Jet Setter

The Africa Cafe - Cape Town, South Africa

With the World Cup just around the corner, the whole world will descend on tiny Cape Town in June. It's funny because before I visited Cape Town, I'd read all these stories in travel magazines and thought it was this huge metropolis.  I guess because it's South Africa's most celebrated city...but the thing that shocked me the most when I got there was how small it is.

I spent 10 days hanging out in this town and doing pretty much all the touristy things you could think of. It didn't take long - 5 days and I was done. Hiked up Table Mountain. Visited Robben Island - Nelson Mandela's old prison. Took a day trip to the wine country.  Drove down the coastal highway to the Cape of Good Hope (absolutely gorgeous!!). Took a safari from Cape Town, which I really wouldn't recommend. I've lived in Africa and so the safari thing wasn't a big deal. But if you haven't been on a safari ever, head up north to Kruger or fly to Victoria Falls or Botswana. Also, not to be missed there's the Rhodes Memorial and the V&A Waterfront.

Prices for hotels during the World Cup are astronomical. But I stayed at An African Villa, a small boutique hotel, in the heart of Cape Town, which I loved. Decor is modern African chic and the owners are great. And it was while I was milling about at the African Villa that I heard about the Africa Cafe and decided to head over there with a friend.

A Stopover at Belmont Hotel, Dallas

I have to admit I'm kind of a "shi-shi" traveler if that's a word. I like nice, modern chic hotels with just enough luxury. Not really into hotels with character as that usually means old and inconvenient.  So I was pleasantly surprised when my friend Raney who loves hotels with character introduced me to essentially a motel built in the 40s. Why? Because it was funky, cool and (gasp!) historical. Plus it had an amazing view of Dallas to die for.

Voila Belmont Hotel! Dallas' motel turned very cool but not pretentious boutique hotel. They call it the "modern luxury, local flavor and mid-century swank" experience. The Belmont is in Dallas' Oak Cliff neighborhood. Oak Cliff used to be a separate town, becoming a part of Dallas in 1903.  In the 40s and 50s, it was a surburban haven, but ran into many difficulties when desegregation began in the 60s. It's now reemerging as a fun neighborhood with alot of historical character that's still been preserved surprisingly for Dallas.

Belmont Hotel is a hillside hideaway...love the bar. Great cocktails, especially the cucumber martini. The SMOKE restaurant is an old-fashioned smokehouse with a modern twist. I had the coffee-cured beef brisket sandwich and the Louisiana andouille sausage. It seems like it's always packed. The hotel has Live Music every Thursdays and it's a great place to hang out before checking out the nearby Bishop Arts District.

- Denise

Websites

Oak Cliff, Dallas

Hotel Belmont

 

   
 

GermanDeli.com - Celebrating Carnival German-style

When I think of Carnival and/or Mardis Gras the countries that come to mind are the US - New Orleans, Brazil and Rio, Italy and Venice, France and Nice. Germany not so much. I recently discovered that the Germans too party their way through Carnival season, and it's called Fasching or Karneval.

The tradition started mostly in Germany's Catholic regions and includes masquerade balls, parades, dancing in the streets. The heart of Fasching is in Koln (Cologne), Germany but smaller towns and other cities such as Dusseldorf and Mainz have their own big celebrations.

In the Dallas area, Fasching is being celebrated at GermanDeli.com's European food store in Colleyville on Sunday, February 7 from noon to five. GermanDeli has over 5000 German food products and gift items in the store...and that's not including their offerings online where they ship anywhere.

Nicole, the marketing manager for the group, gave me a tour throughout the store and a rundown of their most popular products. As I'm not really familiar with German food, Nicole gave me some recommendations on what food to try. It was a great way to explore some new cuisine and food ideas.

So you'll want to try: Dallmayr Prodomo Coffee, Jacobs Kroenung Coffee, Brotchen (bread rolls) & Pretzels, Landliebe Butter, Schaler & Webber Liverwurst, Teewurst & Blutwurst, Gold Medal Liver Pate, Kinder Schokolade (Chocolate), a German favorite.

What I also loved about the store is that you get the versions of candies and snacks that you find in European stores, not the US version. I love gummies and quickly picked up a couple of packets of the Haribo sweets. And of course, they carry Nutella. Happy Karneval!

- Denise

 

Websites

GermanDeli.com

GermanDeli Fasching Celebration

Photo: Street Scene in Frankfurt

Lumi Empanada & Dumpling Kitchen - Check Out The Latest In Vietnamese-Brazilian cuisine

Vietnam and Brazil. They don't exactly bring to mind a happy marriage. I think of Vietnam and it's crazy motorcyclists, bustling Chinatown, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rice and veggies - a hot, steamy jungle of a playground. Brazil of course - it's music and dancing (samba), gorgeous beaches (Ipanema), gorgeous people (Gisele), lots of meat (Brazilian)  and soccer mania!

So to mix the two cuisines - it's an interesting project, which I happen to love. Checked out Lumi Empanada & Dumpling Kitchen in Dallas. They take the concept of tapas (which is Spanish) and merge that with the Brazilian dishes and Vietnamese dishes, so everyone can get different dishes and share. Awesome caipirinhas (the Brazilian drink!). Tried the Thai Panang Curry Chicken dumplings (loved!), Spinach, Mozarella & Portabello Empanadas, Vietnamese Summer Rolls and Portobello Fries with Duo Dipping sauce.

The setting is kind of an Ikea-like art gallery - very zen feel. Nice vibe and crowd.

- Denise

Websites

Lumi Empanada & Dumpling Kitchen

Sur La Table The Ultimate Vietnam Culinary Experience - Here's a dream trip for foodies. Sur La Table, the famous kitchenware company offers cooking classes (all over) and culinary food tours to some amazing world-wide destinations.

 

 

Boston Weekend Getaway

 

I would expect Boston to be covered in snow right now - a veritable winter wonderland. It's not. Nature has an ironic sense of humor I think. I traveled to Boston for the first time over Thanksgiving weekend and was quite mesmerized with how beautiful a city it is. Thankfully, when I was there it didn't snow. Was beautiful and sunny for two days and rainy for two days. Got the best and worst. 

Much of America's "young" history began here, and I love it when history comes alive. I spent my weekend hanging out with a bunch of internationals for the most American of holidays. Here's our itinerary.

A Stopover at Sublim Eiffel, Paris

So any time I read Garance Dore's fashion blog,it makes me immediately want to head back to Paris. I'm staying put though, as it's way too cold for me.  I'll take a Texas winter anyday. Here's a great boutique hotel getting rave reviews called Sublim Eiffel that I'm dying to check out. 

The concept behind the hotel is the City of Lights - Paris. It has 19 rooms, located in the 15th arrondissement, right by Metro station, Sevres Lecourbe. It's funky (carpet designs are maps of the 13th and 15th arrondissements), modern (fiber optic lighting in the shower) and has a spa area. What more could a girl ask for?

- Denise

  

Websites

Hotel Sublim Eiffel

Trip Advisor 

Hot Toddies; Holiday Giving; New Year's Eve Ideas; Turning Fat into Fuel

They have some great tips for any list minute shoppers like me. Lol.
- Denise

A Stopover at La Mamounia, Marrakesh, Morocco

Several weeks ago, I "discovered" Moroccan cuisine at Dallas' Cafe Marrakesh. Stepping inside Cafe Marrakesh is like transporting yourself to Morocco. It's the colors that send me into sensory overload -the deep reds and gold, sumptuous fabrics. My travel writer friend Karen told me that now through March is the best time to travel to Morocco. Morocco is also a popular vacation spot with the French. Be prepared to parlez francais.

 

When I think of Morocco, of course Casablanca comes to mind as Casablanca has achieved Hollywood immortality.  But there's also Fez and Volubilis. Fez is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the oldest city in Morocco. Volubulis is home to extensive (about 40 hectares) of Roman ruins.

Marrakesh is a stunning imperial city. Marrakesh like the rest of Morocco is a mosaic of Arab and Berber cultures. Marrakesh's backdrop is Morocco whose magical setting includes  the "Atlantic and Mediterranean beaches, desert oases, mountain villages, traditional souks, fantastic food."

