Carole Terwilliger Meyers's Blog, page 96

Things to Do: Chinatown and Little Italy Food Fest tour, NYC

Ahoy NY Tours & Tasting 212-209-3370. Tour group size is limited to 12 people.

●Chinatown and Little Italy Food Fest  Meets on Canal St. $45. This 3-hour tasting spree stops at five venues, and, according to founder Alana Hoye, "helps align history, culture, and cuisine." Tastings include fresh housemade mozzarella paired with prosciutto, a Sicilian cannoli pastry, a sit-down Thai lunch, a Chinese dumpling, and Chinese ice cream. Shops on the tour are family-owned and have been in business for more than 100 years. Among the historical tidbits dished out are the site of a famous mob hit and also the location of NYC's oldest tenement—which just happens to be a few doors down from where my daughter rents a very small apartment in a building that is almost as old. Alana also dishes on the best Italian restaurants in Little Italy.



image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Things to Do: Chinatown and Little Italy Food Fest, NYC

Ahoy NY Tours & Tasting 212-209-3370. Tour group size is limited to 12 people.

●Chinatown and Little Italy Food Fest  Meets on Canal St. $45. This 3-hour tasting spree stops at five venues, and, according to founder Alana Hoye, "helps align history, culture, and cuisine." Tastings include fresh housemade mozzarella paired with prosciutto, a Sicilian cannoli pastry, a sit-down Thai lunch, a Chinese dumpling, and Chinese ice cream. Shops on the tour are family-owned and have been in business for more than 100 years. Among the historical tidbits dished out are the site of a famous mob hit and also the location of NYC's oldest tenement—which just happens to be a few doors down from where my daughter rents a very small apartment in a building that is almost as old. Alana also dishes on the best Italian restaurants in Little Italy.



image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Good Eats: Tasty n Sons, Portland, Oregon

Tasty n Sons 3808 N. Williams Ave., 503-621-1400; www.tastynsons.com. B-L-D daily; $$. High ceilings combined with industrial chic decor, plus both booths,and communal tables makes this a stylish, comfortable place for brunch, which is served all day. Specialty cocktails includ a Strawberry Alarm Clock made with Boca Loca Cachaca. Plates are meant to be shared, and among the yummiest are chocolate potato doughnuts, bacon-wrapped dates, a cheddar biscuit stuffed with fried chicken and a fried egg (is this begging the question about which to eat first—the chicken or the egg?), and a veggie frittata served in a cast-iron skillet, but many more creative items are options.



image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

Good Eats: Crazy Norwegian's Fish & Chips, Port Orford, Oregon

Crazy Norwegian's Fish & Chips 259 Sixth St. (Hwy.101), (541) 332-8601. L-D W-M, 11:30am-8pm. The fish & chips here is simply the best--the batter is fluffy, the fresh locally-caught fish is tender and moist. Choose a regular portion ($9.75), or a large portion ($12.85) that can easily be shared by two average appetites. A variety of housemade sauces are included, including a tartar with plenty of dill, Cajun remoulade, and ranch. Other items that most diners never get to but which also have a good rep: rich housemade clam chowder; shrimp & chips, crab-melt sandwich, fish tacos, burgers, and local berry pie. The decor is a simple knotty-pine cabin feel with sturdy tables and chairs.



image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Good Eats: Panino Deli & Restaurant, Ajijic, Mexico

Panino Deli & Restaurant Carretera Chapala-Jocotepec 91-A, San Antonio Tlayacapan, 376-766-3822. M-F 11-4. This small, popular spot is within a former house--the restroom still has a shower—and has indoor seating as well as an outdoor patio. Ironically, as in many restaurants here, instead of a local hot sauce you see Tabasco sauce from Louisiana on the table. Specials include meat loaf with mashed potatoes, chicken-fried steak, and spaghetti as well as a superb shrimp Louis.



image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

(image depicts a very good local hot sauce)

Great Sleeps: Coconut Grove Beachfront Cottages, Taveuni Island, Fiji

Coconut Grove Beachfront Cottages 9 Matei Rd., Matei, 679-888-0328. 3 bures. Unsuitable for children. Breakfast included. Located at the north end of the "Garden Island" of Taveuni, just five minutes from Matei Airport, this blissful spot is reached via a 90-minute small-plane ride north from Nadi International Airport. Guests find themselves surrounded by mango trees and coconut palms and feel as if they've arrived almost at the end of the earth. Owner Ronna Goldstein, who hails originally from Connecticut, says, "It was important to us that we retain the solitude and simplicity of the island way of life, which is one reason why we have no disco and no cable TV." On-site activities are few but included in the rate--kayaking in one of the resort's three kayaks, snorkeling (plus special trips out to the reef), mountain biking, and lounging in one of four hammocks. Diving is arranged with a nearby operator. The spacious white sandy beach is a special treat, allowing swimming in the warm water or just flopping on a chaise lounge under a flamboyant tree for a snooze. A complimentary half-hour massage is included for one of a couple on arrival day. For guests who stay five nights or longer, a cooking class with the staff is included, as well as a village visit and candlelight dinner on the beach. The restaurant has a large open-air deck overlooking the ocean, and serves three meals each day; breakfast is complimentary. On Village Night nearby villagers show up to perform meke (a traditional story/dance) on the beach followed by a lovo meal (food cooked in an earth oven over volcanic rocks).



image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Great Sleeps/Good Eats: La Nueva Posada Donato, Ajijic, Mexico

If you're looking for the old Mexico of cobblestone streets lined with colorful bougainvillea, Ajijic will satisfy. Located just 35 miles south of Guadalajara in the often-foggy area surrounding Lake Chapala (Mexico's largest lake), this tiny town is popular with expats, so you reap the benefit of many English-speaking residents and restaurants that cater to American tastes. It is famous for tropical weather and lush vegetation.



