The Summer Belongs to the Grand Woods Lounge

Starfarm at the Woods

As much as I feel like I'm the oldest guy in the place, nothing beats the outdoor bar at the Grand Woods Lounge in Grand Rapids. Whether it is the amazing killer 80's cover band, Starfarm, or the mash-mixing of DJ Danimal, the summer late night scene belongs to the Woods.  If the weather is beautiful, you can be assured that GR's most alluring personalities will be hanging out at this joint just southwest of the Van Andel Arena. Thirsty? Order the pail of delicious bar concoctions for your gang and be ready to rock and roll all night. 

My Best Food List: June

SEXIEST DISPLAY - Dessert buffet at the JW Marriott Indianapolis

 These are my favorite food dishes and concepts this past month (and the latter part of May). Let me know if there is anything I must try in July. Enjoy!

The St. Mary's Foundation Concrete Mixer

Guys in skirts always get the girls!

I have to give it a lot of credit to the St. Mary's Foundation committee members who hosted this fun event to kick off the renovation of the hospital's guest house. First of all, what a great name for a party on the hospital's parking lot. Upon my arrival, I was greeted by my host, Don "Big Daddy" MacKenzie, with a cup of brew from the crew at

Two of My Favorite Places in the World - Mandarin Oriental & New York City

The Mandarin Oriental New York just launched a new video to seduce you to their breathtaking setting overlooking one of the most picturesque cities in the world. 

A Pho and Soul Train Weekend

For me, nothing can be more comforting than a bowl of steaming hot pho inside a hole-in-a-wall restaurant. No one cares what you look like. Everyone is there to dive in this bowl of goodness - soup made out of reduced oxtail stock, star anise, seasonings, rare beef, hot peppers, bean sprouts, basil. 

My 14-year old son Jules was craving pho on Saturday, so I took him to Asian Palace on 28th St. and Clyde Park for one of the best pho's in town. We started with the mussels and capped the lunch with pho. Afterwards, he and I played

An Overnight Pub Crawl in Grand Rapids

Mega 80's at The Intersection

The restaurant and entertainment scenes in Grand Rapids have definitely come along way since the arena opened in 1996. Come join me in this overnight pub crawl through the heart of the city via my July "The Good Life" column in Shore Magazine. To read the full article, click here.

A Picture Perfect Father's Day Brunch at Blue Water Grill

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect setting for Father's Day - a sunny day, a riverfront table, amazing food, refreshing sangria, my wife and kids. My kids gave me the option to select the restaurant for our annual father's day brunch. Okay, my youngest really wanted Bombay Cuisine. My oldest daughter was craving the mac-n-cheese at Green

Asians Night Out - Grand Rapids Style

The forecast called for cloudy and 60% chance of rain last evening. Jim Tressel, the ousted Ohio State coach must have been the meteorologist because the weather couldn't have been farther from the truth. The temperature was in the 70's, sunny with a slight breeze. The JW Marriott's first Asians Night Out couldn't have been more perfect. 

Guests drove from Chicago, Lansing and the lakeshore to join the Grand Rapids clan in celebrating Asian awareness in

Late-Night Taxi Cab Confessions

It was way past our bedtime but a late-night craving for munchies pushed us to prolong the evening. My good friends Chad, Big Daddy and I flagged a cab in the south loop of Chicago and instructed our driver to take us to the nearest restaurant serving omelets and corned beef hash. Our first restaurant near the Mag Mile was already closed so I asked our Pakistani driver to take us to the cab driver hangout in the city for south Asian cuisine - primarily Pakistani and Indian.

A few minutes later, we were just west of the Gold Coast where the infamous Cabrini Green projects once stood.  The

JW Marriott opens jdek with new cabanas; introduces jsquad

The highly popular jdek at the JW Marriott opened last night to a very enthusiastic crowd of guests. Much of the excitement revolves around the six new cabanas that adds a dramatic flare to the jdek's riverfront setting. 

