spring mix

an diego posh on the pacific Dish on the multicourse tasting menu at Michelin-star restaurant Addison: caramelized cod, cruciferous, caviar and bonito butter

If you have a penchant for the beach and luxury travel, you can experience seaside San Diego without a fish taco or surfboard in sight…

taste tour

seaside sensation spring mix

Grand Digs The tony enclave of Del Mar (30 km north of downtown) is peppered with gated communities. Here, the Fairmont Grand Del Mar (fairmont.com/san-diego) is a palatial property, accessed by a long driveway. The road winds alongside the hotel’s stunning Tom Fazio-designed 18-hole golf course before emerging to reveal the elegant Spanish Colonial, open-air courtyard and lobby. Lounge around one of the four pools, cozy up in the elegant library/games room or nosh your way through a collection of stellar cafés and restaurants. Star Ser vice San Diego’s very first Michelin star was awarded last year to Addison (addisondelmar.com). The food is divine, but the level of service needs equal recognition, executed by a stealthy army of elite servers who quietly glide through the room. Last June, Chef William Bradley eliminated the à la carte menu for a five- or 10-course tasting-menu-only format in the omakase tradition, where ultimate trust is given to the chef. Island Parad ise Located on Mission Bay’s Vacation Island, the spa at Paradise Point (paradisepoint.com) is nestled in lush, tropical foliage that seems more South Pacific than South Cali. The services also reflect unique, island-forward options, such as a Balinese massage or treatment soak in a traditional wooden Ofuro tub. Pink Lady Located across the street from the beach (and within barking distance of the famous sea lions), La Valencia (lavalencia.com) is seaside La Jolla’s pink grand dame. This hotel might be historic, but it remains current with contemporaries like the Kardashians. Du ck ing Amaz ing Juniper and Ivy (juniperandivy.com) is a beloved farm-to-table restaurant in Little Italy. Perennial favourites include the yellowtail (on the menu since it opened) and uni (dropped off fresh daily from a local diver who harvests them at 3am), but the must-order is the whole duck—free-range, happy Pekin duck from nearby Sonoma County. You’re excused if you leave the cutlery on the table and use your fingers. Instagram can wait. A New Realm In the up-and-coming neighbourhood of Convoy, Realm of 52 Remedies (52remedies.com) is an Asian-inspired speakeasy hidden behind secret doors within Common Theory Public House. Realm has quickly established itself as the place in San Diego for eclectic and beautiful cocktails that don’t shy away from unusual ingredients like dried mushrooms and salted cream cheese. And a new omakase-style cocktail tasting menu lets the bartender create bespoke cocktails based on your preferences.

—Catherine Tse cockta i l p hoto : ame s Tr a n & O l i v i a B eall ; add is o n p hoto : DYLA N + JE NI Explore San Diego’s high life…from haute to high octane… taste tour T beach & beyond if you go Dig deeper into San Diego’s high-end options: sandiego.org. en ory an diego Spot prawns at Juniper & Ivy Barquette d’endive, beetroot and blackberry at Addison above right Comprador’s Fortune at Realm of 52 Remedies San Diego’s wild side: the cliffs at Torrey Pines State Beach

Curb pangs with powerful bites Written + produced by Catherine Tse nack attack bits + bites

1 Ready to pop A new take on an old favourite, ActivPOP is organic popcorn that’s seasoned with charcoalinfused sea salt. And not just any sea salt —this is sun-evaporated sea salt from a Molokai Island Salt Master. With the added benefits of detoxifying charcoal, the black-mottled popcorn just looks cool. And no, the charcoal doesn’t come off on your hands—no one will know you’ve been snacking. activpop.com 2 Smart cookie Sometimes, it’s just not a sugar craving that needs feeding, but a texture craving. GO Raw’s sprouted cookies are satisfyingly crispy and crunchy, tricking your brain into thinking you’re chomping down on caramelized, crystalized sugar when, in fact, you’re crunching into crisped, sprouted, healthy seeds. Sprouting encourages seed germination, which makes the seed a lot more nutritious and easier to digest. This is your new cheat, no-cheat. luckyvitamin.com 3 so good These granola bars have such a satisfyingly, chewy texture, you’ll be double-checking the ingredients list for mention of marshmallows or HFCS. They contain neither, but they do contain one full serving of vegetables from six different sources: spinach, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, beets and shiitake mushrooms. You’d never know it, though. These vegan, low-sugar, high-fibre bars taste, impossibly, closer to a candy bar than a traditional granola bar. madegoodfoods.com/ca 4 Keto friendly These soft-baked bars are keto certified by the Paleo Foundation— because, you don’t always want to snack on beef jerky. These cookie-like bars contain 160 calories with a minimum of 13g of plant-based fat and only 15g of carbohydrates. Using real, organic ingredients like coconut, cinnamon and raspberries, these will help anyone on the keto diet avoid that midday energy slump. good2gosnacks.com 5 Sweet tooth If you have an unhealthy relationship with sugar, you might want to adopt Smart Sweets’ motto, “Kick sugar, keep candy.” Their confectionaries look like gummies, taste like gummies, but don’t contain added anything: sugars, sugar alcohols, or artificial colours or flavours. These candies are coloured naturally from fruits and vegetables like pumpkin, carrot and spirulina (algae), and flavoured by plant-based sweeteners and natural fruit flavours. smartsweets.ca 6 Edgy Veggie Move over kale chips, cauliflower continues its world domination, now 6 gummies ! 5

