Author: Renee Morrison

The Breakwater Inn Reopens with Maine’s Ultimate Foodie Escape

16 August 2025

Fresh off a top-to-bottom renovation, The Breakwater Inn in Kennebunkport is welcoming guests back with a splash — and a feast. One of Maine’s oldest inns, originally a boarding house for sailors, the storied 35-room property has been reimagined by Maine-based First Serve Hospitality. The result: a seamless blend of preserved historic architecture and contemporary coastal sophistication.

Perched on the Kennebunk River just 90 minutes from Boston, the Breakwater has long drawn celebrity clientele — from Martha Stewart to Patrick Dempsey and Seth Rogen — who come for its waterfront charm, timeless hospitality, and proximity to some of Maine’s best seafood spots. Now, guests can experience it all in a new way with the Ultimate Maine Food Tour, a curated culinary journey launched to coincide with the inn’s reopening.

The two-night package unfolds like a greatest-hits menu of Maine’s coastal cuisine: lobster risotto and blueberry pie at Mabel’s Lobster Claw, golden fried clams at Bob’s Clam Hut, a surf-meets-turf burger and whoopie pie milkshake at Harbor Burger Shack, and clam chowder or beer-steamed steamers at The Maine Catch in Ogunquit. Back at the inn, the day ends with sunset cocktails on the lawn and a finale of baked stuffed lobster at Port Fish & Chop House. VIP treatment is guaranteed at every stop — think best waterfront tables, signature dishes and drinks, and car service throughout.

After a day of indulgence, guests retreat to redesigned harborside suites dressed in serene coastal décor, luxe linens, and balconies overlooking the Atlantic.

The Maine Food Tour Package (from $2,500 USD for two, available through October 12) includes two nights in an oceanview suite, all culinary experiences, and transport. Whether you come for the food, the history, or simply the view, the Breakwater’s next chapter is already making waves.

Sandblu’s New Blu Restaurant Brings Aegean Luxury to Santorini’s Caldera

16 August 2025

Santorini has no shortage of spectacular terraces, but few offer the kind of stage now set by Blu, the new signature restaurant from Sandblu resort. Designed by the acclaimed Rockwell Group, the just-opened dining destination extends the resort’s tranquil East-side ethos to the island’s most iconic setting: the UNESCO-listed Caldera. 

From morning brunch to late-night cocktails, Blu invites guests into a day-to-night rhythm that fuses Greek Mediterranean tradition with global culinary flair. Menus highlight local produce and fresh catch, but with cosmopolitan touches — think Sea Bass Crudo, Lobster Pasta enriched with sweet Samos wine, and Shredded Oxtail paccheri with graviera cream and summer truffle. Even brunch turns indulgent, with creations like Mascarpone Pancakes layered with berries and orgeat maple syrup or a playful Surf & Turf of scallops and ibérico ham.

The 150-seat restaurant was designed as an experience of its own. An expansive white-marble terrace gazes across Skaros Rock and the Aegean, while airy interiors echo Santorini’s volcanic palette of whites and blues. An open-air bar and reflection pool anchor the space, as a resident DJ’s soft soundtrack mingles with the sound of waves below.

Blu’s wine list showcases Santorini vintages alongside international labels, while the cocktail menu leans into creative riffs on Greek flavours — from the cucumber-bright Katsouni Gimlet to the bold Bloody Marika, spiced with tsikoudia and local tomato juice.

For those seeking a setting as memorable as the meal, Blu doubles as a venue for weddings and milestone celebrations, with in-house event planning and catering to match the views.

Whether you come for brunch, linger into sunset cocktails, or celebrate under the stars, Blu has quickly established itself as a must-visit destination in Santorini’s dining scene — and the newest jewel in Sandblu’s crown.

North America’s 50 Best Restaurants Honours Quebec’s Tanière3 for Art of Hospitality

16 August 2025

When it comes to unforgettable dining, atmosphere and service can be just as memorable as what’s on the plate. That’s why North America’s 50 Best Restaurants created the Art of Hospitality Award — and this year, the very first honour goes to Tanière3 in Quebec City.

