New York City is chock-a-block with shops that specialize. There’s an entire restaurant devoted to meatballs, and one just for grilled cheese, and of course one just for peanut butter. So imagine my delight (and not so surprise) when I came across The Meadow, which specializes in salt, chocolate and bitters. Inside the tiny store […]
There’s a reason we’re always heading back to the countries we love: Research. We do a lot of it, and its probably just about the best part of our jobs. Finding new things, meeting new people and visiting new places helps us grow, both as a company and on a personal level. It’s a bit […]
What follows is the tale of the time I tried to taste everything in Istanbul. Spoiler: I ate so much I had to take a nap. Our story begins at the charming locale of the oldest market in the world: the Egyptian Bazaar, where we meet our passionate and knowledgeable gastronomic guide Aylin. We’re surrounded […]
When the calendar ticks over from September to October, you’ll find me salivating at the gates of the the International White Truffle Fair in Alba, Piemonte. As if being home to the greatest Italian red wine of all, Barolo (I’ll brook no arguments), were not enough, Alba also just happens to be the epicenter of […]
You may (or may not) have noticed that we haven’t posted a single new Sounder article since the tail end of 2012. What can I say, we’ve been busy planning a lot of trips. I hasten to add that our long-time, ever-steady and always-reliable Sounder editor, Amy Smithers, skipped town a month ago to travel […]
Let’s go out on a limb and predict that the world isn’t going to end tomorrow. Christmas and New Year’s will come and go, and then those of us in the northernmost parts of the northern hemisphere will enter what one Trufflepig planner calls “the long, dark tea time of the soul.” Give your soul […]
We’re foodies. Hands down. Fresh, local, meat, veg, wine, beer, we want to try it all. Never in a million years have I found myself thinking that I may have had too much. “I don’t know if I can sit through another five-course meal” and “I hope this one doesn’t have wine pairings” are both […]
It’s the second last edition of our 100 things we love, celebrating our 100th newsletter. Here we cover number 40 down to 21. 40. The Boatshed on Waiheke Island—Just a short ferry ride away from Auckland, New Zealand’s capital, The Boatshed is a tiny retreat we’ve loved for years. In fact, our New Zealand planner, […]
Today we continue our countdown of 100 things we love, in celebration of our 100th Sounder newsletter, going out to all of your inboxes this week. Here we cover number 60 down to 41. 60. Our National Geographic “Tour of a Lifetime”—We’re not going to lie, it’s nice to see our name in lights after […]
Today we continue our countdown of 100 things we love, in celebration of our 100th Sounder newsletter. If you need some Christmas wish list inspiration, this is it. From 80 to 61: 80. The Nam Hai—Vietnam’s villa perfection is one of our very favourite hotels. Parked right on the beach outside the charming town of Hoi […]
The newsletter we send out to all you fine folks next week will be our 100th edition (get it here if you’re not on the list yet). To mark this special occasion, we thought we’d round up 100 of our favourite things—a little bit like Oprah does around Christmas, but with fewer free cars (sorry). […]
Right in the heel of Italy, sandwiched between the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic and Ionian seas, lies the understated and laid-back Puglia. This southern province offers fortified farms with home grown feasts, romantic harbours with a sunset backdrop, and an unrivalled diversity of architecture. Always keen to stay away from the well-trodden path, […]
Where: Nin’s Bin, Kaikoura Coast, New Zealand What: New Zealand green-lipped mussels While famous for its New Zealand crayfish since 1977, Nin’s Bin also offers up some of the freshest mussels around. These giant and beautiful bivalve specimens were everything a mussel should be, and more. Lightly steamed in a dash of local white wine, […]
Cast aside your umbrella, intrepid shoppers of Paris. Even as November’s freezing rain pours down, you can stroll the streets of the Right Bank undrenched; shopping, dining and even staying overnight in the passageways and galleries of Paris. From Stella McCartney to wine bars, teeny tiny antiques shops and seconds art book stores, there are […]
Why is it that there never seems to be enough guacamole on the table? With the possible exception of a ‘shared’ basket of french fries, no other dish seems to disappear so quickly. Where: Salsalito Taco Shop, Sausalito, California What: There were other plates of other very delicious things on this table. But my memory […]
We’ve always said that the only way to truly know a place is to get on a plane and check it out. So we do that. A lot. This year, as every year, Trufflepig trip planners and coordinators have done a tremendous amount of research around the world. 217 days worth—by conservative count. Here’s a […]