Well, we promised, and here it is, our video from last Sunday's New Amsterdam Market in front of the old Fulton Fish Market in (way) downtown New York. With tasting on their to-do list (and a few nibbles already in their tummies), Mollie Chen and Julia Bainbridge bounced from stall to stall, checking out what local New York farmers, cheesemongers, and popsicle aficionados had to offer. Despite the heat and the noise from the highway, market-goers were all smiles. And why wouldn't they be? They could walk just ten feet to get from oysters to rich breads to--Mollie's favorite--ice cream.

Bouley: a tasty kind of
health nut

by Mollie Chen

If you should ever find yourself lucky enough to be invited to Chef David Bouley's test kitchen, don't think twice. The tricked out Tribeca loft is close to my ideal apartment: cushy leather couches, shelves crammed with cookbooks, a gleaming open kitchen, and a chalkboard wall (for when that culinary inspiration hits). I was there last week for a special dinner to preview what Bouley and celeb nutritionist Oz Garcia have in store for their forthcoming restaurant at the Baccarat Hotel and Residences at Temenos, Anguilla. The night started out with Hendrick's and fennel martinis and ended, many dishes later, with an airy chocolate soufflé with a molten adzuki bean core. Over four hours (the time it takes to eat nine courses), the pair successfully indoctrinated me into the world of food functionality--not hard when you are being fed "good bacteria" in the form of Chatham cod with hon shimeji and baby shiitake mushrooms in black truffle dashi.

Fulton Fish Market circa 1947
AP Photo

For all you New Yorkers out there (and those of you in town for a visit), this Sunday marks the third gathering of the New Amsterdam Market at the South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan. Vendors supporting regional and sustainable food systems--among them The Baker's Dozen (organized by Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery), Flying Pigs Farm, Saxelby Cheesemongers, and rick's picks--will sell their goodies in plaza fronting the iconic New Market Building from 11am to 4pm. Daily Travelers Mollie Chen and Julia Bainbridge will be there, video camera in hand, so if you can't make it this time around, be sure to check in with the DT next week for a virtual tour.

Further reading:
* For full details, visit the market's website
* Learn about the city's already thriving greenmarket system

The day Prohibition died.
AP Photo

by Julia Bainbridge

Tales of the Cocktail is creeping up, and tickets are still available for the New Orleans food and drink (or, rather, drink and food) festival. This year's events include a "Save the Daiquiri" party, a panel on great bars of the world, and a bar chef challenge presented by Food & Wine, among others running from July 16-20.

Something new at Tales this year is what founder Ann Rogers is calling The World's Largest Collaborative Cocktail Blog. Bloggers--among them the Cocktail Chronicles, Kaiser Penguin, Art of Drink, and Jeffrey Morgenthaler--will be on hand (by invitation only) to cover the many spirited events taking place over those four July days and nights. The Daily Traveler's own guest blogger Lauren Clark of drinkboston.com is sure to be there. They've already been sneaking previews since April, both on their own blogs as well as on a special Tales of the Cocktail group blog.

Note: The live coverage will include the first-ever live session of Mixology Monday.

What's more, the Museum of the American Cocktail will reopen its doors in a spot just in time for Tales. The expanded exhibit, designed by curator Ted "Dr. Cocktail" Haigh, features two hundred years of cocktail history--vintage cocktail shakers, Prohibition-era literature, music, bar tools, and other cocktail memorabilia.

Further reading:
* We mentioned Dr. Cocktail, but there's a Mr. Cocktail in town (Beantown, that is)
* Imbibe magazine's blog--another one to check out--reports on Croatia's drink culture

Blue crabs
Photo: blue-crab.info

by Julia Bainbridge

June is Maryland's time: the trees grow lush and green, the air smells sweet, and the people smile a little more. As some friends and I passed by the Chesapeake Bay on a recent visit to my hometown of Baltimore, I pointed--black, yellow, white, and red pumping through me--"That's Maryland water, girls." Prideful (and silly), I know, but beauty does strange things.

What else does that water do? It gives us blue crabs, and I love blue crabs as many ways as Bubba loves shrimp. First on my list is Maryland crab soup. Cream of crab is good, but the tomato-based Maryland crab is a meal. You'll find other summer soups with crab thrown in for good measure; cold, crunchy gazpacho topped with lump crab meat never hurt anyone (except those with certain food allergies).

The way most Baltimoreans like their crabs is steamed in Old Bay seasoning. Then, all you need is some newspaper to throw on the table, a few mallets for cracking, and plenty of cold beer to wash it all down. And you'll need it at crab holy grounds like Obrycki's, where the seasoning has plenty of heat that likes to cling to your lips as you pick away. Often times you can get a multi-person crab feast that comes with some mussels, clams, corn on the cob, and maybe some cole slaw and potato salad. (The state is more southern than I grew up thinking it was; I've even caught a few menus serving fried green tomatoes.)

