Firstly, a note for our readers…

This will be our last scheduled, monthly city guide! We had so much fun taking you along on our travels with us. I (Paulina) will be adventuring in new ways this winter as my husband and I prepare to welcome a baby girl. Chef James admittedly just keeps returning to his favorite destinations over and over (Italy, Japan and Mexico). New travel is on pause for both of us for the foreseeable future, so we’re going to suspend all paid subscriptions for now and open the archive to the public for anyone to enjoy. We’re so grateful for your support and look forward to writing travel updates here whenever we can…

Now, on to the city guide:

Chef James —

For the longest time, when you mentioned the food destination “Portland” nearly everyone would assume you meant Oregon. And maybe you do. Portland, Oregon rocks. But I’d say about 10-15 years ago Portland, Maine started getting national recognition for its food scene. And for good reason! The small town feel, coastal resources and seasonal cooking makes Portland stand out as my favorite east coast city to visit. Oysters, lobster, beer, clams, chowder, maple syrup, blueberries, local music. I’ve always felt that Maine and Michigan were some kind of cousins of different coasts. The saltwater version of us.

One of my favorite bands, The Mallett Brothers are local legends in and around Portland. If you are ever in town, I recommend checking their tour schedule. I’ve hosted them multiple times here in Michigan and probably will many times more. But seeing them after eating a few whole lobsters and putting back some local beers on their home turf is something special.

When Sam and I were there last we stayed at The Press Hotel and were able to walk pretty much everywhere in town. We did have a car because we were doing trips to Biddeford and Acadia/Bar Harbor. But I’d argue you could have a great few days without a car. If you do rent a car, Acadia is pretty sweet. Bar Harbor is cool but has a little more of an upper crust situation than Portland. If you only have a few days, I’d stick with Portland/Biddeford area.

Oxbow Brewery & Bissell Brothers are two breweries well worth your time. In downtown Portland, the Oxbow location is famous for their blended and aged beers. So food friendly and perfectly paired with Duckfat, who runs the in-house food program now. Duckfat is an institution in town since 2005 famous for their fries, poutine and sandwiches. Fantastic beer food.

Eventide and The Shop by Island Creek are two places perfect for grabbing some oysters (and more!). Eventide is a pretty famous spot where I recommend you order one of everything. Island Creek can do no wrong in my eyes but I’d consider The Shop more of a casual hang place. So maybe use it as in-between-meals-meal if you know what I mean.

Honey Paw. Central Provisions. Fore Street are three heavy hitters that have been around for years and collected their share of accolades. I’d recommend reservations and an appetite for all three. I want all the things when I visit. Fore Street is the James Beard darling in town and has been for decades. I’d consider it a must-visit if it’s your first time.

A local favorite in Biddeford is Palace Diner. They just don’t make restaurants like this anymore. So many people that have visited Portland on my recommendations come back telling me this was their favorite spot. The food is great. But it’s more than the food. There’s an authenticity and a spirit to it that is hard to recreate. You should see for yourself.

Full disclosure, I haven’t been to these restaurants but have been recommended to by many chefs and cooks that I trust: Scales Restaurant. Finestkind (Saco). Regards. Lady Fish. Leeward. I will be making a point to visit ALL of these places on my next visit.

Shea!

“This past summer break, Abby and I flew into Boston and drove up to Portland. We stayed in an Airbnb north of the Old Port District across Tukey’s Bridge, just a 10-min drive from the heart of the port city.

Each morning began with coffee, and Tandem Coffee Roasters was by far our favorite. A small neighborhood espresso bar with great service and an outdoor patio with a good selection of vinyls to dig through inside the shop. Honorable mention to Rambler Cafe as well! If you want unique, delicious pastries, Norimoto is a must.

Our trip was filled with delicious bites, from oysters and bubbles at Eventide, to spicy noodles and Tom Kha Maine mussels at The Honey Paw (with Singhas to wash everything down.) Our top lobster roll was from Bite into Maine in Fort Williams Park. We ate our rolls with a beautiful view of the bay and Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in the US.

For casual fare and local beers, we loved Oxbow Brewing Company and Duckfat. The duck fat fries and Japanese rice lagers were perfect for watching the World Cup on the projector screen. CBG Bar & Grill was our favorite dive, with low-key vibes and elevated bar food. For dinner, Scales was the perfect ode to Maine seafood, with awesome wine list, seafood stew, and grilled octopus. For a more casual dinner spot with great cocktails, Crispy Gai was a local recommendation. The Thai fried chicken was crispy and delicious, but the pad see ew with smoked pork was definitely a sleeper hit.

Downtown Portland is very walkable and bikeable, with charming cobblestone streets and bike rentals all along the harbor. We enjoyed our ride along the East Promenade Trail, filled with different views of the city skyline. Whale watching is the quintessential Maine activity, and although we didn’t see any whales, it was still worth it. The tour was informative and fun (full bar on board), and we learned a lot about the history of Portland as we passed lighthouses and preserved World War II forts, and sailed by an island full of sunbathing harbor seals and swimming porpoises. Peak lobster season was a bonus as fishermen and lobster traps dotted the bay on our return.

Portland, ME was an amazing first adventure to the northeast coast. The accessibility to everything via Uber and walking made this an easily explorable place for a couple of light-packing travelers. The New England port city views combined with fresh sea air and a plethora of good food and drink made this easily one of our favorite cities to visit.”

Paulina -

Portland, Maine is one of my favorite cities. Period. My husband and I took one of our first trips there together in the summer of 2021, when COVID restrictions were still tight, and we fell in love with the coastal grit. I returned two summers later with five of my closest girlfriends as a pseudo-bachelorette weekend of sorts. What a dream! Here were my highlights from both trips:

Where to stay

Chef James mentioned The Press which is very conveniently located close to the port itself and a lot of great restaurants. Adam and I stayed at a lovely boutique hotel called The Francis and considered getting married there because we loved it so much. It’s farther south, but the famed Tandem Bakery is across the street, and the quaint accommodations were worth the extra commute time.

My girlfriends and I shared an AirBnb which was perfect, as well! I do recommend renting a car no matter what so you can get to hikes, lobster roll food trucks, parks and water as needed.

What to do

There’s no shortage of nightlife in Portland - lots of cocktail bars, breweries, live music, restaurants and dive bars. In the day time, I highly recommend a drive out to Cape Elizabeth for a walk around Fort Williams Park and a lobster roll from Bite Into Maine (my favorite).

Out that way is also Crescent Beach State Park and the landmark Lobster Shack.

Back in Portland, we killed some time playing cards at my all-time favorite dive bar, CBG (down the street from The Francis). And! Adam purchased his beloved Chef’s knife at Strata.

One thing I cannot recommend enough is a small group (or private!) sailing excursion with Sail Portland Maine. The owner is so lovely (and sometimes brings along his dog Huckleberry) and it’s BYOB. Nothing better than a sunset sail.

Where to eat and drink

Chef already listed a few of my favorites (Palace Diner is a must!! Their tuna melt haunts me), but here’s a few more to add to your list —

• Rose Foods for your deli/bagel needs

• The beloved pop-up, Mr. Tuna, now has a brick & mortar

• Hunt & Alpine Club for snacks and cocktails

• Luke’s Lobster for pier vibes in Portland Harbor

• Lincoln’s - beloved by locals, this is a cash-only ‘speakeasy’ where beer & wine is $5

• Izakaya Minato for Japanese ‘pub’ food

• Cong Tu Bot for Vietnamese

• The Jewel Box for night drinking

• Maine & Loire for retail wine shopping

As always, follow along with our Google Map.

See you on the other side!

XO

MGTG

I have visited Mexico City multiple times in the last five years (another Mexico City guide here). It’s an incredible city and probably the best in North America. At 8,000 feet of elevation, the summertime is technically the rainy season. But not like you see in Vietnam or Thailand. It basically just rains a little every day. Sometimes a lot. But not really so much that it ruins a trip. In fact, it was about 20° cooler than the insane humid summer we’re having in Michigan.

I’m going to recap the things I did and places I stayed in this city guide. I took two friends and both proclaimed it was one of their best trips yet…

Getting there

One of my favorite parts about visiting Mexico City is that there’s a direct Delta flight from Detroit every day. Customs are incredibly easy and it’s only about a 25 minute Uber from CDMX airport to the city center. Also, the Uber game is on point. Never a long wait, incredibly fair prices, and very professional and kind drivers. I think it’s important to make up for the affordability with heavy tipping. Mexico City in general is dealing with tons of gentrification and rising prices. Tourism can still be a good thing, even for the locals. Just make a point to support locally owned businesses and artists. Hire local guides and drivers and tip generously.

Accommodations

We stayed at Casa Decu in Condesa for the first few nights for a wildly reasonable $85/night. I always make a point to stay within walking distance to Parque México. I like to spend the first few mornings of my trip hanging out around the park and absorbing the energy of the neighborhood. Many of these boutique hotels do not have elevators so if you have any mobility issues, you might wanna double check before booking.

Condesa has a ton of spots for a quick lunch if you arrive to your hotel early. I despise plane food so I usually land pretty damn hungry and I would say the first meal of my trip is usually the least curated. I’m basically eating the first taco and drinking the first beer I see.

Mexico City: Activities & Eating

The first dinner is a different story. We hit up Máximo Bistrot for another fantastic visit. I think Maximo is as good as it gets. They recently received a Michelin star which has made the dining room full of food tourists and list checkers, which is a little disappointing, but the food just crushes. Chef Eduardo “Lalo” Garcia is pure gold and you should trust anything he touches. Honorable mention: we popped into Hiya Wine Bar for some fun plates and drinks - definitely worth a visit.

The next day we booked another tour with the one and only Anais Martinez. I’ve booked some kind of tour with Anais every visit. It’s a must-do and you should book it as early into your trip as possible so you can have some tips for the rest of your trip.

Some new spots on this trip were Gala Panaderia for coffee and pastries and a trip through the intense meat market at Mercado de San Juan Pugibet. As a chef, I can handle a lot. But the meat portion of this market is very intense and I do not recommend for amateurs. This is your warning.

But outside the market there’s all sorts of taco carts where you can enjoy different style and cuts of meat. Like tripe or pig head. Another new spot was Taller de Ostiones for Micheladas and raw seafood.

That night we ate a fantastic tasting menu at Quintonil. Quintonil really does an incredible job of planting its flag in the fine dining world while telling the stories of Mexico through it’s ingredients, heritage, people and terroir.

I’ve had many tasting menus throughout the country but this one felt the most sincere and world class without ever feeling flabby or pretentious. Service was impeccable. No notes. Easily worth the price (think $500-$750/person).

After dinner we had cocktails at Baltra Bar before calling it a night and walking back to the hotel. I should add here that we made three separate visits on this trip to Tokyo Music Bar for delicious cocktails and some hi-fi vinyl. I’m partial to listening bars and found this place to be all the right things.

On our third day Anais made the suggestion that we take a morning stroll through the massive park Chapultepec (over 2100 acres!) to have breakfast at Lago Algo. It was a great suggestion as the walk and the fresh menu knocked any hangover out of us.

That night we had a great dinner at Voraz which was a welcome à la carte change after a long and curated meal at Quintonil the night before.

Oaxaca

Early the next day we headed back to the airport to fly to Oaxaca City. This was my second time staying at this fantastic Airbnb House of Miracles. The location is unbeatable and you can request a breakfast from Rufina, the housekeeper, who in short, kicks ass. We were coincidentally visiting during Guelaguetza so the city center was absolutely packed and full of celebration. Parades. Fireworks. Rooftop parties. It was wild.

One of my favorite meals on this visit was a simple and casual lunch at La Olla. Chef Pilar Cabrera has run the restaurant for over 30 years and is a pillar in the community. She also runs this cooking school.

The peak of our Oaxacan visit was a tour with Omar Alonso, aka Oaxacking The absolute best part of the tour was breakfast at DESAYUNADOR DE LA TÍA. We visited Lalocura Mezcaleria, which if you’ve only had mezcal in America, is quite an eye opening experience. Mezcal is as important to Oaxaca as champagne is to France. And true mezcal is as clean and agricultural as any native beverage anywhere. It’s a must that if you visit Oaxaca, you visit a mezcaleria.

