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Netflix releasing 'Street Food' show

When the first season of Chef’s Table debuted in 2015, it changed both food media and the way people consume food media. Director David Gelb’s slow-motion shots and lifting classical music simply took things to another level for fine-dining restaurants and chefs. Now, the same attention is coming to street food with a show called, in as straightforward a name as possible, Street Food.

The show is produced by Gelb and his production company, Supper Club, and set to release on Netflix on April 26.

“From the creators of Chef’s Table, Street Food takes viewers to some of the world’s most vibrant cities to explore the rich culture of street food all over the globe,” Brian McGinn, a Chef’s Table producer, shared on Twitter. “Season one explores nine countries across Asia, from the hawker stalls of Singapore to the food carts of India. Each episode highlights the stories of perseverance and culture that bring life to each country’s cuisines.”

Other than that, not much is known about the new series, including who will be featured. A promotional photo Netflix provided to Eater, however, does show Thai chef Jay Fai. Fai runs the first Bangkok street cart to get a Michelin star. Whoever ends up getting featured, you can count on getting a gorgeous look at some of the best street food across Asia.


More like this: The definitive guide to the best street food in Thailand (and where to find it)

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HBO hides six Iron Thrones

“The next one is in The North.” This phrase has captivated Game of Thrones fans since yesterday’s announcement that the first of six Iron Thrones HBO is hiding around the world — ahead of the premiere of the final season on April 14 — has been found. Two men found the first throne in the ancient woodland forest of Puzzlewood in England, and for their efforts, HBO rewarded the pair with a crown resembling that of the late King Robert Baratheon in season one.

The children of the forest’s true kings have arrived. #ForTheThrone #ThroneoftheForest https://t.co/ma95JE6tp0 pic.twitter.com/UhdedAgu47

— Sky Atlantic (@skyatlantic) March 20, 2019

The rumor mill is turning with talk of where the second one is located, with Iceland being a popular idea, but with blankets of snow still covering much of the northern hemisphere, the playing field is vast. There’s also speculation that each crown will be modeled after other kings and queens. One thing is certain, however — you’d better get a move on if you hope to find this second throne. The first one was found in only one day. HBO posted the below video as a guide to the throne’s location deep in The North. Bring your jacket because it looks quite cold.

Searching for Iron Thrones is just the latest in HBO’s campaign to hype the show’s final six episodes. Last month, the network partnered with the Red Cross for a blood drive aptly titled Bleed for the Throne, and the Create for the Throne campaign urged artists from across the world to recreate some of the show’s most popular props and weapons (check out these glass daggers made by an artist from Kansas).

We’re off to The North, and before you even ask, the answer is no — we’re not sharing any more hints with you because this next crown is ours.


More like this: The best one-day ‘Game of Thrones’ road trip through Northern Ireland

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Amsterdam bans tours of red-light

For many travelers to Amsterdam, walking through the city’s famed red-light district is on their list of must-dos. But the locals have officially had it with the hordes of travelers in the oldest neighborhood in the city.

As travel to the Dutch capital continues to rise, Amsterdam’s residents and city council are concerned about tourists behaving inappropriately in the district. “It is no longer acceptable in this age to see sex workers as a tourist attraction,” city councilor Udo Kock said in a formal statement issued on Wednesday. Although it is strictly forbidden to take pictures of sex workers in Amsterdam, this is a constant issue with visitors.

City council has moved to ban all guided tours of the district in an effort to curb overcrowding in the city center and reduce the number of tourists, especially those whose behavior is disrespectful. On January 1, 2020, all organized tours of the red-light district — both free and paid — will be no longer.

The New York Times reported that the red-light district currently sees more than 1,000 tours each week, with tourists clogging the central Oudekerksplein square and prompting many long-time local residents to declare the city center unliveable.

In addition to banning red light tours, guided tours of other parts of Amsterdam’s historic city center will be capped at 15 people, down from the current max of 20, and guides must obtain certification from the city council and pass a “quality check” in order to lead them.

The move to ban tours in the red-light district and restrict them throughout the rest of the city is the latest in a series of steps taken to better control the rapidly rising numbers of visitors to the city each year, which topped 19 million in 2018 according to The Guardian. Previous measures include introducing tougher regulations on Airbnb, implementing a seven percent tourist tax, and restricting development of new hotels and tourist-centric shops.

