File this under Ironies in Travel:

Disney World Bans Children from Fanciest Park Restaurant

When I saw this headline, I thought to myself, now who exactly goes to Disney World - of all places - to get away from children? And then I thought, duh, precisely the parents who brought them there!

Oftentimes, the only restaurants you read about in travel publications and on blogs, etc., are the new ones that everyone is talking about, but last night I was reminded that old favorites may just be the best places for city visitors to discover.

Case in point: San Francisco’s Betelnut, a pan-Asian small plates restaurant that I dare say is, hands-down, one of the best moderately-priced, semi-casual spots within city boundaries. Sure, some snooty foodies may not think it daring nor gourmet enough and some picky eaters may prefer a place with steak-and-potatoes offerings. But for those who want a crowd-pleaser of a place with a lively vibe and cool interiors (check out the fans above the bar) that works well whether you’ve got a party of two or a party of 10, Betelnut is as close to a sure bet as you can get.

On a Tuesday night in the middle of January - not traditionally a prime time for dining out - this Cow Hollow eatery was packed, as it is most every night of the week almost every day of the year. Chef Alexander Ong’s mall and large plates meant to be shared among everyone at the table range from the signature garlicky Szechuan green beans (a must!) to the divine oven smoked sea bass with ginger-cucumber namasu. If you go, don’t miss the hot and spicy firecracker shrimp with five-spice sambal dip, veggie-friendly happy buddha dumplings or the wok-seared galanda beef filet with crispy yams. And travelers who are watching their wallets will appreciate the reasonable prices. With wine, three of us dined (more like stuffed) last night for $120, tip included.

Take it from someone who isn’t a restaurant critic or a food writer: if you’re visiting San Francisco and have any taste for Asian cuisine whatsoever, you won’t be disappointed with anything - other than the wait you may have to endure for a table.

You never know what you’ll find when you run across a little cottage in the woods. At Mirabelle Restaurant at Beaver Creek - well known for convincing even the weariest downhill-addled legs to get up and move come suppertime - you’ll discover Belgium-born Master Chef Daniel Joly’s menu, which vacillates between classic French concoctions like foie gras paired with a caviar crepe and black truffles to game-driven offerings with a decidedly American twist. Attention carnivores: Chef Joly’s elk filet with celery fries, turnip and quince compote and a berry wine reduction sauce is not to be missed.

But there’s something endlessly alluring about Mirabelle that goes far beyond the charms of its menu. It’s the kind of place where you’re likely to see co-owner Nathalie Joly casually maneuvering through the dining room, where a prominent portrait of the husband-and-wife team hangs above tables lit with flickering oil lamps. It’s the kind of place where your waiter was likely up before you that day, headed to the top of the mountain and can also likely give you a full ski report after he’s done explaining the daily four-course tasting menu. And it’s the sort of place with a history that precedes high-tech underwear, fancy resorts and the droves of women in furry boots that seem to dominate them these days.

Long before Mirabelle became one of Beaver Creek’s most popular dining destinations, it was, in one form or another, a gathering place for the region’s movers and shakers. According to local historians, the first home erected in the valley way back in the 1880’s occupied the land where the restaurant now stands. The current building’s west wing was built in 1898. The east wing, built later, made the house the largest in Avon, Colo. Its size and prominence made it a social hub for the growing local community.

To be sure, this little mountain cottage in the woods - now dwarfed by mammoth luxury homes and the glitz of nearby resorts - is no longer the grandest dwelling in the land. But we’d dare say the stream of eager guests is much the same as it ever was. Of course, we’re pretty sure our pioneer predecessors weren’t leaving full of lobster bisque and chocolate-laden sweets. Here’s to living in the present…

When we wanted the inside scoop on Park City, we went to Deb Lovci, who started earning her local cred when she moved to the skiers’ paradise from Colorado back in 1988. Today the avid skier shows advanced snow-goers the ins and outs of the backcountry as a guide with Ski Utah Interconnect Adventure Tours. When she’s not treating area visitors to the fab powder the region is known for, she serves up gourmet breakfasts and cozy accommodations as the innkeeper of the Old Town Guest House Bed & Breakfast. Here are Deb’s picks for some of the best things to see and do on your next visit to Park City, Utah.

One plank or two?

Definitely two, but I’m a tele skier, so two planks, but no heel pieces. With my guiding in the backcountry, I can get to somebody really quickly with my tele gear.

What did your guests have for breakfast this morning?

Pumpkin French toast with pure maple syrup.

