Generated by All in One SEO v5.0.1.1, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site.

# Brad A. Johnson

Food & Travel

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://bradajohnson.net/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Quick Look: Fonda Moderna, Newport Beach](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/08/04/quick-look-fonda-moderna-newport-beach/) - The always-excellent Fonda Moderna taqueria has opened a new location, this time in Uptown Newport.
- [Photo of the Week: Lunch at Lo Sereno, Troncones, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/08/22/photo-of-the-week-lunch-at-lo-sereno-troncones-mexico/) - Lo Sereno is such a great little hotel: No frills. Fantastic design. Charming owner. And delicious, unpretentious food.
- [The Smuggler's Guide to Food Souvenirs](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/08/12/the-smugglers-guide-to-food-souvenirs/) - How to clear U.S. Customs at the airport with culinary souvenirs from a trip abroad. What's allowed and what's not, and what the penalties for failing to comply.
- [Photo of the Week: Matera, Italy](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/07/23/photo-of-the-week-matera-italy/) - In Materia, Italy, Sextantio Le Grotta Della Cevita changes the definition of a luxury hotel.
- [Closer Look: Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/07/04/closer-look-four-seasons-resort-tamarindo/) - Four Seasons Tamarindo lured one of Mexico City's most famous chefs to the Jalisco coast to open a restaurant, but hers is not the only notable story here.
- [A Primer on Lucanian Cuisine](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/05/05/a-primer-on-lucanian-cuisine/) - Although it’s not uncommon to see restaurants advertising “alta cucina,” true haute cuisine has never made it this far, at least not the way we think of fine Italian cuisine elsewhere. You won’t eat extravagantly in Basilicata. But you will eat very, very well. Here are six uniquely Lucanian things you’ll want to savor.
- [The Perfect Margarita Recipe](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/07/20/the-perfect-margarita-recipe/) - Stop searching. This is the only margarita recipe you'll ever need. I tested dozens of recipes, and this was hands-down the best.
- [Hotel Review: The Cape, Los Cabos, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/05/31/hotel-review-the-cape-los-cabos-mexico/) - Thompson Hotels' first foray into Mexico, The Cape Hotel opened several years ago at the southern edge of the tourist corridor that connects Cabo San Lucas on the south with San Jose del Cabo to the north. This is where the Pacific merges with the Sea of Cortés. A bargain for Los Cabos, this is a fun, sexy hotel.
- [Quick Review: Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/08/02/quick-review-zadun-a-ritz-carlton-reserve-san-jose-del-cabo-mexico/) - The pool terrace suites at Zadún in Los Cabos are truly beautiful, and huge. And the food is fantastic.
- [Hotel Review: Four Seasons Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/09/01/fourseasonscabosanlucas/) - The second Four Seasons in Los Cabos is yet another lovely resort from the brand. And you will eat very, very well here.
- [The OLTRE Sound/Bar archives](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/12/28/the-oltre-sound-bar-archives/) - Are you following my Sound/Bar playlists on Spotify? Every issue of OLTRE comes with a different soundtrack, in partnership with top luxury bars around the world.
- [Slideshow: London's Poshest British Grills](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/03/25/slideshow-londons-poshest-british-grills/) - Here's a quick visual tour of my latest feature in OLTRE about the rebirth of grand British grills in London.
- [Table with a View: Bar Le 300, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/07/04/table-with-a-view-bar-le-300-roquebrune-cap-martin-france/) - Bar Le 300 at Maybourne Riviera offers the most spectacular sunset views over the Bay of Monte Carlo and the Mediterranean seascape beyond.
- [Park Hyatt Tokyo, As Good As New (Review)](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/06/30/park-hyatt-tokyo-as-good-as-new-review/) - After a 19-month closure and exhaustive restoration, the legendary Park Hyatt Tokyo is back and ready for its second act.
- [Magazine Columnist of the Year!](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/06/30/magazine-columnist-of-the-year/) - Brad A. Johnson wins Magazine Columnist of the Year at the 68th Southern California Journalism Awards.
- [How to Eat Fried Worms: A Review of Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/07/03/four-seasons-resort-tamarindo/) - Review: Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo. Four Seasons lured one of Mexico City’s most famous chefs to the wild Jalisco coast, but hers is not the only notable story here.
- [Have You Seen What Happened to Emeril's in New Orleans?](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/09/29/have-you-seen-what-happened-to-emerils-in-new-orleans/) - Emeril Lagasse stepped aside and handed the keys of his flagship restaurant to his only son, E.J., who has transformed it into one of the most exciting restaurants in America.
- [Review: The Fresh Prince of Tchoupitoulas Street](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/10/05/review-the-fresh-prince-of-tchoupitoulas-street/) - A fresh look at Emeril's in New Orleans: How the next generation of culinary royalty is reviving one of America’s most famous restaurants.
- [Review: Showdown at The Grand, Telluride](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/01/03/showdown-at-the-grand-telluride/) - The Grand chophouse is the sequel to The National, and it's the hottest restaurant in Telluride.
- [Society for Features Journalism, 2026 Excellence in Features Awards!](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/06/05/society-for-features-journalism-2026-excellence-in-features-awards/) - Brad A. Johnson wins First Place, Food Criticism in the 2026 Society for Features Journalism, Excellence in Features Awards.
- [A Nice Little Room (no view) at The Savoy, London](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/02/12/a-nice-little-room-no-view-at-the-savoy-london/) - Here's a very quick look at a King Deluxe room with no view at The Savoy, London.
- [Quick Look: Corner Suite at One Aldwych, London](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/02/14/quick-look-corner-suite-at-one-aldwych-london/) - Here's a quick look around a corner suite at the recently renovated One Aldwych hotel in London — absolutely sublime.
- [Quick Look: the Mayfair Suite at The Dorchester, London](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/02/01/quick-look-the-mayfair-suite-at-the-dorchester-london/) - Peek inside the 1,044-square-foot, $4,000 per night Mayfair Suite at The Dorchester in London.
- [Quick Look: Executive Junior Suite at The Lanesborough, London](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/03/26/quick-look-executive-junior-suite-at-the-lanesborough-london/) - Peek inside an executive junior suite at The Lanesborough in London.
- [10-Second Review: Tempura Omakase at Tenshiba, Tokyo](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/06/13/10-second-review-omakase-at-tempura-tenshiba-tokyo/) - This tempura omakase dining counter is a must-find hidden gem in the basement of the Prince Park Tower Tokyo Hotel.
- [How to Make Sangrita, Mexico City Style](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/05/02/how-to-make-sangrita-mexico-city-style/) - Mexico City ranks among the world’s greatest destinations for dining. And one of my favorite things about dining in Mexico City is sangrita. Not to be confused with the wine-based drink sangria, nor to be confused with tequila shots, sangrita (with a t) is a companion to fine tequila. Regional variations of sangrita abound, including
- [Brad A. Johnson's Best Places to Eat in Orange County, 2025](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/05/25/brad-a-johnsons-best-places-to-eat-in-orange-county-2025/) - Brad A. Johnson's Best Places to Eat in Orange County, 202
- [Closer Look: Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Great Milton, England](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/09/22/closer-look-le-manoir-aux-quatsaisons-great-milton-england-oltre-extra/) - Chef Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons has been at the avant-garde of farm-to-table cooking for 40 years.
- [Hotel Review: Four Seasons Koh Samui](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/08/03/hotel-review-four-seasons-koh-samui/) - My love affair with Four Seasons runs deep. I've been fortunate enough in my travels to stay at 26 different Four Seasons hotels and resorts, the latest being the beachfront/hillside resort on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand, which I visited earlier this year. Overview: The Four Seasons Koh Samui comprises 70 free-standing villas sprawled across dozens of acres
- [Quick Look: Pirules Garden Kitchen at Rosewood San Miguel de Allende](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/09/21/quick-look-pirules-garden-kitchen-at-rosewood-san-miguel-de-allende/) - Photo tour of Pirules Garden Kitchen at Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
- [10 Best Dishes of 2024](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/12/30/10-best-dishes-of-2024/) - From London to Ecuador and points in between, these are the best things I ate in 2024.
- [Review: AutoCamp Joshua Tree](https://bradajohnson.net/2022/05/22/review-autocamp-joshua-tree/) - AutoCamp redefined the American campground several years ago with its Airstream "hotel" campsites. Opened in 2021, AutoCamp’s third location was this roadside trailer park five miles from the West Entrance of California’s Joshua Tree National Park, 40 miles northeast of Palm Springs.
- [Quick Review: The Goring, London](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/09/21/quick-review-the-goring-london/) - One of the most luxurious hotels in London, The Goring recently relaunched its Michelin-starred restaurant with a complete redesign and brand new kitchen.
- [Hotel Review: San Ysidro Ranch, Montecito](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/12/17/hotel-review-san-ysidro-ranch-montecito/) - San Ysidro Ranch is a world unto itself. It’s that unique place on the outskirts of Santa Barbara where Southern California merges with the European countryside. It’s where John and Jaqueline Kennedy honeymooned...
- [Travel Photographer of the Year (again!) — NATJA](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/03/22/travel-photographer-of-the-year-natja/) - Brad A. Johnson is named Photographer of the Year by the North American Travel Journalists Association at the 34th annual awards.
- [Room with a View: Prince Park Tower Tokyo Hotel](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/06/07/room-with-a-view-prince-park-tower-tokyo-hotel/) - While some might come close, no other hotel can fully match the Prince Park Tower Hotel's fishbowl views of the Japan Radio Tower in Shiba Park.
- [10-Second Review: Sushi Kenzan, Tokyo](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/06/06/10-second-review-sushi-kenzan-tokyo/) - Sushi Kenzan is one of the best-kept secrets in Shinjuki with incredible Edo sushi at everyday prices.
- [Upstairs, Downstairs: Hotel Café Royal, London](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/04/18/upstairs-downstairs-hotel-cafe-royal-london/) - Long before there was a public hotel upstairs, there was a very famous restaurant on Regent Street.
- [A Perfect Little Suite at Hotel De La Ville, Rome](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/09/08/a-perfect-little-suite-at-hotel-de-la-ville-rome/) - It's the Goldilocks of suites in one of Rome's — and Rocco Forte's — most beautiful hotels.
- [Closer Look: Crystal Symphony](https://bradajohnson.net/2026/01/02/closer-look-crystal-symphony/) - When Crystal relaunched last year, A&K introduced two new dining concepts: Beefbar and Osteria d'Ovidio. I wrote about it for OLTRE. This is the companion photo essay to that story.
- [Photo of the Week: Billionaire's Row, New York City](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/06/01/photo-of-the-week-billionaires-row-new-york-city/) - Have you seen the view from atop The Peninsula in New York. Great spot for a drink. Check this out.
- [Photo of the Week: The Vessel at Hudson Yards, New York City](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/10/08/photo-of-the-week-the-vessel-at-hudson-yards-new-york-city/) - Take a look at The Vessel at Hudson Yards in New York.
- [10-Second Review: The Surrey, New York City](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/06/12/10-second-review-the-surrey-new-york-city/) - The Surrey NYC is back, now part of Corinthia hotels, and the Martin Brudnizki redesign is gorgeous
- [View of the Week: Monte Carlo](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/09/23/view-of-the-week-monte-carlo/) - What a view! Sunset and sunrise over Monte Carlo, as seen from Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France.
- [Quick Look: New Junior Suite at Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/11/23/quick-look-new-junior-suite-at-hotel-metropole-monte-carlo/) - Star designer Jacques Garcia has returned to Hotel Metropole for a site-wide refresh — and the new junior suites are absolutely gorgeous.
- [Review: Casona Los Cedros, Yucatán](https://bradajohnson.net/2023/06/25/review-casona-los-cedros-yucatan/) - Casona Los Cedros celebrated its two-year anniversary this week. The hotel and restaurant occupy a colonial-era building in the remote village of Espita in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. The core structure was once the home of a wealthy Espiteño family, and it later became a popular cantina. But that was a long time ago. The
- [10-Second Review: Meat Man, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/01/20/10-second-review-meat-man-roppongi-hills-tokyo/) - For a good time and fantastic robatayaki (plus steaks and more) in Tokyo, I highly recommend Meat Man.
- [When in Rome: It's Always Al Moro](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/09/10/when-in-rome-its-always-al-moro/) - Elegant. Casual. Delicious. Trattoria al Moro hasn't changed in decades. That's so Roman.
- [10-Second Review: Restaurante del Parque, San Miguel de Allende](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/07/27/10-second-review-restaurante-del-parque-san-miguel-de-allende/) - The newest restaurant in San Miguel de Allende from Belmond's Casa Sierra Nevada is super charming.
