What to Eat in Fiji

1. Fish in Lolo
This Fijian dish is made with fish (at the resorts it's usually mahi mahi) in a coconut milk broth with taro leaves and some sort of root vegetables (either taro or cassava). A lot of restaurants and resorts will have this.

The one I had at Blue Lagoon Resort was my favorite throughout the trip, as the firm mahi mahi was cooked properly so that it's still moist and flaky. The broth was so good I wanted to just pick up my spoon and drink it all.

2. Kokoda
Kokoda is the Fijian ceviche, but the raw fish is not only marinated in lime juice but also coconut cream, and served with diced tomatoes and onions. I had this dish at all three resorts and my favorite was the one at Uprising Beach Resort.

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Lunch Prix Fixe at Mario Batali's Del Posto (New York, NY)

One of the things I love about New York is the lunch prix fixes, allowing you to try some of the city's best restaurants for a lot less money. When I went with my mom and my aunt last time, we tried Del Posto's lunch: $49 for three courses (with an option to add pasta for $10). With three of us, we got to try a lot of things!

The lunch started with some complimentary finger sandwiches and Cauliflower soup

Bread service

The menu at Del Posto is seasonal, of course, though you might still find some mainstays like this
Vitello Tonnato (olive crostone, caper shoots, lime cells, lemon basil)

Vitello tonnato is a Piedmontese dish of veal slices served in a creamy tuna sauce.

Cotechino (stewed pistachios, chopped Preboggion - that's just mixed green leafy vegetables)

Cotechino is a pork sausage, but the distinction is that this pork sausage is typically made by boiling over low heat for a few hours. It gives a softer flavor than many other charcuterie.

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Where to Dine in Mammoth: Rafters at Sierra Nevada Resort

Now that snow season is upon us .... Where do you eat when you go to Mammoth? For many people, the answer is probably back at their condos. The thing is, there isn't much by way of dining out in Mammoth, and while I've gone out there a few times now, I haven't tried many places noteworthy. The Sierra Nevada Resorts is looking to change things.

There are three different restaurants at Sierra Nevada Resort, and we tried the one called Rafters, which serves modern American cuisine and a large wine list.

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Get Free Airport Parking and Make Money with FlightCar

Have you heard of FlightCar? FlightCar is a way to park your car at the airport for free and make some side money, too. How? Well, they rent out your car to travelers. I just tried parking it for the first time and got my first check in the mail, on top getting 4 days of free airport parking!

Here's how it works:

For the Parker
When your car is rented via FlightCar, it is fully insured. You get $0.10 per mile driven for the first 100 miles per day and $0.40/mile over that. If the renter doesn't fill up the gas tank, you'll also get reimbursed for that. You just need to list your car ahead of time and tell them when you will drop it off and pick it up. You'll need to have the registration in the car.

TIP: Come a bit early. When you drop it off, they're supposed to have a black car to take you to the airport, but when I was there the car was busy picking someone up at the airport. Later, they told me they were supposed to call an Uber if this happens. As an apology they sent me a $20 check. I didn't miss my flight so it's all good, but just keep in mind you might want to get there earlier. You're getting free parking and potentially making money, so I think it's worth it.


For the Renter
So I've looked at the rental prices for FlightCar as well. Depending on the timing, yes, sometimes you can get really cheap rentals at these major airports. But if you're coming last minute and the rental prices have gone way up, then FlightCar has always been the cheapest option.
Try it with $20 off your first rental (or get it as a payout bonus when you list your car!) using this link: https://flightcar.com/r/OIOH


Flightcar is currently available in Boston Logan, SFO, LAX, and Seattle Tacoma Airport.

Maine Restaurant Reviews

Kennebunkport 

The Clam Shack

Portland

Bite Into Maine (Cape Elizabeth)

Eventide Oyster

Hugo's

Wiscasset
Red's Eats

Morning in the Mission (San Francisco, CA)

During my last trip to San Francisco, I stayed at an AirBnB in the Mission. We spent the first morning wandering around the Mission district, starting with breakfast at Craftsman and Wolves.

What we came here for is the famous "Rebel Within". At first glance this looks just like any other cheesy muffin. The Rebel Within is made with Asiago cheese, green onion, and Easton sausage.

But how special this muffin is is only apparent when you cut into it ... a perfectly poached egg inside with runny yolk!

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Exploring the Borough Market in London

One of the Chowzter stops in London was The Borough Market, one of the largest and oldest food markets in London.

