Halloween 2016 Free Food Happy Halloween everyone! As has become sort of a tradition over the past couple of years, a number of restaurant chains are offering free/discounted food today. Here is a list of the deals I have found. If you know of one that isn't listed, feel free to leave it in the comments!
HT: Eat Drink Deals & IB Times
More From Miles To Memories
Each week, the Salina Journal publishes a list of violations noted in food inspections conducted by the Kansas Department of Agriculture in Saline County. Complete food establishment inspection reports can be found on the Salina Journal website at salina.com.
Sunny Side Patch, 11500 S. Hopkins, Assaria — Oct. 19
• No violations.
Burger King, 2650 S. Ninth — Oct. 19
• No thermometer inside reach-in cooler.
• Inside door ledge of frozen drink machine has residue of spilled syrup, bottom cabinet below self-service pop machine is sticky and has accumulation of debris and there is syrup residue on drive-through pop machine.
• Tomato debris on slicer, and pitcher has interior residue. Items moved to warewashing.
Dollar Tree, 2450 S. Ninth — Oct. 19
• Label missing from what appears to be peanut butter. Removed from sale.
• Packages of raw pork bacon and raw turkey bacon on shelf above ready-to-eat Polish sausage in reach-in cooler. Moved raw foods.
• Box of guava-flavored juice is sticky and moldy; soup cans, can of peach halves and can of coconut milk have creased or crushed top seams. Items removed from sale.
• Cases of Halloween candy on floor in seasonal candy area.
• Case of foam plates on floor in paper goods area.
Schlotzsky's Deli, 2480 S. Ninth — Oct. 19
• Self-service lemon wedges on beverage bar not under sneeze guard or covered. Covered with lid.
• Spray bottle of sanitizer on top of prep table. Bottle moved to chemical storage area.
• Case of single-service lids on floor in storage area.
• Personal cell phone on prep table between make table and drive-through area. Moved and educated.
• Wet wiping cloth on countertop in drive-through area.
• Knife rack next to make table and in slicer area covered in food debris; scales on prep area shelf covered in food debris; can opener blade covered in sticky residue. All items cleaned.
• Open can of soda on countertop in drive-through area. Can disposed.
Iron Skillet, 2125 N. Ninth — Oct. 24
• No violations.
Menards, 805 Virginia Court — Oct. 24
• No violations.
Kwik-Shop, 657 Fairdale — Oct. 24
• No violations.
Kmart, 400 S. Broadway — Oct. 24
• Case of Halloween candy on floor at front door display.
Coyote Canyon, 2351 S. Ninth — Oct. 24
• Container of raw beef on top of case of raw shell eggs. Moved raw beef.
Dollar General, 840 E. Crawford — Oct. 24
• Case of snack chips on floor next to front door reach-in cooler.
• Packages of raw breakfast sausage touching ready-to-eat Polish sausage in reach-in cooler. Moved raw sausage.
• Case of plastic cups on floor in paper goods aisle.
Huddle House, 2250 N. Ohio — Oct. 25
• No violations.
Hickory Hut, 1617 W. Crawford — Oct. 25
• Handle of scooping pitcher in bin of basic spice is touching spice. Removed pitcher.
AFC Sushi at Dillons, 2350 Planet — Oct. 25
• Spray bottle of blue cleaner and spray bottle of sanitizer hanging on cart with nozzles above container of rice. Moved bottles to chemical storage.
• Records for pH of sushi rice not completed since August.
Singh Travel Plaza, 2124 N. Hedville — Oct. 25
• Unnecessary persons allowed access to pizza cooking area. Limiting access.
• Unapproved bucket used as ice bucket. Will line with ice bag until new bucket can be purchased.
• Case of single-service cups on floor in back room.
• Bagged in establishment ice not labeled with business address.
Kansas Wesleyan University Dining Services, 100 E. Claflin — Oct. 26
• Opened pumpkin puree in dessert reach-in cooler and container of marinara sauce outdated. Items disposed.
Blacksmith Country Bar, 1700 W. Beverly — Oct. 26
• Open gallon of milk not dated when opened. Dated.
• Cartons of raw shell eggs stored on shelf above milk. Moved eggs.
Bishop St. Tavern, 717 Bishop — Oct. 26
• Box of plastic wrap on floor in kitchen area.
• Raw bacon stored above oleo in reach-in cooler. Moved bacon.
• Open gallon of milk in reach-in cooler not dated when opened. Dated.
Sonic Drive-In, 2615 S. Market Place — Oct. 26
• Single-use items on floor of exterior shed.
• Plastic bus tubs stored as clean are nested together with water between tubs.
• Standing water on floor behind slush machine.
• Open beverage on prep table in back area. Moved beverage.
Howard Johnson Inn, 222 E. Diamond — Oct. 27
• Dried-on milk under edge of countertop below cereal area.
• No utensil available for self-service bread. Supplied with food-grade tissue.
The great Italian boot, across its cities, towns and villages, is brimful of fabulous places to eat and drink.
The ultimate food-lover's guide to Italy's best restaurants
Restaurant Quadri in St Mark's Square, Venice. Photo: Sergio Coimbra
Inside Quadri, Venice. Photo: studio04
Restaurant Quadri, Italy. Photo: Sergio Coimbra
Pizza, Restaurant Quadri, Venice. Photo: Sergio Coimbra
Inside Quadri, Venice. Photo: Sergio Coimbra
The great Italian boot, across its cities, towns and villages, is brimful of fabulous places to eat and drink. While its favoured food-travel destinations are riddled with tourist traps – and in Italy, they do abound – homey trattorie serving rustic specialties will see you right most of the time.
Regional pasta specialties (not Anglo inventions) are always a fail-safe option. And forget "spaghetti bolognaise" – true bolognese is a slow-simmered meat ragu served with tagliatelle, a wide ribbon pasta. And it's well worth leaving the well-worn path to escape the crowds.
So we've taken an eclectic route, to share favourites, classics and some spectacular spots – chosen for their views, stories, people and, of course, their food. But we start, as many travellers will, and probably should, in the Eternal City, Rome.
ROME THE LOWDOWNThe city offers antipasti, pasta, pizza, gelato – some of the planet's best-loved foods. So why are diners often disappointed by their Roman holiday? Local expert Katie Parla says it's because places tend to do one or two things really well, and you have to know what those specialties are. Rome's signature pasta dishes are simple: spaghetti cacio e pepe – cheese, black pepper and pecorino romano (sharp, aged sheep's cheese) – and spaghetti carbonara – egg, pancetta, lots of pepper, never cream – a golden Roman staple.