H/T: The Guardian

More like this: What you should and shouldn’t do in Amsterdam’s red-light district

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Huge sunfish washes up in Australia

Australia is living up to its reputation as the home of strange animals. A rare sunfish, also called Mola mola, washed ashore in South Australia, at the mouth of the Murray River, about 50 miles south of Adelaide.

Linette Grzelak and her partner, Steven Jones, who discovered the animal, told Guardian Australia that they thought it was a piece of shipwreck at first. The peculiar, flat-bodied fish was about six feet long, and according to National Parks South Australia, sunfish are “the world’s largest bony fish and can weigh more than a car.”

Sunfish aren’t usually found in that area, as they typically roam in the open ocean waters where they can feast on jellyfish. Their name itself comes from their habit of basking in the sun for warmth before diving hundreds of feet underwater.

According to Ralph Foster, the fish collection manager at the South Australian Museum, not much is known about the fish. They can, however, do a good deal of damage to passing ships in the event of a collision.

As large as the fish might have appeared, according to Foster this particular sunfish is just average-sized. “They can get nearly twice as big as that,” he said.

Earlier this month, a six-feet-eight-inch sunfish (a Mola tecta this time) washed up on the shores of California.

H/T: The Guardian

More like this: How a guy who’d never caught a fish learned the beauty of the sport in the wilds of Alaska

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1,600 people secretly recorded

They placed hidden cameras inside wall sockets and hair dryers to catch a glimpse of hotel guests sans clothing in 30 motels across 10 cities in South Korea. Then they uploaded the covert videos of intimate activities online for profit. This new hotel spycam scandal involving four men is inciting outrage among South Koreans already on edge about the scourge of undercover filming which has swept their country. In September 2018, The New York Times explained that more than 30,000 cases of clandestine filming have been reported in South Korea since 2013.

In this instance, the hotel guests were often livestreamed on the website of the perpetrators. In total, more than 1,600 motel guests were victimized by the surreptitious filming.

Visitors to the website that hosted the footage could pay to watch full-length videos or opt for free 30-second clips. But authorities caught on and South Korean police recently arrested four men in connection with the ring. The men now face up to 10 years in prison and, if convicted, also face a fine of up to $26,571.

These charges are significantly more than the $6,200 the men reportedly earned while in the ring and are significantly harsher than the typical sentence handed down in similar cases, which stipulates a prison term of up to five years and a fine of $9,259, according to the Korea Herald. “The police agency strictly deals with criminals who post and share illegal videos as they severely harm human dignity,” an official of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s cyber investigation unit explained to the news outlet.

Pornography — both producing it and posting it online — is illegal in South Korea, a policy some blame for the spread of undercover filming. In this case, the owners of the website registered the site’s server outside of the country and were able to post a total of more than 800 videos before getting caught.

In Seoul, the installation of hidden cameras in bathrooms has become so rampant that the city has pledged to conduct daily inspections of its 20,554 public toilets. In 2017, more than 6,000 cases of “spy cam porn” were reported in the country, according to the BBC.

H/T: BBC

More like this: Picture of couple having sex on top of the Great Pyramid of Giza sparks fury

The post 1,600 secretly recorded in spycam porn ring in South Korean hotels appeared first on Matador Network.

Best local food spots in Chicago

Chicago is one of the great food and restaurant cities in the world. The city has everything from world-class fine dining to incredible hole-in-the-wall dives, and more cuisines from more regions and countries around the world than almost anywhere else. It’s no surprise then that Chicago gets its fair share of foodie travelers, but even those most in the know miss some of the city’s best places. These are the local favorites that tend to stay hidden — the spots where the chefs eat on their days off, where we go for our most special occasions, and most importantly, where we go after a hard night of partying. Here are the best food spots only locals know about in Chicago.

1. The Publican

Photo: The Publican/Facebook

The Publican serves some of the best food in the city in a beautifully designed space that is totally free of pretension. The eclectic menu begins as a tribute first to beer, pork, and oysters, and builds from there to cover a wide range of farmhouse fare that is at once simple and elegant. Most Chicago chefs will have Publican on their top five list, so you know it’s good. It works with local purveyors whenever possible, and always uses only the highest quality ingredients. Its house-made charcuteries are some of the best around. If you want to find a truly great dining experience in Chicago, there are few better than here.

