Tag: Travel

As one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, Denver’s vibrant culinary scene is evolving at an incredibly rapid rate. Restaurants, bars and breweries are popping up seemingly overnight, with imaginative recipes and chef-driven menus.

The food and beverage community here loves to experiment with favorites, as well as reinvent specialties, such as the spirits developed at the multi-award winning Mythology Distillery. Not to mention, the surprising creations by the legendary Molly’s Spirits, some of which were featured at the city’s annual craft brewery event, Collaboration Fest.

Chefs in this city also embrace change and are passionate about revitalizing menus. Logan Stephenson is the executive chef at Panzano restaurant, which is situated in the chic and centrally-located Kimpton Hotel Monaco. He took the reins earlier in 2019 and revitalized the menu to focus on the authentic flavors of Northern Italian cuisine.

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A few of his specialties include the grano arso orecchiette, a charcoal-colored pasta that receives its black hue from toasted grain flour imported from Puglia, Italy. It’s served with spicy Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, garlic, chili and pecorino.

Seafood lovers adore the polpo a la plancha, which is seared octopus with butter beans, braised greens and pancetta, drizzled with Calabrian chili vinaigrette and lemon balm. His ragu di agnello features Colorado-raised lamb ragu, wild mushrooms and pecorino.

Chef Stephenson enjoys dining out in Denver and experiencing a multitude of other restaurants and diverse cuisines within its many neighborhoods. These are a few of his favorites.

Chada Thai

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Chada Thai, one of the oldest Thai restaurants in the city, serves up a variety of traditional specialties in this friendly and warm neighborhood spot. Chef Stephenson’s go-to dish here is their handmade Thai dumplings, which are steamed and filled with ground pork, onions and bamboo shoots.

The chef-owner, Nuntana Watcharinpeecha (“Nita” for short) hand rolls the dumplings every evening. According to Logan, if you walk by at night and peek in, you can see Nita seated on a stool making the dumplings by hand.

In addition to the dumplings, a few other fan favorites include satay appetizers, fish cakes, Thai rice noodle soup and pad kee mao (drunken noodles).

He says, “This was the first restaurant I dined at after moving to Denver in January. It’s located within walking distance from my apartment, so it’s an easy and convenient option. I’m a huge fan of Asian cuisine, and was pleasantly surprised at the quality and authenticity of the menu.

“The chef and I have since become friends and she cooks with so much knowledge and passion that I return there numerous times a week for my staple meals. The only thing that exceeds the quality of food are the people who work there.”

Mercantile

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Located in the newly-refurbished and bustling Union Station, award-winning chef Alex Seidel heads up this stylish, hip restaurant that serves creative comfort food throughout the day. Some of the creative menu items include roasted baby artichokes, polenta custard, squid ink bucatini and paella.

Chef Stephenson’s favorite dish is the Creekstone beef tartare, which is considered a unique version of a classic dish, made with tempura maitake mushrooms, crispy garlic, furikake crumble and bonito aioli.

Stephenson says, “The first time I went to Mercantile was for my birthday. My wife, Karen, knew how much I wanted to try it since we first moved to Denver, so she made a reservation to surprise me. We had over five courses – and each one was exceptional. It’s become my go-to spot when I have guests from out of town.”

He added, “I knew of this restaurant when I moved here and eagerly awaited the opportunity to try it. I have dined there numerous times since – and have had some of my best meals in Denver. The chef’s philosophy is so inspired, and both the food and service are at such a high level that I find myself walking back to my kitchen – instead of home – to work more diligently on raising my own standards.”

Born2Bake

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This cozy bakery and coffee shop is located in Old Town Littleton, which is the historic downtown area of the city. Born2Bake features a number of freshly made breads, cakes, pastries, pies, tarts, brownies and more. A few best sellers include blueberry cream puffs, scones, almond croissant, toffee cake and macarons. But the menu is not limited to sweets; guests can enjoy homemade soups, crispy, oversized salads and delectable sandwiches.

Stephenson said, “I stumbled into this quaint bakery and coffee house by accident when my wife and I took shelter in it during a rainstorm (in April 2019). I have quite the sweet tooth and fell in love with their chocolate pudding and strawberry crepe cake. Even though this bakery is in Littleton, I always find reasons to take more trips to Old Town to get my pudding fix.”