WHERE TO EATL'Arcangelo
The potato gnocchi at L'Arcangelo have been named among Italy's best. It's a long time since we've walked into a restaurant playing Georgie Girl and She's Having My Baby, and one might be tempted to judge a place by its 1960s and '70s soundtrack. But at this landmark local in the Prati neighbourhood, where we're the only diners speaking English, it somehow feels right, comfortable amid the faded sepia photographs, memorabilia, brick floors, red banquettes and timber-panelled walls.
Traditional Roman food is the reason for coming to chef Arcangelo Dandini's restaurant, especially for those gnocchi, most famously served alla matriciana, with fresh tomato sauce, cured pork cheek (guanciale) and pecorino romano cheese.
Most diners warm up on crisp crumb-crusted suppli, golden croquettes of rice with gluey cheese hearts. They're just a support act. The gnocchi manage to eclipse them: light, soft and pillowy. The night of our visit they come luxe with French butter and aged pecorino and makes you realise how rare proper, perfect gnocchi are.
We try the chef's celebrated matriciana: al dente rigatoni, flecked with gamey guanciale. And forget spaghetti alla carbonara (another Roman dish, the black pepper supposedly paying homage to the coal-blackened faces of the miners who favoured it). Here it's done with short, tubular pennoni instead. Offal and game are very Roman, too, so when in Rome try the tripe, or pigeon. There's also some less traditional culinary trickery: a white chocolate dessert "soup" features extra virgin olive oil and candied ginger. That may put culinary sceptics on red alert, but it's an interesting signature. Book online easily, in English. See larcangelo.com
INSIDER TIP
Dandini also has Supplizio (larcangelo.com), a casual street-food spot, in the city's historical heart. If L'Arcangelo is an institution, Roscioli (salumeriaroscioli.com) is legendary. Family run, it's renowned for its wine list, burrata (fresh milky cheese balls with a creamy liquid centre), salumi and pasta, eat-in or takeaway. Local experts advise sitting upstairs, near the back, and popping in for aperitivi after 6pm if you can't snag a table booking.
ONE MORE THING…
Emma Pizzeria (emmapizzeria.com) is a tricky-to-find, casual spot with some of Rome's best pizza. The pizze are more expensive than many you'll find in Rome but they draw on the skills of baker Pierluigi Roscioli and plundering Roscioli deli's best ingredients as toppings. They're thin crusted – the Roman way – and charry edged, beneath ribbons of Parma prosciutto and blobs of buffalo mozzarella, or wild fennel and rocket, and use quality organic flour, salt and olive oil.
VENICE THE LOWDOWNVenice exudes its own magic, whatever the season, no matter how dense the crowds. And resistance is futile – once you've thrown yourself into the school of human traffic that flows along Venice's pedestrian streets, you're almost certain to be swept up in a tide that deposits you at the magnificent Piazza San Marco (St Mark's Square). Here, in the so-called "drawing room of Europe", surrounded by a millennium's worth of architectural genius, settling at a table outside one of the old coffee houses is irresistible.
WHERE TO EATQuadri
In a palazzo right on this most famous of squares, with a beautiful suite of relaxed downstairs dining rooms and a Michelin-starred restaurant upstairs, Quadri traces its lineage back to 1638. Climb stairs beyond the more casual and inexpensive lunch-until-late abcQuadri to the formal restaurant, where the leather-aproned sommelier pours a glass of gently bubbling franciacorta, northern Italy's classically made sparkling wine, then swirls a buttery chardonnay in a huge glass designed especially for the restaurant.
The Alajmo family, fifth-generation chefs and restaurateurs, now runs this historic cafe and restaurant, a seductive destination diner. Massimiliano (Max) Alajmo was said to be the youngest chef to receive three Michelin stars when, at 28, his Padua restaurant Le Calandre reached those heights back in 2003. It's stayed there ever since – and is well worth visiting if you're heading that way.
Quadri is billed as the square's only fine-dining restaurant, and with window tables overlooking St Mark's Square, it is, unsurprisingly, a favourite spot for marriage proposals. The maitre'd reveals there's a young man waiting below for a table to surprise his girlfriend. At 9.30pm two diners leave, the table is reset pronto, and the young man gets the call. Within minutes his proposal is made, and champagne uncorked. Seems she said yes.
It's a lovely paradox that almost every detail of this 1775 restaurant is protected and photography and mobile phones are banned, but that the wine list comes on an iPad. From our lower-level table in the red flock-papered and timber-panelled room, the view is of the upper storey of the square, and the room's ancient painted beams, velvet chairs and double-clothed tables. A Venetian-inspired menu draws on the fruits of the lagoon – tiny sea snails, baby clams, tendrils of cuttlefish with burrata ravioli. Bookings can be made easily online on the restaurant's website. See alajmo.it
INSIDER'S TIP
Quadri's downstairs options, abcQuadri and Gran Caffe Quadri, are both less formal and less pricey.
ONE MORE THING…
Behind Palazzo Barbarigo, at Da Ignazio (trattoriadaignazio.com) don't be surprised to see a waiter or a cook in their 80s. This family-run neighbourhood charmer is now in its seventh decade. An inviting front room conceals a tempting pergola-covered garden dining area. Lovingly made Venetian classics at reasonable prices.
THE DOLOMITES THE LOWDOWNTwo hours north of Venice, Italy feels very different. Bilingual signs are the product of this region's past as part of Austria and it is still known as the South Tyrol. Towns have names in both Italian and German. Menus are dotted with dumplings, strudel and smoky speck, and the local wines show Austrian and German influences.
WHERE TO EATGostner Schwaige
It's near the small town of Compaccio in the Alpe di Siusi that Franz Mulser runs a tiny restaurant, Gostner Schwaige, in a mountain dairy hut on land his family has farmed for 600 years (schwaige is the dialect name for "dairy hut").
In 2000, Mulser left behind a career at top restaurants in Germany, Austria and Spain to come home to the Dolomites, hoping to keep the family farm financially viable by starting a restaurant using its produce. Now plots overflow with herbs and edible flowers including nasturtiums, borage and fennel. Their herd's milk is transformed into five types of cheese, and the farm's veal, beef and lamb feature on the menu. It's a rural idyll made more charming by its remoteness.
The dining room takes only 15 or 20 for dinner, at six plain timber tables adorned with candles and jars of wildflowers; outdoor tables seat more for lunch.