La Nueva Posada Donato Guerra #9, (376) 766-14-44;. 19 rooms; 3 stories. Unheated pool. Breakfast included. No smoking; small dogs ok. Free gated parking lot. Though it looks just as you would expect a colonial Mexican inn to look, this authentically replicated lodging was molded from a former lodging only in 1990. The Canadian family that owns it arrived at the lake in 1975, fell in love with the area, and started turning a rundown inn resembling a sow's ear into this delightful silk purse. Located lakeside, in a quiet residential neighborhood just a few blocks from the center of picturesque Ajijic village, it is credited with putting this town on the tourist map. The grounds are planted with native tropical vegetation. Rooms are oversize, with cool stone floors; ten have a lake view. Walls are colorful--picture a shade of pumpkin cutting to cantaloupe--and  decorated with original art. Furniture is heavy Spanish-style, but painted perhaps a light shade of blue. Locally-made baskets hang over light bulbs and cast romantic shadows onto the walls. Some rooms have sliding doors with screens permitting you to open the door to mellow Mexican music drifting up from the restaurant patio, and to the deep, deep silent nights broken in the morning by the pealing of the town's church bells at 6 a.m. and followed by a cacophony of birdsong at sunrise. Rooms are cooled to a comfortable temperature by a ceiling fan; air conditioning is not available.

Restaurant La Rusa is named for a young ballet dancer from Budapest who inherited a gold mine in the early 1900s. It features an expansive patio fronting the lake, with seating under a gigantic banyan tree, and the menu offers both continental and Mexican cuisines.



image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

Great Sleeps/Good Eats: Ajijic, Mexico

If you're looking for the old Mexico of cobblestone streets lined with colorful bougainvillea, Ajijic will satisfy. Located just 35 miles south of Guadalajara in the often-foggy area surrounding Lake Chapala (Mexico's largest lake), this tiny town is popular with expats, so you reap the benefit of many English-speaking residents and restaurants that cater to American tastes. It is famous for tropical weather and lush vegetation.



La Nueva Posada Donato Guerra #9, (376) 766-14-44;. 19 rooms; 3 stories. Unheated pool. Breakfast included. No smoking; small dogs ok. Free gated parking lot. Though it looks just as you would expect a colonial Mexican inn to look, this authentically replicated lodging was molded from a former lodging only in 1990. The Canadian family that owns it arrived at the lake in 1975, fell in love with the area, and started turning a rundown inn resembling a sow's ear into this delightful silk purse. Located lakeside, in a quiet residential neighborhood just a few blocks from the center of picturesque Ajijic village, it is credited with putting this town on the tourist map. The grounds are planted with native tropical vegetation. Rooms are oversize, with cool stone floors; ten have a lake view. Walls are colorful--picture a shade of pumpkin cutting to cantaloupe--and  decorated with original art. Furniture is heavy Spanish-style, but painted perhaps a light shade of blue. Locally-made baskets hang over light bulbs and cast romantic shadows onto the walls. Some rooms have sliding doors with screens permitting you to open the door to mellow Mexican music drifting up from the restaurant patio, and to the deep, deep silent nights broken in the morning by the pealing of the town's church bells at 6 a.m. and followed by a cacophony of birdsong at sunrise. Rooms are cooled to a comfortable temperature by a ceiling fan; air conditioning is not available.

Restaurant La Rusa is named for a young ballet dancer from Budapest who inherited a gold mine in the early 1900s. It features an expansive patio fronting the lake, with seating under a gigantic banyan tree, and the menu offers both continental and Mexican cuisines.



image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

Good Eats: Asia Dog, New York City

Asia Dog 66 Kenmare St. (btw. Mott &; Mulberry, in Nolita, 212-226-8861; . L-D daily. A few steps up from the street, this tiny brick-walled spot has just a few tables. The specialty is hot dogs. Selections are unusual (the Sidney is topped with Thai mango relish and crushed peanuts), dogs are small, and receipts arrive in e-mail. The Korean yam fries are yummy, as is the wasabi potato salad.



image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

Things to Do: Waitavala waterslide, Taveuni Island, Fiji

Waitavala waterslide This is a spot where locals slide down through a stream running over smooth rocks that mimic the form of a waterslide. It is dangerous, and you probably shouldn't go without a local guide. Ours, Ben, was very helpful, with a strong hand and big smile, and he laughed that it was "the longest I've ever held a girl's hand."



videos c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers



1-walking up:





2-Where'd he go?-sliding down, climbing up:





3-sliding down the rest: