Exploring Santorini

Here’s some more photos from my trip to Santorini.  Take a look at the rooms with a view in Imerovigli and the beautiful Oia.  Time runs on a different schedule here and the overwhelming feeling of relaxation and tranquility comes through in these photos.  Once you’re in the town of Oia, there’s really no streets that cars can drive on and it becomes a walking city.  Every bend and turn around the hillside leads to a new street of shops with handcrafted goods and friendly shop owners or lively restaurants with people spilling out onto the patios and the sound of music floating onto the streets.  The weather here is so comfortably warm, there’s just as much action in the main squares as there is in the individual shops and restaurants.  You’ll feel like you’re doing everything and yet nothing at all here – and it’s a great feeling.

NYC x Food

Food hunting continues in Manhattan.  This week features a mix of everything, from brunch to dinner and drinks.  Scroll down for deliciousness and info on where to eat all of this. Dos Caminos – multiple locations, try the one at 475 W Broadway at Houston St

Come here for Mexican Happy Hour that’s got deals on Mexican beers, sangria, margaritas and an assortment of starters.  We treated ourselves to the prickly pear frozen margaritas and a serving of chips and guac.  The margaritas were refreshing, smooth and had a good fruity flavor.  The guacamole was fresh and spicy.  In the summer, the tables spill out onto their outside patio, the best space to drink margaritas and people watch.  Republic – 37 Union Sq W

Walk in here and you feel like you’ve arrived at some modern downtown lounge-gallery-club.  The large, open restaurant space with a full bar at the entrance, the long communal tables, the trendy music and the buzz of constant conversation all contribute to Republic’s cool factor.  Atmosphere aside, this pan-Asian restaurant (think a fusion of Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese cuisines) is really good.  Their broth noodles are the highlight, especially the fragrant and delicate lime chicken noodles pictured above.  Eataly – 200 5th Ave

A popular tourist spot, this place is worth the visit for everyone in New York.  Imported Italian foods, drinks, cookbooks and kitchen supplies are sold in a marketplace format alongside cafés for coffee, gelato, pastries and sandwiches.  There’s also a range of high-quality sit-down restaurants, conveniently arranged based on their menus: seafood, meat, pizza & pasta, appetizers etc.  My favorite is the pasta & pizza one where I can get this delicious tagliatelle al Ragù di Manzo (Italian for short rib sauce).  I’ve been to Italy and this place gets it right with its taste and al dente pasta texture.  Tink’s – 102 E7th St

This cozy and charming East Village spot has an amazing brunch selection.  The prix-fixe option gives you any brunch entree, coffee, tea and a cocktail of your choice for $18.  The chicken and waffles complete with maple syrup and chipotle sauce here are a winner.  It comes out looking small, but your stomach will undoubtedly by satisfied and full by the time you finish.  Jack’s Wife Freda – multiple locations, try the one at 50 Carmine St

I’ve heard lots of hype about this place and the good buzz is right.  As a brunch lover, I went straight for the breakfast offerings even though it was lunchtime.  This place has an American-Mediterranean inspired menu and my green shakshuka, a dish of baked eggs in a green peppers tomatillo style sauce served with challah bread perfectly highlighted this delicious mix of cuisines.

Santorini Sunset

Breathtaking.  If you needed only one word to describe the sunsets in Santorini and Greece in general, this would be it.  The photos during this magical transition from day to night does not even begin to describe what it’s like to witness this in person.  We had dinner at the Grace Hotel in the village of Imerovigli and to top off the amazing food and hospitable service was the sunset view of the caldera.  Go to Greece and tick this off your bucket list.

Taking a Dip at Kamari Beach

What makes Kamari Beach so unique is its signature black pebble shores formed from Santorini’s volcanoes.  The sand is not quite sand, not quite rocks, but it definitely isn’t fine and soft that most sandy beaches are.  The water here is super clear and still – lie on your back for half an hour, get up and realize you’re in the same spot.  The beach has a private feel to it being enclosed by the headland, the place isn’t very touristy and people are here to tan or swim, there isn’t room for beachside sports.  However, just a few steps away is a promenade of shops, restaurants and bars to enjoy.  Upon arrival, you can rent umbrellas and chairs which are essential to stay off the hot, pebbled shore.  The calmness here is undeniable.  Relax, take a dip in the water, enjoy the sun and hop aboard one of the water taxis to take you to Perissa Beach, a short boat ride just around the headland.  Welcome to bliss.

Endless Blue Days in Santorini, Greece

A few brief but amazing summer days were spent in Santorini, Greece last year.  This tiny island in Greece is easily reachable by a quick 45 minute flight from the capital in Athens.  Commercialism is not a huge thing here and no giant international-chain hotels are crowding the island – instead, the steep hillsides are dotted with many white, terraced, villa-style apartments to rent out.  Everywhere you go, you see a spectacular view of the caldera or the Aegean Sea depending on where you stay in the island.  We stayed in Imerovigli, a popular tourist area for families and couples.  The location was great because we were halfway between the two bigger cities in Santorini – Fira to the South and Oia at the northernmost tip of the island.  I’ve never seen such a peaceful and tranquil place with the clear blue sky meeting the blue ocean below.  In August, the weather here is always clear skies, 80 degree weather with a nice breeze to keep you from sweating.  In other words, it’s paradise.

