This week, a giant cruise ship outfitted to emulate Italy’s splendor, anchored in the Hudson River—its new homeport for the next few years. Docked at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, the ship, Carnival Venezia the newest Carnival Cruise line, has a Venice-inspired atrium “Piazza San Marco;” restaurants, Marco Polo and Canal Grande Restaurants, La Strada Grill and its Italian street food, Tomodoro (Mexican-Italian), Guy’s Burger Joint and Il Viaggio; venues Teatro Rosso and the Gondola Lounge; and Terrazza staterooms and private terrace decks. RECOMMENDED: One of the world’s biggest cruise ships is now anchored in Brooklyn Additionally, the cruiser will have Bonsai Teppanyaki and Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Piano Bar 88 and Serenity Bar, as well as Cloud 9 Spa and the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat. Kids can enjoy...
Tourism officials are celebrating local wins in the 2023 James Beard Awards. Los Angeles took four awards, more than any other city, according to a news release from Los Angeles Tourism and Dine LA. Ceremonies took place earlier this month in Chicago. The honorees show the vitalty and creativity of the region, Adam Burke, president and chief executive officer of Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, said in a news release. The winners are: Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker: Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles. Best Chef: California: Justin Pichetrungsi, Anajak Thai, Sherman Oaks Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program: OTOTO, Los Angeles. Cookbooks, Restaurant and Professional: “Bludso’s BBQ Cookbook: A Family Affair in Smoke and Soul,” by Kevin Bludso with...
Just the other day, at the base of the trunk of my neighbor’s eucalyptus tree, I spotted a laurel sumac (Malosma laurina) seedling that had only recently sprouted. I have frequently seen volunteer seedlings of Mexican fan palm, Shamel ash, mulberry, Brazilian pepper, and fig trees in my neighborhood, but never a laurel sumac. Such seedlings, known as volunteers, generally sprout from seeds that have been consumed and then passed through the gut of birds or other animals before being excreted. The stomach acid of these animals assists in dissolving some of a seed’s protective covering, known as the seed coat, creating an aperture wide enough to allow a radicle or baby root from the plant’s embryo to poke through,...
Cormac McCarthy. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Photograph by Dan Moore. Cormac McCarthy’s work means a lot to me, though when I try to explain exactly what, I find myself unusually stymied; my affinity for him doesn’t make all that much sense to me. What connection do I have with the landscapes he conjures? What knowledge do I have of the kind of violence that is the subject and the fabric of many of his books? What place do I find in a world that is, among other things, nearly entirely masculine, hostile, rife with true desperation? The answer is none—unlike with much of my reading, I do not seek a mirror in McCarthy’s worldview—and yet there is something in...
Casa Bonita’s sopapillas aren’t the only doughy treasures in Denver deserving of praise. The classic dessert — which originated in New Mexico — is simply fried dough drizzled with honey and dusted with sugar. Casa Bonita’s version were beloved partly because many customers said they were the best thing on the menu. Of course, that was before “South Park” creators and new Casa Bonita owners Trey Parker and Matt Stone hired award-winning local Chef Dana Rodriguez to shake things up. (But don’t fret: The sopapillas are still on the menu.) So while you wait for the reopening of Casa Bonita, check out these six spots in and around Denver to get your sopapilla fix: Rosita’s Mexican Restaurant Rosita’s has moved...
