits, toast or even as sauce for lamb and pork. The violet jam is a deep purple and there’s an assortment of pepper jams such as habanero gold pepper jelly with chopped sweet apricots. Unfortunately, Julie didn’t any have jars of the dandelion jam or the pear lime ginger jelly she makes—it goes fast. But she had a large bushel basket full of colorful peppers which would soon become a sweet and spicy jam.
August, she told me as we walked into the old growth orchard, was begging her to make a yellow floral jelly from goldenrod flowers. So that was the next chore of many on her list.
Having learned to determine the edibility of certain mushrooms she forages the safe ones from where they grow in the woods, frying up such fungi as puff balls which she describe as having a custard-like interior. In the spring, there are fiddlehead greens easily available, but Julie has to trade for ramps which though they seem to grow wild every place where there are woods, don’t appear anywhere within Goldberry’s 30 acres.
Now focused fully on running Goldberry Woods and raising their three daughters, Julie previously worked as a chemical engineer in a food processing plant that used a million gallons of corn syrup per day. Now she teaches classes in how to harvest honey–there are, naturally, bee hives on the property. If all this sounds like a real divergence from a career in corn syrup and a degree in chemical engineering, Julie started an environmental club in high school and gardened in college.
Unfortunately, you can’t eat at Goldberry Woods unless you’re an overnight guest. But you can stop and visit as the couple has set up their Goldberry Market in a 1970s trailer. It’s very cute plus they have an outdoors stand on the property. They also take their produce to the New Buffalo Farmer’s Market which is held on Thursday evenings. As for what to do with the unique produce they sell, there are recipes on their website and Julie will always take the time to give ideas. It’s her passion to share the best of what Southwest Michigan produces.
¼ cup of seeds such as quinoa, chia, flax or amaranth
¼-1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cardamom
Drizzle of honey
Fresh sliced peaches
Bring coconut milk, 2 cups of water, salt, and the steel cut oats to full boil in an 8-cup microwaveable bowl, approximately 6 minutes. Do not let the oats boil over as this makes a sticky mess.
Remove bowl to the counter and stir. Allow the concoction to cool down a bit, stirring occasionally, maybe 30 minutes (this is to keep from heating up your fridge!) Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, add the old fashioned oats, seeds, sugar and spices.
You may need to add more liquid at this time to reach your desired consistency. We find this recipe to be refreshing and like the oatmeal to be a bit thin. Adjust sweetness to your taste.
If it’s chilly out, reheat in the microwave.
Here’s the fun part. Stir in whatever looks good to your taste. Here are some ideas:
Use coconut milk and stir in vanilla, shredded coconut, bananas, honey, dried apricots, almonds….
Use apple cider and stir in applesauce, sautéed apples, raisins, nuts, maple syrup, walnuts
Goldberry Woods Egg Rollup
Makes about 8 servings
Egg Mixture
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¾ cup milk
2 tablespoons corn starch
¼ teaspoon salt
12 eggs
Salt and pepper
Filling
12 ounces precooked meat and veggies of your choosing (Malabar Spinach, sausage, ham, bacon, asparagus, peppers, greens, mushrooms…..)
2 cups shredded cheese (we usually use a good sharp cheddar and a shredded Monterey Jack that melts well—feta is great, too)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Combine all the Egg Mixture Ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Spread parchment over a 11×17 jelly roll, tucking into the corners. Pour the egg mixture onto the parchment paper.
Bake the eggs for 15-20 minutes. Wait until the top sets completely.
Remove the egg roll pan and spread the filling over the eggs evenly.
Use a towel and the parchment paper to tightly roll up the eggs. Leave the seam side down and cover the whole rollup with the parchment paper so that it doesn’t dry out.
Return to the oven for 10 more minutes to allow the cheese to melt and the filling to heat up.
Make a goldenrod tea. Put the flowers in a stainless steel pot and add just enough cool water to cover. Bring to a gentle simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the flowers to steep for at least an hour or overnight in the refrigerator. Strain the flowers through a fine metal sieve. Gently squeeze excess liquid from the flowers. Measure 5 cups of liquid. Add water if necessary.
Place goldenrod tea back into pot and add lemon juice. Add the pectin, stir, and bring to a boil until pectin is fully dissolved.
Add sugar and bring to a full boil for one minute. Remove from heat and pour into sterile canning jars. Keep jelly in the fridge for up to one month.
