Recently in Travel Category

Wednesday mornings mean the Dining In/Out section of the Times. I wait for it all week with baited breath. First,I read Frank Bruni's reviews, so I can see who he is lauding or tormenting this week. Then I start at the top, and work my way down (I read it online). The section is an escapest treat for me.

Today, the article about all the great cocktails in London made me really nostalgic. I lived there for a bit in the late '90's and had the time of my life. I thought back to one of my first days there. A friend of mine from school, and I, took a walk down Oxford street. It began to rain, and we took refuge in some small nondescript hotel a little west of Bloomsbury. We ordered drinks and I was astonished and tickled when my vodka and tonic water came with a tiny bottle of tonic water, which the waiter ceremoniously poured into my glass.

I thought, what drinks are fun to drink in what city, and where? Here are mine, but tell me your ideas too.

1) Gin & Tonic, Claridges Hotel, Brook Street, Mayfair, London- Ok, I know the Times said that cocktails are rocking London, but to me nothing is more English and appropriate then a G&T at a classic hotel. London hotels are pretty unparalled in their pomp and grandeur; even the crappy ones have traditional aspirations. But Claridges is not crappy. It's like stepping into a scene from Waugh, where everyone is beautiful and gay, and hiding something. And though a G&T seems clear and straightforwards, it is really a difficult matter of proportion. At Claridges they always get it right. Claridges is like my version of Holly Golightly's Tiffany's. Nothing bad can ever happen there.

2) Manhattan, Schiller's Liquor Bar, Suffolk Street, New York- No, I'm not making a pun. There is nothing better then going to Schillers at an off time, sitting at the beautiful bar there, and having a perfect Manhattan. Take a moment before your first sip. There's always a nice sheen of citrus oil glistening on the top. At once spicy, cold and warming, this drink invites you in reluctantly at first, but warms up as the night wears on.

3) Vodka Martini, Ritz Hotel, Michigan Ave, Chicago- Initially I thought about beer, but Chicago, to me, has always been a martini town. Though they are expensive, the ones at the Ritz are about the size of your head, generous, like everything in Chicago. And the at the Ritz view is always great, no matter what the weather.

4) Margarita, a friend's house, Los Angeles- Spa water was the first thing that came to mind, but that would be the easy way out. Los Angeles has a lot of lounges, with a lot of frou frou gnarly sweet drinks, that usually end up being vomited out by real, and wanna-be starlets. Forget that. Nothing can compete with hanging out at a friend's place, with a nice backyard, with someone making some real margaritas. Squeezing limes may seem like a pain, but it's worth it, to sit outside, under the perfect blue sky, with your friends. It's why you moved there!

When RC asked me if I would want to go to the desert near Palm Springs, CA for my birthday, I was initially skeptical. We had gone a few times when he lived in Los Angeles, and we both love it, but it seemed kind of a schlep for two nights.

Not so! He insisted. We could hop on a Jetblue flight to Burbank, grab some groceries at the Glendale Whole Foods and be on our way. And we could count on the weather being good. And so he was right.

We had been hearing good things about The Spring in Desert Hot Springs, and tried to stay there a few times, but it was always booked. This time RC got a reservation.

The sun was setting as we got there and the desert sky was big and dramatic. The wind was blowing hard, and the air felt clean and soft. The spa itself is behind a big concrete wall, with a Japanese screen that allows entrance. Once inside, it is immediately relaxing, the air gently scented by jasmine, lavender and sage plants.

There are only ten rooms, nine situated around a big pool. We were at the end, in room #9, which had a cafe kitchen, which I highly recommend, since the food in Desert Hot Springs is mostly of the fast variety. Desert Hot Springs is a strange place: beautifully located in the low desert between mountaints, but itself ugly and full of ex-meth dealers, placed there by the state of California. But you would never know it once inside The Spring.