Where: 837 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607,

2. San Soo Gab San Korean Barbeque

There’s really no wrong time to eat Korean barbeque, and that’s what makes the open-late San Soo Gab San such a favorite of Chicagoans. It’s a perfect spot to go for lunch when you can get some fantastic food at amazing prices. It’s also a great dinner spot, but it’s late-night when it really comes into its own. Officially open until 1:00 AM and 2:00 AM on Friday and Saturday nights, San Soo Gab San is often open 24 hours, but it’s always best to call ahead and check. There may be no better food after a night out drinking, and the social atmosphere around the coals (along with plenty of beer and soju) makes for an insanely fun way to keep the party going. The thinly sliced meats are high quality, the banchan (side dishes) are plentiful, and the cooked items like the seafood pancake and the fiery soups like kalbi tang are always excellent.

Where: 5247 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

3. Goose Island Shrimp House

Photo: Goose Island Shrimp House/Facebook

Located along Division Street on a mainly industrial island in the Chicago River, Goose Island Shrimp House is an absolute institution in Chicago. Goose Island has been doing some of the city’s best seafood, including the signature shrimp but also oysters, catfish, frog legs, and more since 1973. It stays open late for the party crowd from the bars along Division Street to the east and west of the island. This joint is and always has been cash and carry-out only.

Where: 1011 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60462

4. Margie’s Candies

Margie’s Candies is about as legendary as a place can get in Chicago. This candy shop and sit-down ice cream parlor has been open in the same Bucktown location and owned by the same family since 1921. Margie herself was a regular fixture in the place into the early ‘90s and plenty of Chicagoans will remember special occasions here with her stopping by the table. Margie’s was rumored to be a favorite of Al Capone, and legends like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones have visited. All nostalgia aside, the chocolates and sundaes are to die for, and yet somehow this place still flies under the radar.

Where: 1960 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

5. The Biscuit Man

Photo: The Biscuit Man/Facebook

The Biscuit Man is a restaurant located inside of The Long Room bar on Irving Park Road. The unusual business arrangement works well, letting this fantastic watering hole focus on being a great bar, and letting The Biscuit Man work his biscuity magic. This spot does a bit of everything and does it all pretty much flawlessly. It doesn’t make sense that one kitchen attached to a bar could do outstanding Indian dishes, fantastic charcuterie, and amazing biscuits, including some of Chicago’s best breakfast sandwiches, but it pulls it off. Best of all, the morning and evening menus are constantly changing and keeping things fun and interesting. This spot is a favorite of locals, and especially of local chefs.

Where: 1612 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613

6. Red Hot Ranch

As hard as it is to believe, you can get one of Chicago’s best hamburgers at a joint that already does some of the city’s best Chicago-style hot dogs, and it’s about as cheap as it could possibly be. Red Hot Ranch is a typical hot dog joint but whose food stands out above the rest. The hot dogs and Polish sausages are as close to perfection as you’ll find, the thin griddled burgers are incredible, the hand-cut fries are excellent, and it’s open late, which is when this food is at its best. Pro tip: Add a pound or a half pound of the French-fried shrimp to your late-night order. You may regret it, but your taste buds definitely won’t.

Where: Two locations on the North Side

7. Red Apple Buffet

Photo: Red Apple Buffet/Facebook

To some, this glorious all-you-can-eat buffet is known as the Red Apple Buffet. To others, particularly in the immediate neighborhood, it’s Czerwone Jabluszko. And to its most dedicated following, it’s simply Polish Buffet, and it’s fantastic. There’s more food here than you could ever know what to do with, including house-made pierogi, stuffed cabbage, kielbasa sausage, blintzes, potato pancakes, roast meats, plus a great salad bar full of veggies, fruits, and desserts. Unlike most all-you-can-eat buffets, Red Apple serves high-quality food made fresh daily. The prices are as good as the food, meaning you can wash it all down with a cold Polish beer and still waddle out for under $30. Prices and selection increase a bit on weekends.

Where: Two locations on the Northwest Side and Logan Square Farmers Market

8. Nhu Lan Bakery

There’s something about a Vietnamese banh mi that just always hits the spot, and the best spot for these amazing sandwiches in Chicago is at Nhu Lan Bakery on Lawrence. The real secret here is that it’s a bakery, so the baguettes are baked fresh daily. Fresh vegetable condiments and garnishes, and perfectly seasoned meat and tofu toppings take it to the next level. Grab a Vietnamese iced coffee or a fresh fruit smoothie to go with your sandwich and you’ve got a perfect lunch, for an unbeatable price. Nhu Lan is a true local’s favorite in Chicago.

