Great Views & Beers @ StieglKeller Tavern in Salzburg Austria

When we took a trip to Vienna, Austria, one of the things I wanted to do was take a side trip to Salzburg. A favorite movie as a kid was The Sound of Music and I have fond memories of singing its soundtrack with my mom.

While Vienna is full of music and cafes and tortes, Salzburg boasts the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the original Mozart chocolate bonbon and where Maria Von Trapp lived before she began her famous journey across the Alps and away from the Nazis, to start a family lodge.

It is a short train ride, about two and half hours between Vienna and Salzburg with beautiful scenery along the way which makes it a great day trip. We headed out early in the morning and had plenty of time to see most of the major sights without rushing to catch our return train in the evening. Read More »

My husband and I have two local restaurant/bars that we regularly visit in our home town. We’re there so often that we’re known by name, and when they see us coming they plunk our preferred beverages, sitting all nice and frosty on the bar, before we can even plunk ourselves down on the bar stool. So, if you’re looking for a great place to hang out in Chandler, Arizona, look no further!

Sandstone Cafe - Chandler, AZ

The Sandstone Cafe is a tiny establishment (but expanding at the end of December!) which seamlessly mixes sophisticated cuisine and aperitifs with a great neighborhood bar atmosphere. The owner, chef, and staff considers every one of their customers to be family, and you’re treated to a personalized experience every time you come back. The Sandstone holds regular brewery events, and wine and tapas parties, which educate patrons on brewery techniques and winery processes, hosted by local and domestic brewery and vineyard representatives.

They have a fantastic menu (the lasagna is to die for), which is constantly evolving and offering wonderful surprises (my husband and I had portobello caps stuffed with crab meat and finished with a vegetable demiglaze just last night). Food and drink specials run on a daily basis, and the football game/baseball game/basketball game/UFC fight/boxing match is always shown on several TV’s. The atmosphere is a nice balance of comfortable, sophisticated, and sociable. A merry band of regular customers (my husband and I are members) keeps the place lively.

The Sandstone Cafe is located at 4959 W. Ray Road in Chandler, on the south-east corner of Ray and Rural Roads, just off of the I-10 or Loop 101. Prices are extremely reasonable for food and beverages, and it is a family-friendly establishment.

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It’s not just a cute place for a romantic encounter, a la “The Truth About Cats and Dogs.“  The canals of Venice Beach , California are eye candy for anyone, especially architecture or  style enthusiasts who just love to ogle a uniquely designed home.

View of Venice, CA canals

At one time the city of Venice, CA consisted of a network of canals created by the developer Abbott Kinney as a tribute to the Italian city.  Over the years many of them were filled in and paved, but a small enclave of the original grid was allowed to remain and eventually took its place among the priciest real estate in the area.  The canals are best viewed on foot.

The Truth About Canals and Babies

Located a few blocks inland from the beach between Washington Blvd. and Venice Blvd, the canals can be reached by parking on Ocean or Dell Street, but pay attention to the signs, because with Los Angeles’ budget deficit reaching up to $1 billion, every nickel and dime the parking attendants can squeeze out of your error counts.

Great place to take a baby

Walking through the canal neighborhood you might forget that you are in Los Angeles at all.  The noise and bustle of the crowds at the boardwalk seem worlds away from this tranquil and colorful area.

Foot bridge over Venice canal

It takes a special kind of person to live in a thin, tall house whose front yard is a sidewalk and a duck-filled waterway, and that kind of person also often has a quirky eye for design.  A stroll through the canals at sunset allows you to peer into the front windows and see what they live like inside.  During the holidays the residents dress up their little boats and canoes for a holiday boat parade.

Funky homes line the canals

When you are hungry head to a restaurant instead

If you work up an appetite some good local spots to visit are House of Teriyaki Too on Ocean if you are gritty and sweaty or if you clean up a bit they might let you into Hal’s Bar and Grill on Abbott Kinney.

So one day before deadline, I remember I’m supposed to submit an ‘NYC restaurant guide’. I’m scratching my head in confusion here. That’s a subject for a thick book, not a blog post to be tapped out on the fly. I mean, it’s virtually impossible to even remember all the good restaurants in New York City, let alone list them with descriptions. And how many more new restaurants open each week?

And then if you start categorizing them – Romantic, kosher, pre-theater dinner, breakfast, soul food, ethnic, greasy fast food diners, rooftop lounges – Well, let’s just say that this is going to be one heck of a blog post. Read More »