We hung out at the Crudo bar quite a bit and spent the mornings walking and shopping and enjoying the city. Cocktails at Selva were delicious and we had a stellar lunch at Nois (do not miss this place).

We ate two high end meals as well. One at Xaok (Michelin Bib Gourmand) and one at Levadura de Olla (1 Michelin star). Both places were full of fantastic ingredients and intentional service. I think I was experiencing fine dining fatigue at this point in the trip, but I recommend both places if you are looking for that experience.

We flew back to Mexico City on Viva Airlines because it was the most convenient departure time. In hindsight, I wish I would’ve pre-booked seats, checked bags and paid for any upgrades. Budget airlines in other countries can be a little confusing. So just make sure if you’re booking domestic airlines through a third-party app that you purchase all of the necessary add-ons asap. Alas, we arrived back in Mexico City for our last two days.

Thankfully, I have traveled enough to know that I would enjoy some downtime at the end of the trip to recover from all the eating and drinking. We booked Sofitel on the Paseo de la Reforma. King size bed. City skyline view. Pool on the 38th floor (with full food and beverage service). Big bathtub. It was a slight splurge, but completely worth it. I’m not usually one to hang out at a hotel all day, but this one was an exception.

We did finally get out of the pool long enough to go to Arena México for some Tuesday night Lucha Libre wrestling. I insist on going to a show every time I’m in town. We walked back in the rain, had some ramen at god knows where lol and ran back to the hotel in the pouring rain.

Our last day was extremely chill and I found myself catching up on work emails and packing up for the trip home. Eight days is longer than I usually spend around Mexico City, but I found myself enjoying a calm day for once. Mexico City is not a common destination for Americans during the summer, but I can’t recommend it enough. The rain was never a problem for us, and many of the prices seemed to be lower because of the off-season. Mexico continues to over perform and remind me of how special a place it is. It’s a shame that there is so much tension in the world today considering we are all the same.

Viva Mexico forever.

P.s. - our updated Google map for Mexico City is here!

I have been making and thinking about pizza for the majority of my life. When I was a kid, my grandfather would make a focaccia, deep dish, hybrid pizza in the home oven. By the time I was 15 I was slapping dough at a local Papa John’s. I’ve made some kind of hand tossed flat round ingredient topped bread at every restaurant I’ve ever worked. I’ve organized pizza competitions, installed a wood fired Forno Bravo in my backyard and recently invested in and partnered into a local pizzeria: Amelia Street.

I am fortunate to travel quite frequently throughout the year. I’ve made the pilgrimage to Phoenix for Bianco. I eat slices around NYC every year, I’ve zipped around the back of a moped in Naples with a belly full of pizza fritta. I’m a pseudo-regular at Sabasu in Akasaka, Tokyo. Walked around New Haven with a white clam pie. Tried a Little Caesar’s in Oaxaca (don’t do that). And I pop into independent, interesting pizza places from Galway to Osaka and anywhere in between. And you know what? I’m no expert. I’m an enthusiast. I fucking love pizza. But what is it really? Is Chicago tavern, Neopolitan, Detroit style, Roman pizza al metro, Jet’s four corner, frozen cauliflower crust grocery store pizza all the same thing? It’s categorized as such. Which means everyone is an enthusiast. But not everyone will agree on exactly what they are enthused about.

Dough, cheese, sauce, toppings. Although I think cheese is a topping, albeit an extremely popular one. Sauce too. Although sauce can also be sauce on the side. For dunking and drizzling. So maybe it’s just dough and toppings. Because pizza is broad and makes up a large portion of affordable restaurant cuisine I feel there’s automatically a perceived value argument for many Americans about quantity over quality. Some folks want to feel a heavy box when they carry it out. If it’s a “meal” then it needs to be topped. Even though bread itself has been sustenance for over 14,000 years and I personally view pizza as a garnished bread experience, many people view the dough as a simple vessel for the real meal.

I always found the meat lovers or excessive topping culture to be sloppy and unnecessary. I also think midwesterners are conditioned to like a wet, pale, soft pizza experience. Every picture I see posted with some nice char and leoparding will have someone in the comment section shouting “burnt!”. Why are we like this? I don’t look at Hot N Ready’s and shout “wet!” Or “soft!”. Hell, Hot N Ready’s kept me from starving at points in my life. But they’ve also steered our pizza palates into questionable territory.

Pizza in the US is about a $50 Billion industry. So you could say it’s slightly competitive and maaaybe a little saturated. We are the second largest consumer of pizza (behind Norway! What the hell lol). But if Pizzeria Bianco, Lucali and Hungry Howie’s are categorically the same, then what does that even mean?

I remember when my friend Luciano Del Signore opened his first pizza place, Bigalora in Southfield Michigan, he found a local competitor digging in his dumpster to see what brands of products he was using. Before we even opened the doors at Amelia Street we had people posting one-star reviews with elaborate (& very fake) stories of guests hating the pizza. A little light Google detective work would easily lead to these being from competitors in the area.

If you can buy a horribly cheap and nutritionally benign flour from some Big Ag hellscape supplier or an organic, carefully milled, fresh artisan flour from a real farm owned by real people and both can be turned into pizza, where does the responsibility of perceived value lie? Some people can taste the difference and immediately justify any extra expense.

Like coffee. I’ve waited in line at Koffee Mameya in Tokyo to buy hand selected and meticulously roasted beans curated to me by a coffee sommelier, while the hotel I was staying at was literally giving away a free option.

If you buy bulk Folgers and make it at home, you can enjoy a caffeine buzz for about 6-10 cents. But your local coffee shop probably sells a nice pour over coffee for $7. That’s a difference of over 100 fold for “categorically” the same product. But I’m sure we can all agree, they’re not the same.

At the end of the day pizza is food. And regardless of palate and socioeconomic status, we all need food to live. Sustenance. As a chef, I view most moments of sustenance as an opportunity for flavor and emotional stimulation. Not everyone agrees, and not everyone has the luxury to feel that way. I think it becomes problematic when those who eat for sustenance only dabble in the criticism of those who eat for something more. You can buy a plastic folding chair at Walmart for less than $10 or a Minotti lounge chair for $10,000. I’ve been sitting in chairs my whole life. I’ve even spent tens of thousands of dollars buying rounds and rounds of chairs for restaurants. But I am absolutely no expert in chairs. In fact, you could argue I don’t know shit about chairs. So if I were to criticize one because I’ve sat in and purchased them, I would sound quite silly to someone who spent their life building them.

Chefs, pizzaiolos, people who make things get their feelings hurt. In today’s day and age (especially with social media) if you put yourself out there in the slightest, someone is willing to cut your head off for nothing. But that’s just the way people are. Think about your favorite band or the most beautiful actor or actress you’ve ever seen. Your favorite painting. Your favorite movie.

If you look up any criticism or go down any rabbit holes on Reddit, you’ll find a legion of people who despise the exact thing you love. And that’s life. That’s show business. But it doesn’t have to be. I recommend you leave positive reviews when you have a positive experience. And don’t return to the places where you don’t. Or if it’s really bad, email the owner and let them know your situation. I assure you, pizza is a happy experience. There’s that old saying that pizza is like sex. Even when it’s bad it’s still pretty good.

So let’s all relax and be grateful that we live in a time where there’s so many pizzas to choose from. And remember the other Famous quote: “Every pizza is a personal pizza if you try hard enough”. - Bill Murray

Plum Galette

You will need (equipment)

• A mixer with paddle attachment

• Rolling pin

• Standard sheet pan

• Parchment paper or other sheet pan liner

• Pastry brush

For the dough

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp granulated sugar

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

11 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons)

~ 1/4 cup *very cold* water to bind (preferably ice water with the ice strained out)

For the filling

1 lb plums - washed, pitted and sliced

1/2 cup blueberries, washed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 piece of ginger root, finely grated (optional)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the egg wash

1 egg, whisked with 1 tsp water

To make the dough

Dice cold butter into pea-sized pieces and reserve in the refrigerator while you measure out the dry ingredients. Place all-purpose flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl along with the butter and attach the paddle. Working on a low/medium speed, paddle the mixture just until the butter starts to incorporate into the dries, but pieces are still visible. With the mixer still running, slowly add cold water, one tablespoon at a time until the mix looks “shaggy,” but hydrated. A perfect mix can be tested by turning the mixer off, grabbing a chunk of dough, and giving it a squeeze. It should hold together and not have dry flour, but also not be soggy or clay-like in feel. Once texture is achieved, turn dough out onto the counter, shape into a disk, wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 3 days.

To make the filling

Place all ingredients in a bowl and toss to mix. This can be done a day before or just before assembling the galette.

Assemble & bake

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Remove dough from the refrigerator and place unwrapped disk on the counter, lightly dusted with flour. Lightly dust the top of the dough with additional flour and roll into a 12 inch circle, roughly 1/4 inch thick. At this point, take the dough and transfer to a lined sheet pan. Your dough may hang over the edges, but remember that you will be folding the access over the filling. Egg wash the dough.

Next, take your filling, leaving any excess juice in the bowl and arrange your fruit on the dough. Carefully fold the edges over the filling. Brush remaining eggg wash onto the exterior dough and sprinkle with sugar (demerara or ‘raw’ sugar is nice if you have it, but white sugar works fine too). Place gazette into the oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Turn the oven down to 350° and bake an additional 20-30 minutes to ensure the bottom crust is fully baked and the filling is cooked. Cool for 30-60 minutes before slicing and serving.

You would think that after a year-and-a-half of writing a travel guide, we would’ve considered our own hometown already. But it’s easy to take where you live for granted. I think of Detroit as the real capital of Michigan. The Crown Jewel of the Rust Belt. A true modern American city, where independent businesses can still open up for a somewhat reasonable cost. Where all four seasons show up and show out. All major sports teams have representation. A city that guarantees a stop on big-name-musician tours. An airport with quick direct flight to New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans not to mention a daily direct flight to Tokyo. Relatively affordable housing. A body of water always within a stone’s throw. A city where the bar food scene is just as interesting as the fine dining food scene. And how about Dearborn and the incredible diversity of Middle Eastern cuisine inside its city limits! Or the John R corridor in Madison Heights and all of its Asian influence and ingredients. Sure, Michigan isn’t perfect. There’s definitely some crust and rust. But that’s what makes it real. And interesting. The people of Detroit, southeast Michigan and the entire state represent a do-it-yourself, tough but hospitable lifestyle. The friendliness in the Midwest is not a myth. You can be tough, interesting and kind. To me, that’s what I think of when describing Detroit.

Where to stay

Detroit has had a few luxury and boutique hotel options pop up in the past 5-10 years! Our favorite is the Shinola Hotel, but the Siren and Detroit Foundation are also great options with great bars/restaurants within. There are some great AirBnB options for surrounding Detroit neighborhoods like Hamtramck or the suburb of Ferndale. There will be a Detroit EDITION Hotel in the new Hudson’s building in 2027.

Getting around

Detroit is called the ‘Motor City’ for a reason. Located between the iron ore of Minnesota, coal fields of Appalachia, and the Detroit River for transport, the city was established as an early hub for manufacturing. After Ford’s invention of the Assembly Line secured the legacy of the automobile, the physical infrastructure of the city was altered to accommodate millions of cars entering and exiting the region. This means you really need a car to get around. Public transportation is limited and oftentimes unreliable. Rideshares are always an option for when you’re drinking, but we’d recommend having a rental car to get across town.

Culture & Arts

The city has a tremendous art scene. The Detroit Institute of Arts is a world-class museum known for the Rivera Court featuring Detroit Industry frescoes. Allocate at least a few hours to walk around the whole museum, grabbing a snack at Kresge Court if you get peckish. If you need lunch afterwards, our friends at Chartreuse are right next door. The Wright museum is right behind and has lovely exhibitions, as well.

Other incredible art spaces include the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), Library Street Collective and the newly-transformed 100-year-old Romanesque-style church turned cultural arts center and sculpture park The Shepherd in Little Village. If you find yourself in Little Village, bring a blanket have a boozy outdoor picnic moment at Father Forgive Me, with pastries from James Beard-award winning Warda Patisserie (they have two locations).

