TND West

If you visit Orlando you are more than likely going to visit one or more of the great theme parks the city is so famous for having. Meanwhile, you are also likely to enjoy one or more or perhaps even many great meals while you are there, and hopefully not all of them will come from Sea World, Disney World or Universal. Not to imply there is anything wrong with the food there, in fact, there are a number of fabulous offerings. However, the city itself has some great restaurants and guests in an Orlando hotel are more than encouraged to explore them while visiting the city.

Some of the most popular restaurants are also some of the city’s tourist attractions. With famous names like Emeril’s Orlando , it’s difficult not to draw attention. And with great offerings like the red marble steaks and burgers it’s even more difficult to bypass. Ceviche Tapas Bar and Restaurant is another favorite and also happens to be part of a famous series. This place has some of the most original spins on great Spanish classics and is well known for their specialties and cathedral ceilings. Their Sangria recipe is a favorite and was voted to be the best in Orlando. These are just a couple of the favorite options for the guests in an airport hotel , but they give you and idea of the great options found in the city.

Deciding to create a backyard kitchen will not only open up your life to new opportunities for entertaining, but this decision may end up taking you places.  At home, out door grilling and food preparation may seem a bit of a hassle, but with the outdoor kitchen this will not be an issue.  An outdoor sink, refrigerator and grill will cut down the time you spend going back and forth, from indoor kitchen to outdoor grill.  Your time will be spent perfecting your own recipes, in a convenient setting and in a beautiful setting.

Depending on the design, guests may be able to sit at the bar, and talk with you while you are preparing the night’s dishes.  Once you have done this enough times, you may be tempted to take your recipes to strangers, to festivals and competitions across the country.  Barbecue and Blues.  These are two things I personally remember about my years living in Chicago, Illinois.  I did not gain these memories through the myriad of BBQ and Blues joints in Chicago, but from my next door neighbor Catherine.  Each weekend I would awake to the music of the legendary musicians and to the scents that Catherine filled the neighborhood with, on her tiny backyard grill.

Now I look to recreate that experience in the festivals that happen around the country.  One such festival happens in Arkansas.  The “Bikes, Blues & BBQ Rally” has been going on for the past ten years.  The rally is a moving one, through the cities of Northwestern Arkansas, all the proceeds are donated to local charities, and the motorcycles, the music and the BBQ draws crowds.  Many teams of chefs travel each year to compete with their own recipes, with accompaniment provided by such Blues legends as Big Bad Bubba, Steve Pryor, and Oreo Blue.  The best of sauces and spices are to be found during the taste sampling hours, and the best of the Blues is found throughout the day.  What a better way to take your recipes on the road?

With all there is to do and see in New York many people try and save money on the cost of their accommodations. While some tourists prefer the luxury of fine resort pampering, those on the go who are wishing to experience all the city has to offer frequently prefer to find a New York cheap hotel to leave more in the budget for Broadway shows and shopping. And while this may not be the obvious priority for some people, it also leaves plenty of money for great dining experiences, which is something that New York is known for providing.

One of the culinary guarantees New York offers is great barbeque restaurants. B.B. King Blues Club and Grill provides more than great food, it’s also a music club. It’s a popular place with locals and its Time Square location makes it an easy place to get great food before a show. The rock shrimp popcorn is one of the dishes the establishment is known for and the pulled pork sandwich is also a hit. The tempura fried calamari is great to share or for the interested individual. It is highly recommended by almost everyone who tries it.

Chat ‘n Chew is another great barbeque place located in the Union Square area of the city. It offers traditional southern barbeque and soul food and is frequently considered to be the best there is. While this is true their macaroni and cheese dish is one of the most popular and also considered to be one of their best. However, it has nothing on their great Thanksgiving on a Roll sandwich. This is definitely a hands down favorite of anyone who eats it. And regulars return for this sandwich alone. They are also known for their unique coca cola cake, which is something that most tourists insist on trying if they dine there during their visit. Whichever neighborhood or borough you happen to be in or type of barbeque you are looking for, New York has it for you and a little extra cash saved on your hotel accommodations will often provide a little extra dining enjoyment during your stay.