The tall, young chef looks completely relaxed in traditional lederhosen, felt hat and vest, stooping slightly below his restaurant's beamed ceilings to deliver food that's simple yet sophisticated. There's pine pesto on ravioli, and beef, full-flavoured from grazing the alpine grasses and herbs. As we step out into the crisp summer air, we're already planning to come back, perhaps by horse and sled. "It's very romantic in winter," says Mulser, "with a full moon on the snow". There's no website. For bookings email gostnerschwaige@rolmail.net or call +39 347 8368154
INSIDER'S TIP
In winter, the menu's star attraction is soup (zuppa di fieno) in a bowl of bread baked by Mulser, on a nest of the farm's hay, flavoured by 25 different herbs and flowers gathered from the surrounding meadow.
ONE MORE THING…
Be warned: Gostner Schwaige is not easy to find. For starters, it's hidden in an alpine glade at an altitude of 1930 metres that you can only reach on foot, skis or by horse. In summer, you hike there across chocolate-box beautiful meadows surrounded by jagged peaks, calling cuckoos, chiming cowbells, and babbling brooks. In winter, skiers pick their way home from dinner by torchlight.
LOMBARDY THE LOWDOWNItaly is a crowded place. And sometimes it pays to explore parts less known. Take the northern region of Lombardy, for example. It's easily reached from its capital, Milan and it has some of Italy's most diverse scenery – from mountains to lakes, and large cities to the sprawling but fertile Po Valley. The plains around the Po are home to pretty towns such as Cremona and Mantua, where one of Italy's most famous restaurants, Dal Pescatore (see below) is located.
WHERE TO EATDal pescatore
One of Italy's most famous restaurants was once a humble river fisherman's residence. The fisherman was Alberto Santini's great-grandfather. With his gracious father, Antonio, he now oversees the restaurant's generously spaced ochre and yellow dining rooms, greets you at the dining room entrance and curates the hefty leather-bound wine list, in which bottles from all over the world are classed by style then year. "The year is the key," Alberto explains. "That's how you understand everything."
In the kitchen, among polished copper pots, is nonna Bruna, still active in her late eighties. Bent over the stoves is Alberto's brother Giovanni and, smiling warmly, his mother, Nadia, head chef alongside her son. There's a cosy waft of roasting, broth simmering and the tickle of parmesan: the smells of an Italian country kitchen.
The Santinis may possess three Michelin stars and countless awards (Nadia was named Best Female Chef in the world, in 2013) but they're all about their terreno, the lesser known region of lower Lombardy, bordering on Parma and Emilia-Romagna.
And so from the enormous, decorated menu (the cover changes seasonally), we choose the simple foods of the area: tiny snails topped with garlicky crumbs, little agnoli (ring-shaped pasta parcels) in clear chicken broth, grilled eel – clean, white flesh on rich, gently fatty skin and, naturally, tortelli. Bulging around a rich, jammy, pumpkin and amaretti-crumb filling, they're rectangular bonbons of finely rolled egg-yellow pasta.
Around us, mostly couples dine in careful, elegant silence as a fire crackles in the huge chimney. Solemn waiters bearing oversized trays march briskly between tables. Antonio circulates, gently inquiring and nodding. Alberto carefully decants a premium barolo. It's seamless, effortless, old school but timeless, right down to the thick, fluffy zabaglione in a miniature copper pot that arrives with a delicate pistachio mousse topped with tiny meringues. Book via an email form on the website. A month's notice is advisable and a credit card deposit required. See dalpescatore.com
INSIDER TIP
In summer, ask for a garden table. The restaurant is closed in the second half of August.
ONE MORE THING…
The Brescia area of Lombardy is well worth exploring. Aside from its ancient ruins, which date to 27BC when it was the first northern outpost of the Roman Empire, it's home to all of the things that make eating in Italy exciting: pasta, wine, aperitivi, cheeses, smallgoods, bakeries and gelato.
MODENA THE LOWDOWNSouth of Milan, the region of Emilia- Romagna is home to the wealthy princes of parmesan, prosciutto and balsamic vinegar – the tradition-bound artisans and powerful consortia behind some of Italy's best-known exports. The Emilian city of Modena is a jewel – narrow medieval streets, snappy designer shops and hidden galleries, its own leaning tower and, currently, the No. 1 restaurant on the 2016 World's 50 Best Restaurant list.
WHERE TO EATOsteria Francescana
Overnight success here has only taken 21 years. The exuberantly charismatic force of nature that is chef Massimo Bottura opened his original Modena "tavern" in 1995 to less than universal acclaim. This local boy's decision to rework the ingredients and dishes of his childhood caused widespread consternation in the early days of this modest seeming restaurant, housed behind a softly pink facade among the yellows and oranges of a narrow, cobble-stoned Modena street.
Beyond the discreetly plain brass plate outside, the entrance feels like a gallery foyer, thanks to Bottura and wife Lara Gilmore's eclectic collection of serious contemporary art. Waiters in dapper suits and ties usher us to a clothed table in one of two hushed, carpeted rooms (there are only 12 tables). Folding out the giant hand-painted menu, we gently tiptoe into Francescana World – the blend of memory, tradition, music, art and whimsy that finds its natural home here.
It's hard to know what to order. There's a trad a la carte structure – superb cured meats, antipasti, primo, secondo, cheese and dolce – playing on regional specialties and a few outside influences (lacquered duck with Asian spices, for example). There are the Bottura classics, on the "Tradition in Evolution" menu: "An Eel Swimming Up the Po River", "Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano", "The Crunchy Part of the Lasagna" and the cutely named dessert, "Oops, I Dropped the Lemon Tart". Each tells a story of the place and its history, the chef's childhood, Emilian magic.
For all the hype, in essence Osteria Francescana is simply about beautiful ingredients and the utmost care: in homage to Italy, Emilia and all that makes them great. Book up to three months ahead, but hop online fast when bookings open on the first of each month. Try the wait list, too. See osteriafrancescana.it
INSIDER TIP
While you're in Modena, have an aperitivo at Archer Modena wine bar (via Cesare Battisti, 54), and visit a nearby balsamic vinegar museum and a parmigiano reggiano "factory".
ONE MORE THING…
The seasonal "Sensations" menu – full of tripping summer lightness and colour – includes new inspirations, such as a brilliantly hued flower salad and a glorious tomatoey "pizza" of rice and polenta.
ALBA THE LOWDOWNThe Barolo (or Langhe) region of Piedmont is so picture-postcard pretty. You know: rolling green hills topped with tiny ochre-walled towns, narrow lanes, leafy vines laid out in rows across waves of fields like neatly striped blankets.
