Every May, Condé Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

Chef-owner Jose Enrique's first venture, adjacent to the Santurce Market, is nothing fancy: no sign outside, cream-colored walls with chalk paintings by locally famous artist Nico Flores, wooden tables and chairs, and the menu is scrawled on a blackboard. But Enrique has quickly attracted the attention of the island's foodie community with his updated Puerto Rican dishes: Humble mamposteao (rice and beans) is topped off with truffles, while a langosta frita riff takes the individual lobster segments, seasons them with a kicky hot sauce, and deep-fries them in their own shell (entrées, $15-$35).

Address: 176 Calle Duffaut
Tel: 787-725-3518

Further reading:
* Hot List 2008

Come fly with me.

* Woman goes down baggage chute at Swedish airport. The TSA likes the idea.

* Cajun nation sinks as salt water pushes inland. Not like the old days.

* Baby born on plane. No word on whether the mother will be charged for extra baggage.

* Ring tones of the world.

* French wine ruined by bureaucrats.

Airbus CEO Thomas Enders exits
an Emirates Airbus A380.
AP Photo

by Barbara S. Peterson

In the last few weeks we've seen a few signs of a trend: Not only is the gap widening between the amenities in the airlines' premium and economy cabins--actually, customer service is just about disappearing from the back of the bus--but also more airlines are introducing flight cabins that are so exclusive that you never have to lay eyes on the masses sitting in coach!

Singapore has expanded its all-business-class flights to Los Angeles, flying nonstop from Changi, after launching the service on its Newark-to-Singapore nonstops a few months ago. One of the perks, in addition to the wide seats, semi-private "pods" and the like, is that you get spared that embarrassing spectacle of coach fliers marching through premium territory on their way to cattle class--what one airline insider jokingly calls the "walk of shame" (though to be fair, in Singapore's former layout for the flights, the world's longest at around 18 hours, the now-retired coach cabin had more legroom and space than on other planes.)

Now Emirates has taken the airline's class system to new heights, literally, with its first A380--the world's largest commercial airliner, with two full-length decks. The upper deck is reserved exclusively for first and business classes, with 14 and 76 seats, respectively; the lower level (one must resist calling it steerage) seats 399. The behemoth plane made its debut on a nonstop Dubai-to-JFK run on August 8, and is now flying thrice weekly on the route (to be increased to daily frequencies this fall). In addition to in-flight showers for first class--an industry first (and an expensive one, adding tons of extra weight to the plane)--the premium class fliers get to board the plane directly from their own airport lounge, using a jetbridge that connects only to the top deck. Economy fliers board from the main jetway to the bottom deck.

But here again, the coach class isn't your average knee-knocking horror show: on Emirates, coach fliers get a bit more room; after all, the flight is more than 15 hours. The New York Times recently profiled the designer responsible for eking a few more inches out of the economy space.

Open Skies, the British Airways spinoff that began three-class service between Paris and New York in June, has decided to drop coach class altogether with the launch of its second route--New York to Amsterdam--on October 15. The plane will now have just 64 seats--40 in Prem Plus, its version of premium economy, and 24 business class seats. The idea, says the airline's chief, Dale Moss, is to give the cabins the feel of a private jet. In other words, tourists in t-shirts are not welcome.

Further reading:
Singapore Airlines' New FlyPod Service

Harry's baring it all.
AP Photo

by Beata Loyfman

Nothing short of a miracle could slow down the juggernaut that is Harry Potter...until now. The sixth installment of the $4.5 billion movie franchise has been stalled by none other than its 17-year-old star Daniel Radcliffe, who has signed on to act in Broadway's Equus. For those of you unfamiliar with the play, it involves a psychotic teenager who stabs several ponies in the eyes with a metal spike. There's also some full frontal male nudity. Fun for the whole family!