"This is a delicious addition to the JW," says Jai Yung. "The cabanas frame the river wonderfully. I can just imagine the amount of business this addition will bring to the hotel."

The three large cabanas on the southern end of the jdek can be reserved for private dinners and events such as bridal

A Perfect Martini at the Temple Bar, NYC

As the U.S. goes more casual in every lifestyle arena, classic watering holes like the Temple Bar in Manhattan is slowly fading away like Blockbuster video stores in every intersection. The Temple's interior is dark and masculine; the food was simply prepared, yet predictably good. It was a pure delight to order a gin martini in a bar that epitomizes the

Could this Indianapolis sandwich be the best one in the US?

The Batali

The Batali sandwich at Goose The Market in the historic neighborhood of downtown Indy literally gave me goose bumps. The Batali is named after Armandino Batali, father of the famous chef with the orange crocs. He is the founder of Salumi Artisan Cured Meats in Seattle where Goose the Market buys its salumi products.  


The depth of flavors in the layers of soppressata, hot giardinara, spicy coppa, capocolla, provolone, marinated red onions and tomato preserves were so tantalizing. The provolone mellows the bite from the spicy meats that you simply can't stop eating. The first bite reminded me of my first true baguette sandwich in Paris.  It is very rare when

A Chef's Garden

It was around six years ago when I first saw chef Melissa Kelly's garden just outside her Primo restaurant at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes. The garden is chef Melissa's tribute to her grandfather who was a butcher. This commitment to local farming is evident in the freshness of food served at Primo. It was this project that inspired me to create our own chef's garden at the JW Marriott Grand Rapids.

JW Marriott Chicago Shines in the Spotlight

If hosting an event for hotel general managers is scary, try hosting one for JW Marriott, Ritz Carlton, Edition, Renaissance and Marriott hotels and resorts GM's. Well, the JW Marriott Chicago had no problem with that task by putting on quite a reception to open the three-day conference. Elaborate food action stations, cozy lounge seating, booming music and dramatic lighting set the stage for what is already a successful conference. More WOW moments are expected as each meal and breakouts garner accolades from this discriminating group of hoteliers.

JW Marriott Grand Rapids Honored for Best Customer Service

JW Marriott General Manager, George Aquino, receives the award for the hotel.

The JW Marriott Grand Rapids collected its 2010 Marriott International excellence in customer service award today at the Marriott Western Region's General Manager's conference in Chicago. Marriott's Guest Satisfaction Survey or GSS, measures the overall performance of each hotel in every area of operations from arrival & departure, check-in, food and beverage, amenities, room cleanliness and service execution. Only the top 2.5% of all full service JW Marriott, Renaissance and full service Marriott's make up this elite group of hotels in the United States and Canada. Five hotels out

JW Marriott Hong Kong: The Best Noodle Bar in Asia

A JW Marriott Hong Kong chef cooks fresh noodles in steaming pots of broth

I love noodle bars. Usually the dive-types where one has to trek through an obstacle of narrow alleys, rows of mom and pop stores and walking past a herd of men smoking the local cigarettes while peering residents observe the strangers through cubby hole windows. Not exactly the most elegant of passageways, but the experience certainly creates a build up for the most amazing bowls of hot stock with fresh cut noodles.

And then, there's the Noodle Bar at the JW Marriott Hong Kong. A striking contrast from the standard fare nestled in the lobby of the JW, with striking views of Central. My sister Haj, a resident of Hong Kong, is responsible for

In a New York State of Mind

View from the 35th floor Lobby Lounge of the Mandarin Oriental new York

Read my article in the Grand Rapids Press Travel Section today by clicking here.

Pachanga Latina Lights Up Grand Rapids

There are several things that make these Pachanga events at the JW so addicting. First, you can guarantee a great turnout with several hundred on hand last night inside the International Ballroom. Second, the music by Grupo Aye, arguably the best latin band in the midwest, is electrifying. On this evening, another local latin band, Akaray, opened for Grupo Aye to show support of latin music in the area. The JW also added DJ Angel Gee to the mix to help spice things

W Hotel: The Best Views in Washington, DC

I have to admit that W Hotels know how to create a vibe. The W Washington, DC adds an exclamation point to the word "cool." 