- [Travel Photographer of the Year — NATJA!](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/02/24/travel-photographer-of-the-year/) - 2025 Travel Photographer of the Year: Brad A. Johnson
- [Travel Photographer of the Year — SATW!](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/09/16/travel-photographer-of-the-year-satw/) - Brad A. Johnson is named Travel Photographer of the Year at the Society of American Travel Writers' 2026 Bill Muster Photo Awards.
- [One-Minute Review: Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/09/21/one-minute-review-four-seasons-hotel-new-orleans/) - The Four Seasons New Orleans is yet another fantastic hotel from one of my favorite brands. Here's a quick look around.
- [Where to Eat in Los Cabos, Mexico: The Restaurants Redefining Baja Cuisine](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/06/13/where-to-eat-in-los-cabos-mexico-the-restaurants-redefining-baja-cuisine/) - Mexican cuisine in Los Cabos has for decades been defined by steak and lobster. If not for the accompanying margaritas and periodic mariachi, one might have easily forgotten they were in Mexico. But that's changing. These are the restaurants redefining what it means to eat Mexican food in Los Cabos.
- [Hotel Review: The Reverie, Saigon](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/04/28/hotel-review-the-reverie-saigon/) - For better or worse, this is one of the most ostentatious hotels I’ve ever seen. It is also the fanciest new hotel to be built in District 1 since the Park Hyatt more than a decade ago.
- [World Food Photography Awards!](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/05/20/world-food-photography-awards/) - World's Best Food Photography announced
- [Where to Eat in Telluride](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/01/12/where-to-eat-in-telluride-updated-2019/) - Telluride is a great place to ski. It's also a great place to eat. (UPDATED)
- [Closer Look: Evolution at Pikaia Lodge, Galapagos](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/03/24/closer-look-evolution-galapagos/) - Evolution at Pikaia Lodge on Santa Cruz Island is easily the best restaurant in the Galapagos and one of the finest in Ecuador.
- [The Disappearing Art and Rhythm of Chinese Tea in Hong Kong](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/04/27/the-art-and-rhythm-of-chinese-tea/) - There is a mystical quality to the tea ceremony that becomes clearer only with practice and time, but the art of Chinese tea is fading. Sadly, most of Hong Kong’s traditional tea shops have disappeared. I’ve been thinking a lot about Chinese tea lately...
- [Closer Look: Cunard's Queen Anne](https://bradajohnson.net/2025/01/25/closer-look-cunards-new-queen-anne/) - The new Queen Anne is Cunard's biggest ship to date, and the interior design marks a dramatic departure for the brand.
- [10-Second Review: 61 hundred bread, Santa Ana](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/12/15/10-second-review-61-hundred-bread-santa-ana/) - Karlo Evaristo has finally launched the brick-and-mortar bakery for 61 hundred bread in California.
- [Closer Look: Les Mutinés at The Brando, French Polynesia](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/01/01/closer-look-les-mutines-at-the-brando-french-polynesia/) - French chef Jean Imbert recently relaunched Les Mutinés at The Brando resort in French Polynesia. My review of the restaurant appears in Volume 4 of OLTRE magazine, but here's an extended photo gallery, with lots of images that didn't make into the print version.
- [Closer Look: Grand Velas Boutique Hotel, Los Cabos](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/04/07/closer-look-grand-velas-boutique-hotel-los-cabos/) - OLTRE Volume 5, the Ooh La La issue, rolled off the press this week, and it includes my review of the 79-suite Grand Velas Boutique Hotel, the new adults-only offshoot of the 307-room Grand Velas Los Cabos, next door. Here's a closer look than what the printed article allowed.
- [Closer Look: Tre Dita, Chicago](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/07/11/closer-look-tre-dita-chicago/) - Chef Evan Funke's Tre Dita at The St. Regis Chicago is America's Next Great Restaurant.
- [What a View! 10 Shots of the Norwegian Fjords](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/07/27/what-a-view-10-shots-of-the-norwegian-fjords/) - Here's a quick photo tour of Bergen, Flam, Olden and more in the Norwegian fjords.
- [Quick Look: The Mercer, New York City](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/09/28/quick-look-the-mercer-new-york-city/) - The Mercer in Soho is one of New York's best and most underrated luxury hotels.
- [Photo of the Week: Elote, Mexico City](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/05/11/photo-of-the-week-elote-mexico-city/) - Here's where to find the best esquites and elote in Mexico City's Condesa.
- [Dish of the Week: Tonkotsu at Kin Ramen, New York](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/03/30/dish-of-the-week-tonkotsu-at-kin-ramen-new-york/) - The tonkotsu-style chashu pork ramen at Kin Ramen in New York is 100% legit. Ask for it spicy.
- [Hotel Review: Nobu, Los Cabos, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/06/06/hotel-review-nobu-los-cabos-mexico/) - Nobu Hotel is a vibe, not a place. Opened in 2019 on the sparsely developed Pacific cape of Cabo San Lucas, this 200-room outpost is a sexy mashup of Japanese and Mexican motifs with a soundtrack straight out of Ibiza.
- [Hotel Review: Sindhorn Kempinski Bangkok](https://bradajohnson.net/2023/06/12/quick-review-sindhorn-kempinski-bangkok/) - Bangkok has no shortage of super-luxe hotels, and the new Sindhorn Kempinski competes with the city's best. What really sets this hotel apart from the competition is the size of the rooms.
- [Quick Look: The Ned NoMad, New York](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/09/14/quick-look-the-ned-nomad-new-york/) - The Ned NoMad is a fun, 167-room boutique hotel with vintage art deco bona fides in one of New York’s coolest neighborhoods.
- [Quick Look: The Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/03/30/quick-look-the-fifth-avenue-hotel-new-york/) - New York's new Fifth Avenue Hotel is a maximalist wonderland filled with glorious art and endless textures.
- [Happy 4th Anniversary to Heritage Barbecue, San Juan Capistrano CA](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/08/28/happy-4th-anniversary-to-heritage-barbecue-san-juan-capistrano-ca/) - Heritage Barbecue completely and forever changed the game for barbecue in Orange County, California.
- [Dish of the Week: Charred Pepperoni at Pizzeria Portofino, Chicago](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/07/02/dish-of-the-week-charred-pepperoni-at-pizzeria-portofino-chicago/) - The charred pepperoni at Pizzeria Portofino in Chicago is incredible. Must try.
- [Quick Review: Chablé Yucatán, Chochola, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2023/12/23/quick-review-chable-yucatan-chochola-mexico/) - Ixi'im restaurant at Chablé isn't merely one of the best restaurants in the Yucatàn, it's one of the best in all of Mexico.
- [10-Second Review: St. JOHN Marylebone, London](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/06/15/10-second-review-st-john-marylebone-london/) - St. JOHN opened a new location in Marylebone in the spring. Same delicious snout-to-tail cooking as the original.
- [Quick Look: The St. Regis Hotel, Chicago](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/07/15/quick-look-the-st-regis-hotel-chicago/) - Here’s a quick look at The St. Regis Chicago, which rises above the Chicago river at the end of Upper Wacker Drive, in one of downtown’s most prestigious neighborhoods. The main reason to stay here might be the hotel’s signature restaurant, Tre Dita, which I recently reviewed for OLTRE. Need another reason? The spa is
- [New York City Hidden Gem: The Morgan Library & Museum](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/08/18/new-york-city-hidden-gem-the-morgan-library-museum/) - Quick look at The Morgan Library & Museum, a hidden gem in New York City
- [Dish of the Week: Jamón Ibérico at Ernesto's, New York](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/08/20/dish-of-the-week-jamon-iberico-at-ernestos-new-york/) - Here are two of my favorite things on one plate: Ibêrico ham and freshly made potato chips. And it is absolutely incredible. If I lived on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, I would be eating this for dinner at least once a week, I swear. I wouldn't be able to help myself. The chips
- [Best Airport Layover Ever: at the InterContinental Tahiti](https://bradajohnson.net/2024/01/06/best-airport-layover-ever-at-the-intercontinental-tahiti/) - The IC Tahiti Resort & Spa serves as the ultimate layover lounge for flights in and out of Faa'a International Airport (Papeete) on Tahiti.
- [Where to Eat in Bangkok, High and Low: 11 Must-Visit Thai Restaurants](https://bradajohnson.net/2023/01/01/where-and-what-to-eat-in-bangkok-high-and-low-11-must-visit-restaurants/) - From gritty alleyways to the city's poshest dining rooms, Bangkok is my favorite destination for food. My partner and I recently spent two weeks in this city, where we ate Thai food daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner — every meal except for one (more on that unplanned lunch in a later post). Thanks to
- [Hotel Review: Lao Poet Hotel, Vientiane, Laos](https://bradajohnson.net/2023/06/10/quick-review-lao-poet-hotel-vientiane-laos/) - The Lao Poet Hotel is a haven of joy and charm in a city that lacks much of either. This artful boutique hotel is the perfect encapsulation of time and place in the heart of a city with a complicated past that's now in the early stages of a comeback.
- [Hotel Review: The Sukhothai Bangkok](https://bradajohnson.net/2023/06/17/hotel-review-the-sukhothai-bangkok/) - Although no longer the shining star of Bangkok that it used to be, The Sukhothai still holds a special place in my heart. The hotel's once-unrivaled stature has slipped dramatically in recent years as other, more spectacular hotels have debuted across the city.
- [Hotel Review: Downtown LA Proper](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/10/31/hotel-review-downtown-la-proper/) - The Downtown LA Proper is the fourth outpost of Kelly Wearstler and Brad Korzan’s Proper Hotel brand. (The first debuted in San Francisco in 2017, followed by Santa Monica and Austin.) Opened mid-October, this 148-room, mid-luxury property occupies a 13-story brick tower at the corner of 11th and Broadway in the suddenly hot South Park District
- [Hotel Review: Lo Sereno, Troncones, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/08/28/hotel-review-lo-sereno-troncones-mexico/) - Mexico's newest member of the global Design Hotels portfolio is a 10-room hideaway in Troncones, 25 miles north of Zihuatanejo on a remote stretch of the Guerrero coast.
- [OLTRE Review: Matsu, Oceanside CA](https://bradajohnson.net/2023/12/10/oltre-review-matsu-oceanside-ca/) - California has the best Japanese restaurants in America, and Matsu is as good as any other in the state — but also different from anything else.
- [Closer Look: Stonehouse Restaurant at San Ysidro Ranch, Montecito](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/12/18/closer-look-stonehouse-restaurant-at-san-ysidro-ranch-montecito/) - I don't believe there's a better restaurant in Santa Barbara than Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch. The food is truly outstanding. The service, impeccable. The wine list, world-class. And the atmosphere? Nothing else compares. Chef Matt Johnson might be the most underrated chef in California. It makes no sense to me that the Michelin Guide
- [Hotel Review: Cala de Mar, Ixtapa, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/09/13/hotel-review-cala-de-mar-ixtapa-mexico/) - When Cala de Mar debuted in 2008, it bore a different name, Capella Ixtapa. But Capella pulled out last year and the resort changed its name to Cala de Mar. Same owner, but new name and management. I returned to see how things have changed, if at all.
- [Photo of the Week: Las Vegas High Roller](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/05/25/photo-of-the-week-las-vegas-high-roller/) - If you haven't already done so, you really must take a ride on the High Roller the next time you're in Las Vegas. Topping out at 550 feet, this is the world’s tallest observation wheel. It moves really slow, and the ride takes about 30 minutes. The views of Las Vegas and The Strip are
- [First Look: Upper Stories at Thompson Central Park, NYC](https://bradajohnson.net/2022/10/01/first-look-upper-stories-at-thompson-central-park-nyc/) - The Thompson Central Park opened about a year ago, replacing the old Parker Meridien, a few blocks south of Central Park in Midtown Manhattan. Just about everything was gutted. They installed all-new plumbing, all-new electrical and air-conditioning and, of course, a brand new look. But that was only half the story. The hotel is actually
- [Hotel Review: Azure Sky, Palm Springs](https://bradajohnson.net/2022/06/27/motel-review-azure-sky-palm-springs/) - The team at ACME Hospitality (a group that operates some of the best restaurants in Santa Barbara) has ventured into the desert and opened a charming 14-room micro hotel in the heart of old Palm Springs. Bring your bathing suit.
- [Update - Review: Acre, Farm-to-Table in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/06/27/update-review-acre-farm-to-table-in-san-jose-del-cabo-mexico/) - A lot has changed at Acre in San Jose del Cabo since I originally visited and fell in love with this restaurant five years ago. But many things also remain the same. The restaurant still sits in the middle of a dusty, 25 acre farm on the outskirts of town, accessible by a meandering dirt road...