In the heart of the Mediterranean, with hot and humid Summers, and chilly Winters, Florence has no trouble living up to its legend as one of the most splendid cities on earth.  Its glorious history as a major center for world art continues to the present day, and there’s a sense of beauty and harmony just about everywhere you look.  It’s a fantastic place to take a vacation, to get away from the usual daily grind and get lost in a new, lively place.  History buffs as well as committed modernists will find themselves at home here, and it won’t take long before you understand why it’s attracted so many great minds through the ages.

For contemporary conveniences, it’s still at the cutting edges of culture.  There is always something new from the local artists, and there is a substantial variety of food.  Eating in Italy is a pleasure that the locals take great pride in, and you’ll see why it’s one of the world’s great food capitals.  There are also, of course, great hotels.  Florence, Italy has been an extremely hospitable place for generations upon generations, and the art of accommodation is highly developed here.  You’ll know right away that you’re in a warm and welcome place when you order your first espresso here.  For those who share the Italians’ obsession with coffee, the Espresso Academy is a great way to get to know the culture through its love of the bean.

They offer a number of excellent and delightful courses that are fairly affordable, and only take a day.  It’s absolutely worth it, because you get to know about the different kinds of beans, and the history of coffee, which is absolutely fascinating.  Their milk art course can teach you how to make those lovely flourishes, like leaves and hearts, to top your favorite espresso drinks.  Sponsored by one of the best coffee companies here, Mokaflor, this is a great opportunity to get to know fun and also practical secrets of Italian coffee as its practiced here.  And you’ll get to take home some skills that will very likely please your friends.

There are so many fascinating cities in India, and for 5-star hotels, Bangalore is among the finest.  The hotels here live up to the long tradition of hospitality here, and are absolutely first-rate for providing excellent technological amenities.  Guests here will be both relaxed and refreshed, and well-connected to the world at large.  Bangalore itself is an amazing place.  It has one of the largest universities in the world, a thriving economy, and a diversity of people and traditions.  The food is also excellent here, prepared by master chefs who have a solid knowledge of old and new traditions in world cuisine.

The local food is excellent as well, and there are many fine restaurants where the whole family can enjoy a meal.  There is also a place where Benedictine monks make Italian cheese.  There are many things that are unique to Bangalore, and this certainly counts among the more interesting.  Called Vallambrosa, which means, roughly, “valley of the shadow,” it is run by the knowledgeable and humble Father K. L. Michael.  When he was in Italy, doing his theological coursework, he became interested in the tradition of cheesemaking, and decided to start studying it.  After eight years in Naples, he returned to Bangalore and brought the craft with him.

The secret to good Italian mozzarella is buffalo milk, and Vallambrosa takes 160 liters of milk to make 40 kilograms of cheese every day.  It could certainly be more, because the demand for their cheese is very high, because the quality is superb, and attracts fine restaurants as well as expats living in Bangalore.  The six-person team is also charged with taking care of the monastery, so they are producing as much as they can, or even want.  The profits are all absorbed by the charitable trust, so it really is a labor of love.  Aside from mozzarella, they also make mascarpone, caciotta, ricotta, bocconcini, and pecorino.

The first bite of food I had in Manhattan, the first time I visited the city, will remain to be the location in my mind of one of the best restaurants.  New York City of 1996 in Times Square.  We walked into Ray’s Pizza after two days of no sleep and lots of time spent on planes.  There was a short line at the counter, and the man working behind it yelled at me, “You want garlic knots!?!”  I figured I’d better have garlic knots, even though I had no idea what they were.  I also ordered a slice of pie, in New York it’s called pie, not pizza.  We proceeded to our table with the red and white checkered table cloth.  Billy Joel was playing, “Piano Man” from the speakers and I took my first bite.  Now perhaps it was the lack of sleep, or the fact that I was in this city for the first time in my life, or that I was an actor ready to perform on 42nd Street, or maybe…the piece of pie was just that good, but I had tears in my eyes as I swallowed that first bite.  And my love affair with the city began.