My friend Frank raves about this place so our group of four couples didn't hesitate when he suggested that we visit this DC hotel late last Saturday night. I am not used to waiting in line to get inside a hotel, but when the DC fire marshall is inside the hotel, one must wait patiently. Twenty minutes or so later, we settled in a comfortable sofa area next to the Jewel Bar in the hotel Living Room.

An Epic Night in Washington, DC! Osama Bin Laden is dead!

I was in Washington, DC, with my family and a contingent of about 200 students and supporters of the State of Michigan "We The People" champions from East Grand Rapids high school on this epic evening in American history. We were in a celebratory mood as we just found out that the team made the Top Ten finals slated for Monday morning in one of the historic hearing rooms in Capitol Hill. A goal that has been in the minds of the team members since September when they embarked on this journey.

Elena and I were at Clyde's in Georgetown with close friends and fellow "We The People" parents, Frank and Susan Merlotti and Dick and Deb VanderZyden, when the news of Osama Bin Laden's death captured the emotions of many Americans glued to the tube and cell phones upon receiving word of his demise.

The Pure Michigan Party in G-Rap

You just know this city is not the same sleepy town it used to be when a party before Easter attracted the jet-setters to come out to Cygnus 27 for the first ever Cyg-nature Pure Michigan party. The vibe was energizing as DJ Todd Ernst painted the soundscape with the super hi-tech Emulator mixer and the crowd of smartly dressed socialites mingled with

The Best Hangover Food From Around the World

Philippines - Chicken Adobo with Garlic Rice and Fried Egg

We've all been there. The amazing dinner followed by an all-nighter at a foreign beach watering hole. The one too many sake kampai's at a reunion with close college friends. That four-day wedding weekend in Bali. The boys trip to Vegas. Oktoberfest in Munich. Carnival in Rio. J'ouvert in the Virgin Islands. It feels so good... until the next day when your head feels like a 50-pound medicine ball. 

In Manila where I grew up, the ultimate hangover cure is a combination of protein (cured sausage, sweet marinated pork or beef, adobo, corned beef, even deep friend fish), garlic fried rice, fried eggs and a vinegar dipping sauce. 

Do you have any suggestions for the best global hangover food?

Check out the best of list from Matador Network by clicking here.

Food Network's Ice Brigade Delivers the Bling at the JW Marriott

It was the first season finale West Michigan has been waiting for - The Spring Bling with Ice Brigade at the JW Marriott Grand Rapids. And did the fans of Ice Brigade show up! In fact, close to 600 gathered at the JW to watch the season one's final show. It was a big night for the area's first nationally televised series and the show's star, Randy Finch, couldn't have been more elated. 

Live ice carving demonstrations, green screen photographers and a host of "characters" from Star War's Darth Vader and Storm Troopers to Lady Gaga and Elvis impersonators. DJ Todd Ernst provided the soundscape that got the

Airbnb.com - The Next Best Thing For Global Travel

Our one-bedroom discovery in Hell's Kitchen

I hate to admit this, but I am hooked! This is coming from a hotelier. Airbnb.com is the real deal and if my first experience with this online booking site is a good indication, then hang on tight because airbnb could be the next Travelocity or Orbitz for the global traveler. 

