THE CULINARY ISSUE
T o r o n t o
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Japan
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Vienna
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Tucson
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Prince Edward Island
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Tobago
I s s u e
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ISSUE 9 • ESCAPISM • 11
I CONTACT
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T USED TO be that holidays were a chance to hop on a plane, see a few landmarks and get home just before you started to miss Tim Horton’s too much. Vacations were a chance to escape for a week or two and hopefully find better weather than back home – but once the anxious wait for your photos to be printed was over, life would return to normal until it was time to dig out the guidebook again. While some changes to technology have had a dubious effect on travel – selfie sticks, we’re looking at you – our ability to peer deeper into the heart of destinations means that the world is our oyster. When Anthony Bourdain pulled up a plastic chair one sticky night in Vietnam and devoured noodle soup with locals, we saw a side of travel that gave us access to culture via the plates in front of us. As the travel landscape continued to shift, and we could see global #foodporn in vibrant colour on our screens, our interest in bringing the world into our homes and kitchens extended long after we touched down on the tarmac. In our Culinary Issue, we whisk you around the globe to gourmet destinations that will feed your wanderlust and your appetite. We head to Tucson, Arizona to discover why the desert city was named the first U.S. City of Gastronomy in 2015. Grab a fork as we take a coastal drive around P.E.I. and learn why the Million Acre Farm is anything but small potatoes. Plus, we do a little inspecting of our own and explore eight of the world’s most unique Michelin-starred restaurants. Whether you're planning a trip to the Caribbean or the kitchen, we've got all the global inspiration you need to take a bite out of that big, delicious world. ◆
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CONTENTS
17
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24
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26
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EXPERIENCES
In the Frame The Escapist Just Landed
28 ◆ In Transit ◆ Turo Car Sharing 34 ◆ Short Stay Niagara, ON 36 ◆ Long Stay ◆ Vienna, Austria
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C OV E R S TO RY
40 ◆ Sprinkle, Sprinkle, Little Star
The Michelin guide has long been the yardstick for global fine dining. We check in on eight wide-ranging spots from around the world. 46
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Off the Eaten Path
Despite a culinary accolade in 2015 (Tucson was named the first U.S. UNESCSO City of Gastronomy), the desert city flies under the radar. We grab a fork and explore.
EXCURSIONS 52 ◆ Cast Away Your Cares and Tobago
It’s not just all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. We explore Tobago and find out how its wildlife and cuisine are making a compelling argument for visiting. 59 ◆ Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
From mussels to Victorian mansions, we take the scenic route around this maritime province and explore its rustic restaurants.
71
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The Checklist
81
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Mount Fuji, Japan
92
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Like a Local
94
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The Selector
98
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Rear View
Even a wheezing cough and a bad case of bronchitis can’t stop this intrepid adventurer from climbing above the clouds to the top of Mount Fuji in Japan.
Adrienne McLeod; Belikova Oksana; Claes Bech-Poulsen
DEPARTURES
DEPARTURES
28 34 36
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17
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In the Frame
24
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The Escapist
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In Transit
Short Stay
Long Stay
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Turo
Niagara, ON
Vienna, Austria
IN THE FRAME • DEPARTURES • 17
IN THE FRAME
In Diala Canelo’s cookbook and feast for the senses, Diala’s Kitchen, we eat our way through cities and across continents. [
PHOTOGRAPHY
]
In the Frame by escapism is presented in association with:
ABOVE: A dish
Diala Canelo
from Habanera, a Cuban-inspired restaurant in Plaza de Colón, Madrid
SECRET INGREDIENT DIALA’S KITCHEN: PLANT-FORWARD AND PESCATERIAN RECIPES BY DIALA CANELO From meals with family in Santo Domingo to pastries and breads in Mexico City where she forged a baking career, Diala Canelo has been led by her tastebuds for as long as she can
remember. In her new cookbook, the food and travel writer explains her global inspiration for the 100 healthy, vegetable-forward dishes. $38, chapters.indigo.ca
IN THE FRAME • DEPARTURES • 19
LEFT: Mexico City
became Canelo’s home for three years, a place that she believes truly embodies the farmto-table concept
Diala Canelo
IN THE FRAME • DEPARTURES • 21
FAR LEFT: Canelo fell in love with Florence after visiting the San Lorenzo market and finding a variety of Tuscan specialties BELOW: Enjoying an Aperol Spritz and a simple bruschetta at a piazza in Florence
Diala Canelo
22 • DEPARTURES • IN THE FRAME
BELOW: This
ceviche recipe mixes influences from Canelo’s time in Peru and her roots in the Dominican Republic
In the Frame by escapism is presented in association with:
out experiences that are particularly meaningful to you. Audley currently offers trips to more than 85 countries around the world and has a portfolio of regional brochures featuring up-to-date information, travel tips and photography collected from the team on their travels. For more info, head to audleytravel.com
Diala Canelo
AUDLEY TRAVEL There’s no set recipe for Audley Travel’s trips – the tailor-made travel company specializes in designing custom trips around you, to match your unique
passions and interests. Their country specialists use their firsthand knowledge of the best local routes, stand-out guides, food, experiences, accommodations and local secrets in their specific corner of the world. Audley travel works with clients from start to finish to plan completely personalized itineraries, seeking
24 • DEPARTURES • THE ESCAPIST
THE ESCAPIST
UTENSIL UTILITIES Apps to help you eat better while on your next culinary adventure.
Katie Bridges wants us to go beyond the restaurant to get a complete culinary experience when travelling: shop for ingredients and take a cooking class.
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GOURMET
GALLIVANTING
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TRAVELLING SPOON This app gives access to homecooked meals, all over the world by connecting travellers with local, vetted hosts who can prepare meals or teach cooking classes. OPENTABLE Book a table for tonight or for next year’s birthday party with this user-friendly app that brings together diners and favourite (old or newly discovered) restaurants.
O
Fitting all those foodie finds into a suitcase can be fraught – “yes, officer, that is an ENTIRE wheel of cheese in my toiletry bag” – but there are other ways to bring your memories home. Smaller ticket items like Scotch bonnet pepper sauce from Jamaica will whisk you back to island life in just a few dabs while curry leaves you haul back from Sri Lanka will pack a punch that grocery store stuff can’t touch. (Although, we do advise checking regulations to see what is allowed into Canada and from where.) Take a cooking class while you’re on vacation – you might not find exactly the same ingredients when you return, but the muscle memory of twisting tortellini in Tuscany or mixing masa in Mexico City will stay with you. Above all, be curious – ask your server what was in your shawarma or quiz vendors in the market on what that unfamiliar vegetable is called. You may never find a dosa just like the one in Bangalore or a ceviche that can hold a candle to Peru’s, but it’s fun to try. ◆
Curry leaves: The name given to the leaves of the sweet neem tree. The herb from South India and Southeast Asia can be used in curries and soups to add flavour
Kiattipong ; Zurijeta
NCE UPON A time, good food was a nice-to-have on vacation, at best a distant second or third to the tourist attractions that filled the pages of our Lonely Planets (after all, visitors flock to Egypt for the pyramids not the pita, right?). But recent years have seen culinary conquests climb to top billing, with winery visits, local food tours and cooking classes occupying a coveted space on our travel itineraries, while umbrella-wielding tour guides fall by the wayside. The only downside to our epicurean adventures is the subsequent disappointment upon returning to our ordinary lives – a world in which we must exist without dragon fruit sliced open street-side for breakfast or a bag of samosas that costs less than one ride on the TTC. Though Toronto’s restaurant scene is a melting pot of cultures and cuisines, there’s something about actually recreating the bites from your trip that promises to truly transport you back to holiday mode.
CHEFSFEED If only you had your own personal restaurant critic, right? Well, now you do with this network of top food and drink experts recommending the best spots around town.
JUST LANDED
Bounce hopes to be the Uber of short-term luggage storage, and makeup gets a Manhattan museum, plus pets fly in comfort.
[
WHAT’S
NEW
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TRAVEL
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ADVENTURE INCLUDED If you’re a busy grown-up looking for adventure, but can’t take too much time off work, this is for you. The folks at Exodus Travels launched a series of adventurefilled mini-breaks for young professionals in their thirties and forties. From Peru to Portugal, Exodus Edits are itineraries designed to have all the exploration and experience of a gap year minus the time off. Trips range in activity levels, from a leisurely Costa Rica retreat to a challenging climb of North Africa’s highest peak. Trips are as short as four days and typically include everything except tips, travel insurance and flights.
ABOVE: Makeup
REVLON ET AL RETROSPECTIVE Believe it or not, makeup had a whole other life before the birth of YouTube and Kylie Jenner. This May, you can take a stroll through history at the world’s first museum dedicated to cosmetics in New York City. Delve into the past, explore the present impacts of this multi-billiondollar industry, and maybe even learn how to contour. The Makeup Museum’s debut exhibit is Pink Jungle: 1950s Makeup in America, highlighting celebrities and beauty icons of that era. The exhibit starts in May 2020 and will run for six months at 94 Gansevoort St.
mavens like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn have had a lasting impact on the world of beauty and cosmetics
Santan: The Malay word for coconut milk – a staple of the national cuisine – evokes the restaurant’s cultural connection.
OFF-FLIGHT MEAL Ever wondered how you can get airplane food on the ground? Yeah, us neither, but AirAsia is hoping to change travellers’ minds with the opening of new restaurant, Santan. Their first brick-and-mortar location launched in Kuala Lumpur in late 2019. With aims to expand globally, this fast-food restaurant features a smart menu powered by artificial intelligence. Without the tight quarters of an in-air galley, the Malayasian (plus other Asian inspirations) menu is considerably longer. We’ll see if AirAsia can reroute people’s opinions on plane food.
JUST LANDED • DEPARTURES • 27
DOWNLOAD THE BOUNCE APP AND UNLOAD YOUR BAGGAGE AND WORRIES FOR SIX DOLLARS PER DAY PARTNERS IN WINE Georgia might not be well represented in most people’s wine cellars, but it’s actually the oldest wine producer in the world. To celebrate that fact, and to add to an existing catalogue of great trips, Trafalgar has created an 11-day culinary tour that covers the snow-capped Caucasus region and takes travellers across the Eurasian crossroads. Georgia and Armenia Uncovered will raise a glass to Armenian brandy and tea, plus guests can try their hand at ancient Georgian winemaking (now on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list) as well as baking with locals. ◆
GOLDEN RETRIEVER STATUS
Lucian Milasan; Jeremiah-Berman; Dora Zett; Maurizio Milanesio
Delta Air Lines has partnered with CarePod, a pet technology start-up to improve pet travel with an innovative pet carrier complete with angled blinds, insulated temperature regulating walls and a built-in, auto-replenishing water bowl. Pet parents receive realtime updates of their fur baby’s journey. The carriers are bright pink so that baggage handlers know what they’re moving. Currently, CarePod is only available when flying with Delta from Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco and West Palm Beach, but they have plans for expansion.
BOUNCE PACK Bounce, a luggage storage app, is the latest startup to create a solution you didn’t know you needed. Instead of hauling a suitcase around a major city, download Bounce, and unload your baggage and worries for six dollars per day. Bounce is available in North American cities like Las Vegas and Miami, and
RIGHT: Tour operator Trafalgar has introduced its first trip to the former Soviet Republics of Georgia and Armenia in its centenary year
will be coming to international locations like Athens and Tokyo soon. They’ve collaborated with local and national partners from major hotels to the neighbourhood dry cleaner. Locations are vetted and must keep items sealed, tagged and out of reach of customers. If any damage or loss happens to your items, Bounce offers a $5,000 rest-assured guarantee.
28 • DEPARTURES • IN TRANSIT
IN TRANSIT
SWISH WHIPS Visiting a swank spot like Miami? Rent one of Turo’s luxury cars so that you can hit the strip in style. Step out of a BMW i8 with dihedral butterfly doors or roll up in a brand new Maserati GranTurismo – it packs a punch with plenty of torque and can rev up to 7,500 rpm.
Want a rental car without the counter? Taylor Newlands looks under the hood at Turo, the app-based, car-sharing outfit.
[
TURO
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POINT A TO BREEZE Unlike other car rental companies, there’s no waiting in line with Turo. Have your vacation vehicle dropped off at the airport, the train station, your hotel or wherever is most convenient for you. Available in select cities, Turo Go lets you find and book cars, then unlock them remotely without any human interaction.
T
WHERE WE’RE GOING, WE DO NEED ROADS Turo offers a number of specialty cars. Sit back and soak up all the attention you’ll get sailing around in a Chevy El Camino or a Cadillac DeVille. Or live out your timetravel fantasies in a 1981 Delorean DMC-12, outfitted to look just like the one from Back to the Future.