New York Noms

The famous, the not-so famous and the best little gems of restaurants, cafes and dessert spots that are my current favorites in New York.  Try not to drool.

Edo – 9 E 17th St

This place is great for its affordable 2 or 3 roll sushi lunch special complete with soup or salad.  The rolls don’t have as much rice and are the perfect size to down in one bite.  Get the crunchy spicy tuna or salmon rolls.  The bento boxes are also great if you’re looking for something more filling.

City Bakery – 3 W 18th St

Yes it’s spring now and this is really a winter treat, but the ultra rich, creamy and smooth hot chocolate from here deserves a spot in our hearts year-round.  The bakery offers sit-down lunch items and baked goods too, but the highlight is the hot cocoa.  They even offer soy hot chocolate (photographed above) for lactose-free friends like me.

Schmackary’s – 362 W 45th St

Homemade cookies that are freshly baked and displayed in the window, hot off the cookie sheets.  The flavors here are rotating, so it’s disappointing when your favorite isn’t baked that day, but so satisfying when you branch out and find a new delicious cookie.  The cookies are imaginative and yet classic (think Maple Bacon or my personal favorite featured above, Funfetti).  They even cater to cookie lovers with dietary needs, such as gluten free and nut free flavors.

Chalait – 224 W 4th St

This clean, modern and hip looking West Village café specializes in Japanese matcha green tea.  They serve it in the form of hot or iced lattes, as an iced tea, a fizz or Americano or Cortado coffee-styles.  They also serve coffee, other types of tea, breakfast and lunch items here.  I got the iced latte with soy, but next time I’ll spring for almond milk, the barista tells me it’s an even better combo.

Shake Shack – various locations

Everyone knows this place and for good reason.  The debate on if Shake Shack or west coast chain In-N-Out will always be heated but if you want me to weigh in, the fries and drinks (lemonades, teas and shakes) are better at Shake Shack.  Shake Shack’s burgers are arguably more flavorful with their special sauce; but for the freshness, value and size of the burgers at In-N-Out, I still owe my loyalty to California.  That being said, Shake Shack is the best of the east coast, and a must-do here in the city.

Castillo San Felipe del Morro

At the highest point in Old San Juan, overlooking San Juan Bay sits the Castillo San Felipe del Morro – the 16th century citadel built by the Spanish to protect Puerto Rico’s port.  This fort, plus the Castillo San Cristobal, most of the city walls, the San Juan Gate and Fort San Juan de la Cruz make up this World Heritage Site. We mainly explored El Morro and saw the other forts in passing wandering through the city.  For history buffs, there’s plenty of information scattered around the site to learn about the Spanish history of controlling the Caribbean trade routes and preventing enemy ships from coming to PR.  And for those who want some great photos to show on the ‘gram, El Morro looks like something right out of a Game of Thrones set, and the huge compound is complete with barracks, passageways, guard towers and a lighthouse.  There’s a lot of walking and steep stairs to climb here, but the views of the bay, the city and the fortress itself are unlike anything else you’ll see in PR.  Tip #1: the entry cost is $5 for both forts, so if you have more time than we did, save your ticket for entry to visit both.  Tip #2: don’t walk all the way up to El Morro, the trek is more tiring than exploring the fort.  Take the free Old San Juan open-air trolley instead.

Hanging in El Yunque Rainforest

Only about a 45 minute drive from the city, El Yunque National Forest is a dose of natural beauty and a must-visit spot in PR.  On our day tour, we started at The Yokahu Observation Tower, where we climbed to the top and overlooked the rainforest from 360 degrees.  Hiking to La Mina Falls was the absolute highlight of the trip.  We visited in the dry season so it was interesting to see how dry the rainforest was and how non-tropical it looked.  I was surprised at the lack of bugs and animals running around and so relieved to find that we were at such a high altitude that mosquitos were not present here.  However, if you listen, you can hear how full of life it is here with the chirps of various birds and the coquí frogs croaking.  This place is magical with the vast amount of greenery, huge plants, shady trees and bright flowers.  Constant light streams through the heavy canopies of rich vegetation.  There is an ever-present sound of water running nearby and a tiny stream suddenly turns into a river and then winds down to a waterfall as the trail twists and turns through the rainforest.

La Mina Falls are beautiful and packed at its base are people climbing over the slippery rocks to try and maneuver their ways into the freezing cold water to swim in the waterfall.  The power of the water rushing is intense but the falls are not so big that people could cliff jump into it – I can only imagine what it’s like come the rainy season.  We wrapped up our trip visiting La Coca Falls.  These falls were pretty too, but less adventurous and offered more of a photo opp than a chance to swim in them.  For a thrill, there were plenty of rocks to strategically climb over to make your way to the top of the falls.  Get off that beach chair and experience both the thrill and tranquility that only El Yunque offers.