I am a big fan of vrbo.com; a global villa rental site which I have used in the past. Airbnb takes it down a notch where travelers can book individual rooms to huge villas around the globe. In fact, I saw one host who was offering a couch! The site even has categories for igloos and tree houses. Hey, why not? During my search for listings in New York area,

DBGB: Daniel Boulud Rocks Manhattan With French-American Brasserie

Niman Ranch Pork Loin Schnitzel

DBGB - Chef Daniel Boulud's hits another home-run with his East Village "lowdown French brasserie meets the classic American tavern." Don't mistake it, DBGB tops the list on the ambiance scale with interiors that make every diner feel like they are having a meal in the chef's kitchen. Besides the open kitchen, floor to ceiling shelvings with kitchen equipment surround the main dining room while the bar area is filled with chef Daniel's favorite culinary quotes written

The Best Little Wine Bar in NYC

One of my favorite aspects of traveling is discovering tucked away local hideouts for conversation and a glass of vino to complement the evening. This is how my brother, daughter and I discovered Ino Cafe & Wine Bar in the West Village. Owners Jason and Jennifer Denton were inspired by the small enoteca's serving great comfort food in Italy after attending a friend's wedding. The result is this 24-seat cafe with a two-butt kitchen, a wide range of Italian wines,

Frank Restaurant & Vera Bar - An East Village Gem

One of my missions on this trip to New York is to find a good, simple, home-cooked Italian restaurant. A neighborhood restaurant with a loyal following and reasonable prices that a monthly visit is not an unreasonable request. Batali's Babbo is still one of my favorites, however, shelling over $100 per person plus wine might be a bit much on a

Tacombi - A "Beachside" Taco Joint in Fonda Nolita

Whisked from the beaches of Playa del Carmen to Nolita in NYC, this "authentic" Mexican taco truck sure is making heads turn in this "gallery" space dedicated to "Peace, Love and Tacos." Strands of yellow lights are suspended over cheap metal tables and folding chairs like an outdoor fiesta. In fact, this restaurant inside what probably used to be an artist loft complete with concrete floors and high ceilings, reminded me so much of home in the Philippines. Like Mexico,

NYC Hand Pulled Noodles

I finally had the opportunity to witness how these amazing noodles are created without having to go to Xian, China. Here's a chef at the Sheng Wang Noodle House near the foot of the Manhattan Bridge; pulling and kneading his dough into these long strands of noodles.

New York Frame of Mind

W Hotel Times Square

 This is part two of my photo vignettes of New York City...

Escape to New York

2:02 am, Ace Hotel lobby

I'm in New York this week to discover some new eateries and back alley destinations. This week is also about reacquainting with favorites places and friends from a not so distant past . So far, I have finally seen with my very own eyes how the Xian hand pulled noodles are made at this dive near the mouth of the Manhattan bridge and came to the conclusion that the best views of Manhattan is not necessarily from the top of the tallest buildings, but from thirty five stories overlooking the park. Discoveries are made wherever you look in this gleaming city of contrasts. You just have

Bakon Vodka: A Carnivore's Cocktail

My friend Don "Big Daddy" MacKenzie presented me with this beautiful bottle of bacon-infused vodka after returning from his weekly business trip to California. I found myself along with Big Daddy, my wife and in-laws at the 24-hour Grand Coney diner devouring corned beef hash and country fried steak at 4 AM. Seven hours later, I was in my kitchen concocting Bakon bloody mary's to the delight of our brunch guests.

I took a sip of Bakon before pouring it into a glass with of spicy bloody mary mix. This 100% premium Idaho potato vodka was clean on the palate, and without a doubt, infused a smoky bacon flavor. I probably won't make a habit of drinking it straight up, but as a bloody mary, it is a carnivore's delight.

Bakon is unfortunately not available in Michigan. For now, you will have to figure out which of your friends could purchase a bottle from the roughly 20 states that have it available. Or better yet, I'm always game for a little home-cooked Sunday brunch. I'll definitely bring the bakon!

Grand Rapids' Own Sparkling

The JW Marriott's six.one.six restaurant is proud to offer M. Lawrence's GR Demi-Sec Sparkling Wine. This is a fresh tribute to the city that continues to sparkle despite the economic woes of the state. This sparkling is soft and stylish and is a good representation of the emerging world-class wines from Michigan.

