Jetsettersblog

Al Fresco Dining, 360 Degree Views, Fresh Farmers Market Produce and More, Make Santa Monica a Perfect Location for Star Chefs and World-Class Dining

Santa Monica, Calif. – Whether it’s the 340 days of sunshine that allow for constant Al Fresco dining, mountain and ocean views to either side, four fresh produce Farmers Markets, or the laid back California beach lifestyle, Santa Monica continues to entice some of the finest and most creative chefs in the world to open their restaurants and bars in the quintessential California beachfront city.

“Santa Monica is an attractive location for many chefs because of the vast creative possibilities that it offers, as well as the diverse culture and surroundings.

We have surfing chefs, women chefs, world famous veteran chefs and new celebrity talent all in a small eight square mile radius,” said Misti Kerns, president and CEO of Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“From 360 degree views at The Penthouse, Al Fresco and beachfront dining options at many of our restaurants, to farm-to-table menus at Fraiche, Ocean & Vine, and Locanda del Lago, and even dining in the dark at Opaque, Santa Monica offers foodies and travelers alike over 400 restaurants to choose from, many of which are within walking distance from our hotels.”

Named “best neighborhood for dining in all of Southern California” for two years by Zagat Survey, and known as the reputed birthplace of “California” and “Fusion” cuisine, Santa Monica is home to world famous and award-winning restaurants such as The Lobster, Melisse, JiRaffe, Penthouse, Border Grill, Chinois, and more.

In the last year alone, Santa Monica has welcomed over a dozen new restaurants and bars from well-known and acclaimed chefs to the city, including award-winning local chef Josiah Citrin’s Cache Restaurant;

Chef Jean Francois Meteigner’s new location for his ever-popular La Cachette Bistro; Top Chef’s Stefan Richter’s Stefan’s at LA Farm and Stefan’s on Montana; Top Chef Chris “CJ” Jacobson’s The Yard; and many more.

Top Chef’s Stefan Richter, Chef/Owner of Stefan’s at LA Farm and Stefan’s on Montana, chose to live and open both of his restaurants in Santa Monica because “Santa Monica has the best produce, the most local Farmers Markets, I live blocks from the beach, and the people here have such a relaxed attitude. Santa Monica is like a family.”

Many restaurants offer private group dining rooms with unique settings, such as poolside cabanas, enchanting patios, wine cellars and more, and most restaurants will create special prix fix menus for tour operators.

Santa Monica will also be welcoming Santa Monica Place on Aug. 6, 2010, a new outdoor shopping mall in Downtown Santa Monica, which will include a rooftop dining terrace with a fine dining and bar scene, giving diners convenient access to various restaurant and nightlife options, a modern outdoor fireplace, and a stunning view overlooking Santa Monica Beach.

Restaurants will include The Market at Santa Monica Place, offering fresh, seasonal and artisanal food, La Sandia Mexican Kitchen & Bar, Ozumo Sushi, Fresh Air Food Court, and many more.

For more information about Santa Monica restaurants and bars, please visit

www.santamonica.com/where-to-eat  

and www.santamonica.com/whats-new

The style-savvy residents of the country’s fourth largest city know that there’s no place like Houston.

With more than 2.2 million residents, the city attracts visitors and transplants with a wonderful mix of world-class arts, booming business, pro sports and award-winning cuisine.

As the rest of the country discovers what locals have known all along, Houston is finally enjoying the recognition it deserves. Just last year, the city landed on several “best of” lists, including the Travel + Leisure roundup of America’s Favorite Cities and the Hotwire.com index of most affordable U.S. vacation destinations.

See for yourself, here in Houston, where much of daily life happens outdoors, thanks to mild, year-round temperatures. Take time to explore the eclectic, culture-filled neighborhoods, gallery spaces and attractions, which offer diverse flavors that can only be found here.

Take the food, for example. Countless cutting-edge chefs have made a home in Houston, where diners eat out more than residents of any other city.

Here, you’ll find James Beard Award winners and internationally renowned chefs serving up innovative cuisine that frequently catches the attention of foodies in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine and Saveur.

But the stylish dining scene is only a slice of Houston’s epicurean offerings—a fact that the city’s culinary masterminds intend to prove with the recently launched Houston Culinary Tours.

Each of the intimate, 16-person, chef-led tours aim at showing the underbelly of the city’s food scene—one taco truck and ethnic market at a time.

Venture downtown during your stay and discover a thriving professional arts scene, with professional resident companies in ballet, opera, symphony and theater; only four other U.S. cities can say the same. And the nearby Museum District stakes its claim as the country’s fourth largest, with 18 cultural powerhouses set within blocks of one another.