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in the snack aisle. Yes, these are cauliflower crisps. They’re organic, non-GMO and gluten-free. Baked with real cauliflower, these earthy, crunchy snacks are enhanced with pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and sea salt — a minimally processed chip that actually tastes like roasted cauliflower (but better, ‘cause they’re chips). hippiesnacks.com

The two-island nation of St. Kitts & Nevis feels like a lost enclave in the Caribbean…waiting to be found

caribbean dream

get- away

iconic re ort Stay at the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, which has long been this island’s landmark property—and has undergone a multi-million dollar enhancement project, a complete revamp in haute Nevisian style inspired by local flora and fauna, including the island’s beloved ambassadors, green vervet monkeys. Strung along Pinney’s Beach, one of Nevis’ finest stretches of sand, the hotel brings together aquatic activities on a nearby reef, golf, and a spa set in lush tropical gardens. Stay in a mountain- or sea-view room, or take it up a notch and opt for a private villa, which includes dedicated ambassador service and private pools and sundecks. Plan and book here: fourseasons.com/nevis — Tim Johnson

View of Nevis Peak from the Four Seasons opposite, from top Lobby of the revamped Four Seasons Resort Nevis; iconic island dweller, the vervet monkey; snorkelling in the Caribbean blue

Exploring earthy delights, from St. Kitts to Nevis getaway

i land hop

Landing at Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport, I have a rather glamorous arrival. Descending steps from the 737 to the tarmac, a suited man awaits, alongside a Porsche pulled right up to the plane. He’s holding a sign with my name on it—this car, it’s for me. Climbing into the back, I’m whisked to a posh lounge, where my companion and I enjoy cool drinks (and air conditioning) while our passports are processed. Soon, we’re skimming across the blue waters of a strait, continuing from our decidedly celebrity-style entrée to this island nation. Joined by my father, I’m in St. Kitts and Nevis, two islands united into one nation and separated by a shallow, three-kilometre stretch of water known as The Narrows. Each island has its own style and pace. While the former receives the larger share of tourists, the latter feels like a place set apart, a quiet, earthy island, from the flanks of majestic Nevis Peak, a dormant volcano, to an endless collection of often-hidden, white-sand beaches. This is our home base for the next week.

After our high-profile arrival in that high-powered automobile, our next vehicular adventure takes place…in a golf cart. Albeit one outfitted with big, knobby tires. Joining a few other adventurers on a 4x4 tour, we trace dirt roads deep into the interior of Nevis, finally going completely off-road, into rainforest, beneath coconut palms and emerging to aquamarine views of the Caribbean.

We tour abandoned sugar mills, once the economic driver here, as well as the remnants of the 19th-century Cottle Church, where slaves and free men could worship together. We finish our trip in the right place—at the water, rolling those big tires up to Sunshine’s, Nevis’ legendary beach bar. Relinquishing the keys, we order a Killer Bee, the signature cocktail that’s a mix of rum, passion fruit juice, nutmeg and, of course, honey.

The following days are full, quite literally, with local fare and cooking lessons on traditional dishes like conky and Johnny cakes (my dad taste-tests them all, approvingly). We attend the weekly pig roast at the Hermitage, a hotel built within a former plantation that dates back to 1670—including the oldest building on the island—where the current owner, an amiable man named Richie, has been spinning pork on a spit every Wednesday since he can remember. Afterwards, we snorkel in The Narrows, enjoying the warm, salty water, and then soak up the sun on a catamaran. Back on land, we continue to tour around the island, passing monkey-crossing signs (Nevis is home to a resident population of green vervet monkeys) and navigating around big herds of sheep and goats on the quiet roads, then browsing the charming shops in Charlestown, the island’s laid-back capital. We take a deep dive into history, visiting the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton and the former home of renowned British admiral, Horatio Nelson. Everywhere we go, we hear soca beats and, whenever possible, sample local rum.

Too soon, we’re back on another boat, rolling across The Narrows again to the sister island of St. Kitts. We’ve both gained a few pounds, and even more stories. And the Porsche? Turns out it’s waiting for us, again, ready to drive us onto the tarmac to the 737. — Tim Johnson

your own pr i vate isle ( almost )

[go luxe] Local operator KayanJet offers the indulgent option of being met on the tarmac and whisked away in a Porsche Cayenne to a private airport lounge… stkittstourism.kn/plan/air

dr. henry adamson is an anesthesiologist who lives and practises in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “ These photos were taken in Spring 2019 on a fly-in visit to Sable Island to the south of Nova Scotia, infamous for the number of shipwrecks and justly famous for the 500 wild horses that are year-round residents and 300,000 seals that co-exist in this unique eco-system.” photo finish

photo detail Nikon D750, 300mm Nikkor lens with x1.4 teleconverter for the two top photos and Nikkor 20mm prime for the bottom image