- [Photo of the Week: San Jose del Cabo](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/07/15/photo-of-the-week-san-jose-del-cabo-2/) - This is one of my favorite photos from my stay at the beautiful Mar Adentro in San Jose del Cabo, an incredible resort designed (and owned) by Miguel Angel Aragones. I love the brutal simplicity of the beach chairs and umbrellas. I woke up early to catch the sunrise...
- [The Riviera Maya's Best All-Inclusive Resorts](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/09/29/mexico-best-all-inclusive-resorts/) - Casitas Royale, Riviera Maya, Mexico No hidden taxes or fees? No shocking drink tabs? No tipping at every turn? Plus all the food you can eat, included? The idea of all-inclusive pricing sounds almost too good to be true. But it???s only worth it ...
- [Review: Grand Velas Riviera Maya](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/02/23/review-grand-velas-playa-del-carmen-mexico/) - The adults-only pool at Grand Velas Riviera Maya, Mexico (photos by Brad A. Johnson) Grand Velas Riviera Maya is one of the finest resorts in North America???and for the price (not exactly cheap), it???s an astonishing bargain. I???ve made this declarat...
- [Photo of the Week: Langostine at Grand Velas Los Cabos](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/03/12/photo-of-the-week-langostine-at-grand-velas-los-cabos/) - This is the langostino al carbon from Frida restaurant at Grand Velas Los Cabos, the newest edition to the Grand Velas resort family. The langostine is served with a chipotle-molasses sauce, esquites (corn salad) and a little blanket made from red chilies (like a spicy fruit roll-up)...
- [Sunrise of the Week: Grand Velas Los Cabos](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/03/18/sunrise-of-the-week-grand-velas-los-cabos/) - This is one of my favorite sunrises of the year. I took this from the lobby terrace of Grand Velas Los Cabos, just as the sun was rising up from the ocean. I've always found it strange that I can watch the sunrise over the ocean on the West Coast...
- [72 Hours at Grand Velas Los Cabos, 29 photos](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/03/17/72-hours-at-grand-velas-los-cabos-27-photos/) - The original Grand Velas revolutionized the all-inclusive resort sector in the Riviera Maya when it opened there more than 10 years ago. And now comes Grand Velas Los Cabos, which is guaranteed to be a game-changer for Mexico's Baja Peninsula...
- [Hotel Review: Amantaka, Luang Prabang, Laos](https://bradajohnson.net/2023/06/11/quick-review-amantaka-luang-prabang-laos/) - When legendary hotelier Adrian Zecha parted ways with Aman Resorts, the brand he founded and quickly established as one of the most exquisite hotel companies worldwide, he kept a piece of Amantaka in Laos for himself. It’s easy to see why.
- [Photo of the Week: Midtown Manhattan](https://bradajohnson.net/2022/09/28/photo-of-the-week-midtown-manhattan/) - This incredible view of Midtown Manhattan is from the 35 floor of my new company headquarters in New York, where I'll sometimes be working. I've joined the Global Travel Collection to launch the company's new luxury consumer travel magazine.
- [Hotel Review: Cara, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/11/07/hotel-review-cara-los-angeles/) - The investor/developer who owns Laurel Hardware, a super-sexy indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar in West Hollywood, has launched the first of what’s expected to be a string of mid-luxury boutique hotels focused on Southern California. For the brand's debut, they purchased the tawdry old Coral Sands Motel on Western Avenue and flipped it — rather beautifully — into the Cara Hotel Los Feliz...
- [Where to Eat in Mexico City, part 2](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/09/06/where-to-eat-in-mexico-city-part-2/) - Mexico’s dining scene is on fire right now. And has been for awhile. This is easily one of the hottest fine-dining restaurant cultures in all of the Americas.
- [Moveable Beast: My Trip Aboard the Maiden Flight of the A380](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/02/14/moveable-beast-maiden-flight-of-the-a380/) - Singapore Airlines flight SQ380—the first commercial flight of the Airbus A380—taxied down the runway of Singapore’s Changi International Airport. I was strapped into seat 26F, in the second-to-last row of business class on the upper deck. I cinched my seatbelt tighter than I normally would, and then I pulled it tighter still. The view was
- [Hotel Review: Capella Bangkok](https://bradajohnson.net/2023/06/18/hotel-review-capella-bangkok/) - The ultra-posh Capella Bangkok overlooks the Chao Phraya River from the heart of Sathorn on Charoen Krung Road, the oldest paved street in one of the oldest neighborhoods in the Thailand. The juxtaposition of old and new is fascinating. The 101-room, nine-story hotel opened at the beginning of the pandemic. Shortly after the hotel opened,
- [Headfirst into the Dawn: Los Angeles to San Francisco on $700 a Day (a Memoir)](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/12/26/headfirst-into-the-dawn-los-angeles-to-san-francisco-on-700-a-day-a-memoir/) - It's been 25 years since my first visit to California. This is the story of that incredible trip in 1995 when my editor sent me to Los Angeles and San Francisco to see what was happening in the restaurants there. It was the height of media extravagance, and a food revolution was underway...
- [Closer Look: Del Rey at Villa Royale, Palm Springs (part 2)](https://bradajohnson.net/2022/06/04/closer-look-del-rey-at-villa-royale-palm-springs/) - Del Rey is a sexy little speakeasy and tapas bar tucked inside the beautiful estate of Villa Royale in the heart of Palm Springs. Both the drinks and food are very good.
- [Hotel Review: Villa Royale, Palm Springs (part 1)](https://bradajohnson.net/2022/05/30/hotel-review-villa-royale-palm-springs/) - Villa Royale originally opened in 1947 in the heart of Palm Springs and became a magnet for Hollywood stars of the era. New owners brought it back to life in 2018. Although not exactly 5-star quality, it is rather fabulous.
- [OLTRE Review: One Day in Bangkok, Two Worlds Apart](https://bradajohnson.net/2023/12/16/oltre-review-one-day-in-bangkok-two-worlds-apart/) - The chef of Phra Nakhon at the five-star Capella Bangkok takes me on the ultimate Bangkok street-food crawl.
- [Quick Review: Maybourne Beverly Hills](https://bradajohnson.net/2023/12/09/quick-review-maybourne-beverly-hills/) - The Maybourne Beverly Hills is one of the poshest hotels in greater Los Angeles, and the rooms are fittingly fabulous. Great martinis, too.
- [One Night in Florence, For a Steak](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/06/29/one-night-in-florence-for-a-steak/) - Buca Lapi steakhouse is the oldest restaurant in Florence, serving since 1880 in this same dank basement since before the Duomo was finished. And for as long as anyone remembers, this has been one of the hardest reservations in Florence.
- [Quick Look: Our Habitas Tulum](https://bradajohnson.net/2023/10/01/quick-look-our-habitas-tulum/) - Our Habitas Tulum poignantly captures that relaxed, carefree spirit of the Mexican Caribbean that so many of us originally fell in love with in the 1990s. Our Habitas Tulum captures the vintage, carefree spirit of the Mexican Caribbean
- [Quick Look: St. Regis Kanai, Riviera Maya](https://bradajohnson.net/2023/10/08/quick-look-st-regis-kanai-riviera-maya/) - The St. Regis Kanai was one of the most talked-about, most highly anticipated hotels to open in Mexico's Riviera Maya in years. It was worth the wait.
- [Quick Look: West Hollywood Edition](https://bradajohnson.net/2023/11/11/quick-look-west-hollywood-edition/) - The West Hollywood Edition is like a collection of Ian Schrager's greatest hits. And I love it.
- [Introducing OLTRE!](https://bradajohnson.net/2023/04/08/introducing-oltre/) - The debut issue of OLTRE magazine is here! Penguins and Polar Bears, plus London, Milan, Paris, Bangkok and more.
- [¡Pozole Thursdays in Zihuatanejo!](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/09/07/pozole-thursdays-in-zihuatanejo/) - Thursdays in Zihuatanejo mean one thing: It’s time for pozole. Zihuatanejo celebrates pozole like nowhere else in Mexico.
- [Quick Look: Hao, Zihuatanejo](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/09/08/quick-look-hao-zihuatanejo/) - Miguel Baltazar is one of Mexico’s brightest rising-star chefs. Here’s a quick look at Hao, one of the restaurants he oversees at the new Thompson Zihuatanejo.
- [Hong Kong Nightlife: Sky is the Limit!](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/07/29/hong-kong-nightlife-sky-is-the-limit/) - Hong Kong skyline photos from HKTB It is 5 pm, and like precision clockwork the porte cochere at the Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, in Kowloon hums with a dozen Ferraris: The serious business of happy hour has begun. Elevators brim to capacity, shooting...
- [Why I Travel: For the Food, But Also For the Unexpected](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/04/25/why-i-travel-for-the-food-but-also-for-the-unexpected/) - My rickshaw driver keeps pace with Hanoi's speeding taxis as he peddles me through the Old Quarter. The cool wind against my face brings temporary relief from Vietnam’s stifling summer heat. As we round the corner, I smell smoke. It’s a sweet smoke that cuts through the constant smog of exhaust from unregulated motorbikes. I
- [10-Second Review: Porta Via, Palm Desert](https://bradajohnson.net/2022/06/26/10-second-review-porta-via-palm-desert/) - The new Porta Via restaurant in Palm Desert is not just the hottest reservation in the desert right now. It is also a masterclass in midcentury design.
- [R.I.P. Crystal Cruises (Update: Returning in 2023!)](https://bradajohnson.net/2022/02/06/rip-crystal-cruises-lets-hope-not/) - UPDATE: After being arrested and confiscated in the Bahamas, both the Serenity and Symphony have been purchased by Abercrombie & Kent and will sail again in 2023.
- [America's Best Chinese Food is in Las Vegas](https://bradajohnson.net/2013/11/14/las-vegas-chinese-finest-in-america/) - Chinese food in Las Vegas is the best Chinese food in America. It's one of Vegas' best-kept luxury secrets.
- [The Ultimate Guide to Basilicata, Italy (What to Eat, Where to Stay, & More)](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/05/04/the-ultimate-guide-to-basilicata-italy-what-to-eat-where-to-stay-more/) - A foodie's guide to Matera, Bernalda and Rionero in Vulture, Basilicata, Italy. Where to eat, where to stay and more.
- [The Best Pizza in Naples, Italy](https://bradajohnson.net/2006/02/19/the-best-pizza-in-the-world/) - The goal: Find the best pizza in Naples, Italy. Four days, dozens of pizzerias. Here is the best pizza in Naples, guaranteed.
- [Shun Kee, Typhoon Shelter, Hong Kong](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/05/03/shun-kee-typhoon-shelter-hong-kong/) - This is one of the most incredible restaurants in Hong Kong. It's a floating restaurant in the typhoon shelter in Causeway Bay. The kitchen is on a ramshackle boat, and the only way to get to it is on another boat. The restaurant operates several ...
- [Review: Acre, Farm-to-Table in San Jose del Cabo](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/08/19/review-acre-farm-to-table-in-san-jose-del-cabo/) - Fat drips from a fifty-pound hog, splashing onto the fire. Sparks flicker into the hot Mexican air. The pig has been roasting over the mesquite embers since sunrise. The temperature outside is already sweltering, made even hotter by the blistering rotisserie, which is cranked by hand, inch-by-inch, throughout the day. By 5 p.m., as the
- [Quick Look: Pendry, San Diego](https://bradajohnson.net/2022/05/14/hotel-review-pendry-san-diego/) - Pendry is the less-expensive, next-gen offshoot of ultra-luxe Montage Hotels & Resorts, and this location in San Diego's Gaslamp District is where the brand debuted in 2017.
- [Quick Review: Valle, Oceanside CA](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/11/19/quick-review-valle-oceanside-ca/) - Inspired by Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe where the chef first made a name for himself, Roberto Alcocer’s cuisine at the new Valle in Oceanside is intensely farm-to-table. It is uniquely Mexican, distinctly Californian and not always what it appears to be.
- [Review: Addison, San Diego](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/12/04/review-addison-san-diego/) - Nine years had lapsed since my last visit to Addison in north San Diego County, so when the restaurant recently earned a second Michelin star, I wondered what has changed. I fondly remembered chef William Bradley as an absolute master of French haute cuisine. Apparently, a lot has changed since I was last here.
