Experience the New Orleans Roadfood Festival

By Roger Stout | April 17, 2012

A mix of literary essence and an unshackled celebration of local gourmet food, the New Orleans Roadfood Festival isn’t just an occasion known among locals, it is known all over the world as an event not to be missed. Why “literary essence”? Well, the festival was started by writers Jane and Michael Stern whose guidebooks and magazine articles created a sort of a revolution among Roadfood lovers and open air diners who believe that eating is not merely an activity, but an occasion to celebrate the much savored regional cuisine that mostly hails from Louisiana and the surrounding areas.

New Orleans Roadfood

If you have a look at the festival’s website it defines Roadfood as “great regional meals along highways, in small towns, and in city neighborhoods”, so once you become a part of the celebration you are experiencing food that has being a part of this region for a very long time.  Started back in 2000, the New Orleans Roadfood Festival generally takes place during the last weekend of March, where that locals and tourists alike can enjoy the festivities and the plethora of comestibles available. Although in the beginning the festival was organized on Royal Street these days it is the historic French Market that gets to be the host to the festival and its cornucopia of activities and eating opportunities.

Since it’s a food festival, merely having food stalls and makeshift eating joints wouldn’t have created the magic the festival has. This has been created by the addition of dance and music performances (alternative, rock ‘n’ roll and blues to name just a few genres), book reading and book signing events (after all the festival originated from literary roots), cookery shows, roadshows and eating competitions (for instance the beignet eating contest). There are also various recipe demonstrations where you can learn to cook some of these incredible cuisines yourself.

Beignet at the Roadfood Festival

Entry into the festival is free (but you will have to pay for the food, although discounted rates for food and drink are available). Since the festival has so many great activities available, even when you have finally reached your fill of food you can still enjoy the magic of the festival and the general good time feeling that impregnates the atmosphere. Whether you are attending the festival alone, with family or friends, you will have a great day out as you savor delicacies from stall to stall or simply enjoying various activities taking place all around you. From grilled to barbecued, steamed to deep-fried you can get practically every vegetarian, non-vegetarian and seafood delicacy you can conceive of from a quintessentially American rural and urban food menu.

Have you ever been to the New Orleans Roadfood festival? Or is there another great food festival you have been to and would like to tell us about? We would love to hear from you!

Posted in Bars & Restaurants, Family Fun, History & Culture, Ideas for Guests, Sightseeing | Leave a comment

Low cost fine-dining for Vacation Home Guests – Costco’s Succulent and Tasty Hot Turkey and Provolone Sandwich – a $3.99 Marvel

By The Grumpy Sundowner | April 9, 2012

My taste buds are in awe of Costco’s latest fine-dining offering, their Hot Turkey and Provolone Sandwich. So much so that having tasted the wonder over a rushed and impromptu lunch on Thursday, I found myself driving 40 miles round-trip the following day to experience this succulent marvel again.

The flavors of the sliced turkey, provolone cheese and ciabatta are amazing on their own but the taste buds soon relish in the flavors from the pesto dressing and explode with pleasure. Shortly thereafter the flavors of the lightly grilled red onion and sliced tomato wave across your taste-buds and its Heaven all over again.

Something that tastes this good could not be healthy!

Further investigation at Costco Insider reveals the nutritional facts:

  • 730 Calories
  • 39 g of Fat
  • 125 mg of Cholesterol
  • 1710 mg of Sodium
  • 51 g of Carbs
  • 45 g of Protein

The good news is that anyone who is staying in a vacation rental home is rarely far from a Costco. Whilst you visit this fine-dining establishment, Costco Members can take advantage of their shopping facilities and stock-up on their favorite vacation home, self catering essentials.

You are, after all, allowed to indulge while you are on vacation!

Posted in Ideas for Guests | Leave a comment

Shula’s Steak House at the Disney World Swan and Dolphin

By The Grumpy Sundowner | April 5, 2012

Those that know me know that I vigorously endorse and support the great American tradition of copious amounts of cheese. In fact, until my recent visit to Dan Shula’s Steak House I was adamant that ‘there is no such thing as too much cheese’! I now eat humble pie and take it all back. My French Onion Soup, whilst tasty, was served with a rather hefty ¾” of solid cheese atop the soggy sourdough and even I had to consider my poor old ticker and admit that enough was enough.

