Since opening during the spring of 2005, 9 Beaches resort in Sandys, Bermuda has been making a name for itself with it’s eco-friendly practices and flip-flop-friendly attitude. And being one of the closest resorts to the United States that boasts over-the-water cottages with viewing windows in the floor, it’s a no-brainer for romantic getaways, weddings and anniversaries.

Just how eco-positive is the resort? The staff tools around the property on battery-operated vehicles. Lighting and hot water are powered by the sun, and rainwater is caught and recycled for hotel use. Local produce is used in the kitchen, and bicycles are available for guest use around the property. There’s even a “waterless” garden (known to enviro-geeks as a xeriscape).

We caught up with 9 Beaches General Manager Robin Gilbert, a native Bermudan and fount of local knowledge. Here, he gives us his picks for what to see and do during a visit to his island home.

9 Beaches has made a commitment to environmental stewardship. What unique environmental challenges does Bermuda face?

We get the majority of our water on the island by roof catch systems. There are centralized reverse osmosis facilities on the island, and we’ve all grown up knowing that water is very precious.

Things that other parts of the world are just coming around to, we’ve grown up with that thought process.

With transport, we’re limited to one car per household, and we’ve only had cars since 1968. From the get-go there was only one car per household. Most people have mopeds.

Tell us about the resort’s “waterless” garden.

Everything we have growing on the property is basically from Bermuda originally and doesn’t require a human being to be watering it. We have cedar trees, palm trees, cacti, succulents, aloe. Because nobody lives more than a half-mile from the sea, everything is covered in salt spray. We have to remember that when it comes to what we plant.

Your resort describes its dress code as “flip-flops required.” How many days a year do you wear ‘em?

Only on my day off.

On your ideal day off, where on the island would we find you?

Either on the beach or on the boat.

Most of the beaches are on the south coast. Horseshoe Bay is the largest beach on the island, and there are small coves on the east of Horseshoe Bay where it’s very quiet and there’s room for plenty of people.

Where would you send us to score postcard-worthy views?

For picture taking right on the property, there’s the sunset and the views of the Bay.

There’s the lighthouse, one of the high points on the island. It’s 15 minutes away.

The Dockyards is an amazing visitor attraction. It was built back in the 1800’s, and it’s been brought back to life. There’s a museum, restaurants, a small movie houses.

We want to watch the perfect sunset. Where would you send us?

The sunsets off the edge of the property are just absolutely spectacular. The sky lights up, and it’s just fantastic.

One morning, we’re feeling especially lazy. But we still want to see something of the island. What activity would you recommend?

If you want a lazy day, find yourself a beach. We have two 70-yard ones and also little ones.

For about $10-$15, one can rent a kayak and paddle around the point. There’s a shipwreck in a protected area, and we’re lucky it’s 100 yards off our property.

The next morning, we’re full of energy and ready to exert ourselves. What can’t-miss excursion would you recommend for active, outdoorsy travelers?

One option is to go to the Dockyards. It’s the most popular sightseeing attraction on the island. Get the Fast Ferry to St. George’s. It’s a great trip. You see the north side of the island. Look around St. George’s. There’s Fort St. Catherine, where the first settlers were shipwrecked. In folklore, this is what Shakespeare based his play The Tempest on.

The public transportation on the island is very good. For $4, you can get a bus all the way back to 9 Beaches. You can get back here in time for Happy Hour, or as we call it, Attitude Adjustment Hour.

As a blogger, staying connected is important (okay, an obsession), even when I’m on vacation. How wired is the resort?

The other day I was driving around with our techie on the golf cart, and he was picking up a signal on his laptop in most places - I would say about 70 percent of the resort.

What should every Bermuda visitor take home (i.e. special local product, souvenir, etc.)?

Bermuda Honey. We also have fantastic rum cakes. Down at the Dockyards, there’s a glass foundry. You can take home sand in a little jar. We’ve got enough to spare.

A day at 9 Beaches wouldn’t be complete without _______.

A Dark ‘n Stormy or a Swizzle. A Dark & Stormy is the most popular local drink. It’s made of black rum and ginger beer. Have it very cold.

A local gem, cult-favorite, sure bet and constant it-spot among those-in-the-know and all those other hackneyed phrases used to describe tried-and-true favorites in popular tourist destinations – call it what you want – San Francisco’s House of Nanking is one of ‘em.

Yeah, you’ll find a dirty mop in the bathroom and there might be gooey rice stuck to the underside of the plastic bowl from which you’ll eat. Sure, the staff may greet you not by saying hello, but with a tug on the sleeve that says quite unequivocally, hurry up, sit down and eat already. Yes, your table may toggle back and forth on its uneven legs as you sit hunched over a bowl of soup whose exact contents will forever remain mystery.

But you’ll absolutely love it. Well, not everyone will. House of Nanking – a somewhat dingy little joint on the border of Chinatown and North Beach (just up the block from a dive bar whose awning proclaims “Where Good Friends and Girls Go to Meet”) – is no fine dining experience, but it consistently wins accolades as the city’s best Chinese.

