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A Guide to: Maui, Hawaii

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 21:28:47 +0000

A Guide to: Maui, Hawaii

by Eric for kristraveler.com

Kaanapali beach is always our home when we visit Maui - it is on one of the nicest beaches on Maui and some of the best snorkeling and diving on the island is right at the doorstep of the hotels.

Some of the properties have a free shuttle which has 3 stops in the historic whaling town of Lahaina, one of our favorite getaways. It’s a really fun place to stroll and go shopping, lots of art galleries, great restaurants etc.

One of our favorite, must-go restaurants on Maui is just outside Lahaina. It’s a little hole-in-the-wall called Mala Ocean Tavern, in a converted home, right on the ocean. Try to get one of the tables outside – there are only about 10 of them but the food is spectacular and the view is amazing, with the ocean literally lapping at your feet.

View to Kaanapali from Mala Ocean Tavern - Source: Tripadvisor

It’s a wonderful place for breakfast, lunch, or sunset dinner – if you can get in. And don’t tell anybody else ’cause that’s our secret spot on Maui! They use all local vegetables and coffee that grows just up the hill.

Besides Mala Ocean Tavern, Lahaina has many other great dining options – I recently wrote a post with recommendations of few other restaurants you might want to check out: Eat, See & Do in Maui, Hawaii

Wailea is a nice resort but a bit too groomed and new for my taste – it lacks some character and patina. After all, if you’ve seen one Chanel or Ferragamo store you’ve seen them all. And the beach gets very windy there in the afternoon – at noon, every day, like clockwork.

There are lots of things to do on Maui:

- You’ll want to rent a car one day and take the road up to the summit of Haleakala Crater, elevation 10,023 ft…! The real diehards go up for the sunrise, but it takes about an hour and a half to get there, so you have to leave in the middle of the night! Whenever you go, take a warm jacket, because it actually freezes in the winter and has been known to snow there.

- On the way up (or back down) you can stop at Maui’s only winery: Tedeschi Vineyards. You’ll see beautiful views down the rolling hills and slopes of Haleakala as you taste a variety of mostly white wines. It’s very pastoral and scenic.

- Further downhill there’s the also the small historic cowboy town of Makawao, You’ll also find some great art galleries with suprisingly high quality artwork by local artists, along with arts and crafts stores and a true cowboy store.

- Near Makawao, but in its own spot on a lone road you’ll find Hali’imaile General Store, Chef Bev Gannon’s flagship restaurant and one of the best anywhere. The tough decision there is who will be the designated driver, as they have a great bar, incredible fresh fish entrees and you have to eat thei signature upside-down pineapple cake dessert.

- Further down the hill as you near the ocean you’ll find the (also historic!) little sugar plantation town of Paia, which you’d never know but it sits right along the ocean. It also has some great eateries and art galleries, surf shops, clothing stores. Our favorite place to eat there is Flatbread Company, a kiawe-wood-fired brick oven place with great beer to boot.

- If you like to golf, Kapalua Resort, just North of Kaanapali, is home to some of the finest golf courses on Maui. They also have some great diving spots

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About the Author:

Eric is an architect, born and raised in Brazil but lives in Hawaii. Avid traveler and former hotel executive – so very picky about his accommodations.

Favorite thing to do on a trip: photograph the experience so he can share it with others who may not be able to get there.

A Guide to: Maui, Hawaii is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

Buenos Aires: places to have lunch

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:04:16 +0000

That I love to visit new restaurants all of you already know, so I could had to tell about three fantastic restaurants that we went in Buenos! I will start with one that a lot of followers on twitter told me about: the famous Café Tortoni! This is the oldest cafe BAs and it is a real charm that the gorgeous original environment is all well kept! For all of you that are planning to go there, prepare yourselves for a little wait because it is very famous and a queue at your door is a constant (and the people in the line are not exactly beautiful and look all like typical tourists, but do not give up…)… I highly recommend eating the Churros dessert with lots of “dulce de leche”: absolutely fantastic! I think that it is better to visit Café Tortoni on those rainy days because the place hás no outdoors sitting. If you’re lucky you can even catch a tango show there! (It was not my case… So sad!)