Where: 2612 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60625


More like this: The 9 best Irish bars in Chicago

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Grlswirl skaters teaching in Mexico

The migrant caravan — a mass of thousands of Central Americans who have walked for months to seek asylum in the US — arrived at the Tijuana border in November 2018. Common misconceptions due to our current political climate associate danger, violence, and a threatening drug cartel with the border town and migrants. But traveling to Mexico, visiting the shelters, and connecting with individual migrants — many of them young, unaccompanied minors — sheds light on a much different experience.

Grlswirl, a grassroots, all-female skate community from Venice, California, and an all-female team consisting of a photographer, videographer, journalist, and translator ventured to migrant refugee shelters in Tijuana. In this Matador Original video, the crew of 10 women journey to three shelters with trunks packed full of 100 new skateboards and much-needed donations with the goal of teaching migrant children the basics of skateboarding.

What emerges through the skateboarding lessons is personal connections, laughter, and positivity that offers a momentary reprieve of the refugees’ harsh realities from their current daily livelihoods. Kids get to be kids again through the simple act of skateboarding.

Photo: Rae Cerreto

Photo: Rae Cerreto

The stories of the migrants settled in the caravan camps parallel one another in challenge, difficulty, and purpose. Many walked thousands of miles to Tijuana from Central American countries including Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Often with no more than the clothes on their backs and a backpack of belongings, they’ve fled violence or persecution and the lack of socioeconomic opportunities. They wait at camps in Mexico for asylum in the US without any assurance of when that will be — especially in the wake of President Trump declaring a “national emergency” over border security and vetoing Congress’s attempt to override the order.

“The people of the migrant caravan have an uphill battle they do not deserve,” documentary photographer, Rae Ceretto explains. “The governments on both sides [US and Mexico] are making it difficult for people to legally and illegally go through the system. Getting asylum in America or refugee status in Mexico is only the first step of a long journey.”

Photo: Rae Cerreto

When it comes to daily life in the migrant caravan shelters, overcrowding, wet, and filthy conditions are their normal. Food and extra clothing are minimal. Access to personal hygiene amenities is even more limited. Thousands of people are stuck waiting — exhausted, dirty, uncomfortable, and frightened — in shelters consisting of tent cities, to file for asylum in the US or have their cases reviewed.

Throughout the documentary, GrlSwirl meets children whose living situation robs them of the lighthearted play and laughter of a typical childhood. The goal of the project is to teach the children an active skill, empower them with the strength and discipline required to skate, and above all, just have fun and be a kid again. At the same, these women are challenging stereotypes they face themselves as female skaters, teaching and bonding with both young boys and girls.

Photo: Rae Cerreto

Photo: Rae Cerreto

“Working with my friends in GrlSwirl made an otherwise bleak situation fun and full of love,” Ceretto says. “I think they are an incredible group of women creating change in a rad way. The blending of these two worlds to create change is incredibly powerful. I hope that others see the work we did and are inspired to enact change around them. The only thing dividing us is a wall. We are all humans and deserve to be treated with the same kindness and compassion.”

Visiting two more shelters, GrlSwirl continues to break language and cultural barriers, teaching dozens more children the basics of skateboarding. Through this compassionate action, the shelters fill with the sounds of laughter and rolling skateboards. Afterward, shelter workers told the organization that the kids spend their whole day practicing and maintaining their skateboards (and decorating them with stickers), and they sleep with the boards at their bedside.

Photo: Rae Cerreto

Photo: Rae Cerreto

Libertad Velarde, an invaluable member of the team and Tijuana local, acted as the Mexican liaison and translator for GrlSwirl during their visit. Velarde witnessed a real shift in the children’s demeanor after watching the women hold their hands during the skate lessons and shower the kids with high fives and positive reinforcement. She said it reminds her of a Maya Angelou quote:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said

People will forget what you did

But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

“My main takeaway from GrlSwirl’s visit is the way the women made each kid feel. They felt seen, they felt valued, they felt like they mattered,” Velarde said.

Editor’s note: Due to many of the children being unaccompanied minors, some of the photos do not show the subjects’ faces in order to protect their identities.