Lured by the promise of Harry Potter's full monty, fans on both sides of the pond have been snapping up tickets (from $61 to $251) faster than you can say Hermione. Not surprisingly, seats in the on-stage section (where you'd have a rear view) are especially tough to come by. But can you really put a price on face time with Harry's backside?

Luckily, HP Fan Trips understands. They're offering a two-day package deal for Potterites, which includes tickets to the play, a workshop with an unspecified cast member, accommodations, meals, and a "Wizarding Game" (whatever that is). The cost starts at $650 per person, a steal if you consider NYC's sky-high hotel prices.

If you're just looking for a way to snag discounted Equus tickets, check out the TKTS Booths in Times Square and South Street Seaport, where you can buy get same-day tickets for a steal.

Meanwhile, here's a preview of the goods, courtesy of Vogue.

by John Oseid

For some 15 years now, listeners looking to sample sounds from around the world have turned to the ubiquitous Putumayo label's quirky compilations. Sharing Carla Bruni's folksy guitar sound with you last week put me in the mood to dig a little deeper into the world of French chanson. Quelle coincidence! Before I could say voilà, Putumayo's fun new release, Acoustic France, landed on my desk.

The album doesn't feature household names like Brassens, Gainsbourg, or Gréco; rather, it pays tribute to them by showing a new generation that's stretching the country's great postwar poetic pop and chanson genres. A few of my picks after the jump:

Emporium's glam-vintage look.

Every May, Condé Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

From the fantastically funky red lobby to the zebra-print ironing boards, every trait of the Emporium is by design. Set in the food- and fashion-oriented Emporium precinct a few minutes' drive from Brisbane's city center, the hotel has 106 compact suites in a sleek red-and-silver color scheme, combining business-traveler functionality with exceptional service. The rooftop pool and gym are sleek and user-friendly, the service unobtrusively attentive, and the crowd young and hip. But pride of place goes to the cozy cocktail bar, an eccentric fusion of vintage and custom-designed pieces flown in from locations around the world: The stained glass window is from a Parisian shop front, the chandelier from a German castle, and the wine from all over, handpicked by the owner.

Address: 1000 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Australia 4006
Tel: 61-7-3253-6999

When to go: June through September, when the weather's warm but the humidity's low.
Which room to book: The top-floor Emporium Suites have walk-in wardrobes, minibars with full-size bottles, and the largest bathrooms.

Further reading:
* Emporium Hotel's Web site
* Hot List 2008
* The Australia guide

Our very own Word of Mouth editor, Kate Maxwell, was on the Today Show this morning giving tips on taking a last-minute vacation for the Labor Day weekend. Watch it.

Last week Barbara Peterson reported on American Airlines introducing WiFi to a select number of flights. Now here's CNN bringing up the naked elephant in the room. According to CNN, flight attendants may have to police what passengers watch. (If that's the case, where was my flight attendant when the seat neighbor called up Glitter?)

AP Photo

by Mollie Chen

I'm a firm believer that if you're going to do something, do it right. When I fail, I do it spectacularly, and when I fall, it's usually with a resounding crash and a crowd of spectators. Same goes for birthdays. If I'm going to be publicly embarrassed, it better be with a rousing, off-key rendition of "Happy Birthday to You" and a very large candle. Which is why I appreciate the birthday cake on Thor's new dessert menu, which comes complete with a foot-high sparkler that illuminates the entire restaurant. 

Other restaurants with birthday cake (and who doesn't love a good yellow cake with pink icing?): Restaurant Eve in Washington, D.C., and The Peasant and the Pear in Danville, California. Know of more? Add to our list by commenting below.

90210: Brighter than ever.
Photo: cwtv.com

by Julia Bainbridge

To be honest, I'm not one for the whole teeth whitening thing. I'd rather look like a normal human being who drinks coffee and red wine than one of the cast members of Beverly Hills 90210. But alas, I've caved. GO SMiLE has made the process so easy I simply can't not try it. (And to be really honest, as I look in my hand mirror, I realize my penchant for Joe's espresso is beginning to take a bigger toll than I thought two sentences ago.)

