Chill out in Cody, Wyoming and Yellowstone This Winter

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Beth D'Addono

Away from the crowds near Cody, Wyoming

See a whole different side of Yellowstone in winter, using Cody, Wyoming as a gateway.

This homespun charmer of town, refreshingly light years away from the glitz and glamor of Jackson Hole, was founded in 1896 by western showman Buffalo Bill Cody. A natural gateway to Yellowstone, Cody’s broad streets, world-class Buffalo Bill Historical Center and thriving western culture sets the ideal stage for an authentic Old West family experience.

Winter action abounds here, from ice climbing to skiing and snowboarding just three miles from Yellowstone at Sleeping Giant Ski Area, with its unique terrain park and tree skiing & boarding challenges.

Getting into Yellowstone in the winter is part of the adventure. Two of the park’s nine lodges are open, but only the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel near the north entrance is accessible by car. Better to leave the driving to snowmobile or snowcoach — a pretty cool experience for kids (and adults)!

Kids activities include skiing, snowshoeing and ice-skating. There are ski trails near the lodges, and families can arrange “ski drops” — snowcoaches take them to the trailhead and return to pick them up at an appointed time. As an added bonus, winter is prime wildlife viewing season. There are even multi-day excursions led by naturalists via cross-country skis and snowshoe, a memorable way to experience Yellowstone the way Buffalo Bill might have back in the day

Snowcoach delivers Yellowstone's wintry landscape in style

Yellowstone's wildlife viewing is at its best in winter

Garden to Plate New Zealand Style at Colenso Cafe

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Beth D'Addono

Ruth Pettit snips away in her fragrant garden, gathering an armful of aromatic gardenia and lemon verbena to steep for tea. It’s a sample of what awaits the hungry visitor in search of both beauty and sustenance in the North Island’s stunning Coromandel coastline along the northeastern shore. When asked about farm to table cuisine, Ruth seems a bit flummoxed. “Well, we’ve always done it this way,” she says with a shrug.

Ruth and her husband Andy own the Colenso Country Shop & Cafe, an outgrowth of the family orchard business. “With four children to put through school, we needed more than mandarins,” said Ruth, who opened the cafe and shop 22 years ago.

Perched on a scenic hillside overlooking Mercury Bay, the cafe is on “state highway” 25-A – one of the ribbons of gorgeous roadways crisscrossing the North Island. The Cafe’s menu is all about fresh and seasonal comfort fare, usually starring herbs, veggies and fruits from the garden out back. Dishes might include local lamb enfolded in buttery puff pastry, wedges of feta and spinach pie and grilled ham and cheese panini featuring happy porkers from a nearby pasture. Homebaked scones, with clotted cream and fresh peach jam, are the perfect accompaniment for Ruth’s just-picked herbal tea.

After lunch, browse through the stylish shop for a few New Zealand made goods to take home. At the very least, buy a jar of local Manuka honey, a tonic for just about anything that ails you. Then again, the same can be said for New Zealand, a destination that’s definitely good for the soul.

Salad from Ruth's garden

Lamb pie and salad for lunch

Beyond the Beach in Funky Pine Island

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Beth D'Addono

Nothing shy about Matlacha artist Leoma Lovegrove

Located just 30 minutes west of Fort Myers and off of most tourists’ radar, Pine Island, Florida doesn’t have a single beach to its name. Ditto for high rise development, theme parks and the typical chain stores. Yet its Old Florida appeal is undeniable, both for the 9,000 year-round residents of the 17-mile long island, and for the savvy visitors who come calling.

Besides a plethora of wildlife and a no-frost tropical clime, Pine Island is also home to the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival, which takes around the beginning of November every year. . Hundreds of paddlers, competitors and outdoor enthusiasts convene to follow in the wake of the Calusa Indians, who first paddled along the pristine gulf coastline.

Pine Island is at the northern most point of the Blueway’s 190 miles of marked water trails that start in Bonita Springs, and offer meandering views of leggy wading birds, mangrove tunnels and sugar-sand beaches.

Pine Island’s section of the trail brings you in splashing distance to the artsy small town of Matlacha (say Mat-luh-shay), with its funky waterfront galleries and restaurants. Here, you’ll meet Leoma Lovegrove, whose Painting Out Loud performances have earned her international acclaim. Peggy McTeague at Wild Child Gallery is proud to showcase her own metal sculptures, along with art by more than 120 mostly local artists. And Lou Demek, a New York shoe wholesaler who “retired” to Matlacha and opened the Shoe Gallery, a lemon-colored shop full of serious fashion bargains. Stroll up and down the main drag, and in each shop, it’s the owner who will welcome you, something that just doesn’t happen at your average chain store.

So while the masses flock to the sandy beaches of places like nearby Sanibel, the fortunate few seek out the road less traveled to Matlacha. People like Bill and Diane Stoelker, who moved from Philadelphia to this quirky little town a few years ago. Co-owners of the comfortable Angler’s Inn, the couple fell in love with the island’s laid back lifestyle and friendly vibe.

A paradise for boaters, Matlacha is made up of a series of canals, so you’re never far from the water. And there’s a strong sense of community in town, a one-mile strip of ramshackle fishing shacks turned into galleries, restaurants and shops. Painted in rainbow hues, downtown Matlacha is reminiscent of what Key West used to be like, long before the cruise ships started bringing boatloads of tourists to town.

Order some just caught fish, blackened, broiled, fried or grilled, at Olde Fish House, a waterfront market that serves food Thursday through Sunday out on the shaded patio. Or grab a cold one at Bert’s Bar, where you can sample the best smoked smelt in all of Lee County.

Pine Island isn’t the usual FLorida beach destination, but if it’s authenticity you crave, along with fresh seafood, friendly bars (when was the last time you had a $1 beer?), great fishing and a bona fide artists’ community, then you’ll give this off-the-map destination five stars.

Philly transplants BIll and Diane run the Anglers Inn on Pine Island

Aw Shucks! Mayberry Still Alive and Well in Mt. Airy, N.C.

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Beth D'Addono

Cruising Mayberry-style in the Galaxy

Gloria Joyner Johnson had one wish for her birthday. She wanted to go to Mayberry.

So Johnson and her friend Addie Lisby traveled 100 miles north of Charlotte, NC to Mt. Airy, Andy Griffith’s hometown and the inspiration for The Andy Griffith Show. “I have every DVD, but I still watch the reruns,” said Johnson. “The show captures a more peaceful time. Mayberry was a real neighborly place, a place where funny things happened, but there wasn’t ever any cussin’ or real problems. Andy practiced ‘Do Unto Others,’ which is something I believe in.”

The show, which first aired in 1960, inspires a cult following, with a regular stream of pilgrims fueling Mt. Airy tourism. Visitors can take a Mayberry squad car tour in a black and white Galaxy police car, stopping at landmarks like Wally’s Fillin’ Station, Floyds Barber shop, Snappy Lunch and the Griffith’s homestead.

Emmett Forrest, Griffith’s friend since grade school, curates the Andy Griffith Museum, an impressive collection of memorabilia that includes Sheriff Andy Taylor’s original office set, one of Barney Fife’s dandy suits, and the keys to the town jail. In front of the museum, a statue of Andy and his son Opie (played by the young Ron Howard), is a popular place for photo opps.

Lisby and Johnson got lucky and ran into Betty Lynn, the retired actress who played Thelma Lou, Barney Fife’s girlfriend from 1960-1965. Lynn, whose resume includes June Bride with Bette Davis and Cheaper by the Dozen with Myrna Loy, moved to Mt. Airy from Hollywood a few years ago. “I was tired of all the craziness. Here, I have a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I like small town life. Everybody still calls me Betty Lou, but I really don’t mind.”

