White Collar Travel: A Tale of Two Meals

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Business travelers lead dual lives when they’re on the road. One is nothing short of luxurious, and the other is nothing short of depressing. This isn’t a case of good weeks and bad, and there is little they can do to engineer the frequency of the former over the latter. It all comes down to an uncertain mix of luck and timing. The contrast is most evident in the dining experience. Some meals are grand, while others are eaten from a desk, dashboard or on the corner of the bed.

When clients and your own company’s executives are involved, meals tend to be … ummmm … a tad more upscale. The restaurant is chosen with care, and reservations are made in advance. Usually, attention is paid to where in the restaurant you’ll be sitting, with a private room preferred over a meal with the masses. Several choices are evaluated, and the menus are examined for content rather than cost.

Cocktails tend to come before seating, and wine flows abundantly when the party gets to the table. You’ll go through salads and appetizers (and bottles of wine) before enjoying the entrée that you’ve been thinking about all afternoon. By the time dessert arrives, you’re stuffed … but it just looks so good! There’s always room for something sweet, and you eventually return to your hotel room fully satisfied. You start to think, “I really could get used to this.”You wish all your meals could be that tasty, especially on the nights when you experience the other side of your business travel life.

It’s well past 9 PM, and you’re sitting in a conference room with six of your colleagues. The task of the day is projected onto a screen, and the answers just aren’t flowing. Or, you’re faced with a mammoth amount of work, and a deadline is looming. Someone finally realizes that nobody has eaten since breakfast (or the night before, if you prefer sleep to food) and starts taking orders. Fast food fare eventually materializes in the conference room. The smell is a distraction, since the quarters are tight. As you chomp between clicks on the keyboard, you realize that you aren’t tasting a thing. Rather, you’re just trying to fuel up for what is going to be a long night.

Of course, not every meal is taken at the office. In some cases, you may get out at a reasonable hour. But, you’re eating alone, so you need to make your allotted food cash go as far as possible. Occasionally, you’ll treat yourself to something nice, but on other nights you’ll call for a pizza, prop the box on the desk next to your laptop and munch while sifting through your e-mail with a television show you’ve never had time to watch before blathering on in the background.

This is part of the situation to which the business traveler must adapt, of course. Over time, it becomes part of the grind. You can’t call it a routine, because randomness enters into the picture. You get used to it and learn to look forward to the meals you’ll enjoy most.

Read more White Collar Travel here.

Half-Time Pizza: What Boston eats for breakfast

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The allure of Boston junk food can be almost impossible to resist. For every Radius, Grill 23 and Abe & Louie’s there is a dive of some kind offering drunk grub, fat fare or belt-buster. On my recent trip back to Boston, I hunted out my second favorite breakfast joint in the city: Half-Time Pizza (the top spot goes to Fill-a-Buster on Beacon Hill for creating the greatest bacon, egg and cheese on an English muffin I’ve ever had).

Half-Time is known to anyone who frequents Bruins or Celtics games, being situated on Causeway, right across the street from the TD Center. Great for pizza and beer after a game, Half-Time’s morning prowess should not be overlooked. While you can get what many would call “traditional” breakfast meals at Half-Time, for me, it’s always been about the pizza – even at 7 AM.

I discovered Half-Time back in the days when the internet was new and companies like CMGi were relevant. I used to commute into North Station, stop at the pizza shop for two slices (served folded into a paper bag) and dash off to catch the Orange Line to Sullivan Square. It is quite possibly the most appalling breakfast one can imagine, but I found it to be pure bliss.


Since leaving Boston in 2004, I’ve made Half-Time a mandatory stop on every trip back, schlepping over from a Back Bay hotel just to savor that delicious pizza, with a slightly tangy sauce. The shops in the North End may get all the notoriety, and Santarpio’s in East Boston is a favorite for reason, but Half-Time deserves its place in the Boston pizza pantheon. To this day, I count it among the best breakfast spots in the city.

Where to dine in Sydney: VAustralia employees dish on their favorite joints

by Melanie Nayer on

Virginia Woolf said, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” So, where does one dine when in a new city? What’s the best cuisine the city has to offer and where can you find it? Where do residents go on a Saturday night when they need to break free from the week and still feel the comforts of home?

The tourist attractions, museums, tours and of course, the shopping, are all great ways to see a new city, but if you really want to experience the flavor of a new city, dine with the locals and indulge in the delicacies that make each restaurant special in its own right.

On a recent flight to Australia, I caught up with the men and women who spend their down time down under at Sydney’s best restaurants and bars. Next time you find yourself in Sydney, take these suggestions from the flight attendants of VAustralia (and a few from me), and don’t forget to let us know your favorite spots.