What to do in Union Pier
While visiting Goldberry Woods, take time to stop at St. Julian Winery’s tasting location in Union Pier. St. Julian is the oldest winery in the state. There’s also the Round Barn Tasting Room next door.
Stop at Union Pier Market for a great selection of gourmet goods, beer, and wine. Next door, also on Townline Road, is the Black Currant Bakehouse for made from scratch pastries as well as sandwiches and such distinctive beverages as their Rose Quartz Latte, Chaga Chai, and Honey Lavender Latte. Milda’s Corner Market next to Union Pier Market features foods from over 40 countries and freshly made Lithuanian fare including “Sūreliai” Mini Cheesecake bars, Koluduna (dumplings), and Kugelis.
If you believe that every meal when you travel should be sublime then you’re in luck because BSpoke Travel has curated a marvelous list of Italian—and one Moroccan—hotels and restaurants that’s perfect for traveling gourmets.
At Borgo Santo Pietro a team of farmers, culinary gardeners, and talented chefs work together to create an ultimate Michelin-starred dining experience. Meo Modo offers a well-balanced gourmet tasting menu with a right proportion of vegetables, protein, and carbons. Borgo estate’s productions include over 300 types of vegetables, fruits, herbs, cheese, and meat.
If you are fancy for more traditional Italian food Trattoria sull’Albero offers a menu with a wide selection of pasta dishes, main courses, and antipasti made only from the fresh estate’s products or bought from local producers.
This new boutique hotel situated in the UNESCO world heritage site of Montferrat, deep in Italy’s Piedmont wine country, has two restaurants curated by a head chef and mentor Andrea Ribaldone and a resident chef Charles Pearce. Two restaurants L’Orto and The Bistrot combine the authenticity of Piedmontese cuisine with the experimental ambition of modern fine dining.
L’Orto Restaurant is a relaxed fine-dining concept. The menu is based solely on freshly caught seafood from the Ligurian coast and locally grown vegetables.
The Bistrot offers a more informal experience, focusing on Piedmontese ingredients, culture, and stories of the region. The main approach chosen by the chefs is respect for the traditions of the region while experimenting and pushing boundaries.
Run by the Wieser Family ever since its establishment in 1964, the hotel is well known for its outstanding wine cellar and food experience.
Cocun is a wine-cellar restaurant with over 1900 labels, 24,000 bottles from every corner of the world, and a voyage over 1,000 culinary latitudes by the cold cuts, the cheeses, and the 15 dishes prepared with carefully selected ingredients.
Nida is the cheese room and boasts a selection of 65 raw-milk cheeses, jams, chutneys, and jellies.
Nodla is the chocolate room, where you can dive into a world of no less than 120 different kinds of chocolate.
Other dining options include a new Sori Restaurant with the sun-kissed Infiní “Eat on Beat” Terrace and Bona Lüna Dine Bar – perfect for early-evening aperitifs or after-dinner drinks.
Capri Tiberio Palace, the iconic property located just a few steps from Piazzetta, is known also for its fizzy splendid style inspired by La Dolce Vita. At Terrazza Tiberio the Executive Chef Nello Siano offers a new menu inspired by the Mediterranean diet but with an unexpected international flavours.
Nestled in the heart of Taghazout Bay, the resort sprawls on 18 hectares of olive groves and argan gardens with the Atlantic Ocean as its backdrop, Fairmont Taghazout Bay features a wide variety of culinary experiences through different themed restaurants and bars:
• Morimoto restaurant – modern Japanese cuisine with fresh ingredients in an elegant and sophisticated atmosphere;
• Beef & Reef – Mediterranean cuisine where seafood and meat dishes are presented with unexpected pairing suggestions;
• NOLA bar – a wide selection of original and creative cocktails and a list of premium spirits to be paired with chocolate and cigars.
Vilòn Roma, located steps away from Palazzo Borghese and Via Dei Condotti, is now known for the restaurant Adelaide that just won the prize as one of the best places for all’amatriciana – a famous traditional Roman dish.
The menu changes according to the seasons and includes Roman classics with modern twists. Sunday’s lunches are dedicated to “Il Pranzo della Domenica” when, according to the local market’s offer, Executive Chef Gabriele Muro expresses his creativity at the best.
