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Thanksgiving Eve bar hopping

This is the Travel Take, where Matador’s writers and editors make the case for their favorite travel hacks, tips, and personal tics.

There’s a widespread misconception that Thanksgiving is the biggest November holiday in the United States. Don’t worry if you’ve fallen victim to this fallacy; it happens to the best of us. Thanksgiving may sound like a pretty big deal with its parades, football, and feast of calorie-filled goodness, but it actually sits in the shadow of a much more notable holiday: Thanksgiving Eve. Unlike Christmas Eve, which is reserved for wholesome family time by the fire, Thanksgiving Eve is all about ditching your family and partaking in less-than-wholesome shenanigans that likely involve Fireball shots.

Thanksgiving Eve (also known as “Blackout Wednesday” or “Legends Night”) is the biggest bar night of the year. It’s when everyone from high school who you forgot existed descends on your local bar. It’s a phenomenon that more resembles a fascinating social experiment than a typical Thirsty Thursday, and chances are you either love it or absolutely despise it.

Things are a little different if you’re traveling over Thanksgiving and don’t make it back to your local haunt. Missing out on Thanksgiving Eve might give you more FOMO than missing out on grandma’s apple pie. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s why you should still go out and party with the locals if you’re away from home on Thanksgiving Eve.

The best night of the year to meet the locals

So your family is dragging you to Chagrin Falls, Ohio, for Thanksgiving dinner with your second cousin who you haven’t seen in six years. The situation seems dire. Your hometown friends will be celebrating without you hundreds of miles away. That person you kind of liked sophomore year will be out, and maybe, just maybe, they’ll find you slightly less repulsive eight years later. You could dwell on this and throw yourself a pity party, or you can recognize that you have a unique opportunity. Remember, that giddy, pre-Thanksgiving buzz isn’t limited to your hometown bar; it exists pretty much everywhere across the country, and no matter where you are, you should dive right in.

For travelers that are always seeking to “connect with the locals,” a local bar in a new town is the perfect way to get acquainted with the community. At other times of the year, it can be difficult to hunt down a good time in a small town unless you know exactly where to go and when. On Legends Night, however, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find a bar teeming with locals on a holiday high. In fact, if you were to go out in a big city on Thanksgiving Eve, you’d probably suffer through the deadest night of the year. The beauty of Thanksgiving Eve is that it transforms typically tumbleweed-strewn dive bars into what feels like the Omnia nightclub at Caesars Palace, making it easier than ever to meet new people.

The lesser of two awkwards

If you identify with the camp of people who loathes Thanksgiving Eve, there’s a good chance it’s because seeing people from high school is awkward. No argument there. We all know the feeling of locking eyes with someone we sort of knew 10 years ago, have nothing in common with, and yet thanks to the reunion-like environment, we are now obligated to force a conversation. No thanks.

Luckily, celebrating Thanksgiving Eve in a different town frees you from this social obligation. Inserting yourself into the bar scene as a total stranger is awkward, but at least you’ll be shaking off the social shackles of your high school past. At home, you might scan the room and see dozens of people with whom you have complicated or confusing histories. At a strange bar in a new town, you’ll scan the room and see a blank slate. And if you don’t, that’s what the Fireball shots are for.

Reinvent yourself

Speaking of blank slates, that’s exactly how you should view Thanksgiving Eve in a different town. Unless you were the most popular kid in school with straight As and athletic achievement plaques on the wall, chances are you’d like to change a few things about your high school persona. Now is your chance to be the person you wish you always were.

You can even pretend you went to the same school as everyone else at the bar, and you know what? They’ll probably feel so guilty for not recognizing you, most will just play along. Tell people you dropped out junior year to join the Ukranian Youth Basketball League. Convince people you used to throw the most insane parties until they actually start to believe you. Make up a name. All bets are off on Thanksgiving Eve.

No one will remember you the next day

You’ll always remember your first Thanksgiving Eve away from home, but there’s a good chance no one will remember you. You won’t be sitting in shame at your Thanksgiving dinner, head in your hands, staring glassy-eyed at the turkey and wishing you could swap places with the dead bird. There’s no embarrassment from accidentally spilling a long-held secret you’ve been keeping from a past acquaintance, and no residual gossip about who you did or didn’t speak with. Worst case scenario: You’ll be that random stranger who showed up on Thanksgiving Eve. Best case scenario: You’ll become the legend of that town’s Legend’s Night.


More like this: Where to go this Thanksgiving instead of going home

The post Thanksgiving Eve is the best bar night of the year to party with total strangers appeared first on Matador Network.

Traditional Southern pies

Growing up in North Carolina, pies were a fixture of Sara Foster’s family home. Her mother kept the fridge in their home filled with frozen pie crusts, ready to be filled for family meals. Every Sunday after church, two pies would be waiting for Foster and her sister when they joined their grandmother for lunch: chess pie for her sister and chocolate meringue for her.

The family didn’t just love to eat pie, either. Foster, the founder of Foster’s Market and author of Pie, which is part of the Savor the South cookbook series, grew up in a family of experienced bakers. She would knead the dough for pie crust with her grandmother. Foster’s mother often made pies at 10:00 PM as a late night snack while the family watched television. Her grandfather baked chess pies, too. In her family, making pies was “the easiest thing in the world, almost like making a sandwich,” Foster explains with a laugh.