Instead of ordering from the crinkly, plastic-covered menu, tell your waiter (who’s likely to be one of the owners) just to choose “what’s good today” and bring enough food for the table. If you want something specific, sure, let them know (we highly recommend the onion cakes) and be clear about whether you want vegetarian dishes, meat, chicken, fish or a combination. Then let the kitchen do the rest.

Don’t waste time holding your breath for the sort of Chinese fare you’ll find in most restaurants around the United States. This ain’t no P.F. Chang’s. Far from it. Produce is market-fresh – we’d be shocked if the majority of what appeared on our plates had been in the kitchen longer than 24 hours. Sauces are nuanced and flavorful, but light enough to let the food itself take center stage.

Dishes like this plate of basil leaves, mushrooms and red onion arrive at the table in mere minutes and disappear (into our mouths of course) just as quickly.

Eggplant draped on a bed of bok choy, peppers and fresh greens:

House of Nanking
919 Kearny St
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 421-1429

The TravelPost.com Insider Native City series is a regular feature highlighting unique, iconic or influential edibles, products and other creations found in some of the world’s most popular travel destinations.

Freelance writer Lorraine Sanders has been editing the TravelPost.com Insider blog since 2005. You can reach her at news (at) lorrainesanders (dot) com.

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

Native Charleston: The Charleston City Market

When you visit the Charleston City Market in downtown Charleston, SC, there are a few things you should know. First, do not call it a flea market. Despite their legendary Southern hospitality, few Charleston folk will abide their historic market sharing the same phrase as pint-sized pestilence. It just isn’t done, dahlings.

Second, you should know that you need at least an hour to see alpaca blankets, antique tin signs, knit scarves, hand woven baskets, one-of-a-kind jewelry and all manner of locally-made edibles lining tables in the market’s four long, narrow buildings. And if you don’t have at least an hour, you’ll wish you did (unless, of course, you’re my husband and you spend the entire outing staring longingly at the Crab Shack across the street).

And third, you should know that this is not just any conglomeration of artisans touting their wares to souvenir-hungry tourists. Mais non. The Charleston City Market is one of the long-running, oldest commercial venues in the United States. In fact, the market has been operating continuously (save for brief interruptions caused by pesky hurricanes, a major earthquake, fires, warfare and even the occasional tornado) since 1807.

Originally private property, the land on which the market stands was owned by Charles Cotsworth Pinckney, who gave the parcel to the City of Charleston in 1788 with the strict provision that it be used as a public market. Begun mainly as a marketplace selling meat, fish, poultry and dry goods to local residents, the market has evolved over the years to become one of the country’s best-known arts and crafts emporiums, as well as a one-stop shop for gifts, Southern edibles and unique local offerings like sweet-grass baskets, woven in the same method used by slaves brought to South Carolina from West Africa.

While some decry the increasing presence of cheesy t-shirts and cheap trinkets crowding out some of the local artisans and craftspeople, the market is still well-worth a long, slow stroll on a sunny fall afternoon.

To reach the 365-day-a-year market, start at the corner of Meeting Street and Market Street and follow Market to East Bay Street.

The TravelPost.com Insider Native City series is a regular feature highlighting unique, iconic or influential edibles, products and other creations found in some of the world’s most popular travel destinations.

Antoine’s Restaurant, New Orleans

It’s not everyday you find photographs of Pope John Paul II and well-coiffed debutantes occupying the same walls. Nor is it everyday that one dines from a kitchen that has played host to everyone from Bing Crosby to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. But that’s exactly what you’ll encounter at Antoine’s, the oldest family-operated restaurant in the United States.

And while many come to experience the ambiance of a place that’s been serving patrons since 1840, still more come to taste the original recipe for the founding chef’s most famous dish. Served on the half-shell since 1889, Oysters Rockefeller are known for their substantive, yet smooth sauce and its strangely tart, yet intensely rich flavor. But trying to figure out exactly what’s in the iconic dish is almost an exercise in foodie futility. Simply put, Oysters Rockefeller just do not taste like anything except Oysters Rockefeller. And to this day, the restaurant still keeps the recipe a closely-guarded secret. Ask your waiter to divulge the ingredients, and he’s likely to rattle off a few items, then smile coyly and offer, perhaps by way of distraction, a personal tour of the steamy, bustling kitchen, the opulent private dining rooms or the 165-foot-long, seven-foot-wide wine cellar with a 25,000 bottle capacity (pictured).

While the restaurant’s formality strikes an interesting contrast to the raunchy reveling happening just blocks away on Bourbon Street, even this historic venue cuts loose on Sunday mornings for the weekly Jazz Brunch. Settle in with the sweet, apple brandy brunch cocktail Antoine’s Smile, order up a plate of Oysters Rockefeller and end with classics like the crab cakes with horseradish sauce or fried trout amandine for a meal that truly sums up the flavor of New Orleans.

Antoine’s, 713 Saint Louis St., 504-581-4422

The TravelPost.com Insider Native City series is a regular feature highlighting unique, iconic or influential edibles, products and other creations found in some of the world’s most popular travel destinations. If you have a suggestion for an upcoming Native City feature, contact us.