Shula's Steak House

Having been seated, in what was effectually a corridor between the cooking stations and the kitchen, we were lectured on the different types of cut that were available as the server recited his well rehearsed routine and waved cuts of raw meat in front of us. We soon got the idea that we could choose steak, steak or steak.

The kids asked to see a kids menu but were told that it’s just grilled Chicken or burgers so there was probably no point in fetching a menu. Great customer skills there. My 12 year old boy ordered the 24oz T-Bone, which I have to say he did do justice to. The remainder of us ordered 12oz Filet Mignon cooked to our various favorite temperatures and the veggies were ordered  a la carte. I requested a red wine and mushroom reduction to accompany my steak but was told there was not time to do this. We were also instructed that desserts needed to be ordered before the main courses arrived.

Maybe they thought that I would either choke on the excessive cheese or suffer a coronary before the main course arrived but unfortunately I did not. The fillets, although cooked to perfection, were very dry. Even the accompanying sauces did little to improve them. The creamed spinach, cooked with a hint of lime, was excellent. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for the mushrooms which smelt and tasted as if they had been cooked in oil taken from the deep dark depths of my automobile.

For a high class expensive joint, this is amongst the worst I have visited. I wish that I had stayed home in the luxurious Orlando Vacation Rental Home at Emerald Island that I am in and ordered take out.

Steer clear and live longer.

Posted in Bars & Restaurants, Ideas for Guests | Leave a comment

Ever wanted to sleep in Harry Potter’s Bedroom?

By Lucy Cooke | March 27, 2012

Have your kids ever dreamt of waking up in their very own Harry Potter themed bedroom or maybe even playing in a Disney styled games room? Perhaps you’ve imagined yourself curling up with a good book in an 18th century study or waking to the delights of a French themed boudoir?

Whether we’re talking about your permanent home or your vacation home, why not create a bold statement by styling a room to give it a unique visual theme. Adding a few small touches can create a subtle themed room or you could go all the way and create a complete all-out fantasy room! When it comes to creating a theme for your room the sky’s the limit. You could turn the most mundane surroundings into the most spectacular place you’re able to imagine. Your imagination really is the only thing that can hold you back, whether you have big money to spend or you’re working on a nickel and dime budget.

Harry Potter BedroomHarry Potter BedsWould your kids like to stay in one of the bedrooms in the Harry Potter castle surrounded by magic and mystery? Or do they love airplanes and dream of one day becoming a pilot? If you own a vacation home near to Disney World in Florida or Disneyland in California then perhaps your guests would enjoy being completely immersed in the magic of Disney and all its characters with a unique Disney themed bedroom. You can take the excitement of many different ideas and places and create the ultimate bedroom or playroom in your vacation home for the benefit of your family and guests alike.

Some ideas on how you could create your very own Harry Potter themed room can be found here:

http://designdazzle.blogspot.com/2009/07/ideas-for-harry-potter-theme-room.html

For the budding airplane enthusiast, fly on over to:

http://too-much-time.com/2011/04/reveal-vintage-airplane-bedroom.html

Or for all things Disney, check out this great article and video:

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/02/sneak-peek-my-house-goes-disney-returns-tonight/

It’s important to remember that it’s not just bedrooms that can be turned into your ultimate favorite place, book or film. You can create a theme for your study, living room, games room or even your home theater. There is some fantastic inspiration for your home movie theater here:

http://www.toxel.com/tech/2009/07/06/12-unusual-and-creative-home-theaters/

Instead of seeing the same old white walls you could spruce up your vacation home with a themed room where your guests will be immediately transported into a magical environment that makes their vacation even more thrilling.  A number of studies have shown that, whether we realize it or not, our surroundings affect our mood and creativity. So wouldn’t it be great to work on your next novel or more likely check your emails in a dark but luminescent 19th century study just the way Victor Hugo worked? It’s so easy to make a themed room in your home and be transported from the stresses of everyday life into a fantasy space. Whatever your guilty pleasure you can enhance the ambiance of your vacation home by having an exciting themed room.