More like this: Tijuana, the City of Migrants, is Mexico’s most underrated food city

The post These badass women are teaching skateboarding to migrant children at the border to let them be kids again appeared first on Matador Network.

Best things to in Pristina, Kosovo

The Republic of Kosovo is Europe’s youngest country. It broke from Serbia on February 17, 2008, and in 2010 the International Court of Justice declared it a sovereign nation. Despite its newfound independence, Kosovo’s unusual history actually stretches as far back as the Roman Empire. A trip there offers both a glimpse into a country working to build a future of its own making and a window into understanding how today’s Balkan states came to be. Here, everything from the cafe culture to the nightlife to the tourist attractions has a strong Balkan — and also uniquely Kosovan — flavor, making a Balkans trip without experiencing Kosovo incomplete. Here’s how to get the most out of a trip through Kosovo.

This post-Yugoslav country is building its own identity.

Photo: Martyn Jandula/Shutterstock

Kosovo, home to just under two million people, abuts Montenegro and Albania to the west and Macedonia to the south, but it’s bordered to the north and east by the country under whose control it was once under: Serbia. Despite being internationally recognized, a handful of countries, Serbia included, refuse to recognize Kosovo’s independence; they maintain, rather, that the region seceded illegally. While tensions are still present between Kosovo and Serbia, the area today is a safe and engaging place to visit. Start in Pristina, Kosovo’s capital and the base for its social scene and most of the primary tourist attractions.

To welcome yourself to town and get a feel for the proud and often rebellious spirit that permeates the city, make the Newborn Monument your first stop. A work of art more than a monument in the traditional sense, this typographic structure in the center of downtown literally spells the word “newfound.” It pays homage to the country’s independence, unveiled on the same day Kosovo formally left Serbia.

Photo: LMspencer/Shutterstock

The piece is repainted annually to reflect a theme for the year, most recently celebrating 10 years of being an independent state. Written in English instead of the widely spoken Albanian or Serbian, the monument also serves as a testament to Kosovo’s embrace of modernism and as a firm rebuke of the isolationist policies that dominated its recent past.

Another must-do in the city is the National Library of Kosovo, as renowned for its architecture — domed spires that are remarkably space-like — as its collection of works documenting the country’s history. Beyond Pristina, Kosovo’s countryside is dotted with both lush farmland and rolling mountains. For a dose of natural splendor, day trip to Rugova Canyon two hours west by bus for hiking. For another urban adventure, the city of Prizren is two hours south by bus.

You can walk through Ottoman and Yugoslavian history.

Photo: OPIS Zagreb/Shutterstock

The Museum of Kosovo is the place to read up on the area’s Ottoman and Yugoslavian history, though part of the experience is characterized by what isn’t actually there. Many of the museum’s artifacts were moved to Belgrade by the Serbians before the open revolt began in 1998, and most have never been returned. The Yugoslavian army controlled the building until 1975, and today it still houses an extensive display of military weaponry along with its noted archaeology exhibit and the affiliated Ethnological Museum, which sits on the same complex in the heart of the city.

Once you’ve made it through the museum, walk to one of the nearby Serbian Orthodox churches, such as Christ The Saviour Cathedral or the St. Nicholas Church. Serving as central meeting points for Pristina’s Christians throughout the region’s many transitions, these historic structures offer a glimpse into the history of Christianity in Kosovo, which dates to the rule of the Roman Empire.

Photo: mastapiece/Shutterstock

While Pristina is lined with beautifully crafted Serbian Orthodox churches, the church many westerners opt to visit is actually Roman Catholic. Mother Teresa, who was born in nearby Skopje, Macedonia, spent part of her childhood in the small town of Letnica just north of the Kosovo-Macedonia border. In this town is the Church of the Blessed Lady where, according to reports, she claimed to have found her religious calling. In honor of her time in Kosovo, in 2010 a new church in Pristina was christened the Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa. You can view the church just off the M9 highway, about a 20-minute walk from the statue of Bill Clinton. Look for its bell tower rising over the city.