Pure Michigan Governor's Conference photo highlights

An Italian Gem in Kalamazoo

Zazio's inside the Radisson hotel in Kalamazoo deserves a lot of kudos for spearheading the restaurant resurgence in this college town 45 minutes south of Grand Rapids. This Italian eatery offers an extensive Italian wine list, a burst of bright colors for its interiors, a quaint lounge, an open kitchen and a very impressive chef's kitchen featuring stadium

Asian Gala Unites WM Asian Community

The West Michigan Asian community gathered for its second annual Asian Gala in the International Ballroom of the JW Marriott Grand Rapids.  It was a historic night for the community as the prominent Asian organizations in the area

The AIsle Seat: College visit a great excuse to explore

Typical Filipino breakfast

Read my monthly travel column in the Grand Rapids Press by clicking HERE. 

To view all the photos, just click below.

The Night James Taylor Brought Everything Back Home

Below is the concert review I wrote for GRNow.com. Click here to view the original article.

“ I must have written about 150 songs,” according to James Taylor as he addressed the largest capacity crowd in DeVos Performance Hall on Tuesday evening. “ I feel like I have written the same 5 types of songs 20 times,” as the crowd laughed in acknowledgement.  “ I love to write about songs about going home,” he noted.” From Carolina to

Salsa Pachanga Kicks Off the 2011 Dance Season

The JW Marriott Pachanga season officially kicked off last Saturday with Salsa Pachanga inside the International Ballroom. Several hundred guests came to support the CD-Release party of the JW's official Latin Band, Grupo Aye, who performed salsa and other Latin classics and some of their original composition. 

WYCE's Gabriella de la Vega emceed the first of quarterly Pachanga's hosted by the hotel. Laura Armenta of Armenta Studios headlined the dance component of the show with dance lessons and a Mexican salsa dance exhibition. Avanti

Lady Gaga Delivers A Monster Performance in Grand Rapids

March 1 will always be remembered as the night Lady Gaga turned this Midwest city upside down. It was an evening where the dark suits in jeans hob knobbed with tattoo artists in lingerie, salon keepers with giant bows with bank presidents, local style icons with Gaga make-up with soccer moms. To say that Grand Rapids hasn't arrived as a major entertainment destination is a true understatement. "G-Rap," as Lady Gaga said at the top of her lungs, "is the place to

Del Seoul - Korean Street Food Arrives in Chicago

Bulgogi and Kalbi Tacocs $2.50

Chicago Magazine rates Del Seoul as one of the 10 hottest restaurants in the city at the moment. Unlike the other 9 restaurants with higher end pricing, Del Seoul is street food pricing with a storefront. A year after Kogi BBQ food truck in Los Angeles took off, Chicago can now claim her version of the Korean taco - Korean BBQ served with

Five Guys and A Bowl of Phô

My friend, Jimmy Le, invited several of the guys for a chill night of steaming hot bowl of his homemade Vietnamese phô that's been cooking on his stove for two days. Phô (fuh), like no other soup, is the most satisfying soup for me.  The aroma of star anise, clove and ginger seduces me into hypnotic submission. Jimmy uses ox tails as the base for his stock; simmering the ox tails until its meat softens and releases its flavors inside the pot of perfection.

I was immediately transported to the bustling street food scene in Ho Chi Minh city the moment I stepped into Jimmy's

San Chez Bistro - Still Buzzing After 18 Years

Downtown Grand Rapids was a whole different city in 1992. The restaurant and entertainment scene was non existent outside of the Amway Grand Plaza hotel. Sure, there were a few decent restaurants that were scattered on the outskirts of center city such as Gibsons, the Thornapple in Ada and the Sandpiper in Holland; but downtown, it was slim picking.

The Chop House's Expertly Prepared Cuisine Is Well Worth The Price

I officially became a Grand Rapids Press restaurant reviewer in Thursday's Weekend Section. Thank you so much to everyone who read, shared and sent comments about my review of the Chop House. It is always reassuring to see that people are actually reading my posts and articles. 