Turo; North Monaco
HERE WAS A time when getting into a car with a stranger and relying on them to safely deliver you to your destination seemed ludicrous. But since the rise of the gig economy, people have opened their homes as hotels, turned hobbies into tourist experiences and are now offering their cars, all in the name of improving your vacation – and making a quick buck. One of the latest borrow-something-that-belongs-to-a-stranger apps, Turo lets users list their car or rent someone else’s for a daily rate. Select your location and dates, then choose from an array of vehicles that belong to local hosts. The most obvious way to use the app is to get a discount on your usual car rental, but we always like to take things to the next level – especially when it comes to our travel experiences. Filter your search by features like heated seats, a bike rack, all-wheel drive or Bluetooth connectivity for a drive that’s decked-out just the way you like it. Instead of taking your next road trip cooped up in a snore-worthy sedan, breathing in your partner’s stale breath, cruise down the highway in a convertible with the wind in your hair and the sun on your face. Three different insurance levels let you pick the best coverage, with options like paying a lower rate with higher physical damage deductibles. Turo also provides 24/7 roadside assistance so you can feel safe wherever your journey takes you. ◆
SMITH RESTAURANT
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LITTLE INDIA + GERRARD EAST FOOD TOUR @udupipalacetoronto
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30 • DEPARTURES • HOT SHOTS
MEREDITH HARDIE IN BORNHOLM, DENMARK
HOT SHOTS Team escapism shares some of our favourite travel snaps from recent trips. Follow @escapismto on Instagram for more.
[
P.E.I.,
DENMARK,
ARIZONA
In the middle of the Baltic, lies the Danish island of Bornholm. I left Copenhagen, took two trains (one unintentionally), illegally entered Sweden by mistake, boarded a ferry and found a bus on the island that drove me north of nowhere to Bornholm Surf Farm. There was no cell service, no indoor plumbing and no other guests. It was the best three days of my life.
]
KATIE BRIDGES IN TUCSON, ARIZONA When it comes to food and drink, I love a good crossover episode, so I was thrilled to learn that Tucson is all about collaboration. After trying the exceptional chiltepin cold brew at Exo Roast Co., I ran into their bean blends later that day at Monsoon Chocolate, where I dug into Exo Coffee Truffles. Turns out there’s no “i” in team or Tucson. ◆
After strolling the tree-lined streets of Victoria-by-the-Sea, stopping at little stores and unattended roadside stalls (the community is so trusting, they expect passersby to simply take the goods and leave their money), we had worked up an appetite. Known for having one of the best lobster rolls in P.E.I., the Lobster Barn is a simple-looking spot perched at the edge of the wharf. Here, we tucked into the famous roll alongside a rich and creamy lobster poutine and local cider 6 Hours of Sun by Gahan House.
Taylor Newlands; Meredith Hardie; Katie Bridges
TAYLOR NEWLANDS IN P.E.I.
UNWIND OVER MATTER
ROOM SERVICE
We’re usually the first to skip the gym while on holiday, so trust us when we say Archetype is a must-try. The multi-level facility offers all the cardio, strength and performance equipment you would expect, plus group classes, a dazzling pool, hot tub and steam room. For us, the highlight was the Somadome, a state-of-the-art meditation pod. It might look claustrophobic, but once you get cozy, the walls seem to melt away as colour-changing lights soothe you into a guided meditation. Even if you don’t reach enlightenment, you won’t have a care in the world.
From Edmonton’s Ice District to a country pub in England and an Azorean hotel, we rest our heads around the world.
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EDMONTON,
STAFFORDSHIRE,
THE
AZORES
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FROM SOUP TO SPEAKEASY Oliver & Bonacini is behind the food programme, so expect each of the four dining experiences to be delicious and slightly different. Familiar items like O&B’s cream of mushroom soup and Oliver’s carrot cake make it onto the menu at Braven, beside Alberta steaks and chops. The charming Lobby Bar is the perfect place to sip the hotel’s signature cocktail, the Duchess. In the airy Kindred, you’ll find sandwiches, pizzas and salads – but don’t skip their chicken pot pie. On the fifth floor, head through a secret bookshelf door to find a hidden cocktail bar called Alchemy.
JW MARRIOTT EDMONTON It might not sound like a hotspot for a sleek, luxury hotel, but Edmonton’s downtown Ice District is on trend in a major way, and the JW Marriott is smack dab in the middle of it. Enjoy beautiful rooms with complimentary water bottles, marble bathrooms and Albertan artwork. The hotel’s thoughtful design means there’s no need to brave Edmonton’s less-thanpleasant weather. An indoor walkway connects the JW to Grand Villa Casino and Rogers Place Arena, home of the Edmonton Oilers. It’s also walking distance to the Royal Alberta Museum and the Art Gallery of Alberta. Rooms from $228. marriott.com
RIGHT: Locally raised beef is in the spotlight on the menu at Braven, JW Marriott’s steakhouse in Edmonton
ROOM SERVICE • DEPARTURES • 33
AZOR HOTEL, THE AZORES The Azor Hotel, a 15-minute walk from Ponta Delgada’s central Mercado da Graça (farmers’ market), is a fantastic place to rest your bones after a day of exploring the Green Island’s verdant pastures. The sleek and comfortable ocean-view rooms will make you want to spend more time indoors than one should on São Miguel – fight that urge and let the hotel connect you to hiking trails, lagoons and free walking tours. Soothe hiking limbs with a session at the luxury spa in their relaxation pool. If its ‘nature light’ you’re after, the Whale Watching Bar is the perfect vantage point to spy dolphins. Rooms from $142. azorhotel.com
THE PORTUGAL SON Chef Claudio Pontes worked in Lisbon for many years before the pull of his hometown became too strong to resist and he returned to São Miguel to open À Terra. Try aged Azorean cheese and cured ham downstairs or head up a floor, past the meat locker where native Holstein cows dry age, for views of the Ponta Delgada marina. Meals based on fresh fish from the North Atlantic and organic local greens can be had with or without wine pairings as part of chef’s seasonal tasting menus – or dig into one of the many surprising pizzas (chorizo, tuna) straight from the wood-fired oven. ◆
THE DUNCOMBE ARMS, ELLASTONE This charming pub with 10 rooms sits in the little village of Ellastone, Staffordshire, near England’s Peak District. They added the utterly gorgeous Walnut House last year to provide hungry visitors with a place to rest their weary heads after a knock-out dinner in the pocket-sized pub. Windows look out over rolling hills dotted with sheep and the beds strike a delicious balance between reassuringly solid and delightfully soft. Owners Johnny and Laura Greenall offer walking tours of their extensive gardens, home to an array of exotic trees. Rooms from $261. duncombearms.co.uk
PUB GRUB PERFECTED It’s unusual to open with dessert, but this one warrants breaking the rules: a triumphantly wobbly pistachio soufflé served with a scoop of blood orange sorbet. The local, seasonal approach comes into particular focus on the market menu. Chicken terrine with piccalilli and sourdough bread bring together crunch and tang; satisfyingly dense gnocchi are topped with umami-laden dollops of black garlic that offset the richness of a fried duck egg; beef bourguignon pie was declared “life changing.” There’s more – including an impressive list of fine wines available by the glass thanks to a Coravin.
ABOVE: Humpback
whales can be spotted from the windows of the Whale Watching Bar at the Azor Hotel
DENSE GNOCCHI TOPPED WITH UMAMILADEN DOLLOPS OF BLACK GARLIC OFFSET THE RICHNESS OF THE FRIED DUCK EGG
SHORT STAY
GETTING THERE
From wondrous views to seasonal cuisine with renowned wines, Taylor Newlands finds out why Niagara Falls isn’t just for honeymooners.
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BY LAND:
If you opt out of driving the QEW, Transit runs from Union station to Niagara Falls GO daily, with more frequent service in the summer and bike storage. The trip takes about two hours. BY AIR:
For the shortest travel time, FlyGTA offers a 12-minute flight from Billy Bishop to Niagara District Airport from $175 return.
FALL FOR NIAGARA FALLS
A ROOM WITH A FALLS VIEW
What the Oakes Hotel lacks in features, it makes up for with its stunning in-room views of the falls. If you’re visiting Niagara in cooler weather and looking to avoid the elements, the Hilton offers indoor access to Fallsview Casino and a shopping concourse, as well as several different eateries, including the rooftop Watermark restaurant. For a romantic, relaxing stay, head away from the main strip to the Sterling Inn and Spa. Spacious rooms feature a jacuzzi for two and a fireplace to heat things up. With breakfast in bed included in your stay, you’ll never have to leave your room.
ABOVE: Niagara Falls
is the second largest falls in the world, after Victoria Falls in southern Africa
TR Photos; Marieeve; Top Photo Corporation
There’s much more to this day-trip destination than the neon lights, kitschy main strip and jangling and clanging when the casino’s slot machines pay out. Niagara has become one of Ontario’s culinary capitals, offering an abundance of locally sourced fare, unique dining experiences and some of its best wineries and breweries. Even during the off-season there’s a stacked schedule of events and pop-ups to enjoy – minus the summer’s sweltering heat and overcrowding. Only an hour and a half from the city, it’s easy to make a visit to Niagara Falls into a day trip or a whole weekend getaway.
SHORT STAY • DEPARTURES • 35
FLYING, FLOWERING AND FALLING
In spite of Canada’s fickle weather, outdoor enthusiasts can find ways to connect with nature at every turn. Start at the butterfly conservatory where you can (very gently) get hands-on with the 2,000 colourful insects that fly freely inside the tropical enclosure. Then unwind at the Floral Showhouse – a greenhouse full of lush plants and flowers. Maybe a bit pedestrian, but everyone should experience Journey Behind the Falls at least once. It’s a sight to see from wherever you’re standing, but when you’re right at the base of the falls watching the water come crashing down, the full magnitude is incredible.
Icewine: Since 1999 the Vintners’ Quality Alliance Act has set the standards for using the protected term that distinguishes Canadian wine made from frozen grapes.
GRAPE AREA GRUB From on top of the falls to up in NOTL, here’s where to eat in Niagara.
STOP IN AT RAVINE FOR FRESH BREAD AND FARE FROM THEIR KITCHEN GARDEN TABLE ROCK HOUSE RESTAURANT For a taste of Niagara coupled with so-close-youmight-fall-in views of the falls, visit this Feast On certified restaurant. Start with Gunn’s Hill brie arancini and then a Canadian AAA steak. There’s also an Ontario wine pairing for every menu item.
SIPS AMONGST THE SCENERY
Niagara is known for its icewine, but the region is overflowing with booze producers, from world-class wineries to craft breweries. Drop in at Tawse Winery to sample their wares – if you buy two bottles the tasting is free. They also make vodka, gin and vermouth. Go for the Experience Tour at Two Sisters Vineyards, it includes six wine tastings, with one straight from the barrel, and a food pairing. Bench Brewing is the place to try farmhouse-style ales. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, stop in at Ravine Vineyard for fresh baked bread and hyper local fare from their kitchen garden. ◆
BELOW: Get up
close and personal with the 2,000 colourful insects gracing the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory
QUEENSTON HEIGHTS RESTAURANT The brunch buffet at this country house is a Sundaymust. The unstuffy atmosphere, elegant dining room and windows overlooking the river make the perfect intro to Sunday. Don’t skip the $4 mimosas – they come in orange, mango and margarita for an extra kick.
TRIUS WINERY AND RESTAURANT Tuck into a multi-course tasting menu of winecountry fare, complete with Trius Wine pairings, at this Niagara-on-the-Lake winery. Cozy up in the comfortable, modern dining room or soak up the sun on their sprawling, vine-side terrace.
LONG STAY
Lydia Winter wakes up in the City of Dreams and takes us to all of the must-visit spots in Austria’s capital.
SEE KLIMT AT THE BELVEDERE
Gustav Klimt is one of Vienna’s brightest artistic stars, so you’d be remiss to skip his best-loved painting. Make your way to the Belvedere, a gorgeous, baroque palace, to clap eyes on “The Kiss,” with its glorious gold flourishes and dreamy romantic tones. There’s more to see – the Belvedere showcases 800 years of Viennese art – but be sure to save time (and energy) to visit the city’s other museums. The MuseumsQuartier (with 10 museums) requires a day of its own at least.
SHOP AT KAUF DICH GLÜCKLICH
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VIENNA,
AUSTRIA
]
Neubau is awash with the kind of stores that make it all too easy to part with your hard-earned loot. Head to the aptly named Kauf Dich Glucklich (Buy Yourself Happy) for racks groaning with threads. We won’t be held responsible when you splash $100 on a shirt that’s, well, just another shirt, but we will take credit when you get compliments on it later.
STAMMERSDORF FOR WINE
Vienna is the only major city in the world with its own notable wine-growing industry, and the place to experience it is at a heurige (a reference to this year’s young wine), or wine tavern, connected to a winery. For an afternoon of delightful eating and drinking, visit Stammersdorf, in the city’s north, where Stammersdorfer Strasse is lined with heurigen.
REST MAX BROWN 7TH DISTRICT
At Max Brown’s Vienna outpost, every nook and cranny has been carefully curated: muted greens, yellow and pinks give it a retro 1970s feel, as does the turntable in every room. The hotel is packed with art, and also has a cinema downstairs – a nod to the Neubau district’s history. Rooms from $115.
MAGDAS HOTEL
It has all the hallmarks of a boutique hotel: chicly designed rooms with brightly coloured accents and an idyllic location by the canal. But below the surface, there’s far more at work here. This is Austria’s first social enterprise hotel, run by former refugees (along with hospitality professionals), and all the furniture is upcycled – even the wardrobes had a former life on the railway. Rooms from $100.
GRÄTZLHOTEL KARMELITERMARKT
Located in the even trendier Leopoldstadt district, it’s slightly less central but all the more authentically Viennese for it, with tempting farmers’ markets and deli-cafés. The unique accommodations were converted from old shops and each nods to its former incarnation. Service is incredibly laid back, and the onsite café offers giant plates of Carinthian pasta, Alpine cheese, and fresh bread and eggs. Rooms from $125.
