Tag Archives: Reviews

Boomers Travel: The Arts District Firehouse Hotel In LA Is A Destination To “Dine And Dwell”

From a Dezeen.com online article by Paul Jebara:

Arts District Firehouse Hotel Los AngelesThe nine suites at Arts District Firehouse Hotel are intended to capture a “dreamy mix of the elegant and bizarre”. Each is individually designed in layout and colour theme and named accordingly: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, White and Black.

A new boutique accommodation, envisioned as a “dreamy mix of the elegant and bizarre”, has opened up inside a 1970s firehouse in Los Angeles.

Arts District Firehouse Hotel Los Angeles.JPG

The property marks the first boutique hotel in the city’s up-and-coming Arts District, and is aptly named the Arts District Firehouse Hotel.

https://www.firehousela.com/home

To read more click on following link: https://www.dezeen.com/2019/08/03/arts-district-firehouse-hotel-los-angeles-creative-space/

Top Restaurants In Maine: “The Shop” Serves Oysters, Caviar & Tinned Seafood Spreads, Fabulously

From a Bon Appetit online article by Alex Delaney:

The Shop MenuIf you do something simple the wrong way, that’s a one-way ticket to boredom. Case in point: Unsalted potato chips. (Just, why?!) But if you do something simple the right way, it’s like the world just makes sense. The folks at The Shop in Portland, Maine, understand this, and absolutely nail it.

There are no elaborate seafood stews or grilled whole fish or ambitious desserts at this seafood joint from the crew at Island Creek Oysters in Massachusetts. It sells oysters, caviar, and tinned seafood spreads. That’s it. The oysters, usually local Maine and Massachusetts varieties, are just $1.50 each and come on large trays of ice with the classic fixings: lemon wedges, horseradish, cocktail sauce, and shallot mignonette. The caviar is also produced by Island Creek and best enjoyed on top of said oysters (not to mention very affordable). The tinned fish—smoked mussels, oil-packed tuna, beautiful sardines—is served with slices of sourdough bread, spicy mustard, butter, chives, flaky salt, sauerkraut, pickles, onions, and saltines, and is arranged in such a way that you almost don’t want to disrupt the harmony of the composition. Almost.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/the-shop-portland-maine

New Artistic Short Films: “Dear Enemy – The Journey Of Bashir” Directed By Arne Totz (2019)

“An abstract visual journey based on the true story of Bashir Ramathan.”

Directed by: Arne Totz

Dear Enemy - The Journey Of Bashir Cinematic Poem Short Film Directed By Arne Totz (2019)

Production Company: Friends & Fellows
Director of Photography: Paul Meyers
Editor: Matt Osborne
Colorist: Marina Starke
VFX: NHB Munich
Composer: Jakob Balogh

Dear Enemy - The Journey Of Bashir Cinematic Poem Short Film Directed By Arne Totz (2019)
Sound Designer: David Herbst
Copywriter: Arne Totz, Vicky Jacob-Ebbinghaus
Voice Over Artist: Isaac Simba

Dear Enemy - The Journey Of Bashir Cinematic Poem Short Film Directed By Arne Totz (2019)

Website: https://friendsandfellows.com/work/dear-enemy/

Top Exhibits: Empire State Building Mini Museum Opens To The Public

From a Curbed NY online article:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe Empire State Building, New York City’s most iconic skyscraper, has been reimagining its observatory experience for some time now. As part of a two-phase project, a new observatory entrance at 20 West 34th Street debuted last August, and now, a new set of immersive exhibits are open to the public.

The 10,000-square-foot galleries, part of a $165 million project which began more than four years ago, include several displays that tell the history of the building from its construction to its prominent place in the city’s culture.

To read more click on following link: https://ny.curbed.com/2019/7/29/8934703/empire-state-building-exhibit-observatory-history-nyc

 

Newly Renovated Resorts: Desert Hot Springs’ “Two Bunch Palms” – Carbon Neutral Rejuvenation

From a Design Milk online article:

Two Bunch Palms Mineral WatersTwo Bunch Palms mineral springs flow up from Miracle Hill, a 600 year old source bubbling from under the surface and flowing hot directly into the resort’s pool. Ecological considerations also extend to the hotel using its very own solar field array, earning Two Bunch Palms the status of being the first carbon-neutral resort in America.

Studio MAI, the firm responsible for designing the popular Venice restaurant mainstay, Gjelina, remained cognizant and careful to retain the resort’s storied “quirkiness and authenticity” while adding enough colors, textures, and modern motifs in acknowledgement of the new generation descending into the region drawn by the desert’s charms. The resulting makeover feels fresh without cloyingly contemporary, retaining a textural charm that has mostly abandoned nearby Palm Springs.

