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Tag: Travel Guide

  • London Food and Pubs: From Borough Market to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

    London Food and Pubs: From Borough Market to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

    Between visits and now living here, London has given me plenty to eat and drink. Here’s a round-up of the London food, pub and theatre posts on the blog, with links to each one.

    Historic pubs

    • Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street was rebuilt shortly after the Great Fire of 1666 and has dark, wood-panelled rooms that have barely changed since. Samuel Johnson and Charles Dickens are among the names linked to it.

    Markets and food halls

    British classics

    • A full English breakfast, with bacon, sausage, eggs, black pudding, beans, mushrooms and tomato.
    • Smith’s, a seafood restaurant whose sign promises it’s “Famous for Fish”.

    Restaurants

    • Manteca in Shoreditch, an Italian restaurant known for fresh pasta and its nose-to-tail approach to meat. Book ahead.

    A night in the West End

    Dinner and a show is one of the best London evenings out:

    Getting in and out

    Tips

    • An Oyster card or contactless bank card works on the tube, buses and most trains, with daily fare caps.
    • Many pubs stop serving food earlier than the bar closes, so check kitchen hours if you’re planning dinner.
    • Popular restaurants and West End shows book up, especially at weekends, so reserve ahead.

    #London #LondonEats #LondonPubs #BoroughMarket #FortnumAndMason #WestEnd #BritishFood

  • Seattle Game Day Guide: Mariners, Seahawks and Kraken

    Seattle Game Day Guide: Mariners, Seahawks and Kraken

    Seattle is a great sports town, and I’ve posted from a lot of games over the years. This guide brings them together by team and venue, with a few practical tips for getting to each stadium.

    Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park

    T-Mobile Park (originally Safeco Field) has been the Mariners’ home since 1999. Its retractable roof keeps the rain off but leaves the sides open, so it still feels like an outdoor ballpark.

    The big one: ALDS Game 3 against the Houston Astros on October 15, 2022, the first postseason game in Seattle since 2001, which went 18 innings before Houston won 1–0.

    Other Mariners games I’ve posted:

    Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field

    Lumen Field is known as one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL, thanks to its roof design and the famous 12s.

    Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena

    The Kraken joined the NHL in 2021 and play at Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center, rebuilt under the historic roof of the old KeyArena next to the Space Needle.

    Getting there

    • T-Mobile Park and Lumen Field sit side by side in SoDo, just south of Pioneer Square. Link light rail (Stadium and International District/Chinatown stations) and the Sounder train are the easiest options on game days.
    • For Climate Pledge Arena, the Seattle Center Monorail from Westlake Center downtown drops you right next to the arena.
    • Parking near the stadiums fills up and gets expensive on game days, so public transit is usually the way to go.
    • Pioneer Square and the International District have plenty of bars and restaurants for before or after the game.

    #Seattle #Mariners #Seahawks #SeattleKraken #TMobilePark #LumenField #ClimatePledgeArena #GameDay

  • Pike Place Market and Seattle Waterfront Eats

    Pike Place Market and Seattle Waterfront Eats

    Pike Place Market and the waterfront below it are where most visitors to Seattle end up eating, and with good reason: there’s a lot of great seafood packed into a few blocks. Here are the market and waterfront meals I’ve posted, with links to each one.

    Inside Pike Place Market

    • Pike Place Chowder: famous for its award-winning chowders. Get a sampler to try several. The original location is tucked into Post Alley, and the lunchtime line moves quickly.
    • Athenian Seafood Restaurant: in the market since 1909 and famous for its appearance in Sleepless in Seattle, with windows over Elliott Bay.
    • Lowell’s: one of the market’s longest-running restaurants, with three floors of seating and big views of the bay and the ferries. Ask for an upper-floor window table.

    On the waterfront

    • Ivar’s Acres of Clams on Pier 54: the flagship of the local seafood chain founded by Ivar Haglund in 1938, with a walk-up fish bar outside.
    • Ivar’s fish and chips: a Seattle classic. Eat it by the water, and watch out for the seagulls.
    • The Alaskan at the Crab Pot on Pier 57: a seafood feast poured straight onto the table, eaten with mallets and bibs, next to the Seattle Great Wheel.

    Tips

    • The market is busiest from late morning to mid-afternoon, especially at weekends, so go early if you want to browse comfortably.
    • The Market Hillclimb and the elevators connect the market to the waterfront below.
    • Many market restaurants close earlier than you’d expect, so check hours if you’re planning dinner.

    #Seattle #PikePlaceMarket #SeattleEats #SeattleWaterfront #Chowder #Seafood #PNW

  • Where to Eat in the French Quarter: Oysters, Beignets and Fried Chicken

    Where to Eat in the French Quarter: Oysters, Beignets and Fried Chicken

    I’ve been to New Orleans twice, in July 2022 and April 2024, and both trips were mostly about eating. This guide collects every New Orleans meal I’ve posted, with links to the photos, so you can plan your own food crawl through the French Quarter and beyond.