Located in the original residence of Gaetano Donizetti Maalot Roma is primarily a restaurant, and then a hotel. Designed to celebrate life and social gathering, Don Pasquale is set to be an all-day dining experience for locals and hotels guests. Named after one of the most renowned works of Gaetano Donizetti, the restaurant menu pays homage to the tradition and attention to what the new modern food lovers are looking for.
Expect Maritozzo con la Panna, Pizza with Mortadella, and a vast choice of cooked eggs reinvented with roman traditional ingredients. Lunch and dinner options include a wide range of vegetables from local producers to meet the needs of modern trends. And do stay for an aperitif – Maritozzo Salato is a must-try!
“This classic Roman pasta sauce always features Pecorino Romano, guanciale, and plenty of black pepper,” writes Katie. “But if I’m making a few dishes for a dinner party, like this Roman-style stuffed zucchini, I’ll often enrich the pasta with the insides of the zucchini that’s leftover from the recipe. After all, there’s no sense in wasting the cored inside of the zucchini, which is suited to cooking in rendered guanciale fat until creamy. Toss the zucchini and guanciale with the pasta (a large, round type of pasta called mezze maniche), plus a little bit of pasta water, and stir it vigorously until a thick sauce forms.”
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 25 minutes
SERVES: 4 to 6
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
7 ounces guanciale, cut into 1 1/2 x 1/2-inch strips
Cored insides of 6 zucchini, roughly chopped
Sea salt
1 pound rigatoni, mezze maniche, paccheri, or other tubular pasta
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the guanciale and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the zucchini, season with salt, and cook until the zucchini is softened and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Salt the water. When the salt has dissolved, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
Add a ladle of the pasta cooking water to the skillet with the zucchini and bring to a simmer. When the pasta is very al dente, drain, reserving the cooking water. Add the pasta and another ladle of its cooking water to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring vigorously, until a thick sauce forms, adding more water if necessary to achieve the desired consistency.
Remove the skillet from the heat and, add 3/4 cup of the Pecorino Romano, and mix thoroughly. Season to taste.
Plate and sprinkle each portion with some of the remaining Pecorino Romano and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Frequented by showbiz royalty and actual royalty alike, Irish castles have long been famous for their ancient history and heritage, their beauty and romance, and with many also offering the ultimate in five-star luxury. What better way to explore Ireland’s past then with an ultimate road trip visiting the following wonderful castles and their gardens.
The sprawling ruins of the medieval castle sitting at a cliff edge are all that is left of the fortress that was once the seat of the earls of Antrim. Dunluce Castle was home to rebellion and intrigue over centuries and is said to have inspired CS Lewis to create Cair Paravel, capital of Narnia. Here you might have to share the space with banshees (fairy ghosts) that are said to haunt the ruins.
Since 1636 Glenarm Castle has been an important centre along the spectacular Causeway Coastal Route in Northern Ireland. Here you could relax in the sumptuously decorated lounge while viewing portraits that date from the early 17th century. Imagine strolling through the walled garden and then ending the day with a restful sleep in a four poster bed dating from 1754.
Overlooking the lake where the legendary Children of Lir were said to swim when they were turned into swans, Tullynally is a beautiful gothic-style castle. With over 120 rooms including the magnificent Great Hall, you would have plenty of space to roam. Outdoors the grounds include a grotto, a walled flower garden, two ornamental lakes and a llama paddock.
Indoors and outdoors you’d be surrounded by splendour at Birr Castle. The opulent interior rooms include a Victorian dining room and octagonal Gothic saloon. The gardens are some of the most stunning in Ireland with exotic flowers, waterfalls and lakes and in the grounds sits the fascinating Leviathan telescope, once the largest in existence.
Originally built to protect Cork Harbour, imposing Blackrock Castle with its towers and turrets is today home to the astronomical research centre of the Cork Institute of Technology. The castle offers splendid views over the water and you could amuse yourself by spending time at the award-winning interactive astronomy exhibition, Cosmos at the Castle.
This fairytale castle set against the gorgeous backdrop of Connemara’s Twelve Bens mountain range has been home to some of the most infamous figures of Irish history, among them the pirate queen and chieftain, Grace O’Malley, and the ‘Ferocious O’Flaherty Clan’. The extensive grounds provide an ideal walking area and the evening could be spent curled up in front of an open fire.