LONG STAY • DEPARTURES • 37
EAT SALONPLAFOND
In a city famed for art, it makes sense that you’ll find a great restaurant in a gallery. Salonplafond, inside the Museum of Applied Arts, deals in traditional Viennese dishes that feature seasonal, local produce. Start with a foamed parsnip soup with truffle oil – you’ll be rewarded with a single plump and juicy scallop at the bottom.
ABOVE: Max Brown
7th District is a stunning hotel located in the Neubau district outfitted with a turntable in every room
CAFÉ SPERL
Vienna’s coffee-house culture is so renowned that it’s even earned a place on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Café Sperl is the kind of place you can imagine at the turn of the 20th century, with low-hanging lamps and the great and the good discussing arts and politics over strong coffee. Order a melange – half foam and half coffee, like a cappuccino – and settle in for some pumpkin seed scrambled eggs or black bread, thickly spread with butter and topped with chopped chive.
Schnitzel: Wiener Schnitzel – a thin, breaded and pan-fried cutlet made from veal – is one of Vienna’s most famous dishes.
Konoplytska; Marco Brivio
VIENNA’S COFFEE-HOUSE CULTURE IS SO RENOWNED THAT IT’S ON UNESCO’S INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE LIST
ULRICH
If you’re going to eat a schnitzel, do it right – a wild boar cutlet in a pumpkin seed crumb fits the bill perfectly. This site was once a traditional Austrian gasthaus but Ulrich has been revamped with an elegant, modern interior and counter dining. Small plates aren’t really a thing in Austria, but they’re trying, with chicken wings marinated in yogurt and lime, and river trout cooked in riesling with spring onion and lavender pesto. ◆
EXPERIENCES
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Most Unique Michelin Star Restaurants 46
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Tucson, Arizona 52
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Tobago
Prince Edward Island
[
GLOBAL
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SPRINKLE SPRINKLE LITTLE STAR The Michelin guide and its iconic stars have long been the yardstick par excellence for fine dining. We check in on eight star-winners to get a sense of how widely they range.
29
3-star winners in both France and Japan
I
$450
Top price for 3-star tasting menu in U.S.
T’S HARD TO believe that 120 years ago, the world’s most prestigious cooking accolade started out as a way to sell more tires. When Édouard and André Michelin published a guide for French motorists, full of handy information like maps, mechanic listings and hotels, they probably never imagined that it would graduate into a fine dining yardstick for excellence that chefs hang their careers on. Today, the 28 guides cover over 25 countries, and have a Bib Gourmand feature highlighting restaurants that offer very good food at moderate prices, plus a new listing for gastropubs in Ireland. While Canada continues to be overlooked >
19
Guides for specific cities or regions
Claes Bech-Poulsen
ABOVE: As well as its remote location in the Faroe Islands, Koks only has space for 24 diners per meal
GLOBAL GOURMET GRUB • EXPERIENCES • 41
(at least for now), there are plenty of global dining destinations to add to your wish list. From all out glamour to a shed located in the middle of the North Atlantic, we’ve rounded up the Michelin must-sees around the world. Got stars, will travel.
MICHELIN STAR CRITERIA * “A very good restaurant in its category” ** “Excellent cooking, worth a detour” *** “Exceptional cuisine, worth a
special journey”
ALINEA ***
Chicago, Illinois There’s abstract, and then there’s Alinea, Grant Achatz’s “progressive American” Chicago restaurant which has been delighting (and confusing) diners since 2005. If you didn’t catch the avant-garde chef’s episode of Netflix’s Chef’s Table, you might not be familiar with his culinary creations, which make Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory look like the candy aisle at Loblaws. From an apple taffy floating dessert filled with edible helium balloons to deconstructed french fries, the name of the game is theatricality with dishes presented (or in some cases assembled) with a flourish at your table. Achatz’s modus operandi is engaging the senses and playing with guests’ emotions throughout the course of an, at times, mindmelting evening. An Alinea meal can include up to 18 dishes, so you might find yourself there for up to four hours – plenty of time to keep your eyes peeled for Grant himself, or hope for a sneak peek inside the kitchen. Dinners alter seasonally and even dishes shared on Instagram are liable to change on a whim. But where’s the fun in knowing what’s on the menu ahead of your visit?
OSTERIA FRANCESCANA ***
mozzarella,” while mains like “A singular interpretation of Fillet alla Rossini with foie gras and caviar” and “Lobster in double sauce, acidic and sweet” get slightly more literal descriptions. It’s traditional Italian fare that breaks away from tradition, served in a white-linen atmosphere. Before chalking this up to pretension, note that Osteria Francescana has plenty of accolades to prove it’s worth the upwardsof-$300 CAD price tag. In addition to raking in three Michelin stars, it came in at the very top of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list not once, but twice – in 2016 and again in 2018.
Simon Davies
Modena, Italy From renowned Italian chef Massimo Bottura, this restaurant-cum-art-gallery in Modena is all about passion, emotion and story, rather than cooking techniques or ingredients. Menu items have colourful titles that incite the imagination. Starters include “An eel swimming up the Po River” and “Abstract of grilled snapper… and
ABOVE: The name Alinea comes from the Latin word for a new train of thought; RIGHT: Italy’s Osteria Francescana is owned and run by Massimo Bottura
GLOBAL GOURMET GRUB • EXPERIENCES • 43
If you want a more pastoral experience, the Botturas have opened Casa Maria Luigia, their country house outside of Modena to guests. The tasting menu features signature dishes from the original restaurant.
POUL ANDRIAS ZISKA FLIRTS WITH THE LINE BETWEEN DISGUST AND CULINARY BRILLIANCE – FERMENTED LAMB WITH MEALWORMS?
HAWKER CHAN *
Singapore Michelin stars might evoke visions of an empty bank account and not knowing which fork to use for the salad course, but there’s a budget option if you’re craving a more casual (but equally delicious) tour to the peak of the culinary mountain. For less than the cost of a Happy Meal (around $5 CAD), you can sample the one-star delights of Hawker Chan, formerly known as Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodles in Singapore. Those prices are a welcome respite from the norm in the world’s most expensive city. Chef Chan Hon Meng, the son of Malaysian farmers, believes that good food should be affordable. The result of his benevolence is a small but mighty menu of Cantonesestyle soya sauce chicken, 35 years in the making, based on a recipe he was taught in Hong Kong. After becoming the world’s first hawker stall to receive a star in the guide, Chan opened a second brick-and-mortar spot across the road from the popular original location inside the Chinatown Complex Food
Centre. Here diners can enjoy additional dishes like char siew rice and roasted pork noodles from the comfort of their seat.
KOKS **
Faroe Islands, Denmark This is one restaurant that doesn’t get many walk-ins, nor is it for the faint of heart. Getting there is half the battle, because, well, there’s no direct road, just a rocky path leading to the turfed-roof farmhouse. The landscape of the Faroe Islands, where sheep outnumber people and fish hang from houses like icicles, may seem unforgiving to the untrained eye, but while nature can be relentless, it’s In Cantonese, “see yao gai” chicken is also generous. a dish often served Koks follows cold as part of the the seasons and Cantonese dim sum tradition. It’s transforms ancient cleaver-chopped Faroese practices like and comes to the drying, fermenting, table with sauce. salting and smoking
into modern dishes worth travelling for. Koks means “a flirt” and Poul Andrias Ziska, the head chef, flirts with the line between disgust and culinary brilliance – cooked fermented lamb topped with ground mealworms, anyone? If that’s not your cup of tea, there are several other inventive dishes, true to the tastes and smells of their rugged Faroese roots, on the rotating tasting menu. These include fresh sea urchin with pickled parsley stems and skerpikjøt (fermented, wind dried lamb leg) served with reindeer lichen, a mushroom emulsion and pickled berries.
ALAIN DUCASSE AU PLAZA ATHÉNÉE ***
Paris, France The restaurant world was shocked (and perhaps, a little skeptical?) when legendary French chef Alain Ducasse decided it was out with the meat and in with the lentils at his self-titled Parisian restaurant in 2014. Fast-forward seven years and face palms have long rescinded with Ducasse, in his infinite wisdom, positioning himself as an early pioneer of leafier, more sustainable culinary ideals that set diners back around $300 CAD. The celebrated chef – who knows his way around foie gras – made the switch to “naturality,” engaging with the principles of shojin cuisine, which follows a vegetarian or vegan Buddhist philosophy. Ingredients at the restaurant, located inside the grand Parisian institution Hôtel Plaza Athénée, are in theory limited to cereals and vegetables, although seafood (Normandy blue lobster, turbot) is prominent throughout the menu. However, when the vegetables are supplied by none other than the Jardin de la Reine at the Château de Versailles, these greens are certainly not playing second fiddle. >
Firstname Surname
LEFT: At Hawker Chan, chef Chan Hon Meng makes soya sauce chicken, and there’s almost always a line for the world’s cheapest Michelin-star meal
44 • EXPERIENCES • GLOBAL GOURMET GRUB
liquorice gel served with artichoke vanilla mayonnaise – pardon? Blumenthal has been known to incorporate sounds (played from hidden iPods) with dishes to enhance flavour components. Turns out playing with your food was the right thing to do after all.
MANÍ *
São Paulo, Brazil Helena Rizzo isn’t just one of the world’s best female chefs, she’s one of the world’s best chefs, period. In Jardim Paulistano, a quaint suburb of São Paulo, inside an inconspicuous white house hides one of the best restaurants in the world, Maní. At the helm, Rizzo has put Brazil on the map of great culinary destinations. She elevates the everyday with takes on traditional dishes like a frozen version of quindim, the popular egg-based, Brazilian dessert that defined some of her best childhood memories. Maní’s other contemporary dishes, made from Brazil’s finest local ingredients, range from the elegant jabuticaba cold soup with crayfish and pickled cauliflower to the humble bread pudding with golden caramel syrup.
Soak up all three of Alain Ducasse’s Michelin stars in the opulent hotel setting, and ponder, as you gaze up at the chandeliers, if meat is all that special after all.
THE FAT DUCK ***
New York City, New York One of only a few Korean restaurants to garner a Michelin star – not to mention a bare-table noodle bar – Jeju is a rarity in the dining guide. Throw in the surprisingly affordable menu and you’ve got a diamond in the rough that will make you want to skip New York’s overrated, overdone spots in favour of this simple but stylish corner bar. Named after an island in South Korea that claims to have the best barbecue pork in the world from the Jeju black pigs, this restaurant specializes in fantastic Korean comfort food. Not to be confused with its more well-known cousin Japanese ramen, Jeju serves Korean ramyun. A prix fixe lunch for $45 USD offers a five-dish culinary tour, served family style. For dinner, the menu is divided into “before noodles” and “finally noodles.” Start with the popular toro ssam bap, a dish of fatty raw tuna piled on top of tobiko rice. For the main event, slurp up the wagyu ramyun with raw miyazaki wagyu brisket in a veal bone broth with white kimchi and enoki mushrooms. ◆
Roberto Seba; Jose Luis Lopez de Zubiria
TOP: Mani in São Paulo elevates the everyday with Brazilian ingredients; ABOVE: Heston Blumenthal uses science and the senses to wow at the Fat Duck
Bray, England It might seem like another sleepy village in England, but Bray – with a population of less than 10,000 people – is home to two of the United Kingdom’s five restaurants with three Michelin stars. The Fat Duck is one of them and has been pushing the boundaries since it opened in 1995. Chef Heston Blumenthal uses science and a bit of imagination to invent new forms of edible art. Molecular gastronomy, sensory design – call it what you may, the Michelin inspectors (experts in food, dishes coming out of dining and hotels) the Fat Duck kitchen are completely and laboratory are anonymous and are allegedly informed truly one-of-a-kind not to tell anyone ( just as well for but their spouse around $550 CAD). about their role. Salmon poached in
JEJU NOODLE BAR *
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Words by KATIE BRIDGES
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OFF THE EATEN PATH Despite a culinary accolade bestowed by UNESCO, Tucson’s charms continue to be overlooked for other southwestern cities. Katie Bridges dons her stretchy pants and discovers why the Old Pueblo is the perfect trip for pigging out.
2015
When Tucson was named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy
24 C
Average temperature of Tucson in March
1854
The year Tucson was purchased by the U.S.