If the day is beautiful and sunny, don’t even think twice and run to the Croque Madame located at the Avenida Del Libertador… What a beautiful and charming place! There you will also find beautiful stylish people! We had to wait about 30 minutes, but the place is so beautiful and it was such a nice area that we didn’t even realize that it took so long! The place is so incredible that I forgot that I was in Buenos Aires and could only think of Paris! Perfect for a nice lunch around a beautiful garden full of trees… It has some delicious sandwiches, but we decided to take the risk and ordered a saffron risotto with a Woki Meat that was just amazing (already tried to repeat the recipe at home and it was really good…)! Since I am a big fan of desserts, I asked for a scoop of ice cream from Persicco (better than the famous Freddo…)!

Another place we loved was the Cabaña Las Lilas… No doubt it was the best parrilla that we ate in Argentina (somewhat ironic, because the restaurant is part of the same group of Rubayat here in Sao Paulo… and the owner of it, for those that are already “wondering”, is not Argentinean nor Brazillian, he is Spanish…)! The food is exceptional, the price compared with the Rubayat in Sao Paulo is almost a bargain and the view of Puerto Madero is simply spectacular! Ask a really cold Quilmes and eat a lot without hurry… The wait is usually about 40 minutes, but it is super worth it. We eat many soufle potatoes (fantastic and hyper crispy) with salad and Vacio (na amazing meat cut)! If you like meat, think twice before asking for the plates alone beacuse they are huge (you can definitely share!)… Be sure to ask for coffee or tea (which by the way is really good) just to eat the famous Rubayat selection of cookies, truffles and other delicious little sweets!

Original post in Portuguese.

About the author:

Camila Penteado Cilento graduated in Business Administration in 2005 and works in the financial market (“the job that pays the rent”)… But the real “Cami”, as she is called by her closest friends, hasn’t found her dream job yet, but she just knows that her real passion is the aesthetics that she finds in fashion, in architecture, in gourmet, and in visual arts. In 2008, she finally had her dream come true and moved to New York City, where she learned that to feel alive you have to run after your dreams! In the end of 2008, she started a blog called “I am leaving today” (http://iamleaving2day.blogspot.com), where she writes about all the discoveries made when she was living her dream for real. While blogging she realized that writing is one of the best ways to communicate her ideas to the world and by doing this she has the opportunity to talk to people that are as far as they are close. Stay tuned…

Buenos Aires: places to have lunch is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

This post was submitted by Camila Penteado Cilento.

Buenos Aires: for those that love bookstores!

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:19:23 +0000

Buenos Aires has two bookstores that are absolutely sensational: a paradise for those who like to get lost for hours and hours among books… Despite my pile of books to read, that is already unbelievable, I needed to visit both and tell you all about each of them: they are a must see for those visiting the capital of Argentina!

The Eterna Cadencia Libreria is in Palermo and reminds me of one of those old bookshops with endless shelves of books! It is a super charming store: that left me just ecstatic, I had the sensation that I entered at that bookstore that shows off at the beginning of the movie “Funny Face” with Audrey Hepburn… It has fantastic books and for those of you who like to read it should be the very image of paradise! Inside there is also a small coffeeshop called Croque Madame (which is great for a Nice simple lunch). And come on, what on Earth are those fixtures? Just amazing!

When I asked for tips for my trip on Twitter on the week before the trip, the El Ateneo bookstore, that is located in Recoleta, was the most recurrent one! When I started the planning I could not help but include this fantastic bookstore that is located within an old theater in the itinerarie. It was fully renovated to house the El Ateneo! I cannot believe how fantastic the environment is: the idea to turn a theater into a bookstore is so terrific! On one hand, the Eterna Cadencia is more intimate. On the other hand, El Ateneo can be compared to a Fnac with the difference that it is in a spectacular place! Really amazing and both a must see!