We have our own version of Central Park, too, offering nearly 1,500 acres of green space in the heart of the city. Just inside the loop, Memorial Park is home to a public golf course, swimming pool, tennis courts, trails and more. Downtown, Discovery Green park is outfitted with WiFi, a farmers market, dog runs, fine dining and ice-skating during the winter—just one more of the 650-plus urban green spaces filling the city.

Not surprisingly, businesses also recognize the allure of Houston’s offerings. Twenty-nine companies on the Fortune 500 list call the Energy Capital of the World home. Aeronautic research is unsurpassed at NASA headquarters—the facility responsible for putting the first man on the moon—and Texas Medical Center remains the largest in the world with 47 highly lauded research and treatment institutions.

Come. Live like a local for a few days and discover why Houston’s mix of international appeal and Southern charm have captured the imagination of tastemakers the world over.

From Absinthe to Whiskey, San Francisco Resurrects Banned Spirits from Prohibition – a Guide to Liquor Trends

In 1919, San Francisco’s last Pisco Punch was served when Prohibition closed the historic Bank Exchange & Billiard Saloon where the Transamerica Pyramid now stands. Prohibition, the 1920 ban on alcoholic drinks, produced other casualties as well: absinthe, beer, brandy, and other adult libations.

San Francisco, not one to shy away from anything imbibed, is now home to bars that specialize in once banned spirits and brews, and there is nothing bitter about the selection.

For a list of San Francisco restaurants, brew pubs and wine bars, visit the Bureau’s TasteSF Web site at www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/taste

No absence of absinthe

Absinthe is an anise-flavored spirit derived from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium, also called wormwood.

It achieved great popularity in late 19th- and early 20th-century France, particularly among Parisian artists and writers. Due in part to its association with bohemian culture, absinthe was opposed by social conservatives and prohibitionists. Known for its devotion to the “Green Fairy,” Absinthe Brasserie and Bar recreates a Parisian atmosphere with absinthe and vintage cocktails.

Absinthe Brasserie & Bar (Hayes Valley)
398 Hayes St.
www.absinthe.com

Pisco Punch, the original, is rediscovered using Duncan Nicol’s “secret ingredient”

Pisco is a brandy distilled from grapes grown in Peru (originally planted by Spanish Conquistadors in the mid 1500s). Imported into San Francisco in the 1800s, “Pisco Italia” was the most expensive liquor in San Francisco, and was beloved by authors Rudyard Kipling and Herman Melville.

Duncan Nichol created “Pisco Punch” for the Bank Exchange and the recipe was thought to have died with its creator. The Pisco Lounge’s historian Guillermo Toro-Lira researched the secret ingredient to create the “original recipe” for San Francisco favorite’s outlawed libation.

Pisco Latin Lounge (Hayes Valley)
1817 Market St.
415-874-9951
www.piscosf.com
Primary contact: James Schenk, Chef Owner, 415-874-9951, james@destinosf.com

“Aqua vitae” – Prohibition’s “most wanted”

One of the most infamous of distilled spirits during Prohibition was Whiskey, which has been popular since it arrived in Scotland in 1494. Also known as “aqua vitae” during the Renaissance, it is distilled from fermented grains, and has evolved to be an essential ingredient in sophisticated cocktails.

In the Bay Area, St. George Spirits/Hangar One distills two of the most historically notorious spirits – absinthe and Whiskey, and a newcomer since Prohibition, vodka.

Vodka was rarely consumed outside Europe before the 1950s (although it has been around since the 1750s).

One of the reasons for vodka’s popularity had to do with its appearance in British (and vicariously, American) culture due to James Bond. Bond always ordered his Martinis with the famous line “Shaken, not stirred…” which indicates a vodka as opposed to Gin Martini – Gin will ‘bruise’ if shaken, thus needing to be stirred, whereas shaking is preferable when mixing a Vodka Martini.

The distillery offers tours and has a tasting room at its plant in Alameda, just east of San Francisco and easily accessible by Ferry.

St. George Spirits/Hangar One (East Bay)
2601 Monarch St., Alameda, 94501
www.stgeorgespirits.com

Grappa – banned but not banished

Grappa is one of Italy’s most popular alcoholic drinks, with nearly forty million bottles of grappa produced each year. Grappa, one of several liquors home-produced and named “moonshine,” is a fragrant grape-based pomace brandy consisting of the grape skins, seeds and stalks that are left over from the winemaking process. While Prohibition hurt grappa sales in bars, many boarding house owners distilled their own “moonshine” for boarders, and patrons of Izzy Gomez’ café on Pacific St. and small cafes in other parts of North Beach during the era managed to procure grappa.