The birthday girl is all smiles next to "Thelma Lou"

A Taste of Old Hanoi in Auckland

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Beth D'Addono

An exciting scene at Cafe Hanoi

The action is nonstop inside Cafe Hanoi, an artsy new VIetnamese restaurant on the corners of Galway and Commerce in downtown Auckland. Situated in a grand old bank building, with bare concrete and brick walls and the glow of oversized paper lanterns, the interior reminds a traveler of the faded opulence of the Old Quarter in Hanoi.

Yet local chef Jason van Dorsten and his team are channeling something quite modern with dishes like cured pork skewers atop romaine leaves served with crunchy sliced of green banana and cucumber and a chili dipping sauce. Each dish is made ala minute, with the open kitchen in a constant state of motion, garnishing plate after plate with handfuls of frsh mint, squeezes of lime juice and bunches of chopped cilantro.

The flavors are clean and layered with eye popping color and texture. The pork spare ribs arrived fragrant with five spice and caramelized with a crust of ginger and sesame, just perfect. A stir fry of morning glory with garlic and sesame seeds was wonderfully fresh, the flash in the pan just long enough to give the tender leaf some bite.

In a city with a vast Asian gastronomy, a reflection of the polyglot that is New Zealand’s cultural make up, Cafe Hanoi brings a luster of culinary sophistication to the table, an excitement and a “scene” that is irresistible. Expect to pay around $100 NZ for dinner for two, especially if you enjoy a fruity glass (or two) of the region’s wonderful Sauvignon blanc.

Cafe Hanoi's open kitchen never stops moving

Whole crispy snapper with lemon grass and chili

Meet Air New Zealand’s Concierge on the Fly

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Beth D'Addono

Jaheb Barnett helps a passenger on the way from LA to Auckland

Traveling to a new place always raises logistical questions, from what’s the best way to get from the airport to the hotel to where to find the tastiest local cuisine.

Fly Air New Zealand, and your questions are answered before you even touch down. Meet Jaheb Barnett, one of a team of 45 International Airline Concierge whose job is to give travelers inside info even at 35,000 feet. A program unique to the airline industry, Air New Zealand’s crackerjack concierge have been answering flyers’ queries since the program kicked off in 2008.

Using the interactive entertainment system, passengers can click on the Concierge icon and noodle around to learn the best place for brunch (Orvieto) and lamb chops (Vinnie’s) in Auckland, where to get the best cuppa’ in Taupo (Steaming Bean) and top choice for a dip in the thermal pools in Rotorua (Polynesian Spa). You can even type in your own question, and at some point during the flight, the concierge will pay you a visit at your seat to help.

Jaheb, a native of Devonport on Auckland’s north shore, trained for an extra two months to prep for the job, and, working with his colleagues, can provide information about cities on most of New Zealand’s long haul routes. And the advice offered isn’t canned copy, it’s vetted and spoken with the insight of a local expert.

All that talk about friendly Kiwis isn’t just talk – even the skies are friendlier in New Zealand.

Starr’s Dandelion Brings Traditional British Pub to Philly

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Beth D'Addono

There's even beer in the fish batter at Dandelion.

Union Jack moderne is chef Robert Aikens’ inspiration at The Dandelion, Starr Restaurants’ smart 135-seat bi-level British pub off Rittenhouse Square in Philly.

Aikens, who began his career at Michelin-starred Le Gavroche in London, came to town with quite the pedigree. He most recently cooked with his identical twin brother, Tom Aikens, chef/owner of the Michelin starred restaurant of the same name.

Aikens infuses The Dandelion’s menu with a seasonal and locally sourced take on traditional fare, updated comfort dishes like Cumberland sausages with mashed potato and onion gravy; beer battered fish and chips and rabbit pie with cipollini onions, oyster mushrooms and grain mustard. A food-friendly beer list heavy on U.K. drafts includes three, constantly-rotating cask ales. If there’s a seat, head upstairs to the doggy-themed bar for a pint, or relax on the main floor in cushy couches by the fireplace. The vibe is cozy, the food is haute comfort and the scene is Starr-worthy, a nice addition to the local pub culture.