You expect Cinderella or Rapunzel to appear at the castle gate any minute, or Puss-in-Boots to come striding down a cobbled alleyway. It's where you'll find Italy's most prized wine – barolo – and the hazelnuts and white truffles that make Piedmont so famous. Central to this great gastronomic tradition is the small town of Alba.
WHERE TO EATPiazza Duomo
The Ceretto family makes some excellent barolo (including several single-estate and organic wines) and also owns this exquisite restaurant, set on the first floor of a sturdy medieval square. A highly recognised, three Michelin star operation, Piazza Duomo is led by the delightfully self-deprecating chef Enrico Crippa. The space itself is surprising: a wide, open, light-filled upstairs room in a suitably ancient building, the interior painted in a softly intense pink overlaid with gloriously delicate murals by one of Italy's most famous contemporary artists, Francesco Clemente. A giant vine leaf and its winding tendrils stretch over the four walls, looping around images of sailing boats, maps of the world and more.
Then there's the excitement of the seasons and all that Langhe produce: cheeses, hazelnuts, grand wines and truffles. Crippa has his own properly functioning kitchen garden – five hectares – and draws on this, as well as regional tradition, to put together his bright, modern dishes, all as colourful and postcard-y fresh as the region itself. Menus are named accordingly: Escape and Territory, Tradition and Innovation, or simply Degustation.
The parade of snacks is extraordinary: sticks of fried spaghetti bristling from stone blocks, the pasta dipped in a carbonara-themed sauce, "olives" that aren't, stuffed with a tartare of prawn and another of game. We will never forget a simple dish of tiny whitebait, dotted over the plate.
And then there is the most zingy salad ever – a pile of leaves, flowers and herbs, served suspended over a glass bowl containing a dashi broth. As you eat, juices accumulate below, making up your final spoonfuls. It's known as Insalata (salad) 21, 31, 41, 51; the numeral refers to the number of ingredients included, depending on the season. We're given a list at the end. Ours contains the full 51 – everything from nori to red basil, calendula, borage, mizuna, shiso, wild rocket, ginger and violets. It's all about colour and the seasons, each plate a canvas in itself. Book online and at least three days out, much earlier during truffle season. See piazzaduomoalba.it
INSIDER'S TIP
There's also La Piola downstairs. It's not fine dining, just local and good. Crippa also oversees the kitchen.
ONE MORE THING…
Get here during the annual White Truffle Festival (October and November) and book in a tour of the Ceretto wineries (ceretto.com). Look out for their famous glass "Cube", another called "The Acino" (referring to its grape-like shape) and the little chapel on a lone hillside outside town painted in rainbow colours by artists David Tremlett and the great Sol LeWitt.
This is an edited extract from Around the World in 80 Dinners by Janne Apelgren and Joanna Savill (MUP, RRP $45, eBook $22.99).It's available from tomorrow, October 31, from mup.com.au and everywhere books are sold.
APERITIVO NATION: FIVE MUST-TRY ITALIAN DRINKSAPEROL Made from bitter and sweet oranges, rhubarb and other ingredients, its flavour is intensely orange. It has an alcohol content of 11 per cent and is most commonly drunk before dinner as aperol spritz, mixed with prosecco and soda.
AVERNA Sicilian, made from herbs, and with an alcohol kick of 32 per cent, this 19th-century digestive can be used in cocktails, or drunk straight or on the rocks.
CAMPARI First concocted by a bar owner in Milan in the 1860s and made from fruit and herbs, this distinctively scarlet beverage can be drunk with soda or juice (ideally blood orange) or in cocktails including the Americano and negroni. Its alcohol content is around 25 per cent.
FERNET BRANCA Barfolk often describe the taste as "medicinal" (read: lip-puckering) yet this intense bitter concocted from 27 herbs, roots and flowers to a secret recipe devised by Bernadino Branca in 1845 has many hip devotees. Drink it straight (but beware, it's 39 per cent alcohol) or with chinotto (a soft drink made from tiny bitter citrus).
MONTENEGRO Dating from 1885, milder-flavoured, sweetish Montenegro can be drunk straight, hot, cold or in cocktails like the Montegrita.
FIVE PLACES TO STAY IN ITALYPALAZZO BARBARIGO, VENICE
A palazzo-turned-hotel on a corner of the Grand Canal, has onyx-hued rooms with canal views, an inviting bar, great breakfasts and owners who personally deliver fabulous service. In a city of expensive hotels, it's neither the cheapest nor the priciest. See palazzobarbarigo.com
HOTEL GRONES, THE DOLOMITES
In the pretty town of St Ulrich/Ortisei, Hotel Grones is a family-run operation where the owner wears a dirndl to greet guests, and a chef wearing a toque delivers regional specialties at well-priced dinners. See grones.info
ALBERGO OROLOGIO, BRESCIA
Albergo Orologio is a cute, low-ceilinged three-star hotel in the historic centre of Brescia, a city in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. The hotel has a small living room with soft armchairs where you can sit and relax, read a book or surf the net. See albergoorologio.it
PIAZZA DUOMO, ALBA
This three-star Michelin-rated restaurant (see main story) boasts three smart, minimally designed and fully equipped rooms and a suite, dedicated to diners. The accommodation is conveniently located opposite Piazza Duomo. See piazzaduomoalba.it
STELLA 21, MODENA
Stella21, is a stylishly furnished contemporary bed and breakfast in an 18th-century building in the historic centre of Modena, just over the road from Osteria Francescanam (see main story). See stella21bedandbreakfast.it
The story The ultimate food-lover's guide to Italy's best restaurants first appeared on The Sydney Morning Herald.
The instant success of our eco-friendly and travel-friendly container is very gratifying because it serves as a strong validation that we're solving a big problem for consumers everywhere who need a trouble-free way to carry their lunches and drinks
San Francisco (PRWEB)October 28, 2016
GreenTraveler, the world's best travel friendly reusable food and drink container, has taken off in popularity on Kickstarter. GreenTraveler surpassed its crowdfunding goal in less than 24 hours, and just one week into its campaign the ingenious to-go food container system has raised more than 330-percent of its goal thanks to the support of over 580 backers.
"The instant success of our eco-friendly and travel-friendly container is very gratifying because it serves as a strong validation that we're solving a big problem for consumers everywhere who need a trouble-free way to carry their lunches and drinks," said GreenTraveler Co-founder James Robinson. "The idea came from our own frustrations from using regular plastic food containers to try carry food and drinks without spills and needing to carry multiple containers and bottles."