We’d love to hear your feedback on our suggestions and here more ideas for creating themed living spaces. If you have a themed room or rooms in your vacation home then please let us know by leaving a comment below, or if you’ve stayed in a home with a themed room let us know your opinions (good or bad!) to share with other guests and vacation home owners!

Posted in Ideas for Guests | Leave a comment

Visiting New York With Kids

By Roger Stout | January 30, 2012

It would be apt to call New York the ‘Big Apple’ of Uncle Sam’s eye. A lot is said and written about New York. I personally feel New York City is the best city in the world, but not only because of Time Square or Wall Street or for that matter Central Park, it’s also because it’s the melting pot of diverse cultures and ethnicities, from the cuisines to the celebrations. You can never get bored in New York and that’s the bottom-line.

Central Park NY

But a few months ago while planning a boy’s only trip with my son to New York; my wife asked me a question that left me stumped “What is there to do for kids in NY?” As a kid I had never been to New York, and when I go now we go out for drinks or to that new eating joint, or we catch a late night show on Broadway, so I had never faced the question of how I could keep my kids entertained while in the city. After been posed with this challenging question by my wife I started some detailed research and found that actually there was so much for kids to do in New York that we have to carefully choose what my son would enjoy the most.

Polar Bear Central Park Zoo

We began in Central Park, where he hopped on to a carousel; although an old fashioned ride, the carousel holds its own against the rides of today, and my son loved it. Later, he was so excited to see Ida and Guss; the two majestic polar bears at the Central Park Zoo. We also watched a sea lion been fed which he was amazed by. From Central Park we then moved to the Upper East Side where we visited the Guggenheim museum, where in addition to enjoying the incredible artwork he loved swirling down the spiral ramp within the museum. Next we visited the famous “Serendipity” restaurant where I let my son relish some frozen hot chocolate. We also stopped in to Dylan’s Candy Bar, where we indulged in a few more treats. While still swirling from the sugar rush we next paid a visit to the Upper West Side; where they have the animal-themed playground at Riverside Parks, something I knew my son would enjoy. By this point I really was seeing a whole new side to New York. We then visited the American Museum of Natural History which I had visited once, many years ago. But now looking at the exhibits through the eyes of my son, I was left with a renewed sense of awe and wonder. The Fossil Hall with the life-size Tyrannosaurus Rex and the other dinosaurs left him and I both excited and fascinated.

Stairway to Candy Heaven - Dylans Candy Store New York

The last stop on our visit was to Lower Manhattan. I just had to take my son to meet the lady; we took the ferry out to the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island. We loved the surrounding view and the Statue of Liberty itself was incredible. It’s amazing how certain things are right in front of your eyes all your life and you take them for granted, but a kid comes along and overhauls your perspective completely. Anyway, with it getting late and knowing his mother would be getting worried, I decided to call it a day. But not before I had treated my son to dinner. We decided to head to Chinatown, I thought in addition to having dinner it would give my son one last exciting experience before heading home. We began with dim sum and soup dumplings, and ended with tapioca pearls in a bubble tea. My son simply loved the food and the sights. In hindsight, it was a wise decision, certainly a better one than stuffing him with fried chicken or burger and fries; his mother definitely agreed. Once back home, my son regaled his mother with stories of our day so fast that I don’t think he even took a breath. The day left my son and I with so many amazing memories that we can’t wait to plan our next New York Vacation together.

Posted in Adventure & Outdoor, Bars & Restaurants, Family Fun, History & Culture, Ideas for Guests, Shopping, Sightseeing | Leave a comment

Dance to the Tunes of the Barcelona Jazz Festival

By The Grumpy Sundowner | January 4, 2012

It would be an absolute cliché to say that Jazz is music to my ears, and the pun is absolutely intended. For the past few years there is one Jazz festival that I have religiously attended, the one in Barcelona, Spain and every trip has been worth my while, if not for this festival I probably would never have gotten the opportunity to hear the likes of Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Cobb, Marcus Miller and Kings of Convenience live in concert.