Beast + Bottle

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Owned by food-loving siblings Paul and Aileen Reilly, Beast + Bottle is a rustic American restaurant that focuses on locally-sourced cuisine, as well as craft cocktails and a unique yet approachable wine list.

Stephenson revealed, “I kept hearing a lot of great things about Beast + Bottle from fellow chefs. I decided to pop in on one of my days off, which happened to be on a Thursday. It turns out Thursdays are their weekly ricotta gnudi night, which is one of my absolute favorite dishes. Talk about serendipity.”

Some of Beast + Bottle’s specialties are black olive gnocchi, crab cake and sheepishly (made with lamb bacon, broccoli and black pepper). Stephenson raves about their consistency and quality, and usually orders the lamb pappardelle, which he says is tender and delicious. He also enjoys the delicate pasta, which he describes as “light, cooked perfectly and incredibly flavorful.”

He explains, “Chef Paul builds his entire menu around seasonality and sources his products locally from relationships he builds with farmers. Co-owner Aileen does an excellent job with the front of house staff. As a result, service is always top-notch. The intimate size of their restaurant allows the team to focus on providing a personal dining experience.”

Las Tortugas

Don’t usually post pics of food but I had to share this bad boy! #lastortugas #supercubana

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This quick-service, small Mexican sandwich shop in Aurora (a Denver suburb) has become extremely popular and features a variety of homemade specialties. Stephenson advises that customers should be prepared to wait in line, especially during prime meal time.

Although there are several Las Tortugas locations in the area, Stephenson explained, “I happened to drive by this place randomly one afternoon and decided to pull over. The neighborhood itself is a complete melting pot of so many different cultures. You can find some of the city’s best Vietnamese, Thai, Mexican and Chinese food all tucked away in the southwest corner of Denver.”

So, what’s his favorite menu item here? He says, “The menu features sandwiches made with ham, breaded skirt steak and chicken breast – among others. My absolute favorite is the Cuatrera – it’s pork, chorizo and melted cheese torta – and all sandwiches come with flavorful toppings that tie the whole sandwich together.”

10Best is a part of the USA TODAY Network, providing an authentically local point of view on destinations around the world, in addition to travel and lifestyle advice.

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Walking through the old hospital in Pripyat, the abandoned town just outside of Chernobyl, sun floods in through shattered windowpanes, illuminating a lopsided operating table and vials scattered across the floor. Our guide on the Chernobyl day tour reminds the group to avoid touching anything.

An area hit by the world’s worst nuclear accident may seem like an unlikely tourism hot spot, but the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone has become one of the world’s most visited dark tourism destinations in recent years. The number of visitors had been increasing steadily and reached record levels following HBO’s “Chernobyl” series.

But is it safe to visit Chernobyl? Experts advise it’s perfectly fine to visit the site of the 1986 nuclear accident if you take simple precautions to ensure personal safety. In addition, tour operators stress that it’s just as important for visitors to follow guidelines meant to protect the Exclusion Zone from people and to remember that it’s a somber site where first responders lost their lives. Here’s how to visit, and do so respectfully.

Book a tour in advance

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Unlike other tourist destinations around the world, you can’t simply show up to Chernobyl and gain admission. All visitors need to book a tour with a licensed guide who will lead you through security checkpoints that also include radiation checks into and out of the zone.

Ukrainian tour companies including long-established ChernobylWel.come and SoloEast offer day tours from Kiev or two-day trips that include an overnight stay in a hotel in the Exclusion Zone. You can also visit Chernobyl as part of several multi-day, multi-city tours with Intrepid Travel.

Brush up on the complicated history

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“Before you go, educate yourself on the details and complexities of what happened in Chernobyl,” notes Steph Millington, Intrepid Travel’s European product manager. “By understanding the tragedies that have taken place and by learning more about how people were truly affected, it will be easier to put things into context.”

If you haven’t already watched HBO’s “Chernobyl,” clear a few hours from your calendar. The series, though it includes a few highly dramatized elements, does a good job of illustrating the complex socio-political tensions that existed in Ukraine at the time, which was part of the Soviet Union until the USSR dissolved in 1991.

Rather open a book? Originally published in 1997, “Voices From Chernobyl” by Svetlana Alexievich is a long, but poetic read. The author spent a decade interviewing residents and other survivors and weaves their narratives into moving stories that highlight their lives, Soviet society and the aftermath of the disaster.

2019’s “Midnight in Chernobyl” by journalist Adam Higginbotham is a highly reported non-fiction thriller that recounts the disaster in the context of the human drama and the culture of secrecy that marked the final years of the USSR.