I never realized until then just how much the Brits love their cheese. It seemed like more than half of the market was selling cheese! And they look and smell amazing. If only there was a way for me to bring them home ...

One of the Chowzter picks is the sausage roll from The Ginger Pig. The Ginger Pig is a butcher shop so they make their own pork sausages with sage and breadcrumbs. The sausage is wrapped in a crispy puff pastry. Surprisingly large and sure to fill you up. During the holidays they add cranberry to the sausage as well.

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Riding Trajineras Wooden Boats in Xochimilco (Mexico City D.F.)

Despite being the largest city in Mexico, there are still historical attractions and activities in Mexico City, including the ruins of an ancient temple right next to the zocalo. Another of these attractions is the canals in Xochimilco. These canals are what are left of a man-made waterways and lake from the pre-Hispanic period when it was the major transportation system.

Tourists and locals alike rent wooden boats called Trajineras. Locals typically go on a boat ride on the canal to party it up. The boats are equipped with a large table seating about a dozen people, perfect for families and groups of friends.

Smaller boats of vendors roam around the canals selling elotes, blankets, more food, and - most importantly - micheladas. There are even mariachi bands if you come during the busy times!

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The Birthplace of Key Lime Pie? (Key West, Florida)

Happy Pi Day! In honor of this day, I'm sharing about my visit to Key Lime Pie Factory. This small shop in Key West, FL is said to be the birthplace of the key lime pie. But, a lot of other places also claim to be "the original" and Epicurious had a nice story about the history of key lime pie (and how key limes were wiped out by a hurricane and most of the local limes are now Persian limes ....)

Dating back to ... 1856? Wow, that's a long time ago.

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Lunch at Wilson Creek Winery (and their Pig Mascot!), Temecula, CA

I'll just admit it straight up. I'm biased. I loved visiting Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula because ... they have Molly Merlot, their pig mascot!

Isn't she adorable with her tutu, though? I don't care as much about taking photos with celebrities or chefs, but I made sure I got one with Molly.

Wilson Creek Winery is one of the larger ones in Temecula Valley.

It's beautiful and well equipped for weddings, with a stage already built for special occasions and perhaps live music concerts.

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MeroToro: Bringing Baja to Mexico City

Why would one eat Baja seafood in Mexico City? Why, because the chef is Jair Tellez, of course! His outpost in the Condesa neighborhood, MeroToro, has brought Jair Tellez to the top of the culinary scene in Mexico City, and I got to experience it first hand when I tagged along to Mexico City with Street Gourmet LA.

I was extra lucky because we had so many sea urchin dishes that night! We started with this beautiful dish of Baja uni and barnacles with uni consommé, radish, and cherry tomatoes

Served with a light tostada as a vehicle.

Even though Baja sea urchin is only on the second tier in quality, Chef Tellez wanted to promote domestic ingredients and prepares it such that it melds the flavors of Baja seafood beautifully.

Next: more Baja sea urchin w cucumber

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Wine and Cheese Pairing at Miramonte Winery in Temecula Valley

Miramonte was one of the beautiful wineries I visited in Temecula, with an outdoor seating area overlooking the valley and vineyards.

Miramonte opened in 2001, but they hired a new winemaker in 2008. The new winemaker is a UC Davis alum who used to work at Argyle in Oregon (great sparkling wines). His experience has brought gentler nuance to the wines. Miramonte has 9 acres which are all planted with Rhone varietals (Temecula Valley is said to be very similar to Rhone) and they have started planting some varietals from Argentina and Portugal.

We had a nice little pairing outside, with the fine breeze and beautiful view. The pairing showcases some items from their food boards, from cheese to tapenades.

The 2012 Grenache rose was paired with Spanish manchego and strawberries. The cheese made the wine less astringent.

Their 2012 Rousanne was paired with Apricot Stilton, poached peach, habanero infused olive oil. The wine had notes of apple and under-ripe pineapple. I didn't like the Rousanne at first because it was buttery, but it became much better with the pairing.

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Tour and Tasting at Alaskan Brewing Co (Juneau, AK)

If you find yourself in Juneau, whether you're passing through on a cruise or spending some time there to hike the glacier, be sure to stop by the Alaskan Brewing Co.

No mini tasting glasses here, very generous pours

If you don't have a car in Juneau, that's fine. There's a shuttle that runs hourly from their downtown store location (the "depot") on Franklin St to the brewery. The shuttle costs $15 round trip but, hey, once you get to the brewery you get to taste all their beers for free! The shuttle driver even gave me some fun historical anecdotes about Juneau. The brewery itself is in a somewhat industrial part of Juneau, with not much around it.