LEFT: The saguaro cactus is native to the Sonoran Desert. The tree-like species can grow many “arms,” and often lives to 150 to 200 years old
A
S I BOARD my flight to Tucson, Arizona, I realize that I know (at least in the pop-culture sense) very little about the city. Without a native celebrity (unless you count Hailey Baldwin, wife of Justin Bieber) or a back catalogue of movies filmed here (shout out to cult classic Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion which was set but not shot in Tucson), it can be tricky to conjure up a vision of the southwestern city. Arguably, Tucson’s biggest claim to fame happened in 2015 when it became the first city in the U.S. to be named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy – ironically, recognizing over 4,000 years of agricultural heritage. In a world where snapping a stack of pancakes when that light hits just right makes you >
a foodie, it’s difficult to wrap one’s head around exactly what that designation means. If it’s boozy brunches and tremendous tacos you’re after, you’ve come to the right place – but the accolade goes much deeper, to a culinary distinctiveness unique to the region and a tradition of making food that travels all the way from soil to table. Two flights later, I arrive hungry for tacos and adventure. Shedding my Toronto skin in the parking lot, I make a dash for the Welcome Diner, marvelling at both the December sunshine and the restaurant’s stunning facade. The southwestern diner, designed in 1964 by Ronald Bergquist, is a striking example of Googie architecture, a futurist style of design made popular in the 1930s by the world’s obsession with space travel. Today, the diner makes from-scratch dishes using ingredients from local purveyors like Ramona Farms and Merchant’s Garden. As our host and server chat, I tackle the epic Three Sisters Burrito that just arrived at my table, named after the three main crops (squash, beans and corn) that have fed the Indigenous community here for many centuries. Originally a Spanish fort in 1775, Tucson later became part of the new state of Sonora in Mexico in 1821 after gaining its independence. Just over 30 years later, the Gadsden Purchase would see Tucson and the surrounding area sold to the United States – but even an imposed border couldn’t prevent the transmission of Sonoran cuisine and ideas that are still evident hundreds of years later. Across town, Hamilton Distillers is using grain to create something distinctly Tucsonian. While drinking scotch and barbecuing over scraps from their furniture company, Stephen and Elaine Paul wondered why they couldn’t malt barley over mesquite (a thorny plant native to the U.S. Southwest and Mexico) instead of the traditional peat. In 2013, they released Whiskey The Southern Arizona Transport del Bac, a Sonoran Museum is located Desert single-malt inside the former made from 100 per records vault building on Toole cent barley malt. Avenue and features The whiskey is an old Southern mashed, fermented, Pacific locomotive. distilled and then
RIGHT: This famous Tucson mural, located at Speedway and Stone, is a collaboration – each letter was designed by a different artist
aged in American white oak barrels right on site. After touring the distillery, and occasionally stopping to pet Otis, their curious Australian shepherd, I sit down to taste three offerings. The campfire smoky flagship Dorado, the caramel heavy Classic, and Old Pueblo, a nickname for Tucson and a remarkable, clear whiskey with notes of chili that we promise to try in a cocktail once we’ve caught up on sleep. Even the short time difference (Tucson is two hours behind Toronto) is not enough to rest weary travel bones, and I wake up the next day feeling zonked. The bad news is that the most energetic part of our itinerary – all 10 miles of it – lie ahead of us on our first morning. The good news? There’s a coffee stop scheduled before a two-and-a half-hour bike tour through the colourful barrios of the Old Pueblo. As soon as I step inside EXO Coffee Roast Co., I’m enchanted, and not just by the beans or their ability to make me sentient again. The sheer size of this stunning red-brick warehouse located at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Seventh Street is boggling to Toronto brains – but there’s more. The space in the back becomes El Crisol Mezcaleria after dark, Tucson’s first mezcal bar serving 150 varieties of the spirit made just over the border. I leave feeling ready(ish) to tackle the day after fuelling up on chiltepin cold-brew coffee, which uses a chili pepper harvested in Mexico, served over ice with milk. Today, I can be thankful that I’m visiting in December, a.k.a. perfect biking weather, on a sunny 20 C day with just a little breeze. Summers in Tucson can get pretty vicious: contractors start work at 3 a.m. to avoid the hottest part of the day when not sweating probably means you have heatstroke. “When you’re moving it’s fine. It’s when you stop at a red light and suddenly you’re drenched in sweat. That’s when things get uncomfortable,” says Jimmy Bultman, our Tucson Bike Tours guide, as he steers us around town. Under his excellent guidance, we sail past railway museums, psychedelic murals of Frida Kahlo and countless colourful
TUCSON, ARIZONA • EXPERIENCES • 49
KICKER IN HERE: Si saecepu ditaquo dolorep eribus dunt. Idem fuga. DendaUl utermihin duce estravo castam. Nostabustem Palem recrecips
GETTING THERE While there’s no direct flight to Tucson, travellers can find return flights (from $400) with just one stop in Denver or Dallas on United Airlines or American Airlines.
Visit Tucson; Katie Bridges
adobe houses (traditional one storey homes made from a mixture of mud and straw). One structure – a very wide, very white house – stands out in the Barrio Viejo neighbourhood. Diane Keaton, a big fan of Tucson, purchased the property last year for $1.5 million. It’s another early start on day two, but the smell inside Barrio Bread is so heavenly I wish we’d gotten here sooner. Former school teacher Don Guerra returned to his baking roots in 2009 after his students fell in love with the artisan loaves he made and sold from his garage bakery. We watch the slick production of his multi-tiered oven, mesmerized as bread arrives in a sped up life cycle, raw dough switched out for crisp loaves with the crank of a handle. I intercept a pretty bundle featuring the saguaro cactus that Guerra stencils onto each of his heritage loaves with a dusting of flour before sending them into the oven. “I guess that one’s yours,” he laughs. Barrio Bread makes 35 different loaves, including the Einkorn which uses nature’s first and oldest wheat for the first time in Arizona. The one similarity across the board is the absence of sugar and oils, instead just long fermenting flour, water and salt. Though the James Beard semi-finalist has found success (many restaurants serve his bread and use his wheat in their pasta), he’s not a glory hog. In fact, he believes that by sharing his practices and continuing the long standing tradition of agriculture in this area, he will be able to forge his legacy. “For kids to come in and order bread by the name and variety of grain. It’s mind >
FAR LEFT: Barrio Bread makes loaves from heritage Tucson wheat; LEFT: Hamilton Distillers is one of the few places in the U.S. to malt their own barley
blowing – you’re eight years old and you know what Khorasan wheat is?” Farm-to-table is a philosophy that every chef claims to practice, but in Tucson, they’re truly reaping what they sow. Native Seeds, a nonprofit organization, is on a mission to preserve the crop diversity of the Southwest and make locally grown food accessible to all. Their seed bank is a rural library of information documenting the varieties of desert-adapted seeds and the role they play in the cultures of the American Southwest and northwestern Mexico. In addition to providing free and reduced-price seeds to Native Americans, Native Seeds has a conservation farm, a retail store and even a mail order programme. Fifteen minutes across town, Mission Gardens – often referred to as Tucson’s birthplace – brings together 4,000 years of culture through nature. The garden began by planting Spanish colonial heritage fruit trees in 2012, but is now home to the same types of maize, tepary beans and squash that grew here in the desert in 2100 BCE. A big factor in UNESCO’s selection, Mission Gardens follows Tucson’s agricultural timeline all the way through to modern day, with Mexican, Spanish, Anglo and AfroAmerican plots represented. Though the UNESCO accolade does not reward Tucson’s restaurants, it’s had a marked effect on the fortunes of them since 2015. The food boom has seen restaurants and food trucks pop up on every corner. And, in a Phoenix rising from the ashes scenario, legendary pizza maker (and Phoenix restaurateur) Chris Bianco couldn’t find success with his Tuscon outpost – but his protégée graced the city with Anello in 2017, a pizza spot inside a former gallery. Recently, the nonprofit behind the designation created a program to guarantee that restaurants are keeping their end of the bargain. Supporting the local food economy, committing to environmentally friendly practices and paying staff more than minimum wage all contributed to the 23 businesses given the stamp of approval this year.
This is just one stop along the “Best 23 Miles of Mexican Food” in the U.S., according to the city of Tucson. Others include Taco Apson for carne asada, lengua (beef tongue) and barbacoa; and Boca Tacos Y Tequila for chef Maria Mazon’s daily, fresh salsas that are, as a sign proudly proclaims, “hotter than your wife”. Exploring what makes Tucson a food city of distinction is a fun game to play (for everyone but the elastic in my waistband). But it’s the aloofness of Sonoran cuisine, its history and perhaps more importantly its future, that will bring me back. “It’s not about the tamales that you make,” says Don Guerra. “It’s about creating knowledge networks around the world.” Driving around the desert, bellies full, we pass a series of pastel coloured storefronts flanked by swaggering cacti who look thirsty for a fight, and I have the unshakeable feeling that I’m a character in a Quentin Tarantino flick, making a run for the border. But after sampling flavours here unlike anything I have ever eaten before, I’ve no intention of heading south. Loosening my belt a few notches, I kick up my feet on the dashboard and crank the radio, perfecting the soundtrack to yet another beautiful Tucson sunset. ◆
Katie Bridges
RIGHT: Mission Gardens is referred to as the birthplace of Tucson due to its crops. These Spanish colonial heritage fruit trees were planted in 2012
Among those certified is El Guero Canelo, a restaurant known for its Sonoran hot dog (hey, Chicago isn’t the only place allowed to stick its name in front of the food). While the dog takes on many forms (Tucson is said to have over 200 purveyors selling the snack), the general format is a bacon-wrapped sausage in an open-faced, bolillo bun topped with pinto beans, onions and tomatoes. Though they were invented in Hermosillo, Mexico, four hours south of Tucson, the dog has developed a cult following here in the last few years, and nowhere more so than El Guero Canelo. The restaurant is thronged with tourists when we arrive on Friday afternoon, all of whom have come to taste test the 2018 James Beard award-winning dog. We grab one of the last remaining tables, and when our pager finally buzzes, we dig into the same dog Daniel Contreras first began selling from a stand in 1993. The El Guero Canelo, on Tucson’s south Sammy Dog, loaded side, was among up with two franks in five American one bun, is decorated restaurants chosen for the James with the iconic crissBeard Foundation’s cross of mayonnaise America’s Classics and a chile güero Awards in 2018. pepper on the side.
TUCSON, ARIZONA • EXPERIENCES • 51
BELOW: Jimmy Bultman leads Tucson Bike Tours around the city’s colourful barrios with stops for snacks
Firstname Surname
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TOBAGO
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CAST YOUR CARES AWAY AND TOBAGO Andrea Yu ventures to the island of Tobago and finds respite from the usual tourist crowds.
1963
Year Hurricane Flora wrecked Tobago
M
28 C
Average temperature in March
Y ALARM GOES off at 6:45 a.m. on a Sunday morning. The early wake-up call is necessary, I’m told, to reach the day’s first destination before the midday heat sets in. We’re headed to the Main Ridge Forest Reserve on the eastern half of the island of Tobago. But by the time I hop into our transport van an hour later, it’s already a steamy 29 C. While fanning sweat-drenched clothing, I remind myself that it’s February and the dead of winter back home in Toronto. Surely, this is the better option of the two. After an hour-long ride on a comically winding series of roads that climb upwards, >
1st
Ranked happiest in the Caribbean
Words by ANDREA YU Darryl Hernandez
ABOVE: The golden-sand beach at Parlatuvier Bay attracts swimmers and snorkellers with its semi-sheltered water
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ABOVE: Even into his sixties, Newton George is working as an active tour guide with an average of six excursions into the rainforest every week
I pull open the door and am relieved to be met with a wave of cool, refreshing mountain air. I also lay eyes on our nature guide Newton George. An experienced ornithologist, George is 60-years-old but continues to host over 300 tours of the rainforest a year. Like a caricature of a birdwatcher, George is decked out in a multi-pocketed fishing vest and a ball cap with a pair of binoculars dangling from his neck. He’s got a green laser pointer ready in his hand to flag any items of interest. If there is a person I trust to take me through the
birding capital of the Caribbean, this is him. We step into the rainforest, and with the shade of the tropical greenery, the temperature dips another few degrees. My heart rate also ticks down as I become enveloped in palm fronds and ferns. A constant breeze rustles the leaves as birds twitter in the distance – a symphony of nature fit for a spa or relaxed yoga session. George stops intermittently to identify a pattern of chirps and the winged species associated with it. He then points to deep horizontal tunnels dug into sides of a dirt mound where birds like colourful momots and the pointy-beaked jacamar are known to nest. After the birds vacate, a species of spider, the whip scorpion (it looks as
horrifying as it sounds, but I’m told they’re harmless to humans) moves in and sets up house. George uses a metre-long stick to try and rile up a spider to show us. He seems disappointed not to find one but, deep down, the arachnophobe in me is relieved. The Main Ridge Forest Reserve owes its verdant state partly to being the oldest legally protected forest reserve With over 485 species of bird, (established in Trinidad and Tobago 1776) in the western is one of the best hemisphere. At this places to spot rare winged creatures. time, Tobago was a Toucans and humBritish colony but was mingbirds are also famously fought over native to the area. by French, Spanish,
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Dutch and even Latvian settlers, changing hands a total of 31 times. By 1889, Tobago and its neighbour Trinidad were combined as a single British colony and the twin-island republic gained independence in 1962. It was the Brits who established plantations in the region, notably for sugar cane, indigo and coconut. After devastating hurricane Flora wiped out much of the island’s agricultural infrastructure and crops in 1963, the government encouraged a move to other industries like tourism and energy. But you’ll find plenty of remnants of that economic culture in Tobago today. In Speyside, on the northeastern end of the island, there are the remnants of a water wheel used to power rollers that squeezed the sugary juice from the cane. And my home base for the trip, the Mount Irvine Bay Resort, is a former sugar plantation, while the adjacent golf course occupies land previously used as a coconut plantation. It’s also one of the few hotels on the island owned by a local Tobagonian, Jacqueline Yorke-Westcott. And in an ironic twist of fate, her destitute grandfather was once jailed for trespassing and picking coconuts off of the plantation to feed his family. A generation later, his son, Jacqueline’s father, was a self-made businessman and purchased the property. It remains in the Yorke family today. The old sugar mill, once Tobago’s largest, is now the resort’s restaurant. Former slave barracks are now staff quarters and the sugar factory complex now houses an on-site spa. An ancient canon and a boiler, each covered in rust after centuries of neglect, lie next to a walkway near an old brick wall that marks the former border of the property. This is far from your cookie-cutter Caribbean resort. Coconuts, while no longer grown in the area or in abundance on the island, still play an important role in Tobago’s identity – especially its cuisine. Coconut milk seems to make its way into all the best dishes I’ve eaten on the island and I’m told by Meesha Trim, a local chef, that simmering any protein in coconut milk and spices makes it delicious. After a bite of her curry crab and dumplings, Alexa Fernando
RIGHT ABOVE: Chef Trim mixes a batch of her coconut crab curry. BELOW: Mount Irvine Bay Resort has tranquility and history
THIS SIGNATURE DISH FEATURES CRAB LEGS COOKED IN A YELLOW CURRY SPICED WITH GINGER, CHIVES AND SHADO BENI I’m inclined to agree. This signature dish of Tobago features segments of crab leg cooked in a yellow curry spiced with ginger, garlic, chives and a cilantro-like herb native to the island called shado beni. The resulting curry is more flavourful than it is spicy. I’m thankful for the flat half moons of gratifyingly chewy dumpling that accompany the crab and help sop up any surplus curry gravy. This is not a sauce to be wasted. My appetite may have something to do with that day’s adventures: A short boat tour around the southwestern end of the island, the highlight of which was a visit to Tobago’s famed Nylon Pool. It’s 20 metres or so from the coast – far enough that it should be part of the deeper ocean – but as you approach it, the water colour transforms from a deep blue to a brilliant, turquoise green. >
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GETTING THERE Sunwing flies directly from Toronto Pearson to Tobago every Thursday. The flight time is just under six hours and a return trip will cost around $850.