Today, pie is a national dish, beloved everywhere from Washington to Florida. Yet in the American imagination, pie is often considered a Southern dish prepared by the family matriarch wearing an apron dusted in flour. Foster’s upbringing and lifelong love of pie fits perfectly with what the rest of the country thinks of as Southern culinary traditions. Pie is a staple of Southern life, a comfort food eaten at a communal table with extended family and friends. It also helps define the region’s cuisine.

Why pie flourishes in the South

Photo: Crook’s Corner/Facebook

So many of the most iconic pies in the country have Southern roots: sweet potato in North Carolina and Alabama, pecan in Oklahoma and Texas, key lime in Florida, and coconut cream in South Carolina. Other styles have barely caught on in the rest of the country and remain Southern secrets deeply rooted in the region’s culinary culture. Those seem to best represent what makes the region’s pies so great. Take, for example, Atlantic Beach pie, which emerged alongside the politics and economy of the South.

Bill Smith, former chef at Crook’s Corner, single-handedly reinvigorated interest in Atlantic Beach pie. In 2014, Smith wrote about how, growing up in North Carolina, local legend dictated that it would be fatal to eat dessert after fish. That cut a lot of sweets out of the equation. Commercial fishing has long been key to this coastal state’s economy, and seafood is a pillar of local communities and culture. The one exception to the no dessert after fish rule was lemon pie.

One place where this fish and lemon pie tradition was strongest was at fish camps. These family-owned seafood restaurants sprung up in the late 1960s to serve the growing number of Southerners who moved to the state to work in the booming textile industry. According to Justin Burdett, the current chef at Crook’s Corner, fish camps were Atlantic Beach pie’s original home. There, the dessert was simply called lemon pie.

“It’s what you would eat after you went to a fish house,” Burdett tells me.

Smith backs up Burdett’s story. In an email, he told me that all the seafood restaurants in New Bern, where he grew up, served a version of lemon pie. When Smith became a chef, he promptly forgot all about lemon pie. Then the Southern Foodways Alliance approached Smith to prepare dinner for a summer event for 200 people. He began researching recipes and decided that lemon pie — which he renamed Atlantic Beach pie — would be the perfect dish to represent the South. He made a few adjustments to the traditional recipe, like using crushed Saltine crackers rather than Ritz for the crust because that’s what he had in his pantry, and he swapped meringue for whipped cream for the topping.

The pie was such a hit at the party that he started serving it at Crook’s Corner. Atlantic Beach pie’s intersection of history, tradition, and flavors (the balance between salty, sweet, and tangy citrus is what makes it so tasty), resonated with Southerners, and it’s still the most iconic dish on the restaurant’s menu today.

A spirit of innovation born out of necessity

Photo: Jeremy Pawlowski/Shutterstock

A history of Southern pie would not be complete without mentioning its ties to slavery. This is especially true for enslaved women, who were responsible for all of the cooking in the homes of wealthy white families. Slaves might also be responsible for popularizing another favorite Southern pie: sweet potato pie. Antebellum cookbooks are packed with recipes for this Southern favorite, but slaves likely cooked most of these pies in plantation houses. Sweet potato pie rarely appeared in their own homes until stoves became more affordable, according to food writer and historian Adrian Miller.

After the Civil War, many recipes were adapted during times of food scarcity. NPR reports that one 1863 recipe details how to make an apple pie without apples. In a story for The Washington Post, writer and pastry chef Lisa Donovan that a freed slave who made a living selling pies in 19th century Alabama might be responsible for one of the first ever chess pies. In 1881, a former slave named Abby Fisher published her remarkable cookbook, What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Southern Cooking, which features recipes for custard pie (similar to chess pie), as well as sweet potato pie. Chess pie is another pie that grew out of need — it replaces citrus with vinegar and fresh milk with buttermilk.

Burdett of Crook’s Corner thinks that creating meals, not just pie, with easily obtainable and inexpensive ingredients is an essential piece of Southern cuisine.

“With most food when you’re in the South, when you’re broke you just kind of pull ingredients, and that’s where new things develop and that’s how Southern cuisine stays alive,” Burdett says. “My grandmother just made what she had available, and those dishes morphed into something amazing. That’s just ‘what’s in the kitchen’ kind of cooking. Being broke and not having any money and trying to cook for a family.”

That spirit of innovation born out of necessity might be why the South remains the reigning kingdom of America’s best pies. Foster jokes that after she finished testing recipes for Pie, she gathered all the leftover scraps and crushed up pieces of cookies, potato chips, and pretzels, and, not one to waste, made a pie crust. It ended up being one of her favorite recipes. Her baking philosophy has always centered on experimentation; she encourages deviating from the recipe by adding a little cardamom there or toffee there. The industrious Southern cook knows that you can make pie that your family will love with almost anything.

“It’s an easy thing to make,” says Foster, whose family members whip up their favorite versions from memory, no recipe needed. “The ingredients are pretty common. And it’s a great thing to share. It goes back to people sharing and getting together, and a lot of the time those things are based around food, and I think that’s always been a big part of Southern culture.”

New England’s claim to pie

Photo: Oksana Mizina/Shutterstock

Southern cooks may have elaborated on, and perfected, the American pie recipe, but America’s early colonists — the English Puritans who made their way to a supposedly new world in search of religious freedom — are responsible for bringing pie to America’s shores in the first place.