Canyon Ranch's new Venetian bar.

by Mollie Chen

As someone who overindulges on a daily basis, I find the idea of detoxing--erasing a multitude of sins in a matter of days or hours--incredibly seductive. Earlier this spring, I jokingly asked one of my editors to send me to a destination spa for a week. Her solution was to throw me into a three-day juice cleanse so that I could write about it for our June spa supplement. Interesting experience, but not for me; life without food is just too boring. (Also not on my list: the detox foot patch. Ew.)

I've got detox on the mind for a few reasons, the first being that after weeks of nonstop gluttony, my jeans are too tight. Secondly, I recently reread Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food and was guilted/inspired to give up Splenda (I'm stocking up on agave nectar) and processed foods (oh, how I'll miss my granola bars). And just yesterday, I met with the team from Canyon Ranch to talk about their plans for the future. The brand has big things coming up, literally: Their addition to the Canyon Ranch SpaClub at the Venetian, opening this September, will bring their total square footage to 135,000, making it the largest spa in the world. (Take that, Dubai.)

Smoked offerings from Otto's.
Photo: kfdm.com

by Julia Bainbridge

As promised, I ate my way around Houston and I'm here to tell you about it.

Reeling from the success of my ice cream experiment, I celebrated with some Goode Company barbecue. From what my GlorifiedYetNamelessTexanFriend told me, Houstonians prefer to smoke beef, not pork. Sure, you can find spare ribs and the like in this town, but what makes Houston truly meat-tastic is the beef brisket and the Czech sausage. Loaded onto a plate with cole slaw, jambalaya Texana (rice with bits and pieces of ham, onion, and Lord knows what else), and Jalapeno bread and washed down with Shiner Bock; it doesn't get much better (or more filling). Don't miss the pecan pie at the end, topped with Blue Bell ice cream. My Virginian grandmother would have a fit, but I admit Goode Company's rivals her pecan pie. (As I type, I can feel her hands planting firmly on her hips and her head cocking sideways in consternation. Thankfully, she's not the most Internet-savvy cook.) A note to New York BBQ (and, well, all) joints: Goode Company has cafeteria-style communal tables outside that sit under fans spraying nosh-happy customers with cool mist. We could use some of that.

We're as serious as these guys.
AP Photo

by Mollie Chen

Over the course of the past week, I put in heroic showings at three epic barbecue feasts. Since I'm from Miami--not Texas or North Carolina--I am quite promiscuous in my tastes. I like tangy vinegary sauce, sweet molasses-laced sauce, and spicy tomato-based sauce. Ribs can be dry-rubbed or marinated, as long as they're tasty; pork can be chopped or pulled, but it's got to have a generous amount of fat. I know there are many people who will disagree with me, but from what I can tell, there's plenty of good barbecue in New York.

My pig-tastic week began with a long, lively dinner at Harlem's rollicking Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, where I could have been happy eating their spicy chicken wings all night. The following night, I had dinner at a very different type of BBQ joint, Wildwood, in the i-banker flush area of Union Square East. Though the setting is a bit tame, the baby back ribs and pulled pork were the real thing--and the carrot cake is the best I've ever tasted.

Lauren Clark all Deco-ed out.

Guest blogging for the Daily Traveler today is Lauren Clark, a.k.a. LUPEC Boston's Barbara West, a freelance writer and the publisher of Drinkboston.com.

If you're tired of seeing insipid vodka drinks on bar menu after bar menu, the Boston chapter of Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC) is here for you. Bartenders, drinks writers, and spirits enthusiasts make up this group gearing to resurrect nearly extinct drinks (Hanky Panky or Scoff Law, anyone?) and raise funds for local organizations helping women in need in the process.

The group, of which I'm a founding member, recently achieved both goals with its Little Black Book of Cocktails: Namesake & Favorite Recipes. Try the Chartreuse-based Can-Can (recipe below), a gorgeous summertime sparkler. We are giving all proceeds to the Friends Boutique at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which provides wigs and other items to people dealing with the side effects of cancer treatment--so the ladies can feel lovely again.

Now, about that thriving cocktail scene: Boston has some of the country's best cocktail bars--Eastern Standard, No. 9 Park, Green Street, and the B-Side Lounge, to name a few--and more and more establishments are mixing with classic ingredients and techniques.

Post-grill perfection: my goal.
Photo: Saveur.com

by Julia Bainbridge

People grill in mysterious ways--to me, at least. Yes, there are myriad tutorial-like cookbooks out there. Yes, the June issues of culinary magazines annually publish chefs' tips on the subject. Yes, the Food Network is currently flaming with BBQ how-to specials. But for whatever reason (an overpowering fidelity to cocktails? a bizarre love for prep work that trumps any attention to the backyard brouhaha? delinquency?), that perfect char remains out of my reach.