Look but don’t touch

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Consider the exclusion zone an open-air museum with Soviet relics and treat it the same way you would the Louvre or Holocaust Museum.

“Observe and explore the area, but don’t bring anything into or take anything out of the Zone (except photos),” advises Michal Krajcir, marketing manager at ChernobylWel.come. “The goal is to preserve it, as much as possible, for future generations. Nature is already starting to reclaim the Exclusion Zone, so we really hope that visitors will be sensitive to the unique challenges of preserving the area.”

In addition to showing respect, the rules are in place to keep visitors safe.

“Given the short amount of time visitors spend in the area, however, radiation levels shouldn’t be harmful or unsafe. For extra safety precautions, long-sleeved clothing and closed shoes are mandatory,” says Millington.

Those who visit the Exclusion Zone for less than 48 hours will experience a dose of radiation similar to what’s experienced on an overseas flight – that is as long as you follow the guidelines. Refrain from touching anything, avoid areas of tall grass or vegetation, and don’t walk through areas clearly marked with radiation signs.

Give back

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The official death toll following Chernobyl’s explosion is just 31, though those numbers are highly contested by historians who claim the extreme secrecy of the USSR at the time makes it impossible to know the true consequences. Scientists speculate that thousands have or will eventually die from cancer as a direct result of the explosion, and tens of thousands more across Ukraine and Belarus suffer from health issues as a result of long-term radiation exposure.

There are ways to give back to the community and support the self-settlers who live in rustic conditions inside the Exclusion Zone. Only about 100, now elderly residents remain, out of the few hundred who returned to their homes, in spite of the health risks, in the late 1980s.

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Intrepid tours to Chernobyl include a visit with self-settlers along with donations of food and supplies. ChernobylWel.come provides regular assistance to residents in addition to giving 1% of annual profits to self-settlers. All the major tour companies also provide ways for guests to give money or supplies to residents or cancer charities in the area. Just ask your guide.

In addition to human assistance, there are charities that provide care to the hundreds of stray dogs – descendants of the pets residents were forced to abandon when they were evacuated by the state.

10Best is a part of the USA TODAY Network, providing an authentically local point of view on destinations around the world, in addition to travel and lifestyle advice.

“What’s this?”

A Vietnamese man’s poking his head under a stretched-out tarp as the Ho Chi Minh City rain steadily beats down. Some 20 steel bowls, splayed out in this back-alley market stand, house a colorful mix of ingredients: cheese-like egg noodles the color of cheddar, baby tamarinds, mung beans, palm tree sap congealed into jelly bean-like jaggery, and one platter of a plump pumpkin flan.

“Cambodian che,” says the smiling woman. Her family has run Co Co, a stand that’s been selling Khmer-style sweet soups for over a half century.

“Oh?”

The man seems surprised it isn’t the usual Vietnamese che, a popular sweet soup, and sits for a late-morning dessert.

The city of nine million is well-known for its street food scene of crispy baguette banh mi, beef noodle pho and sizzling banh xeo pancakes. What’s surprising to many visitors (and many locals too) is the grip Khmer-inspired cooking has on the local diet as well.

In the 1960s, Saigon fell for hu tieu Nam Vang, a tasty pork-and-prawn breakfast soup named for the local word for “Phnom Penh,” that’s served with chewy tapioca-strip noodles. Today, it’s Khmer roots are all but forgotten as the soup is almost as ubiquitous as pho and found across town from simple family-run eateries and unmarked street stalls that serve hot bowls until they run out (usually about 10 am).

This morning with Hu Tieu Nam Vang ! ( my breakfast with rice noodles soup with pork and shrimp … served with bean sprouts , chives and fried wonton … yum🍜😋.#mybreakfast#vietnamesefood#hutieunamvang#ricenoodlessoup#foodie #breakfastoutsidetoday #foodinsta #foodysaigon #foodphotography#vivianfoodpics#

A post shared by Vivian-0802 (@vivian.t.t.v) on Jul 2, 2019 at 8:54pm PDT

And there’s more than hu tieu, beginning with the city name.

During the peak of the Khmer Empire, which flourished between the ninth and 13th centuries, present-day Saigon was known as Prey Nokor, a modest Khmer fishing village named “forest city.” Eventually, the Vietnamese filtered in, similarly christening it “Sai Gon,” meaning “twigs” and “bole” (or trunk) for the forest of cotton trees the Khmer planted.