Despite the longstanding presence of Christianity in Kosovo, the country’s primary religion is Islam, brought by the Ottoman Empire during its reign from 1455 to 1912. Numerous historical mosques can be found across Kosovo though you’ll have to escape the capital to see them. Many are located in and around the Gjakova Municipality in the west of the country, including the Hadum Mosque and, farther south, the Sinan Pasha Mosque. Just north of Pristina in the town of Vushtrri is the Gazi Ali Beg Mosque, which was reconstructed following heavy damage during the conflicts of the late 1990s.

Balkan hospitality is on full display.

Photo: OPIS Zagreb/Shutterstock

Nearly half of Kosovo’s population is under age 25, young enough that they were kids when the country gained independence and, in some cases, too young to remember the end of the formal conflict in the late 1990s. They’re quick to point visitors to the statue of President Bill Clinton, however, whose intervention in 1999 helped end armed conflict and who, along with President George W. Bush, now has a Pristina street named after him. Kosovo’s young population is learning English in droves, and locals aren’t shy about asking you where you’re from and where you’re going.

The official currency is the euro, but as a visitor, you’ll find the cost of everything from restaurant meals to hotel rooms to an afternoon beer to be much more affordable than in much of Europe. That beer shouldn’t run you more than €1.50, and you can often find a meal in a typical restaurant for under eight euros.

Stroll the streets of Pristina and you’ll be invited into shops by owners standing out front. Downtown, between the City Stadium and City Park, is a lively commercial district lined with bars, clubs, and restaurants. This is where to head if a night out is in the cards. Kosovan hospitality is warm and open, untainted by the jaded service staffs and long queues common in many of Europe’s more popular tourist hubs. The locals are outgoing, quick to offer advice on sightseeing, nightlife, and whether or not the menu at your hotel restaurant is to be trusted.

Photo: Budimir Jevtic/Shutterstock

The other way to experience this hospitality firsthand is to visit a qebaptore. These small, family-run grills stand as odes to how much residents of Kosovo, and indeed the Balkans as a whole, love a big plate of freshly grilled meat. You’ll smell barbecue each time you round a corner in nearly any Kosovan city, and as it goes when eating street food the world over, your best bet is to find a shop with a healthy contingent of locals congregated out front.

Kosovoans stop by a qebaptore for a quick bite on the go or to catch up with family and friends. Opt for a combination of individual meats and sides or go all-in with pljeskavica, a meat patty resembling a hamburger and typically made of pork, beef, and lamb. It’s reminiscent of a gyro and usually served with potatoes, cabbage, and, if you’re in the right spot, cottage cheese. Wash it down with a glass of Raki, a brandy-ish spirit that is both mass-produced and bootlegged throughout the region. Dive into a conversation with those around you on the Balkan states’ increased role on the global stage, and you’ll fit right in.


More like this: Here’s why Montenegro is an outdoors paradise

The post Why you shouldn’t overlook Kosovo on your Balkan trip appeared first on Matador Network.

Super Worm Moon last super moon 2019

It’s only mid-March, but 2019 has already been quite the year for Super Moon enthusiasts, with several crazily named celestial events like the Super Snow Moon and Super Blood Wolf Moon. Tonight, stargazers in the northern hemisphere will be treated to a sight that is, according to the scientists who name these things, truly a once-in-a-lifetime event.

It’s called the Super Worm Moon, and before you ask, the answer is no — there won’t be hordes of giant, slithering annelids taking over our streets. The name does refer to worms, though, as they tend to emerge from the soil around this time of year. The “super” part refers to the fact that the moon happens to be full at the point in its orbit where it is closest to Earth, which will make tonight’s show quite easy to see for those of us blessed with a clear sky.

Making tonight’s Super Worm Moon even more special is the fact that it coincides with the spring equinox, which according to a report in The Guardian hasn’t taken place since 1905 and won’t happen again until 2144. It’s also the last Super Moon expected to appear in 2019.

The Super Worm Moon should be bright and obvious to any in Europe and North America. So if you’re in need of something to do tonight, grab those dusty binoculars off the closet shelf and park yourself in a lawn chair facing east. Luna promises not to disappoint.

H/T: The Guardian

More like this: Meet the photographer who chases stars around the world

The post Tonight is the last time a Super Worm Moon will coincide with the Spring Equinox in your lifetime appeared first on Matador Network.

Best things to do in Tampa, Florida

Going to Florida for vacation has been an American tradition since the invention of air conditioning. But for business? Outside of Latin American finance and quote-unquote “exotic” imports, folks usually didn’t come down this way to do anything that resembled “serious.”