La Mamounia is a landmark hotel of the international jet set and was built in 1923. It's been closed for the last three years for $177 million in renovations and just reopened in September.  The hotel has 136 rooms, 71 suites and 3 riads (traditional courtyard houses). The designer Jacques Garcia paid homage to Morocco's artistic heritage. 

Working with local Moroccan artisans, the features of the hotel include all-marble bathrooms, hand-painted wood ceilings, Zillij mosaics to name a few. There are five bars and six restaurants. And of major consideration, a spa with 2 traditional Moroccan hammams. 

The service reports at least on Trip Advisor for 2009 have not been that encouraging unfortunately as people have had high expectations. I've found at least on a country level, Japan and Dubai with the high end hotels that have consistently the best service. Hopefully, La Mamounia will get this together.

It's a true work of art, because I'm so there.

- Denise

Websites

La Mamounia - www.mamounia.com

Trip Advisor - www.tripadvisor.com

Tours to Morocco - www.friendlyplanet.com 

In Search of the Perfect Cupcake - My Top 5 Cupcake Bakeries

It's a sad thing when I equate holidays with loads of sweets. But it's the best time to indulge without feeling guilty until January 2. Yeah, I know that's pathetic. I've spent the last few weeks trolling Dallas for my favorite cupcake bakeries for a few holiday parties that required me to bring a dessert. 

I love cupcakes, because they are small cakes and it lessens the guilt though not the calories. I'm no cupcake snob and easily satisfied. Every time I travel, I find myself in search of new cupcake places. Recently on a visit to Boston, I stopped by Johnny's Cupcakes thinking aha cupcakes. No, they're a tease, they sell cool t-shirts. Man....

Here are my favorites in the Big D.

1. Sprinkles - www.sprinklescupcakes.com. LA-based Sprinkles started the trend. And their presentation is bar none. It feels like an event going here.

2. The Cupcakery - www.thecupcakery.com. Dallas' Uptown location has bright pink walls and black leather sofas. Love dropping by for a coffee and cupcake with friends. The frosting is a bit too sweet for me. But they have some cool flavors and it's easy to head to Hotel Zaza for some adult beverages after.

3. Society Bakery - www.societybakery.com. They have the best home-made cupcakes. The frosting is delish and the cupcakes are perfectly moist.

4. Central Market - www.centralmarket.com. They have chocolate and buttercream cupcakes to die for.

5. La Duni - www.laduni.com. Dallas' ode to nouveau Latin American cuisine has amazing cakes and exquisite wedding cupcakes. 

- Denise

 

Cafe Marrakesh - Modern Moroccan Cuisine

A few weeks ago, I checked out Cafe Marrakesh, a Moroccan restaurant in Dallas. My friend Raney recommended the Merguez sandwich, a sandwich served on French bread with onions and tomatoes and spiced lamb sausage. It was delish!

I love Moroccan mint tea and beef or lamb tagines. Tagines are basically slow-cooked stews. I made a tagine with chicken and apricots. I love the mix of flavors and spices. Cafe Marrakesh made me want to go to Morocco.

  

Would love to know about anyone else's experience there as I haven't been yet. It's something about the colors, and fabrics, market bazaars, desert scenery and mountains that make it a place I'd love to visit.

- Denise

Travel writer Karen Kindler did a series of guests posts on her trip to Morocco last year. Check 'em out.

Mustafa and the Simply Bazaar - A Moroccan Thrill Ride

A Sad Camel, Failed Seduction and My Wish For World Peace

The Pursuit of Happiness

Parlez-Vous Francais? Zipping Thru Passport Control - The Power of Cleavage and Money

Websites

Cafe Marrakesh - www.marrakeshrestaurant.net

Photo Credits: Plaza Djem El Fnaa in Marrakech by"© Milena Moiola |Dreamstime.com. Camel by © Rene Drouyer | Dreamstime.com. Tagine photos by www.channel4.com and fiery-foods.com.