Centuries later, during the Khmer Rouge regime, thousands of Cambodians and Vietnamese-Cambodians immigrated to southern Vietnam. The man I witnessed dodging the rain at the che stand was in the heart of the original “Cambodian Saigon,” a couple miles west of the center at District 10’s Le Hong Phong Market.

Filling back alleys, the market has a grab bag of stands selling fresh fish and produce, counterfeit designer clothing, pots and cups, corn, milk tea, coffee, lots of fresh flowers and also a dozen stands serving authentic Khmer specialties. With a quick wander, I zeroed in on something else: rows of dried fish imported from Cambodia’s Tonlé Sap Lake. They’re situated beside a packed noodle shop serving Khmer-style bowls of bun num bo choc, which I’ve come to try for the first time.

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It’s 9:30 am on a Tuesday and I’ve just missed the day’s last bowl from the most famous eatery, Tu Xe. But there are other popular options, and I stop in at a nearby spot set up in the alley with a sign reading “bun ca Campuchia” (fish noodle Cambodia).

A couple of families sit on red plastic stools at the two tables set under a tarp. The one-woman operation is run with plenty of gusto by Ms Dieu, who wears black pants and a black T-shirt that reads “Directed by David Lynch” in a stylized font. I order, then pause to watch her readying a series of portions.

“Oh, you want to eat Cambodian food?”

I turn to see a perky gray-haired man eating at the table smiling my way. He and the other diners are making room for me to get away from the rain’s splash off the pavement. Soon Dieu sets down a bowl of noodles in front of me.

The broth is gold-brown from the turmeric, and made of kaffir limes that give a sweet-sour taste. Mixed in is Cambodian prahok fish paste, sautéed green beans and chunks of juicy, boiled snakehead fish. And it’s delivered with colorful extras on side plates: long, purplish stems of water lilies, and bright yellow sesban flowers, which grow along the backwater shorelines of the Mekong Delta during rainy season.

This ain’t pho.

It’s certainly delicious. When I’m halfway through, Dieu appears to plop several more pieces of fish in my broth. (At 40,000 Vietnamese dong, about $1.75, this is a generous deal.)

As I eat, a young English-speaking daughter of a local family jots down local names of ingredients I didn’t know (sesban is dien-dien, water lily is bong sung), while another woman pulls a kaffir lime out of her bag, slices it, shows me how to eat it with chili-salt, then hands me another lime to take on the road.

Afterwards, I venture back into the drizzle to chase my breakfast with a che sweet soup at Co Co. The pick-and-point menu has 20 options and I settle for the catch-all “Cambodia che” for VND20,000 (about 85 cents). A bowl soon comes filled with crushed ice to chill a tasty mix of pumpkin, palm sugar, egg noodles, salted egg and durian sauce (the latter’s normally pungent taste softened by the coconut milk).

And after two stops, my Khmer breakfast in Saigon is done. I’m positively stuffed. Next time, I’m leaving room for a dried snakefish.

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Where to go:

In the heart of the market’s alleys, Bun Num Bo Choc Tu Xe – set up by a Cambodian who immigrated here in the 1970s – is the most popular place for fish noodle soup, but arrive early as they run out by 9 am or 9:30 am. It opens at 6 am.

For Khmer-style che, the nearby Co Co is run by a Vietnamese family who briefly relocated from Saigon to Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Everything’s made fresh daily. It’s open from 6 am to about 6 pm.

10Best is a part of the USA TODAY Network, providing an authentically local point of view on destinations around the world, in addition to travel and lifestyle advice.

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These hotels hit the right notes

Whether you want to listen to live music or your favorite artist on vinyl, or maybe learn to play guitar, these hotels will surprise and delight musicians and aesthetes with their melodies.

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Fairmont Peace Hotel – Shanghai, China

For the best jazz in Shanghai, step back in time to the 1920s with the intimate jazz bar at the Fairmont Peace Hotel. The hotel’s octogenarian sextet comprise the world’s oldest jazz band, with an average age of 82, but their passion and talent are immortal. The lively music, including classics like “Summertime” and “Moon River,” continues each night until 2 am with an enthusiasm that’s contagious. 