    Acme Oyster House

    If there’s one stop I’d make every trip, it’s Acme. It’s been serving oysters on Iberville Street, just off Bourbon Street, since 1910, and the chargrilled oysters, topped with garlic butter and cheese and cooked over a flame, are the thing to order.

    More seafood in the Quarter

    Fried chicken at Willie Mae’s

    Willie Mae’s Scotch House in the Tremé neighbourhood is famous for its fried chicken and won a James Beard America’s Classics award in 2005. It’s a short ride from the French Quarter, and going early helps avoid the queue.

    Beignets and brunch

    Beyond the food

    The Steamboat Natchez is an authentic steam-powered sternwheeler that cruises the Mississippi from the Toulouse Street Wharf. Listen for its steam calliope before departures.

    Tips

    • Many of the best-known spots don’t take reservations, so expect lines at peak times and go early or mid-afternoon.
    • Summer is hot and humid, so plan indoor meals for the middle of the day.
    • Most of the French Quarter is walkable, but you’ll want a ride for Tremé and other neighbourhoods at night.

    #NewOrleans #NOLAEats #FrenchQuarter #Oysters #Beignets #WillieMaes #AcmeOysterHouse

  • Disney Bars and Tiki Lounges: Oga’s Cantina, Trader Sam’s and More

    Disney Bars and Tiki Lounges: Oga’s Cantina, Trader Sam’s and More

    Some of my favourite stops on Disney trips aren’t rides at all, they’re the themed bars. Here’s a round-up of the Disney bars and tiki lounges I’ve posted from over the years, at both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California, with links to each visit.

    Oga’s Cantina (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge)

    Oga’s Cantina is the bar of Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu, with DJ R-3X spinning tunes and a menu of colourful Star Wars-themed cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. There’s a version in both Galaxy’s Edge lands.

    Tip: reservations are strongly recommended at both parks and open in advance through the Disney apps.

    Trader Sam’s

    Trader Sam’s is Disney’s tiki bar, famous for collectible tiki mugs and the little in-room shows that go off when certain drinks are ordered.

    Tip: both are small and fill up fast in the evenings, so arrive around opening time for the best chance of a seat. The Polynesian also has an outdoor area, Tiki Terrace.

    Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar (Disney Springs)

    Named after Indiana Jones’s pilot, this Disney Springs bar is decorated as an aircraft hangar full of adventure props and film references, with a waterfront patio. No park ticket needed.

    Nomad Lounge (Animal Kingdom)

    A relaxed bar on Discovery Island with small plates and a terrace overlooking the river, and one of the few places in Animal Kingdom to sit down for a drink.

    Morimoto Asia (Disney Springs)

    Not strictly a bar, but the cocktails at Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s pan-Asian restaurant in Disney Springs are worth a stop on their own.

    Tips for Disney bars

    • Disney Springs and the resort hotel bars don’t need a park ticket, which makes them good for an evening off from the parks.
    • Menus and mugs change regularly, so check the current menu in the Disney app before you go.
    • Most of these bars also have good non-alcoholic options.

    #DisneyDrinks #OgasCantina #TraderSams #TikiBar #WaltDisneyWorld #Disneyland #DisneyBars

  • Las Vegas Buffets: Bacchanal, Wynn and More From My Trips

    Las Vegas Buffets: Bacchanal, Wynn and More From My Trips

    Buffets are one of the great Las Vegas traditions, and over the years I’ve posted photos from a lot of them. This page gathers them all in one place, with links to each visit, plus a few tips if you’re planning a buffet meal on the Strip.

    Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace

    Bacchanal is the one I keep going back to. It’s one of the largest buffets in Las Vegas, with hundreds of dishes across stations for seafood, carved meats, Asian, Italian, Mexican and American comfort food, and a huge dessert section. The crab legs and the seafood station are a big draw.

    Tip: Bacchanal is one of the pricier buffets on the Strip and can have long lines at peak times, so book a time slot ahead if you can.

    The Buffet at Wynn

    The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas is set in a bright, flower-filled dining room at the north end of the Strip. It’s known for the quality of its food and an excellent dessert selection, and it’s a good choice if you want something a bit more polished.

    MGM Grand Buffet

    A classic Strip breakfast buffet from a 2019 trip, back when the MGM Grand still ran one. Many Las Vegas buffets changed or closed after 2020, so check what’s currently open before you plan around a specific one.

    Not a buffet, but worth it

    If you need a break from all-you-can-eat, these are some other Vegas meals I’ve posted:

    Tips for a Las Vegas buffet

    • Go at off-peak times (mid-afternoon or early dinner) to avoid the longest lines.
    • Prices usually jump at weekends and for dinner, so weekday lunch or brunch is often the best value.
    • Walk the whole buffet before you fill a plate, so you can save room for the stations you most want.
    • Prices, hours and reservation rules change often, so check each buffet’s official page before you go.

    #LasVegas #VegasBuffet #Bacchanal #Wynn #CaesarsPalace #VegasEats #Buffet