- [Motel Review: White Water, Cambria CA](https://bradajohnson.net/2022/02/06/motel-review-white-water-cambria-ca/) - The central coast village of Cambria is a popular overnight pitstop on California’s fabled Highway 1. The priciest (thus presumably the nicest) place to stay here is White Water, which debuted anew in October 2020 following a major renovation that included the annexation of a neighboring property.
- [Telluride in Black and White](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/02/22/telluride-in-black-and-white/) - If you've ever seen this blog or followed me on Instagram, you know that I love rich, vivid colors. That's how I typically see the world. But I also love black-and-white. I just don't post many monochrome. However after visiting Telluride again this winter, with snow falling at some point almost every day, I felt
- [World's Best Cruise Line for Cuisine](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/05/17/crystal-symphony-feast-on-the-high-seas/) - Food dictates where I travel. I book restaurant reservations before I buy plane tickets. I choose hotels based on their proximity to where I will eat. I also like cruise ships. But I’ve learned over the years that my passion for food and my love for cruising are not always compatible. I’ve found myself on
- [Quick Look: Hotel Cerro & Brasserie SLO, San Luis Obispo](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/12/26/quick-look-hotel-cerro-brasserie-slo-san-luis-obispo/) - Although its debut was inauspiciously timed (coinciding with the beginning of the pandemic), the 65-room Hotel Cerro and its beautiful Brasserie SLO have breathed new life into downtown San Luis Obispo on California's Central Coast.
- [Motel Review: Cuyama Buckhorn, New Cuyama, CA](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/12/27/motel-review-cuyama-buckhorn-new-cuyama-ca/) - The 21-room Cuyama Buckhorn is a mid-century motel redux in the boondocks of California’s high desert, midway between San Luis Obispo and Maricopa. Nobody travels to this remote hideout by accident. You really must make an effort to get here.
- [Hotel Review: Shangri-La, Vancouver](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/05/04/review-shangri-la-hotel-vancouver/) - The Shangri-La Vancouver celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, yet this hotel still feels brand-new. The 119-room hotel occupies the first 15 floors of a stunning 62-story condominium tower in the heart of downtown. This was the first North American location for the Hong Kong-based luxury brand.
- [Photo of the Week: Rocky Creek Bridge, Big Sur, California](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/12/14/photo-of-the-week-rocky-creek-bridge-big-sur-california/) - This is the Rocky Creek Bridge on California’s Big Sur Coast, about 12 miles south of Carmel. The bridge opened in 1932 in tandem with its more famous sibling, the Bixby Creek Bridge, a mile south. The plan was to photograph the Bixby Creek Bridge, something I've been wanting to do for years. But it
- [Hotel Review: Fairmont Grand Del Mar, San Diego](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/12/03/hotel-review-fairmont-grand-del-mar-san-diego/) - This was my first time back to the Grand Del Mar in north San Diego County since the resort rebranded as the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in 2015.
- [Quick Review: The Grand Del Mar Resort, San Diego](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/02/23/quick-review-the-grand-del-mar-resort-and-add/) - The Grand Del Mar, San Diego (Brad A. Johnson) When the Grand Del Mar opened in San Diego a few years ago, I didn???t love it. I thought everything felt too contrived, too set-designed, too gold-plated. Too much luxury, everywhere, over-the-top. How...
- [Hotel Review: Mission Pacific, Oceanside California](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/11/20/hotel-review-mission-pacific-oceanside-california/) - The six-story, 161-room Mission Pacific Hotel overlooking the beach in downtown Oceanside is part of the largest oceanfront development in San Diego County in more than 50 years.
- [Drink of the Week: The Bilbao at Fellow, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/11/16/drink-of-the-week-the-bilbao-at-fellow-los-angeles/) - At Fellow in Los Angeles, The Bilboa is a modern riff on a gin martini made with rosemary-lemon-infused vermouth. It is herbal and citrusy and floral and fresh yet also surprisingly viscous and creamy, making it extremely enjoyable to sip.
- [Food Photographer of the Year Exhibition at the Royal Photographic Society in Bristol, England](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/10/29/food-photographer-of-the-year-exhibition-at-the-royal-photographic-society-in-bristol-england/) - The annual international Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year contest celebrates the best food photography from around the world. I am incredibly honored that two of my photographs were selected this year, with one image earning a finalist nod in the “Food at the Table” category and the other shortlisted in the “Shot on
- [Review: Proper Hotel, San Francisco](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/10/27/review-proper-hotel-san-francisco/) - San Francisco’s Proper Hotel is important for several reasons. When it opened last fall, it was the first new luxury hotel to open in the city in years. It also marked the second coming of Brad Korzan and Kelly Wearstler, the visionary duo behind the Viceroy brand.
- [Review: Playa Amor, Long Beach](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/05/02/review-playa-amor-long-beach/) - I am constantly thrilled at the sight of a perfectly cooked lobster served with drawn butter. As far back as I can remember, this is a food that has fascinated me. It’s such a simple combination yet utterly luxurious. It’s something that works just as well in a fancy white-tablecloth restaurant as it does at a casual outdoor cantina on the beach.
- [Trout Fishing (and Yearning for Peace) in Kashmir](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/08/28/trout-fishing-and-hope-for-a-return-to-peace-in-kashmir/) - Death returned to Kashmir this month. A fresh wave of violence erupted after a teenage rebel — a local celebrity on social media — was killed in a shootout with police. More than 70 people have died in clashes in August alone. Five thousand more have been injured, according to various news reports. It is an ominous
- [Hotel Review: Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/01/18/review-taj-falaknuma-palace-hyderabad-india/) - On the outskirts of modern, high-tech Hyderabad, on a hilltop in the heart of the Old City, one of India's finest historic palaces recently opened as a luxury hotel...
- [Where to Eat in Basque Country](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/02/22/43779018/) - Hams hanging from the ceiling of a bar in San Sebastian The taxi driver turns his head all the way around so that he can get a good look at me. ???Of course I know where Arbelaitz is,??? he scoffs. ???It is a very good restaurant. One star Michelin. One...
- [Dish of the Week: Chile Relleno at El Mayor, Mexico City](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/09/03/dish-of-the-week-chile-relleno-at-el-mayor-mexico-city/) - El Mayor is a rooftop restaurant overlooking Templo Mayor, near the zocalo in the heart of Mexico City.
- [Amazing Greek Seafood (w/ recipes)](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/07/30/amazing-greek-seafood-w-recipes/) - The new Greek — Brad A. Johnson talks to the world's best Greek chefs about seafood and the evolution of their native cuisine.
- [Quick Review: Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/12/15/quick-review-radisson-blu-aqua-hotel-chicago/) - Radisson Blu Aqua isn't your typical Radisson. In Europe, the Blu brand is well known and respected, and the outposts in Rome and Berlin are pretty damn cool. The first American location, Radisson Blu Aqua opened last month in Chicago.
- [Where to Eat in Aspen: Steakhouse 316](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/03/09/best-new-restaurant-in-aspen-steakhouse-no-31/) - One of the best restaurants in Aspen, Steakhouse No. 316 serves enormous steaks from a Colorado herd.
- [In Search of Grace, the holy grail of hospitality](https://bradajohnson.net/2013/11/25/in-search-of-grace/) - After nearly a year at the OC Register, I finally awarded my first 4-star rating. (See my review of Blossom in Las Vegas). Unfortunately, I haven't yet found a restaurant in OC that lives up to the ultimate rating. If it were easy, lots of restaurants would do it. But it's not. It's hard. Very hard.
- [Where to Eat (High and Low) in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/10/22/where-to-eat-high-and-low-in-san-miguel-de-allende-mexico/) - San Miguel de Allende has always been a great destination for food. This old colonial town in the Sierra Madre mountains of central Mexico has long been known for its incredible carnitas vendors and rotisserie chicken shops. More recently it has become one of Mexico's most serious farm-to-table, fine-dining destinations.
- [Dish of the Week: Bistec Encebollado at Isla, La Palma](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/10/05/dish-of-the-week-bistec-encebollado-at-isla-la-palma/) - Southern California has never had a shortage of Cuban restaurants, but we've never had a truly great Cuban restaurant, either. And, yes, I know the ones you're thinking of right now — and they're not as good as you think they are. Want proof? Go to the new Isla in La Palma.
- [Photo of the Week: Lake Mburo, Uganda](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/11/06/photo-of-the-week-lake-mburo-uganda/) - I took this photo at Lake Mburo National Park in Uganda, which was the halfway point on my two-day drive between the capital of Kampala and the infamous Impenetrable Forest.
- [Freycinet, Tasmania: Where to Stay, High and Low](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/11/14/freycinet-tasmania-where-to-stay-high-and-low/) - Halfway up the eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia, you’ll find the breathtaking Freycinet Peninsula—a protected national park that dips southeastward into the cold Tasman Sea...
- [Photo of the Week: Ravello, Italy](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/12/14/photo-of-the-week-ravello-italy/) - This is Ravello, on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. This was taken years ago. I didn't have much time in Ravello. It was a quick two-day stopover after a weeklong visit to Naples...
- [Photo of the Week: Troncones, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/08/29/photo-of-the-week-troncones-mexico/) - Here's a photo of a cowboy riding his horse along the beach in Troncones, Mexico. I took this photo in front of Lo Sereno, a charming 10-room hotel...
- [10-Second Review: El Tizoncito, Mexico City](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/10/05/10-second-review-el-tizoncito-mexico-city/) - El Tizoncito has been making charcoal-fired tacos al pastor in Mexico City since 1966. Here's a quick look.
- [Hotel Review: Pug Seal Allan Poe, Mexico City](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/09/04/hotel-review-pug-seal-allan-poe-mexico-city/) - Pug Seal Allan Poe is a residential-style boutique hotel in the heart of Mexico City’s Polanco neighborhood, a short stroll from many of the city's best restaurants and most exclusive shops.
- [Review: The Line Hotel, Austin](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/01/04/review-the-line-hotel-austin/) - Like the original Line in Los Angeles, this new Austin outpost also occupies a beautifully restored vintage property with archetypal mid-century pedigree. The views of Town Lake are exactly the same as you would get at the Four Seasons.
- [Hotel Review: The Hoxton, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/11/30/hotel-review-the-hoxton-dtla/) - The Hoxton is a great hotel at a bargain price, even when booking the largest room category. And L.A.'s South Park neighborhood provides easy access to anything going on downtown
- [Review: Disney's Grand Californian Hotel](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/02/04/review-disneys-grand-californian-hotel/) - Since opening in 2001, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel has widely been considered not just the nicest hotel at Disneyland but also the best hotel in all of Anaheim. But is it? Here’s the hard truth.
- [Hotel Review: Four Seasons Mexico City](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/10/20/review-four-seasons-mexico-city/) - The Four Seasons Mexico City got a much-needed refresh three years ago by the Parisian design house Gilles & Boissier. Although the hotel had been open only since 1994, the top-to-bottom renovation of this Spanish revival courtyard building felt long overdue...
- [Hotel Review: Four Seasons Florence](https://bradajohnson.net/2010/05/09/europes-best-hotel/) - Europe???s best hotel? For years, my answer has been the Four Seasons George V in Paris. But regardless of whether you agree with that pick, there???s a new contender that now tops my list. Opened last year after seven years of meticulous restoration ...
- [How to Make the Red Snapper a la Talla from Tamarindos Los Cabos](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/06/05/how-to-make-the-red-snapper-a-la-talla-from-tamarindos-los-cabos/) - Step 1, Catch a red snapper. Step 2, Build a fire in your wood-burning oven and pour yourself a mezcal...
- [How to Cook an Octopus, Mexico-Style](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/06/24/how-to-cook-an-octopus-mexico-style/) - Grilled octopus salad with cactus pico de gallo (Photo by Brad A Johnson) I travel to Mexico frequently???mostly for the food. And whenever I come across a cooking class in Mexico, I almost always give it a shot. Last month I wrote about a class i...
- [OC's Best Places to Eat 2020](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/10/09/ocs-best-places-to-eat-2020/) - The Orange County Register has begun rolling out the sixth edition of my guide to the Best Places to Eat. The previous five iterations have served as an annual scavenger hunt in the form of a bucket-list ranking of the 75 best restaurants in OC. But it looks a bit different this year because 2020 changed the way we eat. So this year we offer a guide to dining in the pandemic.