Nowadays, grappa has moved beyond moonshine. Bar 888 in the InterContinental Hotel has one of the largest collections of grappa, with grappa mojitos and grappa martinis on their menu.

Bar 888 (Yerba Buena)
InterContinental San Francisco
888 Howard St.
415-616-6500
www.intercontinentalsanfrancisco.com

Beer – the underground brew

Beer is the oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage in the world and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cereals—the most common of which is malted barley, although wheat, corn, and rice are also widely used.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the beer drinker was not a priority target of the temperance crusade. Rather, most of the crusaders saw whiskey and other distilled spirits as the primary menace. Still, Prohibition produced “near beer,” beer containing little or no alcohol, and distributed by bootleggers and mobsters alike.

Hardly the contraband of its past, beer is just as popular today, but has more varieties available, and a higher social status. San Francisco is home to several popular breweries:

Anchor Brewing Company (Potrero Hill)

Brewing hand crafted beer since 1896, Anchor Brewing Company is one of San Francisco’s oldest traditional brewing establishments. Group tours available.
1705 Mariposa St.
415-863-8350
www.anchorbrewing.com
Fritz Maytag, President & Brew Master, 415-863-8350,
info@anchorbrewing.com

The Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant (Golden Gate Park)

The Beach Chalet is known for its hops and barley creations named after local landmarks of the past and present.

There’s Seal Rock Bock, Presidio IPA, Fleishhacker Stout or the Ocean Beach Oktoberfest, all recalling the fun-loving yet mysterious nature of Ocean Beach.
1000 Great Highway
415-753-5260
www.beachchalet.com

Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant (Embarcadero)

Home crafted German-style beer, the recipe for Gordon Biersch beer contains only four ingredients as dictated by the 500-year-old German purity law called Reinheitsgebot.
Two Harrison St.
415-243-8246
www.gordonbiersch.com

ThirstyBear Brewing Company and Spanish Cuisine

Located next to Moscone Center and SFMOMA, this award-winning brewery-restaurant specializes in organic handcrafted beers and Spanish cuisine.
661 Howard St.
415-974-0905
www.thirstybear.com

Contact: Tim Mullins, general manager, 415-974-0905, tim@thirstybear.com

21st Amendment Brewery Cafe

The San Francisco Chronicle says, “A good microbrew selection and good rib-sticking food makes 21st Amendment the right place for any crowd.”
563 Second St.
415-369-0900
www.21st-amendment.com
Contact: Nico Freccia, 415-369-0900, nico@21st-amendment.com

San Francisco Brewers Guild

The guild is dedicated to preserving, promoting and celebrating the heritage and craft of San Francisco’s artisan breweries. Learn more about the breweries of San Francisco including tour information by visiting the Web site. Group tours available by arrangement..
info@sfbrewersguild.org
www.sfbrewersguild.org
Contact: David McLean, 415-710-3136, dave@magnoliapub.com

when you stay with select Hilton Family hotels.

Here’s your chance to feel like a VIP while staying in the Big Apple during business travel. Stay in New York City between now and June 30, 2010 and you can earn double Hilton HHonors® points, overnight room accommodations and Guest’s choice of either complimentary in-room movie OR $15 food & beverage credit for your stay.

This exclusive package is available only at Doubletree Guest Suites Times Square, Doubletree Metropolitan Hotel and Embassy Suites Hotel New York City.

Offer available Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings only.

To book, call 1-800-HILTONS and book plan code HH9 to receive this special offer or visit us online at www.hiltonfamily.com/newyorkcity

For press inquiries, please contact Victoria Grodzki, Area Director of Marketing, at vgrodzki@highgateholdings.com

by Uncle Sam’s New York

New York, NY – Uncle Sam’s Walking Tours, a leading provider of New York City Walking and specialty tours, is pleased to announce a new fashion conscious walking tour of Fifth Avenue debuting April 15, 2010.

The tour explores the history of retail and its top brands and unlocks the secrets of shopping on New York City’s most famous shopping mile, 5th Avenue. Using personal stylists, groups of 5-20 guests will join other fashionistas and shoppers on a guided journey to the shops and historical sights in New York City’s High Fashion district.

Sam Cook, President & CEO said, “The number one activity of guests who come to New York City is shopping. What we have found talking to our guests is that they go shopping with very little knowledge of how to shop in the world’s highest end retail environment. On this tour, we want to educate our customers how to shop like a stylist or a personal shopper.”

Unlike traditional other shopping tours, Uncle Sam’s New York City Fashion Tour does not encourage guests to shop on the tours, but instead aims to educate guests before they shop while creating a great social experience through an educational experience and a scheduled break in the tour for coffee and cake.

