Savoring Italy, One Beer at a Time
The New York Times, 2.11.2008
In the wine region of northern Italy, a nascent craft beer scene is starting to combine innovative brewing techniques with la bella cucina, serving excellent lagers and outstanding ales in refined restaurants while also elevating the cuisine served in the region’s brewpubs. This NYT Travel cover story checked out the new craft breweries in Milan, Turin and small villages around Piedmont and Lombardy.
The Music Issue: Stockholm Is More Than Abba’s Town
The New York Times, 11.5.2008
Years ago, Sweden was known for saccharine pop. But today, Stockholm is home to a diverse array of cutting-edge performers, many of whom are just now starting to earn international acclaim: demure singer-songwriters like José González, alt-rockers like Bob Hund, dark electronica from the Knife, twee popsters like the Concretes, new-New-Wavers like Kamera and hard-to-pigeonhole songstresses like Lykke Li — as well as bigger successes like Shout Out Louds and the Hives.
Choice Tables: Vienna
The New York Times, 27.1.2008
Perhaps more than any other city in Europe, the Austrian capital holds onto its culinary traditions, with several of its most famous five-star restaurants hanging around for generations. But recently, a new crew has started to challenge the old order, updating the Austrian capital’s traditionally formal dining scene with casual restaurants in unexpected settings, from inside museums to cheese shops, private homes and even bookstores.
36 Hours in Budapest
The New York Times, 12.8.2007
Leave your ascetic side at home: modern Budapest is a highly hedonistic place, with opportunities to overindulge on everything from opera to great wine. Surprisingly, many of the richest pleasures here are seen as basic human rights rather than exclusive luxuries: Hungarian pensioners relax in ornate public baths that give Hearst Castle a run for its money, and when the city’s concerts and museums aren’t inexpensive, they’re often just plain free.
Journeys: Eastern Europe; This Summer, It’s Rock Around the Bloc
The New York Times, 24.6.2007
For music fans in the former Eastern bloc, the demise of the old regime brought about an unexpected benefit: the arrival of rock and techno music festivals on a huge scale previously reserved for May Day celebrations, with excellent outdoor concerts taking place everywhere from Riga to Belgrade.
Going To: Bucharest
The New York Times, 8.10.2006
The Romanian capital boasts a dynamic cityscape, with Byzantine churches crumbling next to palatial Beaux-Arts town houses and minimalist International-style blocks; the music scene starts with the great 20th-century composer George Enescu before branching out to house D.J.’s like Alien Pimp and rollicking Gypsy bands like Taraf de Haiduks. Go. To. Bucharest.
The Ultimate Beer Run in the Czech Republic
The New York Times, 6.8.2006
The wine trails of Napa and Bordeaux need no introduction. The same, however, cannot be said for the beer trails of Bohemia and Moravia. This NYT Travel cover story charted a beer-lovers’ path through the Czech Republic, hitting #1 on the Times “Most E-mailed” list for four days.
Going To: Dubrovnik
The New York Times, 10.7.2006
The hottest destination on the Mediterranean? Dubrovnik, the walled citadel on the emerald Adriatic. What should you do while you’re there? Take a copy of this article, which details the best antique stores, hat shops, restaurants, beaches and clubs, with several money-saving tips thrown in gratis.
Surfacing: Dresden’s New Party Zone
The New York Times, 14.5.2006
Dresden has a highbrow reputation among Germans, long known as the home to great opera, literature and art. But it also has a street-smart side: Neustadt. This tiny, fin-de-siecle neighborhood is filled with more than 100 bars, nightclubs and restaurants, as well as cool hotels, theaters and shops.