Oof course, a tour of the Motown Museum is an absolute must. You could marvel at the intoxicating architecture of the Guardian Building or Fisher Building, and pick up a keepsake tile or vase at Pewabic Pottery’s art market. Book a tour of the Michigan Central train station.

Outside of the city itself, more world-class art and design experiences abound: the Cranbrook Art Museum (where the Eames chairs were invented), and surrounding campus are stunning. The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village are great for kids and history buffs.

Shopping

Also in Little Village is our friend Angela’s shop Coup D’Etat, one of the “50 Best Clothing Stores in America” and our favorite place for gifts and housewares. Grab a beer next door at Cøllect. Since you’re on the east side, swing by Eugenie for emerging, boutique clothing brands and accessories. Have lunch at Norm’s Diner and swing into Velvet Tower for vintage treasures. Peoples Records for vinyl and John K. King for miles and miles of used and rare books.

The sprawling outdoor Eastern Market on Sunday morning is the place to be for local food vendors, plants and a lively crowd.

In Midtown’s Cass Corridor, you’ll find housewares, gifts, cards and knick knacks at City Bird and Nest. Across the street is Jack White’s funhouse Third Man Records and a brick-and-mortar Shinola store. You could also visit the Carhartt store while on this side of town. In Corktown, for a more bohemian vibe we love El Dorado General Store and for consignment designer vintage - Boro. Think ahead and book a facial or hair appointment at Studio Vera or a nail appointment at Cure Nailhouse. What a treat!

More shopping farther north in suburban-Detroit there’s Rail & Anchor and their sister coffee-shop-wine-bar Corner Shop. An epic lunch option in Ferndale/Royal Oak is Tall Trees Café. Next door to Rail & Anchor is UHF Records and even farther north is a curated version of our favorite vintage clothing store, Lost & Found Vintage.

Outdoor Activities

Detroit may not be known for its green space, but we have many creative ways to be outdoors in peak season. Belle Isle is a large island state park with river views and attractions like the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory and the oldest Aquarium in North America.

The Detroit Riverfront parks and greenways are newly upgraded and great for families. The Dequindre Cut is paved between Eastern Market and the Riverfront, connecting the neighborhoods along the way for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Participate in Coriander Kitchen’s Paddle-to-Table dinners where you kayak the Detroit River and its canals with Detroit River Sports and then sit water side for a delicious meal at Coriander.

Coffee & Pastries

We have tons of lovely coffee shops and gathering spaces. Some of our favorites are Trinosophes, Anthology Coffee, Alba, La Ventana, Red Hook, Milwaukee Caffè and (in sunny Hazel Park) Kazkara. In our opinion, the city’s best pastries are found at Warda Patisserie, Forest Bakery, chocolates at Bon Bon Bon and Mediterranean sweets at Shatila. La Gloria in Mexicantown for trays of Mexican sweets. The best bagels are at Bev’s.

Where to Eat

I’ve long spoken out about the necessity to support chef-owned restaurants. I can attest that what makes Southeast Michigan so interesting as a food scene is the amount of chef-owned restaurants. I can remember cooking in and around Southeast Michigan between 9/11 and the Great Recession. It was not at all what you see today. There has always been a collection of great chefs, running great restaurants. But the post recession boom of a generation of chefs partnering into properties and OWNING their restaurants sparked a real buy-in. From the chefs, of course, but also from the communities around them. Most of these great restaurants are still open today.

• Selden Standard for wood-fire grilled new American cuisine and an eclectic wine list.

• SheWolf for upscale Roman and Medusa for coastal Sicilian plates.

• Grey Ghost is a steakhouse embodying Detroit’s industrial vibe, serving the best burger in the city. Leña is creative and expertly-seasoned Spanish cuisine. These are our favorite spots to visit before a game or concert at Little Caesar’s Arena.

• Cocktails and spicy Thai cuisine in a spaceship atmosphere at Takoi.

• Herbaceous wood-fired Argentinian restaurant Barda and it’s casual sister, Puma.

• Baobab Fare celebrating East African cuisine.

• Vecino for modern Mexican and the best agave spirits program in town.

• Yemen Café for late night Yemeni and Middle Eastern in Hamtramck (usually after many drinks at Bumbo’s or Kelly’s).

• Rose’s for tiny pickle martinis and modern Polish plates.

• London Chop House for shrimp cocktail and Detroit’s old world glamour.

• In Mexicantown, we frequent Los Galanes and Taqueria El Rey & Lupita’s.

• In Madison Heights, we love Pho Tai, Que Huong, 168 Asian Mart, Kim Nhung Super Food, Trizest, Ima, Lao Pot & Little Saigon.

• In Dearborn, we love Dearborn Meat Market, AlTayeb, Al Ameer & Qahwah House. We often reference Danny Palumbo’s Eater list.

A note on coneys & pizza

The coney dog really needs no introduction. I think it’s a perfect food. In the American versus Lafayette argument, I am team Lafayette. But I love Duly’s. And National. Hell, I’ll eat a couple from Grandy’s right now. They deep fry the hotdog at Telway and I’ll still eat one there. It’s not really a competition. It’s more of a celebration. The coney is our culinary mascot. I’m cool with anyone waving the flag.

Pizza….

This is complicated. I think Pizza needs its own post(s). To be continued…

Wine, Cocktails & Nightlife

Detroit is a cocktail city!! Although, the natural wine bars have really popped off in recent years. There’s somewhere special to drink at every turn…

Our favorite wine bars are:

• Vesper Books & Wine for lounging, reading, snacking and drinking.

• Bar Chenin, a micro-wine bar tucked in the Siren hotel. Get the pizza! And the ice cream!

• French wine bar-inspired Ladder4 has a gorgeous backyard and rooftop patio. Great option for dinner as well.

• German beer and wine garden Stadt Garten.

  Our favorite cocktail bars are:

  

• The Kiesling

• Wet Picnic in Midtown

• Weiss Distillery (rotating theme bar in Clawson)

• Standby for sit-down cocktails and right next door The Skip for frozen options and alley drinks

• The Oakland in downtown Ferndale

• Sugar House for classic cocktails in Corktown. Last Chance Saloon next door is so fun and has karaoke on Saturdays.

Music is the heartbeat of Detroit, so at least one of your nights should be spent bopping around jazz clubs or bars that offer DJs and dancing. Cliff Bell’s or Baker’s Keyboard Lounge for live jazz. Tigris for cocktails, dancing and hi-fi listening. Motor City Wine for an unpretentious wine list and patio dance parties. Paramita Sound is also in the Siren Hotel, has a specific focus on Michigan wine and a quintessential DJ scene. If you’re leaning into Detroit Techno, Marble Bar, Tangent Gallery, and Big Pink are the venues to explore.

As always, here’s a Google map for you to follow along and send to your friends.

Bring Detroit to you…

Watch RoboCop, Gross Point Blank, 8 Mile, and Standing in the Shadows of Motown.

Read about Detroit’s contributions to modern and contemporary Jazz in Jazz from Detroit. Other notable Detroit-inspired novels include Jeffrey Eugenides’ Middlesex and Alice Randall’s Black Bottom Saints.

Listen to Madonna, Stevie Wonder, J. Dilla, the White Stripes, Bob Seger, MC5, The Stooges, Marvin Gaye, Eminem….the list of Detroit musical geniuses is endless.

Shake up a Last Word cocktail.

Chef James:

Vegas is hot. And so are Michigan summers. We recently ran this toast at Mabel and it was one of my favorite dishes of the summer. Strawberry season is the best! I also like to add some thinly shaved prosciutto or Benton’s Ham to this dish. Make it a whole meal!

MI Strawberry Toast

1-2 thick cut slices, high quality pumpernickel bread (we use Crispelli’s)

1-2 cups local, beautiful strawberries

3 oz of high quality goat cheese. We prefer Idyll Farms from Northport.

Small handful of local greens. Arugula, mâche, spicy blend, mizuna, Frisée, watercress, herbs, etc. Whatever is local and looks great. If strawberries are in season, so are delicious baby greens.

1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar. This is worth the splurge. Make sure it’s 100% balsamic. No xantham.

1 tablespoon high quality olive oil

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Pickled fennel for garnish (optional, recipe below)

For the pickled fennel:

1 cup white distilled vinegar

1 cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon mustard seed

1 teaspoon crushed red chile flake

Pinch cracked black pepper

Salt and sugar to taste. Start with 1 tablespoon each. I like my pickled veg salty and sweet.

Add all ingredients above to a small sauce pot and bring to a boil. Pour over shaved fennel. Cool in the refrigerator overnight.

For the strawberries:

Gently remove the stem and core being careful to not remove too much of the strawberries. Split them if they’re large. Toss is a little sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. You can add a pinch of cracked pepper too. Let sit for an hour or so.

For the whipped goat cheese:

In a food processor add your goat cheese and pulse a few times. Some goat cheese is pretty wet and will whip quickly into a spreadable texture. If it’s dry and crumbly, you can add a few drops of lemon juice or water. Don’t over whip. We’re only looking for a nice schmear.

For the toast:

Griddle the pumpernickel in whole butter in a cast iron skillet (or sauté pan) until crunchy and buttery on both sides. You can cut the bread on a diagonal before or leave it whole.

Assembly

Schmear the toast with a liberal amount of goat cheese. Spoon the macerated strawberries over the toast. Top with the pickled fennel and greens. Spoon the toasted sesame over the whole thing. Finish with a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil. A pinch of sea salt doesn’t hurt either. Voilà!

Disclaimer: we discuss adult entertainment in this guide. Proceed with caution if that’s not your thing.

Oh Las Vegas. The bouillon cube of American culture. A dizzying and overwhelming city that’s often too hot, too crowded and too gluttonous. I’ve been three times in my life prior to this past visit - the most recent being 18 years ago. I never really desired to go back. In fact, I tried to avoid it. However, my dear friend, Nicole Rupersburg moved out there 12 years ago and I couldn’t continue my stubborn avoidance on behalf of our wonderful friendship. Alas, I returned.

Nicole spent many years as a food writer in the Detroit area and can build a to-do/must-visit/top-spot list faster and better than the best of them. So naturally, I rolled into town sorta blind and allowed her to plan most things.

Getting there & accommodations

One great thing about Vegas is the proximity of the city to the airport. It’s brilliant. Touchdown-to-bag-in-your-room in record time. We opted to stay at the Four Seasons for a few reasons: 1. No smoking on premise. 2. No casino in the hotel. 3. The reputation. 4. 24-hour Room Service. 5. Quiet end of the strip.

I would say we were mostly happy with our stay. The staff was great. The pool service was fast and very hospitable. The bathroom and bedding were wonderful. The negatives were:

• Kids everywhere. I like kids. But I thought there’d be a little less based on it being Vegas. But I suppose the Memorial Holiday break brought in lots of families. Not sure I’d ever bring my little kids to Vegas, but what do I know.

• Only 3 elevators for 5 floors (35-39). So it could get insane waiting or cramming into a sweat box with strangers. The elevator experience alone would convince me to try somewhere else. Two of the three of the elevators even went down when we were there, I’m guessing because of the volume of people in town for BTS (K-Pop group), so I ended up asking a room service fella to take us down the service elevator. Which he obliged. Circa is the only adults only hotel/casino I’m aware of. I may give them a try if I go back, although it’s on Fremont Street, so you’d be in a much more hectic area. More on Circa later.

Itinerary

When we arrived the first night, we checked in and ate an immemorable lunch at Veranda in the lobby. No regrets! Our server was great and we were starving and they had champagne. But I wouldn’t seek it out specifically. We played a little blackjack at Mandalay and then jumped in a cab and headed to L’Aperitivo Bar at Eataly at Park MGM for some spritzes, where we met up with Nicole and her partner, Kyle. Park MGM is a favorite on the strip and lots of people suggested I go/stay there. It’s lively with tons of food and any place with an Eataly attached is worth a snack and a drink in my opinion.

Inside Park MGM is one of the more fun and delicious restaurants of the trip: Roy Choi’s Best Friend. Roy Choi has a reputation of being one of the most lovable and fun chefs on the west coast and his restaurant translates this perfectly. Korean/Cali/Vegas vibes with many famous dishes and flavors from his food truck (that inspired the movie Chef) with an “everything is delicious” menu.