“When I talk about pies, I often ask what people, usually New Englanders, what they think is the most New England pie,” says Robert Cox, author of New England Pie: History Under a Crust, and head of special collections at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. “Ninety-nine percent of the time the response is apple and pumpkin. Though these are national pies by this point, all of those have deep New England roots.”

Cox says pies have been a part of the American dinner table since the British established their first colonies in New England. So central were pies to their diet that when Emilia Simmons published American Cookery, the first cookbook written by an American in 1796 in Connecticut, she included an entire section of different types of pie crust. New Englanders were especially fond of savory pies; squash pies and mince pies made with meat and fruit were part of the original colonial cuisine. The chicken pie was one especially crucial dish to the early settlers.

“The chicken pie was really dearly loved and was indispensable in the winter time,” says Cox. “You could keep your chickens alive through January and February, when most meals consisted of dried and preserved things. So a chicken pie is a harbinger of spring, a moment of hope and looking forward.”

Like the chicken pie, Cox says that pies were once New England’s most “utilitarian” food, appearing at breakfast, lunch, dinner, as a side, a dessert, or even the centerpiece of the meal. That’s not unlike how pie once functioned in South. And just like in the South, there are pie traditions that exist nowhere else. For instance, in Pennsylvania, shoofly pie is often eaten for breakfast, and it’s not uncommon to eat a piece of cheddar cheese alongside a slice of apple pie.

Photo: Irina Meliukh/Shutterstock

These days, New England pies like apple and pumpkin are all associated with American history — the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving in particular — while those that were once wildly popular, like mince pie, have gone out of style. In that region of the country, pie’s roots are firmly stuck in the past.

Both the South and New England hold their traditions dear, but Southern cooks treat pie almost as a living thing, constantly forcing it to evolve and reinventing old recipes. The South also has a wider range of traditional pies that are just waiting for a new twist, which allows for a more playful and experimental approach to baking. These modern pies are inspired by generations of bakers who started making pies in their kitchens for their families with whatever was available in the pantry. But one thing has stayed the same through all these years: The Southern chef has managed to elevate baking pie to an art form.


More like this: Why the saying should be ‘as American as pumpkin pie,’ not apple

The post All the best pies in the US come from the South. Here’s why. appeared first on Matador Network.

Historic sites take over by nature

Humanity is always trying to subdue nature. We hack down jungles, dynamite our way through rock faces, and build on terrain previously underwater. But we don’t always get our own way. Sometimes, nature fights back, swallowing up entire settlements, sacred constructions, or palaces. Palaces like the 3,500-year-old palace of Kemune in Iraq, a construction from the Mittani Empire, which was flooded by the waters of Mosul Dam Lake before re-emerging after a recent drought. Whether strangled by thick jungle, buried beneath desert sands, or obliterated from the face of the earth by volcanoes, here are seven historic sites that have all been encroached upon — and eventually overtaken — by nature.

1. Sigiriya, Sri Lanka’s ancient Lion Fortress

Photo: maloff/Shutterstock

Fifty-five miles north of the former royal capital of Kandy, the citadel of Sigiriya is perched atop a monumental granite rock that looms almost 600 feet above the surrounding jungle canopy. Its name means “Lion Rock,” which is a reference to the enormous, lion-paws gate that guards the entrance to the fortress.

Built between 477 and 495 AD, Sigiriya was briefly the capital of the Sinhalese kingdom. When the Sinhalese dynasty collapsed due to internal conflict, as well as invasions from India and colonial powers, former administrative centers were abandoned. As the former capital fell into disuse, the jungle began to take over; its location forgotten by all but the residents of nearby villages.

It wasn’t until the arrival of the British Empire that Sigiriya began of interest again. George Turnour, a British civil servant and passionate historian, began studying the Culavamsa — a Sri Lankan chronicle recounting the tale of King Kashyapa, who ordered the construction of Sigiriya. Turnour told the story to a Scottish officer named Jonathan Forbes, who resolved to track down the lost fortress. In 1831, he led the first of two expeditions to the rock, but was unable to scale the cliff faces and to prove whether or not he had found the citadel. Another 20 years passed before British mountaineers successfully summited the peak, “rediscovering” the ancient wonder in the process. Today, Sigiriya is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Sri Lanka’s most popular tourist attractions.

2. Thamugadi, the Roman military outpost buried beneath the Sahara

Photo: Anton_Ivanov/Shutterstock

Also known as Timgad, Thamugadi was a thriving Roman city and military outpost, founded around 100 AD by Emperor Trajan near modern-day Algeria’s Aurès Mountains. Its prosperity proved to be its undoing, attracting frequent attacks from raiders. After repeated offensives, it was ultimately abandoned in the 700s. That left it at the mercy of the Sahara, which blew in and buried the city under desert sand.

It was to remain uninterrupted until 1765, when Scottish explorer James Bruce and Florentine artist Luigi Balugani stumbled across the site. Immediately identifying it as the city founded by Trajan more than a millennium earlier, Bruce and Balugani set about clearing away the sands, discovering a succession of sculptures, an amphitheater, and a triumphal arch. Yet their findings were greeted with skepticism in Europe, and another century passed before British consul Robert Lambert Playfair visited the area. The French assumed control of the region in 1881 and quickly set about unearthing Thamugadi. To this day, it remains one of a few Roman cities to be completely excavated.