You first get ushered in to the tasting room for their four standard beers while listening to the history of the brewery.

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Touring Artisanal Shops in Old Town Temecula

During a recent press trip to Temecula Valley Wine Country (thanks to Temecula CVB and the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association), we also got a little tour of Old Town Temecula's artisanal shops from an olive oil store, a lavender store, a sweets shop, and a spice and tea shop.

Our first stop was Temecula Olive Oil Company. The building used to be a saloon and brothel but before the olive oil tasting we headed upstairs for breakfast first, catered by E. A. T ("Extraordinary Artisan Table"), located 5-10 minutes outside of Old Town.

EAT sources ingredients from local producers and even make their own almond milk for morning coffee. We had tomatoes that were picked just the day before.

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Canada Restaurants

==ALBERTA==
Calgary
Calgary Food Tours (with Yellow Door Bistro)

Lake Louise
Hotel: Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Walliser Stube

Banff
Eden Restaurant at Rimrock Resort

==QUEBEC==
Montreal
Au Pied de Cochon

Quebec City
La Traite at Wendake

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Canada

One can easily see why Fairmont decided to build Chateau Lake Louise where it is: right next to mirror-like Lake Louise, surrounded by the snow-capped mountain of Banff National Park. Everything is reflected upon the water of Lake Louise with astounding clarity.

To enjoy Lake Louise, all you have to do is exit the back doors of the Fairmont hotel.

The Chateau is surprisingly a great base for nature and hiking lovers. There are trails accessible both to the left and right of this point. There's an overlook a short hike to the left. To the right there's a walking trail that goes to the other end of the lake (one hour round trip) and along the way are access points to other, longer trails including Lake Agnes (4.4 miles)

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Travel: Living Desert Zoo & Gardens (Palm Desert, CA)

So Palm Springs Restaurant Week started this past weekend. If you haven't checked it out, you still have time since it's running til June 16!

It's not just about restaurant deals, they also have specials on local attractions like the Red Jeep Desert Tour.

When I was there I also checked out The Living Desert Zoo and Botanical Gardens. There were so many cute animals there!

First we passed by an expansive model train display

Next, giraffes! Giraffes eating, giraffes peeing ...

The great thing about Living Desert is that you can get quite close to some of the animals there, since the zoo is not as large or popular as San Diego.

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Travel: Tour The San Andreas Fault with Red Jeep Tours (Palm Springs,CA)

One thing I love about Palm Springs Restaurant Week is the Eat.See.Stay deal they have going on. It's not just deals on restaurants but also hotels and attractions like museums, the Living Desert zoo, and tours of the San Andreas fault. During the Restaurant Week, Desert Adventures Red Jeep Tours is doing a combo package with an Indian Canyon eco-tour and lunch at select restaurants ($125), or a San Andreas Fault stargazing/nightwatch tour with dinner ($150).

During our media trip to Palm Springs, we got a chance to experience the San Andreas fault tour.

The red jeeps taking us on the tour

Our tour guide has been with the company for a long time and was very knowledgeable. Our first stop was the oasis. Oasis in the middle of the desert? Yep, apparently there's over 40 billion acres of water underneath this desert and there are palm trees everywhere in this oasis.

Palm Springs Oasis

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Greater Palm Springs, CA

Restaurants
Catalan Restaurant (Rancho Mirage)
Dish Creative Cuisine (Cathedral City)
Mastro's Steakhouse (Palm Desert)

Sights and Activities
Living Desert Zoo and Botanical Garden
San Andreas Fault Tour

25-Layer Pork at Kimukatsu (Honolulu, HI)

With the number of Japanese tourists swarming Hawaii every year, it's no surprise that Honolulu would have great Japanese food. From ramen to handmade soba, you can find pretty much everything here. One of the places I had my eye on was Kimukatsu, famous for their pork katsu made by stacking 25 layers of pork slices, then deep frying it. This way, the katsu is supposed to retain more of the juices than a thick piece of pork cutlet.

Now, Hawaii is also not cheap. An order of pork Katsu set (with rice, cabbage, miso soup, pickles) would be $19 normally but they do have a special menu during lunch. The regular tonkatsu order is not on this menu but you can get a katsudon set ("The Original Kimukatsu Bowl") for $16 or the Kimukatsu Curry for $13.

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