Charcoal power's on the brain these days as the weather turns warm and the office brings on summer hours. And I'm determined to become a seasoned grill-goer before the season's end. This past weekend, I watched as my dear foodie friend Nick Pandolfi cooked sausages to perfection; they had beautiful diagonal scorch lines running their lengths, and when provoked with the tip of a paring knife, they released the most fragrant and sizzling juices. (We topped them with caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, and good old French's yellow mustard. Rapturous, I tell you.) I'm not sure I could do the same solo yet, but the applejack cocktails I made were a hit.

My sammy soul mate.

by Mollie Chen

Nostalgia is a funny thing. Some people think back to their college years and remember the endless cups of coffee or Solo cups of warm beer or perhaps dining hall chickwiches. I'll admit, when I go back to Boston I do get a bit misty-eyed over the stately redbrick buildings and the good old Charles. But it's a sandwich that does me in.

There's a specific type of coffee shop that seems to flourish in college towns. Haphazard, vaguely folksy decor with worn, cushy armchairs and too-small tables, indie rock in the background and scruffy, friendly servers. Darwin's Ltd., just outside Harvard Square, fits the mold perfectly. The first time I dragged my parents there, promising them a transcendent experience, my father took one look at the earnest undergrads highlighting away, and sighed. "Oh, so it's a Friends place," he said. Fair. Darwin's looks as if it's a movie set left over from With Honors. But it also has--and I am not exaggerating--the best sandwiches in the world. I know ex-Bostonians living in every far corner of the globe who would happily trade a perfect banh mi or croque monsieur for a single overstuffed Darwin's creation.

Vintage Flea finds.
Brownstoner.com

by Julia Bainbridge

Everyone seems to be jumping on the Brooklyn Flea train since it came onto the Fort Greene scene on April 16. Just a block from Dekalb Avenue's restaurant row, Brownstoner has secured the 40,000-square-foot lot at Lafayette and Vanderbilt Avenues for vendors to sell everything from wallpaper to waffles. I can't get away for the long weekend, so this is certainly where I'll be on Sunday (just like last Sunday).

Some of my favorites? Whimsy and Spice's marshmallows are to die for; I bought some Digby & Iona cuff links for Father's Day (yes, it's fast approaching); and Carla Venticinque's adorable prints inspire me to pick up my camera again.

So stop by if you're in town, too. Look for the girl with a mouth full of grilled corn and a purse full of cocktail rings.

Now on my shelves.
Random House

by Mollie Chen

Owing to the minuscule size of my apartment, I have to think twice before bringing home another cookbook. But when Cathy and Tony Mantuano's just-released Wine Bar Food came across my desk, I immediately shoved it in my bag.

The Mantuanos, owners of Chicago's celebrated Spiaggia restaurant, were inspired by many years of eating and drinking in the various wine bars of the Mediterranean (I should be so lucky). Their slim, intelligent book is organized according to city and specific wine bar tradition, from Roman crudo bars to Barcelona tapas counters. It's perfect for overextended twenty-somethings who don't have the energy to pull together elaborate meals but who want tasty snacks to go with their wine (sound familiar?). There are plenty of tempting recipes--porchetta panini, anyone?--but my favorite section is the list of must-have Mediterranean pantry items and suggestions for how to serve them. A fantastic grocery list for any traveler headed to Europe, it has favorites like Spanish piquillo peppers and Moroccan harissa, plus others I had never heard of--Italian lampascioni, or marinated wild hyacinth bulbs, sounds especially intriguing.

The husband-and-wife duo was in our office the other day to talk about their upcoming projects, including a restaurant in the soon-to-open Renzo Piano addition to the Chicago Art Institute and an onsite wine bar at this summer's U.S. Open. They've also got an enviable travel schedule: In addition to their twice-yearly pilgrimage to Italy, the couple is researching eating and drinking itineraries in Southern Spain and Lisbon. I'm predicting a Wine Bar Food focused entirely on jarred edibles and pasteis de nata, the habit-inducing Portuguese egg tart. I also got Tony to tell me about his favorite pantry staple (one that didn't make it into the book): Rosamarina, from his grandparents? native Calabria, is a bright red preserve made from chili peppers and tiny fish. "You smear it on bread, add it to pastas for that anchovy, umami flavor," he says. "It's so delicious." He's never seen it in the U.S. and neither have I--but now I'm going to start looking.

Chef Norbert and his "cajinci."

by Julia Bainbridge

More and more people are looking to make something better out of their vacations than a few lazy, mojito-fueled days (and nights, perhaps) by the ocean. Some are teaching in Cambodia, while others simply want to stick a toe in the other side of their hotel dining rooms.