GO SMiLE's new system--on shelves in January--contains 14 single-use ampoules to whiten teeth in seven days. The serum has a high concentration of whatever ingredient does the whitening, but it doesn't shock the teeth with the usual zingy-cold discomfort. And it's safe to use on crowns and veneers.

After the week is over, I can touch up with FlashLiTes, which are like teeth white-out pens the size of perfume samples. The on-the-go stain removers are cute and effective--and they fit in my carry-on. Maybe I'll step up a shade on my next plane to Beverly Hills.

P.S. I also love GO SMiLE's lip treatment--and trust me, I'm an expert on glosses, balms, and lipsticks. This stuff contains retinol for plumping, cocoa butter for moisturizing, and vanilla for licking off.

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Two months ago we kicked off the Layover Nation Contest, a challenge to readers to identify some of the coolest things to do in and near major airports between flights. The Perrin Post, our sister blog, was flooded with quick excursions ranging from bungee jumping in New Zealand to skiing in Dubai (!). Alas, the contest has ended--you'll find the finalists on the Perrin Post--but not without creating fodder for our reporter Michael Kinsley, who will set off to report on the chosen excursions--and many more--for the magazine next month.

Check the Daily Traveler in September for Kinsley's mini-blog--we'll be announcing the dates soon. Meanwhile, we are happy to feature some of those layover ideas here on the Daily Traveler. This week we are tackling Australia and New Zealand.   

Have your own ideas? Let us know in comments.

The brewing at Bottleworks.

by Mollie Chen

I've never been a huge beer drinker (unless I'm at a baseball game), but after three days in St. Louis, I may have seen the light. My sister, Annie, and I were on a mission to check out the city's best gastropubs and breweries. Before we left, we got some tips from chef Patrick Connolly, a James Beard award winner who recently decamped from Boston to New York. The STL native gave us a run-down of his favorite local spots and we tried our best to hit them all, though we missed out on the toasted ravioli at Imo's and the signature sandwich ("something I crave constantly") at Amighetti's. Connolly's favorites, plus some of ours:

Schlafly: As far from Anheuser-Busch as you can get, the favorite local beer has a gastropub downtown and a brewery in nearby Maplewood. We loved the tour of Bottleworks, in part because our super-friendly (and cute) guide was a vast reservoir of beer trivia. Over sips of the brand's oatmeal stout and pale ale, we learned the difference between an APA and and IPA, and about the convoluted laws that came out of Prohibition.

Dressel's Pub: Starved after our Schlafly tour, we grabbed a booth at this civilized Welsh pub. Connolly used to run the kitchen here and had instructed us to get the Bavarian chips with rarebit. (Note: I am now convinced that my favorite way to consume beer is in a messy cheesy dip.) We followed up with cornmeal-fried oysters, thick French fries, and a huge half-pound burger. In between bites, I read Annie snippets of owner Jon Dressel's poetry from the posters on the walls.

by Brook Wilkinson

If I were going to be in San Francisco this weekend, you could find me in one of two places: Fort Mason, or the Civic Center Plaza. Those are the two sites for Slow Food Nation, reportedly the largest celebration of American food in history. The Slow Food Movement prizes food production that is environmentally sustainable and socially just. But instead of enjoying this festival of feel-good delicacies, I'll be on assignment in Montana and Wyoming (yeah, you're right, not a bad option either). If you're going to be around the Bay Area on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (and it's certainly worth the trip), here's what's going on:

* Taste: Kind of like the county fair without the deep-fried Twinkies. Fifteen pavilions at Fort Mason will showcase the best in bread, beer, cheese, chocolate, ice cream, olive oil, and other foodstuffs. For $65 ($45 if you're 21 or under), you can eat all you like for four hours, participate in hands-on workshops, and watch chefs such as Rick Bayless and Charlie Trotter demonstrate their skills.