An archipelago of islands off the coast of Washington State, there are 172 named islands and reefs in San Juan County but the main three–all with ferry service–are San Juan Island (with the county seat Friday Harbor), Orcas Island, and Lopez Island. Not only are they the most populous but each offers a myriad of lodging, dining, and activities for visitors.
The 13 defining tastes of the San Juan Islands are salmon, heritage fruit, foraged botanicals, shellfish (think oysters and clams), crab, lamb, Mangalitsa Pork, seaweed and salt, lavender and hops, cider and apple brandy, grains, goat cheese and white wines.
Here’s a sampling of what visitors can find:
Spiced apple with chocolate and pumpkin cream-filled doughnuts. Cardamom buns. Buckwheat tahini chocolate cookies. Savory brioche tarts with leek, chevre, and kabocha squash. All of the ingredients for these mouth-watering pastries? Entirely sourced locally by creator and owner of new Seabird Bakeshop, Brea Currey, from Orcas Island farm stands like West Beach and Maple Rock, eggs from neighborhood chickens, and flour from Fairhaven Mills in Burlington. Since September, Seabird Bakeshop has been thriving on Orcas Island where chefs are thinking creatively about how to bridge food and entrepreneurism during the time of coronavirus. Thus far, Currey’s success is, among other things, a testament to the power of baking as a 2020 survival strategy on Washington’s farm-to-table captivated island. Find Seabird on Facebook and Instagram: @seabirdbakeshop
Myers Creamery on Orcas Island, Quail Croft on San Juan Island, and Sunnyfield Farm on Lopez Island all are expect at making fresh chevre, herbed cheeses, washed-rind and aged cheeses, all of which can be found at each island’s farmers’ markets, and at the Orcas Island Food Co-op and the San Juan Island Food Co-op. Following the seasons, goat cheeses start out fresh and creamy in springtime when the goats graze on spring grass. As the grass matures, so does the flavor of the cheese, until at the end of fall, the cheeses are more intense, earthy and, dare we say, “goaty.”
Cold pressed cider. Small batch granola. A box full of farm-fresh greens. Locavores, look no further: the newly aggregated Washington Food and Farm Finder features 1,700 farms, farmers markets, and food vendors with offerings “grown, caught, raised, or made” across the state. Find San Juan Islands favorites like Ursa Minor, Madrone Cellars, and Buck Bay Shellfish Farm. The guide has filters for pickup or delivery services, markets, food trucks, or specialty food and beverage locales. Icons designate sustainable fishing or animal welfare certifications, as well as veteran-, woman-, and BIPOC-owned businesses. For more information: https://eatlocalfirst.org/wa-food-farm-finder/
Island makers Girl Meets Dirt and Madrone Cellars & Ciders are winners in the annual Good Food Awards for 2021. Madrone’s Barrel-Aged Currant took top prize in the Cider category. Girl Meets Dirt has winners in both the Preserves and Elixirs category. Their Rhubarb Lavender Spoon Preserves are a great choice for charcuterie. The Rhubarb shrub and Shiro Plum Tree bitters give some extra oomph to your signature cocktails. Shop Girl Meets Dirt winners here: www.girlmeetsdirt.com/shop and Madrone Cellars here: https://madronecellars.com/
Local favorite San Juan Sea Salt is rolling out a new line of flavored salts: the Deli Series, starting with Everything but the Bagel. All the yum of everything bagels, none of the carbs! Try this on avocado toast, mixed with your breading for fried chicken, and snacking on it straight from the jar! Everything but the Bagel joins the Dill Pickle Salt as an homage to class deli flavors. The Dill Pickle Salt is a tangy, dilly, zesty, garlicky salt with just the right magic to give your mouth the déjá vu feeling of crunching into a darn fine pickle. Find these and others here: www.sanjuanislandseasalt.com/online-store/NEW-c48889151
Buck Bay Shellfish Farm
Buck Bay Shellfish Farm on Orcas Island is a hidden gem where you can stop in for a couple of pounds of fresh clams or oysters, or you can while away a whole afternoon shucking oysters and drinking wine (BYOB) while looking out over the serenity of Buck Bay just yards away.
New owners Eric and Andrea Anderson rebuilt the docks and oyster shack at Westcott Bay Shellfish Farm on the north end of San Juan Island. They’ve also linked the property to trails connecting to English Camp, making their shellfish farm a destination for hikers and bicyclists as well.