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Hotel Theodore – Seattle, Washington

Hotel Theodore in downtown Seattle is an artsy boutique property by Provenance Hotels known for its local brand collaborations. Recently, they partnered with Light In The Attic Records, a Seattle-based independent record label, to curate musical amenities in all rooms on the hotel’s 20^th floor. Each guestroom has been outfitted with photos of musicians, turntables and a label-curated selection of vinyl from Light In The Attic’s diverse catalog of artists.

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The Edgewater Hotel – Seattle, Washington

In 1964, when The Beatles were on their first world tour, The Edgewater Hotel was the only hotel in Seattle that would accept them as guests. They famously fished out of their window from Seattle’s only true waterfront hotel and now have a suite dedicated in their honor. There’s also a Pearl Jam suite, designed in partnership with their fan club and decorated with vintage band posters. Both rock n’ roll suites have vinyl record players with the band’s albums and all guests staying at The Edgewater Hotel can rent record players and guitars with sheet music.

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The Guest House at Graceland – Memphis, Tennessee

Live like the King himself at The Guest House at Graceland, just across the street from Elvis Presley’s iconic Memphis mansion. Enjoy Elvis’ favorite peanut butter cupcakes before bed and sing your favorite Elvis songs during weekly karaoke night. The 464-seat house auditorium frequently hosts live performances and movie screenings and the property is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ lifestyle collection.

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The Elizabeth Hotel, Autograph Collection – Fort Collins, Colorado

Every guestroom at The Elizabeth in Fort Collins has a Crosley record player, and guests have a selection of more than 1,000 albums to help themselves to in the lobby’s vinyl library. There’s also an instrument lending library with a wide variety of first-rate string instruments (including a Fender American Vintage ’52 Telecaster) along with keyboards, amps, headphones, tuners and straps.

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Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt – Austin, Texas

Austin is known as the Live Music Capital of the World and the Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt capitalizes on that reputation. Local and traveling musicians perform every night at Geraldine’s, the hotel’s fourth floor restaurant, which serves Texas-inspired food beside a state-of-the-art sound stage. Brass trombone chandeliers hang from the lobby ceiling and in-house Director of Music Hannah Hagar curates musical experiences including studio tours, vinyl press tours and playlists throughout property that reflect the time of day and season.

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Sunset Marquis Villas & Suites – West Hollywood, California

West Hollywood’s Sunset Marquis Villas & Suites has been a home away from home for rock stars since opening its doors in 1963. The hotel houses NightBird Recording Studio, where a whopping total of 45 Grammy-winning songs have been written and recorded. Hotel guests can try to book a recording session between celebrities (Bob Marley, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin are just a few famous guests) and order room service while jamming on the state-of-the-art equipment with the help of expert engineers.

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Elks Temple Hotel – Tacoma, Washington

McMenamins is a quirky cult favorite in the Pacific Northwest and their newest Elks Temple Hotel is transforming the music scene in Tacoma, Washington with a 700-capacity live music concert venue in their Spanish Ballroom. The hotel itself is a boutique property, with just 45 rooms, built in a once-abandoned historic property. Guest rooms honor Tacoma musicians like Krist Novoselić, bassist and founding member of Nirvana.

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The Duniway Portland – Oregon

The vinyl suite at The Duniway Portland comes with a custom U-turn player with more than 900 records to choose from. But all 327 hotel rooms have access to complimentary portable record players upon request, along with customized playlists curated by local personalities like Portland’s mayor, the hotel general manager and head chef Chris Cosentino. For example, the Abigail Scott Duniway collection, inspired by the property’s namesake changemaker, features top female empowerment anthems from artists such as Aretha Franklin, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Madonna.

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The Marquee – New Orleans, Louisiana

The Marquee is in the heart of New Orleans‘ historic theater district, less than a block away from musical performances at the Joy Theater and Saenger Theatre. Every hotel room has a Fender guitar, with access to free tutorial video lessons. Local musicians also teach live beginner lessons on a regular basis and perform on stage in the courtyard. Plus, guests can join friendly karaoke competitions on the rooftop pool deck or courtyard.

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Park Hyatt New York – New York

The 65-foot-long lap pool at Park Hyatt New York is equipped with six underwater speakers that play a soundtrack of classical music curated by Carnegie Hall’s artistic team. Carnegie Hall is just across the street, but here you can enjoy orchestral symphonies and piano solos while swimming laps. The soundtrack changes a couple times per year.

10Best is a part of the USA TODAY Network, providing an authentically local point of view on destinations around the world, in addition to travel and lifestyle advice.