Great music. No notes. Would go again. Loved it. Notes from Nicole: I can’t say enough good things about Roy Choi’s Best Friend. It occupies such a unique space in the pantheon of “celebrity chef restaurant inside a casino-resort on the Strip;” there’s really nowhere else like it and it’s just FUN.

After dinner, Nicole and Kyle had season tickets to the ballet so Sam and I opted for the raunchy gonzo circus experience that is Absinthe. It was fun and as dirty as you’d expect a Vegas show to be. If you’re thick-skinned and want to see a show, it’s a good option for you. Think: dirty jokes and heckling of the crowd with cocktail waitresses slinging $4,000 beers and drinks and a grab bag of jugglers and unicyclists and pole dancing.

After the show, we found ourselves in the dead center of the strip at 9pm on a Saturday…which, for me, is also called ‘hell’. I did see a cab dropping someone off on the sidewalk (which is apparently not allowed because of the volume of traffic) and I asked if I could jump in and he said ‘yes, hurry up.’ Apparently, cabs must report to the taxi stands at the hotels and casinos and not pick up riders on the street. This dude was cool and I learned my lesson. Tipped him well. We went to bed early.

The next morning, we got room service breakfast of fresh fruit, avocado toast, sparkling water and coffee. 24-hour room service is a fantastic perk of Vegas. We then spent a little time at the pool.

We met Nicole at the Punk Rock Museum for a small group tour with Todd Morse (H2O & The Offspring) & Cone McCaslin (Sum 41). This museum was cooler than I expected. The authenticity and history was very impressive. As a lifelong Social Distortion fan, it did not disappoint.

They even had the couch Kurt Cobain was photographed ‘napping’ 😬 on. I had to get a pic. The museum has a cool little bar attached to it so come early or hang afterwards for some beers and conversation. It’s on the edge of the arts district so feel free to walk around and bar hop/shop/snack after.

Which is exactly what we did. First was Barter Beer + Mall. A vintage shop/bar where you can sip beer and shop and hang. Definitely worth a stop and I would’ve made some purchases if we weren’t on foot. I didn’t know Benji made a Christmas movie!

Then we popped into Viking Mike’s which is best described as “part alpine lodge, part nomadic yurt, filtered through a Scandinavian & Nordic lens. Wood, stone, fur and natural textures set a moody, transportive scene that nods to Viking escapism.” Food was a little forgettable but the vibes were top tier and we ate everything we ordered. Very relaxing and refreshing especially in peak heat.

Next up was The Dustland Bar. Possibly my favorite bar of the trip. Felt like a locals spot and they had Vegas Knights playing and people buying shots for everyone and delicious margaritas and cold Lone Star beers. It did not feel like Vegas specifically, but it definitely felt like a southwestern desert bar. Which I loved. 10/10. Would return.

That night, we had dinner at Sparrow + Wolf. Chef Brian Howard is a Michigan native who has recently received some James Beard attention for Best Chef: Southwest. The restaurant is over in Chinatown where each strip mall seems packed full of Korean BBQ, Ramen, Sushi and other delicious joints. If I was in town for a week I’d spend most my eating time in this neighborhood. The staff at Sparrow & Wolf were great and the somm and GM were awesome. Swanky dining room, semi-open kitchen, big bar, eclectic menu. It has a synergy with the upbeat nature of Vegas but also allows you have a chill dinner-for-two as well. It’s no surprise they’ve been at it for nine years and counting. We cabbed to the restaurant from the arts district but this neighborhood is easy to walk between spots.

After dinner we walked over to Golden Tiki and had some unnecessary but delicious drinks. Mai Tai. Painkiller. This bar was fun as hell and Nicole pointed out that this place is famous for all of the hidden penis art all over the restaurant. So you can always spend some time searching for those if you’re bored. They have a fun food menu and take reservations. If I go back I’d definitely make a night of it and hang out here.

Afterwards, we walked over to Play it Again, Sam’s. A small, overlooked strip club with video poker, comfy chairs and an old school charm. I’m a fan of slightly shitty strip clubs. I don’t like the TOOOO shitty ones. But I also don’t like them too nice. This place was fun. The girls were nice. It wasn’t crowded at all and everyone was friendly. Don’t recommend, really, but I also don’t not recommend. Would return.

Our next inevitable stop was the legendary Spearmint Rhino strip club. It’s a 24-hour establishment. Which is insane. But the hospitality is great. I even was drunk enough to forget my credit and ID there, which is a first for me. But they had it for me when I called the next morning because of course, they were still open! That was where our night ended. The ladies loved Sam and if you’re in town and like these kinds of places then I recommend a visit. Tell them I sent you. Just kidding, they’ll be like “who?”

The next morning around 8am I was delighted to learn there’s a few 24-hour ramen shops in town, so I Door-Dashed a spicy miso ramen from Shinjuku Ramen. It didn’t change my life but it definitely helped cure the pain. It was delicious. We had a slow and groggy morning of coffee and rehydrating and found ourselves back at the pool. A little iced tea and fruit and we were in decent enough shape to head to my favorite taqueria chain: Tacos El Gordo.

Originally from Tijuana in the ‘70s, El Gordo has grown quite a following. The Vegas location (based on some quick research after witnessing the operation) does about $60 million a year in sales. Which is insane! Good for them. Nevertheless, the tacos absolutely crush and I would eat there all the time if I lived in town. But I’d try to master the slowest time of day and sneak in then, ‘cause that line can get wild. Notes from Nicole: There are 2 other locations for Tacos El Gordo in Vegas that are off the Strip for those who want the tacos without the crowds. But the line is also kind of part of the experience for the location on the Strip!

After tacos, we decided to stroll around Old Vegas. First stop was a walkthrough of Circa Las Vegas. They have an insane pool/sports amphitheater situation and you could tell most people were either going to or coming from the pools. I didn’t partake but would definitely do so on a hot day in the future. At the top of Circa is a total gem of a bar, the Legacy Club.

On the 60th floor, the bar is beautiful and has an impressive view of all of Vegas. There’s outside access too if the weather is nice. Folks say it’s a great place for any night there’s fireworks. But I say: f*ck fireworks. They’re so unnecessary and damaging to our wild and domestic animal friends. Anywho. The beverage menu has something for everyone and it kind of has a throwback Mad Men vibe up there. I would definitely hang out there, especially if it wasn’t crowded.

Circa is at the end of Fremont and Fremont Street speaks for itself. It’s kinda like Bourbon Street but with a few dashes of your local Walmart. Politely. There’s lots to do and they have free outdoor concerts occasionally. It’s a good place to people watch and kill time. But not something I would visit much. Notes from Nicole: The Fremont Experience has live music across its 3 stages almost nightly, featuring local bands, DJs, and cover acts. The “Downtown Rocks!” summer concert series also brings in ‘90s and ‘00s touring bands and the shows are always free, but it gets CRAZY crowded for these shows.

At the far end of Fremont you’ll find Atomic Liquors. This is an institution. Sam took me there because my only request on the trip was to see the bar where Joe Pesci stabs the guy in the neck with a pen in Casino. Well, it was at Atomic Liquors. Dimly lit. Cold beer. Fun history. Anthony Bourdain famously visited there. It’s a good dive on a funky end of town. Loved it.

Nearby, we walked through El Cortez Casino and Hotel. If I was in town with a few friends for a getaway I could see myself gambling and drinking beers here. It’s restored enough to be charming but seasoned enough to handle a little bit of spice and crust. If I spent enough time there I’d probably take up smoking though. And lose money.

Fergusons Downtown is at the far end of Fremont by Atomic Liquors. It’s an old motel that has been repurposed as a little shopping area. Mothership Coffee is adorable and a great spot to recharge. I loved seeing the new life at one of the classic old motels reimagined.

After our afternoon on Fremont, and still nursing the remnants of a hangover, there was only one thing to do: In-N-Out. It was Sam’s first time. If you haven’t been, yes it’s a perfect fast food spot. Cheap. Fast. Delicious. Made to order. It’s controversial to say, but I think the fries could be improved. But the burger is top tier. Double double animal style with chopped peppers, please. And I still order the fries.

Nicole and Kyle dropped us off at our hotel and we said our goodbyes. They were great hosts and Nicole did such a great job showing me the Vegas I didn’t know existed (more recommendations from Nicole below!). Just love her!

Sam and I went to the room, napped a little, showered and headed out to Maroon, Kwame Onwuachi’s new Caribbean Steakhouse concept in the Sahara. It’s a beautifully designed restaurant featuring a Grill Works outfitted kitchen in the center of the restaurant designed after the barrel drums Jamaican jerk is famously cooked on. The menu was very exciting and the wine list stacked. We enjoyed a bottle of champagne, the piri piri salad, jerk chicken and grilled prawns. I would’ve ordered more but we were feeling the effects of our 3-day binge. The playlist was fantastic, the dining room beautiful and moody and the place was packed. It was great to see a restaurant focused on creating space for the black community as well. It seems like that’s not extremely common in Vegas. But Maroon is doing it beautifully. It was a great ending to our day. Would return for sure.

On our last day we got up, checked out of the Four Seasons and had some delicious breakfast Guinness’ and a couple of ok plates of food at Ri Ra’s in Mandalay and headed to the airport.

More recommendations from our friend, Nicole…

• Silver Stamp for one of the best beer bars in the country and the feeling of being back in Michigan in someone’s basement.

• Any of Chef James Trees’ Arts District restaurants — Bar Boheme, Ada’s, or Esther’s. I’m crushing extra hard on Bar Boheme right now, but I definitely regret not hitting at least one of these places because James’ and Sam’s Vegas experience was really incomplete without it. We just can’t eat like we used to!

• SO many other badass dive bars but especially Dino’s for karaoke—that place is legendary and I feel I failed James here.

• SO many badass cocktail bars in the Arts District but especially Nocturno (on the high-end side of the spectrum) and Liquid Diet (on the grungy side).

• The Neon Museum. I recommend this to everyone. Go at dusk and stay until it’s fully dark. Very cool and a uniquely Vegas experience!

• The Sphere! Which ironically is how all this started and we ended up not even going there, lol. Yes, it is every bit as mind-blowing inside as it looks in videos.

• We live downtown and are extremely DTLV/Arts District-biased, but Chinatown and the greater Spring Mountain corridor is well worth taking several days to explore. Honestly, you could spend a whole week there without leaving the area and barely scratch the surface of all the great restaurants and coffee shops and boba shops and bakeries and karaoke bars, etc. Chinatown is still one of the most underrated, under-hyped areas in Las Vegas, and it is a local gem.

• Clearly James and Sam just need to come back, amiright????

Bring Vegas to you…

Watch Casino, the greatest film depicting Vegas.

Listen to the ‘You Must Remember This’ podcast season about Sammy and Dino. Fascinating!

Play Vegas Dream on NES (where Chef James learned how to gamble at 8 years old)

Read Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Watch Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations Vegas episode.

As always, feel free to follow along when you’re there with our Google map.

XOXO

MGTG

Vegetal and refreshing, it’s hard to have just one…

Makes one cocktail:

•2 oz Tequila of choice, preferably reposado.

•1 oz Red Bell Pepper Cordial

•1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice

•.5 oz Cointreau

Combine all ingredients in tin with ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds.

Strain over ice in salt/sugar rimmed class with a lime wedge garnish.

Red Bell Pepper Cordial

-Clean fresh red bell peppers by cutting off and removing stem, pith and seeds.

-Juice and fine strain or blend and push through nut milk bag to remove any pulp.

-Combine equal parts in weight,  strained pepper juice with granulated sugar in blender and blend for a few moments until all sugar is dissolved.

-Bottle and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Best Guacamole Ever

You will need

6 avocados

1 small red onion, minced

1 small jalapeno, minced

4 garlic cloves, smashed and minced

1 bunch of cilantro

3 limes, juiced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Salt and tabasco to taste

1 grapefruit, segmented

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Mince all of your ingredients before cutting into the avocados. Once everything is combined in the bowl, cut and scoop your avocados out of their skins. You can mash with your hand, a potato masher, or use the tip of a Chef knife to cut through the avocados in the bowl quickly, then hand mix.