The tour lasts approximately three hours and departs daily at 10:00 AM from the Alexander Calder sculpture located in front of the IBM Building at 590 Madison Avenue at 59th Street.

About Uncle Sam’s New York

Uncle Sam’s New York offers daily New York City walking tours, fashion tours, pub crawls, night club tours, and specialty private SUV tours that immerse travelers in the history, culture, and glamour that make New York City the world’s greatest city.

At Uncle Sam’s New York, we believe that a tour should become a bonding experience for friends, families, and strangers alike – thrown together in an intimate look at the city. Whether you are traveling alone or with a large group, our tours offer you a chance to meet new people from across the world and go home with a story.

The city hotel brand Tryp launched its new “Be Successful” program, for the organization of any type of business event with four proposals that can be adapted to the different needs of each client: BE 20, BE 40, BE 100 and Be More.

The first is designed for small meetings or private lunches in a room equipped with a board meeting table.

The second offer is ideal for training courses or participative sessions, with a U-shaped set-up or classroom set-up for better interaction among the participants.

BE 100 has a capacity for 100 people and suggests multifunctional rooms for presentations, exams, courses for more people or banquets.

And the Be More program is designed for large events for more than 100 guests.

Furthermore, the Tryp Meetings packages offer a solution to all needs.

“Tryp Meetings Training,” from 49 euros, includes the meeting room with any set-up, two coffee breaks, work lunch and Internet connection in the room, while the “Tryp Meetings: Stay to Sleep” package also includes accommodation from 55 euros more.

Tryp has also designed its “Be Happy” program for private clients who wish to hold any type of party or special social event in its hotels’ facilities. This service offers made to measure advise and organization with original menus, cocktails, live performances and many more advantages.

For more information, visit www.solmelia.com

RomanceLivesHere.com Is Perfect for Romantic Getaways to St. Augustine & Ponte Vedra, Florida

Love is legendary in the Nation’s oldest city, at the luxurious resorts of Ponte Vedra and along 42 miles of pristine beaches.

And now, it’s easier than ever for couples to find just the right romantic getaway to this special northeast Florida destination.

RomanceLivesHere.com offers irresistible values on romantic accommodations that are perfect for couples who want to experience the history, romance and charm of St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches.

Complete with a video featuring couples who describe their own discovery of the destination’s romantic charms, RomanceLivesHere.com has special offers on getaway accommodations.

These include cozy bed and breakfast inns such as the Carriage Way, St. George Inn and St. Francis Inn, as well as a special offer from the beautiful Hilton St. Augustine Historic Bayfront.

Across the bay in St. Augustine Beach, the gorgeous Castillo Real provides the perfect getaway just 200 steps from the beach.

For those who want to experience the ultimate in seaside luxury, the prestigious AAA Five-Diamond-rated Ponte Vedra Inn and Club has an offer that is sure to inspire couples.

Want to mix in some golf with romance? At World Golf Village, both the spectacular Renaissance Resort and the Comfort Suites now have special getaway offers for people who are passionate about golf…and romance.

Plus, the Sawgrass Golf Resort and Spa, a Marriott Resort, provides an appealing getaway to one of Florida’s premier golf destinations — Ponte Vedra Beach. For details on these and other offers, simply go to www.RomanceLivesHere.com

The St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau provides a wealth of information for planning a visit, including details on attractions, dining, accommodations and much more. To visit their website, go to www.Getaway4Florida.com

In addition, a free, full color, 64-page vacation guide to this special part of Florida may be obtained by calling 1.800.653.2489.

While navigating a jungle can be a tough task, navigating Jungle Island has just become easier. Jungle Island is proud to announce the launch of their guided audio tours in both English and Spanish.

Launched in partnership with Tours that Talk, guests will be taken on an interactive and informative tour that provides an inside look into Jungle Island, bringing guests even closer to our lush jungle and incredible animal ambassadors.

From flora to fauna, the audio tour takes visitors through the park with an in-depth explanation of what is happening around them.

The hand-held portable tablet is about the size of a DVD case and can be carried by hand or with a convenient shoulder strap. At the push of a button, the custom-produced audio experience is delivered to the guest’s head set.

“The audio walking tour expands the unique experience that visitors to Jungle Island already receive,” said Steven Levine, Communications Director of Jungle Island. “The guide knows its way around the park and can tell behind the scenes stories and anecdotes that will bring personality to the many animals, plants and exhibits throughout Jungle Island.”

“We built the entire tour into a reliable self-contained audio system — no networks, radios or cell phones — and guests don’t need to follow any special path to remain on the tour,” says Richard Herbst, VP of Engineering for Tours that Talk.