Original post in Portuguese.

About the author:

Buenos Aires: for those that love bookstores! is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

This post was submitted by Camila Penteado Cilento.

Buenos Aires: amazing street fairs!

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:42:25 +0000

If I could name one thing that I love to do in Buenos Aires is to visit the two famous street fairs that take place in the Argentine capital every weekend! On every Saturday there is na amazing fair in Palermo: full of stalls of local handicrafts, leather accessories, and necklaces and rings, and many other little cute things! To walk around that neighborhood: besides the typical Saturday fair there are lots of small shops… (I will write about that on the next post!)

Every Sunday, the famous Antique Fair of San Telmo takes place and I must say I was very surprised at the amount of fantastic antiques that you can find there! I saw lots and lots of silver cutlery, many fantastic decorations, and I was in love with a wooden old office chair… You have to negotiate to get the best price and I have to confess that if you are looking for something specific, such as pieces of silver by Christofle, find out before exactly how the real pieces should be marked, not to end up buying something that has no value… I saw in one of the shops nearby amazing travelling trunks from Louis Vuitton that were absolutely amazing! Well, you have to go there!!!

About the author:

Buenos Aires: amazing street fairs! is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

This post was submitted by Camila Penteado Cilento.

Buenos Aires: Home Hotel

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:17:39 +0000

I Love boutique hotels!!! They are always more charming and always surprise me more than any other large hotel chain! The service is generally much more personal because usually they don’t have many rooms and this simple detail makes a huge difference!

When I began to plan my trip to Buenos Aires, it couldn’t be different: I found the most amazing “boutique hotel” that was perfect for the occasion, since we’re in the middle of summer and it was the only one that offered a swimming pool! The Home Hotel is located in Palermo Hollywood (a super charming neighborhood of BAs) and it is so gorgeus that I had to show to you!

The hotel won the award for design of the Wallpaper Magazine in 2007, soon after it was renovated… The decor is retro and the entire mixture of several wallpapers, that sometimes is applied directly on the wall ando n other times is framed (a charm!)! They mix well with the concrete and wood and the result is just amazing…

Our room was also fantastic – small and cozy – it had everything we needed: cabinets to store clothes, a comfortable bathroom, space for luggage and little shopping, lcd tv… The bathroom was all finished in cement: just loved it! The attention that the hotel staff give guests is amazing: it was the only hotel I’ve ever been that every day, at dusk, delivers together with cookies a weather forecast for the day after in a very cute card! How has no one had this idea before?!

The breakfast that is included in the daily rate is also very special: it is served in small shots of all the things that are on the menu a la carte… They serve everything in small plates and cups and the selection changes every day which means you will have to wake up early for breakfast every day! Two types of juices are served in special small long glasses, an omelet or scrambled egg is served together with a bread basket accompanied with a special butter, a home made cream cheese, a creamy dark chocolate and jelly… Finally they still serve a special sweet bread (always chose the ones that are stuffed with “dulce de leche”!) The home made yogurt is fantastic! Simply brilliant!

The pool area gives you the impression that you are at a friend’s pool and not a hotel! The chairs are super cute lined with fabric that resemble the patterns of the different wallpapers that are around the hotel! It is right next to a beautiful garden! But be prepared for the mosquitoes that even in the heat of the day insist on attacking: the repellent even in the pool is essential!

For more information on Home Hotel.

Original post in Portuguese.

About the author:

Buenos Aires: Home Hotel is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

This post was submitted by Camila Penteado Cilento.

2010 Restaurant Week in São Paulo

Marcelo K. — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:07:54 +0000

If you are heading to São Paulo in early March 2010, make sure you do not miss the São Paulo Restaurant Week 2010. It starts on March 1st and runs until March 14th. Check the link below and do not forget to make reservations, especially on weekends.