Set in the vaulted cellars of two historic houses between the St. Lawrence River and Place Royale, Tanière3 is an immersion into Quebec’s culinary soul. Chef François-Emmanuel Nicol and co-owner Roxan Bourdelais have reimagined fine dining as a story of place: 10 to 15 seasonal courses crafted almost entirely from Quebec-sourced (often foraged) ingredients, each one revealed in real time to keep curiosity alive until the very last bite.

Guests can choose between the Chef’s Counter Cellar, where you watch the team at work and interact with Nicol directly, or the Dining Room Cellar, an equally atmospheric but more traditional setting. Whichever path you take, expect hospitality that feels deeply personal — a hallmark of the Tanière3 experience.

As William Drew, Director of Content for North America’s 50 Best Restaurants, put it: “Tanière3 delivers far more than just fine dining – it offers a personal experience rooted in the warmth, care, and pride of Quebec.”

The 2025 awards ceremony takes place September 25 in Las Vegas, when the full list of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants will be revealed. Until then, Quebec has every reason to celebrate: one of its most innovative dining rooms has just been recognized as setting the gold standard for hospitality.

CroisiEurope Wine Cruise

CroisiEurope’s Wine Cruise Lets You Sip Through France’s Most Iconic Vineyards

5 August 2025

If your idea of a perfect getaway includes swirling a glass of Beaujolais on a sun-drenched terrace, CroisiEurope’s latest itinerary is your calling card. Launching in October 2026, this new seven-night wine enthusiast river cruise invites oenophiles (and romantics of all kinds) to sail through the beating heart of French wine country.

The journey starts and ends in Lyon (France’s gastronomic capital, pictured below) and winds its way down the Saône and Rhône rivers aboard the MS Rhône Princess. Along the way are tastings among the famed hills of Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie, the grand crus of Tain l’Hermitage, and a stop in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence for a sun-soaked sampling of southern blends. Each day is bookended by delicious onboard meals (yes, with wine pairings) and included excursions that read like a cultural highlight reel.

France Vineyard
Lyon, France

One afternoon, follow Van Gogh’s trail through Arles. Another, wander the medieval streets of Viviers—home to France’s smallest cathedral. In Avignon, tour the storied Papal Palace. And in Lyon, snack and sip your way through Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, the city’s most iconic indoor market.

In true CroisiEurope fashion, the cruise is all-inclusive: every meal and glass of wine, every guided vineyard visit, and even the WiFi and port fees are part of the package. Fares start at €1,995 per person for the October 21, 2026 departure.

It’s a luxurious yet easygoing way to experience France’s best wine regions—without ever having to pack and repack a suitcase. We’ll raise a toast to that.

Tamarind Tequila Fizz

Tamarind Tequila Fizz: A poolside cocktail recipe straight from Puerto Vallarta

5 August 2025

At the Buenaventura Grand Hotel in Puerto Vallarta, cocktails are serious business. As part of the hotel’s new liquid gastronomy program, chefs and bartenders are teaming up to create drinks that engage all five senses. One standout? The Tamarind Tequila Fizz — a poolside stunner that’s tangy, refreshing, and just a little spicy.

Tart tamarind juice and bright lime wrap around the smooth edges of aged tequila, topped with sparkling water for lift. A chili-lime rim adds just enough heat to wake up your tastebuds. It’s available all summer long at the hotel’s four bars — Sky Bar, Lobby Bar, Palmita Bar and Corazón Contento — but you can also recreate it at home with this easy recipe, straight from their bartenders (gracias). It’s the perfect drink for those late afternoons when you’re sun-warmed, salty, and not quite ready to head indoors for dinner.

Tamarind Tequila Fizz

Ingredients

  • 50 ml reposado tequila

  • 30 ml fresh tamarind juice

  • 15 ml agave syrup

  • 20 ml fresh lime juice

  • Sparkling mineral water

  • Ice cubes

  • Chili-lime salt, mint sprig, tamarind strips (for garnish)

Method

  1. Rim a tall glass with chili-lime salt.

  2. Shake tequila, tamarind juice, agave and lime with ice.

  3. Strain over fresh ice, top with sparkling water.

  4. Garnish with mint and tamarind.

Latin Food Fest NYC returns: Big flavours, bigger energy

5 August 2025

Empanadas, Bad Bunny lookalikes & 70+ food vendors: Latin Food Fest NYC is back.