GreenTraveler is a reusable eco-friendly lunch container designed with six separate, leak-proof compartments that can carry a total of 44 ounces of food and beverages in a single container. Its contours serve as a built-in dish or bowl to enjoy your meals, snacks and drinks while traveling, camping or for the daily work/lunch routine.
GreenTraveler is cylindrical, like a water bottle, so it easily clips to a bag, and it's airtight, so users can be confident the lid won't pop off. It's also rugged for all outdoor activities.
As the name suggests, GreenTraveler is designed with the environment in mind. It can be used as a to-go container so restaurant leftovers don't end up in a disposable Styrofoam container. It can also be used to buy food in bulk. The empty weight and volume is printed on every container for measuring portions and buying food by weight, without being charged for the container weight.
Constructed with ABS plastic, known for its technical and food-safe properties without BPA or phthalates, it's also resistant to high-heat making it microwave and dishwasher safe.
GreenTraveler is available on Kickstarter for a limited time with early-bird special pricing. For more information, visit the GreenTraveler Crowdfunding Campaign Page.
About Green Traveler
Founded in 2015 by James Robinson and Juliene Wintermute, who met in college as environmental engineering students, Green Traveler is focused on creating dynamic, useful and sustainable to-go ware through a design process that produces minimal to zero-waste during any of their product's production and distribution cycles. The addition of their third partner Josey Zadoria has helped to bring an idea into the marketplace. The company is committed to donating one percent of its net income to natural resource conservation funds and encourages the recycling of all its products through a return program. For more information, visit http://www.mygreentraveler.com.
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Friday, October 28
1) Halloween special: Get spooked: Choose from special cocktails — Grim Reaper (infused cinnamon whiskey with a citrus mix), Witches Brew (cold coffee, vanilla vodka and citrus-infused liqueur) and Butterbeer (spiced rum and cream soda, with toffee and caramel), among others. Pair them with crispy chicken with sweet paprika, Sri Lankan spiced chicken poi and fried calamari.
Where: The Sassy Spoon (Bandra and Nariman Point); Visit: facebook.com/thesassyspoonPrice: Rs 2,000 onward (for two people); When: 12pm to 7pm
Cocktails at Terttulia2) Diwali special: Festive menu: Enjoy platters of raw mango with corn nachos, beans chipotle, smoked salmon crostini, and charcoal-cooked chicken. Wash it down with cocktails such as the Mumbai Local (carrot juice and Tequila), and Friendship Punch (mix of vodka, gin and rum).
Where: Terttulia, Shivaji Park, Dadar; Call: 6002 0202Price: Rs 1,400 onward (for two people); When: 11.30am to 1.30am
3) Theatre: Mughal-e-Azam: The iconic 1960 movie debuts on stage as a Broadway-style musical. Directed by Feroz Abbas Khan, the play will retain original hits, such as Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya and Teri Mehfil Mein.
Where: Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point; Call: 6622 3737Price: Rs 500 onward; When: 7.30pm
4) Screening: Short Film Night: Don't miss these stellar short films — Thirst, by Clark and Keith Rivers, about what water means to different people; Parigot, by Mehdi, Loic, Axel, Geoffrey and Alexandra, follows a hobo in Paris looking for food; and Hit and Run, by director Jordan Liebowtiz, on the lives of low-level drug dealers after a car accident.
Where: The Pantry, Kala Ghoda, Fort; Call: 2270 0082Entry: Free; When: 8pm onward
An artwork from the exhibition5) Art: Graphite: Five artists — Amalesh Das, Atish Mukherjee, Pradip Maiti, Ranjana Mukherjee and Sushmita Ghosh — will showcase paintings and sculptures across mediums. The themes range from nature and urban life to divine and demonic myths.
Where: Jehangir Art Gallery, MG Road, Kala Ghoda; Call: 98308 87111Entry: Free
A scene from Loretta6) Theatre: Loretta: Set in the '70s on a river island in Goa, this play narrates the story of attachment to one's cultural roots, and the need to keep evolving with the times.
Where: St Andrew's Auditorium, St Dominic Road, Bandra (W); Call: 2641 0926Price: Rs 500 onward; When: 7.30pm
Game night at CopaSaturday, October 29
7) Halloween special: Game night: Enjoy multiple rounds of build your skeleton, Halloween bingo, crafty paper boo, and check out some spooky decor this weekend. Sip on apple pie-infused tea, ginger-spiked apple and pear muddle, and lemonade splashed over rosemary, cucumber, mint and lime.
Where: Copa, Anna Building, opposite Juhu Gymkhana, Vile Parle; Call: 3996 7490Price: Rs 1,500 onward (for two people); When: 8pm onward
Desserts from Country of Origin8) Food and drinks: Diwali delights: Worried about shopping for festive gifts? Choose from frangipani and badam halwa jar, assorted brownie boxes, signature dessert jars, and a range of cookies, muffins, fondants and tea cakes, among other dishes.
Where: Country Of Origin outlets (Nepean Sea Road, Bandra, Juhu); Visit: countryoforigin.inPrice: Rs 1,000 onward; When: 10am to 10pm
Camping at Bhandardara9) Travel: Lakeside Camping: Make your way to Bhandardara this weekend to get away from the city's buzz and the excessive Diwali noise. Situated near Igatpuri, the region boasts of a pristine water reservoir called Arthur Lake. Get a hands-on experience on how to pitch a tent and build a campfire.
Where: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (assembly point); Call: 86920 86927Price: Rs 3,000 per head; When: 9.30am (assembly time)
A beach in AlibaugSunday, October 30
10) Travel: Weekend Getaway: MTDC brings you a quiet Diwali escapade. Get to Mandwa by ferryboat, and continue by sea to Murud Janjira Fort. Catch a tour of Birla Mandir on Revdanda-Murud Road and walk along the scenic beaches of Alibaug, Nagav, and Kihim.
Where: Gateway of India (assembly point); Visit: maharashtratourism.gov.in/touroperatorPrice: Rs 5,419 (for two people); When: 7.30am (assembly time)
For the 10th straight year, October is Dining Month on OnMilwaukee, presented by the restaurants of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. All month, we're stuffed with restaurant reviews, dining guides, delectable features, chef profiles and unique articles on everything food, as well as voting for your "Best of Dining 2016."
It seems the Travel Channel has its cameras pointed at Milwaukee once again.
