Dining at the Farmer’s Table

Don't be fooled by the rustic looking barn - no macaroni & cheese or mashed potatoes are served here. The only potatoes you'll be getting are whipped potatoes with chicken, haricot verte and natural jus. Add a side of glazed carrots to really get your taste buds going. It's no surprise that the Glasbern Inn just won the 16th annual Taste of Elegance competition. Chef Yianni Arhontoulis offers amazing flavor by flawlessly combining sweet with salty, crunch with smoothness.

The Glasbern's reputation for offering the finest in accommodation and food is well known throughout the region. They live by the term 'farm to table' by raising, growing and preparing most of their food on site. The pastures support their grass-fed Scottish Highland/Devon cross herd of cattle and flock of Katahdin Sheep. The woodlots provide for the Berkshire pigs and in season, the broilers are raised on pasture and the egg mobile is moved throughout the pastures for hens to graze. There are greenhouses and a garden which provides much of the produce for the kitchen. Whatever the farm does not support the Glasbern gets from trusted and sustainable local purveyors such as River & Glen and D'Artagnan. They are a proud member of the James Beard Foundation, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Local Abundance, and Buy Fresh, Buy Local of the Lehigh Valley. When you dine at the Glasbern you are dining at the farm's table.

Chef Yianni Arhontoulis prides himself on the freshness and flavors used in the kitchen. He will go to the herb gardens with a basket in hand and sit down with the gardener to plan menus and planting schedules. All of his efforts are put forth to create a fine dining experience with the essentials: taste, texture, presentation, ambience and service. To get the full Glasbern dining experience opt for the Farm Tasting menu. Your senses will be sent on a ride with plates such as farm egg butternut-miso, beef tartare with burnt toast ice cream, day boat scallops with smoked steelhead caviar and if your mouth isn't watering yet, the award winning pork belly apple kimchi should do the trick. The delicious factor is major.

There are two options for dining; the Harvest Room or the Great Room. If you do it right, you'll have a drink in the Harvest Room before sitting down for an unforgettable meal in the Great Room. The Harvest Room has a traditional, cozy fireside atmosphere with bar seating, tables, booths, oil paintings, fireplace, adjoining patio and its own farm-fresh menu.

The Great Room features a 28-foot cathedral ceiling, fieldstone walls, fireplace and candlelight. The structure is part of the historic 19th century barn with exposed original beams and ladders. The Great Room is extremely warm and welcoming, a place you could stay snuggled up in for hours sipping warm tea after your meal. Be sure to come on Saturday nights for their prix fixe special from 5-8:30pm, only $60 a person.

Only 60 minutes from Philadelphia and 90 minutes from New York City, The Glasbern Inn is a wonderful escape for singles and couples alike. It will be a dining experience you'll never forget.

The Glasbern Inn
2141 Pack House Road
Fogelsville, PA 18501
(610) 285-4723

www.glasbern.com

Historic Goes Comtemporary

Finding The Radisson Plaza-Warwick hotel was like finding a hidden gem but there it was set in the middle of a crowded Philadelphia street. We were expecting a simple, downtown hotel but this was far and above that.

Originally constructed in 1926 The Radisson Plaza-Warwick hotel has been servicing elite Philadelphians and guests for years. The hotel, with its English Renaissance architecture, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. With 301 rooms, this historic yet modern property is located just off Rittenhouse Square, the nexus of Philly's center city and prime real estate for prestigious residences and commercial businesses. While it reeks of old world class, it's also home to fabulous shopping, trendy restaurants, bars and a variety of performing arts venues.

Radisson is committed to elevating the brands' quality in North America so in 2010 the hotel underwent a multi-phase $22 million renovation. They updated the traditional interior to a more chic and modern feel. Neo-classic design elements are seamlessly blended into a contemporary 21st century look that still provides a deeply rooted sense of authenticity.