Montparnasse: The "tour" in question.
AP Photo

by Bryan Pirolli

Famed architect Jean Nouvel is adding another tower to his impressive repertoire, this time in La Défense, the financial district right outside Paris. But apparently this isn't the only tower that the city is proposing: Some new skyscrapers may be creeping closer to the city center if Mayor Bertrand Delanoe has his way.

Paris has a longstanding issue with height. Seine prefect Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann's late-nineteenth century restructuring of Paris was heavily criticized, of course. Then when Eiffel put up his now-famous tower, no one was happy. And in 1973, when the unflattering Tour Montparnasse was completed, legislators responded to Parisians' outcries by passing a law limiting the height of buildings within the city to 37 meters (Montparnasse measures 210 meters).

Now, though, Mayor Delanoe hopes to alleviate affordable housing shortages with new high-rise buildings, tossing out the 30-year height restriction. While he isn't exactly planning on building a 300-meter tower next to the Louvre, Parisians are still critical of the notion. Surprise.

Towers do have their benefits. The revenue that the city pulls in from the Eiffel Tower alone is astonishing; it just welcomed the 200 millionth visitor last summer. In my opinion, though, the Tour Montparnasse offers a far better view (not to mention hardly any waiting line). Although tourists might be turned off by its rather unromantic exterior, I urge them to think like a Parisian: The best view of Paris is from the Tour Montparnasse because it's the only place in Paris where you can't see the Tour Montparnasse.

Photos: Abraxas3d on Flickr

by Tom Loftus

If you happen to be a resident of certain West Coast cities, Labor Day signifies not cookouts and tossing the football, but attending a certain art orgy in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.

The event is called Burning Man, and while it's already experienced media saturation from the likes of MTV, CNN, the BBC, and every blogger not currently at the Democratic National Convention, it has managed to retain its identity as one of most original festivals in the country.

And perhaps in acknowledging its role as a uniquely all-American freakfest, this year's art theme is "American Dream."

The Burning Man site explains:

In 2008, leave narrow and exclusive ideologies at home and carefully consider your immediate experience. What has America achieved that you admire? What has it done or failed to do that fills you with dismay? What is laudable? What is ludicrous? Put blame aside, let humor thrive, and dare to contemplate a larger question: What can America contribute to the world?

The Daily Traveler is looking forward to the installations that come about from this theme. A Mount Rushmore of Elvises? We'll run photos next week.

Alas, no one from the DT will be at Burning Man. Our repeated requests to have it moved from a prehistoric lake bed to an Ashtanga Yoga retreat in Tulum have been ignored. 

A hot stone massage at Solitude Spa.

Every May, Condé Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

All spas worthy of the name heal and nurture the body; the new Solitude Spa at Jackson Hole's Teton Mountain Lodge is one of the very few that also attend to the soul. With a design that draws on its surroundings, Solitude has ten treatment rooms and common areas decorated in a calming interplay of stone, water, and earth tones. The signature Waterfall body rituals ($135-$225) relax and restore, using a combination of body wrap, massage, and gentle waterfall shower, while the Soul Readings ($250) reveal where you've come from (in the larger sense) and what--besides blissing out--you're meant to be doing this time around (massages, $135).

Tel: 307-732-6865

Further reading:
* Teton Mountain Lodge Web site
* Hot List 2008
* The Jackson guide

Old-world charm with a very new look.

Every May, Condé Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

A lakeside resort in Carinthia, Austria's southernmost province, Velden could easily have inspired writer Anita Brookner's Hotel du Lac, a novel about life in a genteel and slightly faded Alpine resort. The new Schloss Velden, however, is light-years from the potted palms and fussy high teas that Brookner describes: This ginger-colored Renaissance château with deep balconies has just been brought into the twenty-first century after a top-to-bottom renovation that graced its 105 rooms with such amenities as built-in behind-the-bathroom-mirror televisions and electronic touch-pad light switches. There's also a beach club with a swimming pool, as well as a spacious spa with an indoor pool. All of this modernity hasn't blunted the old-world appeal of the hotel--staff are almost painfully polite, and rooms remain gemütlich nests done up in bronze silk damask, the beds covered with fluffy down duvets. An international crowd comes here for short-break R and R, creating a cosmopolitan vibe that's also reflected on the menu of the hotel's excellent Schlossstern restaurant.