Breakfast
If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Jo from VAustralia recommends the following three places: Bill’s, Surrey Hills; Barzura, Coogee Beach; and Jed’s Cafe, Bondi Beach.

Lunch
After a long day of beach walks and surfing, VAustralia’s flight manager, Annie, recommends Cafe Sydney in Circular Quay.

Annie also suggests Icebergs, along the Coastal Walk from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach and Hugos at Manly Beach.

If you find yourself in the Blue Mountains, make sure to stop by Common Grand.
Dinner
Sally-Ann’s favorite restaurant in Sydney is Ripples, located directly under the Sydney Harbour Bridge at Milsons Point. “It’s an institution,” she says. But be warned: Ripples is BYO, so if you go, go with your drink of choice.

Seafood
Among other things, Australia is known for its fresh seafood. While you’re here, don’t miss Oyster Bar on Circular Quay, Fishface at Darlinghurst and the Raw Bar at Bondi Beach. My first night in Sydney I stopped into the recommended Fish at the Rocks, located in The Rocks, and treated myself to dinner and wine – fresh Mulloway and a glass of Shiraz.

You can’t beat the nightlife in Sydney. The girls at VAustralia suggested the following must-stops for late-night cocktails, and I can confirm that these picks were prime:

Head to The Horizon Bar on the 36th floor of the Shangri-La Hotel at dusk. Watch the sunset over Sydney with a champagne cocktail and you’ll feel first-class the rest of the night.

The Ivy is five floors of nightclub and a great place to spend the evening after drinks at Zeta Bar, located on level four of Hilton Sydney.

For those wanting a cold beer (or a few), head to Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel in The Rocks. Lord Nelson brews its own beers and has, at minimum, a dozen to taste at a time. I recommend the Three Sheets and a side of potato wedges for a mid-afternoon break.

Daily Pampering: The quintessential Upper West Side brunch

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I try to get to Compass by 11:30, when the restaurant opens. Brunch on the Upper West Side can get crowded quickly, and I enjoy that brief moment when the meal is its most peaceful. This Manhattan neighborhood is popular among brunchers and offers no shortage of choices. Yet, the most interesting by far can be found at Compass, on W. 70th Street, just west of Amsterdam Avenue. Be sure to make a reservation, because you won’t be the only person in the neighborhood to have this idea.

The brunch menu is not expensive: you’ll enjoy an incredible meal for $28. So, why feature it in the Daily Pampering column, which is committed to the decadent? Well, you don’t have to spend a fortune to live the life luxurious, and any local or visitor to Manhattan would be nuts not to sit for a meal here.

The Compass brunch menu is short on choice but not on variety. The first course to be presented to you includes salmon, bread, pastry and sausage. Bite-sized portions of all are presented for the table, obviating the need for difficult decisions. The flavors are incredibly well balanced, and the presentation is meticulous. Dessert is served the same way – small portions of everything. You won’t need to worry about leaving the table with the concern that you missed something delightful.You do have to select an entrée, and it’s a painful experience. You may be able to narrow it down to three or so that turn you on, but finding your way to one is brutal. If you live in the city, you can just go back a few times. I don’t envy tourists, however who don’t have easy access to this restaurant. On my most recent visit (last weekend), I ate the Lobster BLT, the first time I’ve tried it, and I’m glad I did. There are no good choices on the menu – they’re all beyond that.

The service at Compass is flawless. The staff is quiet, efficient and attentive. Dishes are brought at ideal temperatures, and water and coffee flow before you need to ask. I’d suggest a waiter, but that’s unnecessary – they are all fantastic.

You need a dose of pampering? Head out to Compass for a meal. This is among the most enjoyable culinary experiences in Manhattan, the price is downright shocking. Compass has a full menu for dinner, as well, which is not to be missed.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

Kimpton takes the edge off tax season

by Tom Johansmeyer on

‘Tis the season for taxation. We gather up our W-2s, sift through 1099s and try to figure out just how painful the experience is going to be for our wallets. Tax season isn’t the most pleasant of experiences for many, so Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is hoping to take the sting out a little bit. With its “Sweet Tax Relief” deal, Kimpton will make sure tax time leaves you with an enjoyable taste in your mouth – for a change.

To start, participating Kimptons will pay your room tax for you, for stays during the entire month of April. And, your meal tax will be picked up when you throw down some grub at its restaurants. If you’ve ever taken a close look at your restauant receipt or hotel folio, you know just how substantial this savings can be. To sweeten the pot, so to speak, candy bars like “Payday,” “100 Grand” and “Sugar Daddy” will be provided, which you can munch on while waiting for your late checkout to come.

According to Niki Leondakis, chief operating officer of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, “Tax season can be a stressful time of year and this fun promotion is a great way for travelers to save a few dollars on the road and enjoy some sweet treats.”