Serve with tortilla chips. Garnish the guacamole with grapefruit and sunflower seeds. Chile crisp, pickled red onions, crumbled feta and dukkah also make excellent garnishes. It’s totally up to you! You can also buy tostadas and some lump crab and make lovely crab tostada.

This month’s City Guide is brought to you by Sam Stanisz - Chef James’ life partner, Mabel Gray Sous Chef and the calligraphy artist behind Mabel’s controversially handwritten menu. Sam grows food in her home food forest for the restaurant and often accompanies Chef James on his international travels. We asked her to chime in on her favorite winter getaway, San Diego…

Almost every Spring for the past seven years, when I’m over the cold weather and gray skies, I hop on a Delta flight and head to San Diego for a few days. It reignites a fire within me that only the ocean waves outside my window and 75-degree sunny days can spark.

More specifically, I head to a laid back surf town called Ocean Beach. Only a 10-minute drive from the San Diego airport and a 15 min drive to downtown San Diego.

San Diego is less like one single city and more like a collection of very different coastal towns, urban districts, historic enclaves, and suburban communities stitched together by beaches, canyons, and freeways. Each neighborhood has a noticeably different personality.

I remember visiting this area for the first time in the Spring of 2015 when Jimmy (or Chef James to you) and I were on a month long road trip across the country. We just left the craziness of L.A., and planned to stop in Ocean Beach to visit a friend. We zipped around the smooth hilly roads on a couple scooters and I was instantly attracted to the surf town energy. The walkable neighborhood culture, coastal scenery and the focus on artists and independent businesses (there is still very little corporate presence) adds to the charm. Not to mention, the weather is 75 and sunny almost every day of the year (so dreamy) AND theres a section of beach called Dog Beach where you can find the local pups running off leash playing in the water AANNNDD you can find delicious Baja fish tacos. Really, what more could I ask for?!

I had never experienced this kind of place before and it clearly left an imprint. Ocean Beach speaks to my rebellious free spirit in a way the hardworking Midwest just cannot. Shoutout to our longtime friend, John Rintoul, known as “California John” to anyone in Detroit who has met him. He is always a gracious tour guide whenever I visit.

Getting there

I usually land in San Diego around 11am which is perfect timing for lunch and my first stop is always Kiko’s Place food truck for Baja-style seafood. A couple fish tacos and an agua fresca is the perfect start to my beach vacay. Kiko’s Place has multiple locations now, same owners, all delicious no matter which spot you visit.

I have personally never been but Chef James’ favorite tacos are at Tacos El Gordo. He’s a glutton for punishment, but I trust any spot he recommends. It’s a small chain so you might see some around town.

Where to stay

I always stay in a Airbnb close to the beach. Like this one, or this one. There is only one hotel in Ocean Beach and I do not recommend staying there. Airbnb is the way to go, there are SO many super cute spots.

This seems like a good place to add a disclaimer saying something like: “if you stay in OB, some mornings the ocean waves get drowned out by loud ass parrots that fly to and from Mexico every day, garbage truck beeping & planes taking off that will wake you up super early. And some nights (mostly just after the Wednesday Farmers Market) you will hear a 6 hour drum circle.” Still worth it in my opinion. Nowhere is perfect. And a real city has real people living in real life. And it’s the seasoning and the crust that makes good food great.

Activities & Dining

Newport Ave is the heart of the OB neighborhood. It’s lined with surf shops, coffee shops, breweries, bookstores, tattoo shops, vintage stores, dive bars and açaí stands. Hodad’s is the legendary burger joint with license plates covering the wall and loud music blasting from the open windows. Expect a line during peak hours and on weekends. Delicious burger, worth a wait. Pacific Shores Cocktail Lounge meets your dive bar needs every time.

OB Brewing is making some delicious beers and the rooftop level offers a great afternoon view of the area. Every Wednesday (rain or shine) they block off the street and a farmers market emerges from 4pm-8pm. The street fills with local produce, artwork, crafts, clothing and lots of live music and street performers. Tons of food trucks. I always find something fun to take home with me and the people watching is prime.

People’s Co-op is a great store if you need to stock up your Airbnb or grab a healthy snack. They also have a prepared food area upstairs. The Sumi salad is my fav.

For anyone looking for outdoor activity that is not the beach, Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is great for a short hike and has some epic shoreline views.

Mission Trails Regional Park is a 30 min drive from Ocean Beach. It is an 8,000 acre park with hiking and biking trails suitable for all ages. Epic views here as well. I’ve done a hike here then went and got a couple slices at Bronx Pizza. Definitely my favorite slice in the area.

You can easily spend a whole day in San Diego at Balboa Park. It is a massive urban park filled with museums, gardens, Spanish Colonial architecture, theaters and walking paths. I’m always down for a Planetarium show or a walk through the botanical gardens.

Balboa Park is also home to the San Diego Zoo. As an animal lover, I’m not a fan of pointing at animals in cages. Seeing & reading about how the San Diego Zoo has pioneered the modern zoo experience by adding immersive habitats designed around animal welfare, conservation and naturalistic environments was inspiring to me.

If you’re a history buff, Old Town is an important stop for Mexican heritage/historic sights. If you’re here on a food trip, I’d say this spot is pretty low priority. It is touristy.

Compared to OB’s bohemian and scrappy vibe, the La Jolla neighborhood feels refined and polished. La Jolla is great for boutique shopping, art galleries, cafes & wine bars. It is a protected cove filled with biodiverse marine life, making the water unusually clear and a fantastic spot for kayaking and snorkeling.

Downtown San Diego has multiple little ecosystems within itself. Like The Gaslamp Quarter. I know for a fact you could find 21-year-old Sam there. A margarita hates to see me coming. Restaurants & rooftop bars. All the late night fun. Live music & dancing. If you’re headed to a Padres game at Petco Park, this is the area to make a reservation in. There is a Tacos El Gordo location here!

Nowadays, you’re more likely to find me in a neighborhood like Little Italy, an old neighborhood for Italian immigrants who worked in San Diego’s tuna fishing industry. That Italian energy is still very much alive walking the streets filled with coffee shops, patios to enjoy a spritz & Italian restaurants galore. Like Italy, it’s very walkable, social but relaxed.

I wanted to have one upscale meal my last trip to San Diego this past March. I chose to eat at Animae, which is in the Embarcadero district. Chef Tara Monsod has received some James Beard love and is doing great work there. It’s an elegant & moody steakhouse with lots of Southeast Asian and Japanese flavors. The food tasted as nice as it looked, same with the cocktails & we had fantastic service. (I appreciated their Champagne list as well!)

Our server recommended a few spots in the area they like to frequent. Lion Share, Kettner Exchange, Craft & Commerce which includes the hidden tiki speakeasy in the back called False Idol.

Point Loma is a 12-minute drive south of OB. The Cabrillo National Monument lives here. Great views. Find a patio spot to hang at near the marina for a few hours. Grab a michelada and some fried fish. Can’t go wrong.

I have never been to Barrio Logan but I have heard great things about it. It has become one of San Diego’s best food neighborhoods for Baja-style tacos, Birria, craft beer & coffee shops. Buildings & giant freeway pillars covered in vibrant artwork depicting Indigenous culture & Aztec imagery. The vibe is very different from the tourist heavy parts of San Diego. (Texting John RIGHT now to ask him why he has never taken me here!)

I know not everyone is able to travel Internationally but flying to San Diego is about as far as you can go in the continental U.S. (minus Alaska) for anyone trying to get WAY outta town. As someone who lives in a concrete jungle lined with orange barrels, Ocean Beach is an oasis. As a nature lover, the ocean and epic sunsets are enough to make my heart content. But San Diego provides so much more. I love this area because it contains extremes that coexist comfortably. And in a world full of extremes, aren’t we all chasing comfort?

Bring San Diego to you!

Listen to Stone Temple Pilots.

Watch the classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Clairemont High School in San Diego was the inspiration for the Cameron Crowe film (he went undercover there in 1979).

Support your local farmers market or independent food service establishment. Ocean Beach is incredibly anti-corporate.

Watch the original Point Break with Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves. Although not specifically filmed in San Diego, the film captures the quintessential Southern California 90s energy that we love about Ocean Beach and surrounding neighborhoods.

Read some Dr. Seuss - he lived in La Jolla until his death.

Watch Sade perform live. Recorded on October 2-3, 1993, to close out the Love Deluxe World Tour, this live concert video was filmed at the SDSU Open Air Theatre.

As always, follow along on our Google map! Thank you, Sam!

XO

MGTG

Chef James, here:

Griddled Cornbread

Historically, Slovenian cuisine is pretty rustic. However, like Prague in Czech Republic, Ljubljana has had incredible creative growth from the chefs in the area and the future is wide open. Not to mention Ana Roš’s 3-Michelin Mecca. But I’m going to deviate from being directly inspired and just go with something I think is delicious.

The griddled cornbread is a Mabel Gray staple. We often use different fats in place of the butter. Think duck fat or schmaltz. But you can of course follow the recipe as-is and use butter. We highly recommend using the nicest cornmeal you can buy. We recommend Hampshire Farms from Detroit Eastern market.

The important part is to make the cornbread and let it cool. Then cut it into rectangles and griddle in a cast-iron with more butter. This cornbread is best served griddled and warm, like a french toast stick. You can just drizzle a high-quality honey over it or whip butter with sea salt and honey for a dreamy experience.

Any pickled vegetable is great as an accompaniment. We often use bread and butter pickles or (in this photo) spicy pickled cabbage. Even sauerkraut is a great choice.

The recipe

Yields 1 9x13 pan (about 12 portions)

You will need:

8 oz unsalted butter, melted

1 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 cups buttermilk (we use Guernsey, it’s the best)

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups high-quality cornmeal

2 cups high-quality bread flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Grease a 9x13 pan and pre-heat oven to 375*F.

In a small pot, melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly.

Measure all dry ingredients and place in mixer, fitted with paddle attachment.

In separate bowl, measure all wet ingredients, except butter and whisk together until combined. Whisk the wet ingredients into the cooled melted butter.

Make a well in the center of the dry mixture.

Add wet into the dry.

Mix on 1st speed until just combined.

Scrap bowl with rubber spatula and mix till combined.

Place cornbread mixer into prepared pan.

Place in oven, bake for 15 min and rotate.

Bake for another 15-20 minutes until done.

To test if the cornbread is done insert at tooth pick in the center of the cornbread, if it comes out clean, the cornbread is finished. If it come out wet bake the cornbread a little longer until the toothpick comes out clean. Let the cornbread cool, slice into rectangles and griddle with more butter. Serve warm with whipped honey butter, pickles or the accompaniments you wish. Enjoy!

Paulina here. When Chef James and I were planning our trip to Northern Italy in January of 2026, we were assembling our itinerary and deciding between driving to the alpine city of Bolzano or spending more time in Verona. I was leaning towards Bolzano, despite the snowy drive and the hubbub of the Olympics, when Chef recommended we drive to Ljubljana for a few days instead. I was skeptical at first, not knowing much about Slovenia aside from the few (delicious) wines I’ve tasted. I’m so glad he pushed for it because I loved our time there and can’t wait to return.

Slovenia is a relatively new nation that is culturally still coming into itself after 1,000 years under the Habsburg rule and 80 years as part of Yugoslavia. Their ‘Ten-Day’ war for independence was in June of 1991. Ljubljana is the capital city and the largest city, with a (mostly) car-free city center flanking the Ljubljana river with restaurants, bars, museums and community spaces. The moody Castle of Ljubljana looms over the city which romanticized our winter stay and made us crave a cold beer and a sausage from the Christmas market. The food scene is young, embracing local dairy and artisanal charcuterie products. The tension between high-brow/low-brow dining and drinking is fun and approachable. We were equally impressed by the composed dishes in a bistro as we were with the goulash at the dive bar down the street.

