Driving into and out of Sedona, Arizona, every day while I was here, I would always pass by The Golden Goose Grill, just a half-mile from my hotel. I liked its name, so eventually I found myself here for dinner, surprised, and pleased, that I was eating in one of the highest-rated restaurants in town. Read about it >
The Blood of Christ—in Belgium
For Christians around the world, certain places simply hold more significance than others: Rome, Jerusalem, Vatican City, Fatima. To that list, another should be added. Bruges, Belgium, may not automatically register as a destination of importance or as a pilgrimage site, but if the story is true, it should be. The Basilica of the Holy Blood in the heart of Bruges, impressive in its own right, also contains a vial with drops of Jesus’ blood. Naturally, I had to see it. Read about it >
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A Grand Café, Indeed
Place d’Armes in the heart of Luxembourg City was crowded, its restaurants overflowing at dinnertime. I was attracted to the fine tilework between the first and second floors of Grand Café, proclaiming its name, location, and address. I was also attracted to the posted menu, highly tempting for carnivores, but not exclusively. Read about it >
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Wisconsin’s Winning Architecture
If you’re in Wisconsin during the winter, you may find it a bit chilly, and rightly so. That, however, provides a wonderful opportunity to step instead some of the state’s most beautiful buildings to warm up for a while and to admire craftsmanship you’re unlikely to ever see again. Wisconsin’s architectural marvels span a wide range of styles, from evocative Victorian homes to impressive college campus buildings to nearly a dozen of Frank Lloyd Wright’s innovations. Read about the top five buildings in Wisconsin >
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Love and Legends at The Monica
It wasn’t until I had dinner at The Monica in Tucson, Arizona, that I learned the origins of the word “chimichanga.” According to urban legend, chef and restaurateur Monica Flin accidentally dropped a burrito in a pan of oil about a century ago. Instead of cussing with a common Spanish expletive, she exclaimed, “Chimichanga!” Thus was born the famous fried food. Whether it’s true or not, it’s still one of many great stories that accompany a terrific dinner at The Monica, where all the food is made with love. Read about it >
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Lovely Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky, was proving to be a delightful city. The friendliness of the people was quite shocking (where else would a gift shop tell you to take a tee shirt for free because they didn’t have the correct change for your cash purchase?), and I was loving the fried green tomatoes at nearly an addictive level. One of my biggest surprises was the astounding architecture, especially in downtown and in Old Louisville, one of the most beautiful historic districts in the United States. Read about the top five buildings in Louisville, Kentucky >
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Big Flavors in Little Greece
In the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, New York, you’re likely to see a Halal restaurant next to a Colombian bakery across the street from an Italian gelateria. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church offers Masses in English, Spanish, Czech-Slovak, Vietnamese, and Italian. That’s a lot of diversity, but at its core, Astoria is still home to the second-largest Greek population outside of Greece itself. You’ll see it in the names of doctors on their office signs, in the blue and white shopfront awnings, in Athens Square, and in some excellent restaurants. One of the best is Blue Sea Taverna. Read about it >
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A Tuscan Villa for a Transcendent Vacation
Spending a week in a Tuscan villa is one of those dreamy concepts that you hope to transform into a reality one day. Fortunately, I was able to do just that when I convinced my family to spend a couple of weeks in Italy to celebrate my parents’ 50th anniversary. We spent our first week at a villa in Piedmont, and now we were about to enjoy our second week in one of Italy’s most romantic regions, at Villa Carpineto in the Tuscan town of Castellina in Chianti. Read about it >
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Viva La Villa in Piedmont
My motivations were, admittedly, selfish: I had been wanting to rent a vacation villa in Italy for years, but, for reasons beyond my comprehension, no one I knew shared that interest. So, when my parents’ 50th anniversary rolled around, I cloaked my desire in a proposal to celebrate their life milestone with them and some other family members in Italy for a couple of weeks. There was rapid buy-in, and I was soon planning a two-week journey for seven people, which began with a week at Villa Cascina Martinenga in the small town of Cereseto in Piedmont. Read about it >
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A Meal With a View
Unlike the quiet location of Frans Restaurant where I had lunch the day before, Brasserie Rozenhoedkaai is right in bustling tourist central in the historic medieval core of Bruges, Belgium. Both are impossibly romantic—the former along the banks of the Lake of Love, the latter at a bend of a canal that’s one of the most photographed spots in the city. While you can watch swans and geese glide by at the first, at Brasserie Rozenhoedkaai you’ll be watching a steady flow of tourists becoming just as beguiled with this city as you are, all while enjoying a lovely meal. Read about it >
Stephen Travels 