Barcelona Jazz Festival Concert

With thousands of music fans converging in one city during this Jazz festival, Barcelona during this period begins to exemplify the true meaning of cosmopolitan. For me personally, it’s this electric atmosphere coupled with the beauty of the city, besides the Jazz, which has beckoned me to return to Barcelona these past few years. For 43 years Barcelona has played host to an annual jazz festival. The festival takes place in venues all over town and you will need to buy individual tickets for each event – there is not one ticket that covers the whole event. Through the year I ensure that I save up a decent sum for this festival, so I have a wide variety of options open to me, from the grand Palau de la Musica to small smoky bars like Jamboree and Harlem Jazz Club. Each has its own charm.

Barcelona Jazz Festival Audience

I especially remember last year in 2010 when Richard Galliano gave an electrifying performance. And this year too, Galliano shall enthrall the audiences with a program that will cover four centuries of history of music, from Bach to Astor Piazzolla, his friend and mentor. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it! The whole experience can be a bit overwhelming though, with nearly 75 concerts planned in 2011 and fifteen different venues all over Barcelona hosting this festival. For me the festival is never complete without a visit to; L’Auditori, Sala Bikini, Jamboree, the Palau de la Música and the Harlem Jazz Club. Furthermore the 2011 Barcelona jazz festival is collaborating with the legendary Italian Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia to present “top Italian jazz” with names like pianist Stefano Bollani and trumpeters Enrico Rava and Paolo Fresu performing.

This year during the festival, Mandarin Hotel will host a special dinner prepared by Carme Ruscalleda and a solo concert by Alfredo Rodríguez. Ruscalleda is the only female chef in the world to have earned six Michelin stars for her restaurants in Spain and Tokyo, and heads with her son Raül Balam the kitchen at Moments Restaurant in the Mandarin Hotel Barcelona. Great music and great food, the two things I am sure they serve in paradise. In my personal opinion, this festival is aging like an old wine, with its flavor getting better with age. The Voll-Damm Barcelona International Jazz Festival conjures up something new each year, thus it’s a little wonder that I have already started saving up for my vacation to the festival in 2012.

Posted in Family Fun, History & Culture, Nightlife, Sightseeing | Leave a comment

Christmas Shopping at Winchester Market

By Lola Curtis | December 20, 2011

Christmas conjures up an image which is every bit a cliché, it is personified in everybody’s imagination by a fleeting image of a Christmas tree, decorated with ornaments, stockings hung just above the fire place, and colorfully wrapped gifts, not to mention a scrumptious Christmas dinner with the whole family. And there is not a person in the world who wouldn’t like these clichés to be played out year after year. But this year my family and I decided that because we had worked so hard through the year, we deserved to treat ourselves to something which was even better than the usual, so England it was!

Winchester Christmas Market at Night

Once in England I met up with a few friends of mine, who suggested that my family Christmas trip would be totally incomplete without a visit to the Winchester Christmas Market. Founded in 2006, the Christmas Market is recognized as one of the best in Europe, renowned for its unique location, high quality exhibitions and a bustling atmosphere. So it wasn’t just about buying great gifts, but also about the entire atmosphere, and the icing on the cake: an open air ice-skating rink, with the majestic Winchester Cathedral as the backdrop, so the family and I were off the next morning (Winchester Christmas Market is open from Thursday 24th November to Wednesday 21st December, every day between 10am-6pm Sunday-Wednesday, and 10am-7.30pm Thursday-Saturday).

Well if you have been to Winchester, you probably know how the city looks, with strong Victorian and Roman architectural influences. Winchester’s major landmark is Winchester Cathedral, one of the largest cathedrals in Europe, with the distinction of having the longest nave and overall length of all Gothic cathedrals in Europe, and that’s where we were headed, so getting directions wasn’t a problem, even without a GPS. The cathedral, it turned out, was quite something; somehow I felt I was transported back in time to the England of old. With a huge number of visitors swarming the cathedral and the neighboring market, it was a brilliant move on my part to park the vehicle a mile away and walk it up. Well the market, though a little cramped and crowded, lived up every bit to our expectations.