3. The ancient Angkor temples near modern-day Siem Reap in Cambodia

Photo: TurneroundDesigns/Shutterstock

The former center of the once-mighty Khmer Empire, Angkor is a 155-square-mile complex containing 70 ruined temples. Once you witness the grandeur of Angkor Wat — the largest religious structure ever built — it seems inconceivable that this sprawling site was ever lost to the outside world. Yet that’s exactly what happened. In the 15th century, when the Khmer Empire declined, the site was abandoned and nature took over.

The site was never truly lost, but it was only after the visit of French explorer Henri Mouhot in the mid-19th century that it caught the attention of the outside world. While the vegetation has largely been beaten back from pristine ruins like Angkor Wat and the labyrinthine temple of Bayon, others — most famously the so-called “Tomb Raider temple” of Ta Prohm — are still enclosed by thick jungle. Strangler fig trees envelope columns, arches, and towers; removing them would likely cause the ancient stonework to collapse. This spellbinding combination of nature and man-made structures has helped to make Angkor Cambodia’s top tourist attraction.

4. The Dolmen of Guadalperal, Spain’s answer to Stonehenge

Photo: Raíces de Peraleda

Popularly known as the “Spanish Stonehenge,” the Dolmen of Guadalperal is a megalithic monument erected between 4,000 and 7,000 years ago near the modern-day city of Cáceres. Believed to have been used as a cemetery and temple, it once featured a series of tall standing stones known as menhirs, topped by horizontal slabs to form an enclosed tomb known as a dolmen.

Forty years after its excavation, the ruins were submerged beneath a reservoir — the result of a vast civil engineering project ordered by dictator Francisco Franco. But the ancient site simply refuses to stay lost. Summer 2019 saw Spain gripped by a drought so severe it caused the reservoir level to sink dramatically, once again exposing the stone circle. Around 140 granite slabs remain; some are still standing millennia after Guadalperal was first erected, while others now lie on their sides. At time of writing, the fate of the site remains unclear. The Spanish Ministry of Culture is under pressure to relocate the boulders to a permanently dry spot before the reservoir inundates them once more.

5. Kolmanskop, the diamond-mining town overtaken by the Namib desert

Photo: Kanuman/Shutterstock

The story of Kolmanskop is one of rapid growth followed by sudden demise. In 1908, a railway worker in the territory then known as German South West Africa discovered some interesting-looking stones while shoveling sand from train tracks in a barren part of the Namib desert. The stones were quickly confirmed to be diamonds, and by 1912, the town of Kolmanskop had been born. That year, the area was responsible for digging up one million carats of diamonds — more than a tenth of the world’s total annual production.

The harsh desert conditions in Kolmanskop — which receives just over half an inch of rainfall a year — didn’t deter would-be miners. A butcher, a baker, a post office, an ice factory, a concert hall, and even a skittle alley were quickly built to feed and entertain the workers. But this prosperity wasn’t to last. Soon, deposits ran low, but the real death knell for the town came with the 1928 discovery of the world’s richest diamond deposit just 170 miles to the south, on the banks of the Orange River. The final resident families moved out in 1956 and the sands of the Namib blew in. Today, the ghost town’s surreal remains can be explored by tourists prepared to make the trek to this isolated part of southwest Namibia.

6. Valle dei Mulini, Italy’s abandoned 13th-century mills

Photo: Crazy nook/Shutterstock

At the bottom of a deep canyon in the Italian coastal town of Sorrento, 30 miles south of Naples, stand the overgrown ruins of a Medieval tech hub. Built as far back as the 13th century, the buildings once housed flour mills, sawmills, and a wash-house for laundering clothes. They were erected in a vast fissure formed by a huge volcanic eruption 35,000 years ago.

The so-called Valle dei Mulini (Valley of Mills) remained a hotbed of industry in the region for centuries, but was eventually rendered obsolete after local pasta factories took over the flour-milling business. It was finally abandoned in the 1940s, allowing nature to move in. Thanks to the crevasse’s humid conditions, lush plant life soon took hold of the stone buildings, creating a verdant ghost town in the heart of modern-day Sorrento.

7. San Juan Parangaricutiro, the Mexican village buried by lava

Photo: stacyarturogi/Shutterstock

In a spot previously occupied by a cornfield, the Parícutin volcano began surging from the earth in January 1943. The resulting eruption lasted for nine years; by the time it stopped, the town of San Juan Parangaricutiro had been wiped from the map, buried beneath dense layers of lava.

The church of San Juan Parangaricutiro is the only remaining symbol of the town of the same name that once stood in the Mexican state of Michoacán, before the eruption. The lava flows covered the first 30 feet of the church, but the rest of the building — including its impressive bell tower — remains. Unsurprisingly, it’s now one of the region’s biggest tourist attractions, and a major source of revenue for the nearby village of Nuevo San Juan Parangaricutiro, built by former residents of the original settlement in the wake of the eruption.


More like this: 7 historic treasures destroyed in wars that travelers will never get to see

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Los Angeles airport Private Suite

You know you’re a big deal when the sign with your name on it doesn’t even have your name on it.

Not that I’m a big deal, mind you. But if I HAD been a big deal, and the woman waiting for me on the LAX jetway had been holding a sign saying “BIG DEAL,” well, it may have caused some commotion.