Address: 1 Schlosspark, Velden, Austria
Tel: 43 4274 52888

When to go: May and June offer the weather of the summer season without the high prices or the crowds.
Which room to book: Request a standard double like No. 212 with partial views of the lake, or opt for a deluxe double with the full-on panorama. Avoid the newer annex, which has none of the charm of the original château.

Further reading:
* Schloss Velden's Web site
* Hot List 2008

Michelle Obama's holding it down in
Denver until Barack arrives Thursday.
AP Photo

The Democratic National Convention is here (or, rather, in Denver), so we've rounded up some Mile High City tips from our partners in blogging:

* Super-awesome map for functions about town (MSNBC.com)
* Thoughts from the Denver Post
* Jaunted's celeb sightings
* Lonely Planet's Denver guide
* Where to get your freedom fries in Denver (Gadling)
* Denver locals give Intelligent Travel some ideas on where to go
* Wooden key cards will be used at the DNC as a more eco-friendly alternative to plastic
* The Hotel Teatro made it onto Condé Nast Traveler's Hot List this year

And our own Eimear Lynch, who hails from the Centennial State, has put in her two (insider) cents:

If I'm only home for a few days, I'm guaranteed to spend at least one of them wandering around Cherry Creek North. It's walkable and centered around the large, upscale Cherry Creek mall complete with a mediocre Saks and a great Neiman Marcus. It was Denver's yuppie neighborhood before downtown became accessible--and it still boasts pedestrian-friendly streets, charming chichi boutiques, tons of spas and salons, small art galleries and good, local eateries (and, of course, a huge Whole Foods). These are all within a few blocks of each other between First and Third avenues and University and Colorado boulevards.

Clooney's cruisin' in Venice.
AP Photo

by Ondine Cohane

This week is one of Italy's most anticipated and celeb-heavy events, the Venice Film Festival. Unfortunately, I have yet to snag a ticket to opening night for the screening of the Coen brothers' Burn After Reading with heavyweights like Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, and George Clooney. I will, though, see Thursday's debut of a Valentino documentary directed by Vanity Fair's Matt Tyrnauer; I can't wait to see how the very funny writer will bring his lens to one of the world's most famous and most glamorous fashion designers. Titled Valentino: The Last Emperor, the film looks at both his amazing climb to fortune and his royalty-like lifestyle. (Tyrnauer shot more than 250 hours of footage to get the insider take.)

Ronnie Drew, Dubliner
Photo: AP Photo

* Bono: "You can take the hardest rock band on the earth and they sound like a bunch of girls next to the Dubliners."

* On the ground in Georgia from Magnum photographer Thomas Dworzak

* What chefs eat on vacation

* Frisky beach merits an editorial in the LA Times

* You think your Italian villa is grand?

Majestic's "leaf"-coated walls.
Photo: Aziacity.com

Every May, Condé Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

Inside this 80-year-old renovated shophouse in eclectic Chinatown, the owner took as his inspiration a magical tree from a fairy tale, with the ground floor mimicking the trunk. The intimate second floor sprouts "branches" that manifest as comfy plywood booths and oak-leaf panel walls. On cool nights, head out onto the deck for fun in the rock garden. The treetop third floor, reserved for private parties, has a canopy dotted with LEDs for a starry night even during the notorious monsoon. Well-heeled guests quaff creative drinks such as the Goa-tini, served with muddled coconut flesh and curry leaf, and order tapas like black-pepper crocodile-paw puffs.

