Jan 7th, 2012 at 12:00PM: Last month, I went to a designer-clothing pop-up sale in the back of a restaurant, scored an invite to an exclusive party with Champagne and gourmet truffles, and got the manager's private phone number of a hot new nightlife spot. I'm not famous or especially well-connected, I'm just a subscriber to DailySecret.com. Daily Secret is website and email newsletter that delivers insider intel for ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
restaurant posts
Daily Secret offers insider intel for Istanbul, Athens, Shanghai and more
Jan 7th, 2012 at 12:00PM: Last month, I went to a designer-clothing pop-up sale in the back of a restaurant, scored an invite to an exclusive party with Champagne and gourmet truffles, and got the manager's private phone number of a hot new nightlife spot. I'm not famous or especially well-connected, I'm just a subscriber to DailySecret.com. Daily Secret is website and email newsletter that delivers insider intel for ...The perils of solo travel, or, how to sexually harass someone without even trying
Jan 5th, 2012 at 8:30AM: Here at Gadling we've talked a lot about the perils of solo travel, from how it can break up relationships to creating feelings of loneliness. On a recent trip to Antwerp I discovered a danger to solo travel I never thought of--people look upon you with suspicion.
I was dining alone in a popular Antwerp restaurant. The waiter had seated me so that I faced another table less than ten feet away. ...Tucson's beloved Grill restaurant closes
Nov 24th, 2011 at 5:00PM:
Today marks my second Thanksgiving outside of the US (in Turkey, ironically) and as nostalgic as I am for Pepperidge Farm stuffing and canned cranberry sauce, this week I am missing another important piece of my past: the Grill restaurant in Tucson, Arizona. A landmark of downtown Tucson for decades, Grill (true regulars know to leave off the "the") shut its doors this week, leaving many current ...Starry, starry night: Notes on an edible epiphany in Burgundy
Oct 17th, 2011 at 12:00PM:
It all began with the carpaccio. I don't hate carpaccio, but when given another choice on a menu – fermented yak tail, say – I'm likely to choose the alternative. So I wasn't really expecting much when the tuxedo'd waiter ceremoniously placed the plate with a generous disc of raw beef, sliced mushrooms and a confetti of foie gras before me.
And then I put a forkful in my mouth. ...Cockpit Chronicles: A farewell to Boston
Jun 17th, 2011 at 7:30PM: April was my last month flying from Boston. It was also the month that our company chose to eliminate the last remaining non-stop flights from Santo Domingo and San Juan to New England. These were markets where we'd flown for decades.
Fittingly, on the 2nd and 4th of April, I flew the very last flights from SDQ and SJU-not exactly something worthy of a celebration, but noteworthy, nevertheless. ...Five outstandingly delicious places to eat in Alaska
Mar 5th, 2011 at 4:00PM: In the spirit of journeying during periods less traveled, I've embarked to Alaska this winter. Follow the adventures here, and prepare to have your preconceived notions destroyed along the way.
Particularly in the winter, it's pretty crucial that you stay warm and well fed while in Alaska. We can't make any promises about the ease of the former, but we've got the latter completely under ...When in Philly, do as everyone does: eat your way through the Terminal Market
Feb 2nd, 2011 at 11:15PM:
The sights and sounds of Pennsylvania's largest city are also some of this country's oldest and most revered: the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Franklin Institute, and America's very first zoo. It is also a city of 1.5 million people, with an old and overburdened roadway system and legendary rush hour traffic.
In order to escape the cacophony that is the streets of midtown ...Smoking ban takes effect in Spain today
Jan 2nd, 2011 at 9:00AM: Starting today in Spain, it is illegal to smoke in any enclosed space where the public gathers. This includes bars, cafes, and restaurants. It will also be illegal to smoke in school playgrounds and near hospitals. Smoking will even be banned from TV shows.