Crews were in town this week filming for an episode of the hit show "Food Paradise," which highlights must-stop food spots across the country that offer one-of-a-kind dining experiences. The show has previously dropped by Milwaukee to spotlight the Milwaukee Beer Bistro in Riverwest and Cafe Bavaria in Wauwatosa.
On the docket for this upcoming episode, which will air on an undisclosed date in 2017, are two local restaurants with a flair for unique eats.
The first is The Vanguard, 2659 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., a Bay View favorite featuring creatively executed housemade sausages and sides. From a photo posted to the restaurant's Instagram account, it appears that sausage-lovers of all ages got in on the action, and we can't wait to see these sweeties featured during their 15 minutes of fame.
The second confirmed location is The Saloon on Calhoun with Bacon, 17000 W. Capitol Dr., a recently remodeled Brookfield sports bar known for its creative takes on bacon-laden fare that offers all-you-can-eat meat candy every weekday from 4 to 7 p.m.
Stay tuned to OnMilwaukee for more information about the upcoming "Food Paradise" episode and when it will air.
The research was announced at the IATA World Passenger Symposium in Dubai, as part of a Sabre-hosted industry roundtable on how airlines and hotels can deliver more tailored offers and services to customers.
Regional differences in ancillary purchases
The survey also found differences between what people from different regions would spend on extras:
When asked what they would be most likely to spend money on, the most desired ancillaries were cabin class upgrades, on-board food and beverage and preferred seating and extra leg room – all at 11 percent. This was followed by in-flight wi-fi (nine percent) and extra checked baggage (nine percent). The popularity of each ancillary varied between travelers from each region, with North Americans and Europeans choosing preferred seating and extra leg room; Latin Americans opting for on-board wi-fi, and Asia Pacific travelers selecting extra checked luggage. For travelers from Africa and the Middle East, on-board food and beverage, and fast track security respectively topped their pick.
"It's clear that while there are regional differences in ancillary preferences, 80 percent of all travelers spend on air extras, representing a significant revenue opportunity for airlines," said Dino Gelmetti, vice president EMEA, Airline Solutions, Sabre. "Airlines know what their travelers want based on the data they have of past purchases. Yet so much of this data remains unused today. However, by leveraging the latest technology, airlines can unlock this data and show they know their travelers by offering the right products at the right time and tailoring a personalized experience that will improve customer loyalty and generate much needed revenue."
Personalisation
While technology is preferred by most travelers to plan and book travel, human interaction still plays a significant role in some countries. In Latin America, almost half (48 percent) prefer the help of a consultant to plan and book travel, compared to around a third of travelers from other regions – 37 percent in the Middle East, 36 percent in Asia, 35 percent in Africa and North America, and 33 percent in Europe.
The study also revealed differences in the time it takes travelers around the world to book trips. African travelers were the fastest planners, with 33 percent saying they spent less than a day planning their last trip, compared to just 12 percent of travelers from Asia Pacific. At the other end of the scale, American travelers were the most likely to plan in advance with nine percent taking longer than a month, compared to just three percent of travelers from Africa and the Middle East.
"Both airlines and travel agencies have a role to play in providing travelers with a complete booking service that combines the convenience of technology with the power of human interaction," said Shelly Terry, Shelly Terry, vice president of travel product solutions, Travel Network, Sabre. "Airlines can maximise revenue by leveraging the expertise of travel agencies and ensuring their inventories are conveniently available to passengers through both direct and indirect channels, giving people the choice and freedom to book travel the way it suits them."
The full report can be read here
Methodology: An online survey of 1,500 travelers from 20 countries in six regions was fielded in Sept and Oct 2016. Regions were North America (Canada, United States); Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, United Kingdom); Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina); Asia-Pacific (China, India, Indonesia, South Korea); Africa (Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria); and the Middle East (Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Israel). Respondents qualified if they had traveled by plane within the past two years.
About Sabre Corporation
Sabre Corporation is the leading technology provider to the global travel industry. Sabre's software, data, mobile and distribution solutions are used by hundreds of airlines and thousands of hotel properties to manage critical operations, including passenger and guest reservations, revenue management, flight, network and crew management. Sabre also operates a leading global travel marketplace, which processes more than $120 billion of estimated travel spend annually by connecting travel buyers and suppliers. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Jess MatthiasSabre, Public Relations, EMEAJess.Matthias@sabre.com +44 208 538 8617
Daniel DuarteSabre, Public Relations, AmericasDaniel.Duarte@sabre.com +1 (241) 236-9473
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161025/432405-INFOLogo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131216/DA33636LOGO-b
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-study-reveals-travelers-would-spend-100-on-airline-ancillaries-to-personalize-travel-experience-300350847.html
SOURCE Sabre Corporation
Waste not … happy diners at Restlos Glücklich, Berlin. Photograph: Lars Bösch
On a quiet side street in the otherwise buzzing Berlin-Neukölln is what looks like just another cosy vintage cafe: exposed brick, mismatched furniture, candles in jam jars. But Restlos Glücklich is Germany's first anti-food waste restaurant, serving delicious dishes using discarded food.
It was opened in July by a group of volunteers, including an environmental scientist, an engineer and a bank clerk, and cooks almost entirely with surplus from farms or supermarkets. The food is not past its sell-by date, but rejected because vegetables are oddly shaped, packaging is damaged, or there's a lack of storage space.
A delicious veggie main course at Restlos Glücklich"We are 12 people who are united by one passion: the battle against food waste," says co-founder and educational manager Leoni Beckmann. The not-for-profit organisation also runs harvest tours of farms, and classes in cooking with leftovers at home (€60pp).
Twice a week, the team collects discarded food from a total of 10 farms and organic supermarkets. With no control over what produce is available, founding chef Daniel Roick, who has a fine-dining background, has to be constantly creative. He does so with delicious results. Changing daily, the menu focuses on vegetarian and vegan dishes, such as seitan burgers and chilled cucumber foam soup (€6-€8).
A €22 three-course weekend menu might include goat's milk panna cotta with thyme and honey, coriander rice cakes with smoked cauliflower cream, and wild berry chocolate cake. All items are also available in a smaller portion to avoid any leftovers.• Kienitzer Straße 22, restlos-gluecklich.berlin
BOSTON (AP) — Yankee magazine and Boston's public television station, WGBH, are teaming up to launch a new travel and lifestyles show exploring New England.
"Weekends With Yankee" is set to premiere nationwide on public television stations in April 2017.
The two media companies say filming will get underway later this month on 13 weekly half-hour episodes.
