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Hotel Crashing: The W Istanbul
Let me start by saying that my feelings for the W Istanbul are in no way influenced by the fact that we crashed a private wrap party for a photo shoot for a vodka campaign in the W bar on our very first night in Istanbul. And, subsequently, drank for free amongst a lot of…
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My Owners Went to Turkey, And All I Got Was This Expensive Rug
Petunia approves of our rug purchase. What a relief.
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Istanbul, But Why Not Constantinople?
This is our last morning in Istanbul and it’s been an amazing and enlightening trip. I had no idea that Turkish history was so, so interesting. Istanbul is modern yet ancient, and completely surprising. We spent the first two days being led around by our tour guide Levon from Melitours. And we’ve had a driver,…
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Commercials To Set Your DVR To, and Keep You Up at Night Fretting Over Gout
Finally the major work project we’ve all been busting our collective behinds on is over. Well, can any major project really ever be over? Let me assure you the answer is no. However, the largest and most immediate deadline has passed. I can now get back to keeping on the lookout for new, bad reality…
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Hotel Crashing: The Cosmopolitan Vegas
If you can’t tell from my scattered posting, work is handing me my ass this week. I mean it, I’m slammed. It’s enough to make me daydream about luxurious bathrobes. And the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Vegas has the best bathrobe I’ve ever used, hands down. We went to the Cosmopolitan last Christmas. They were gearing…
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Hotel Crashing: W Retreat and Spa, Vieques
The W Retreat and Spa in Vieques is like the hipster, musician boyfriend you dated way back in the day: uber-cool, way too sexy and smart for a nerd like you. Your street cred is instantly bumped up just by telling people that you are staying at such a cool, unique, and awesome “retreat.” But…
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Bah Humbug. Bring on the New Year’s Champagne
Christmas is finally, FINALLY over. Thank Amazon.com, JCrew, and the other retail gods. See, I have what I call “white sheep syndrome.” It’s like a form of survivor’s guilt: I escaped soul-crushing poverty but doing so came at a definite cost. To save myself, I had to leave other people behind and not look back. Specifically,…
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To Quote the Brilliant Britney: Oops, I Did It Again
Awesome. I’m on the plane on the way to Vegas and I thought I’d write a couple of last blog posts about Vieques. I still want to give a review of the W Vieques and our best meal on the island (which was not Sol Food, although Sol was very good and my co-food-critic-for-life XFE…
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Dive Instructor Arnaud: The Most Interesting Man in the World
At approximately six feet tall, with his sunbleached hair pulled back into a ponytail, our dive instructor Arnaud looks like a pirate or Viking. Not a French sommelier who lived in New York for 22 years working at the city’s finest restaurants. With all apologies to Dos Equis and Jonathan Goldsmith: Arnaud of Black Beard…
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Totally Pretentious Food Truck Review: Sol Food in Vieques
Let’s go international for this Totally Pretentious Food Truck Review! Actually, Puerto Rico isn’t international, but whatever. It was tropical, and so was the food at Sol Food in Vieques. Sol Food is on the corner of a busy intersection on the road to the National Wildlife Refuge. Now in its third season, Sol Food…