The gracious entrance with beautiful greenery, two grand flags and huge black awning harkens back to the grand hotels of yesteryear (the St. Regis in New York City comes to mind). The valet approached us immediately, whisking us inside to face an imposing paneled lobby with a crystal chandelier worthy of the White House. The brightness highlighted the stunning arched fenestrations and limestone fireplaces. The woodwork and walls were a glossy, pristine white and for a moment I felt as though I was in a Greek temple.

Guest rooms were big and spacious, each boasting 32" HD plasma TVs, granite tiled bathrooms and king sized Sleep Number beds, which I loved. I found that my perfect comfort number is 25. The décor was warm and cozy and I was surprised to learn that the hotel is pet friendly! No worries about visiting Philadelphia alone.

The hotel offers guests every modern convenience and is the perfect place to lay your head after an exhausting foray viewing Philadelphia's extensive landmarks and sights.

The Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel
220 South 17th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 735-6000

www.radisson.com/philadelphia-hotel-pa-19103-6179/paphily

Secret Little Hideaway

You would never think you could find such a peaceful and secluded getaway just 60 minutes from Philadelphia and 90 minutes from New York City, but I did. Perfectly tucked away in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley is the Glasbern Inn; a wonderful escape from the long office meetings, constant phone calls and nasty deadlines.

The Glasbern dates back to 1787 when the land was warranted to Melchoir Siep and only the original spring house stood on it. In 1985 Al and Beth Granger purchased it and installed running water and indoor plumbing transforming the property into a fully equipped inn. The original tractor shed is now the warm and inviting Carriage House and an old garage is now the Gate House. Since the south side of the barn was all glass, Beth came up with “Glasbern”, which is Old English for glass barn. The first guests arrived in December 1985. The land, which was originally 16 acres in 1985, has expanded to the present 130, and today they raise, grow and prepare most of the food on site making it a self sustaining farm.

Voted a top 10 Romantic Inn by iloveinns.com, the Glasbern is a cozy place to spend some downtime with a loved one. The suites are equipped with king size Sleep Number beds, a gas fireplace, flat screen TVs and a Jacuzzi bath tub right in the middle of the living area. After soaking in the tub and gazing at the fire you can step outside onto your private patio and watch the sun set over the green hills of the Glasbern property … truly picturesque.

In the morning you can join other guests in the historic Main Barn for a hot complimentary full country breakfast with the best Eggs Benedict. After breakfast you can treat yourself at the spa, explore one of the many walking trails or relax in the Harvest Room with one of their award-winning wines.

The Glasbern always has great getaway packages on their website. Right now the Anniversary special includes a one-night stay in one of the beautiful suites, dinner for two and a momento to remember your special night starting at $403.

It’s time to leave your daily grind and treat yourself to nothing but relaxation, good food, and fresh farm air.

Glasbern Country Inn

2141 Pack House Road

Fogelsville, PA 18051

(610) 285-4723

www.glasbern.com

Dance While You Wait: Roccos Tacos & Tequila Bar

Don’t be fooled by the name of this restaurant, this is no taco joint, this is a full on fiesta! Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar just opened in February 2011 and is already an extreme hot spot for locals and tourists in the Fort Lauderdale area. The moment you walk in you are transported to Mexico with live mariachi bands and free tequila pourings by Rocco himself.

Rocco Mangel grew up in the restaurant business. He watched his grandfather’s work ethic as he was the manager of New York City’s famed Copacabana nightclub and spent time at his father’s Long Island restaurants. When he arrived in West Palm Beach in 1997 he only had $200 in his pocket. Nine years later he opened Rocco’s Tacos which has breathed new life into the community.

The food is incredibly fresh embodying the true spirit of Mexico. Homemade Margarita sour mix is the perfect pairing with the guacamole which is prepared tableside. Authentic Mexican flair is researched by Rocco himself at small villages throughout Mexico. There are pinpoints of light from star-shaped, perforated-metal lantern chandeliers, vintage film posters and tribal masks lining the walls.

Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila bar has an amazing and contagious energy. Tables of people are literally up and out of their seats dancing while they wait for their meals to arrive. Some tables even join forces in their party attitude. When regulars hear “Tequila” on the speakers, they know that Rocco is about to take his spot on the bar in his legendary shiny-white shoes, dancing and pouring tequila into eager patron’s mouths.Mention Rocco’s Tacos to any cab driver and he’ll know exactly where it is. The restaurant has even attracted several celebrities such as Pauly Shore, Vanilla Ice and Kelly Ripa who raved about Rocco and her experience and on Live with Regis and Kelly.

This warm vibe and party atmosphere creates an unforgettable experience that must be had by all.

Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar
1313 East Las Olas Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
(954) 524-9550
www.roccostacos.com

Cocoon Restaurant and Bar
London’s Hot Spot

 By Kristen Caggiano

 After shopping on Bond Street or hopping around London’s amazing museums and galleries, Cocoon is the perfect place to relax and indulge your senses.  As soon as you step foot in the door, subtle lighting with flashes of neon illuminating a stairwell that lures you to ascend plays an integral part in your transformation to slow down mode. Even London’s infamous street noise fades and you are instantly transported to a smooth groove.

 It’s hard to believe that this seductive restaurant is located right in the heart of London’s West End just a short walk from Piccadilly Circus.  It’s also perfectly situated for pre and post theatre dining, which is how I found myself there.  Cocoon’s regulars include Princes William and Harry, Scarlett Johansson, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Jim Carrey and Jessica Alba … nobody important, mind you.

 Launched in 2004 this “Hot Spot” took London by storm with its award winning futuristic design created by Stephan Du Poux who also designed the Buddha Bar in New York City.  Cocoon is literally a series of cocoons on either side of a central circular bar.  Large windows along the wall offer amazing views of Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus.  State of the art lighting provides a stunning and chic feel to the room.  The circular tabletops are filled with pink and red rose petals and are surrounded by comfortable circular bucket seats.

 Cocoon’s contemporary Asian menu features Chinese, Japanese and Thai food.  It includes dishes like baked filet of black cod with kinome miso and mirin glaze and seared rare beef with glass noodles, bean sprouts, ginger, coriander and mango.  After dinner I indulged in Cocoon’s chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream and pistachio crème brulee.  All the while I sipped my Jasmine Fizz, fresh passion fruit pulp and fragrant jasmine shaken and topped with Champagne.

 Cocoon holds monthly sake tasting events as well as monthly sushi master classes.  The bar is open from 11pm until 2am on Thursdays and 3am on Fridays and Saturdays when the house dj’s play live sets.  So, throw on your hottest outfit and your dancing shoes because you’ll very much be a part of the “in” crowd at the sexy and sultry Cocoon.

Cocoon

65 Regent St

Westminster, London W1B 4, United Kingdom

(+44) 020 7494 7600

www.cocoon-restaurants.com

THE TRAFALGAR HOTEL

As a member of the extended Hilton family the Trafalgar Hotel has quite a pedigree to boast in terms of its DNA, but guess what?  It qualifies for hybrid status with regard to its genetic make-up as the accommodations and ambience go far beyond any other Hilton property I’ve experienced.  Instead of the signature blue Hilton sign at the entrance you’ll gaze at beautiful plants potted in vibrant purple and a majestic, old clock counting the seconds of bliss during your stay.

 Let’s get real, the Trafalgar Hotel is more than a hotel, it’s a destination.  Its’ lone placement smack in the middle of Trafalgar Square says it all and perhaps as a result of that it breathes chic and trendy.  The stylish lobby with huge, black fringed hanging lamps and black leather arm chairs set off by enormous vases of exotic flowers beg you to linger over one of their fabulous cocktails.  Here you’ll also stumble in for morning coffee at Upper Rockwell, their award winning restaurant, or maybe for drinks after the work day. It fuses a sexy style with a welcoming touch.