I have looked for other ‘best’ places to find my favorites throughout different cities, but there is just something about New York.  Dim Sum in China Town, NY.   Now I’ve had Dim Sum in Los Angeles and Chicago and San Francisco, but the morning in New York was different.  I have no idea which restaurant we were in as the streets are winding and didn’t make sense in my head.  But we were in a big, cafeteria style room and the waiters were pushing carts around and again, have no idea what I was eating, but it was out of this world.  Best falafel sandwich?  Just down a couple blocks from Alphabet City, for one dollar and fifty cents.  Best cup of coffee, a very small place in Brooklyn.  Best bowl of carrot soup, also in Brooklyn at a coffee shop/record store where the cat that lived there was curled on the chair beside me.  Best glass of champagne…out of the bottle atop a friends apartment building at one in the morning.  So, that said, perhaps it is just a bit of the spirit of the city that seems to make various items just taste better.  But I’m sticking to Ray’s Pizza.  That one at least, for certain is the best slice of pie in the world.

There is little doubt that drop in grills change the way one thinks about cooking.  They open up a world of possibilities for outdoor recipes, and they are enormously versatile.  They add new ways of making meals that are not only fast, but also quite delicious.  No one can walk through a neighborhood that’s got grills burning without their mouth watering just a little.  It’s important, though, to note that outdoor recipes take some preparation and more organization, because the cooking time is shorter than inside.  However, for reasons we can’t quite explain, preparation for outdoor cooking is more like a pleasure than a chore.

There are thousands of interesting recipes for marinades and rubs for meats.  One ingredient that is always fantastic is coffee, and one might wonder why it can’t be used for grilling?  Well, it certainly can.  There are many world-class restaurants that offer meats prepared with coffee flavor, and one is only limited by the types of beans one uses.  Coffee adds a tremendously good note to red meats, and it can also add a splendid subtle tone to chicken dishes.  As a general rule, when grilling with coffee, use darker roasts for darker meats, and lighter roasts for light meats.  But as an exception to the rule, remember that there are always exceptions to any rule, and in grilling, feel free to experiment.  Experimentation will not only teach you about your own technique and your own tastes, but the results are often some of the happiest accidents in your kitchen.

There are many excellent recipes for grilling with coffee on the web, and these should be combined with a healthy imagination. Try not only pairing roasts of coffee with types of meat, but combine coffees with other ingredients.  For example, dark french roasts can go extremely well with chile and garlic, and some lighter roasts like kona can pair excellently with ginger or cinnamon.  The rub can be made from coffee grounds, from freshly ground beans (experiment with grinds, too, to determine the most pleasant combination, as fine grindings make stronger notes in the food, and coarse grinds make for a more subtle undertone), and from brewed coffee and espresso, with the meat soaking to absorb the flavors.  It’s all fair game, and all an experiment that will yield heavenly results.

I was reminded the other day about my trip to Carroll Gardens when I drove by a teenager standing on top of an empty sign pole. It was around 1970 or so, can’t remember exactly, I was attending a college not too far from Brooklyn. I was working part-time for a printing and boxing company in Queens, New York. My position there was a sample maker which in turn helped me make good friends with the printing foreman. Funny, I don’t remember his name now, but he was a nice tall dark Italian man. One day, while I was busy making samples for a bakery, he came up to me and invited me over to his home for dinner. Yes, he was married with 2 children, but he knew that I’ve never really had a good home cooked Italian meal, but he wanted something in return.

His house was really his mother’s and father’s house. His mom still lived on the first floor garden area. A beautiful garden with with several outdoor sinks, built-in BBQ and refrigerator. I’ve never seen the likes before, absolutely beautiful. My Italian friend lived on the 4th floor. Did I mention that his home was huge? Well, after I met the entire family, hugs, kisses and food stuffed down my mouth, my Italian friend revealed want he wanted me to do. I was to climb to the top of a clothesline pole and replace the pulley wheel with which the clothesline can travel. The original one broke. Now, I know I was young and agile, but climbing a pole? Did I mention that all my new Italian friends were overweight? And the children were too young. I actually didn’t have a choice, they all surrounded me, talking Italian and laughing while they put they pulley and the tools in my pockets, I’m glad I didn’t wear a dress, and they led, prodded and pulled me to the pole and lifted me up. So, before I even realized it, I was climbing a clothesline pole. It was a little scary being 4 stories up, but my Italian friends encouraged me from the open kitchen window giving me instructions from below. I replaced the pulley without any trouble at all and inched my way back down the pole with a nice hot Italian meal waiting for me.