Which explained why the woman held only a sign that read, “The Private Suite,” then just gave me a knowing nod and silently led me off the jetway and onto the tarmac.

Thus is the beginning of the adventure at The Private Suite, an ultra-exclusive, high-priced airport terminal for the rich, famous, or just generally misanthropic. The suite offers private check-in, security, and customs and immigration screening, as well as transportation to the literal front door of your aircraft. As a client, you never see the inside of the airport.

Photo: The Private Suite

It debuted at LAX a couple of years ago, designed primarily for people who fly private domestically, but opt for commercial for long international flights since flying private involves stops for refueling, less room, and other elite inconveniences. Celebrities are the obvious market, but it is open to anyone who can afford the price tag, which isn’t low.

Members pay $4,500 a year for the right to book a suite. That’s the right to book it, mind you, not the right to use it. That costs $2,700 per domestic flight and $3,000 for international, though you can bring up to three people with you.

The hoi polloi — or at least the ones with money — can book the fully stocked suite for $3,500 a flight ($4,000 for international), but it won’t come with the barber, masseuse, or the ability to pre-order your lunch.

The obvious question is, “Is it worth it?” And at the invitation of the Private Suite, who didn’t ask me to pay for any of it, I went to LAX to experience it like a member might.

Photo: The Private Suite

Slipping out the back of the airport and into a well-stocked oasis

After being hurried down the stairs outside the plane door like Spencer Pratt escaping paparazzi, I walked to the end of the plane where a large BMW sedan waited and quickly took me as far from the masses of LAX as possible.

We crossed the tarmac, dipping under planes and watching takeoffs from the end of the runway, to a nondescript back driveway. It had the feeling of driving onto a studio backlot, down an unoccupied road flanked by small brown hills and a blue sky.

After about 10 minutes, we reached the suites: a small, one story building on the border of the airport and Imperial Highway. It looked a little like an old motel renovated into a sleek, boutique property.

Prior to arriving, I’d been sent a welcome email that included a food menu from Wally’s in Beverly Hills, a list of in-suite services, and a place to enter flight information. In that section I found a drop-down box for “Class of Service” with only first, business, and “other” offered. Apparently not many coach fliers also opt for jetway valet service and lunch from Wally’s.

Photo: The Private Suite

But I did, and when I arrived at the suite, my lunch of chicken tortilla soup, chicken club sandwich, and chips and salsa welcomed me. It was warmer than 98 percent of the orders I’ve gotten from Uber Eats.

The suite itself could have been the living room in a lifestyle-forward, all-suites business hotel. Slim yet cushy chairs surrounded a circular table, a few feet from a bar fully stocked with soda, local beer, wine, and Veuve Clicquot.

Above the bar were more mini bottles of liquor than any single human could drink, with all the appropriate mixers. The walls had candy dispensers with M&Ms, Skittles, and Hershey’s miniatures.

“For the kids,” my attendant told me.

Photo: The Private Suite

Photo: The Private Suite

There’s also a whole host of games, toys, cribs, kid-friendly snacks, and an outdoor playground (with a cozy fire pit for the adults), should you be traveling with your equally famous progeny.

The bathroom had a venerable health and beauty aisle of products. So if you’d forgotten your toothbrush, or mouthwash, or just wanted to grab some condoms without enduring the judgment of your local Walgreens clerk, the Private Suite had it covered.

Grooming and relaxation to end a long trip

Photo: The Private Suite

Once the attendant left, I cracked open a bottle of Stag’s Leap cabernet and sat down to my lunch. After about my third slurp of soup, the phone rang.

“Your haircut is ready in the next suite, whenever you’re ready Mr. Meltzer,” the voice on the other end told me. “No rush.”

Also prior to my arrival, I’d received an email explaining the variety of services available to me. Manicures, massages, haircuts, shower spas, a car wash, and probably a Flemish interpreter, if I’d really needed one. It turns out that I didn’t need a Flemish interpreter, but I did need a haircut. So I thought I’d see what kind of haircut a $3,500-a-day room comes with.

After lunch, I walked into the suite next door and found a barber who looked a little like Snoop Dogg minus a foot waiting behind a makeshift barber’s chair. Even lacking a mirror, he did an exquisite job. The kind of people who use the Private Suite, he told me, aren’t dealing with a bad haircut.

Photo: The Private Suite

Half an hour later, we were finished, and I returned to my suite where a masseuse awaited. The Private Suite doesn’t offer full-body massages, but the 30-minute chair variety was welcomed after a cross-country flight.

Before heading out, I was tempted by the bottle of Veuve and the organic chicken strips on the menu. Few things in life will give you a bigger case of Imposter Syndrome than calling a personal concierge with a glass of expensive Champagne in hand and saying, “Yes, I’d like to get an order of chicken strips…no not wings, strips. With ranch.”

The strips arrived quickly, I ate them, and it was time to go. I bid adieu to my little slice of airport heaven, took in the view of the tarmac one last time, and headed out to the parking lot where my ride was waiting. My checked luggage, collected from the plane, was already inside.

So, is it worth it?

Photo: The Private Suite

My answer is that it entirely depends on your definition of “worth.” Or, more specifically, the numbers associated with your particular “worth.”

If your net worth is low, like mine, $3,500 is a lot of money. It’s almost twice my rent. Blowing that to skip TSA or baggage claim and enjoy some chicken strips would be a foolish waste of money.