Link: 2010 São Paulo Restaurant Week

Favorite Restaurants:

- Arabia
- Boa Bistrô
- Consulado Mineiro
- Obá Restaurante
- Pitanga

These are just to name a few of the participating restaurants – several offer a great environment and food, so you may want to take advantage of the Restaurant Week’s prices.
Click here to download the 2010 SP Restaurant Week Guide

2010 Restaurant Week in São Paulo is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

This post was submitted by Marcelo K..

Eat, See & Do: Favorites in Maui, Hawaii

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:49:00 +0000

This is not the first post about Hawaii, as it is one of our favorite destinations. Though what makes this a special post is that it is authored by one of our readers who’s been living in Oahu for many years and knows Hawaii like the palm of his hand. I can personally say he has excellent taste and all his recommendations have been way above the highest expectations. And better yet – many of the venues recommended won’t be the typical touristic place, the tips are from a true Hawaii insider.

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Eat, See & Do: Favorites in Maui, Hawaii

By Eric for kristraveler.com

EAT

· Favorite little restaurant (by far):

Mala Ocean Tavern (137 Front Street, Lahaina (808) 667-9394)

It’s a little hole-in-the-wall literally on the water. Best breakfast and sunset dinner you can have on Maui. Owner uses all local, organic

ingredients with which to make magic. There are only about 6 or 7 tables outside on the waterfront, so call ahead and reserve a spot.

· Other cool places:

Lahaina Grill (127 Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina, (808) 667-5117)

On Lahainaluna Road, just 20 yds from Front Street. For years acclaimed as best restaurant on Maui – fun, busy though a bit pricey.

Gerard’s (174 Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina, (808) 661-8939)

Also on Lahainaluna Road – quiet, most romantic spot in an old mansion. Exquisite French cuisine. Dinner only – very quiet, romantic.

Mai Tai Lounge – on the water on Front Street

Longhi’s – an old classic Lahaina place. Great steaks, great wine bar.

· Favorite Friday/ Saturday dinner place:

Hali’imaile General Store (900 Haliimaile Roadm, Makawao, (808) 572-2666) – Incredible food, fun atmosphere, on the way to upcountry Maui

SEE, SHOP & DO

· Favorite places to stroll:

Front Street, Lahaina

· Favorite place to stroll along the beach:

Kaanapali Beach – Lots of little shops at Whaler’s Village, cool restaurants along the beach path

· Favorite places to explore:

Pa’ia Town – On North Shore of Maui. Pa’ia is an old plantation town-turned-hippie-surfer-artist town. Lots of art galleries, funky places to visit and to eat. My Favorite in Paia is Flatbread Company (89 Hana Highway, Paia, HI 96779, (808) 579-8989)

Makawao Town (just upcountry from Pa’ia) – Old Cowboy town – only 2 – 3 blocks long. Lots of little art galleries, boutiques; cool weather & fresh air. Very close to Haliimaile General Store

Big Beach – if you have time, this is on Maui’s South / Southwest shore. Incredible beach – and like the name says, it’s big – and feels like old Hawaii.

Kapalua Resort Golf Course – on the North Shore of Maui, world-class course where Mercedes Open is held every year

· Must do:

Drive up to top of Haleakala Crater: Ideally, leave at 4:00 am to arrive in time for sunrise from the top. Top elevation: 10,023 ft. So take warm clothes. For the most adventurous, you can try a bike ride down Haleakala – a 30-mile, all-downhill bike ride – wheeeee! Requires an early start; locals get upset because bikes block traffic – so you may or may not like that part.

Whale Watching: We like the tour that goes on the large (25-person) Zodiac – we’ve gone on Ultimate Whale Watch. Very cool – zodiac boat makes it possible to get “up close and personal” with whales. The whales approach you (boats are restricted from approaching the whales, but if they drift toward you it’s ok)

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About the Author:

Eric is an architect, born and raised in Brazil but lives in Hawaii. Avid traveler and former hotel executive – so very picky about his accommodations.

