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food tours

I was recently in Miami for several days for the Florida Huddle tourism event and got to take several excellent tours. I also had the luxury of staying in the posh Fontainebleau Hotel in North Miami Beach, a historic property with 11 swimming pools and stylish rooms. Here’s a look at some of the great things to check out next time you’re in Miami. LITTLE HAVANA FOOD TOUR Our group had the wonderful Ariel Gonzalez from Miami Culinary Tours as a guide. He’s a fun, friendly fellow who seems to know just about everything about the area. We started near Read more

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This is a re-post of a great visit to Barbados a couple years ago.  It’s a fabulous destination to keep in mind for your next fall/winter escape. BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS – Chef Michael Harrison is on the steps of the Marhill Street market in downtown Bridgetown, talking about Bajan cuisine and the fresh fruits and root vegetables he uses when he cooks. “We have something like 100 types of sweet potatoes on Barbados,” he tells us as he explains different ways to cook them. “At my restaurant we use as many ingredients from Barbados as we can. We try to change Read more

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Great local explorations. Fantastic food. And one of North America’s best hotels. The new “Off the Eaten Track” program is being offered exclusively for guests of the Ritz-Carlton Toronto features four distinct programs to help visitors truly engage with locals and learn about the Toronto food scene on an up close and personal basis. The programs are being offered with the help of Culinary Adventure Co., one of Canada’s top food tour companies. “It’s all about giving guests a personal experience,” said Kevin Durkee of Culinary Adventure Co., a long-time foodie who learned to cook at a young age. “We Read more

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OTTAWA – Great food. Sleek new hotels. And lively neighborhoods. Ottawa is a city that’s most definitely moving in the right direction. Here are five things you need to do on your next visit. Oh yeah, Ottawa’s legendary Tulip Festival runs May 12-23. PARLIAMENT HILL – I hadn’t visited our nation’s Parliament for at least 20 years. They offer wonderful tours, with fun stories about the history and architecture contrasted with very sobering areas, including the Memorial Chamber near the base of the Peace Tower. A few minutes watching the House of Commons is a fascinating experience, and the main Read more

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It seems the world has fallen in love with food-related holidays. Everywhere I go I see folks snapping photos of their meals and posting reviews and sharing information about the hottest spots. Now there’s a new Canadian travel company offering culinary adventures in some wonderful parts fo the world. Toronto-based Foodie-Trips.com aims to “educate, amaze and entertain those looking to broaden their gastronomic knowledge by offering unique culinary adventures around the world.” Their upcoming travel experiences include such sensational settings as Paris, Venice and, closer to home, wonderful Prince Edward Island , where I’ve had amazing meals and where the farm-to-table movement (and sea-to-table) Read more

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