Island wineries produce light, refreshing whites that pair well with seafood and other San Juan specialties. Owners Yvonne Swanberg of San Juan Vineyards, and Brent Charnley of Lopez Island Vineyards grow and makes Siegerrebe and Madeleine Angevine from their estate vineyards.
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Westcott Bay Cider, one of the oldest cideries in the state of Washington, ferments three types of ciders from the “bitters” and “sharps” from their orchard, from traditional dry to medium-sweet styles. The cider is then distilled into a clear eau-de-vie and aged in wine barrels.
Local farmer Brady Ryan started San Juan Island Sea Salt, made by collecting salt water from the Salish Sea and drying it in special bins to retain the fluffy white crystals that are then flavored with such botanicals as smoked madrona bark, dried kelp, lemon peel and various dried herbs.
In any list of definitive island flavors, lavender deserves its own category, partly because it is a cultivated botanical rather than a forged one. But it’d also an important part of island culture.
Pelindaba Lavender Farm has been growing lavender and creating lavender products for almost 20 years. At the farm, you can stroll the lavender fields, learn about how lavender oil is extracted and distilled into almost 250 products made onsite, including many food products such as lavender teas, salad dressings, ice cream and herbal rubs.
Island grown hops are used in the beers made by Orcas Island’s Island Hoppin’ Brewery, adding floral and bitter notes and a local touch to these tasty beers. You can visit the brewery and tasting room just outside of Eastsound.
Chef Geddes Martin, owner of the Inn at Ship Bay, raises his own Mangalitsa hogs in partnership with his friend and farmer, John Steward of Maple Rock Farm and Hogstone’s Wood Oven. Mangalitsa is a breed that’s known as the “hairy pig that is the Kobe beef of pork,” with more flavor and marbled fat than standard industrial-raised pork, and makes for amazing pork belly or pork loin.
When Prince-Elector Friedrich V married Elizabeth Stuart, the daughter of King James I in 1613, it was–like the majority of royal marriages—based on political alliances and gains. Love had nothing to do with it.
Photo by Jane Simon Ammeson
But sometimes it worked out differently and so it was between Friedrich and Elizabeth who fell in love. Heidelberg Castle, where they lived, was already old, dating back to 1200s and the Prince-Elector wanting Elizabeth to love her new home added an English Palace and an elaborate Baroque garden.
But theirs was to be a tragic love story. There were battles, a throne lost, regained, and then lost forever. During all that, Elizabeth bore 13 children before Fredrich died and she sought life in exile.
Heidelberger Schloss
The castle, a romantic ruin of seemingly endless staircases and corridors taking you here, there, and sometimes nowhere, stands 330-feet above the Alstadt, Heidelberg’s wonderful old town. Towers and battlements protect stone facades, their decorative features still intact though the rooms behind them are gone. Views into the multitude of windows reveals not an interior but woods and the Neckar River below.
“Deserted, discrowned, beaten by the storms, but royal still, and beautiful,” is how Mark Twain described the Gothic-Renaissance castle. He was one of many poets and writers who spent time in what they considered the most romantic city in the world.
Photo Jane Simon Ammeson
The castle is also home to the Heidelberg Tun, a 58, 124 gallon wine barrel said to be the largest in the world. It was built in 1751 on orders from Prince Elector Karl Theodor to store the wine paid in taxes by the region’s wine growers. We should all be so lucky to have too much wine.
Brews and Pork Knuckles
Taking the funicular down to the old town, I meet friends at Vetter’s Alt Heidelberger Brauhaus on Steingasse, Europe’s longest carless street. It’s one of those baronial style Germanic places with high ceilings, large wood beams, long tables and a lot of dark highly polished wood.
Famed for their Vetter’s 33, which they say is the strongest beer in the world, its alcohol content is—you guessed it—33%. But it isn’t all beer her, they’re famed for their traditional German food and so I decide to go full German, ordering the pork knuckle, sauerkraut and dumpling with gravy. Skipping the 33, I opt for the Hubier—a mix of the lager and elderberry syrup.
History, Luxury and a Family Touch
Courtesy of Hotel Europaischer Hof Heidelberg.
My love affair with the city began several years before when I checked into the five-star Hotel Europäischer Hof Heidelberg. The hotel, one of the few five-star family run hotels in Europe, opened in 1865 and has been owned by von Kretschmann family since around the turn of the last century.