- [Pit Stop: La Sauceda, Guanajuato Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/10/22/pitstop-la-sauceda-guanajuato-mexico/) - The road to San Miguel de Allende from Guanajuato (or the airport in Leon) passes through what literally feels like the middle of nowhere in Mexico's high desert. But just when you think this part of the world is completely barren and deserted, you'll pass through a tiny hillside village called La Sauceda. Blink, and
- [First Place, Travel Writing - OC Press Club Awards!](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/09/27/first-place-travel-writing-oc-press-club-awar/) - I'm excited to announce that I won First Place in the OC Press Club Awards for my travel article La Dolce Grotta, a story about the ancient cave village of Matera, Italy. Matera was once considered the shame of Italy. But not anymore. You can read...
- [Winner: Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award!](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/11/10/winner-silver-2011-lowell-thomas-travel-journ/) - Best Travel Blog 2011, Silver Award Breaking News: This blog has just won Silver at the 2011 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, sponsored by the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation. Said the judges, ???Brad A. Johnson provides a world...
- [This Just in: O.C. Press Club Awards Announced!](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/06/01/o-c-press-club-awards/) - It was another great year at the O.C. Press Club Awards. I am honored to be named best restaurant critic again, sweeping both first and second place in that category, and more...
- [2014 OC Press Club Awards!](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/05/06/2014-oc-press-club-awards/) - The Orange County Press Club Awards were announced last night, and I am happy to report that I took home four awards: 1st Place: Best Restaurant Review (Blossom) 2nd Place: Best Restaurant Review (El Corazon de Costa Mesa) 3rd Place: Best Travel Article (Las Vegas Chinese) 3rd Place: David McQuay Award for Best Columnist (overall body
- [THIS JUST IN: pdn Taste - 2016 Food Photography Awards!](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/10/04/pdn-taste-2016-food-photography-awards/) - Winners were announced today for the PDN Taste - 2016 Food Photography Awards, and I won two categories! PDN Taste is the most prestigious food photography contest in America...
- [This Just in: Southern California Journalism Awards Announced!](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/06/26/southern-california-journalism-awards/) - I'm feeling grateful and blessed to receive the Southern California Journalism Award for restaurant criticism at the Los Angeles Press Club's annual gala. It is particularly gratifying to see this comment from the judges: “The winning critique blends a keen palate with laugh-out-loud humor in this spot-on reminder that a restaurant is much more than the food on the plate.”
- [Just Announced: Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards!](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/10/31/lowell-thomas-awards2017/) - Awesome news today! My photos of Mar Adentro resort in Los Cabos took the top prize for photography at this year's Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, sponsored by the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation...
- [Just Announced: 60th Annual SoCal Journalism Awards!](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/06/26/socal-journalism-awards-announced/) - The Los Angeles Press Club just announced the winners of the Southern California Journalism Awards, and I'm thrilled to have won Best Food Criticism for my reviews in the Orange County Register for the second year in a row. Here are two of the reviews that got me into the competition this year.
- [Just Announced: Society for Features Journalism Awards!](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/06/27/just-announced-society-of-features-journalism-awards/) - This just in! The Society for Features Journalism has announced the 2019 Excellence-in-Features Awards, and I'm thrilled to have won the category Best Food Criticism for my review of Journeyman's Food & Drink, which originally appeared in the Orange County Register last summer. I also grabbed an honorable mention for overall food-writing portfolio. It's an
- [Best Travel Blog! Best Culinary Travel! Best Travel Photography! And this just in: Finalist, Food Photographer of the Year](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/04/01/best-travel-blog-best-culinary-travel-best-travel-photography-and-this-just-in-food-photographer-of-the-year/) - Awards season is here, and it has been a very good year indeed for this blog. My sincerest thanks to all the judges around the world for taking the time to consider my work.
- [Quick Look: Afternoon Tea at St. Regis, Singapore](https://bradajohnson.net/2010/10/29/quick-look-afternoon-tea-at-st-regis-singapor/) - Multiculti afternoon tea at the St. Regis Singapore:1. Beef and chicken satay2. Shrimp dumpling 3. Samosa4. Tea sandwiches and scones5. Petit fours6. Cakes and madeleines7. Roses in a teacup
- [MingCha: An Amazing Tea Shop in Hong Kong](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/04/29/an-amazing-tea-shop-in-hong-kong/) - When in Hong Kong this month, I enjoyed all kinds of amazing food and drink: street food, boat food, rooftop cocktails, underground speakeasies, luxury five-star feats... And one of the greatest highlights of all was discovering MingCha tea boutiq...
- [O.C. Review: Sushi Hana re](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/06/20/o-c-review-sushi-hana-re/) - The hostess sees me peeking through the window, so she opens the front door. “May I help you?” “Two for dinner?” I ask. I can see that almost every seat in the restaurant is already taken. “Just a moment,” she says. She walks across the very small room to whisper something to the chef. He
- [The 25 Best Things to Eat in Orange County's Little Saigon](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/01/30/the-25-best-things-to-eat-in-orange-countys-little-saigon/) - The scent of Little Saigon hits me in the face. An intoxicating perfume of jackfruit and bananas and the vanilla-y scent of pandanus leaves wraps itself around me in a warm, tight embrace. It’s a sunny Friday afternoon, and the line to purchase something cold and sweet at Thach Che Hien Khanh in Garden Grove
- [Taco Tuesday: La Super Birria, Santa Ana](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/02/26/taco-tuesday-la-super-birria-santa-ana/) - Give it a minute. Blowing on it doesn’t help. The consommé at La Súper Birria is served so hot it could melt paint off of an airplane engine. Let it cool. Focus on the tacos first. La Súper Birria is a new taco shop tucked inside Dulcería El Caracol, a store that sells Mexican candy,
- [Devastating Losses at Calistoga Ranch and Meadowood](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/10/17/devastating-losses-at-calistoga-ranch-and-meadowood/) - There’s no official word yet from Calistoga Ranch or Meadowood as to the full scope of devastation wrought by the Glass Fire that rampaged through Calistoga and St. Helena in September and October. Parts of the area are still smoldering and are thus still under evacuation orders...
- [Hotel Review: The St. Regis, Mexico City](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/10/19/review-the-st-regis-mexico-city/) - The St. Regis Mexico City rises above the Paseo de la Reforma in a beautiful 32-story Cesar Pelli-designed tower. When the hotel opened in 2008, it was immediately the most luxurious hotel in the capital. It still is. The 189-room hotel overlooks the Reforma’s statue of Diana in the heart of Colonia Cuauhtemoc. The neighborhoods
- [Where to Eat in Mexico City](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/01/01/where-to-eat-in-mexico-city/) - A gourmet weekend in Mexico City? Great idea. These are my favorite fine-dining restaurants right now in Mexico’s capital.
- [Photo of the Week: Los Cabos, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/05/21/photo-of-the-week-los-cabos-mexico/) - Here's a quick shot of the beach at The Cape Hotel in Los Cabos. It feels good to get back into the world again, and Los Cabos makes it easier than most places right now, I think. Nearly every hotel on the beach from Cabo San Lucas to San Jose del Cabo offers complimentary onsite
- [Australia's Winter Truffles are in Season. Get Some While You Can!](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/06/17/australian-truffles-are-in-season-right-now-get-some-while-you-can/) - Although it's summertime here in the United States, it is winter in Australia, where black truffle season is underway. The black truffle that grows so beautifully in Manjimup, Western Australia, is the exact same type (known to truffle geeks and chefs as Tuber Melanosporum) that is most famously harvested in Périgord, France. It's easy to get hoodwinked with bad
- [San Miguel's Moment: The Rosewood Changes Everything](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/10/24/hotel-review-rosewood-san-miguel-de-allende-r/) - The Rosewood hotel changes everything for San Miguel de Allende. This is the city's first luxury hotel of this caliber.
- [La Dolce Grotta: Italy's Best Kept Secret (Matera)](https://bradajohnson.net/2010/10/20/feature-article-la-dolce-grotta-matera/) - The road into the Sassi di Matera was built for donkeys, not speeding minivans. But my taxi driver punches the accelerator, and our top-heavy shuttle teeters around another curve. The sun has just set, so it???s hard for me to make out the slanted t...
- [Review: Hotel Joaquin, Laguna Beach](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/02/01/review-hotel-joaquin-laguna-beach/) - The 22-room Hotel Joaquin is probably the best bargain in Laguna Beach, and certainly one of the hippest hotels in town with literally zero attitude. It’s not directly on the beach, but it’s just a three-minute walk down the hill.
- [Motel Review: Skyview Los Alamos](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/07/12/motel-review-skyview-los-alamos/) - Skyview Los Alamos, a vintage roadside motel on California's Highway 101 outside the tiny town of Los Alamos, has finally become the beacon for weary travelers it was always meant to be.
- [Photo Diary: Eating and Drinking During the 2020 Quarantine](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/06/14/photo-diary-eating-and-drinking-during-the-2020-quarantine/) - If there's a silver lining to the coronavirus lockdown of 2020, it's that I got the chance to rediscover my kitchen. Or at least the kitchen table. I ate more takeout than anything else. Here's a look back at some of my favorite memories of eating and drinking at home during the quarantine.
- [Quick Look: Presqu'ile Winery, Santa Maria](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/07/18/quick-look-presquile-winery-santa-maria/) - Presqu'ile Winery is a must-stop on any serious tour of northern Santa Barbara wine country.
- [Dish of the Week: Kohada from Sushi Ii, Newport Beach](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/07/27/dish-of-the-week-kohada-from-sushi-ii-newport-beach/) - It is often said that sushi chefs judge each other by their kohada, or gizzard shad. And the kohada at Sushi Ii in Newport Beach is surely the envy of sushi chefs everywhere.
- [Motel Review: Stables Inn, Paso Robles](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/08/08/quick-review-stables-inn-paso-robles/) - The team behind Hotel Cheval in the heart of Paso Robles have opened a much more casual offshoot, the Stables Inn, a vintage 18-room roadside motel just a few blocks from the heart of downtown.
- [Quick Look: Niner Wine Estates, Paso Robles](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/08/15/quick-look-niner-wine-estates-paso-robles/) - The Niner Wine Estates in Paso Robles is nestled into the dramatic lower slope of Heart Hill, a picturesque vineyard of cabernet sauvignon, malbec and petit verdot.
- [Quick Look: La Peer Hotel, West Hollywood](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/10/24/quick-look-kimpton-la-peer-hotel-west-hollywood/) - Here’s a really quick look at the Kimpton La Peer Hotel in West Hollywood, which opened a couple years ago. From what I’ve heard, this place is normally quite the scene. But not on this visit. I checked in for a quick overnight stay in the middle of the pandemic when no one else was traveling and most hotels in LA were still fully closed...
- [Photo of the Week: Rye Goods, Newport Beach](https://bradajohnson.net/2021/02/12/photo-of-the-week-rye-goods-newport-beach/) - "Somebody has been studying their Vermeer," wrote a respected colleague when I shared this photo on my Instagram feed. I'm no Vermeer, but he's right. That Dutch Baroque mood of still life is exactly what I was striving for with this image, inspired by a loaf of freshly baked sourdough from a beautiful new bakery called Rye Goods in Newport Beach...
- [Quick Look: ParkRoyal on Pickering Hotel, Singapore](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/04/02/quick-look-parkroyal-on-pickering-singapore/) - No words, just images. One of Singapore's sexiest hotels.
- [Photo of the Week: Isola San Giorgio (Venice), Italy](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/04/19/photo-of-the-week-isola-san-giorgio-venice-italy/) - This is Isola San Giorgio, one of the lesser-known islands of Venice, Italy. Claude Monet frequently painted San Giorgio Maggiore, the Palladian church and monastery pictured here at the heart of San Giorgio. From this vantage point and time of day, it was easy to see what he saw.
- [Best. Guacamole. Ever. In Zihuatanejo, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/08/25/best-guacamole-ever-at-the-viceroy-resort-in-zihuatanejo-mexico/) - This is the only guacamole recipe you will ever need, from one of the best chefs in Zihuatanejo, Mexico.
- [Is this Mexico's Best Mole Poblano Recipe?](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/05/30/is-this-mexicos-best-mole-poblano-recipe/) - Mole poblano at Mesones Sacristia in Puebla, Mexico (photo by Brad A. Johnson) I???ve taken dozens of cooking classes throughout the years in towns across Mexico. And among my favorites were two classes I encountered just last month, days apart. T...
- [Cocktail Recipe: Jasmine Sour Martini from Taj Falaknuma Palace](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/04/11/cocktail-recipe-taj-falaknuma-palaces-jasmine/) - If you've got a jasmine bush in your yard (and the jasmine is blooming throughout Los Angeles at the moment), or if perhaps your neighbor has one... Make this drink! This...