Spain joins a host of countries that have recently toughened up anti-smoking laws, including Finland, Egypt, and Syria. Countries with ...Terrorist threat goes after veggies in hotels
Dec 21st, 2010 at 2:00PM: Should you really eat your vegetables? It's a fair question, according to the latest from CBS News. The latest terrorist threat, it seems, is to poison food in hotels and restaurants at several locations in a coordinated, single-weekend attack. The threat has been called "credible," according to CBS News' sources, and the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Agriculture and the FDA ...Five ways to deliver a meaningful customer complaint
Dec 13th, 2010 at 3:00PM: Bad customer service bothers the hell out of me. I know I'm not alone on this: nobody likes receiving something less than he pays for. But for me, it's something of an obsession, having worked in businesses where there is nothing quite like a "quality problem" to put the brakes on your career (or derail it entirely). And perhaps unreasonably, I have incredibly high standards – which I do ...Grantourismo blogger on guidebooks and travel writing
Nov 30th, 2010 at 11:00AM: Last week I posted a Q & A with blogger Lara Dunston and her husband and partner Terence Carter about their travel project and blog Grantourismo. In addition to good advice about renting a vacation apartment and getting "under the skin" of a place when traveling, they had a lot of interesting things to say about guidebooks, both from their experiences writing them and how they see travelers ...Best college restaurant: Good Morning America wants your vote
Nov 19th, 2010 at 11:30AM: For most of us, college was a low period in our culinary lives. Ramen, macaroni and cheese, beer for breakfast. . .ah, the memories!
When we got tired of contributing to our freshman fifteen with junk food, there was always that one place that served up something a little better, a little special. If you've been to college, or even if you haven't, I bet you just thought of that place right now. ...Five American-style North Korean restaurants for foodies
Nov 8th, 2010 at 8:00AM: This may not have been the case a few years ago, but Pyongyang is definitely on its way to becoming a culinary destination ... well, maybe not. Nonetheless, it is pretty wild that the self-isolating regime has let slip some pretty wild information about the dining options available in the capital. If you can finagle a way into North Korea and somehow get yourself a bit of freedom to move, there ...New Pyongyang restaurant opens to rave reviews
Nov 2nd, 2010 at 11:00AM: Forget Manhattan, Pyongyang seems to be the hottest spot for new restaurant openings. Sure, there seems to be a new dining option popping up in New York City every time you blink ... but that's to be expected! When new options come to North Korea, it's a bit more noticeable.
Only two weeks ago, word hit the west about a new burger joint in the North Korean capital, called Samtaesung, with links ...Hotels, restaurants and consumers: what to look for on review websites
Oct 29th, 2010 at 2:00PM: Have you ever gotten mad after a hotel stay and, in the heat of the moment, dashed off a nasty review on TripAdvisor or Yelp? I was talking to some friends about this recently, and it seems the natural human reaction is to give feedback after a negative experience and to stay relatively silent when all has gone well.
Almost all of us have been there.
After all, there's nothing quite like the ...Eat like a Boston local at Santarpio's
Oct 21st, 2010 at 1:30PM:
I was almost disoriented when I stepped out of the Maverick Square subway station in East Boston. I hadn't been back since moving to New York in 2004, and it was different – new and improved, as they say. Many of the same businesses surrounded the square, but I couldn't get over the subway station. As I ambled down Chelsea Street, the East Boston with which I was familiar came back, but ...Pyongyang burger joint opens to wide popularity
Oct 18th, 2010 at 2:00PM: Pyongyang has its first hamburger joint, and the locals who can afford it are flocking to the place. With a name rooted firmly in propaganda – not exactly surprising – the restaurant serves distinctly American fare, though I doubt there's a disclaimer on the menu.
Samtaesung, the name of the fast-food spot, translates to "Three Huge Stars," an obvious reference to current leader Kim ...Crif Dogs: The Top Hotdogs in New York City
Oct 6th, 2010 at 8:00AM:
The various hotdog-and-papaya joints scattered across Manhattan are great for a quick fix, but if you want to truly experience a hotdog's potential, you have to schlep down to the East Village. Tucked away on St. Mark's Place, just in from Avenue A, you'll find Crif Dogs, an establishment that redefines what many consider to be the worst form of meat.
...The hidden danger of restaurant kitchens
Sep 15th, 2010 at 1:00PM: It's often the dirtiest thing in the kitchen. Infrequently changed, always moist and often with raw food stuck to it, it's a breeding ground for bacteria, yet it's the very thing that diligent kitchen workers use to wipe their food preparation surfaces "clean."
What is it? The dishcloth or sponge.
A new survey by the UK's Health Protection Agency has found that a large percentage of ...Four views of Shake Shack burgers in New York City
Sep 14th, 2010 at 2:00PM:
The line always seems to be long in Madison Square Park. Shake Shack, known for its burgers as well, always draws a crowd, and it isn't unusual to spend an hour or more waiting to sink your teeth into its greasy delights. I've done it, and I know I'm not alone. Well, the stand's popularity has led to expansion, and there are now four locations across Manhattan, with a fifth in Queens at Citi ...