There are many wine regions in Slovenia - remarkable traditional method sparkling, traditional red wine production and ancient orange wine styles. The vines don’t know they are in Slovenia vs. Italy or Croatia, and the resulting wines could easily compete on the global stage. The difference is: Slovenians believe that wine is for the people, so there’s a moral cap on what a bottle of wine should cost, regardless of quality or prestige. We particularly loved the sparkling wines from Domaine Slapšak and the light-bodied reds from Škerk.

Getting around

We drove our rental car from Venice to Ljubljana which is about a 3-hour drive. We broke it up by stopping in Friuli on the way there and the way back (more on that here). You do need a Slovenian toll vignette when driving by car, so be sure to secure that after picking up your car.

Alternatively, you can fly into Ljubljana with a connection in Paris or Frankfurt. The city is incredibly walkable - I don’t think a car is necessary. If you do have a car, parking can be a challenge, so we recommend a hotel with concierge that can assist you.

Where to stay

We stayed at the Hotel Zlata Ladjica - which was a highlight of our 10-day trip! The rooms are gorgeous and the location cannot be beat. The hotel has a restaurant with a lovely Slovenian menu and thoughtful breakfast. We felt so well taken care of during our stay. I would fly to Slovenia just to stay here again. We also considered Hotel Cubo and Lesar Hotel Angel. There are also a ton of apartment Air BnB options if that’s more your style.

Activities

As always, we highly recommend booking a walking food tour when visiting a new city. We luckily booked with Ana from Ljubljana, a Slovenian sommelier who spent the afternoon with us, explaining the history of the city and walking us to hidden gems all over town. Chef James quickly discovered they were born on the same day in the same year and have tattoos of their beloved dogs on the same arm. KISMET! She enhanced our experience greatly, and we’ve maintained a friendship afterwards. I loved visiting Klobasarna in Old Town, dedicated to traditional Slovenian sausage [and my favorite, sauerkraut soup].

Ride a funicular to the Ljubljana Castle, where you can visit the Museum of Puppetry.

Visit Cukrarna - a contemporary art gallery in a renovated sugar factory.

Take a walk through Tivoli Park and the open-air Central Market (or a charming Christmas Market if there in the winter!)

Book an architectural tour of the Plečnik House, or visit Vurnikova Hiša, an art nouveau house and cultural landmark.

Where to drink

Wine bars seem to be on every block in Ljubljana, but beer culture is also thriving. We loved the crispy Union lager which was on tap in every bar.

Šuklje wine bar was next to our hotel and had a great Slovenian sparkling selection.

Ana brought us to Koželj for our wine tasting, which also offers an array of delicious local cheeses. And she knew we wanted a dive bar experience, so she dropped us off at Kavarna Mačkon for blackberry schnapps (robidovec), lager, and a bar dog!

Where to eat

Georgie Bistro - a thoughtful, international menu. Their braised lamb and chickpea dish was heaven paired with Slovenian reds. And we got to try bear salami!

Slovenska Hiša - cured meats, pickles and cheeses.

Trappa for sourdough pizza.

Julija - Slovenian meets Mediterranean.

TaBar - ambitious dedication to Slovenian history, in a tapas presentation.

Altrokè - for truffles and olive oil.

About 30 minutes outside of Ljubljana, is Grič - a one-star Michelin restaurant surrounded by a pastoral, verdant village. They focus on produce from their own gardens and dry-aged proteins. This is definitely on our list for our next visit.

We had lovely espresso at Cafe Čokl, which is tiny and intended for a quick stop. And Kavarna Rog came recommended for breakfast.

Other Slovenian destinations

A day trip to Lake Bled - a fairytale-esque destination for hiking, boating and visiting the Bled castle. Breathtaking, and only 45 minutes from Ljubljana.

Spend a night in Kobarid, visiting Hiša Franko, Ana Roš’ 3-star Michelin restaurant and guesthouse in the Soča Valley. It’s located in a historic 1800s farmhouse, and one of the most celebrated dining destinations in the world.

From Chef James:

If you’re renting a car and have time to explore the country, we learned that the northeast is where the country harvests its famous pumpkin seed oil. It seems that many restaurants incorporates the famous oil into the local cuisine. The southeast is wine country with many producers getting serious about champagne method wines. Slovenia does have a sliver of coast line on the Adriatic, but one could argue Trieste is more culturally and historically Slovenian than Italian. Many Slovenians will travel to Croatia during the summer to enjoy the beaches and the sea.

Bring Slovenia to you!

Watch the Chronicles of Narnia which were filmed in the northwest.

Get yourself some verdant pumpkin seed oil.

Source Slovenian wines from your local wine shop (Western Market, Plum Market and York in Ann Arbor are all great options for Michiganders).

Watch Ana Roš’ Chef’s Table episode.

Invest in this gorgeous coffee table book.

As always, follow along on our Google map here.

Lamb Neck Pozole

Pozole is a classic Mexican soup utilizing hominy (nixtamalized corn), red chiles and typically pork or chicken. Common garnishes are shaved raw cabbage, radishes, cilantro, avocado, jalapeño, lime, raw onion and jicama. Any combination of these garnishes are awesome. The more the merrier!

I love lamb and the flavor you get from braising lamb on the bone is hard to beat. If you can’t find lamb necks it’s ok to substitute lamb shanks or bone-in lamb shoulder.

I like to overnight braise in the oven at a really low setting. Like 250°. If I don’t have any high quality stock, I’ll typically use a Mexican lager, like Modelo, as the braising liquid.

You will need

5 lb bone-in lamb, preferably neck or shank

2 onions, chopped

15 cloves garlic

1 can chipotle in adobo

10 each dried Guajillo chiles

10 each dried Pasilla chiles

(Feel free to add more red chiles if you like spice. Arbols, fresh fresnos and dried chipotles will make it much spicier)

12-oz crushed tomato (some recipes rely solely on red chiles, but I like tomato in mine)

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

4 tablespoons smoked paprika

Salt & cracked pepper

8 cans of Modelo, or another Mexican lager of your choice. You’ll need enough to submerge all the lamb and ingredients in a braising pan.

24-48oz canned hominy, drained.

Tabasco, to taste

Braising & assembly

Season the lamb with salt and pepper thoroughly. Add all ingredients to a braising pan or large Dutch oven. Cover and cook very slow for a long time. Think 350° for 4-5 hours or 225-250° for 8-12 hours.

Once cooked, remove the lamb carefully. Skim any excess fat from the braising liquid and purée in a high powered blender, like a Vitamix. Be careful, as hot liquids expand. Season this broth as it will be the base to the soup. It is very possible that you may need to thin out this liquid with some additional stock or water. It should have a viscosity slightly thicker than a broth, but not so thick that it coats the spoon like potato soup.

Pull the lamb meat until you have removed all the fat and bone and set aside the cleaned meat. Only the delicious edible meat should be folded back into the puréed liquid. Add a few cans of hominy to the soup. The quantity is really up to you. I like to have at least 1/4 of the volume of the soup be hominy.

Now you should do the final seasoning of your soup. I like it to be spicy, salty, and full of red chili flavor. I like to use Tabasco at the end as well to make sure it has enough heat and acid.

Garnish your soup with any of the above mention vegetables. Tons of them. Be very generous with these as it is an entire meal in a bowl and the raw textures against the bold flavor of the soup is magic. Enjoy!

Intro

Austin, Texas has long been a destination for food and it’s only gotten bigger and more famous. I’ve been to Austin quite a few times and always enjoy the blend of Texas weather, dive bars, Mexican influence, Asian influence, great lodging options, live music and walkability. It’s certainly not perfect. Gentrification and corporate takeover is real and sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference if you’re in Nashville/Miami/Seattle/Austin/Chicago or Denver by the development, design and architecture. American food cities have a corporate homogenization problem and Austin is not immune. BUT! It doesn’t mean it’s all bad. In fact, it’s mostly good! Just take the time to make sure you’re supporting local and independent, and chances are you’ll be eating much better.

Getting around & lodging

I like to rent a car in Austin. Especially if I’m staying outside of downtown at a cool spot like this, or wanting to visit a few places worth driving to, like one of these swimming options.

In the past I’ve stayed at The Carpenter Hotel and Arrive. Both were great but I think The Carpenter fit me better. There are so many great hotel options and Airbnbs. If you’re renting a car, make sure to look at a pretty large radius for Airbnbs. There’s some gems outside of town.

Itinerary

One of my first stops is Jester King Brewery. I love Jester King. The beer. The property. It’s a fantastic place to hang and I recommend allocating a few hours there (if you drink beer). They even have pizza and live music. Hard to beat that.

My usual haunts are:

• Ramen Tatsu-ya for delicious tonkotsu ramen. Especially if I’m hungover. OMG it’s medicine (they have a few locations).

• Uchiko is a must. We did a collabo dinner there a few years ago with my buddy Chef Ed and they just never miss. Not cheap, but absolutely worth it. Their fine dining sister restaurant, Uchi, is also a star and worthy of a visit.

  

• Odd Duck. Back in early 2015 Sam and I did a cross country road trip for a month. We ate at over 70 restaurants getting inspired for Mabel Gray. Odd Duck was our favorite of the entire trip. An Austin staple at this point. Definitely worth a visit.

• Saxon Pub is a great live music joint with cold beer and a laid back ambiance. I don’t even care who’s playing I’ll just get a seat and enjoy the scene.

  

• Suerte is a fantastic masa-focused restaurant serving brunch and dinner. Comfortable, packed full of flavor with warm hospitality and a fun cocktail menu. I definitely recommend it.

A note on barbecue…

The obvious juggernaut in town is Franklin Barbecue. They need no introduction and if you’re a diehard barbecue fan you can definitely make a point to go. (They have 7k Google reviews!) This may sound crazy, but I don’t care about barbecue. Many, many people do. So I’m not naive. But if you love barbecue but hate waiting in hours long lines, you can ask your local bartender and server in Austin about their favorites and you’re likely to be referred to something I don’t know that is easier to get a plate at. La Barbecue is also pretty famous and Loro takes an Asian spin on barbecue that I enjoy. But honestly, there’s tons of barbecue content and lists and Reddit threads about Austin. So if you’re into Texas barbecue, give it some of your time to track down the right place for you.

I’m more of a taco Texas tourist. Nixta was dope and Sam and I had a great time crushing too many tacos and beers there.

A few other bangers for great meals and/or drinks are:

• Canje - ‘traditional meets modern in this new-age Caribbean restaurant.’

• Dai Due - hyper local, butcher focused

• Launderette - café vibes in a converted laundromat/gas station

• Whisler’s for cocktails

Gordon Green’s Perfect Sunday in Austin

Gordon, Mabel’s resident oyster aficionado, is from Austin. We asked him to chime in about the best way to spend your time there…

As an Austin native, my perfect Sunday back home would not include Texas BBQ, as my favorite BBQ is found 30 minutes outside of town in Lockhart, Texas.

My ideal Sunday would start with an excellent Tex-Mex brunch at Nuevo Mexico in North Austin. Think queso, enchiladas, breakfast platters and refried beans. This family-run restaurant makes all of their flour tortillas and salsas from scratch and, to me, represents what ideal Tex-Mex looks like.

After brunch, I would spend time swimming at Barton Springs. For lunch, I would go to Umarell in Hyde Park. Chef and owner Mike Graffeo has been working in restaurants since he was 15 years old and now serves New Jersey family cuisine out of a funky strip mall.

In the evening I would treat myself to some of Austin’s best sushi at Uchi. Uchi is an institution that made Austin’s food scene prolific, opening in 2003. They serve both traditional Japanese dishes as well as tasteful takes on Texas-Japanese fusion.

Ending my perfect day would be a night cap at Whisler’s, with a perfect mezcal old fashioned and perhaps some more food at Whisler’s food truck, Golden Tiger.

Activities

When you’re not eating or drinking you can check out a beautiful botanical garden or check out the Austin bats. An Austin summer staple would be to hike the Greenbelt hiking trail, which connects to Zilker Park and Zilker Pool. Take a dip and hike old, old river beds while working up your appetite.

Bring Austin to you

Listen to Slaid Cleaves album “Broke Down”

Watch Dazed and Confused

Watch Anthony Bourdain in Austin

Cook from Uchi: The Cookbook

Watch Johnny Cash’s concert at South by Southwest 1994

Listen to how Whole Foods started and blossomed into the (awful, soulless, antithesis-of-what-it-once-was) mega chain it is today.

