In this issue:

In the Restaurants section: We encountered a rarity on New York City’s Upper East Side: the high-quality, relaxed ambiance, modestly-priced restaurant Texas de Brazil, the newest Brazilian Rodizio Churascaria to open in the city, located across from Bloomingdales’.  By Barbara Angelakis                       Read More...

In Destinations: Manhattan has SoHo, short for South of Houston, and Stockholm has SoFo, South of Folkungagatan. The Swedish counterpart was coined seven years ago when three guys from Sweden’s island of Södermalm brainstormed over a bottle of wine, trying to find a distinctive name for the hip neighborhood. By Bo Zaunders       Read More...

In the Cruise & Sail section: The MSC Cruise Line is a family owned Italian company with a fleet of 12 cruise ships.  Four of these ships: the Fantasia, Preziosa, Splendida and the Divina are configured to offer discriminating passengers an exclusive Yacht Club Experience… a “small ship within a large ship” By Babbie DeDerian                  Read More...

In Gastronomy: Rosario, the chef, has the demeanor of an aunt delighted the family has convened for a typical Neapolitan dinner in the kitchen of an old Sorrento estate villa. Never mind that that four participating American couples came from a cruise ship. By Carol Stigger    Read More...                                                        

In Hotels & Resorts: Now I know why several people have said to me, “St. Lucia is my favorite Caribbean island.” While all of the islands are beautiful, the drive from the airport showed me immediately that the land and seascapes of St. Lucia are particularly striking. By Melanie Votaw                          Read More...

In Lifting the Spirits: Every island and every country where sugarcane is grown make their own version of rum, in varying alcoholic content, and price ranges. Rum was served aboard British warships, rationed to the sailors, and was what the Founding Fathers sipped as they argued the details of the constitution. By Manos Angelakis                     Read More...

In the Oeno File section: Recently, I was asked to suggest a book for a couple interested in learning more about wine. I immediately thought of Matt Kamer’s “Making Sense of Wine.” I suggested that one. I also suggested Kevin Zraly’s Complete Windows on the World Wine Course. By Morton Hochstein  
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Also in Destinations: So much to enjoy and so little time -- the best problem a traveler can have. The romance of railroading... bucket list sights... and foodie experiences all this on a Rocky Mountaineer Coastal Passage tour. By Norma Davidoff           Read More...