The producers say the documentary series will take viewers on "an insider's exploration" from cities to far-flung countryside across the six-state region, which is a top destination for tourists from around the world. They say it will focus on unique attractions and "the hidden New England that only locals know."
Emmy Award-winning TV travel host Richard Wiese will host the show, joined by Amy Traverso, a senior food editor at Dublin, New Hampshire-based Yankee. Traverso will share the recipes and flavors that spice the region's food and dining scene.
"'Weekends With Yankee' will capture the region's sights, scenes, sounds and tastes," said Laurie Donnelly, director of lifestyle programming at WGBH Studio Six, in a statement. "WGBH is delighted to be collaborating with Yankee on this news series, guaranteed to appeal to audiences across America."
Yankee publisher Brook Holmberg said the 81-year-old magazine is excited to venture into television and share "our insider's guide to New England with viewers from coast to coast."
WGBH is the nation's largest producer of public broadcasting programs for TV and online, including "Frontline," "NOVA," "American Experience," "Masterpiece" and "Antiques Roadshow." Wiese hosts the "Born to Explore" travel show, which debuted in 2011.
The series will give Boston-area viewers another taste of New England travel and food. The longstanding and popular show, "Chronicle," airs weeknights on WCVB-TV.
___
Online:
http://www.newengland.com
http://www.wgbh.org
One of my favorite things to do in a new city is a street food tour. Food tour with a local guide is an extremely enjoyable crash course in culture and people of the land. On a recent trip, I picked a Kuala Lumpur food tour named 'Flavours of Malaysia – Off the beaten track', by 'Simply Enak'.
Kuala Lumpur Food TourThis tour covered the Chow Kit Market, also known as the biggest wet market in KL. Chow Kit area is divided into two parts, one the official red light district and the other a popular bazaar or market that houses produce, butchers and street food vendors.
Our tour started with a meet and greet outside the Chow Kit monorail station. Mimi, our tour guide, did a great job introducing us to the area and its historic vs current day relevance within the KL sub-culture.
First Stop – Traditional Malaysian Satay (Chicken/Goat/Beef) with steamed rice and chilli sauce
People are the best stories: His weekend job, helping run parents' food stall. Weekdays he is an IT professional at a bank. Spoke immaculate English.
Amazing range of curries and versions of Kuih Kochi (rice dumplings in banana leaf)
Deep fried Fish preparations
Murtabak – Egg roti with various protein fillings
The range of veggies, fruits, roots and spices were incredible. My favorite was sampling fruits that I often overlook at local grocers, like mangosteen and rumbutan fruit, yum!
Varieties of dried fish, anchovies that are part of traditional Malay cuisine
More herbs, spices and roots
This part of the tour included extremely powerful smells and sights of all things blood and butchery, and came with intense trigger warnings. I left out the gory pictures from this write up.
Putu Bambu – Steamed rice cakes traditionally cooked in bambu
Chilli Pan Mee – This place was churning out the best fresh noodles I have ever eaten! Accompanied by secret recipe chilli paste.
Final stop of the tour – Indo-Malaysian spread with various curries, roti canai and traditional coffee.
This 3-4 hour tour cost $62.50 USD and was worth every penny. Mimi, a chow kit local and our tour guide was the highlight. Her passion for the area and its people was infectious and thoroughly enjoyable. The food on offer varied from hefty sampling to a full 8 course meal towards the end. It also offered various vegetarian options and accommodated those with food allergies.We were stuffed happy with knowledge and amazing food.
Take AwayFor me, a food tours remain the best way to quickly connect with the city and its culture. Every city has plethora of food tour options, I make sure to pick one that represents the locals best, away from the glitz and glamour of downtown or over commercialized tourist establishments. Chow Kit market was one such destination, a local favorite and a tourists' delight.
Have you been to KL? What are your local favorites? Share with a comment below.
By CAT CARTER
Published: 2016.10.21 02:34 PM
Kristen Wile
THURSDAY (OCT 20)
FALL IN ITALY DINNER AT FRAN'S FILLING STATION
A few seats are left for the "Fall in Italy" dinner: four courses and four wines for $40. Enjoy fig flatbread bites, seared scallops with white beans and escarole, and chicken saltimbocca with autumn vegetables and farro. Dessert is a flourless chocolate cake with sweet ricotta and balsamic caramel. Reserve online at opentable.com.
FRIDAY (OCT 21)
50 CENT COFFEE AT DUNKIN' DONUTS
Dunkin' Donuts celebrates the opening of its 50th store in the Charlotte area with 50 cent small hot coffee and donuts at all Charlotte locations on Oct. 21. The 50th store, located in Concord, will host a Grand Opening event called Kickin' Cancer with Coffee. If the community purchases 500 cups of coffee throughout the day on Friday, Dunkin' Donuts will donate $5 per cup to the Bring It 4 Braylon Foundation.
SATURDAY (OCT 22)
MIXOLOGY WITH BOB PETERS
This is a special edition of Peters' monthly class, rescheduled from a couple weeks ago. It is the first in their fall cocktail series and features Fair Game Distillery from Pittsboro, who will be showcasing their liquors as well as their apple, scuppernong, and peach wines. Earl's Grocery. 2:30 - 3:30. 1609 Elizabeth Ave, 28204.
SATURDAY, SUNDAY (OCT 22, 23)
LEXINGTON BARBECUE FESTIVAL
This perennial favorite, recognized as one of the "Top Ten Food Festivals in America" by Travel & Leisure magazine, returns this weekend. Now in its 32nd year, the festival attracts over 200,000 visitors with its true Carolina-style barbecue. Enjoy live music, hog racing, and a dog show. Participate in the Hawg Run (a 5K or fun run/walk), check out the wine garden, or just relax and enjoy some 'cue.
SATURDAY (OCT 22)
OKTOBERFEST AT PLAZA-MIDWOOD
Celebrate fall with this free, family-friendly event at Healthy Home Market in Plaza Midwood. Enjoy a $5 meal that includes a sausage, bag of pretzels and a drink as you listen to live music and sample beer offered by carious vendors.
SUNDAY (OCT 23)
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WINE DINNER AT ARIA
As part of Aria Tuscan Grill's partnership with Habitat for Humanity Charlotte, the restaurant is hosting a charity wine dinner to raise funds for the organization. Enjoy four courses created by guest Chefs Leslie and Bruce Schlernitzauer of Porcupine Provisions and Aria's Executive Chef Chris Bateman and Chef de Cuisine' Alex Piatt. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity Charlotte.