 Perhaps you’re wondering about the hotel’s history.   It was once home to the Cunard Steamship Company and the Trafalgar’s boardroom is the very place where the news of the Titanic was broken.  The boardroom was also used in the classic Bond film, Dr. No, and the Ipcress File starring Michael Caine.

 Each guest room is designed with an open invitation to make it your own. Decor is minimal and tasteful with a clean, crisp almost Scandinavian feel.  A giant bed in the middle of the room topped with gold, velvet pillows begs for company. Enjoy a bath every night in the oversized bath tub big enough for two with aromatherapy toiletries that relax every bone in your body. Rooms overlook the breathtaking Trafalgar Square where Londoners and visitors are constantly milling about. The only thing missing is a balcony and Romeo calling for you down below.

 But my favorite part of the hotel is the Vista Bar and Lounge.  This rooftop space takes London to new heights.  The views are indescribable.  The hotel has decided to expand this space since it is such a hot spot.  It will soon have two bars and feature projected films to be viewed by the beautiful people as they sip on champagne and revel in the beautiful sunset.

 The Trafalgar’s attention to detail is something to write home about and its’ mantra is to incorporate the vibrancy and diversity of London into the surroundings.

 The Trafalgar

2 Spring Gardens

Trafalgar Square

London SW1A 2TS

TEL: +44 20 7870 2

www.thetrafalgar.com

The Raleigh Hotel

Glamorous Miami

As one of Miami’s most cherished landmarks, The Raleigh Hotel encompasses fashion, elegance and glamour.  The oceanfront hotel was built and designed in 1940 by famed architect Laurence Murray Dixon, one of the most prolific and acclaimed architects of South Beach’s historic Art Deco District.

One of the most famous features of the hotel is the pool, also designed by Dixon.  It has been the backdrop for films and photo shoots and host to countless events from MTV VMAs, Mercedes Benz Swim Week to exclusive Art Basel parties.  In short, it has been singled out as the most beautiful pool in the world and center of the Miami Beach social scene.  I spent most of my time lounging there, basking in its beauty.

The hotel’s lobby was like a something out of a 1940’s murder mystery.  (It was the maid, in the Martini Bar with the knife!)  The ceilings soared at over 12 feet high, cool, gleaming marble enveloped the room and vintage sofas strewn about added panache.  A tiny, private Martini Bar just off the lobby beckons guests to a special moment. It’s a tribute to old world glamour with a long, mahogany bar right down the middle.

Guest rooms are similarly embellished in 1940’s style with fabrics and period furnishings, terrazzo floors and cedar wood closets.  On a glass table near the window perched a bottle of Fiji water and some fresh fruit-delightful.

It only took one meal at The Restaurant in The Raleigh for me to get hooked. The menu is tropical Floridian cuisine with a South American influence.  Lush foliage including bougainvillea and sea grape trees surrounds guests in the outdoor garden and lantern lighting overhangs the entire wooden deck. At night, when the lanterns and other surrounding lights are lit The Restaurant is a magical and romantic place to be.

The Raleigh Hotel
1775 Collins Avenue|
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305)-534-6300
www.raleighhotel.com

After reading the Squire’s Inside Scoop on the Irish Castle Hotels tours, I admit I became taken with all things “castle” in Ireland.  I might go so far as to say that I morphed into a bit of a Castle Queen, but please don’t dare try to compare me to Ms. Bonham Carter, an outlandish character in a fantasy book. True, I did begin to obsess over which estates could take me away to my own fantasy space and after a quick glance at Wiki, I was shocked to find that Ireland was home to hundreds of castles, over fifty in Northern Ireland alone.  I wanted to create my own fairy tale where I was the heroine, Lady C. not Lady G., so when I spotted The Irish Country House by Vendome Press while researching my upcoming trip, I decided that I would cast fate to the wind and plan to see some of the grandest of them for myself.