Address: 41 Bukit Pasoh Road
Tel: 65-6534-8800

Further reading:
* Majestic Bar's Web site
* Hot List 2008
* The Singapore guide

    Luda's rollin' with his
    eco-conscious homies.
    AP Photo

by Beata Loyfman

From sneakers to designer water, celebs will hawk just about anything, for a price (Travolta, paging John Travolta). But can they influence your travel plans as well? TV producers are betting on it. That's why you'll soon see several travel shows starring famous faces.

Here's a rundown of the hits and misses:

When you hear the words "Spanish food," naturally the first thing that comes to mind is...Gwyneth Paltrow. Well, no, she doesn't really eat. But you know who does? Portly über-chef Mario Batali. Together, this odd couple shot a documentary series called "Spain...On the Road Again" in which they travel the country tasting its food, meeting the locals, and generally pretending to be normal folks like us. The series will air on PBS in September, but you can get a sneak preview here.

In another obvious collaboration, rapper/actor Ludacris and Pamela Anderson baby-daddy Tommy Lee have teamed up for a ten-episode series called Battleground Earth currently airing on TLC. The challenge: Who can be the most "green" on his cross-country tour? Naturally, shenanigans ensue. Celebrity friends P. Diddy and Meatloaf drop by. But the spotlight is on recycling, building solar panels, and reducing the carbon footprint of those giant tour buses. Hats off, boys.

The singer shines.
Photo: Jean Marc Lubrano

by John Oseid

Never mind that I have yet to visit the Cape Verde archipelago, I'm hooked on its culture and especially its booming music scene. Some weeks ago, I extolled the young guitarist Tcheka and promised to share some more of his talented compatriots with you.

Meet the young and talented Mayra Andrade. This spring she was selected "Best Newcomer" at the BBC Music Awards, an honor for which she performed at Royal Albert Hall. Andrade's got a lot going on in the States, too. In May she took the stage at New York's Carnegie Hall, earlier this summer she put on a lovely show at Joe's Pub (I'm still raving about it), and in September her splendid album Navega makes its U.S. debut.

 

by Sara Tucker

I love a good map, and I just found a beauty lying on the reception desk at the Three Stallion Inn in Randolph, Vermont--my hometown! I'm blown away to discover that I live in some of the best bicycling territory this side of Moab. It's all laid out in topographical detail in "White River Valley Biking Routes."

The map, which was commissioned by the inn from Map Adventures, LLC, encompasses 24 routes for all levels, on both dirt and paved roads. A sample: The 10.6-mile Organic Cow Farm loop for mountain bikes follows a snowmobile trail and a series of logging roads. Then there's a back-roads tour for hybrids that invites riders to "pick your own berries at Beebleberry Farm." But for me, the winner looks like a 40-mile ride along country roads past Floyd's Store (where my uncle and his buddies hang out), a sugar house that serves pancakes, and Ariel's Restaurant, where Brookfield residents love to bring their out-of-state guests. Not for me, though, is the Kelsey Challenge route, with its killer mountain road and its warning to "watch for barking dog (tan house on right with tall pines)."

I spent a good part of the weekend exploring the Three Stallion's own trail system, which is exquisite. Ferny forests, secluded ponds, stony brooks. We were on foot, and although the inn's 17 rooms were fully booked, we saw nary a biker nor a hiker. From September 2 to 18, the inn is offering a midweek discount (Sunday through Thursday) of 40 percent.

Condé Nast Traveler's September issue hit stands Tuesday, but if you haven't picked it up yet, here's a sneak peek at some of the hottest Power Issue pieces:

* "Matt Damon's Good Work Hunting"
* Editor in Chief Klara Glowczewska's week of (not) living dangerously in Rwanda
* Travel's trail blazers: from Anderson Cooper to Chinese tourists
* A conversation with Queen Rania
* "Only in Tuscany": What is it about this piece of Italy that mesmerizes the world?

Also, check out the video above to see how the cover shoot went down.