Favorite run:

That’s a tough one. There are so many good ones. I’m also a runner, so if I’m on my feet, a loop around Old Town. I love to get out and do a Nordic ski, so the 5K loop at White Pine Touring. It’s just so nice and peaceful to do a little run around it. And the best run? Anything they haven’t groomed.

What’s the geekiest piece of gear you own?

The Garmin Forerunner 305. It’s a GPS heart rate monitor. It tells me how far, how fast, pace, time.

What’s the one piece of gear you can’t live without?

A lid. I just love hats. Pretty much from the first snowfall to spring, I have a hat on.

Best cheap eats in town:

El Chubasco. We call it Chubby’s. They have this awesome salsa bar. You can go in and pig out for well under $10.

Most romantic spot in town:

That’s easy. In front of the fireplace at Old Town Guest House. It’s 100 years old, wood burning. The building was built in 1901. The whole room is set around the fireplace. You can see the snow falling, and it doesn’t get any more romantic than that.

What should every Park City visitor take home?

Something from Rocky Mountain Chocolate. They have special gift packs. My personal fave would be their fudge. It’s one of those great local products that’s made right here.

Whenever a friend visits, you always make sure they see:

The Utah Olympic Park. It’s all free. You go and watch the bobsledders, it’s amazing. They do the big jumping there, and they have a great museum that shows the history of skiing. It’s magical.

A day on the mountain wouldn’t be complete without:

Our famous Utah powder. It really is the greatest snow on earth.

The Violet Hour’s Toby Maloney concocts a Whiskey Smash:

Homemade simple syrups and bitters, cold-draft ice, chilled glasses are just the beginning at the Violet Hour, Chicago’s trendiest (and best, many would argue) destination for upscale cocktails.

Since opening last summer, the Wicker Park bar has fast become the kind of place out-of-towners love to visit. Why? Well, there are, of course, things like the menu of old school classics (when was the last time you ordered a Sazerac?), new house creations by vaunted mixologist Toby Maloney and the opulent interiors complete with high-backed chairs and crystal chandeliers.

But there’s another reason visitors to Chicago are putting the Violet Hour on their must-do lists: they want to get in on the conversation. Since owner and nightlife impresario Terry Alexander opened the place, all manner of foodies, travelers and cocktail enthusiasts have braved the long lines and forked over $11 a cocktail just to be able to weigh in with their two cents. And woah, is there ever conversation. Everything from the sluggish lines on Saturday nights and lack of exterior signage to the no-reservations policy and the bartenders’ muddling styles have become topics of great debate in both the traditional and 2.0 media landscapes. All you have to do is Google the venue’s name and “Chicago” to find countless magazine articles, blog posts and comments from folks who’ve gone and since joined the comparison chatter fray.

So whether you go and – like one recent visitor we know – emerge counting the cocktails among the best you’ve ever had or check out the scene and deem it trendier-than-thou, the Violet Hour’s magnetic pull is sure to strike during your next Chi-Town adventure. Don’t be surprised if you end up here.

In the mean time, check out Toby Maloney in action as he makes a Maloney Negroni:

The Violet Hour
1520 N. Damen Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622

If you’re in New York over Thanksgiving, there’s no better way to get over your all-American food hangover than Big Onion’s Annual Multi-Ethnic Eating Tour of New York, held on Nov. 23, 2007. Sponsored by the Museum of the City of New York, the walking tour ushers attendees through the Jewish East Side, Little Italy and Chinatown for edible specialties from each neighborhoods. You’ll eat well along the way, but you’ll walk away with more than a full belly. The tour is packed with anecdotes and factual information about the diverse cultures in each ‘hood and their very different histories. Reservations are required for attending the tour, which costs $20 for adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for students.

Sounds like a plan, but you’re not in town the day after Turkey Day? No worries, mates. Private tours with “enhanced noshing” opportunities are available year-round.

Not everyone does Thanksgiving with oodles of relatives and friends - it can be hard to accomplish when you live far away from your home town and circumstances prevent you from traveling during the hectic Thanksgiving travel week. But for those that want to getaway for a night or two in celebration of Turkey Day - and leave the cooking to someone else to boot - there are great deals to be had at hotels and resorts around the country. In the coming days, I’ll be highlighting several packages that are still available for Thanksgiving escapes.

First up: The Inverness Hotel and Conference Center in Englewood, Colorado. A popular destination for corporate conferences and business travelers, the hotel may at first seem an unlikely choice for Thanksgiving supper. But consider the great rates for overnight accommodations for two and Thanksgiving dinner at the hotel restaurant Baca: $110 for a standard room and $260 per night for an executive suite. That’s not bad for an overnight stay at a 4-star property with an 18-hole golf course, spa, fitness center and multiple dining options, bars and lounges.