The cover, a nineteenth century Gothic music room bathed in sunlight, oozed warmth, beauty and old world elegance and the table of contents promised ten of the most breathtaking residences in the world.  The opening technicolor spread of the parklike gardens of Kilruddery in County Wicklow followed by a sculpture gallery of life size marbles almost coming to life under the conservatory’s soaring arches gave me goose bumps.  Imagine almost 200 pages like this, chronicling stately homes and castles that have survived through centuries of Irish history yet still remaining in the hands of the families that built them. According to the cover jacket notes, many of these homes and castles had never been published before; they were Ireland’s little secrets. Thumbing through the heavy photo stock pages I saw astounding photography, the next more stunning than the last, not only glamorous interior and exterior shots but intimate and detailed close-ups of  family portraits, architectural details, gardens, furniture and memorabilia from days long gone.

The photography by James Fennell, who is a based in the countryside of County Kildare, literally invites you into the drawing rooms, tousled bedrooms, print-lined hallways and well trampled mudrooms.  Each and every room portrays in vivid color the distinctive personalities of the owners; a red silk bell pull against green flocked floral wallpaper, an ornate giltwood mirror reflecting a ribbed vaulted ceiling accented with gilded quadrangle leafs, spectacularly carved antique chairs and a drawer filled with two-hundred-year-old love letters.

The text by the Knight of Glin, president of the Irish Georgian Society, and James Peill, a specialist on European furniture, is printed on soothing pastel pages. It tells the tales of the homes’ colorful inhabitants, both past and present.  Over the years these homes have been the stage for grand romances, lavish parties, kidnappings and wars.  At Tullynally in County Westmeath for example, which has the appearance of a small fortified town or a “Camelot of the Gothic Revival”, a secret door leads from the legendary library into the grand dining room.

This book invited me to fall in love with Ireland’s fascinating history and eye popping decoration with photos so gorgeous and enchanting I could almost smell the old first editions stacked high in the libraries.  I closed my eyes and again imagined strolling through the huge heraldic entrance gates of Birr Castle, myself not Mary, the Countess of Rosse but Kristen, the Duchess of New Rochelle.

My trip is planned and I have The Irish Country House to thank for my itinerary.  I chose the Enchanting Castles of Ireland tour from Isle Inn Tours and will be spending 6 nights in three of Ireland’s most beloved castles while seeing all the glorious sights including the Blarney Castle.  Please pinch me! Do yourself a favor and see the country homes this fabulous book details. They will take your breath away and transport you to another time.

The Irish Country House
By The Knight of Glin and James Peill
Photographs by James Fennell
www.vendomepress.com

Isle Inn Tours
www.isleinntours.com

City Guides For Your iPhone

Lonely Planet has re-imagined its City Guides for iPhone by creating an intuitive new product which makes the most of the iPhone’s features and functionality.

The simplified navigation gets travelers the information they need while in a destination in ‘three taps or less’. Drawing on lots of user-feedback, Lonely Planet focused on neighborhoods and things to do.

A big plus is you can use the app without an internet connection and access neighborhood maps that integrate with their expert editorial content and hundreds of professionally reviewed points of interest. These POIs are easily sorted so that you can quickly find the restaurants, accommodations, shopping or sights within your immediate vicinity.

Lonely Planet’s City Guide apps for the iPhone are just $5.99 and are available through the App Store or iTunes. The following cities are now available in the redesigned format: Dublin, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Melbourne, New York, Rome, Prague, London, Tokyo, Berlin, Istanbul, Venice, Madrid, Amsterdam, Singapore, Barcelona, Budapest, Cape Town and Moscow. More will follow throughout the year.

www.lonelyplanet.com

The Raleigh Hotel

Glamorous Miami

As one of Miami’s most cherished landmarks, The Raleigh Hotel encompasses fashion, elegance and glamour.  The oceanfront hotel was built and designed in 1940 by famed architect Laurence Murray Dixon, one of the most prolific and acclaimed architects of South Beach’s historic Art Deco District.