Returning to Brooklyn’s buzzy Industry City from September 13–14, 2025, the two-day Latin Food Fest will feature more than 70 vendors dishing out flavour-packed bites from Argentina to El Salvador. 

The food is truly worth the visit alone, but this festival is a full-on cultural celebration, with 14 live performances, immersive art installations, and cheeky contests like empanada-eating challenges and a Bad Bunny look-alike showdown. (We don’t know who’s judging, but we have questions.)

You’ll want to come hungry and curious. Vendors range from mom-and-pop pupuserías to next-gen chefs serving twists on tamales and ceviche. Wash it all down with rum cocktails, paloma spritzes and cold micheladas while dancing to cumbia or reggaetón in one of three themed zones.

The organizers say the festival will expand to more cities in 2026, but it’s worth tasting the original recipe that’s been simmering in Brooklyn.

Hale Muskoka: A new spot for art, food and fun

5 August 2025

A few minutes off Highway 11, tucked into the trees just outside Gravenhurst, a new summer destination is taking root in Muskoka. Hale Muskoka, a five-acre farm turned year-round culture hub, officially opens on August 10, bringing design-forward cabins, live music, local makers and fire pit feasts to cottage country.

Picture this: You’re roaming an open-air market filled with handmade pottery, linen jumpsuits and wildflower bouquets, the scent of charcoal and garlic wafting from a nearby food truck. In the background, a band plays an acoustic set as kids run through the grass and couples sip spritzes by a rusted steel fire bowl. Hale isn’t your average seasonal pop-up. It’s a thoughtfully built, multi-use destination designed to celebrate community, creativity and the outdoors.

The concept comes from Muskoka local and retail developer Eric Abugov, who says he wanted to create a space that “feels alive.” On opening weekend, that energy will come to life during the inaugural Smash & Sear: Best in Burger competition — a fire-forward culinary throwdown with chefs like Paul Boehmer and Joe Friday going spatula-to-spatula over who can craft the ultimate smash burger. Tickets are $40 and include tastings from all the competitors, plus drinks, dessert and access to the on-site artisan market and musical lineup.

Looking ahead, Hale will expand in 2026 with two stylish indoor event spaces for wedings and celebrations (a barn and a grange), fully equipped outdoor kitchens and event stages, and charming “107” square-foot cabanas that will be perfect for pop-ups. 

Best Hotel Bakeries - Galleria Iginio Massari at Helvetia & Bristol

Suite Treats: The Best Hotel Bakeries and Cafés

24 June 2025

In the golden age of “bakery tourism,” travellers are crossing continents in search of the perfect pastry. Whether it’s a mango pudding masterpiece in Tokyo or a just-right pain au chocolat in Paris, these hotel patisseries aren’t just dessert stops – they’re cultural experiences worth planning a trip around.

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Café Sacher at Hotel Sacher

Vienna, Austria

Café Sacher is the birthplace of Austria’s most iconic dessert: the Sachertorte. Dense chocolate sponge layered with apricot jam and cloaked in a silky chocolate glaze, it’s a rich rite of passage for any dessert devotee. The red-and-gold interiors channel imperial grandeur, and the original 1832 recipe remains a closely guarded secret – one still prepared by hand in the hotel’s own patisserie.

The Peninsula Boutique & Café Cake Counter

The Peninsula Boutique & Café

Tokyo, Japan

Tucked inside The Peninsula Tokyo, this sleek 20-seat café draws pastry pilgrims with treats like kokunama custard-cream brioche and crisp, caramelized mango florentine, alongside a lengthy menu of tea blends. Executive chef Pascal Cialdella’s creations blend Japanese precision with French flair, served in a glass-encased space that feels more like an upscale boutique than a traditional café.

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The Mandarin Oriental Shop

Bangkok, Thailand

A Bangkok institution since the 1950s, The Mandarin Oriental Shop offers a sweet retreat from the city’s bustle. Now with four locations, the original still resides within the storied colonial-style hotel it takes its name from. The shop’s famed chocolate mousse cake, impossibly smooth and deeply indulgent, has earned a devoted following. Pair it with tea served in delicate china, and linger like a local.

The Connaught Patisserie

The Connaught Patisserie

London, U.K.

