Wine and Spirits Travel

For the second year in a row, I was invited to the Food Network's Food and Wine Festival in Atlantic City , New Jersey. As much fun as I have in South Beach, this one is extra special to me. The Jersey Shore isn't a television show as far as I am concerned. It's a place where I enjoyed the boardwalk with my family as a kid, and came to enjoy the casinos and the beach as an adult.  And, when you add in friendly chefs, great food, wine from around the world and lots of spirits, it all spells a whole lot of fun. I'm lucky enough to have my daughter Sam helping me out with photos and stories this year (and having fun). We arrived at the Chelsea Hotel , a modern boutique property at the end of the strip, in time for some of their "Bikinis and Martinis" party. The rooftop at Chelsea is a great place for a party and though the only ones in bikinis were the servers, there were plenty of interesting Martinis made with Cruzan Rum . We went straight from the part

I’ve spent a lot of time down in Florida visiting my mom and watching tennis at the Delray Beach Tennis Center , home to a major professional tennis event as well as numerous junior ones. The one thing I haven’t spent a lot of time doing is checking out the restaurants downtown Delray .  Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach is buzzing every night, with visitors and locals walking the streets and enjoying the eateries. The selection down there is varied enough to satisfy everyone’s dining desires, and I got to check out four that are among the best. Mom and I headed down Atlantic Avenue for an evening of restaurant hopping. Parking was much easier than I remembered in the few times I had been downtown. Most of the restaurants have valet, and there’s free parking in the streets behind them. Our first stop was at the opening of the downtown area – Tryst . When you first walk into Tryst, the immediate thought is that this is a nice pub, but as you look around at the European art and antique

I’ve often said that a vacation for me is time at home. While I still had to work, I did recently get two weeks back in Champaign. I had a chance to discover a great new place in the neighborhood and a major change for another. When you go to your regular salon to get your haircut and find out that they’ve done a few renovations it’s not shocking, but when you find out they are building their own one stop beauty block, it’s a different story. That’s what I faced at Rod Sickler Salon & Spa in Champaign. The expansion has added chiropractic care, cosmetic dentistry, photography, personal training, a medical spa and a tattoo parlor! “We’re getting all ages, from teenagers up to people in their 60s.” says Rod Sickler himself. “We call it now a ‘Center for Art, Beauty and Wellness.’ Where else can get a tattoo and have it lasered off in the same place?!” In addition to the unusual set up he’s orchestrated, my reason for giving a shoutout to Rod is that he is very involved in char

The hospitality of Riviera Maya was felt everywhere, but the staff at Secrets went the extra mile to make me feel at home. I was practically the only one at the resort not celebrating my honeymoon or anniversary, yet I never felt alone. My final night at Secrets Maroma happened to be the night of the Mexican Fiesta. Maria accompanied me to the weekly event, which includes a celebration of the culture, from vendors with silver jewelry, to Mexican food, tequila and a new favorite of mine, Mango Margaritas. There was a wonderful show of music and dance that took us through the various regions of Mexico. I remarked to Maria how impressed I was with the performance and she told me that this professional group is one of many hired to perform at the AMResorts . I have to admit this was my first show in the week I spent there and I wished I had seen more. After a night of enjoying the food and music, I was off to go pack. I bid my new friends farewell and enjoyed the breeze off the Car

The weather was still bringing a little bit of rain to Riviera Maya, but I was seeing plenty of this region’s beauty through three of the area’s top all-inclusives. I started the day with breakfast in the World Café at Secrets Maroma where you can literally get anything imaginable.  One of the chefs saw me looking at the Chilaquiles (fried squares of tortillas in sauce with green sauce and cheese), and when I asked if there was any without meat they said they would go make me some. The delicious bowl was delivered to my table a few minutes later. After breakfast there was a car waiting to take me over to Now Sapphire , one of two Now properties in the area. I had been very curious about what exactly AMResort’s Now was.  I knew that Zoetry is boutique, Secrets is for adults, Dreams is for families, but I wasn’t sure where Now fit in until I saw it. This brand is a bit more modern, a bit more “now.” It is open air, with a preferred section and contemporary look, smaller than Secrets a

I knew the day would be great when it started with a walk out to the balcony for a breathtaking view of the Caribbean Sea. The beach at Secrets Maroma is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen in this half of the world. Breakfast was at the World Cafe buffet, where the choices are endless. I couldn’t decide what I wanted so I took a small taste of everything. I didn’t have much time before my ride to Zoetry Paraiso del la Bonita would arrive.  I had never seen a Zoetry and, after seeing the “unlimited luxury” of Secrets, was anxious to see what more could be offered by AMResorts' highest level property. We passed by Puerto Morales, a small fishing village, to the other side of  Riviera Maya . As soon as we arrived I realized this place was different. This boutique resort reminded me a bit of Royal Plantation , which I had visited a number of years ago, but it appeared to be even more intriguing thanks to the artwork the owners had picked up around the world. Around every corner

I was picked up at Grand Velas by the Secrets Maroma driver for the next part of my Mexico adventure. It was only a short drive, but we had to go through some areas of unpaved road in • Riviera Maya so it took longer than expected.  When I arrived at the resort, I was greeted by management and staff who all said the same thing, “Welcome home.”  As much as the unlimited-luxury was a theme here, so was the feeling of comfort. My home for the next four days would be in the Preferred Club, which reminded me quite a bit of the Royal Service area at Paradisus Punta Cana . That area of the Secrets Maroma offers rooms with ocean views or swim up suites, and extra amenities such as a lounge with daily continental breakfast and afternoon hors d’oeuvres; free internet access; and upgraded mini bar and bath amenities. Carlos, my concierge, introduced himself and gave me his private extension before he took me to my building. My room could not have been better. I had a corner room on the fou

It seemed like we had just arrived in Riviera Maya , but it was time for the group farewell dinner and yet another example of Five Diamond food and service was chosen at Grand Velas. We were having dinner at Frida, and Chef Daniel Garcia Gomez had prepared a special meal for us at this modern Mexican restaurant. We started with some Margaritas. I had become quite fond of the mango ones and this one was very good, except for the salt on the rim. Salt may work for a plain Margarita, but not a fruit one. Our first course was a delicious Goat Cheese in a Pumpkin Seed Crust with Agave Honey Dressing and Amaranth Croutons, followed by a Poblano Pepper Cream Soup with Crisp Pork Skin, Corn and Panela Cheese, very tasty, but a bit too spicy for me. The third course was a Sea Bass in Yellow Mole Sauce with Cilantro Rice and Green Beans. My fellow diners raved about the fish while I enjoyed the rice and vegetables. The main dish was Rack of Lamb with a Bread and Oregano Crust in a Birria La