HOWEVER, say I made 10 times what I currently make, then this would be more like me spending $350. And for that much, it’s worth the occasional splurge.

If I made 20 times what I make — well into the seven figures — it’s absolutely worth it, as going to the airport then becomes an indulgent, luxury experience rather than a hassle. You never see a security line. You never wait for a bag. You never even wait at passport control. And if you’re a celebrity, no screaming fans. Plus, you’ll have a room full of booze, massages, and chicken strips waiting for you upon arrival. Take that for what it’s worth.


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The post Here’s what you’re getting at LAX’s $3,500-a-day Private Suite appeared first on Matador Network.

Maine bans Styrofoam food containers

Styrofoam is one of the worst forms of single-use plastic there is. Not only is it rarely recyclable (few facilities do it and the waste has to meet certain strict conditions), but it also breaks down into very small pieces easily, making it difficult to collect. Those small pieces of Styrofoam present a danger both to wildlife as they often look like food and get eaten, and to humans via the food chain.

In an attempt to lessen the pollution generated by this plastic product, Styrofoam food containers are being banned by the state of Maine, thanks to a bill signed into law by Governor Janet Mills on Tuesday. When it goes into effect on January 1, 2020, Maine will become the first state to ban convenience stores, restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies, seasonal or temporary businesses, and farm stands from using Styrofoam containers.

Sarah Lakeman of the Natural Resources Council of Maine said, “With the threats posed by plastic pollution becoming more apparent, costly, and even deadly to wildlife, we need to be doing everything possible to limit our use and better manage our single-use plastics — starting with eliminating the use of unnecessary forms like plastic foam.”

Establishments found to be in violation could face a fine of up to $100.


More like this: 6 steps you can take today to become a zero waste traveler

The post Maine is the first US state to ban Styrofoam food containers appeared first on Matador Network.

Afternoon tea in Atlanta

Atlanta is hands down one of the best food cities in the country right now. It’s also a fabulous place to enjoy the tradition of afternoon tea. While you’ll find traditional English treats like scones and clotted cream on tea house menus across the city, you’ll also find wonderful Southern influences and global flavors. Atlanta afternoons should be spent drinking tea, and these are the five best places to enjoy it right now.

1. The St. Regis Atlanta

Photo: The St. Regis Atlanta/Facebook

This opulent hotel is worth a stay if you want to experience its plush rooms, gorgeous pool, and excellent restaurant, Atlas. But even if you stop by Astor Court for afternoon tea on Saturday or Sunday, you’ll still get to enjoy the property’s culinary delights and impeccable service. The room is named after Caroline Astor, who made afternoon tea popular in the 1800s as a way to socialize and relieve hunger pains between lunch and dinner. To help you choose a tea, the staff presents a box of selections so you can smell the leaves and learn more about each one. After your tea and a glass of bubbly arrive, a beautiful tower of scrumptious bites follows. The curried chicken salad finger sandwich is a St. Regis specialty. The savory delights are followed by seasonal sweets like a chestnut eclair and squash bread pudding.

2. Tipple + Rose Tea Parlor and Apothecary

Photo: Tipple + Rose Tea Parlor and Apothecary/Facebook

Housed in a pretty, light-filled room, this tea house and apothecary is the kind of place where you’ll want to spend a whole afternoon. Tipple + Rose features a tea sniffing bar where you can explore more than 140 teas and tisanes to find the perfect brew. It also serves drinks like turmeric chai lattes, kombucha, and boba tea. You can order snacks like crumpets and sandwiches à la carte, and there is also a variety of high tea menus from which to choose. You can go with a traditional high tea experience, or opt for Tipple + Rose’s Southern version that features bites like pimento cheese finger sandwiches and red velvet macarons. Keep an eye out for special themed events, and pick up gifts like small batch bath products and tea-making accessories before you go.

3. Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead

Photo: Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead /Facebook

The Waldorf Astoria offers another glamorous take on afternoon tea. The Buckhead hotel serves its version in the cafe’s gorgeous marble rotunda, bar, or patio overlooking the garden, so you can set the scene for your experience. The staff will leave you with a box of tea leaves to help you decide which variety you’d like to try. After settling in with a warm cup and a glass of champagne, the nibbles begin to arrive. Try the orange and apricot scones with clotted cream, deviled eggs, Waldorf chicken salad on a buttermilk biscuit, peach cobbler, and decadent red velvet cake. Keep an eye out for festive seasonal happenings like tea with Santa.

4. Tea House Formosa

Photo: Tea House Formosa/Facebook

This Taiwanese tea house is a great place to visit if you want to sip brews with a global influence. While there are plenty of loose leaf teas to try, Tea House Formosa also serves specialties like milk tea, cold teas topped with cream, tea floats, matcha lattes, and even bottles of house cold brew. It also serves delicious bites like bao buns, rice burgers, chicken nuggets, and takoyaki, a wheat-flour ball that’s filled with octopus. Save room for sweet treats because the oolong tea cheesecake and s’mores brick toast are must-orders.

5. Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party

Photo: Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party/Facebook

Not only is Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party one of the best places to enjoy afternoon tea in Atlanta, but supporting this business means giving to a good cause. A portion of every sale goes to The Learning Tea, an organization founded by Dr. Bombay owner Katrell Christie that offers housing, education, and empowerment opportunities to young women in Darjeeling, India. At $17.50 per person, high tea here is one of the best deals in town. Choose from more than 70 tea varieties and enjoy a tower of snacks like homemade scones, quiche, finger sandwiches, and baked goods. Try an order of samosas and curl into one of the cozy corners with a good book.


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Paris Theater saved by Netflix

First, Netflix revolutionized television. Now it’s revolutionizing cinema one theater at a time. When the historic Paris Theater in New York City closed down in August after more than 70 years of business, its future looked rather grim — until Netflix stepped in. Located across the southeastern entrance to Central Park and the Plaza Hotel, this 581-seat theater is the last single-screen theater in the city, and a cultural landmark. Netflix has stepped in to prevent its total demise, signing a new lease for the theater and repurposing it to host special Netflix events, screenings, and theatrical releases.

After closing earlier this year, The Paris — New York’s last single-screen theater — reopened for a limited run of MARRIAGE STORY. Now, the iconic theater will be kept open and become a home for special Netflix events, screenings, and theatrical releases. pic.twitter.com/fr82Oq2j8I

— Netflix Film (@NetflixFilm) November 25, 2019

Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, said, “After 71 years, the Paris Theater has an enduring legacy, and remains the destination for a one-of-a kind movie-going experience. We are incredibly proud to preserve this historic New York institution so it can continue to be a cinematic home for film lovers.”

London’s Pug Cafe Christmas Party

It’s not really Christmas unless dogs can get in the holiday spirit too. With the opening of the Pug Cafe in London’s Shoreditch neighborhood — catering to pugs, Pomeranians, and dachshunds — dog lovers will get to have the ultimate Christmas experience, sipping specialty coffees and bubbly alongside their canine companions. The cafe will feature free puppuccinos, pawsecco, and champaws, as well as a menu of seasonal cocktails. There will also, of course, be a full menu tailored to dogs, including pipcakes, mince pies, and canapés for your dog to indulge in.

The cafe will be open to those with and without dogs, but if you are a dog owner, you’ll receive a complimentary Dog Lover’s bag of treats. The first 350 people to reserve a spot at the cafe will also receive a free Pet Teezer brush, and a grooming expert will be present to attend to dogs who require some trimming.

Photo: Anushka Fernando/PUG CAFE/Facebook

The cafe will be hosted at The Allegory bar and restaurant on December 8 for one day only. You must book in advance for 80-minute time slots for specific breeds: 10:00 AM and 12:40 PM for pomeranians, 11:20 AM and 3:20 PM for dachshunds, and 3:00 PM and 4:40 PM for pugs.

To reserve your spot, email the official website with your name, your dog’s name, the total number in your party, and your preferred time slot. Tickets cost $15 for dog owners and their guests, and $19 for those without a pet. Children under 16 are $8 for dog owners and $10 for children without dogs. Only four dogs are permitted per reservation.


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Denver Airport Beer Passport

Airport drinking isn’t usually an activity to plan around. You do it to pass the hours while waiting for your flight, to give yourself a better chance of dozing off in the air, or to keep yourself from getting bored while on the plane itself. In Denver, however, drinking in the airport is about to become a downright pastime. Denver International Airport is introducing a new Beer Passport program to encourage you to sample all the breweries throughout the building, meaning the next time you show up to the airport, leave some extra time for bar-hopping.

It’s pretty simple. Basically, you pick up your Beer Passport at any of the airport’s participating breweries. Upon visiting each brewery, present your passport to the server, who will then give you a stamp. There are four breweries in total, meaning there are four stamps to collect; once you have all four, present your Beer Passport to any participating brewery to receive a pint of free beer.

The breweries participating in the program are Tivoli Brewery inside Tom’s Urban (the only pre-security brewery), Breckenridge Brewery (Concourse A), New Belgium Brewing (Concourse B), and Great Divide Brewing Co. (Concourse C).

Keep in mind, the promotion only runs until April 1, 2020, so don’t wait too long to earn your free pint. And remember, don’t get too distracted by brewery hopping. You probably have a flight to catch.


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Best things about Biarritz, France

France usually conjures up images of fashion, iconic architecture, and cuisine. But in the southwest corner of the country, near the border with Spain, the coastal town of Biarritz is home to something else: a thriving surf scene. Just like the French Riviera, Biarritz offers glitz and glam — but its vibe is a unique contrast between French luxury and a relaxed beach culture. Situated in the Basque country, with its own rich traditions, as well as unique architecture, rituals, and recipes, Biarritz offers an experience you won’t find anywhere else in France. So bring your surfboard and an open mind.

Getting to the resort of kings

Photo: Sergey Dzyuba/Shutterstock

In 1915, as World War I escalated, the town of Biarritz quickly became the vacation destination for Europe’s nobility and anyone who could afford to holiday with the French bourgeois. Due to its popularity with royalty and the wealthy, the town was eventually referred to as “the queen of resorts and the resort of kings.” Though the language most commonly spoken in Biarritz is French, you will find all street signs and some menus also written in Basque.

It’s relatively easy to travel via train to Biarritz from most major cities in France. The direct train from Paris to Biarritz will cost anywhere between $45 and $80, more for nicer cabins, depending on the time of year. The direct train line without connections takes just over four hours, and any connecting train, which usually stops in Bayonne, can take over five hours. Alternatively, if you are short on time, AirFrance and EasyJet have regular flights from Paris directly to Biarritz with a traveling time of about 90 minutes.