The hotel is about a half-hour drive from Denver - so this is a solid getaway option for folks in the area who want a quick trip to a relaxing destination at a good price.

Foodies know how much a Michelin star means. If you aren’t already aware of how persnickety Michelin tends to be with its coveted stars, consider the fact that not even one restaurant in the whole of Los Angeles was good enough to score three stars in the first and recently published guide devoted to that city. The first editions of the Michelin Guide Los Angeles and the Michelin Guide Las Vegas are being celebrated this week with parties in their respective cities.

Here are the lucky dining destinations that won two or more stars in Los Angeles:

Melisse

Spago

Urasawa

And in Las Vegas:

Alex at Wynn Las Vegas (2)

Guy Savoy at Caesar’s Palace (2)

Picasso at the Bellagio (2)

Joel Robuchon at MGM Grand (3)

You can find the complete ratings at this link: Michelin Unveils First-Ever Restaurant and Hotel Selections for Los Angeles and Las Vegas

The group dinner experience any night in any major city can be challenging. But when the night is Friday and the city is New York, dining out with large group is something best planned in advance and executed with skill and acumen. Luckily, my pal Darren knows a thing or two about three very important subjects: Manhattan, eating and crowd chaos theory. And he has a winning solution for a Friday night group dinner in New York City that won’t break the bank, leave you fighting over the bill or make you choose between a roomy table and good ‘ole cooking.

That solution is Mario Batali’s Otto Enoteca Pizzeria. First of all, it’s hard to please the finicky tastes in any group, much less a large one consisting of both vegetarians and meat eaters. But everyone likes gourmet pizza. And Otto is surprisingly affordable for a large group.

If you’ve got a group of 12 or more, which we did last Friday night, menus start at $40 per person, but for $75 a head, our crowd kicked off the evening with Champagne, an overflowing vegetable antipasti platter, a cheese assortment and several plates of deliciously salty meats, including procsciutto and salume. Next came the bruschetta of the day draped with melted cheese and accompanied by multiple plates of oil, honey and other dipping concoctions. Our main course featured four different varieties of thin-crust pizza, which we snarfed down while enjoying unlimited glasses of red and white wine. We rounded out the meal with coffee and gelato (the restaurant’s has been voted best in NYC numerous times) to fuel up before heading out to neighboring West Village bars.

As anyone who’s tried to dine out in New York on a Friday night knows, $75 a person is an indisputable deal for a unlimited beverages and what amounts to three courses. And there are the added benefits of showing up, not having to deal with the laborious process of determining what to order, having drinks already on the table and eating within five minutes of sitting down. At the end, everyone knew exactly what they owed, paid accordingly, and that was it.

To book a group event at Otto, you can contact the restaurant’s group dining diva Stephanie Goldberg up to three months in advance.

Otto Enoteca Pizzeria
One Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10003
212-995-9559

P.S. Thanks D and the NYC crew!

Over the weekend, I happened to be introduced to a combination of edible items that illustrate how two separate entities can become – as if by some magic – exponentially better once combined. These two items are bagels and lox, but not just any bagels and lox. The special combination to which I was introduced by a collection of folks not only familiar with Manhattan, but also motivated enough to divide and conquer to get the very best on a Sunday morning despite acute headaches caused by the previous night’s activities. And because of their heroic efforts, which took them from Brooklyn to Manhattan twice, I was able, for the first time and certainly not the last, to feast on fresh bagels from Ess-A-Bagel topped intermittently with lox (varieties from two different coasts, no less) from Russ & Daughters.

One can, of course, obtain smoked fish, cream cheese, sable, whitefish salad and New York bagels at both spots - something that could shorten your trip and get you back to brunch and your eagerly waiting cohorts much more quickly. But faster and more convenient does not always mean better. No, the consensus among a mixed roomful of lifelong New Yorkers, transplants, avowed bagels-n-lox fans and admitted skeptics was that one cannot hope to achieve any gastronomic triumph greater than that which comes from Russ & Daughters lox draped over slightly warm, sliced bagels from Ess-a-Bagel.

And my mouth agreed.

Ess-a-Bagel
359 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Phone: 212-260-2252

831 3rd Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Phone: 212-980-1010

Russ & Daughters
179 East Houston Street
New York, NY 10001
(212) 465-4880