Something about being in and
around D.C. gets my taste-buds all wilded up, mouth salivating and eager to taste great food. Ever since I arrived early
this morning I’ve been thinking about dining at the Dukem Ethiopian restaurant which should be
happening in the very near future. So far I’ve had my dad’s good ol’ home cooking which you wouldn’t be able to find on
your own trip to the city, but I kid you not when I tell you it’s absolutely phenomenal! Pointing you to food you’ll
have no access to will do no good so let’s get back on track here and take a look at the 100 King Restaurant located in Alexandria, VA.
Mediterranean dishes are the word so think saffron mussels, braised lamb shank tagine and Turkish zucchini cake. Yum. A
newbie to the area, 100 King shouldn’t be a hard find being the address is the same as the name. If I get the chance
I’ll certainly do my best to swing through, but if you beat me to it let me know your thoughts.
Madagascar Market
Filmmaker Celia Beasley packed up and decided to just bail on life as she knew it. Where did she decide to go? To the island of Madagascar. That’s taking leave. In this charming radio piece on NPR she talks about the travails of trying to but her dinner at the Madagascar market. Well, almost. She finds the process taxing and then decides to head to Jumbo, the nearby supermarket, whose goods are for the most part out of reach of the average Madagascaran (??). But then she reconsiders and plunges back into the market, and delivers this fascinating portrait of a place most of us will never know.
One for the Road (01/13/06)
I know it’s January, so gelato is
probably the last thing on your mind right now, but it is creeping into the high 50’s here in the northeast today, and
I’m wishing hard that this early spring would stick around. I know it won’t, but in honor of the balmy temps, I’m
suggesting a yummy book for all the ice cream lovers. Actually, in my opinion, gelato is sooooo much better than
regular ice cream. And Michael McGarry’s book will help you find the very best of the bunch on your next visit to
Italy. When his wife received a year-long art history fellowship in Bologna, McGarry wasn’t sure what he would do
while in Italy. But one taste of gelato at La Sorbetteria and he knew. Gelato: Finding Italy’s
Best Gelaterias profiles more than 50 shops throughout the country. The book includes color photos, tips on how to eat gelato properly and a glossary
of over 75 flavors….all sure to leave your mouth watering for a taste.
Tampa's International Bazaar
I’m
pretty hard on Tampa, Florida sometimes and I probably shouldn’t be since the city does offer an abundance of
activities for the visitor. 7th Ave in Ybor City with its strip
of nightclubs and bars is a given destination for the young, wild college student while Ybor by day is an enchanting
cultural centerpiece for the city. Take the International Bazaar for example. They offer a number
of activities during the week and weekends for people interested in belly, swing and salsa dancing. Martial arts is
covered by Sensi Sisco and Dave Kanter hosts a weekly drum circle on Sundays from 6 PM to 8PM. The setup looks a lot
different than the drum circle I used to frequent in Venice Beach, CA, but I’m dying to be involved in a drumming
community again. The movement of the hand talking to the drum and the sound of the drum talking to the people are both
infectious. I’ll have to mark this on my calendar for a future Sunday.
Also, another cool thing being
offered are the Cigar Rolling courses on Wednesday and Saturday. The 12 week course covers the history of cigar rolling
locally and globally, definitions of the different blends, preparing binders, formatting the cigar all the way down to
quality control. I don’t even smoke cigars, but I’d be curious to take part in these courses for the historical
information at the very least. And for those wanting to go to Cuba, but haven’t quite made the trip this could be good
starting pointing in learning about one of the countries biggest exports.
Best Travel Blog: Vote for Us!
Hey, there’s nothing like a
shameless pitch. This site called the Travel Bloggers
Network is holding a "Best Travel Blog" contest where readers can select the best site out there…or at
least among the ones listed.
Gadling is one
of the listed sites and we’d be mighty grateful if you could feel it in your hearts to go there and vote for us. Why?
Because every day we work our fingers down to the cuticle to bring you the best news and recommendations for travel.
Travel is something we are passionate about, and we hope it shows.
So do us a favor if you are able and go
over and vote. From all of us here at Gadling: thank you!