Courtesy of Hotel Europaischer Hof Heidelberg.
I’d heard that Sylvia von Kretschmann, who with her husband Ernst-Friedrich, ran the hotel for a half-century before their daughter Dr. Caroline von Kretschmann took over, regularly did the hotel’s large floral arrangements. So it was no surprise when I ran into this very elegant woman doing just that in Die Kurfürstenstube, the hotel’s opulent dining room that opened in 1866. Such a romantic place and romantic tradition—how could I not fall in love?
Courtesy of Hotel Europaischer Hof Heidelberg
Chocolate Kisses
My romance continued at Chocolaterie Knosel where owner Liselotte Knosel talked about studentenkussor or student kiss, a chocolate covered nougat created by her great grandfather Fridolin Knosel in 1863. His Café Knosel was frequented by male university students who admired women from a local finishing school who were, alas, chaperoned by their governesses. A gift of student kisses was a sly way to start a flirtation.
We don’t know how well it turned out for the students but these confections, still hand crafted, remain best sellers more than 150 years later. Café Knosel—the city’s oldest café—is my go to spot for coffee and a pastry at one of their outdoor tables overlooking the church on Marktplatz.
At dusk, on my last night, I boarded Patria, a 1930s ship for dining and a cruise along the Neckar River. Watching the city lights sparkle in the calm water, I knew that though my visit was ending, the romance was just beginning. I would be back.
Growing up in Tahoe City, a one stoplight town in California’s High Sierra Mountains, Lindsay Navama yearned for the big city life. Los Angeles offered just that, and she was happy there in her career as a recipe developer, personal chef, and owner of Cookie Culture, a boutique bakery.
Lake Life Cranberry Limeade Cosmo
But when she and her husband, David, moved to Chicago for work, Navama felt unmoored and wondered what to do next in her life.
Lured by articles about the wonders of Harbor Country, the swath of countryside starting at the state line and curving north along Lake Michigan to Sawyer, Michigan, the couple decided to check it out.
Unfortunately, upon arrival the two were totally underwhelmed.
“We heard people call it the ‘Hamptons of the Midwest but we thought is this it?” says Navama.
The two didn’t return for several years, but when they did—they both experienced what she describes as the region’s magic. It was more than just the beautiful beaches, the eight quaint small towns each unique in its own way, lush farmlands, orchards, rivers, and woods, there was also an appealing vibe. Each visit brought new discoveries– an estate winery, a fun delicatessen that became like a second home, a Swedish bakery that first opened for business in 1912–and new friends.
Wanting to spend more time there, the couple moved into a small place in New Buffalo and dubbed it “Camp Navama.” There Navama cooked and entertained, developing her own recipes and tweaking them when needed to feed friends on gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, keto, paleo, and other diets. She learned the rhythms of the land and seasons such as when deep blue Concord grapes were peaking at Dinges’ Farm in Three Oaks or when an order of fresh caught sturgeon arrived at Rachel Collins’ Flagship Specialty Foods and Fish Market in Lakeside.
Buffalo Cauliflower
In ways it was a convergence of Navama’s experiences growing up in the High Sierras and adulthood in the ever-so-hip L.A. food and cultural scene. Navama identified with many Harbor Country residents who moved to or had second homes in the area and brought that big city sensibility with them when it came to art, food, entertaining but appreciated a more rural way of living and a lot less concrete.
Navama no longer felt lost and instead saw the direction her life should take.
“I wanted to preserve those memories, great meals, and good times in Mason jars,” she says.
A great cookbook with 50 recipes and photos by Gabrielle Sukich of Benton Harbor, it’s also a travel guide with small maps, listings of restaurants, wineries, intriguing hideaways, and everything else the area has to offer.
“I never saw myself as living any other place than California and here I am in a tiny town in the Midwest,” she says. “And I’m beyond grateful it happened.”
Whistle Stop Asian Noodle Salad
4–6 servings
Contributed by Whistle Stop Grocery and Chef Eva Frahm
1 pound angel hair or capellini pasta
5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
¼ cup plus ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
¾ cup hoisin sauce, divided
1 medium red bell pepper
1 medium yellow bell pepper
¼ cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce
Sriracha, to taste (optional)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the pasta water, if desired. Add the angel hair and cook 7 to 8 minutes until just al dente, so the noodles are still slightly firm and not overcooked. Drain into a colander, rinse gently with cold water, let drain again, then place in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the mushrooms in ¼ cup of the olive oil for about 7 minutes, or until lightly browned. Season with ⅛ teaspoon of the salt and ⅛ teaspoon of the pepper. Remove from the heat and add 2 tablespoons of the hoisin sauce. Stir to coat and set aside.