Favorite thing to do on a trip: photograph the experience so he can share it with others who may not be able to get there.

Eat, See & Do: Favorites in Maui, Hawaii is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

NYC Restaurant: Blue Ribbon Bakery

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:50:52 +0000

Yesterday I was making a short list of places you cannot miss in NYC and I had completely forgotten about this fantastic restaurant! How could I have forgotten about it?! Though I still have such great memories of this place and thank goodness I remembered about it today (hahaha)… Blue Ribbon Bakery offers one of the tastiest brunches in the city and is perfectly located between Soho and the West Village … It’s the perfect place to go in one of those sunny afternoons that demand you to take a nice walk around Soho! The breads are absolutely wonderful: do not miss them because they are baked in a brick oven that is 135 years! The truth is that the restaurant was only created because of this oven that was found abandoned: after a nice renovation, the restaurant opened in 98, and since then the superb oven never stopped working… Simply amazing!

Blue Ribbon Bakery
33 Downing Street
212.337.0404

Original post in Portuguese:

http://iamleaving2day.blogspot.com/2010/01/nyc-restaurant-blue-ribbon-bakery.html

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About the author:

NYC Restaurant: Blue Ribbon Bakery is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

NY Winter Restaurant Week 2010

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 04:10:17 +0000

I always like to remind people of this event because there is no better week in the year than this one to go out to eat! Every year in late January NY hosts the Winter Restaurant Week: many, many great restaurants of the city participate in this event that offers a selected menu with three courses (appetizer, main course and dessert) at a more affordable price (Lunch on $ 24.07 and Dinner $ 35)!

My first recommendation is that you make reservations now, because for sure you are not going to be the only one that will have the bright idea of facing the cold harsh winter to go out and take advantage of the Restaurant Week! (the site of the event provides an on-line reservation service for some restaurants)

This time I decided to do something different – besides reminding you about the Restaurant Week, I thought of recommending 10 restaurants (all of them are usually super expensive and exquisite, so if you didn’t have the courage to check them out yet, this is your chance)! Remember that not all participating restaurants offer both lunch and dinner, so check the website to be sure!

The Restaurant Week runs from January 25 until February 7 (excluding Saturdays and participation on Sunday is optional, check before booking!)! Another point to make note, I recommended that you check the restaurant’s dress attire as well.

Here are some recommendations (that I have never commented about in the blog before) to take advantage of Restaurant Week (I promise to write individual posts about these restaurants throughout the year!)

   1. 21 Club (21 W. 52nd Street between Fifth & Sixth Avenues – 212.582.7200): Have you ever wondered what those cute little jockeys are doing outside this beautiful townhouse in Midtown?? This restaurant offers a traditional American food that is absolutely amazing…
   2. Aquavit (65 East 55th Street between Park & Madison – 212.307.7311): This restaurant offers one of the most delicious Scandinavian food in town!
   3. Aureole (One Bryant Park, 135 W. 42nd Street, corner of Sixth Avenue – 212.319.1660): Contemporary food, always delicious! Just moved to this new address (before they were on the Upper East Side) and I heard that the new site is a charm, right in front of Bryant Park …
   4. Bond St (6 Bond Street – 212.777.2500): For those who want a fun place full of beautiful people combined with a sensational Japanese food, this is the place!
   5. Butter Restaurant (415 Lafayette Street between Astor Place & East 4th Street – 212.253.2828): Another extremely trendy restaurant that always have a long waiting list … The décor is very surreal!