But that’s changed in the past couple of decades, and as business in Florida booms so does the number of people who come here for work. Since the sunshine state was a vacation destination to begin with, it’s also the perfect place to blend business and leisure travel — or “bleisure” as the cool kids say. Orlando and Miami are fairly obvious when looking for how to extend your business trip, but if you’re looking for the beaches, food, nightlife, and general laid-back excitement that make Florida so fun, Tampa might be the best place in the state to add an extra day onto your trip. Read on for how to make the most out of a business trip to Tampa, from where to take your work appointments to the spots you need to explore on your own.

For business
The morning coffee

Photo: Buddy Brew Coffee/Facebook

Tampa’s coffee culture is strong for a warm-weather city, and stop into any of Blind Tiger Cafe’s locations and you’ll serve the dual mission of getting your morning jolt and picking up some unique local souvenirs. Buddy Brew is another popular coffee shop though the chocolate chip cookies might be the real star. Foundation Coffee also has locations in Tampa Heights, Riverview, and Sparkman’s Wharf.

The business lunch

Though it doesn’t fit your conventional mould of a corporate lunch spot, Oxford Exchange sits in a refurbished 1890s building filled with white brick and restored wood. The food is light, long on salads and flatbreads using local ingredients, and if the weather’s nice you can conduct your business in the outdoor tea garden.

You might also check out On Swann in the fashionable Hyde Park neighborhood, where you’ll find yourself dining among lawyers, tech entrepreneurs, and other young professionals.

The daytime work drinks

Assuming you’re not visiting in the blazing heat of summer, or at least are dressed for the occasion, grab some cool, refreshing adult beverages at Remedy along the Downtown Tampa Riverwalk. Here you can enjoy calming views of the Hillsborough River and the west shore while sipping on stuff like watermelon-lime Margaritas and the Rum Baba, made with Caribbean rum, Velvet Falernum, lime, and pineapple.

If you’d rather enjoy cocktails in ice cold AC, go to The Collection, the cocktail bar at the Hall on Franklin food hall. It’s separated from the larger eating space with a designated seating area, perfect for chatting business over martinis.

The after-work decompression

Photo: Matt Carter Images/Shutterstock

Take a stroll along Tampa’s three-mile Riverwalk, which runs along the Hillsborough River next to downtown. Though it’s in the middle of a busy urban area, Riverwalk is a calming waterside path where you’ll see crew teams from University of Tampa and other national universities rowing in perfect cadence, and pass by a number of city parks along the way.

If you’re doing business in the Westshore area, head to Cypress Point Park, one of the city’s hidden gems with beaches right on the bay. If you don’t mind the occasional Airbus skimming your head it’s a peaceful spot with few people and lots of nature, with views over Tampa Bay and the causeways to St. Petersburg.

The happy hour

The city’s best happy hour is at Haven, an offshoot of the iconic Bern’s Steakhouse that serves charcuterie plates and over 600 whiskeys. You’ll find $5 wines by the glass, $4 cocktails, and $3 beers, so even if you’re on an expense account your company comptroller will thank you.

The business dinner

Photo: Oak & Ola/Facebook

Bern’s is the classic, obvious choice for a meal with clients, one of America’s legendary steakhouses with five million bottles of wine and a salad included with your steak.

If you want something a little less staid, try Oak & Ola. It’s the sit-down restaurant at the Armature Works food hall from James Beard Award-winner Anne Kearney, with an inventive menu of her twists on European classics, set right on the river.

If that menu’s not speaking to you, you’ll also find Steelbach, a restaurant that sources many ingredients from its own farm. It’s also set in Armature Works — a restored brick warehouse turned food hall — and specializes in Southern Food and steaks.

The spot for after dinner

Photo: Ciro’s/Facebook

We know what you’re thinking. Tampa. After dinner on a business trip. Only one place to go… Ciro’s! No? Well you should give it a shot anyway, as this cool speakeasy in South Tampa’s historic Bayshore Building sits behind an intimidating wooden door that you’ll need a password to get through. The password’s easily obtained with a reservation, and once inside you’ll find a dim, relaxing ambience where vested bartenders shake classic cocktails under ornate ceilings that look straight out of pre-Depression America.

You can also venture out into the Seminole Heights neighborhood, generally considered Tampa’s hotbed of new restaurants and cocktail bars. Mandarin Heights is the go-to here, where the city’s most inventive mixologists have a rotating menu of drinks set among local art and palm-tree wallpaper.