- [Memories of a Mentor, and the Perfect Caesar Salad](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/04/15/memories-of-a-mentor-and-the-perfect-caesar-salad/) - I have often credited chef Frederic Castan as a key figure in my life who put me on the path that inspired me to open a restaurant and eventually to become a critic. He taught me how to make the perfect Caesar salad, among other things.
- [Challenge the Chef: Tortilla Soup at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Los Cabos (recipe included)](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/05/05/challenge-the-chef-tortilla-soup-at-las-venta/) - In honor of Cinco de Mayo, here's a flashback to the time I challenged the chef at Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos with my tortilla soup, which ended up on the resort's dinner menu for a while.
- [Rome's Best Micro Hotels](https://bradajohnson.net/2010/10/22/romes-best-micro-hotels/) - Portrait Suites The mightiest trend in Rome? Tiny hotels with 15 rooms or less. Dozens of these micro hotels have sprouted up in recent years, giving guests an intimate experience that???s more like staying in a private apartment but with all the mo...
- [Critic's Notebook: Baco Mercat, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/12/13/critics-notebook-baco-mercat-los-angeles/) - The "original" b??co at B??co Mercat (Brad A. Johnson) This is the best sandwich I???ve eaten all year. This is also my favorite new L.A. restaurant (in the bargain category, at least). The sandwich is not exactly a sandwich, though. It???s a b??co, whic...
- [Quick Look: Park Hyatt Dubai](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/05/25/quick-look-park-hyatt-dubai/) - Park Hyatt Dubai (photo by Brad A Johnson) On my way back from a work assignment in India last month, I stopped for a couple days vacation in Dubai. I had originally planned to go shopping and skiing at that mall with the indoor ski slope, but onc...
- [Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards Announced!](https://bradajohnson.net/2010/05/06/le-cordon-bleu-world-food-media-awards-announ/) - Wow! I just won the world???s top food critic prize at the international 2010 Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards. The only global contest of its kind, the biennial World Food Media Awards honor the best food and drink journalists from around the...
- [Hotel Review: San Francisco Palace](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/12/28/hotel-review-san-francisco-palace/) - San Francisco’s Palace Hotel completed a $40 million renovation in October that brings the iconic property back in line with expectations for a hotel that calls itself a palace.
- [Hotel Review: Palazzo Margherita, Bernalda, Italy](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/08/12/hotel-review-palazzo-margherita-bernalda-italy/) - There is no sign out front announcing the hotel. Just a discreet street number, 64, marks the address. Once visitors pass through the front gate, the grandeur of the two-story home becomes more clear. The palazzo wraps around an interior courtyard and opens onto an adjacent garden, which is manicured in that lush, shaggy-chic style typically associated with Italy’s finest rural villas.
- [Quick Look: Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Mumbai](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/04/10/quick-look-taj-mahal-palace-hotel-mumbai/) - The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai is one of the world’s true grande dames, a turn-of-the-century palace overlooking the iconic Gateway of India in Apollo Bunder. Here's a quick look at this legendary hotel, which is now the subject of a new film called Hotel Mumbai.
- [10-Second Review: Chetito, Mexico City](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/10/01/photo-of-the-week-chetito-mexico-city/) - Best. Salsas. Ever. At a great little taco-and-tequila bar called Chetito in Mexico City.
- [Dish of the Week: Cacio e Pepe at Oliver's Osteria, Laguna Beach](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/03/22/dish-of-the-week-cacio-e-pepe-at-olivers-osteria-laguna-beach/) - The cacio e pepe at Oliver's Osteria in Laguna Beach is available for takeout during the pandemic. Stay safe out there!
- [Blackbird, Chicago 1997 - 2020 (RIP)](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/07/03/blackbird-chicago-1997-2020-rip/) - Chicago’s Blackbird has closed. The restaurant announced this week that they were closing permanently, unable to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. This sucks. I don’t live in Chicago anymore, so I didn’t get to eat at Blackbird often. But the restaurant has always held a special place in my heart. Blackbird was one of the last
- [The Beautiful Conflict of Tea in Hong Kong](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/01/06/the-beautiful-conflict-of-tea-in-hong-kong-mo/) - Afternoon tea at Hong Kong's Landmark Mandarin Oriental (Brad A. Johnson) There are two ways to take afternoon tea in Hong Kong???both revered, both steeped in tradition, but with a different culture and practice. And while one is flourishing, the o...
- [Photo of the Week: Pier 7, San Francisco](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/06/21/photo-of-the-week-pier-7-san-francisco/) - Here's a view of San Francisco and the Bay Bridge from Pier 7
- [Photo of the Week: Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/04/25/photo-of-the-week-koh-pha-ngan-thailand/) - Koh Pha Ngan is where Leonardo Dicaprio's The Beach was filmed. The snorkeling is great, just don't expect luxury.
- [Where to Eat Now: Hong Kong](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/10/08/where-to-eat-now-hong-kong-2/) - The dining scene in Hong Kong – like the city itself – is the ultimate expression of East meets West. Driven by homegrown chefs and European-trained expats alike, restaurants here combine a potent mix of old and new, of roasted goose and barbecue pork, dry-aged steak and crab fried rice. The epicenter of all this
- [Quick Review: The Pottinger Hong Kong](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/10/08/hotel-review-pottinger-hong-kong/) - The 22-story, 68-room Pottinger opened last year in the heart of Central, the city’s epicenter of shopping and dining. The hotel sits on the steep hillside between Queen’s Road and Stanley Street, adjacent to the pedestrian-only Pottinger Street, one of the island’s oldest vertical pathways. The rooms are spacious and lavish, outfitted with fine linens,
- [Happy 10th Birthday to Singapore's Marina Bay Sands!](https://bradajohnson.net/2020/04/18/happy-10th-birthday-marina-bay-sands/) - It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since the opening of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Instantly iconic, the resort’s rooftop infinity pool became a must-see attraction for jet-setters the world over.
- [Photo of the Week: Singapore](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/04/10/photo-of-the-week-singapore/) - Steamer baskets of dumplings at a hawker center in Singapore.
- [Quick Look: Waku Ghin, Singapore](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/04/21/quick-look-waku-ghin-singapore/) - Waku Ghin at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore is Tetsuya Wakuda's first second restaurant outside of Sydney. It's nothing like his original in Australia, and it's no less amazing. This is a sort of luxe teppanyaki like nobody's ever done it before. E...
- [Tippling Club, Singapore: 2.5 Hours, 25 Pictures](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/04/26/tippling-club-singapore-2-5-hours-25-pictures/) - Stopped by the Tippling Club in Singapore on my most recent return to the city/state. Good stuff. Here's a quick visual tour:
- [Quick Look: Biblioteca Vasconcelos, Mexico City](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/09/05/quick-look-biblioteca-vasconcelos-mexico-city/) - Mexico City's mind-boggling Biblioteca Vasconcelos is where mid-century Brutalism and futuristic dystopian fantasies collide.
- [Quick Look: Bruny Island, Tasmania](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/11/07/quick-look-bruny-island-tasmania/) - This is Bruny Island in Tasmania. Bruny sits off the southern tip of Tasmania, Australia, and is accessible only by ferry and home to some of the world's best oysters.
- [Quick Review: Maenam, Vancouver](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/05/05/quick-review-maenam-vancouver/) - Maenam is a glamorous little Thai restaurant in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighborhood. In Southern California we’ve got some of the best Thai food outside of Thailand. But we’ve got nothing quite like this.
- [Hotel Review: Fairmont Chateau Whistler](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/04/27/review-fairmont-chateau-whistler/) - The Fairmont Chateau opened 30 years ago at the base of Blackcomb Mountain, occupying the best ski-in/ski-out real estate of any hotel on the Blackcomb side of the Whistler Blackcomb resort. So how's it holding up now?
- [Hotel Review: Hyatt Regency Polanco, Mexico City](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/11/25/quick-review-hyatt-regency-polanco-mexico-city/) - The brand new Hyatt Regency is currently the nicest hotel in Polanco. But how long will that last?
- [Photo of the Week: Vail, Colorado](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/02/25/photo-of-the-week-vail-colorado/) - I wish I could remember which lift this was. I want to say it was the Wildwood Express. All I recall is that it was snowing like the apocalypse that week.
- [Photo of the Week: Vancouver](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/04/25/photo-of-the-week-vancouver/) - Here's a shot of downtown Vancouver as seen from my 15th floor suite of the exquisite Shangri-La Hotel. Vancouver's downtown has grown tremendously over the past couple of decades, earning the nickname "City of Glass," a moniker that stuck after the publication of Douglas Coupland's book of the same name, an ode to the city
- [Review: Hotel Columbia, Telluride](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/01/21/review-hotel-columbia-telluride/) - The Hotel Columbia sits directly across the street from the Telluride gondola, making this the best-located luxury hotel in town. Whether you ski or not, winter or summer, being close to the gondola is in itself a luxury. You'll use the gondola to traverse between downtown Telluride and Mountain Village, to access the famed Allred's
- [Quick Look: Beano's Cabin, Beaver Creek, CO](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/03/09/quick-review-beanos-cabin-beaver-creek-co/) - Beano's Cabin, Beaver Creek (photo by Brad A. Johnson) Beano???s Cabin is my favorite restaurant in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Hidden in a small mountain meadow, surrounded by towering spruce, at the edge of Larkspur Bowl more than halfway up Beaver Cr...
- [Going Ape: Tracking Highland Gorillas in Uganda's Impenetrable Forest](https://bradajohnson.net/2007/12/12/going-ape-tracking-highland-gorillas-in-ugandas-aptly-named-impenetrable-forest/) - Moses greets me wearing knee-high rubber galoshes and what looks like a military uniform. His outfit will camouflage him nicely as he and I head out for a private walk through the swamp-lined savannah to sneak up on hyenas and hippos in a remote corner of Uganda’s Lake Mburo National Park. An AK-47 hangs casually
- [Dish of the Week: Pancakes at Sibling Rival, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/12/08/dish-of-the-week-pancakes-at-sibling-rival-los-angeles/) - Just look at these pancakes! This is not a macro shot. These pancakes at Sibling Rival in Los Angeles really are that gigantic. I thought they would be super fluffy, but...
- [Where to Eat in Pantelleria, Italy  (the other Sicily)](https://bradajohnson.net/2013/03/24/where-to-eat-in-pantelleria-italy-the-other-sicily/) - There’s a tiny volcanic island in the Mediterranean where Giorgio Armani spends every summer. It’s called Pantelleria, one of the lesser known islands of Sicily. It is actually closer to Tunisia than to Sicily. It was previously conquered and inhabited by Arabs, and much of that Arabic influence remains. The architecture brings to mind Marrakech,
- [Hotel Review: The Robey, Chicago](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/12/10/hotel-review-the-robey-chicago/) - After what seemed like the longest delay in hotel-opening history, The Robey finally opened its doors in November in the heart of Chicago’s Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood. A member of Design Hotels, the 69-room, 12-story Robey is the second U.S. property for Mexico City-based Grupo Habita...
- [Las Vegas: Best Place in the World for Steak. Period.](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/07/31/why-las-vegas-is-the-best-place-on-earth-to-e/) - Las Vegas is the best place in the world for steak. Here's why. And where to find the best of the best.
- [72 Hours in Chicago, 27 photos](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/12/16/72-hours-in-chicago-27-photos/) - Forever one of the world’s most significant cities for architecture, Chicago’s skyline has grown even more spectacular in recent years, both around the river and along the lakefront. Here’s a quick look around of the city I used to call home.
- [Heli-Fishing at Nimmo Bay, BC](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/02/01/heli-fishing-at-nimmo-bay-bc/) - The helicopter lifts, then tilts back, back, back… The trees spin sideways. The bay slips out from under us. The sky comes rushing forward. Clouds. Blue. An eagle… The trees begin righting themselves. We were upside down for only a split second before completing the loop-d-loop. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to weightlessness, and though I want to retain my composure, I can’t wipe the silly grin off my face. We feather toward the lake, landing softly on one of the resort’s three over-water helipads.
- [Photo of the Week: Sydney Opera House](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/04/30/photo-of-the-week-sydney-opera-house/) - The last time I was in Sydney, I was amazed at the spectacular sunrises and sunsets over the harbor and the famous opera house. I snapped this shot just after sunrise, when the sun finally broke through the morning clouds. Moments earlier, the sky exploded with pinks, yellows and oranges, which I also captured...
- [Hotel Review: Freehand, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/06/27/hotel-review-freehand-los-angeles/) - The Freehand Los Angeles opened last week at the corner of 8th and Olive — across the street from legendary dive bar the Golden Gopher. The 226-room hotel resides in the landmark, 12-story Commercial Exchange building, which has been gutted and completely redesigned with an urban-hipster twist on California Craftsman.