Beneath the glitzy Connaught Hotel in Mayfair, this blush-toned jewel box of a patisserie is helmed by renowned pastry chef Nicolas Rouzaud. Every creation is a work of art, but the whimsical “Connaughty Hound,” a chocolate hazelnut cake shaped like the hotel’s canine mascot, is as delightful to eat as it is to admire.

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Le Comptoir at The Ritz Paris

Paris, France

At the Ritz Paris, pastry chef François Perret has redefined the pain au chocolat, transforming it into a sleek, baton-like shape that guarantees chocolate in every bite. Housed in a minimalist marble-clad boutique that contrasts with the hotel’s Belle Époque opulence, Le Comptoir offers classics elevated to couture status – like the must-try madeleines, presented in gift boxes almost too pretty to open.

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Galleria Iginio Massari at Helvetia & Bristol

Florence, Italy

In the heart of Florence, the historic Helvetia & Bristol hotel is home to Galleria Iginio Massari, the first Tuscan outpost from Italy’s most celebrated pastry chef. Inside this luminous boutique, glass cases gleam with delicious masterpieces like the Setteveli, a seven-layer chocolate and hazelnut cake that has become an Italian classic. From delicate fruit tarts to top-notch tiramisu, each dessert reflects Massari’s obsession with technique, balance and beauty.

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The Fullerton Cake Boutique

Singapore

Housed in the stately, neoclassical Fullerton Hotel, this boutique serves up pastries with Southeast Asian soul. The pandan chiffon cake – soft, fragrant and neon green – is a nod to local heritage with its distinct aroma, drawn from the tropical leaf often called “Asian vanilla.” Light as air and delicately sweet, the treat is a favourite among both locals and visiting dignitaries.

Chef Emily Butcher’s Whole Steamed Fish Recipe

9 February 2025

Winnipeg-based chef Emily Butcher shares her recipe for the whole steamed fish she loves to share with her family on special occasions.

Chef Emily Butcher
NOLA winnipeg

Winnipeg-based Emily Butcher, chef-owner of Nola, approaches the holidays with creativity and a sense of fun. Her culinary philosophy celebrates local ingredients with global influences, which carries through to her festive table.

“Christmas Eve is always a family day for us—usually busy preparing the house for guests, decorating, wrapping presents, and getting ready for Christmas dinner. With all the running around, my parents and I like to do a whole steamed fish for Christmas Eve dinner. It’s quick to prepare, delicious, comforting, and contrasts with all the rich food we’ll be indulging in for the next few days,” she says.

Her mom’s Hong Kong roots influence the tradition. “There is always great fanfare around the serving of the whole fish. It represents prosperity and harmony. We were always careful to eat the top fillet and then carefully remove the spine because there’s a superstition that flipping the fish would make the fishermen’s boat capsize.”

The following days bring their own favourite tradition: “The roast turkey sandwiches with all the fixings on Boxing Day are the highlight for me. Dripping with gravy and cranberry sauce, served on thick-cut toasted sourdough, and so tall that you inevitably have to pull out a knife and fork.”

Hosting Tip: “Always give yourself a quiet moment before your guests arrive to have a shower, a cup of coffee, and a breath of fresh air. Dividing the work with your partner is also super helpful—leave the table setting or drink preparations up to someone else.”

Recipe: Whole Steamed Fish

By Chef Emily Butcher

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 whole fish (tilapia works well, red snapper is also good)
  • 2 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 knob fresh ginger, julienned
  • 1 clove garlic, julienned
  • 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ¼ tsp white pepper
  • Fresh cilantro and pickled chili, for garnish

Method
Rinse fish and trim fins. Place fish on a heatproof plate that fits in a large steamer.

Set up a steamer. Once boiling, carefully place the fish plate inside. Steam for 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked through.

While the fish is steaming, heat canola oil in a small pan. Add ginger and garlic, cooking until aromatic and just golden. Add sesame oil and heat briefly.

Toss in green onions, soy sauce, sugar and white pepper. Whisk until sugar dissolves.

Transfer fish to a serving platter. Spoon a little of the steaming liquid over top. Pour ginger sauce over fish and garnish with cilantro (and pickled chili, for added heat).

Serve with jasmine rice and steamed gai lan tossed with minced garlic and oyster sauce.