As always, follow along with our Google Map, here!

Italy loves soup. And honestly, I love soup! I feel like soup is not a common dish you see in chef-owned restaurants nowadays. You see it in Italian restaurants in America. You definitely see it in Italy.

When I was a private chef, my boss at the time, Habib, told me one winter: “I want a different soup every day”. I was already very comfortable making soup, but had never been challenged with variety like that. It was an odd exercise but it cemented my commitment to making soup lol. I also feel like it’s a great dish to serve for texture and aroma on a tasting menu. So it serves Mabel Gray well.

We recently ran our vegan mushroom bisque at the restaurant. This is a soup that I’ve been making for years (in one version or another). It’s rich, umami, creamy and filling. It’s a crowd-pleaser for the vegans looking for sustenance. For the lover of mushrooms, it’s just a bowl of comfort.

Every time we put the soup on the menu or post on social media, I’m asked about the recipe. Other than through this travel guide, I actually don’t write down or give out many recipes at all. But this soup is worth making at home. You will need a high-powered blender like a KitchenAid pro or a Vitamix. I think it’s crucial that the soup is puréed into oblivion.

One of the tricks to a deeply flavored soup is to use both fresh and dried mushroom. For the dried, you can use a higher end mushroom like porcini or morels. I prefer porcini. For the fresh mushrooms, I like a variety. Think cinnamon cap/maitake/nebrodini/trumpets etc. But if you’re limited in options, shiitake and crimini will work too.

Sometimes I will deglaze the aromatics with sherry wine or white wine. But it’s not mandatory.

The soup.

You will need

1 large Spanish onion, diced

1 small bunch of celery, cleaned and diced

1 cup garlic cloves, smashed

1 Tablespoon picked fresh thyme

2-4 oz dried mushrooms

3 lb fresh mushrooms

3-4 quarts of full fat, unsweetened coconut milk

Salt and pepper

Aged sherry vinegar, soy sauce, and Tabasco to taste.

First, toss the fresh mushrooms in a little olive oil, salt & pepper. Roast in the oven until they are softened and have lost about half their weight. Don’t drain any liquid. It will go in the soup.

Sauté the onion, celery and garlic in olive in a large pot or Dutch oven until soft. Add the thyme and dried mushroom. Stir to slightly hydrate and aromatize the dried mushrooms. Now is when you can deglaze the soup with 1 cup of sherry wine or 2 cups of white wine. If you do so, let the wine cook down until almost evaporated before adding the roasted mushrooms and any drippings. If not, just skip and go right to adding the roasted mushrooms. Add the coconut milk and heat, stirring frequently. I always hold a little bit of coconut milk back just in case I need to thin the soup out after puréeing. Once simmering, add salt and a little pepper to taste. You should be adding a little salt at each step as you go. That’s at least what I do. Once the mushrooms and vegetables are all soft and tender, it’s time to purée the soup.

I like to use a ladle and strong blender. Only fill the blender about halfway or 2/3 at the most. Hot soup will want to explode out of the blender if it’s too full. And this will be regretful for you and your kitchen. I like to purée in small batches and move to another vessel to season. It is important that you begin blending on a low speed and slowly increase the speed. Once it is on high speed, you should let it purée for a minute or so until it is baby-food-smooth. Repeat until all of the soup is puréed and in a new vessel.

I like to use soy sauce, aged sherry vinegar, Tabasco and salt to season. If the soup is too thick, you can add a little coconut milk or water until the consistency is right. You can always add more salt and you can always thin a soup out. But if it’s salty or too thin, you’re gonna be sad.

Once the soup is seasoned and delicious, you are ready to go. However, I love fun crunchy garnishes for smooth soups. So you can add croutons, or crispy fried or air fried mushrooms, chile crisp, roasted cauliflower florets, scallions, shaved raw fennel etc. Whatever you want! You can even add a few seared scallops in there and make it a meal. The world is yours. There’s so mush-room for activities! 😅

This month, we’re picking up where we left of on our wintery Italian roadtrip. In case you missed our last travel guide, here’s a link to Part I, when we flew to Venice, drove through Friuli and landed in the charming canal town of Treviso. To start this second leg of our trip, we hop back in the car and drive 1 hour and 40 minutes to Verona to meet Chef’s cousin, Mattia.

Verona

As a Shakespeare fan, I (Paulina) was particularly excited to walk the bustling streets of Verona. Verona' is known for the Arena di Verona (an ancient Roman amphitheater), a rich art and opera culture, and the adjacent wine subregions of Valpolicella and Soave. Of course, there’s also Juliet’s balcony which Mattia calls “the world’s most disappointing tourist attraction” because the structure has no relevance to Shakespeare’s play, and the courtyard is covered in chewing gum. We skipped this stop in favor of a long lunch, and a visit to the Ponte Pietra bridge.

Accommodations

Chef James: Due Torri Hotel in Verona is pretty epic. You can’t beat the location. The breakfast was lovely and the service was warm and sincere. Extremely helpful staff at all levels. I love the marble everywhere and the dated (in a good way) ornate rooms. And Lord knows I love a big beautiful hotel bathtub. Stay here. You won’t regret it.

Lunch was at Antica Bottega del Vino - an enoteca with roots going back to the 16th century boasting one of the best wine lists in Italy. The archival, intimate interior confirms the historic significance of this meeting place for artists and intellectuals. The cuisine is steeped in the tradition of Veneto, with simple flavors that celebrate the wines of the region, such as Risotto all’Amarone. We could not resist ordering a bottle of champagne from their weighty wine tome.

The Ponte Pietra bridge was the first construction by the Romans when they arrived in Verona in the first century B.C. (!) Today, it serves as a community space and thoroughfare. Not only are the views gorgeous, but it’s lovely to walk the bridge and hear buskers singing, see children playing and teenagers smooching in alcoves.

We spent the rest of our afternoon enjoying spritzes in various wine bars and popping into kitchenware shops. Outdoor markets in piazzas abound. There’s much to see and do in Verona.

For dinner, we drove 20 minutes outside of the city to El Carnicero, a wood-fired steak house with a lovely wine list focused on Amarone della Valpolicella. Amarone is a rich, bold Italian red known for the unique wine making practice of appassimento. This process involves intentionally drying harvested grapes on crates or mats for months, raisining them and therefore concentrating the sugars, acids and tannins. Once pressed and fermented, this makes for an intensely aromatic, complex and high-alcohol red. In Chef James’ words: “Amarone is steak sauce.” We enjoyed multiple different cuts of wood-fired beef, gorgonzola gnocchi with radicchio, and an impressive bottle of Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico - our favorite red of the trip.

We wanted to grab a quick lunch on our way out of Verona, before our ~1 hour drive northeast to Asolo. Many restaurants were recommended to us - including Osteria del Bugiardo, Osteria all’Organetto, Osteria da Morandin and Locanda di Castelvecchio. Most of these options were closed for their holiday break, which led us to Trattoria La Molinara - luckily! A charming, old trattoria tucked on a quiet corner with a small but thoughtful menu. We enjoyed charcuterie, four perfectly executed pastas and a rustic braised rabbit dish. The pasta pictured below lives rent-free in my mind: paccheri with pistachio pesto and guanciale. Bellissima!

Bassano del Grappa

On our way from Verona to Asolo, we stopped in Bassano del Grappa - a town on the river Brenta at the base of the Italian alps, and the alleged birthplace of the grape-based Italian brandy, grappa. The views from the Ponte Vecchio bridge are stunning, and this town is often bustling with visitors year-round. We stopped at the historic Nardini distillery tasting room (since 1779!) for a spritz and panoramic views across the river.

Most restaurants and bars were closed, and the town was very sleepy on our visit. Chef James has visited many times before and highly recommends walking the city center. Dear friend of the Travel Guide, Mark Anthony Stanisz, visited Bassano del Grappa a few years back, and has many lovely things to say:

Bassano del Grappa is a beautiful city, through and through. I stayed at the Bonotto Hotel Belvedere, a comfortable, affordable hotel with great hospitality. It’s located just a few minutes away from both the town squares and the Train Station.

Located inside of a 17th-Century palace in the city’s historic center is Libreria Palazzo Roberti, a stellar multi-level independent bookstore with a second-floor terrace. It has an excellent selection of both Italian and International books. A perfect place to spend your morning.

If you find yourself needing to switch up your cuisine, Ma Ramen Bassano offers great cocktails, starters and ramen. It’s a terrific late night meal spot.

The historic Ponte Vecchio (Ponte degli Alpini) should be admired from many angles, so here’s a fun tip courtesy of Chef’s cousin, Valentino Artuso: just NW of the bridge is an alley with stairs that descend down very close to the Brenta River surface. The stairs are a little steep, but if you’re able-bodied it’s a great new view of the bridge structure and the city.

Thank you, Mark Anthony!

Asolo

We arrived to our final destination of Asolo in the evening, and checked in to the elegant and welcoming Hotel Villa Cipriani. Cozily tucked away in walking distance to the city center, offering gorgeous views and friendly hospitality, this hotel stay is quite special.

Asolo is a medieval village where Venetians vacation to get away from the glitz and crowds of Venice. The old-world charm is unmatched. You can take day trips from Asolo to other villages and wine regions (as we did below), but we really enjoyed feeling like locals and re-visiting our favorite cafes and bars daily.

We stumbled upon our first dinner in Asolo by accident - we were walking around the city trying to find a spritz (as we often do!), and walked by an endearing storefront, where inside a father and his young daughter were rolling pasta together. We booked a reservation immediately. We were stunned to find another door to the building that opened into an airy, open dining room with a fireplace and floor to ceiling windows offering a breathtaking view. The food at Due Mori was some of the best of our trip - including a velvety risotto with morlacco cheese, venison strip loin and braised octopus.

In walking distance from Cipriani and Due Mori are two gems: Gala wine bar and Bar Epoca. Gala is a small, charming natural wine bar with a stellar local wine list and inmmaculate vibe. The grilled cheese sandwiches are not to be missed. Chef & Adam also visited Bar Epoca every night of our stay.

Chef James: Asolo is possibly my favorite village in all of Italy. It’s just perfect. And the fact that you can stay at the Cipriani and walk to Epoca is the closest I’ve come to heaven. Epoca is not fine dining. This is like a pub or a diner. An all day cafe. It’s best visited when you’ve had libations all day. Get a spicy bruschetta and a spaghetti aglio e olio and 300 beers. They’re open til 2. The owner is always there. He loves you. I love him. Asolo is perfect. Epoca is perfect. If you disagree I feel sorry for you.

Day trip to Valdobbiadene

Thirty minutes north of Asolo are the gorgeous, rolling hills of Valdobbiadene: Prosecco country. The geographical limits of the Prosecco DOC have expanded greatly to keep up with demand for cheap sparkling. I’m sure there are a lot of soulless vineyard tours and tasting rooms here. We highly recommend filtering through the larger houses, and landing on something family-owned, with legacy and purpose. Chef James had visited Valdobbiadene (particularly Daniele Bortolotti, the 4th generation winemaker of Cantine Umberto Bortolotti) the year prior, and was so impressed by their operation that we had to revisit. We spent the afternoon tasting through their aged, textured, lively sparkling wines and walking their vineyards. What an afternoon!

Paulina wrote more about this experience in her Champagne Society newsletter. The hills of Valdobbiadene are astonishing, and the region’s history is fascinating.

At Daniele’s recommendation, we enjoyed a lovely lunch at local Osteria Emilia, and dinner at the chef-driven Ristorante 1922.

To get home, we drove back to Marco Polo airport in Venice, dropped off our car and flew to JFK airport. A long day of travel where we wished we were back at Bar Epoca eating bruschetta and drinking spritzes. Exploring Northern Italy was a feast for the eyes and appetite, and revisiting these memories is a pleasure.

Google map for inspiration here. Thanks for following along!