For leisure
The way to see the city

Photo: Jason Sponseller/Shutterstock

The best way to see the best of Tampa is by getting out on the city’s water taxis. For a pretty reasonable $20 you can spend the entire day on a Pirate Water Taxi, cruising up the Hillsborough River past the University of Tampa and its iconic minarets, up to Rick’s on the River. Enjoy a drink or five with local boaters before heading back on the taxi past the Straz Performing Arts Center, the Amelie Arena, and the towers of downtown Tampa.

The day trip

Photo: FloridaStock/Shutterstock

Though Tampa proper has some fantastic natural options, you’d be remiss if you didn’t get some serious beach time in across the causeway in St. Petersburg. The best beach for pure relaxation is at Fort DeSoto Park, where you’ll have pristine white sands and calm turquoise waters mostly to yourself. Plus biking and hiking trails that take you through thick Florida wilderness.

After you’ve gotten your fill of the sand, head up the coast to St. Pete Beach and cruise bars right on the sand like Undertow Beach Bar, where you can watch the sunset, beer in hand, and completely forget you came here for work. Or head a little further north into Clearwater, home of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Winter the Dolphin from the Dolphin Tale movies.

The neighborhood to explore

Photo: VIAVAL/Shutterstock

Ybor City might be the most unique neighborhood in Florida, a collection of old cigar factories and French architecture that feels a little like a brick-lined Bourbon Street. It’s home to three breweries, including the massive Coppertail, Zydeco Brew Works with its balcony overlooking 7th Avenue, and Tampa Bay Brewing with a courtyard in Centro Ybor. You’ll also find Cigar City’s Cider and Meadery, the legendary Columbia Restaurant, and no shortage of cigar stores rolling fresh stogies.

By day you can stroll the streets with a cigar sampling cocktails along the main drag. By night hit one of Ybor’s many bars or live music venues like The Ritz and CrowBar. It’s easily accessible from downtown, too, with a streetcar running between the two neighborhoods taking maybe 20 minutes and costing nothing.

The best place for a variety of food

Photo: Sparkman Wharf/Facebook

Like seemingly every city, Tampa has a couple of gleaming new food halls at Armature Works and Hall on Franklin. But nowhere in Tampa compares to Sparkman Wharf, a new waterfront collection of brightly painted shipping containers where the city’s best chefs serve up everything from Thai food to vegan dishes to Detroit-style pizza. Grab your meal and enjoy the sunshine in one of its many outdoor tables or under the shelter of the main bar, which serves local beers on draft and ice-cold cocktails. The Wharf is also home to the Splitsville bowling alley, where you’ll find Tampa’s best fried chicken and most eclectic menu of Margaritas.

The restaurant to try

Photo: Rooster & the Till/Facebook

If you’re short on time and simply want the best of the best, have your Uber drop you in Seminole Heights if you’re looking for the city’s best block-for-block restaurant scene. Though it’s not particularly walkable, it’s where you’ll find Rooster and The Till, a boisterous, open-kitchen New American restaurant that’s long on seafood and creative ways to make brussels sprouts. The wait can be long, so grab a seat at the bar where you get a front row seat to your food being made, and the same menu you’d get at one of the surrounding tables.

For something a little more worldly, stop into Ichicoro Ramen, which one frequent business traveler told me was the best he’d had outside Japan. And yes, that includes New York City. If noodles aren’t your game, head to the BYOB Yummy House China Bistro, the spot most locals will point to as not only the best Chinese restaurant in the city but also the most fun.

The place to drink in local culture

Photo: Cigar City Brewing/Facebook

Tampa Bay has arguably a bigger and better beer scene than much larger South Florida, and the crown jewel is Cigar City. Its Tampa taproom offers beers all brewed in the city (ones you find in stores are often brewed elsewhere) and is surprisingly small for a brewery its size.

Though not known nationally for live music, Ybor City has the densest collection of live venues in the state, where you can catch well known national acts in intimate spaces like Crowbar, The Orpheum, and The Ritz. If you’re down for an adventure, spend a night at The Castle, a club in a church that inspired New York City’s famous Limelight. The crowd can skew a little goth, but catch it on the first Friday of the month and you’ll be there for ‘80s night.


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