Paradise in Phu Quoc

After hiking through rice patties and the jungle, sleeping in stilt houses and on trains (admittedly, there were a couple of decent hotel stays in between), we were ready for a little luxury.  And in Vietnam that doesn’t have to cost too much.   We wanted a beach escape without being badgered.  And since we’d planned…

Dog For Dinner?

It isn’t a myth that dog is eaten in Vietnam. When we first arrived in Hanoi, we were surprised to find that dogs were noticeably absent from the streets.  Not at all what you would expect to find in a developing country with a reputation for an overabundance of mangy mutts.  We saw only 2…

Got Hunger Pangs? Try Num Pang

I get daily emails from Grubstreet, Eater and a ton of other websites devoted to keeping up on the latest in NYC food happenings.  Yet somehow I was unaware of Num Pang, a gourmet bahn mi shop, with several locations around the city.  Fortunately, when I picked up Edible Manhattan (checkout the article on the…

A Whole Pig And A Shot Of Whiskey

“Hot and smoky.”  That was the description for Wild Turkey Rare Breed, the first whiskey we tried at the 2014 Bacon and Bourbon Expo at Astor Center. This was the sixth year of the sold-out celebration highlighting these uniquely American ingredients.  Set to coincide with Valentine’s Day, past weeknight events have received criticism for long…