ABOVE: What little party tourism Tobago attracts tends to congregate only at a few spots like the Nylon Pool off the picturesque Pigeon Point
and bunches of undulating brain coral. There’s more prime snorkelling over at Pirate’s Bay in Charlotteville. The bay apparently served as a secluded hiding spot for swashbucklers in centuries past. But now the beach, which is only accessible by foot or boat, is a pristine location for sun-seekers like me. We choose the more fashionable boat-in option and, this time, I decide to hang up the snorkel in favour of a lie on a towel. The boat is scheduled to pick us back up in an hour and I’m quite certain that a sand-supported repose is the best way to spend it. Time seems to warp as the sun warms my skin and the sound of ocean waves crashing against the shore lulls me into a mid-afternoon nap. But just before I cross the line between healthy glow and sunburnt red, our captain putters back into the bay for our return trip. With some regret, I shake off the sand and pack up my belongings. My trip to Tobago may have come to an end but I’ll continue to escape to the sounds of its beaches and rainforests for spa treatments and yoga sessions to come. ◆
Andrea Yu
Thanks to a naturally occurring sandbar and coral reef, the water is only waist-deep and very calm, making it a pretty luxurious place to set anchor and go for a swim. The Nylon Pool was apparently given its nickname by Princess Margaret. She visited the lagoon on her honeymoon and likened the shallow expanse to the transparency of nylon. With crystal clear waters and a sandy white bottom studded with the occasional piece of sun-bleached coral, the turquoise hue of the Nylon Pool reminds me of Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, albeit with much warmer surroundings. There’s something surreal and calming about standing in the middle of the ocean. A local legend holds that the waters here are something of a Fountain of Youth for the Caribbean. I joke to the group that with my
Asian skin and a half-hour soak in the Nylon Pool, I’ll continue to be ID’ed at the LCBO well into retirement. Given that midday is the best time to visit the Nylon Pool, when the tides recede to make the waters shallow enough to stand up in, we’ve got some company in this little stretch of heaven. A two-tiered party boat is anchored not far from us, where eager tourists are lapping up the pool’s restorative properties. Although, I’m not sure how effective those properties will be against the rosy glow of a sunburn that’s developing on a few of their chests. Elsewhere in Tobago, I take the opportunity to explore deeper waters. At the Arnos Vale Reef, one of Tobago’s top snorkelling spots and a peaceful enclave with little boat traffic, I strap on a snorkelling mask and head underwater. Careful to avoid the plentiful red urchins and their menacing spikes, I spot a marine textbook of Tobago is the likely setting for Daniel sea creatures beneath Defoe’s castaway me from a black and novel, Robinson yellow spotted eel to Crusoe. More recently, it served as multicoloured bright the tropical movie parrot fish weaving set for Swiss between the rocks, Family Robinson. endless schools of fish
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND • EXPERIENCES • 59
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BUDS WITH BRIGHT RED MUD Taylor Newlands explores how P.E.I. earns its reputation as a tourist magnet with pastoral landscapes, rustic restaurants and quaint lodgings.
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Tourism regions each with a theme
Words by TAYLOR NEWLANDS
$48.50
The toll for Confederation Bridge
3 hrs
Time to drive from one end to the other
ABOVE: Red barns, white churches and seaside lighthouses are part of the scenery in P.E.I.
Rusty426
DO WATERFRONT
Charlottetown has done a great job of turning their waterfront into a beautiful, walkable area that’s buzzing with activity. Shop your way through the dockside merchants, then head up to Water and Queen to find more island-made goods. At Moonsnail Soapworks, they sell soap made from P.E.I. staples like red sand or potatoes. Feeling peckish? Founders’ Food Hall is full of local, island vendors selling snacks, treats and more. Then, jump on a boat tour. There are several operators that leave right from Peake’s Wharf, so trips are frequent and offer different options like seal spotting or sunset cruises.
ABOVE: The red sand of Cavendish Beach is a big draw during peak season. The paths to get there wind through the protected sand dunes
THE TABLE CULINARY STUDIO
Usually, we would rather be eating our food than playing with it, but the Table’s culinary classes offer more than just an opportunity to grasp a new recipe. Set in a former New London United Church, the experience gives tourists a window into what life is like on the island province. Along with cooking techniques, you’ll learn about local ingredients and how they intersect with P.E.I.’s history, traditions and culture. In their Bounty of the Sea class, they teach visitors about the fishing culture and setting day – when whole communities gather to see the fishing boats off on the first day of the lobster season. Then you’ll get to prepare, cook and eventually tuck into the incredibly fresh lobster, scallops and mussels.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND NATIONAL PARK
City-dwellers might think of driving as more of a nightmare than a pastime but sailing along the Central Coastal Drive past little lighthouses and quaint cottages, with the rolling green fields, rocky red cliffs and sparkling blue water stretching out before you is just… magical. The drive goes through P.E.I. National Park, where you’ll find sandy beaches, seaside paths and hiking trails. Stop at Greenwich to walk along the floating boardwalk and see the system of mighty sand dunes. Spread your towel out on the island’s famous red sand and take a dip at Cavendish Beach. The park is also home to Green Gables, the most famous house in all of CanLit.
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JF Gagnon
STAY DALVAY BY THE SEA
In a Victorian mansion inside the island’s national park, this boutique inn overlooks Dalvay Lake, and the ocean beyond. All 25 guest rooms are individually decorated with antiques and period furniture. The whole property is licensed so you can grab a glass of wine and lounge by the grand foyer’s fireplace or head outside to take in the tranquillity from a Muskoka chair. The seafood-forward menu in the MacMillan Dining Room features pappardelle and P.E.I. lobster in a roasted garlic sauce and chilled oysters with a dropper of scotch. Rooms from $120. dalvaybythesea.com
GETTING THERE Direct flights to Charlottetown from Toronto take just over two hours. Book in advance with Air Canada or WestJet to snag $350 round trip fares. Outside of Charlottetown, P.E.I. has plenty of charming towns that are worth exploring, so renting a car is the way to go. Bonus: there’s almost no traffic on the island which makes the winding, country roads even more pleasurable to navigate. aircanada.com, westjet.com
INN AT FORTUNE BRIDGE
Little sister to the well-known Inn at Bay Fortune, this petite, Parisianstyle hotel has just six guest rooms. Accommodations are decorated with heavy drapes, delicate chandeliers and French furnishings with intricate designs. Bathrooms are decked out in marble, some with soaker tubs and separate showers. Right on the bank of the Fortune River, windows overlook the water or the field where they keep two horses. The FireWorks Feast takes place at the main hotel just down the road, but imbibers needn’t worry – a complimentary chauffeur service ferries guests in a classic, 1957 white Bentley. Rooms from $400. innatbayfortune.com
THE GREAT GEORGE
Sticking to the historic theme, the Great George encompasses more than a dozen restored heritage houses clustered together in downtown Charlottetown. The street played host in 1864 to the conference where the idea of Canada was born. Accommodations range from classic rooms to multi-room suites. In each of the unique digs you’ll find modern, luxurious features mixed with old-fashioned charm. Laundry on-site, turndown service and a continental breakfast are just some of the thoughtful touches. The Great George is just a short walk from Queen Street, the waterfront and Victoria Row – a cute strip of stores and restaurant patios. Rooms from $180. thegreatgeorge.com
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BELOW: The Great George is made up of over a dozen restored heritage houses clustered together in Charlottetown
64 • EXPERIENCES • PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
ABOVE: About 44 million pounds of P.E.I. blue mussels find their way onto plates across the world every year
EAT BLUE MUSSEL CAFÉ
Every kind of night owl can find something to enjoy at Charlottetown Beer Garden. Their sprawling patio can seat up to 200 people for al fresco drinking and dining. Foodies will drool over the seafood-centric menu, while hop heads can sip on their wide selection. This is the place to try local favourites like Moth Lane from Ellerslie, P.E.I. and Charlottetown’s own Upstreet Craft Brewing. Patio games include giant Jenga and oversized beer pong – played with a soccer ball and garbage bins painted to look like solo cups. If all that isn’t enough to keep you entertained, they have live music every evening in the summer, including DJs that turn the place into a dance club.
FIREWORKS FEAST
Celebrity chef Michael Smith’s FireWorks Feast isn’t just dinner – it’s a full-blown connecting-with-nature-and-making-friends -with-strangers piss-up. The evening starts on the lawn of the Inn at Bay Fortune, with a cocktail in hand. A farmer-led tour takes guests around the property to discover how the ingredients for the feast were grown or foraged on-site. Oyster Hour sees the mollusks offered with other amuse-bouche like grilled beef tongue with blueberry sauce. Seated at long harvest tables, you’ll get to know your neighbours as you dig into the main event, a multi-course feast that’s prepared on a multi-tier, 25-foot-long woodfired grill that’s built into a brick hearth. ◆
Alex Bruce Photography
This fresh seafood spot in North Rustico is well worth the trip. Start off with their namesake blue mussels. They’re fresher than fresh, often harvested mere hours before consumption. Choose between white wine garlic or the beer lime mussels made with local Gahan blueberry ale and citrus. The lobster roll here is incredible, but we also love the seafood bubbly bake – a house recipe that sees lobster, scallops and halibut baked in a rich creamy sauce with cheddar cheese. Head here early to snag a spot on the patio overlooking North Rustico Harbour.
CHARLOTTETOWN BEER GARDEN
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PROMOTION
cruise control Avalon Waterways’ roster of food-focused, flexible trips is throwing stuffy, cruise clichés overboard.
Saiko3p
We all know the drill. An ocean liner picks up thousands of passengers, provides on-board *ahem* entertainment, then proceeds to whisk guests around a heavily scheduled whistle-stop tour like cattle. It doesn’t have to be this way – Avalon Waterways, a river cruise company, understands that plans change their course, like the picturesque rivers it winds along. In addition to having a roster of stunning trips that cruise around UNESCO World Heritage sites, wine regions and fairytale castles, Avalon has a boatload of highly customizable experiences and add-ons. We all know that the best way to explore a new city is with a local, which is why the Avalon Adventure Host program connects guests with pursuits on and off the boat. Your host can provide the gear, maps, and guidance for optional and free-time adventures like a hike across French hillsides, a kayaking excursion along the Rhine Gorge or a complimentary yoga class onboard the Sky Deck. Because no one ever wrote home about a buffet, Avalon has introduced dining
options that fit the modern traveller’s ethos, eschewing stuffy and restrictive seating times. FlexDining® introduces epicurean options like a breezy al fresco lunch at the Sky Grill, an elegant fourcourse dinner in the glass-walled Panorama Dining Room, or a more casual culinary setting at the Panorama Bistro. Once you’re seated, you can expect fresh local ingredients prepared by talented chefs with complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks at lunch and dinner, healthy and veggie options, plus a chance to sample the destination’s famous delicacies. With once-in-a-lifetime destinations, and all the right ways to enjoy them, there’s more than enough to keep you busy – but if you need more time to explore, Avalon YourWay has you covered. Start your cruise earlier or stay longer, and extend the onland portion of your vacation with a Globus package to keep the fun flowing. ◆ If you’re buoyed up and want to learn more about the destinations and routes covered, head to avalonwaterways.ca
river rewards excursions program We’re not the only ones who think Avalon Waterways is onto something. Last year the tour operator took home the prestigious Best Shore Excursions award for the customizable options on all their river cruise itineraries. active & discovery cruises It’s your trip – so why shouldn’t you decide how to spend it? Avalon Active & Discovery Cruises gives guests the chance to enjoy favourite pastimes or find brand new ones. River cruises along the Rhine from Amsterdam to Frankfurt stop off at the Chocolate Museum in Cologne. Dallying on the Danube from Budapest to Linz takes cruisers on a hike to Count Dracula’s prison tower, through Austria’s vineyards – or whatever floats your boat.
