When my editor from Placeres magazine proposed the theme "Grand Destinations" for the travel issue, he wanted to know where I would go to eat and buy food. I immediately began to take a mental inventory of my last culinary-focused shopping sprees outside Chile. I am...
While much of the world has been revealing in the collective euphoria following the rescue of los 33 (that’s local lingo for the miners), which we’ve been cheering on 24-7 here in Chile, I have been in a bit of frenzy to get ready for an upcoming promotional...
Here I am. Standing at the top of a p-r-e-t-t-y pitched slope. By my calculations, it is, at least, a good 45-degree gradient. It will require some pretty fast turns to get out of the "hairy" zone before the run becomes more tranquila. I stop to take a deep...
You probably have been in this situation. There's a new restaurant of a well-known chef. It was hard to get a table but you managed to score one. You arrive with your date and the architecture is dazzling. There are beautiful people everywhere and the vibe is super...
Yesterday afternoon around 3:20pm we were polishing off the final drops of an exquisite bottle of El Principal 2006 and the last bite of our pasta-less roasted vegetable lasagna. Out of nowhere, horns began honking like crazy outside. Since this is a normal ritual...
Wondering what the heck is a picada? It's simple. A joint. A simple eatery. In my humble opinion, if you want to know the soul of a cuisine, hit the joints. This is the people's food. The kind of comfort food your grandma would make for you in the countryside. And...
Mate. Or Yerba Mate to be technically correct. This herbal infusion is obsessively sipped in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Southern Brazil. In fact, the beverage is one of the few native traditions that survived the Spanish conquest in South America. Argentines and...
I know, your first thought may be, “Uruguayan Wine Country? Seriously?” Yes, it’s true. This cattle-producing country may get more international buzz for its grass-fed steaks, stinky old world cheeses, and pristine beaches, but it is just a matter of time before...
Ok, I have to admit. After ten years here, this is the first winter where I am NOT cold. And it’s the coldest winter on record yet. Let me explain. The Central Valley of Chile, where Santiago is located, is part of a lovely Mediterranean climate. Most of the year, we...
It cracks me up how different cultures crave different flavors and how those turn up in very pedestrian items like say soda pop. I am not a very big soda fan for obvious health reasons. I gave it up years ago and only succumb to the occasional diet coke when in no...
Well, it's over. The Food & Wine Classic in Aspen that is. What an intense weekend. Literally about four days of work and schmoozing in my case. For those of you not familiar with the event, let me enlighten you. It all started 28 years ago when Food & Wine...
Friday I had a tecnological meltdown. I had been on the fence for months about whether or not to trade in old faithful, the crackberry-blackberry, for an iPhone. I was already sold on the concept, the Mac, but something had been holding me back—and no, it wasn’t the...
This year I celebrate a decade living in Chile. Ten years. It has flown by. I have noticed by my expat, and Chilean friends, who have arrived and left. And I stay. If you were to ask me why, I would respond quite simply, "For love". Love for Chile, the life I have...
A couple weeks ago, I took you all on a joy walk through my hood, Lastarria / Bellas Artes. Santiago’s neighborhoods are the soul of this city. The press and travel guides, whose names shall remain unmentioned, have done a dismal job of portraying this aspect of...
Drop Jean Paul Bondoux’s name in foodie circles in the Southern Cone and heads turn. No, he’s not a star on elgourmet.com, the South American version of the Food Network. Think more along the line of revered French chefs like Alain Ducasse. Chefs that take food from...
June is less than a week away and winter is officially here. It's like the mercury suddenly dropped as Mother Nature knew Fall was over. A second rainfall recently covered the Andes with snow and according to the folks at Portillo and Las Leñas, ski season is about to...
For decades, North Americans have been flocking to Mediterranean destinations like Italy, Spain, Greece, the French Riviera, Turkey for the culture—and let’s face it, seeking sunny holidays. Looking at the climate of the coastal fringes of the sea, it is not hard to...
There's no question that Chilean wines are starting to experience a sort of Boom Time in the US market. The price is right, you get a lot of great wine for your buck, and there is t-o-n-s of variety and depth. But with all this recent growth, is Chile really just...
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