Hershey Park is going to draw more than the usual sugar-high thrill-seekers this coming Memorial Day weekend with the launch of the new $5.4 million Reese’s Xtreme Cup Challenge Ride. It’s a multi-sensory laser dark ride that’s suited to the whole family. One car, dubbed team peanut butter, is pitted against another car, dubbed team…
Vintage wine, fine cuisine and classic car afficionados can all enjoy a few days at the races as the 20th Anniversary Jaguar Wine Country Classic zooms into Sonoma on June 3rd and 4th. Your ticket includes a souvenir program, entry into the COPIA Wine Coutnry Pavillion and the chance to see 300 of the finest…
Ok, I admit it. I love the Da Vinci Code. I’ve read the book twice, will be one of the first people to see it when it’s released next week, and can’t wait to visit the Louvre when I return to Paris in two weeks. If you’re like me and want to tour the mentioned…
We just watched the Queen Latifah movie, “Last Holiday,” and most of it took place at the Grandhotel Pupp in the alpine town of Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. And what a grand hotel it is! The opulent main building was erected in 1701. The Presidential Suite goes for about $4,000 US per night, but a…
You go to a fancy restaurant. The sommelier comes to your table and starts chatting. You don’t know squat about wine and can’t tell the dif between a Cab Sauv, a Merlot or a Sirah. What do you do to look intelligent without revealing your ignorance? This intriguing story in yesterday’s SF Chronicle interviews four…
For years, a restaurant called Bizou occupied the prime SOMA space at 4th & Brannan, a few blocks from the SF Giants’ ball park. Now, it’s been reinvented as COCO5OO, Loretta Keller’s new hotspot offering a warm, modern vibe and bold, stimulating flavors. Chocolate and caramel aren’t just on the menu. They’re on the toned…
My brother’s been to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. He said it was a great race. But mostly, it’s a fantastic party with lots of boozing amid the well haba- dashered crowd. After all, Derby participants usually buy about 90,000 Mint Juleps. At this year’s 132nd Run for the Roses, you can spend $1,000…
Planning your next vacation? Need ideas? Consider Turkey. Since receiving an invitation to join the European Union, the country has introduced new money, hip restaurants, and stylish hotels. And one of those hotels is the A’jia Hotel. This charming 19th-century mansion is located in Turkey’s adventurous Asia Minor. Perched on the Bosporus river, the new…
I’ve ordered the incredibly delicious truffles for my wife from Vosges Haut-Chocolat for Valentine’s Day in the past. But for the perfect gift for the Moms in your life from this Chicago-based company, give these a look… • The Lady – The limited edition Luxe Fleur pictured here, each filled with flower adorned truffles. •…
Wine is fine with most foods. But when I’m dipping tortilla chips into salsa, eating a burrito topped with guacamole or washing down rice, beans and other Mexican delights, I’ll take a cold beer. Anytime. One I’ve heard about is Chipotle Ale from Rogue Ales in Newport, Oregon. It features smoked jalapeños, or chipotle chiles,…
Hot tables. Hot nights. Hot spas. With summer coming soon, Condé Nast Traveler has just uncovered the hottest new restaurants and nightspots around the globe, as well as the world’s best new spas. Its Web page says CNT covers “the 82 best places to eat –– from Australia to Vietnam and with entrees from $3…
The secretive, anonymous food critic at the San Francisco Chronicle is immersed in food day and night. Because he only writes a few weekly restaurant reviews about local cuisine, he’s now pleased to be able to share all the other stuff rattling around in his well-seasoned brain — including eateries in New York and other…