Winchester Christmas Market Tree

Set in pretty wooden chalets inspired by traditional German markets, with some stalls selling gifts, while other selling festive foods, with their delicious aroma wafting through the air: the setting was idyllic. The hustle-bustle of the place though a bit overwhelming, added to the festive spirit I must confess. The Christmas lights around the cathedral and the market greatly enhanced the festive atmosphere. After wolfing down some mince pies at a food chalet and washing it down with a few gulps of warming mulled wine, which felt like nectar in this European winter, we headed for the ice-skating rink which the market surrounds. With Christmas carols being sung in the background, and children and adults alike enjoying the ice-skating; none of us could have asked for a more memorable beginning to Christmas.

Posted in Family Fun, History & Culture, Romance & Special Occasion, Shopping, Sightseeing | Leave a comment

Good Old Fashioned Southern Cooking at Paula Dean’s Restaurant in Savannah, Georgia.

By Vijay | November 10, 2011

Paula Deen Restaurant Exterior

In last few years Paula Dean and her sons have made a name for themselves with the Lady and Sons restaurant in downtown Savannah, and a lot has been written about the restaurant, by food critics and magazines alike. It’s marketed as serving good old fashioned southern cooking, which doesn’t pay too much heed to the calorie conscious generation of today, so there is no sparing the animal fats, and the Trans fats when cooking at this restaurant. But as we all know if it’s bad for us, it’s bound to be delicious, that’s my mantra, and keeping that in mind, me and my friends decided to check out this
place, after all you should be allowed some over-indulgence once in a while.

We decided on lunch, because the calories I gorge on would be directly proportional to the amount of time I would spend running on my treadmill at home that evening, and that is why I needed to set myself a target first. The idea appealed to a few of my friends, so they too agreed for lunch. When we reached the restaurant, I honestly wasn’t prepared for the fact that I would see people waiting outside for a table, for god sake it was lunch and it was a week day, has it ever happened to you; you are looking forward to gorging on some great food, and when you actually get there the waiter tells you, they’re out of that particular dish you love, and you have to settle for something else. That is exactly the kind of feeling I was getting, seeing all those people relishing their food inside, and me waiting with at least 6 other people waiting in front of me. But the sliver-lining to this cloud I thought, was the fact that the food in this restaurant must be damn good for people to actually want to wait patiently, rather than trying some other option.

We got in at last, and not before a wait of nearly 40 minutes, the longest few minutes of my life, and by now I had decided that I was so hungry I could eat a horse, but then I was also worried that in the evening I would have to run like one. The décor in the Paula Dean restaurant seemed welcoming; it was upscale but not so upscale that you would start worrying about the check. The air-conditioning and the seating seemed fine, so there was nothing to distract me from the food, the menu though not extensive, meant business, it had some great choice of salads that sounded delicious like the Cornucopia Salad (which has lots of veggies, eggs and dry-fruits, with a poppy seed dressing) which I ordered. But then the waiter suggested something that was like music to my ears, an all you can eat buffet, I suddenly remembered reading about it in one of the magazines, and how great it was.

Paula Dean Biscuits

At $15.99 the buffet seemed like a dream, which besides the main course offers an unlimited access to the salad-bar and includes one complimentary desert.  The main course included traditional favorites like Southern Fried chicken, baked chicken, Riblets, creamed potatoes, creamed corn, gravy, yams, Lima beans, Green beans, mac and cheese etc. and trust me each of those things were delicious, probably it was the extra grease, or probably it was the love and the affection that had gone into the cooking, I just didn’t care, the meal was absolutely satiating, and I must have gorged on at least 5 helpings that afternoon. I topped off my meal with a succulently delicious Peach cobbler, it’s a pity they only allow one complimentary desert.

I was told Paula Dean’s restaurant was more of a tourist attraction, but after an afternoon there, I absolutely beg to differ. The best part is, it’s fairly affordable at least once a week, ask me, the only thing I worry about nowadays is cholesterol and buying bigger pants.

Posted in Bars & Restaurants, Family Fun, History & Culture, Ideas for Guests | Leave a comment