Gadling Take FIVE: Week of Oct. 2-Oct. 9

by Jamie Rhein on

We’ve been keeping up with fall foliage and haunted jaunts these last few weeks at Gadling, plus a whole lot more. Perhaps you’ve noticed that we’ve let Mike step away from his Sky Mall Monday desk to take on Outback Australia. This funny guy has a serious side too.

Then there’s Annie who has an eye for fashion. Turns out, she also has an eye for Singapore. As a person who lived in Singapore for three years, I can vouch for Annie’s observations. Her picks of what to eat in Singapore are right on.

Grant has figured out just how to make 24 Hours in Rio de Janeiro an experience worth having.

Jeremy is heading away from his series Undiscovered New York for Southeast Asia. Stay tuned for his missives about his findings.

There’s much more among these weeks offerings. As usual, here are posts that might have slipped your notice:

  • Katie’s Top 10 travel destinations for Twilight fans. Even if you’re not a Twilight fan, these could be fun–particularly that corn maze in Utah.
  • I was particularly pleased to read that Playing for a Change is heading out on tour. Brenda’s been a faithful advocate of this worthwhile global music effort in previous Gadling posts. Likewise, she provided the heads up about the tour. The CD is WONDERFUL. I can’t say that enough.
  • Well-versed in the outdoors as always, Kraig presents a sampling of the best places for fall hikes.
  • For more fall travel, check out my post on vintage trains across the U.S. These are only 10 of them. People, the number of vintage trains in the U.S. is astounding.
  • If there ever was an unusual place to take kids for a road trip meal, Sean found it. I never would have come up with Hooters on my own. Who knew?

London Restaurant Festival opens today

by Sean McLachlan on

England has an unfair reputation for bad cuisine. While this is the land of jellied eels and mushy peas, things have changed in recent years and now there are a lot more choices, especially in the nation’s capital.

From October 8-13, the London Restaurant Festival will highlight the amazing range of eateries in the city. You can find literally any kind of food here from familiar favorites such as French and Italian to more exotic choices such as Nigerian and Afghani. And of course there are countless Indian and Chinese restaurants.

But don’t forget British food! Celebrity chefs will be showing off at different venues throughout the festival, and will get together at London’s Leadenhall Market this Sunday, October 11, to host the city’s largest Sunday roast.

If you make it to only one event in this festival, make it to this. Sunday roast is an age-old British tradition and shows the national cuisine at its best. Celebrity chefs such as Richard Corrigan and Fergus Henderson will be cooking up beef, lamb, pork, wild roe deer, and game birds along with the usual trimmings such as vegetables, gravy, and pudding. British game such as quail and grouse is especially good.

Even if you can’t make the festival, try out a Sunday roast at a carvery or pub, but be careful because some venues serve pre-prepared meals they only heat up. A good Sunday roast made from scratch like I get at my local pub in Oxford is heaven for meat lovers.

10 Things to Eat in Singapore

by Annie Scott on

Food in Singapore is like baseball in America — it’s the national pastime.

In most countries, people say: “Hi, how are you?” In Singapore, they say “Hi, have you eaten?” usually followed by “What?” “Where?” and “How was it?”

Singaporeans love food. They love eating it, making it, and talking about what they’re having next — “What should we have for lunch?” is a frequent topic of conversation during breakfast.

Food in Singapore is usually served family style, with lots of lots of courses. If you think you could only take that once a day, stay away — I think I had at least four meals every day I was there. I remember my friend’s mom looking sadly at me when I only ate two sandwiches for breakfast. Food is part of how they do things in Singapore. (And yes, I ate a couple more; I didn’t want to cause an international incident.) (And yes, I thought sandwiches for breakfast was weird too — most of her cooking was Malay, and I think she was trying to make me something American.)

So. Be Singaporean with me for a few minutes; let’s talk about food.

Malay and Peranakan food is similar and both are very common in Singapore. If you’re not accustomed to Malaysian, think Thai food, but less spicy — not less hot, it’s very hot, but with a lighter concentration of spices. Also big in Singapore are Chinese (about 75% of Singapore’s population is at least partly of Chinese descent), Indian, Japanese and oddly, Italian. Italian food is the most popular western food in the country.

To check out some of the most popular foods, have a look through the gallery. And if you want a cheap bite to eat in Singapore, ask a cab driver to take you to a hawker center; it’s like a food court, they have everything, and some say it’s the best bang for your buck. Interestingly, cab drivers take Diners Club. Seriously!
%Gallery-74889%
This trip was paid for by the Singapore Board of Tourism, but the views expressed within the post are 100% my own.

McDonald’s to move in next to Louvre

by Tom Johansmeyer on

McDonald’s is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary in France by opening a new location in the Carrousel du Louvre. This underground mall connects to the storied museum that is home to the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. So, if the latter had arms, she could sport the former’s smile with a Big Mac.

France is McDonald’s biggest market outside the United States, despite the vocal local minority, and planting a fast food joint next to the most visited museum in the world is a no-brainer. The chain already has more than 1,000 restaurants in the country, and the one on the Champs-Elysees is the most profitable McDonald’s in the world.

The Louvre wouldn’t say anything about its prospective neighbor. So far, no date has been set for the opening.

Largest corn maze in Utah pays tribute to Twilight for a perfect Halloween pairing

by Jamie Rhein on

Last year American Idol runner-up David Archuleta made it into corn maze fame in Utah. This year “Twilight” gets the honors. Black Island Farms in Syracuse, Utah has mowed its 24-acre maze into four labyrinths that are devoted to the next installment of this teen vampire love story. “New Moon,” also marketed as “Twighlight 2” and scheduled for release November 20, was the inspiration of this intricately rendered seasonal attraction. The efforts have made this maze Utah’s largest.

One of the main sections is the face of Edward (Robert Patterson). The other main section boasts Jacob’s (Taylor Lautner) visage. Mowed labels “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob” are also part of the design.

Admittedly, these corn field creations make seasonal pop culture sense. Vampires and Halloween do go together.

For teen girls there’s a certain metaphor here–at least for those who are way into Robert Patterson or the character he plays. Here’s a chance to get lost in his eyes, particularly the eye on the left (can you tell why?), although by the looks of the maze, it may take a while longer to get out of his hair. [See maze after the jump.]

According to the Black Island Farms’ website, the corn fields used for the mazes are animal feed, thus not good for munching as you try to find your way to the exit. For sweet corn, head to the Farmers Market where you’ll also find other fresh vegetables that have been grown here.

The last day for the maze is Saturday, October 31. How perfect is that? For Halloween night, as on other Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, you can head into the mazes armed with glow sticks and flashlights.

If you can’t make it to Utah in the next three weeks, look for a corn maze near you. As Scott posted, mazes have become popular seasonal attractions. Several, like Black Island Farms and Cornbelly’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Fest, where Archuleta graced a corn field last year, also offer Halloween inspired haunted tours.

[Deseret News]