- [Quick Look: Bar Crenn, San Francisco](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/04/25/quick-look-bar-crenn-san-francisco/) - Chef Dominique Crenn just opened her (long awaited) French wine bar next door to her flagship Atelier Crenn. Conceptually, this is meant to be a casual little wine bar where people can hang out before or after dinner at Atelier Crenn. In reality, and not surprisingly, it has instantly become a destination unto itself. We
- [Review: The NoMad Hotel, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/10/06/review-the-nomad-hotel-los-angeles/) - The NoMad Hotel in downtown Los Angeles opened in January 2018 and occupies a 12-story building that was originally erected in the roaring 1920s as the American headquarters of The Bank of Italy.
- [Review: Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/10/28/review-intercontinental-los-angeles-downtown/) - The 73-story Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown is the tallest building west of Chicago. It’s the highest hotel in the city — and the reigning most-talked-about skyscraper of L.A.’s rapidly expanding downtown skyline.
- [Review: Hotel Emma, San Antonio](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/01/05/review-hotel-emma-san-antonio/) - Hotel Emma is the nicest hotel in San Antonio. Period. Emma’s arrival in 2015 was long over due. San Antonio has consistently ranked among the top domestic destinations for conventions and tourism. The city’s legendary Riverwalk has long been saturated with hotels. But conspicuously absent from the mix over the years has been a single
- [Review: Hotel Figueroa, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/01/18/review-hotel-figueroa-los-angeles/) - It took a massive three-year, top-to-bottom, inside-out refurbishment to bring the Hotel Figueroa back from the brink. And what an incredible transformation. This is now one of the sexiest and, frankly, best hotels in downtown Los Angeles.
- [Quick Review: Bar Oso, Whistler Village](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/04/30/quick-review-bar-oso-whistler-village/) - Bar Oso is an authentic Spanish tapas bar in the heart of Whistler Village. They've got a fantastic Spanish wine list and wonderful sangria. The chef is from Madrid...
- [Quick Look: Firehouse Hotel Restaurant, DTLA](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/06/22/quick-look-firehouse-hotel-restaurant-dtla/) - The Arts District in downtown Los Angeles is having a moment, thanks in large part to the new Firehouse Hotel and it's excellent little restaurant.
- [Photo of the Week: Hotel Paseo, Palm Desert](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/05/13/photo-of-the-week-hotel-paseo-palm-desert/) - The Hotel Paseo recently opened in Palm Desert, and one of the new hotel's coolest suites is actually an Airstream trailer parked in the courtyard near the pool...
- [10-Second Review: Belcampo Meat Co., Santa Monica](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/04/06/quick-look-belcampo-meat-co-santa-monica/) - I first fell in love with Belcampo's burgers several years ago at their butcher shop inside the Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles. And now at their Santa Monica butcher-shop cafe, the burger is next-level...
- [Quick Review: Gallery Hotel Art, Florence, Italy](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/06/29/quick-review-gallery-hotel-art-florence-italy/) - Overview: The family who built Italy’s Ferragamo shoe empire also owns a cluster of hotels called the Lungarno Collection. They operate several intimate hotels in Florence, all on the same block, including the brand new 36-unit Portrait Suites, which opened in April. But that one didn’t open until two weeks after my trip, so I
- [Quick Look: The Ludlow Hotel, New York](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/01/28/quick-look-the-ludlow-hotel-new-york/) - My time at The Ludlow was short, merely 24 hours. Here's a quick visual tour: The Ludlow, 180 Ludlow St., New York, 212.432.1818 For more travel inspiration and photos, I invite you to follow me and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
- [Alinea, Chicago: 3 hours, 28 photos](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/12/09/alinea-chicago-3-hours-29-photos/) - Alinea reopened in May after a five-month closure to refreshen the restaurant for its 10th anniversary. They nailed it. This is still one of the greatest restaurants in the world.
- [Quick Look: Lung King Heen, Hong Kong](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/03/31/quick-look-lung-king-heen-hong-kong/) - When Lung King Heen earned three Michelin stars in 2009, it was the first restaurant in Hong Kong — and the first Chinese restaurant anywhere in the world — to win the prestigious French guide’s highest honor. The gorgeous Cantonese restaurant overlooks Victoria Harbor from the fourth floor of the Four Seasons hotel. I dined at
- [Quick Look: Savor Saigon food tour, Vietnam](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/05/02/quick-look-savor-saigon-food-tour-vietnam/) - I recently traveled back to Saigon. So much has changed since my last visit to Vietnam just a few years before. Most notably, the skyline is quickly going vertical. Fortunately, much of what I fell in love with the first time hasn't really changed. The food is incredible and the people are warm, welcoming and
- [Photo of the Week: Hyderabad, India](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/06/14/photo-of-the-week-hyderabad-india/) - If this picture doesn't make you smile, then nothing will. This picture captures the very essence of Hyderabad. These two kids were sitting in the back of a three-wheeler mini cab in the parking lot of the Nizam Museum. Their smiles, their eyes, their spirit—pure magic. Pure India. For more travel inspiration and photos, I
- [Photo of the Week: Langkawi, Malaysia](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/03/17/photo-of-the-week-langkawi-malaysia/) - This was the view from my chaise on the beach in front of the Four Seasons Langkawi. This is such an incredible resort in a beautiful remote corner of the world. Langkawi is one of only four inhabited islands among an archipelago of 99 islands, a UNESCO World Geopark off the western coast of Malaysia,
- [Photo of the Week: Orange County Fair](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/07/20/photo-of-the-week-orange-county-fair/) - The Orange County Fair is in full swing and runs for the next few weeks. The food sucks, but who cares?
- [Photo of the Week: Beaver Creek](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/01/25/photo-of-the-week-beaver-creek/) - I wish I could remember the exact spot on Beaver Creek Mountain where I shot this. All I remember is that it was somewhere on the way to Beano's Cabin, a beautiful restaurant mid-mountain. I was en route to lunch, running late, it was snowing, and when I saw this cluster of trees I immediately
- [10 Best Mexican Restaurants in the Riviera Maya](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/12/31/best-mexican-restaurants-in-the-riviera-maya/) - A culinary revolution is sweeping the Yucatan Peninsula from Playa del Carmen to Cancun. A new wave of chefs, most of whom are not from here, are reviving the Mexican and Mayan traditions of a region that not too long ago was widely panned – and rightly so – as a culinary wasteland.
- [O.C. Review: El Coyotito, San Juan Capistrano](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/02/01/o-c-review-el-coyotito-san-juan-capistrano/) - I stuff a few dollar bills into the machine and scroll through the CDs: Banda Machos, Gerardo Ortiz, Juan Gabriel, Julio Iglesias, Enrique Iglesias, Christina Aguilera … and settle on the younger Iglesias, plus The Eagles, The Cars and Eric Clapton. The Eagles’ 1979 hit “I Can’t Tell You Why” begins to play, and everyone in the dining room seems to approve, even the two guys in the corner who are wearing dusty cowboy boots and sharing an ice-filled bucket of beer.
- [Review: Journeyman's Food & Drink, Fullerton](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/06/27/review-journeymans-food-drink-fullerton/) - The waiter wears a holster that dangles loosely at his side, like a blacksmith’s tool belt from a sci-fi Western, secured with straps that cinch around his leg just above the knee. Soothing music plays gently in the background. It reminds me of the soundtrack my massage therapist plays when I’m lying face down on
- [Quick Look: Mar Adentro (now Viceroy), San Jose del Cabo, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/08/01/quick-look-mar-adentro-san-jose-del-cabo-mexico/) - There's a stunningly beautiful new hotel opening in Los Cabos. It's called Mar Adentro, and it is currently in its soft-opening phase. The resort is designed by Miguel Angel Aragones, one of Mexico's most incredible architects. Here's a quick look around. UPDATE: Mar Adentro is now Viceroy Los Cabos. Viceroy has changed the decor slightly,
- [Quick Look: Steeps Grill, Whistler](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/04/29/quick-look-steeps-grill-whistler/) - Steeps Grill is the only full-service restaurant on the mountain in Whistler. Steeps is a beautiful dining room and bar tucked inside the sprawling Roundhouse Lodge at an elevation of 6,069 feet. It isn't nearly as luxurious as Christine's on Blackcomb, but it is quite nice for on-mountain dining. And the food is very, very
- [Quick Look: Christine's on Blackcomb](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/04/28/quick-look-christines-on-blackcomb/) - Christine’s is the preeminent on-mountain restaurant on Blackcomb Mountain. It’s a posh full-service dining room and bar at 6,102 feet, accessible by gondola or on skis. It’s open for lunch year-round, and the views are usually incredible. I dined here again in April while enjoying some springtime skiing, but at lunchtime during my visit the
- [Photo of the Week: Horstman Hut, Whistler Blackcomb](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/02/17/photo-of-the-week-horstman-hut-whistler-blackcomb/) - It's hard to fathom the vastness of Whistler Blackcomb ski resort. Between the two mountains, this place is truly colossal. I snapped this photo at the top of Blackcomb at Horstman Hut, a no-frills dining cabin at an elevation of a few feet shy of 7,500 feet.
- [Dish of the Week: The Hams in Spain](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/03/16/photo-of-the-week-madrid-spain/) - I could easily travel through Spain for at least two weeks, maybe three, subsisting on little more than ham and wine. The hams here are incredible...
- [Photo of the week: Mumbai](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/05/24/photo-of-the-week-mumbai/) - The Gateway of India is one of Mumbai's most iconic landmarks, and I had the most incredible view of the arch from the balcony of my room at the legendary Taj Mahal Palace Hotel...
- [Photo of the Week: Florence, Italy](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/10/20/photo-of-the-week-florence-italy/) - This is the Duomo di Firenze, the famous cathedral that dominates the skyline in Florence, Italy. I took this shot on my way to dinner, just as the sun was fading beneath ominous rain clouds. The architectural details are beyond extraordinary. I c...
- [Critic's Notebook: Good news, bad news at Ruby's Dinette](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/09/28/critics-notebook-good-news-bad-news-at-rubys-dinette/) - Here’s a cautionary tale about two Ruby’s Dinettes.
- [4-Star Review: Blossom, Las Vegas](https://bradajohnson.net/2013/11/14/review-blossom-las-vegas/) - Sommelier Simon Wang uncorks a bottle of French rosé Champagne and pours me a glass. “This should go nicely with your first course,” he says. I don't yet know what that course will be, because I've asked the chef to surprise me tonight. I hold the glass up to the light. The wine is a
- [The 13 Best Bowls of Ramen in O.C.](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/01/17/the-10-best-bowls-of-ramen-in-o-c/) - Orange County is ramen paradise. We have it good here. Really, really good. Here are the 10 best. You won’t go wrong with any one of these, but you will have to wait in line at all of them...
- [Quick Look: Taqueria Orinoco, Mexico City](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/02/23/quick-look-taqueria-orinoco-mexico-city/) - Taqueria Orinoco serves some of the best tacos al pastor in Mexico City. I love this place. It's always crowded, and the air-conditioning doesn't work very well, but it's always a good time.
- [Mexico Earthquake Relief: How You Can Help.](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/09/24/mexico-earthquake-relief-how-you-can-help/) - My heart aches for Mexico right now. The recent earthquakes have taken a mighty toll. A lot of people are hurting. If you want to help, here’s how:
- [Photo of the Week: Casa Luis Barragán, Mexico City](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/09/25/photo-of-the-week-casa-luis-barragan-mexico-city/) - The former home and studio of Luis Barragán in Mexico City has been meticulously preserved and now functions as a museum and art center. Luis Barragán was one of the most important architects of North American mid-century design...
- [What to Eat Next in Mexico City: Incredible Fish Tacos at Zanaya](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/09/02/what-to-eat-in-mexico-city-incredible-fish-tacos-at-zanaya/) - Absolutely incredible. The ultimate highlight — of many highs — of my most recent dining tour of Mexico City was the Zarandeado fish tacos at Zanaya, at the Four Seasons hotel...
- [Photo of the Week: Museo Soumaya, Mexico City](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/09/26/photo-of-the-week-museo-soumaya-mexico-city/) - This is such an incredible feat of architecture by Fernando Romero. The museum was founded in 2011 by billionaire Carlos Slim and is named after his late wife, Soumaya.