6. Del Posto Restaurant (85 Tenth Avenue, between W15th & W16th Streets – 212.497.8090): For those who like "big scenes", this Mario Batali restaurant is ideal! The Italian food is very good … Always crowded and fashionable!
7. Jojo (160 E. 64th Street between Lexington & Third Avenues – 212.223.5656): Never miss an opportunity to have dinner in one of Jean Georges restaurants, renowned French chef… That is it!
8. Le Cirque (151 East 58th Street between Lexington & 3rd Avenues – 212-644-0202): Extremely luxurious… Very traditional french cuisine that is worth checking!
9. The Modern (9 West 53rd Street between 5th & 6th Avenues – 212.333.1220): This is the last french call, this restaurant is located inside the MOMA overlooking the sculpture garden of the museum! You have to try…
10. The River Café (One Water Street, Brooklyn – 718.522.5200): A classic NY restaurant: you are never going to believe the view that this restaurant has to Manhattan … As for the food, I don’t remember, the view has overshadowed everything else!

For more ideas of restaurants, visit their website! Several that I have already indicated in the blog including Matsuri, the August, the Fig & Olive, among others, are participating!

Original post in Portuguese:

http://iamleaving2day.blogspot.com/2010/01/nyc-winter-restaurant-week-2501-ate-702.html

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About the author:

Camila Penteado Cilento graduated in Business Administration in 2005 and works in the financial market ("the job that pays the rent")… But the real "Cami", as she is called by her closest friends, hasn’t found her dream job yet, but she just knows that her real passion is the aesthetics that she finds in fashion, in architecture, in gourmet, and in visual arts. In 2008, she finally had her dream come true and moved to New York City, where she learned that to feel alive you have to run after your dreams! In the end of 2008, she started a blog called "I am leaving today" (http://iamleaving2day.blogspot.com), where she writes about all the discoveries made when she was living her dream for real. While blogging she realized that writing is one of the best ways to communicate her ideas to the world and by doing this she has the opportunity to talk to people that are as far as they are close. Stay tuned…

NY Winter Restaurant Week 2010 is a post from: www.kristraveler.com

NYC Restaurant: Mary’s Fish Camp (still searching for the perfect Lobster Roll…)

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:39:53 +0000

Those that have been following my blog for some time already know that I absolutely love “Lobster Rolls”… My favorite one is from a super charming restaurant in West Village called “Pearl Oyster Bar“! I already talked on and on about this restaurant in the iamleaving2day blog but I promise that my next post will be about Pearl!

Anyway, since I am trying to keep my blog in synchrony with Kristraveler, I am going to start backwards and start with a post about “Mary’s Fish Camp“, another little restaurant in West Village that serves a similar “Lobster Roll”…

This is not going to be my last time talking about my love for “Lobster Rolls”, so for those of you that have never eaten this delicacy, let me start explaining what this plate is all about – a lobster sandwich that is served in a hot dog bun, generally with french fries on the side. It is absolutely fantastic and I am fanatic for them… We don’t have them in Brazil, so every time that I have the chance to eat them, I feel that I am in heaven!

Mary’s Fish Camp is located only few blocks away from Pearl Oyster Bar and have few things in common: they don’t accept reservations and serve delicious “Lobster Rolls’! I think that the main difference between the two is the place itself: I prefer Pearl’s environment (but that is only my preference, of course…) because in my opinion it is more charming and the place is always surrounded by nice music… To be honest, when I first went to Mary’s I was a little mystified, but I have to admit that the Lobster Roll was just as good as Pearl’s, including the fries that were as thin and crispy as the ones from my all time favorite. What I did not like was the music that was louder but maybe I was just not lucky on that day… The restaurant was opened by a former employee from Pearl, which maybe explains the similarity of the dishes served. The next time that the waitlist is too long at Pearl, you know where to go…

I bet that now you wondering and wanting to know more about Pearl Oyster Bar, right? Well, stay tuned…

Mary’s Fish Camp
64 Charles Street
646.486.2185

Original post in Portuguese:

http://iamleaving2day.blogspot.com/2010/01/nyc-restaurant-marys-fish-camp.html

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About the author:

NYC Restaurant: Mary’s Fish Camp (still searching for the perfect Lobster Roll…) is a post from: www.kristraveler.com