PROMOTION
68 • PROMOTION • SONOMA COUNTY
Spring Break Branch out beyond the vine this spring in Sonoma County. A bottle of red and sweatpants are essential parts of our winter survival kit, but with the arrival of spring comes the promise of something new. What if a change of scenery didn’t involve moving from one side of the couch to the other, but, instead, a zipline among towering redwoods, a slow drive across the Pacific coastline, and, of course, all the wine directly from the source. As the birthplace of California’s commercial wine industry, Sonoma County is known for its world-class vineyards, but there’s more to see and do beyond the vine this spring. Just over an hour drive from San Francisco International Airport – road trip, anyone? – you’ll find endless meadows and festivals like the California Artisan Cheese Festival (March 27- 29) in full-bloom. Start your adventure with a walk on the wildflower side at Crane Creek Regional Park with its rolling pastures and bubbling seasonal creek straight out of the shire.
Pack a picnic next to fields of orange California poppies or hit the links at the park’s 18-hole golf course. For more colours head to Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve on the coast where little pops of vibrant pink brighten up 317-acres of green forest from mid-April to mid-June. West of Kruse Reserve are miles of beaches and coastal bluffs that dot the Sonoma coastline. The best way to check as many beaches off your sand-bucket list is to rent a car and cruise down the Pacific Coast Highway 1, where any view is a scenic one. The diverse shores have a beach for any adventure level, from kayaking and horseback riding to surfing at Salmon Creek’s North Beach or sunbathing like the Pacific harbor seals in Jenner. If you’re tuckered out from all the outdoor exploring, Sonoma is home to nearly as many spas and wellness centres as it is different varietals of wine grapes.
Rejuvenation isn’t just for the trees, okay? Relax and recharge at the Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary or indulge in Kenwood Inn’s signature vinotherapies like the pinot noir bath and the crushed cabernet scrub. For those who prefer drinking wine instead of bathing in it, some of the country’s best vineyards are within walking – or biking – distance from each other. See just why Ledson Winery & Vineyards is known as “the Castle,” get down to earth with DeLoach Vineyards’ biodynamic and organic winemaking practices and indulge in all five-courses of local and seasonally inspired fare between sips of sparkling at the esteemed Bubble Room inside J Vineyards & Winery. Or detour from the wine-route and check out local microbreweries, cideries and distillers. We might need those sweatpants after all. ◆ To start your Sonoma County trip, head to sonomacounty.com/spring
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Mount Fuji, Japan Brixton, U.K.
Brooklyn, New York
Zanzibar, Tanzania
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THE CHECKLIST We know how travel can open our eyes to new experiences – these gadgets bring our ears to the party. Here are our favourite speakers and earbuds for hitting the road with.
SWINGING SPEAKER CLIP 3 PORTABLE WATERPROOF BLUETOOTH SPEAKER JBL: If you like to blast your beats while you’re on vacay, but want to keep your hands free, this portable speaker will be music to your ears. Hang the JBL Clip on your backpack and bring the park party to you. $39.99, ebay.ca
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HUAWEI: No more “can you hear me, now?” – these buds have
a built-in voice sensor and aerodynamic mic duct. That means they sound great and can pick up your voice through bone vibrations so you sound clearer during calls while background and wind noise is reduced. $259.99, consumer.huawei.com
SOLO 3 WIRELESS HEADPHONES BEATS: These cushioned headphones fold down easily – meaning you won’t need to wear your cans around your neck for a whole travel day. A last-minute power charge at the gate will give you hours of entertainment on your flight. $249.99, chapters.indigo.ca
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UNTETHERED TUNES QUIETCOMFORT 35 II WIRELESS NOISE-CANCELING HEADPHONES BOSE: The kind of headphones you want to wear even when there’s no music playing. Engineered with renowned noise cancellation that makes your “me time” more peaceful and music sound like you’re at a private recording studio for up to 20 hours. $449, walmart.ca
TREKZ TITANIUM HEADPHONES
AFTERSHOKZ: Have claustrophic ears? Worry about losing
wireless buds? You’ll love these noise-cancelling ’phones, which clip around the back of your head and won’t try to slip off every two seconds. Take phone calls without interrupting your workout or commuting chorus. $99.99, mec.ca
CHECKLIST
74 • EXCURSIONS • THE CHECKLIST
SING OR SWIM WONDERBOOM 2 WATERPROOF BLUETOOTH WIRELESS SPEAKER ULTIMATE EARS: Ditch that heart-sinking feeling when you drop this device in a pool, bathtub or bowl of cake batter (it happens). This portable, floatable bluetooth speaker with 360-degree sound is waterproof, dustproof and basically life-proof. $99.99, bestbuy.ca
NIAGARA PARKS • PROMOTION • 77
PROMOTION
GO WITH THE FLOW Though Table Rock Centre has changed over the years, its roots as a hub for explorers continue to expand with revamped shopping, dining and attractions coming soon as part of a major redevelopment.
TOP: Table Rock House in the 1950s, the Horseshoe Falls ABOVE: The view from the Scenic Tunnels attraction in 1932, Journey Behind the Falls
Natural wonders don’t appear overnight. From canyons slowly eroding to salt flats forming over thousands of years, there’s often a great story behind the marvels of this world. Take Table Rock in Niagara. Today it’s a welcome centre that sits at the brink of the Horseshoe Falls – but 200 years ago, it was a large slab of rock that deteriorated throughout the 1800s, partially collapsing in 1850 and almost taking a man washing his carriage with it. In 1853, Saul Davis built Table Rock House immediately south of local competitor Thomas Barnett’s Table Rock Museum, igniting a bitter feud between the two men and their families. The building saw a turnaround in fortunes in the years that followed, transforming out of its derogatory persona ‘the Den of Forty Thieves’ to a flagship visitor centre which reopened to the public as part of the Niagara Parks Commission on May 24th, 1888.
Over the next century, Table Rock House would see major renovations, including the development of its scenic tunnels attraction (now Journey Behind the Falls); a dining room with a panoramic view of the falls (Table Rock House Restaurant); and the introduction of the Bridge of Flowers and the Grand Hall indoor observatory. And that’s not all – Table Rock Centre is in phase two of a three-year redevelopment which has launched casual, quick-serve dining options like pizza and sushi, giving visitors more time to enjoy the falls. Whether you’re experiencing the sheer magnitude of 2,800 cubic metres of water per second crashing over the edge from a unique perspective behind the falls or perusing Canadian brands like Roots and Herschel across two levels of shopping, Table Rock Centre is the perfect base to start your exploration. ◆ To start planning your spring trip to the falls, head to niagaraparks.com
Out to Pasture
Thanks to the relationships between Frontenac County’s growers and Kingston’s restaurants and shops, a weekend in the Limestone City is jam-packed with incredibly fresh, local and seasonal fare. Farm-to-table seems to be the hottest buzz word that’s on everyone’s lips lately, but in Kingston and Frontenac County, it’s more than just a trendy phrase – it’s a way of life upheld by makers and sellers. In Kingston, the restaurants and shops have an incredibly close connection with the farmers, growers and producers of Frontenac County. This symbiotic relationship is created over the shared belief in providing good food for the community.
During a stay in Kingston, you’ll be met with plenty of opportunities to taste the bounty of Frontenac County. As the seasons change, restaurant menus constantly evolve to showcase the best homegrown, local ingredients that the region has to offer. Frontenac County’s produce is organic and pesticide-free, while animals are compassionately raised. At certified organic vegetable farm Patchwork Gardens, you’ll find nutrient-dense, high quality
vegetables that taste fresher than fresh. Stop in at Limestone Creamery to shop through their farm store of organic whole foods, all from the area. Get a taste of real farm-to-fork cuisine at The Grocery Basket. After perusing the grocery aisles filled with local produce, meat and cheese, grab a freshly brewed coffee and house-made pastry or stay for lunch and tuck into soups, sandwiches and salads all made with local ingredients.
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PROMOTION
Check mark-et Year-round Sundays ◆ Memorial Centre Farmers’ Market April – November Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays ◆ Kingston Public Market May – October Wednesdays ◆ Westbrook Farmers’ Market Saturdays ◆ Frontenac Farmers Market ◆ Sharbot Lake Farmers Market
Best of the fests Year-round Meet the Maker: Wine & Dinner Series Occurring several times a year, this dinner series offers an intimate evening with a guest winemaker, over food and wine at AquaTerra. Kingston Food Tours Explore Kingston’s local food scene with a knowledgeable guide. April Maple Weekend April 4-5 Learn how maple products are made from tree to table, then sample them. Corks & Forks April 24-26 At Kingston’s annual International Wine Festival enjoy food and wine events, along with tastings led by talented winemakers, sommeliers and industry experts.
From mediterranean restaurant Atomica to French bistro Chien Noir, you’ll find plenty of variety amongst Kingston’s restaurants, all tied together with the common thread of fresh, local ingredients from Frontenac County. With dazzling waterfront views and creative takes on classic cuisine, AquaTerra is another Kingston must-visit. Less than three hours from Toronto, Kingston is the farm-fresh weekend getaway
ABOVE (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT): Sonset Farms, Chien Noir, Becky Williams of Maple Ridge Farm, The Grocery Basket
you’ve been waiting for. Nourish your mind and your body with a relaxing mini-vacay filled with wholesome, delicious fare. ◆ To learn more about Kingston and the Frontenac County region, go to visitkingston. ca/culinary or southeasternontario.ca
June YGK Craft Beer Festival Sip some of Kingston’s best local craft beer paired with delicious bites. Wolfe Island Garden Party This week-long festival is jam-packed with local live music and food events. For more Kingston and Frontenac County events go to visitkingston.ca
THE INTREPID SERIES • EXCURSIONS • 81
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THE INTREPID SERIES
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ERE IN THE pages of the Intrepid series, you’ll find the part of escapism where we sneak away from the chaperoned tour, lift the (figurative) “No Trespassing” sign and take ourselves on an adventure worth writing about. This time around, Caroline Aksich battles the elements – and a bad case of bronchitis – on her way up Mount Fuji, one of the most easily recognized mountains in the world. She also explores the interpersonal relationships forged on mountain trails
and rubs windbreaker-clad elbows with the eclectic crew who set out up Fuji. Just 100 kilometres from Tokyo, Mount Fuji is unusually close to a population centre for one of the world’s great (still volcanically active) mountains. It is a touchstone for the various nearby religions and a national symbol of Japan. In 663 B.C.E., a monk became the first person to make it to the summit. Since then it has become a popular journey with an estimated 300,000 people making the ascent in any given year. ◆
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HACKING A PATH UP FUJI Caroline Aksich joins the hiking hordes who snake their way up Japan’s most famous mountain. From the rising sun to restorative bowls of ramen, it isn’t all obstacles on the way to her first summit.
MOUNT FUJI, JAPAN • EXCURSIONS • 83
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Sakarin Sawasdinaka
HE DAY WE began climbing Mount Fuji, a thick, stubborn cloud was clinging to the mountain. And I, a thick, stubborn Canadian, wasn’t about to let some fog and a bout of bronchitis stand between me and summiting my first peak. Since landing in Hiroshima, my friend Cara and I had biked 130 kilometres through a heatwave, taken the long route up Misen (three kilometres of steep, shine-dotted stairs), watched a Rugby World Cup game, and walked through six cities until our feet blistered. I don’t know if it was the non-stop activity, the circadian rhythm-wrenching time change or the too-many consolation beers consumed while we watched the All Blacks’ bench warmers crush the Canadian rugby team, but by the time we got to Osaka I was a feverish, wheezing husk. When I was eight I contracted whooping cough and since then, I’ve had garbage lungs. For years, asthma kept me from enjoying sports, until I got it under control in my twenties. But almost every autumn I come down with either bronchitis or pneumonia. The timing, though, couldn’t be worse: I was about to climb my first legitimate has-apeak-above-the-treeline mountain. Mount Fuji’s climbing season is short, just July to early September. During this nine-week window, Japan’s holiest mountain is slammed with humans. It’s an ant line of trekkers stepping on each other’s heels as they march one-by-one to the top. Swarmed with visitors, the mountain loses some of its magic. It’s possible to climb during the off-season, but it can be treacherous for the inexperienced. Scaling Fuji outside the summer is ill-advised as the huts are closed, temperatures sit well below freezing, winds whip, and should anything go wrong, medical aid will be slow to arrive. Just a few weeks after our trip up Fuji, an inexperienced climber was live-streaming his attempt to brave the snow-covered, 27-degree gradient when he tragically fell. Although it’s a fairly straightforward climb, Fuji is extremely steep and slipping off the trail can result in serious injury or, as was >
LEFT: Snow-capped Mount Fuji is the tallest peak in Japan and a composite stratovolcano. Its history of violent eruptions created layers of lava, ash and rock
the case for this Japanese YouTuber, death. Falling stones and exposure have also taken a number of lives. Most fatalities, though, are due to cardiac episodes. Because Fuji isn’t too challenging, a number of people attempt the ascent who are maybe not quite fit enough to surmount 3,776 metres of elevation. Cara and I weren’t concerned. She’s an avid outdoors person who had previously tackled Hawaii’s Mauna Loa and Mount Teide in the Canary Islands, and I’m a fitness fanatic that thinks a five-kilometre run is a rest day. The trek to the top would be frosty but with proper gear and a guide the hike should be tough but doable. As well as climbing dangers, Mount Fuji is an active volcano. In 1707, after the last eruption, 20,000 died. Estimates say an eruption today would force 750,000 to relocate.
