One of the highlights of last month’s visit to Ireland was a Sunday afternoon gathering of family in Dublin. If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you know the story of my making contact with my father’s family for the first time in 1989 when I was 22 years old. If you … Continue reading Descended from a king, traveling with a prince
Category: beer
Dublin digs
Each time I visit Ireland, I revisit favorite haunts and discover new places that delight. I return time and time again to the Vintage Kitchen, Howth (with a meal at Octopussy), and The Cobblestone. Most importantly, I also spend time with my large and extended family. This trip was no exception. Some of the most … Continue reading Dublin digs
A legendary weekend
When it comes to my birthday, I take things pretty seriously - at least as far as self indulgence and celebration go. My attitude is that it is MY day and I’m going to spend it as close to precisely the way I want to. This condition has been consistent for me as far back … Continue reading A legendary weekend
Why try dry?
With 40+ years experience in the hospitality industry, along with a mother who was a bartender during my childhood, I’ve spent many an hour in bars and restaurant observing people imbibing alcohol. Of course, beginning as a young teenager, I also had plenty of my own personal experiences of drinking, be it shots of Jack … Continue reading Why try dry?
No sleep (or stop) til Brooklyn
My Sunday night plan was fancy cocktails at Dead Rabbit, an awesome gastropub* waaay downtown in Manhattan. Unfortunately, my knowledge of cool places to drink exceeds my ability to reliably navigate the subway and the train which I had hoped would take us south, actually took us east immediately after Canal Street. Luckily, my companion … Continue reading No sleep (or stop) til Brooklyn
Getting bent at Fort Orange Brewing
September, with its temperatures that can swing 40 degrees in 48 hours, is flying by. If I look at my calendar too far ahead, I get palpitations, so I’m trying to be in the moment as much as possible. I don’t want to miss anything in my haste to get through a month that is … Continue reading Getting bent at Fort Orange Brewing
Moments in Munich
Spending 48 hours in a city like Munich, especially when the weather is outstanding, is practically criminal. I should be embarrassed by how little I actually learned about the city or how to navigate my way around it. I concluded, though, that I do better with that sort of thing when I travel solo. If … Continue reading Moments in Munich