Jungle Island, Miami’s entertainment destination, is located on Watson Island, in the heart of the city, between Downtown Miami and South Beach. The multifaceted grounds host Miami’s newest theme park, home to the world’s most rare and incredible animals.

Some of Jungle Island’s most famous animal residents include Pinky, the hire-wire bicycle riding Cockatoo, Mama Cass, the only tame Cassowary on the planet, and Hercules, the liger who was added to the Guinness Book of World Records in 2006 and currently still holds the record for World’s Largest Cat.

Jungle Island is also home to Peanut and Pumpkin, only the third set of Orangutan twins to be born in captivity.

Guests marvel at the engaging animal shows and presentations, participate in hands-on interactions with fascinating animals, and are amazed by the park’s breathtaking landscapes and vistas.

Guests can also go behind the scenes at Jungle Island with an exclusive VIP Safari Tour.

With its Treetop Ballroom and full in-house catering operation, Jungle Island is also South Florida’s most popular choice to host events of any size.

From extravagant galas to intimate ceremonies and everything in between, Jungle Island’s specialists seamlessly execute any event, regardless of scope.

Whether you enjoy the excitement of the theme park, or attend an extraordinary event, your experience on Jungle Island will certainly be unforgettable.

Windstar Cruises will debut new spa suites on the Wind Surf’s May 30 Rome roundtrip.

Each ocean-view spa suite features a queen-size bed with luxury microfiber bed linens, spa robes, an orchid flower arrangement, a sitting area, two bathrooms, a flat-screen TV with DVD player, and Bose SoundDock speakers for Apple iPods.

In addition to the four plush fiber-fill pillows that come standard in each spa suite, guests can choose specialty pillows from a menu.

Menu selections include a feather down firm-support pillow, a gusseted hypo-allergenic medium-support pillow, an organic buckwheat hull and lavender pillow and a “snore-no-more” hypo-allergenic foam core pillow.

In addition to Windstar’s L’Occitane bath amenities, WindSpa products from O SPA London will be offered in each spa suite along with an aromatherapy essence that will be refreshed daily. Guests will also receive a nightly turn-down gift such as organic lavender hand cream, eye gel or body cream from WindSpa.

Guests can select from three tea collections by Tea Forté for in-suite tea service.

Collections include “Sanctuary,” teas for well-being; “Herbals,” soothing artisan herbal teas; or “Exotics,” adventurous blends. Each collection comes in a ribbon box containing 20 silken tea infusers.

Brewing service features porcelain teaware and is available 24 hours a day through room service.

A platter of fresh fruit will be delivered daily to each spa suite.

A cocktail party will welcome spa suite guests in WindSpa’s reception area.

They also will receive an invitation to Windstar’s “Spa Under the Stars” evening event, which showcases a sampling of spa experiences with complimentary refreshments on deck.

Some WindSpa treatments are included in the spa suites program featuring The OnboardSpa Company and their certified organic O SPA London products and services. Spa suite guests will also have the service of a private spa concierge in WindSpa.

Spa services that spa suite guests receive during their seven-day cruise include two 60-minute facials, two 60-minute massages, and two grooming treatments of choice — manicure, pedicure or shave.

In addition, spa suite guests receive unlimited fitness, Pilates and yoga classes.

For more information, call 800-258-7245 or visit www.windstarcruises.com

The Plaza Hotel’s famed Palm Court has re-opened effective April 12, 2010.

The Palm Court will once again be a premier destination for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea in New York City. Originally constructed in 1907 under the name “The Tea Room,” The Palm Court, has been a quintessential New York destination since its incarnation.

As part of the $450 million, three-year restoration of The Plaza, The Palm Court has been carefully restored to its original beauty.

The $6.5 restoration of The Palm Court also includes the re-creation of the original 1907 stained-glass lay light, which was covered up during the ‘Conrad Hilton’ years in the 1950s.

The Plaza’s Palm Court include new décor including lighting and furnishings, and a newly-constructed menu from Executive Chef Willis Loughhead, who emphasizes farm-to-table style dishes featuring organic and local ingredients sourced from a variety of New York regions including the Finger Lakes, Niagara, the Long Island Sounds, and the Hamptons.

The Palm Court will also once again have an extensive tea menu offering classic versions of the afternoon tea.

The classic Palm Court Tea, priced at $45, includes a three tier display scones, tea sandwiches and pastries; the New Yorker Tea, also $45, offers quintessential “New Yorker” menu items such as black and white cookies, organic roast beef on a pretzel roll, and New York cheesecake.

For more information, visit www.fairmont.com/theplaza