Julienne the bell peppers by cutting them into ⅛-inch-thick strips. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining 10 tablespoons hoisin sauce, the remaining ⅓ cup olive oil, the rice vinegar, the garlic chili sauce, and the Sriracha (if using). Set aside.
Add the mushrooms, peppers, scallions, cilantro, and sauce mixture to the noodles. Toss gently to incorporate. Season to taste with the remaining salt and the remaining pepper and transfer to a serving bowl or store covered in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.
Lake Life Cranberry Limeade Cosmo
1 serving
3 ounces favorite vodka
1 ounce triple sec
2 ounces cranberry juice cocktail
3 tablespoons limeade concentrate, thawed
a cocktail shaker and martini glass in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
Add the vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and limeade concentrate to the chilled cocktail shaker. Shake your booty while you shake your Cosmo for about 10 seconds, because why not?!
Virtual travel experts have created the world’s first four-day holiday, that you can experience from the comfort of your own home.
The holiday has been designed by Virtually Visiting to be experienced through your own computer, tablet or phone.
The Arctic adventure puts you right in the center of the holiday with new experiences released each day over a four-day complete trip.
The first holiday will start on Saturday April 18. It has been designed to take guests on a wintery tour of the Arctic region of Swedish Lapland. “We wanted to put you right in the action, allowing you to experience tours as though you were there,” says Jonny Cooper, founder of Virtually Visiting. “This is about keeping the travel experience real; we meet some of the best local guides who walk us through local life to give guests the real-life experience – from their own homes.”
What’s more, this bucket-list four-day holiday is completely free for people to experience and will unfold one day at a time at https://virtuallyvisiting.com/360-journeys/.
Your Virtual Travel Itinerary
Guests will virtually arrive 144km north of the Arctic Circle into Kiruna. The first stop has been perfectly timed just as the ICEHOTEL closes the doors on ICEHOTEL 30 for the last time this year, before it is left to melt back into the river – and it is here that the adventure begins.
Ice Bar at the ICEHOTEL
The first experience on Saturday April 18 sees our ICEHOTEL guide Matilda give a personal tour around four of the jaw-dropping, individually designed and carved ice rooms and explain how it all comes together – from the frozen water in the river flowing beside the hotel, to being transformed into these beautiful masterpieces you see before you.
The tour will not only allow you to hear from Matilda but also look around the amazing space created entirely from ice and snow – a breathtaking combination of an art-exhibition and a hotel in one. ICEHOTEL
Yellow Snow Husky Tour
Monday April 20 brings a more leisurely pace and a chance to join Kent Lindvall, the founder and visionary behind the world famous Treehotel. Today, Kent will take us on a personal tour of Treehotel where guests learn about the history of the hotel including a tour inside four of the seven amazing tree-top hotel rooms. Each room has its own theme which is showcased in the design of the exterior and interior.
TreeHotel Tour
The final day of the tour, Tuesday April 21, the adventure will take guests east 90km to the wilderness around Kroktask. Here we join Erik Hordijk from Yellow Snow Husky tours to learn how to harness a team of huskies in preparation for the journey across the frozen landscape, before setting of on our dogsled adventure.
Each day a new virtual experience and additional information will be released allowing visitors to immerse themselves in a journey through the region getting a real sense of the people and place as you travel through it.
The team behind Virtually Visiting will launch more experience and tours after this with the chance to visit Storforsen middle falls nature walk, join a tour of the new Arctic Bath, visit ICEHOTEL 365; meet the Mooseand Reindeer, learn about the Sami culture, go Kayaking, and explore the Aurora Safari Camp.
Virtually Visiting founder, Jonny Cooper, added, “As well as our new virtual holiday, we’re also working hard to add further capabilities allowing us to run live VR tours in the future, adding even more real-time interaction with guides.”
To join the free four-day Virtual Arctic adventure from Saturday April 18 – Tuesday April 21, visit https://virtuallyvisiting.com/360-journeys/ (and don’t worry, if you miss one of the days, the video can be accessed at the same link).