MGTG

Hi, everyone! Sous Chef Adam here. I’ve been reflecting on our time in Italy earlier this month, and found the bar culture in Venice to be particularly memorable. All food in Italy is delicious, but in Venice has its fair share of pricey tourist traps with unremarkable menus. Bacari are the perfect way around this. The name ‘bacari’ comes from the Venetian phrase ‘far bacara,’ meaning ‘to make noise,’ or ‘to party.’ These are little wine bars, or rustic taverns, serving tapas-style small bites (cicchetti), approachable local wines and spritzes. Oftentimes, you snack quickly, standing up, before moving on to the next location. You’ll find a wide variety of cicchetti all through Venice: toasted bread with shaved ham, fried meatballs, marinated sardines, whipped salt cod, or marinated vegetables. The list goes on. The dishes below are a Mabel Gray-twist on the cicchetti you find while walking the moody canal labyrinth of Venice at night.

At home, these recipes are perfect for a cocktail hour or potluck. You could create your own ‘spritz bar’ where guests choose between Cynar, Aperol or Campari and serve Venetian bites alongside. This sort of laidback hosting allows for more time for chatting and less fussing.

First - start with your favorite bakery. Grab the best focaccia, ciabatta or baguette you can find. We frequent Crispelli’s at the restaurant. This will be your vessel. Cut the bread into toast points, or small two bite pieces. Lay on a baking pan and drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt. Bake at 350° until toasty golden brown.

Baccalà with Pickled Onion and Castelvetrano

For baccalà montecato (whipped salt cod spread) - 4 servings

1 lb salt cod

High quality heavy cream (we prefer Guernsey dairy)

4 cloves garlic

Place your cod in a heavy bottom sauce pan and barely cover with heavy cream. Add your garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a light simmer and cook until the cod is soft and flakey, about 25 minutes.

Transfer to a food processor and pulse with olive oil and leftover heavy cream in small increments until whipped smooth. Season with salt, Tabasco and lemon to taste.

Pickled red onion -

1 large red onion, shaved thin on a mandolin

2 cloves garlic

2 cups white distilled vinegar

1/4 cup salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Pinch cracked pepper

Do this project a day ahead of time so you have plenty of time to let the cool down properly. Shave your red onion into nice julienne slices on the mandolin. Be careful! This is a dangerous tool. If you don’t have one at home, you can use a sharp chef knife and achieve the same results. Place your shaved onion into a quart container,

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pot, bring to a boil and pour over your onions. Let your onions cool, uncovered, in your fridge over night. This garnish is universal - delicious in salads, dips, tacos, on bagels and the brine splashed into dirty martinis.

Assembly

Schmear the whipped cod onto your toast points, and garnish with pickled red onions and halved castelvetrano olives.

Whipped ricotta with shaved mortadella, aged balsamic and pistachio

For your house made ricotta -

1 gallon whole milk

4 cups buttermilk

1 tsp salt

1 lemon

In a heavy bottom sauce pot, combine whole milk and buttermilk and salt. Heat on a low flame, stirring constantly to avoid scorching, until temperature reads ~ 180° and the milk starts to coagulate and form curds. Turn off your heat and juice your lemon, this will help set the curds. With a fine mesh strainer, remove the ricotta from the whey and set aside. Strain your whey through a chinois and reserve for another application - it makes a great soup base.

Transfer your ricotta to a food processor and whip it until it is smooth, season with salt and Tabasco to taste. Let your ricotta cool completely. Here is a video of Chef James making ricotta at home, for guidance!

A note on mortadella

At the restaurant we use Tempesta mortadella, it’s our favorite - the salt and fat content is perfect. We also have the luxury of a super sharp and dangerous deli slicer to shave light, fluffy ribbons of ham. I recommend going to your local Italian market and asking them to slice your mortadella for you. You’ll only need a half pound or so.

Assembly

Schmear your chilled ricotta on your toast, sprinkle with a little toasted pistachio, and layer your thinly shaved mortadella on top. Drizzle with the nicest balsamic you can get your hands on, and enjoy.

The Rigatos are northern Italians that trace much farther back than the country itself. In and around Treviso, you’ll see or hear the name all the time. I connected with my cousins there a few years back and have visited many times. I even brought my cousin Mattia to Michigan to hang out in Detroit as well as visit the Keweenaw and Isle Royale.

Mattia’s father, Valentino, is basically the family historian. He even took me to the family home of my great great grandmother. The home is under renovations from a new owner, but the kitchen and even the bedroom is still intact. It was wild to see the bedroom where my great grandfather, Giovanni, was born. As well as the birth record inscription at the church.

I love Italy. All of it. Such a varied and special place. But I think Veneto is overlooked. Obviously Venice isn’t, but the rest of the region has so many treasures you could spend months exploring it.

I will visit Padua, Treviso, Valdobbiadene, Verona and Bassano del Grappa anytime! But Asolo has my heart. I think it’s the best kept secret in the area (more on that later).

[Side note: the 2026 Winter Olympics are being held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo (about 2 hours North from where we were), so to avoid the preparation madness we stayed closer to the foothills of the Dolomites. We were also traveling in January with a lot of time in the car and needed to account for extreme weather. We’d love to head deeper into the mountains when we return! This is a fabulous destination trip for those who love outdoor winter activities, regardless.]

Getting there

Sadly, there’s no direct flight to Italy from Detroit in off-season. We flew from DTW to Amsterdam, had a 1.5 hour layover (which, despite Schiphol being incredibly organized, was cutting it close), and landed at Venice airport Marco Polo mid-morning. We narrowly escaped a flight cancellation due to winter weather in Amsterdam. We kept our plans flexible (and refundable), knowing snow could impact our travel at any moment.

Venice

Transportation

Water taxis! What a glamorous way to enter a city. We followed signs to the second floor of Marco Polo for a private water taxi service. For €150, you’re privately escorted on a personal boat with your luggage to your destination. After hours on public transport, in airports, waiting in customs lines, it’s a great relief to get away from coughing crowds and take in the city’s beauty as you arrive.

Otherwise, Venice is huge, crowded and immensely walkable. You can take advantage of gondola rides for novelty’s sake. But Venice is most charming at night, on foot, discovering the labyrinth of ancient alleys, cicchetti bars & storefronts at every turn.

After one night in Venice, we took a water taxi (there are car taxis as well) back to Marco Polo to rent a car and head East. Car rental was simple via Expedia.

Driving in Italy

I always rent a car in Italy. After all, the villages are the real Italy and you can’t take the train everywhere.

Technically, you’re supposed to get an international drivers license from AAA before you drive in Europe. I have in the past, but I’ve also rolled the dice and not done it. It can be an enforceable fine so it’s up to you.

In general, the toll roads are the fastest and easiest way to travel. However, it’s not cheap. So plan accordingly. But this is where you can find the Autogrill rest stops with their delicious snacks and perfect espresso.

I try to get a smaller car as many of the villages are narrow and maze-like. Also, always GPS to a parcheggio if your destination is in an old city center. Once you enter these old cities, the GPS can get wonky. So if you’re trying to look up a parking garage after you realize your restaurant is located in a walking only area and you’re in a weird alley with cars behind you and you don’t speak Italian… you get the idea.

Accommodations

Venice is the tourist’s city. The capital of Veneto and the international financial hub for spices, art, silk and grain in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it is home to few and visited by many. Hotels abound. In the past, Chef has stayed at Hotel Moresco and loved it. We stayed here for our brief stay this time, but some other options called out to me, below:

Hotel Flora

Ca Maria Adele

Palazzo Abadessa in a 16th century palace

Il Palazzo Experimental — gorgeous!!

Activities

We were in Venice for one night, and spent most of it bouncing around to wine bars and taverns, enjoying the city’s lights, and admiring the architecture. If I were staying for longer, I would shop for Venetian slippers and Murano glass. I would visit La Scuola Grande di San Rocco, a series of salons featuring the art of Tintoretto. If you’re there in warmer months, you could walk through secret gardens, and visit the stunning sculptures of Venice at the the Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, the Venetian Pantheon.

Eating and drinking

Chef’s take: Dining in Venice is notoriously expensive. There are plenty of options so you can always navigate and find some bargains. But it’s got tourism like Disney has tourism. It’s overwhelming and the city is sinking. So food and cooking there is often based on surviving the masses. Which isn’t always the best. I recommend saving your wallet and exciting meals for other parts of the region. Enjoy the wine bars, the cicchetto, the vibes and romance of the city. If you find a great meal, hell yeah! But I wouldn’t prioritize the finest dining in a city where you should be walking around and soaking it in.

The best way to eat through Venice is to bop around to various cicchetti (bàcari) bars, which are wine bars offering tapas-style snacks that you stand and enjoy casually. We defer to expert Katie Parla for her recommendations, but some classics are Do Spade, Do Mori, and All’Arco.

Chef’s favorite place in Venice is Taverna al Remer, a moody tavern tucked away from the Grand Canal, it’s the perfect low-lit place for a spritz and respite from the crowds. We spent a few hours at La Sete enjoying experimental Venetian sparklings before our 9pm dinner reservation at the cozy Antiche Carampane, where the rustic desserts and wine list shined. Next time, I’d like to visit Da Ivo for dinner and have standing pastries and coffee at Pasticceria Tonolo.

Friuli Venezia-Giulia

After one night in Venice, we hopped in the car and drove east, through Friuli to Ljubljana (more on that in a later travel guide!). Friuli is Italy’s north-easternmost region, bordering Austria and Slovenia, offering fairytale beauty and alpine charm. The textured white wines from this region were the star of the show, as well as traditional dishes like braised rabbit and endive.

We stopped in the Renaissance city of Palmanova, which is known for its star fort city-center (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The city was modeled as a utopia, as proposed by Sir Thomas More, where the structure of the city mimics the harmonious equality of the society.

The enoteca was a highlight of the trip - the owner insisted we try the local cuisine, a fresh pork sausage and brûléed cheesy potatoes. We drank a skin-contact Pinot Grigio from Vie di Romans, which was one of Paulina’s favorite wines of the trip.

Another city worth visiting would be Cividale del Friuli, in the foothills of the eastern alps. We visited the “Devil’s Bridge” - the city’s main landmark. The lore suggests that the bridge was built as part of a pact with the devil, and the townspeople out smarted him.

We had a lovely lunch at Ristorante Antico Leon d’Oro, with local wines and a dessert cart featuring fior di latte gelato garnished with crushed berries and chocolate sauce - a dish we will not soon forget.

We just so happened to be in Friuli during a religious holiday, so we could not taste with wineries as we hoped. When we return, we’ll head to Trieste, and try to taste with Vie di Romans, Schiopetto, Venica & Venica and Villa Russiz in Collio.

Treviso

Heading west, back through Veneto towards Verona, we stopped in Treviso for one night. Treviso is known as ‘little Venice.’ The Sile river carves through the walled city which boasts cobbled streets, frescoed churches and a slower, more intimate feeling more desirable than the Venetian hustle. Treviso is known as the birthplace of tiramisu, Prosecco and its eponymous radicchio.

We stayed at a nice little business hotel - the Porta Altinia Suites. After checking-in, we followed a recommendation of our friend Daniele Bortolotti to visit Dai Naneti, a casual osteria known for salumi and natural wine. We were always asking locals for Prosecco recommendations, and they often would bring us champagne-method sparkling wines from Alto Adige. Apparently, local Proseccos aren’t trendy with the younger drinking crowd in Italy.

We didn’t have dinner reservations, so we walked over to a small, local osteria for pasta e fagioli and bigoli with duck ragu. We enjoyed these two dishes on menus all over Veneto. The kind server gave us a list of restaurants to visit, including Tocai (where we had life-altering tiramisu), Osteria al Botegon and Cantinetta Venegazzu. We drank local lager at Quei Turbo Ragazzi, a lively late night spot for beer and spritzes. Finally, we searched for an open late night kebab spot, to no avail.

The following morning, we got back in the car and drove to Verona. Follow along via our Google map, here. More next time!

Bring Veneto to you

Drink the alpine whites of Friuli - ideally varietals like Ribolla Gialla, Friulano and the perfumed Malvasia.

Make a proper spritz at home (Paulina enjoyed Select spritzes on this trip). Pair with olives and a bowl of potato chips for proper aperitivo hour.

Perfect your simple risotto at home.

Listen to Vivaldi.

Watch Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Ciao ciao,

MGTG