SUNDAY (OCT 23)
PASSION8 RESTAURANT TURNS 10
Help this favorite among locavores celebrate their tenth anniversary this Sunday. Enjoy a complimentary cocktail, drink specials, hors d'oeuvres, music and more. Tickets are available online.
MONDAY (OCT 24)
HAVE A SLICE DAY
In honor of National Pizza Month, Villa Italian Kitchen is treating customers to a free slice of their Neapolitan cheese pizza, made with 100% whole milk mozzarella and house-made pizza dough. The offer is for this coming Monday, October 24, and requires a coupon available on their Facebook page or their special website, freesliceday.com. Exclusions and other rules apply.
Taylor Hicks on State Plate.
As the owner of Saw's Juke Joint, a barbecue and blues bar in Birmingham, Alabama, American Idol Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks knows a little something about good food.
"You can't be from Alabama and not be a foodie," he tells Billboard.
Hicks will put his palate to good use as the host of State Plate, a food and travel show premiering on INSP at 9 p.m. Friday night (Oct. 21).
"I've always been interested in hosting a food and travel show," he says. "I cast the net, and INSP had a genius concept in a food show. I've been pitching food concepts and show ideas to different networks, and this was a home run because it literally touches on every state. It touches on the culinary arts of every state, and not only that, but it's kind of a cross between Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives – you know, a history lesson in what iconic foods make up each state. So it's kind of the best of both worlds."
The concept of State Plate is simple, he explains. In each episode, Hicks will visit a specific state and fill up a plate with "emblematic state foods," including appetizers, entrees, sides and desserts. Hicks will visit Maine, Illinois, Arizona, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Georgia and Wisconsin.
In his travels, he shucked clams, rode horseback, planted beans, and hopped on a lobster boat in his quest to sample the unique cuisine of each region.
"Our goal is to reach all 50 states," he says. "I'm really excited, because it's also educational, and a never-ending culinary journey. I love meeting the people who really make up some of these wonderful culinary ideas that keep the tradition and patriotism of their own states. They carry that torch. It's such a unique way to learn about the specific foods that make up our country."
Hicks -- who returned to our television sets in April for the American Idol series finaleis well seasoned himself, with chops honed not only on the Fox singing competition, but with appearances on shows like The Choice and Law & Order, Special Victims Unit.
Hosting a television show, he says, is a natural step for performers closely aligned with the medium.
"I've always told myself that for who comes off of American Idol it's always smart to stay close to television," he says. "Because that's where people know you from."
So what is Hicks learning on his magical mystery food tour? Read on for Hicks' thoughts, and watch an exclusive clip from the show:
Tell us about State Plate. It's great to see you back on television. You and Kellie Pickler (who has her own reality show, I Love Kellie Pickler, on CMT) both have shows!
She's one that has been close to TV. People that were on our season -- you know, we were so visible from TV. It's just really smart to stay close to the medium in which you broke. Music is important, too, but for me it always seems to connect when there's the television angle.
On this show, you are trying the cuisine and sampling food at festivals, fairs, and farms.
It's a really cool concept, because it's truly a farm-to-table show, so to speak. It's going to wherever this iconic state food is made and finding its origins, and more times than not it is the farm. Somebody asked me what I've been up to, and I always like to say, "I've been on a dairy farm milking cows, what about you?" It's really, truly going to the farm or going to a production facility, or sometimes it's a plant.
One state you visited is Georgia. Did you learn many different ways to make food with a peach?
We did! We touched on that in the state of Georgia with peaches! This has definitely been an educational experience for me because it's the first show of my own that I've ever hosted and also I get to learn about the people and the foods that really make the state iconic when it comes to culinary arts.
Are you also in the kitchen, watching people prepare the dishes?
Oh yeah, we literally start from in the ground to the table, so I'm definitely getting my hands dirty. There are different foods from each state that people don't know about, but these foods are foods that everybody in their own state knows about. So that's what I've enjoyed, just traveling around and really seeing the country, and also talking with the people that make the products and the foods iconic. It's awesome.
What was your favorite place so far?
Maine is a beautiful state. Being from Alabama I didn't really get to travel in my younger years. I was always traveling performing music, but I didn't get to play up in the northeast, and Maine is a wondrous state -- for not only its scenery but also its foods.
In the middle of all of this, you are recording new music! What can you tell us about that?
I'm trying to put together new music for release in the spring of next year. New music for me has obviously been a slow burn, but with the new television show and some really great things happening with that, it's definitely moved the process along a lot quicker. I know the songs that I want to record, and that's 75 percent of the battle, being emotionally connected to your music and knowing that every song that you're going to record is a song that you whole-heartedly believe in and you've had time to live with. For me, that's where the best art comes from a musical perspective and it's time to do that now.
I have some really great material and now it's time to record it. I'm looking to record in Nashville, and that's one of my favorite places to record -- because if I'm on a food kick, I definitely like nice southern food to go with lunch every day at the studio.
Where do you like to eat in Nashville?
I love this restaurant Firefly, the culinary scene is pretty happening. There's Kayne Prime -- that's a great steak place. Obviously we do our meat 'n threes, and there's a plethora of the meat 'n threes that you get. It's good old southern comfort food, and if you're recording music, musicians definitely like to be comfortable.
If State Plate gets a second season, where do you want to go?
Well we've stayed up in the northeast and the south, and we went over to Arizona. We've got nine states, and we're trying to touch on nine more with the second season. I probably shouldn't say "in the second season," assuming that there might be one, but it's kind of funny -- I kind of look at it like this is Idol season one, you know what I mean? Because you have a host, you have a show, and we really are on the ground floor, and we travel a lot of different places.
I just enjoy hosting this show because I think it's truly a great concept. People are very interested in food shows these days and this is one that kind of touches on all the aspects of them.
This continues my blog entries about our recent trip to Italy. Here are the earlier accounts: 
After lunch, we walked to the Campo de Fiori with fruit, vegetables and food products for sale. We recalled how we had ran into an old friend, John Silva, in the same place years ago. From there we walked to the Piazza Navona, then Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and finally the Spanish Steps. 
The pictures with food were taken at the Campo de Fiori. The pictures that folow with the huge fountain show the Piazza Navona. 
The following pictures show the famous Trevi Fountain. It was crowded! 
The pictures show the Pantheon. 
The following show the Spanish Steps, which was also filled with tourists. 
And this one was taken at a restaurant near our hotel where we had dinner. The restaurant manager made us taste tripe and other local Roman dishes. I believe the restuarant's name is Amedeo. 
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