To read more click the following link: https://design-milk.com/mineral-springs-modernity-bubbles-anew-at-the-two-bunch-palms/

Top New Restaurants: Selby’s In Atherton, CA Boasts Top Chef, Old Hollywood Style

From an SFChronicle.com online article:

Selby's Restaurant Black Label Burger“I was really focused on the idea of a burger, but taking it to the next level in terms of quality and flavor. I wanted to make it this kind of luxurious dining experience,” said Sullivan.

He’s already made a name for himself at the Bacchus Management Group’s sister restaurants in San Francisco, Spruce and the Saratoga, both known for their burgers, which cost $21 and $16, respectively.

Selby’s, a swanky new Silicon Valley restaurant styled after Old Hollywood, opened Tuesday near the Atherton border at 3001 El Camino Real…

…The Black Label Burger took chef Mark Sullivan six months to develop. Each order includes roughly 5 ounces of shaved Australian black truffles.

To read more click on following link: https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/New-Silicon-Valley-restaurant-opens-with-50-14120219.php?psid=effhg

Boomers Health Tips: Kaiser Health News And NPR Team Up To Explain Confusing Medical Bills

From a Kaiser Health News article:

In 2018 Kaiser Health News and NPR teamed up to create “Bill of the Month,” a crowdsourced investigative series in which we dissect and explain medical bills you send us. We have received nearly 2,000 submissions of outrageous and confusing medical bills from across the country.

Bill of the Month Video
Click link below to watch video

https://khn.org/news/your-go-to-guide-to-decode-medical-bills/

Each month we select one bill to thoroughly investigate, often resulting in the bill being resolved soon after the story is published. But what about the large number of Americans who receive surprise medical bills that reporters can’t examine?

NPR Kaiser Sample Hospital Bill 2019

New Camping Websites: “Tentrr.com” Provides Fully Equipped Campsites On Private Land Locations

From a Travel and Leisure online article:

Tentrr.com Camping SitesTentrr is a new site that’s hoping to take the unknown factor out of glamping while providing campers with exclusive access to locations across the U.S. — many of which are totally remote. Tentrr partners with private landowners to install a fully equipped campsite on their property. Every Tentrr Signature Campsite has a sturdy canvas tent on an elevated platform, bed, wood stove, Adirondack chairs, fire pit, grill, picnic table, sun shower, and camp toilet.

Glamping has filled a void for adventurous travelers who don’t want to brave the wild in a nylon tent, but still want to experience nature away from RVs and packed campgrounds. But as with most new things, the quality and experience of glamping can vary, with guests often unsure of what to expect.

To read more click on following link: https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/tentrr-glamping?cid=407867&did=407867-20190722&mid=22947635458&utm_campaign=just-in_newsletter&utm_content=072219&utm_medium=email&utm_source=travelandleisure.com

 

Top Summer Destinations: Laguna Beach Festival Of Arts Celebrates 87th Year

From an Orange County Register article:

IMG_4711The Pageant of the Masters was first developed in the 1930s to combine music, storytelling and theatrical illusions to celebrate artistic interpretation and history. It has since become a Laguna Beach tradition drawing visitors from around the world. This year’s show, which opens Sunday, July 7, and runs through Aug. 31, marks the pageant’s 86th year. Continue reading Top Summer Destinations: Laguna Beach Festival Of Arts Celebrates 87th Year

Top Roadside Restaurants: “B.T.’s Smokehouse” In Sturbridge, Mass. Is “Astonishlingly Good”

From a Bon Appétit Magazine article  by Amanda Shapiro:

B.T.'s Smokehouse logoWhile it may be unassuming, B.T.’s is hardly undiscovered. The lines get long, so time your trip to hit the smokehouse when it opens at 11 a.m. or during the late-afternoon lull. Order your meat to go, grab a beer at the convenience store next door, and park yourself on the hood of your car, the curb, or anywhere you can find a spot. It isn’t glamorous, but it is astonishingly good.

Situated between I-84 and I-90, B.T.’s is an ideal pit stop for any drive that takes you up to (or down from) Boston, New Hampshire, or Maine. Brisket is the thing here—smoked for 24 to 30 hours on local apple and hickory wood. You can order it à la carte, in a Reuben-style sandwich, or—my favorite—on a platter with classic sides like collard greens and mac and cheese.

To read more from article click on following link: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/bts-smokehouse-sturbridge-massachusetts

B.T.'s Smokehouse
https://www.btsmokehouse.com/

B.T.'s Smokehouse Brisket Rueben