Hotel & Spa Rosa Alpina opens in San Cassiano, Italy, this summer with a "Flavors of the Dolomites" cooking class weekend featuring twice Michelin-starred Chef Norbert Niederkofler. From June 20 to 23, Chef Niederkofler will show you how to smoke, vacuum, and low-temperature cook, as well as how to choose appropriate wines for sipping and serving. The hearty fare of his homeland favors meats, soup, and polenta, but this chef will also teach earnest kitchen-goers how to make his very untraditional pine needle risotto. (The weekend will include a visit from the local cheese producer who fashions the regional specialty Graukase--literally, "gray cheese"--served in Niederkofler's signature cajinci ravioli dish.)

For those who can't fit in the international flight, Maine's White Barn Inn offers a culinary escape, too. Chef Jonathan Cartwright, who helms the kitchen at the inn's Mobil 5 Star, AAA 5 Diamond restaurant (the only one so rated north of Manhattan, no less), is now giving guests private cooking classes. Small-world fun fact: The White Barn invites guest chef-instructors to teach classes annually, and this year Chef Niederkofler was there from Rosa Alpina.

To market, to market.

by Mollie Chen

Within minutes of arriving in Savannah, I was smitten. Three days later, I was an avowed convert to the church of porch swings, Spanish moss, and shabby chic decor. I found myself continually ooh-ing over the picturesque square lined with antebellum mansions and oak trees, and I couldn't get over how unfailingly nice everyone was. I started to contemplate leaving New York to pursue a career as a southern belle.

And then there was the food.

Wasted away again in style.
Photo: Vegas.com

by Julia Bainbridge

Well, spirits lovers, it's May 8, which means it's three days after Cinco de Mayo, which means margaritaphiles (that's you) have been in a celebratory haze for 72 hours. Where can you shake off the tequila in favor of something brighter and lighter? Rooftop bars are opening all over the country just in time for summer.

* Salon de Ning is scheduled to debut on May 16 at The Peninsula New York. They're calling the style Shanghai Deco, a melange of cultures reflecting the glamour of 1930s Shanghai, the "Paris of the East."

* Also in New York, Hell's Kitchen is getting its very own ultra-modern rooftop lounge this month. Highbar by restaurateur Greg Brier boasts spectacular views of the Hudson and all the amenities found indoors (air-conditioned areas, dedicated service professionals, ambiance).

* In Vegas, "daylife" is born with the opening of Wet Republic (pictured) at the MGM Grand. Think poolside pampering (a 53,000-square-foot pool, that is) meets nightclub.

* The award-winning Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel will unveil its fully redesigned Roof Garden this May. L.A.-based Cheryl Rowley Design is overseeing the $4 million renovation, which will outfit the building with a swimming pool and an outdoor bar and dining area.

* Finally, in Brooklyn, Studio B has expanded to a new full-floor rooftop level. For now, palm trees abound, but come winter, you can still stargaze--the new space has a retractable glass roof.

What surfers eat for breakfast.

by Mollie Chen

There are many things I love about Hawaii, but near the top of the list: You're rarely expected to wear shoes, and I can get a shave ice or a coffee in my bathing suit.

Last week, minutes after a surf lesson on Waikiki (yes, it's a cliché, but it's still the best place on the island to learn), my cousin Nani, a local, and I stumbled into Da Cove Health Bar for her favorite breakfast (which is also the latest obsession of every attractive surfer or wannabe surfer on the island): an acai bowl. I've been hearing about acai for a while now; it has crept into my life by way of smoothies, beauty products, and even cocktails. The Brazilian berry supposedly has one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants, as well as healthy monosaturated fats and other minerals (perhaps this is Gisele's secret?).

Despite all its good-for-you properties, I'd never been a fan of acai, mostly because I don't think the eggplant-colored berry pulp (it's nearly impossible to get fresh because the berries go rancid a day after they are picked) tastes like anything. At Da Cove, frozen acai pulp--packet after packet of Sambazon--is blended with fruit to make an icy slushy mixture that is then topped with sliced bananas, strawberries, granola, and honey. It's crunchy, cold, sweet, and delicious.

West Coasters can already find acai at most juice joints. Here in Manhattan, the trend is just creeping into some health bars and the quirky Valley, a hipster boutique on the Lower East Side that also has a cult following for its one-room waxing salon. Now that's something Honolulu doesn't have.

More reading:
* 14 Perfect Days in Hawaii

Video: PDT in NYC

by Julia Bainbridge

Perhaps this section of our new blog would more aptly be named Catch of the Week, but as we intend to submit tidbits on international noshables whenever the mood strikes (which, around here, is more like daily), we're going with Catch of the Day. Check here--definitely Thursdays, maybe every other day--for updates on all things epicurean, from Boston to Belgrave. Today, we're following in Slow Food's footsteps by starting local.