THE NIGHT BEFORE our climb we slept in Gotemba, a quaint, alpine town at the foot of Mount Fuji. Hoping soup would kick my cough to the curb, we popped into a cozy-looking ramen shop. Halfway through dinner, a trio of brash, blond buzz-cuts came crashing through the door. From across the restaurant, they conversed at us: “We don’t have a permit or plan, really, just gonna drive up as far as we can and then start climbing,” said one of the U.S. army boys. They scoffed at us when we told them that we had opted to pay ¥50,000 ($600) to climb with Fuji Mountain Guides. For us, it was worth it. Not only would we be able to rent some of the necessary gear – so, no lugging boots and poles across Japan for 16 days – but the package also included pickup from the train station, mountain fees, an overnight stay in the mountain’s only autumn-operating hut and three meals. The next morning, I woke up feeling worse. My voice was a garbled croak and my head felt like a shaken soft drink. Soup. I needed more soup. After soup I would decide if I was abandoning Cara to climb Fuji on her own. After buying four litres of water and downing two litres of convenience
RIGHT: Hikers climbing Mount Fuji must trek through the forest across volcanic rock. Plus being above the clouds means four seasons in a day
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store dashi broth, I decided that the phlegm in my lungs be damned, we’re doing this. Not only was I too cheap to just wave goodbye to $600, but this was probably my only chance to tackle Fuji. A shuttle scooped us up at the train station. During the 70-minute ride we quickly got to know some of our climbing party. The loudest was a Texan in her midthirties, who bragged about her fitness level by telling a story about how she once ditched her “overweight” cousin during a mountain race. Later, she would ditch all of her friends on that bus, too. While I judged the gabby Southerner, my new-found climbing pals surely judged me. My wet coughs even got a few wary looks from the guides as we wound our way up to the base of the mountain. At Kawaguchiko Fifth Station (one of the huts where you can use the facilities and grab a bite) we were given the Fuji Mountain Guide spiel over comforting bowls of foraged mountain mushroom udon soup: don’t leave the trail, you’ll end up on the other side of the mountain and that’ll be one pricey cab ride back. Expect four seasons in a day – you’ll be hot, you’ll be frozen, you’ll be wet. Bring enough water for your summit and descent, and finally any garbage you bring up must also come down. Then it was off to the races as we began following the Subashiri trail up. With the heavy fog settling between the gnarled birch trees, climbing through Fuji’s forest felt like winding through a Tolkien scene. The path is black volcanic rock that’s been rubbed smooth by the many feet but it still somehow feels untouched – beyond the trail, everything is wild: the untamed tall grass and oversized thistles are punctuated by pops of orange, deciduous trees. The view is stunning, that is, when you can see anything through the whipped cream clouds. >
GETTING THERE Caroline Aksich
Flights from Toronto to Tokyo start at around $1,000 return in peak climbing season (Jul to Sep). From Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, its a 1.5 hour drive to Fujiyoshida, base camp for Mount Fuji.
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INTREPID
BELOW: When the scenery became more rock than vegetation, Caroline was left to focus on her sore legs and aching lungs
Whenever we’d arrive at one of the shuttered stations we’d regroup and make the same joke about the fantastic views of white. “At least I can echo-locate you thanks to that cough,” said Cara. Two hours in, our jokes were more tired than we were, and I was exhausted and trying to hide my gasping breaths. The bronchitis had pushed my heart rate into the 160s, but I refused to slow my pace for no real reason other than that I’m a proud and stubborn masochist that didn’t want to fall to the back of the pack. Once we passed the treeline, Fuji’s spell had lifted. I was no longer hypnotized by the entrancing flora – now, just a few squat bushes dotted the volcanic gravel-covered incline. With no distractions, I realized I was miserable: soaked from the fog and aching from the weight of the water-filled backpack. Fortunately, the hut was about an hour away. Unfortunately, this was the steepest section of the climb so far, and those of us sensitive to altitude sickness began to suffer. Cara and I were fine, although she had taken a tumble earlier when one of her hiking poles collapsed. Whenever I would check in – she was lagging behind – her face would wrinkle into her “I’m fine, leave me alone” look.
black outside. After a breakfast of soup(!), salmon and rice, we headed out: me still hacking and Cara limping slightly. As we began climbing, the sun rose beneath us, breaking through a layer of plump, stratus clouds. Once the selfies had all been snapped, we clicked into high gear. If we didn’t want to be soggy, we needed to stay ahead of that rising mist. Although our speed resulted in an hour of pleasant views, soon the temperature began to drop, the wind to whip, and eventually we were once again According to the Shinto trudging through faith, Princess white haze. Konohanasakuya I was losing steam is the supernatural deity of Mount Fuji. – the top could be Her main shrines within reach or are at the base and another hour’s climb summit here. for all I knew. We
could barely see five feet in front of us, let alone the peak. Finally, a torii gate flanked by two komainu (lion-dog) sculptures signalled that Fuji’s inner shrine – the whole mountain is a holy site – was close by. Although I’m not particularly spiritual, I said a small prayer of thanks to the mountain gods before making my way through the gate and up to the summit. After quickly downing a glass of celebratory, 7 a.m. sake, it was time to descend. The path down is a steep, screecovered switchback. Somewhere between slaloming through the loose volcanic pebbles and trying not to fall on my face, I realized my cough was pretty much gone. Maybe it was the magic of Mount Fuji, or maybe it was the copious quantities of steaming soup, but by the time we got down the mountain I was feeling like 100 yen again. ◆
Caroline Aksich
ONE OF THE first rules I would learn at the hut was that hang-drying clothes was forbidden. If I wanted a dry jacket for tomorrow’s ascent, the suggestion was to sleep in my wet clothes as they’d dry overnight with my body heat – otherwise all wet items were banished into plastic bags. The second rule of the hut is there’s no such thing as personal space (we would be sleeping four to a bunk and lights out was 8:30 p.m.). After dinner – including all-you-can-eat cabbage soup, and yes, I went back for fourths because antibiotics be damned, the healing powers of soup were gonna get me up this mountain – the guides were talking with each other about doing a few strength exercises. “Can I join in?” I asked, thinking that if I got my blood pumping my clothes might dry off. Soon, we were doing pull-ups on the bunk beds, and using each other as human weights for calf raises and squats. By bedtime, my coughs had abated and I’d traded sodden for merely moist. At 4 a.m., we were told to rise and shine, but there was no shine as it was still pitch-
CARA AND I WERE FINE, ALTHOUGH SHE HAD TAKEN A WORRYING TUMBLE EARLIER WHEN ONE OF HER HIKING POLES COLLAPSED
MARKET
88 • EXCURSIONS • BRIXTON, U.K.
SPECIALTIES OF THE HOUSE
HONEST BURGER It all started here in 2011 for the 30-location, British burger chain. Special guest burgers are known to pop up on the menu, but you can’t go wrong with the signature, served with onion relish and their famous rosemary fries.
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TARGET MARKET On your next London visit, take a break from the monuments and museums for a jaunt south of the Thames to the vibrant, foodie-friendly Brixton markets.
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restaurants, bars and clothing stores, as well as fishmongers and greengrocers. Though the inevitable cry of gentrification continues to ring in its lanes, the market has never allowed big-name chains to set up shop under its arches, creating a truly British melting pot of cultures and cuisines alongside the Caribbean community that lies at its heart. Whether you’re in the mood for crepes, cakes, champagne and cheese or dumplings, tacos and thali, there’s a spot for you to fill your belly. Seating is snug in these pint-sized joints, so grab a complimentary blanket and snuggle up on enclosed seating outside. The market stays open late almost every night and often hosts live-music acts in its laneways – meaning that even in cooler weather, it’s the best seat in the house. ◆
FISH, WINGS AND TINGS Sample some of the best Caribbean cuisine in the area at this Brixton institution. From oxtail stew to jerk chicken and mutton roti, everything is prepared fresh daily and deserves a toast with a bottle from Brixton Brewery.
Elena Chaykina; Matt Rakowski
OR MANY YEARS, Brixton was not a place you would head to for eggs Benny, beleaguered as it was with high crime rates and the pervading association with the riots of the 1980s. Today, the south London district is a playground for its millennial residents, and Brixton Village and Market Row are undoubtedly the jewels in its crown. The covered market – formerly a produce pit stop with roots that go back more than 150 years – has completed a character arc as lofty as the railway arches it sits beneath, transforming into a hotbed for upstart restaurants, many of which have gone on to sprout sister locations around the city. Located in two markets on either side of Atlantic Road, Brixton Village and Market Row are home to more than 100 cafés,
SEVEN AT BRIXTON On Market Row, Seven slings seasonal cocktails to guests who play board games below the rattle of overhead trains. Their tapas menu and sharing plates are the perfect accompaniment to Spanish spirits, wine and beer.
CASH OR CRUNCH
90 • EXCURSIONS • MEXICO CITY
for carnitas tacos by Don Juan or at (almost) all hours you can head to Narvarte for tacos de Suadero from Tacos Tony. If you can’t stand the idea of making reservations months before vacation, get the whole Pujol experience at their Molino. Tortillas are sold by the kilo ($4+) as well as corn-based bites.
STAY
Cash: Las Alcobas Nestled amongst the swish boutiques and temples of gastronomy in Polanco IV (around the corner from trendy Condesa) this 35-room (from $451) hotel is designed to look like a luxury condo building. Unwind at Aurora Spa with treatments featuring artisanal, local ingredients. Take advantage of the full-service concierge and have them set you up with an expert guide who can unlock the true Capitalino experience. Crunch: Hotel Stanza Roma Norte has become Condesa’s even cooler, next-door cousin with bakeries, taquerias and rooftop bars aplenty. So, it’s easy to enjoy a stay at a streamlined hotel with clean rooms (from $79), free wi-fi and a fitness centre. Just across the street, Jardin Pushkin is a calm spot where locals relax and Museo del Objeto is a few blocks away.
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Cash: Tasting menus Because rent, labour and produce is cheaper in CDMX than major cities in Canada, the U.S. or Europe, this is a city where you can splash out on a tasting menu without blowing a pile. Of the two Mexican contenders on the World’s 50 Best list, Quintonil (11 courses for $180) offers a more casual and inventive menu. Maximo Bistrot, in the Roma district, serves Mexican and French fusion food and farm-t0-table cuisine. Crunch: Tacos, tortas, tortillas You are bound to grab tamales and hot chocolate at Maiz de Cacao. Stay in Condesa
Crunch: Parque Espana On the eastern edge of Condesa, Bosque de Chapultepec is the so-called Central Park of CDMX. Sure, it’s grand and sprawling, but Parque Espana is where you’ll get a true sense of the neighbourhood’s vibrancy. We could spend hours watching the expert dog trainers frolic with their packs. Noël Coward would be pleased to see that these dogs are given the perfectly sane chance to escape the midday sun for a nap, all in a row. ◆
Bill Perry
With taco stands on every corner and a slew of world-class restaurants, Mexico City has something for every budget and type of traveller.
EAT
Cash: Butterfly Sanctuary Tour For centuries before the current hordes, the monarch butterfly was the original tourist to Mexico. When in season, the Piedra Herrada Sanctuary is a world-class attraction with thousands of the little lepidoptera. Tours include admission and transportation for the hour-long trip out of town. Go the extra mile and add a dedicated, pro photographer for a package price of $510.
. S R E M R A F REAL . S E P I C E R REAL
Egg Farmers, Laver Family,
ntario Warkworth, O
eggs. REAL h s e fr rm fa g in produc We at ’s another gre re e H ! m ’e g n ti E ea And you LOV Enjoy! r eggs u o h it w y tr n a recipe you c
Baked Egg Bruschetta
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SERVES 4 - PREP 20 MINS - COOK 32 MINS
Ingredients:
Directions:
¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil 2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh oregano leaves 2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh thyme leaves ¼ tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
HERB OLIVE OIL: In a small bowl, stir
HERB OLIVE OIL:
BRUSCHETTA MIX:
3 cups (750 mL) finely diced tomato ¾ cup (175 mL) finely diced white onion ¼ cup (60 mL) chopped fresh basil 2 tbsp (30 mL) thinly sliced garlic cloves 2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lemon juice ¼ tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper 700 g store bought pizza dough ½ cup (125 mL) crumbled feta cheese 4 eggs
Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). Line baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. together olive oil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper; set aside.