Strolling through morning markets

Photo: LMspencer/Shutterstock

If you want to experience the authentic French style of living, start your day with a trip to the local markets. Consider waking bright and early to savor the smell of fresh bread and pastries, while they’re still warm, at Le Halles. It’s located just off the city’s main street, Rue Gambetta. Here, the produce is fresh and locally sourced, which will provide you with an opportunity to sample the flavors used in some of the Basque regions renowned, Michelin-starred restaurants — without actually paying for a sit-down meal.

Come lunchtime, you won’t find many restaurants in Biarritz open as the French prefer to take time off to enjoy lunch with their families. Shops tend to close between 12:30 and 2.30 PM, which can be frustrating for tourists if they aren’t prepared. We suggest making use of what is on offer at Le Halles as the market provides everything you need to have a Basque-curated picnic on the beach: cured meats, sheep and goat cheeses, piquillo peppers, artichokes, and grilled lamb should do just fine.

Laid-back surf culture

Photo: Botond Horvath/Shutterstock

According to locals, surfing was first introduced to Biarritz in 1957 when screenwriter Peter Viertel visited the town to film the movie Sun Rise. Once he saw the waves, he requested his surfboard be sent from California and, soon enough, the locals became fans of the sport.

The beach at La Côtes des Basque is sheltered from northern winds, creating ideal conditions for longboard surfers or beginners. Surf schools, including Jo Moraiz and Biarritz Paradise, are available along this beach all year round, though even the locals prefer to sit and enjoy their coffee at the car park over braving the cold Atlantic Ocean during winter. For more experienced surfers, it’s best to try La Grande Plage or head a little further north to the stretch of beaches with rock jetties that provide good waves for advanced surfers.

The best time to surf these beaches is in June and July; however, mid-September through October is also excellent because you can experience the town without the summer crowds — and before it gets too cold. The surf culture here attracts a young and laid-back crowd while maintaining its Basque traditions. It’s an alluring blend of natural beauty and Euro flare.

Stunning coastal walks… and yoga

Photo: Sergey Dzyuba/Shutterstock

You don’t need to surf to appreciate Biarritz, and there’s plenty to do even without access to a car. Biarritz is a walking town, and you’ll eventually find your way back to where you started. It’s nearly impossible to get lost here, and you can easily walk to nearby golf, shopping, luxury spas, casinos, and some of the best restaurants in Europe.

A beautiful coastal walk from La Côtes des Basque to La Grande Plage takes about 20 minutes, depending on how many times you stop to take a photo. A quick bridge from the beach in town leads to a small, adjacent island and is the best spot in town for a photo. Another beautiful — but sometimes windy — walk is to the Rocher de la Vierge statue. Built in 1865, the statue rests atop rocks surrounded by water and crashing waves, with impressive views stretching as far as the Pyrenees.

If you are lucky enough to visit the town from Sunday to Wednesday, any local will insist you give sunset yoga a try with Namaste Yoga Biarritz. Classes often take place outside of the studio at the famous cent marches, or “100 steps,” at Côte Des Basques. As the sun goes down, soak in the sky’s beauty as it slowly turns a soft pastel pink and purple.

Michelin dining that’s affordable

Photo: Sun_Shine/Shutterstock

As for the Michelin-starred restaurants, they abound, and a couple even have budget price tags. Le Clos Basque has meals starting for around $30, and depending on the menu, you may find an even cheaper Michelin-recommended meal at Le Pim’Pi Bistrot. Adjacent to the markets you will find Bar du Marché, a simple cafe and restaurant, and a long-standing local favorite. If you didn’t get a chance to sample the produce at Le Halles, Bar du Marché provides a traditional Basque menu full of intense flavors and local specialties. It’s excellent for coffee in the morning or an aperitif and tapas in the early evening.

If you have never been to Italy, Joie Pizzeria is about as close to authentic Italian pizza as you can find outside the country. Alternatively, Saline Ceviche Bar provides another alternative to Basque cuisine. Situated at the top end of town, this restaurant doesn’t quite have the hype that some of the traditional French and Basque restaurants in the area have. Instead, it’s the quiet overachiever that experiments with unique fresh flavors and combinations, such as the salmon carpaccio with mango entree for about $14.

Staying in Napoleon III’s holiday home

Photo: Douwmamaria/Shutterstock

If you are traveling solo or with a partner, you are spoiled for choice with listings on Airbnb. Most studio and one-bedroom apartments are beachfront and, because they’re are priced far lower than what you’d find in Paris, listings are an excellent choice for travelers on a budget. If you prefer to stay at a hotel, the Radisson Blu Hotel and Biarritz Thalasso Resort offer guests accommodation in the center of town with pool and spa facilities.

For a splurge, the Hotel du Palais Imperial Resort & Spa is one of the most iconic and grande buildings in town, originally built as a holiday palace by Napoleon III for his empress, Eugenie du Montijo. The palace has accommodated the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ernest Hemingway, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel, just to name a few. It was actually here that Gabrielle Chanel, creator and designer of the fashion brand Chanel, fell so in love with the style and atmosphere of Biarritz that she decided to open her first couture house in Biarritz, attracting the likes of Spanish royalty and Russian aristocrats.


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