I had spent a full day in Estonia outside of Tallinn’s Old Town — something few tourists to this fairy tale city do — with a knowledgeable private guide who took me to Lahemaa National Park, a few of its outstanding manor houses, and a rustic beach town where we had lunch at a bare-bones cafeteria-style eatery filled with Estonians enjoying a lovely summer day along the coast of one of the bays at the edges of the Gulf of Finland. When I returned to the terrific Savoy Boutique Hotel in the Old Town, I was still in a local frame of mind and began my search for some authentic Estonian food, perhaps not served by a wait staff dressed in medieval garb and setting my place with silver “weapons” to attack my meal. That meant avoiding Tallinn’s beautiful Town Hall Square, but it didn’t take very long at all before I found what I was looking for at Kuldse Notsu Kõrts, or the “Golden Piglet Inn.” Read more >
Tag Archives: dinner
“A Rare Steakhouse, Very Well Done” in Grand Cayman
That clever slogan of Copper Falls Steakhouse in the Seven Mile Beach section of Grand Cayman proved to be very apt. After several nights of fantastic seafood dinners, I was ready for a bit of beef, and this establishment had caught my eye a few days earlier when I purchased some staples for the week at the huge (and blissfully cold) supermarket across the street. Framed by white lights, the inviting restaurant lured me back for a meal that was, indeed, very well done. Read more >
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First-rate Dining at Café Christiania in Oslo, Norway
Consistently ranked at or near the top of lists of the most expensive cities in the world, Oslo can easily break your budget. While you’ll want enough money to last throughout your entire trip, you won’t want frugality to prevent you from enjoying the finer things that this friendly city offers. The key is balance. For instance, you can spend your day ice skating at the free rink in the middle of the city and admiring the 212 bronze and granite sculptures in fee-less Vigeland Park while snacking on excellent cheese and bread from a local grocer, then put all the krone you saved into a superb dinner. And one of the best restaurants to enjoy that superior meal is Café Christiana. Read more >
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Go Fish: Dinner at Baltimore’s Best Seafood Restaurant
Crab dinners and Baltimore are practically synonymous, but there are plenty of other fish in the sea, and the Oceanaire Seafood Room has expertly mastered the preparation of many of these options. Just a short stroll east from the Inner Harbor, this upscale restaurant combines a sophisticated nautical ambience with a deep menu overflowing with seafood specialties ranging from Florida yellowfin tuna to Faroe Islands salmon to a wide variety of crustaceans. You may have to shell out a few extra dollars, but that will seem irrelevant from the moment you get hooked on Oceanaire’s offerings. Read more >
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Sure Things in Saratoga Springs
October in Saratoga Springs, New York: Racing season is over, the thoroughbreds are on vacation, and the smart set has returned home. Picking a winner now does not revolve around our equine friends. Rather, it becomes a wager on where to have dinner.
Saratoga Springs doesn’t have countless options, but the choices that do exist will more than satisfy foliage seekers who’ve come to revel in the autumnal leaves in this attractive city of beautiful Victorian homes from the late 1800s. For a hearty meal in a historic setting, the Olde Bryan Inn is a sure bet. (Read more about the Olde Bryan Inn > ) And if you’re in the mood for something more elegant, the fine American bistro Maestro’s at the Van Dam will be the big payoff. (Read more about Maestro’s > )
Stephen Travels 