BRUSCHETTA MIX: In a large bowl, stir
together tomatoes, onion, basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper; set aside. Divide pizza dough into two balls. On lightly floured surface, stretch or roll each ball to roughly 11 x 6-inch (28 x 15 cm) rectangles. Place on baking sheet and spread 1 ½ tbsp (22 mL) of the herb oil over each dough base. Add any remaining herb oil into bruschetta mixture. Bake for 12 minutes and remove from oven.
Reduce oven temperature to 425°F (220°C). Using a slotted spoon distribute bruschetta mix over each partially baked crust (leaving liquid in bowl). Sprinkle with feta. With a spoon, make two wells in the tomato mixture on each flatbread and crack one egg into each well. Return to oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until eggs are set and cooked through. Garnish with fresh basil and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Serve warm.
ns of Check out to racking.ca cipes at getc
re
NUTRITION PER SERVING: (1/4 recipe): 740 calories, 27 g total fat, 1010 mg sodium, 98 g carbohydrates, 6 g fibre, 10 g sugars, 24 g protein. Excellent source of riboflavin, vitamin B12, pantothenate, selenium and iron. Good source of vitamin A, niacin, vitamin B6 and folate.
LOCAL
92 • EXCURSIONS • BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
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LIKE A LOCAL Chef and host of Top Chef Canada, Eden Grinshpan, takes us on a tour of Williamsburg and the surrounding neighbourhood’s best bites. LILIA AND MISI
I’m a huge fan of Missy Robbins, who has two Williamsburg restaurants. When we go to Misi, we load up on seasonal antipasti. At Lilia, they have a soft-serve ice cream called the Italian Job, with fennel pollen, honey and olive oil. It will change your life.
BROADWAY AVENUE BLOCK
This is a cool spot in Williamsburg, with lounge-y chairs where you can drink beer, wine or cocktails, eat and watch movies – it’s a lot of fun. New releases make up the schedule along with classic, vintage movies.
GREENPOINT NEIGHBOURHOOD
I love Greenpoint. There’s a restaurant called Bernie’s (owned by Mark McEwan’s daughter, Taylor) that does a great dirty vodka martini. Their ribs and wedge salad are amazing. Over on Kent Ave, Bushwick Inlet Park has a soccer field with an East River view. On Franklin, we go vintage furniture shopping at Adaptations and Porter James. We always end at Paulie Gee’s for a slice.
SAUCED WINE BAR
This place on Bedford Avenue has a disco ball in the back dance room and no menu. I don’t remember the names of anything I tried here, because, wine. I usually just let the bartender choose, especially because the guys there are extremely knowledgeable.
FRANKEL’S DELICATESSEN & APPETIZING
If you walk through McCarren Park, you’ll get to Frankel’s. When it’s nice out, we’ll go and get pastrami or smoked salmon, make a sandwich then go and sit in the park. Either we’ll go vintage shopping at Awoke, or perhaps my two-year old daughter Ayv will run around and play – it’s a whole day. ◆
Catch Eden on the upcoming eighth season of Top Chef Canada premiering April 13 at 10 p.m. ET on Food Network Canada.
Ryan DeBerardinis
Diner has been around for about 20 years and has a seasonal menu that changes every day. The one constant is their backyard burger with local, grass-fed beef. The same owner opened Marlow & Sons and a butcher called Marlow & Daughters on the same block. They sell a great selection of cheese and cured meat, and make their own sausages.
NITEHAWK CINEMA
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We found the world’s best meals with a breathtaking view, unforgettable food experiences and coffee voyages.
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Wi t h a Vie w Nothing screams “blowing the doors off” like a meal with a spectacular view. From London to Dubai, these are the best.
1) SKY GARDEN, LONDON Public access to the views from the top of London’s bulgy Walkie Talkie tower helped
justify building the skycraper. Sky Garden is its threestorey, verdant and beautifully landscaped crown. It’s free to stroll the space, but their dining options will keep you there. Sip on a Winter Berry
Mojito at Sky Pod Bar, tuck into an Aberdeen angus steak at Darwin Brasserie, chow down on Cornish cod at Fenchurch Restaurant or pair a cheese plate with a ‘12 Château Clarke on the Terrace.
2) SANDS SKYPARK, SINGAPORE You’ll likely recognize this rooftop oasis from the extravagant party scene at the end of Crazy Rich Asians. Only guests of the hotel can swim in the sparkling infinity pool, billed as the world’s largest, but everyone can take
advantage of the sky-high dining experiences. There are three parts to modern Asian restaurant CÉ LA VI; the Restaurant and Skybar where you’ll find decadent fare and signature cocktails, and the Club Lounge, home to small bites, DJs and dancing. On the other side of Sands SkyPark, enjoy Wolfgang Puck’s Californian cuisine at Spago Dining Room.
Ma Maison, on Melrose Avenue just off the Sunset Strip, was the laboratory for Puck’s innovations. Starting in 1975, he fused Asian and European traditions and promoted the farm-first ideal.
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the tower itself. For dinner, superstar chef Frédéric Anton offers a five- or seven-course tasting menu with the option to add wine pairings curated by the restaurant’s master sommeliers. Lunch at Jules Verne is just as much of an affair, with a choice between the tasting menus or a prix fixe, plus a daylight view.
3) LE JULES VERNE, PARIS Could there be a more romantic spot to dine than in the city of love, and right inside the iconic Eiffel Tower? On the second floor, 125 metres above the city, feast on French cuisine, inspired by
a champagne bar with small bites you can eat indoors or out. For thrill seekers, there’s a glass floor, angled glass walls to allow visitors to lean 1,131 feet over the city and, of course, the suspended-in-midair sky deck. Head up to the 101st floor for the 360-degree views from Peak restaurant with everything from dark oak floors to sustainable seafood.
4) EDGE AND PEAK, NEW YORK
Pajor Pawel; Cpaulfell; S-F; Related-Oxford; Akiyoko
The latest addition to Manhattan’s 30 Hudson Yards skyscraper, Edge is being billed as the western hemisphere’s highest observation deck. Hanging off the side of the 100th floor, it includes
Le Jules Verne was part of the Eiffel Tower’s $400 million, 15-year-long renovation project. The facelift should be done in time for the 2024 Olympics. The landmark attracts 7 million annual visitors.
5) AT.MOSPHERE, DUBAI Not for the faint of heart, At.mosphere is 442 metres up in the air, on the
122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. Seafood towers and platters, as well as Japanese wagyu tenderloin (at $600 for eight ounces) make it onto the very pricey,
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Built on a man-made platform bounded by 10th and 12th Avenues and 30th and 33rd Streets, the development will include office buildings, residential towers and retailers, as well as the Shed, an arts space.
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luxe dining menu in the restaurant. Meanwhile, the lounge offers a slightly more casual dining experience, DJ dance parties and the opportunity to have a very, very high tea.
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It’s not just what locals eat that makes a food culture. These rituals turn ingestion into a reverential encounter.
1) JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY If you want tea in a hurry, you won’t find it at a Japanese tea ceremony. This traditional way
of preparing and drinking matcha (powdered green tea), is about balance – including the wagashi sweets. Each intricate detail, from the presentation of the communal bowl to the host’s
choreographed hand gestures, is a moving work of art. A formal tea ceremony can last hours, but most are shorter expressions of this unique aesthetic. Who knows, you might even find some inner peace.
2) THE ARAWAK CAY FISH FRY
3) POLYNESIAN LUAUS
This seaside stretch in Nassau, Bahamas is filled with bright, pastel restaurants and food trucks serving some of the best in Bahamian fare. Step away from the resort buffets and dig into fresh, local delicacies like cracked or scorched conch and bottomless cups of addictive Sky Juice, a mix of gin, fresh coconut water and condensed milk. The live junkanoo bands show up on Fridays.
Kalua pig, which is prepared in an imu (underground oven), is the headliner, but a luau is so much more. It is a gathering that unites people and celebrates the diversity of Hawaiian and Polynesian food, dance and music. Look for a smaller one like the Toa Luau on O‘ahu for a more intimate feel. A swim in Waimea Falls is included before the feast.
Trade winds and Pacific Ocean currents brought settlers to Hawaii around 900 BCE. Its culture and cuisine has evolved parallel to other nearby islands like Tahiti, Samoa and the Marquesas Islands.
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4) CALÇOTADA: CATALAN ONION FESTIVAL
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Nestled in the mountain town of Valls, an hour from
Barcelona, lives a grilling tradition unlike any other and it all started with the humble calçot, a green, onion native to Catalonia. From January to April, you’ll find long dining tables lining the city’s streets
for Calçotada festival, where calçots are grilled over grapevine fires, dipped in Catalan romesco sauce and dangled over heads of hungry guests accompanied by lots of singing, dancing and adults in bibs.
established along the canals and floating markets became a way of life. Today, they are mostly tourist traps, but if you go to the more obscure ones (Bang Krachao, Amphawa floating markets) early enough in the day, you can hire a boat and bear witness to all the wonderful, tasty chaos.
South of Bangkok, and known as the capital’s lungs, this artificial island is a popular destination on the Chao Phraya River. Since 1977, the Thai government has bought land and made it a preservation priority.
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5) THAILAND’S FLOATING MARKETS Before the development of roads, it was easier for Thai people to trade goods on the river instead of in the dense jungle. Communities were
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Cu p of J our n eys If that morning jolt is an essential element of your day, these cities have the coffee culture to satisfy your cravings.
JJava Designs; Deborah Kolb; BublikHaus; Suware Srisomboon; Pajor Pawel; CrackerClips Stock Media; Hiren Ranpara; Yavuz Sariyildiz; Jonnasii
1) ROME
2) SEATTLE
Cappuccino, macchiato, espresso – it’s no wonder Italian is one of our favourite languages. The coffee culture in Rome is unlike anywhere else: ask for a “large latte to-go” and you’ll be met with strange looks and a glass of milk. No sizes, no fancy add-ons, just great tasting rituals also known as coffee breaks. You’ll have your choice of cafés, but may we recommend Sant’ Eustachio Il Caffè, a famous spot that’s been grinding beans since 1938.
Coffee is the liquid sunshine that brightens up Seattle’s almostalways overcast sky. Prior to global domination, Starbucks was a single store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. When it first opened its doors in 1971, the city was a counterculture hub and cafés served as the perfect meeting place for academics and artists to gather and discuss their big plans for changing the world. While Starbucks expanded at an
exponential rate to today’s 30,626 retail locations, the hippie counter-culture of the ‘70s lives on in the independent cafés and coffee shops scattered throughout the city. If you find yourself in the Emerald City, be sure to check out Café Allegro, Seattle’s oldest espresso bar. Espresso Vivace is the birthplace of latte art in the U.S. First opened in 1907, this is one of the oldest, continuous markets in the western U.S. From comic collectors to pot paraphernalia, a wide variety of vendors join the stalls for produce, meat and seafood.
3) ADDIS ABABA 1
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In Ethiopia, often considered the birthplace of coffee, beans aren’t just part of morning routines, they are an integral touchstone of the culture and economy. Legend has it that a shepherd in the 8th century noticed his goats were rambunctious
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after eating from a nearby bush in the luscious Kaffa region. He tasted the berries for himself, experienced the first coffee buzz, and the rest is history. Addis Ababa, the bustling capital city, is full of cafés like Tomoca Coffee. Step inside and experience a very small slice of the hours-long ceremony you might find in an Ethiopian home.
4) ISTANBUL
5) HELSINKI
Known as the “wine of Arabia,” Turkish coffee is strong, sweet and intoxicating in its own right. Today, the tradition lives on in this eclectic city’s countless cafés where beans are ground finely by hand and the unfiltered coffee is heated with water and sugar in a cezve, the traditional copper pot. Bonus: find a shop where fortune tellers predict your future from the residual grounds in your cup. Sprouting between the decades-old standbys, new establishments like Petra and Ministry of Coffee are pushing brewing technique forward.
With the highest per capita coffee consumption rate in the world, it’s safe to say Finland is obsessed with java. Coffee breaks the ice in Finland’s cold climate, serving as both social gathering pastime and winter-survival necessity. In fact, the hot beverage is so beloved here that there’s even a law guaranteeing two 15-minute coffee breaks per day for workers. Coffee is almost always served with a cakelike bread called pulla or nisu that is accented with savoury cardamom and sometimes brushed with coffee. The Finns sure know how to live. ◆
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98 • EXCURSIONS • ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA
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Arrive at low tide and you can simply shuffle across the shore to the slightly rickety, wooden front steps, but high tide calls for a short trip in an outboard-powered dinghy. Once you’re settled, sate your appetite with a selection of local dishes laden with seafood like tambi (a Swahili take on spaghetti) served with stir-fried fish or a fish carpaccio with coconut sauce and grilled lobster. Just make sure you choose your sitting based on your tropical comfort levels – some like it hot, but lunch at noon or 2 p.m. is a real scorcher, while dinner sessions at 4 p.m. or 6 p.m. pair sea breezes with your sundowners. ◆
Popovartem.com
E’RE STRUGGLING TO think of a more appropriate name for the Rock – the restaurant perched, ahem, on a rock next to Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar chain off Tanzania. The tiny eatery, 30 metres from Michamvi Pingwe beach, offers diners an immersive experience. With 360-degree views of the cerulean waters from the restaurant’s back patio, and local flavours at the table, this is a meal you won’t forget in a hurry. The Rock opened in 2010 and has been feeding travellers’ meals with a side of adventure ever since. Your mode of transport will depend on the time of day.