A special thanks to John Gonzalez and Betsy Musolf of the Press for their guidance and support. Be on the look-out for upcoming reviews in the Press in the next couple of weeks.

In case you missed reading my review, click here for the MLive link.

The Little Black Dress Party 2011

Calling the 2nd annual Little Black Dress party at the JW Marriott an epic event is truly an understatement. The party that surprised its guest with a symphonic performance last year featuring the Grand Rapids Symphony and DJ Todd Ernst turned up the heat again by collaborating with designer Matt Jurecic's Haus of Leisure Le Garcon LaFrance's

The Green Well Gastro Pub

My favorite! Steamed Mussels . roasted garlic . onions . citrus . real good beer .
chili flakes . toast points

The Green Well restaurant in the Cherry Hill district of Grand Rapids has been busy since its doors opened a few years ago. Whether it's happy hour on a Monday or dinner time on Saturday, this place is always a good bet if you want a livelier place to eat. I first visited the restaurant a few weeks after it opened in 2007. The chef recognized my party and he requested that we allow him to "just do his thing." One good dish after another came out of his tiny kitchen and

Do you take foodiecations?

When I get together with my family of foodies and wine enthusiasts, our first priority is to find a villa with an amazing kitchen... read my entire article on Shore Magazine by clicking here.

When Is The Best Time To Purchase Airline Tickets?

Travel industry experts say that the best time to buy airline tickets is during the mid-week. Airlines usually decide on ticket sales on Monday night, thus making Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday's as the best days for travelers to purchase airline seats. WSJ writer, Scott McCartney also states that airlines usually decide to increase their prices on Thursday nights; making buying airline tickets over the weekend the worst time for travelers to purchase tickets. While airlines are slowly adapting fire sales online to their loyal followers,  social media sites such as facebook and twitter still account for a very minor share of total sales. 

To read the complete story, click here.

Photo compliments of Chad Morton.

Introducing Your Grand Rapids' Superfriendz 2011

Superfriendz 2011! 1st Row - Jeff Barrett. 2nd Row - Tommy Fitzgerald, Raquel Salas, Kelly Stecco, Jessica Ann Tyson, Julie Regan, Rosalynn Bliss, George Aquino. 3rd Row - Lisa Rose Starner, Jennifer Ederer, Michael De Meyer, Mike Mraz, Laura Velasquez, Abbey Sloan, Super Dre Wallace. 4th Row - Chad Leroux, Todd Ernst, Rob Bliss, Paul Jendrasiak, Ryan Slusarzyk. Not in Picture - Jimmy Le, Ashley Cole, Don MacKenzie, Margaux Aquino

2011 is destined to be another amazing year for Grand Rapids' street team of leaders who are committed to helping local non-profit organizations connect with our community through our network of friends, colleagues and professional

ACE NYC

If Starbucks defined the "Third Place" about a decade ago, the Ace hotel group has added a fourth category - The Gen Love Place. Upon entering the lobby of the Ace in midtown NYC, you couldn't help but be enamored by the energy that vibrates throughout its packed lobby. Mac users are shoulder to shoulder with PC's, earthy chick with metro sexual

Recycle Runway

Once in awhile, I discover something unexpected during the course of my travels.. It could be a small magic of a restaurant that is tucked away in an alley somewhere in Kowloon or finding the perfect cologne in an unknown boutique in the Marais in Paris. These discoveries are the little vignettes of a city that add color to once adventure.

The Chop House

Lobster Bisque served table side ($8.95)

Consistency is the one thing you can expect The Chop House in downtown Grand Rapids to deliver every single time. The martini's at the bar are luscious, the steaks are cooked properly and the service is always warm and professional. On this night, the restaurant was humming with expense account clients and winter couples celebrating their anniversaries. 

The Chop House doesn't deviate from the traditional steak house interiors. The dining room is dark with soft lighting and original and reproduction art grace the walls. Jazz standards played on the PA system and the occasional bursts of