- [Photo of the Week: Four Seasons Punta Mita Yacht](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/09/01/photo-of-the-week-four-seasons-punta-mita-yacht/) - This is one of my all-time favorite sunsets. I took this during a cruise aboard a beautiful 55-foot yacht operated by the Four Seasons Punta Mita, 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- [7 Random Shots of Shanghai](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/07/10/7-random-shots-of-shanghai/) - Shanghai. Seven shots. Totally random. For more travel inspiration and photos, I invite you to follow me and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
- [Exclusive Sneak Peek: Las Ventanas' Menu Revamp (All Mexican! No More Baja-Med)](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/11/30/exclusive-las-ventanas-to-completely-revamp-i/) - Tres leches from the upcoming menu at The Restaurant at Las Ventanas al Paraiso (Brad A Johnson) Worldwide exclusive: Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos has been serving so-called "Baja Mediterranean" cuisine (a term it coined) at its signature ...
- [Photo of the Week: San Jose del Cabo, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/05/18/photo-of-the-week-san-jose-del-cabo/) - Ah, Los Cabos. How I've missed you (I shot this photo in 2011), but I will see you again very soon. I just booked my flight. I look forward to photographing the spectacular new Mar Adentro hotel from famed architect Miguel Ángel Aragonés, plus...
- [Dish of the Week: Laksa at Uncle Fung, Buena Park](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/02/16/dish-of-the-week-laksa-at-uncle-fung-buena-park/) - The laksa at Uncle Fung in Buena Park is legit. They make their own egg noodles, or mee, and the broth is rich and creamy, a mildly spicy curry thickened with coconut cream.
- [Quick Look: Sian Ka'an Biosphere, Rivera Maya, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/03/08/quick-look-sian-kaan-biosphere-rivera-maya-mexico/) - Anyone who traveled to Mexico’s Riviera Maya 20 years ago (before it was ever called the Riviera Maya) will fondly remember the bucolic beauty (and perceived remoteness) of this part of the Yucatan peninsula. Well, guess what? There’s still a part of this ancient Mayan land that is just as peaceful and blissfull as it
- [Must See: Las Vegas' Best New Show](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/07/28/you-must-see-this-las-vegas-best-new-show/) - Absinthe (Photo by Brad A. Johnson) Absinthe at Caesars Palace is a wildly hilarious and raunchy acrobat/burlesque/variety show with a host who resembles a Sacha Baron Cohen character, plus his trusty but ditzy assistant and a roster of very well-...
- [Quick Review: The Line Hotel, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/06/27/quick-review-line-hotel-los-angeles/) - Overview: The Sydell Group (the company that developed the Saguaro Palm Springs, the Nomad in New York, and the Freehand in Miami) brings together local artists, designers (Sean Knibb), craftsmen and culinary talent (Roy Choi) to transform a rundown 12-story, 383-room Radisson in Koreatown into the Line Hotel, a trendy urban boutique hotel with stripped-down raw cement
- [10 Spas of a Lifetime in Southeast Asia!](https://bradajohnson.net/2010/05/04/10-spas-of-a-lifetime-in-southeast-asia/) - Bulgari Bali Bulgari BaliUluwatu, Bali, IndonesiaBulgari recruited Ritz-Carlton to manage the resort and tapped celebrated spa-design firm ESPA to run the property using Bulgari???s own product line. This team has melded modern Italian glam with anc...
- [Farm to Table in San Miguel de Allende: El Capricho](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/10/21/farm-to-table-in-san-miguel-de-allende-part-2/) - El Capricho's ch??vre Cristina Gerez Webb, proprietor of El Capricho in San Miguel de Allende, makes some of the finest cheese in Mexico. But that???s not all. From her workshop and urban farm on the outskirts of town, she also makes goat-milk yogurt...
- [Where to Eat Now: London](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/05/17/where-to-eat-now-london/) - London ranks among the best cities in the world for dining. This isn’t new. London’s restaurant scene shed its formerly embarrassing reputation and stepped into the spotlight more than a decade ago and hasn’t left the stage since. Wondering where to eat now? Here are some of the city’s hottest new restaurants: Polpetto You can’t
- [Review: Mosaic Hotel, Beverly Hills](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/04/25/review-mosaic-hotel-beverly-hills/) - Overview: The 49-room Mosaic Hotel in Beverly Hills revamped its look two years ago, a total transformation with a modern aesthetic throughout, including a refreshed pool deck. The hotel is part of the Gemstone Hotels collection and a member of the Preferred Hotels network. The Location: The hotel is near Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards, in the same
- [Mexico's Best Food Festival: Cholula's Festival of the Virgin](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/08/18/mexicos-best-food-festival-cholulas-festival-of-the-virgin/) - Every year, beginning August 31 and lasting for about 10 days, the Mexican town of Cholula celebrates the Festival of the Virgin of the Remedies. For a lot of people, this is a religious pilgrimage. But for most, it’s a celebration of food. And, oh my, the food! Located on the outskirts of Puebla, the
- [Photo of the Week: Forbidden City, Beijing](https://bradajohnson.net/2009/12/20/photo-of-the-week-forbidden-city-beijing/) - The crowds were absolutely maddening at the Forbidden City, which made it difficult to visit on a tight schedule. Nevertheless a must-see when in Beijing. For more travel inspiration and photos, I invite you to follow me and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
- [Quick Look: Bulgari Bali, Uluwatu](https://bradajohnson.net/2010/06/10/quick-look-bulgari-bali-uluwatu/) - OK, seriously, this is one of the greatest resorts in Bali. My time here was extremely short, and much of that time spent tied up in meetings, so I didn't get a chance to take a ton of photos. Nonetheless, here's a very quick tour: For more travel inspiration and photos, I invite you to
- [Quick Look: Pangkor Laut, Malaysia](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/05/17/quick-look-pangkor-laut-malaysia/) - There is no airport on the island of Pangkor Laut. There is merely a helipad and a dock. Getting there is half the fun. Here's a quick look at this luxury private island resort off the coast of Malaysia. The resort's helicopter met me at the Kuala Lumpur airport. I returned to the mainland by the resort's private yacht.
- [Street Food Tour of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/10/16/street-food-tour-of-san-miguel-de-allende-mexico/) - Tacos! Elote! Tortas! Birria! Churros! Chicharrones! The best street food in San Miguel de Allende.
- [OC Review: Taco Maria, Costa Mesa](https://bradajohnson.net/2013/10/09/oc-review-taco-maria-costa-mesa/) - Tucked into a corner of The OC Mix at SoCo, Taco Maria looks at first glance like a taqueria. Stools line the counter overlooking a miniature kitchen heady with the scent of arrachera. The dining room holds a few small tables. The remaining seats are crowded onto an unprotected patio. And of course, there’s the name. Despite what you might have heard, Taco Maria is not exactly the brick-and-mortar equivalent of the famed taco truck that boasted the same name and owner.
- [Where to Eat Now: San Francisco](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/06/28/where-to-eat-now-san-francisco/) - San Francisco is in the midst of another boom. But this isn’t simply another tech boom. It’s a restaurant boom, the likes of which the city hasn’t seen since the original dot-com rush of the 1990s. Probably the most important restaurant to emerge in the past couple of years is Saison (178 Townsend St.; 415-828-7990),
- [Review: Los Angeles Athletic Club Hotel](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/07/20/review-los-angeles-athletic-club-hotel/) - Overview: The Los Angeles Athletic Club opened as the city’s first members-only club in 1880. The social and athletic organization moved several times before buying the 12-story building that it still occupies today in 1912. The club includes several floors of gym facilities and a glorious swimming pool on the sixth floor. But for most
- [Farm to Table in San Miguel de Allende: Hacienda Purisima de Jalpa](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/10/21/farm-to-table-in-san-miguel-de-allende/) - Arugula and strawberries from Hacienda Purisima at Rosewood's 1826 Restaurant There???s an incredible farm-to-table culinary movement taking hold in San Miguel de Allende. The town's best chefs have been racing to embrace the region???s local agricult...
- [Enrique Olvera's New Menu at Moxi in San Miguel de Allende](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/09/30/enrique-olvera-new-menu-at-moxi-san-miguel-de/) - Enrique Olvera is one of Mexico’s most important chefs. His restaurant Pujol, in Mexico City’s chic Polanco neighborhood, has done for fine dining in his country what Thomas Keller did for America or what Ferran Adria has for Spain. Pujol celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, and yet the chef and his wildly popular restaurant
- [The New Italian: A revolution in SoCal](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/10/26/the-new-italian-a-revolution-in-socal/) - The future of Italian cuisine has arrived. And while it’s nothing short of a revolution in Los Angeles, it’s a movement that has mostly evaded Orange County. It used to be that if you went out for Italian cuisine, you knew what to expect. You knew before you got there exactly what you would be
- [5 Shots: The Puli Shanghai](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/11/06/5-shots-the-puli-shanghai/) - Here's a ridiculously short glimpse of the Puli hotel in Shanghai. P.S. You'll want to bring your swimsuit for this hotel.
- [Quick Review: NoMi, Chicago](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/12/15/quick-review-nomi-chicago/) - Sea bass with smoked ham hock at NoMi (Brad A. Johnson) Earlier this year, the Park Hyatt Chicago closed its 7th-floor restaurant, NoMi (800 N. Michigan Ave., 312-239-4030), to revamp it, expose the kitchen and relaunch it as something far more ca...
- [Quick Review: Public Hotel Chicago](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/12/15/quick-review-public-hotel-chicago/) - Public Hotel, Chicago (Brad A. Johnson) Legendary hotelier Ian Schrager (formerly of The Mondrian, The Royalton, Gramercy Park Hotel, etc.) recently took control of Chicago???s aging Ambassador East and transformed it into a budget-conscious hipster...
- [Hotel Review: LondonHouse, Chicago](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/12/17/hotel-review-londonhouse-chicago/) - The LondonHouse opened in May and overlooks the Chicago River from the famous corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. The 22-story historic landmark emerged from a dramatic three-year reconstruction project that saw the addition of a glass and steel annex next door, juxtaposing the original beaux arts structure with an ultra-modernist annex, creating a 452-room hotel...
- [Photo of the Week: Fairmont Mayakoba](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/05/15/photo-of-the-week-mayakoba/) - This is one of my favorite images from my last visit to Fairmont Mayakoba in Mexico's Riviera Maya. Just as I was sitting down for lunch, it started to rain and a blackbird took cover...
- [Quick Look: Park Hyatt Sydney](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/08/11/quick-look-park-hyatt-sydney/) - Park Hyatt Sydney (Photo by Brad A. Johnson) My quest to visit every Park Hyatt around the world continues. Here's a quick look at the Park Hyatt Sydney, which has always been one of the best hotels in Australia. Some might say the best, although ...
- [Best thing I ate this week: Braised pork shank and grits](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/07/16/best-thing-i-ate-this-week-braised-pork-shank-and-grits/) - This was easily the best thing I ate this week. It was also my favorite photo for the week. This is the braised pork shank from the breakfast menu at Grits in Fullerton. It's hard to see from this perspective just how large this thing is, but it's enough to feed two people. I shot this
- [Review: Soho House, West Hollywood](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/09/22/review-soho-house-west-hollywood/) - “You’re not writing about this, are you?” asks a friend who has just agreed to take me to the Soho House for dinner, my treat. He’s a member of the exclusive private club. I’m not. “Well, actually, yes,” I say. “Oh, man,” he says. “Are you going to take them down?” The backtracking begins. “I…,
- [Hotel Review: Rosewood London](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/05/17/hotel-review-rosewood-london/) - Overview: Opened in October, the 306-room Rosewood London is United States-based Rosewood’s first European hotel, and the luxury hotel group has made quite a splash. The posh, residential-style rooms and living room-like lobby were designed by Tony Chi (Stonehill Tavern in Dana Point; Mandarin Oriental New York). The Location: In the heart of London’s theater district, Covent
- [Rebirth of Luxury Train Travel: 4 Amazing Journeys](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/01/23/rebirth-of-luxury-train-travel-4-amazing-jour/) - Eastern & Orient Express (Brad A. Johnson)The best way to experience the true soul of a place is to arrive by train. I???m reminded of this after spending several days aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express and disembarking my posh Pullman car at the...
- [Photo of the Week: Shanghai](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/10/28/photo-of-the-week-shanghai/) - I love this photo. This woman looked so content and happy riding her bicycle along a quiet, tree-covered street in Shanghai. When I shot this, she was in her own world, completely focused on wherever it was she was going. And I love that her lipst...
- [Quick Review: Fairmont Peace Hotel, Shanghai](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/05/09/quick-review-fairmont-peace-hotel-shanghai/) - As Shanghai reaches for the sky and races into the future, the Fairmont Peace Hotel is a refreshing ode to old-school glamour. The Art Deco landmark was originally erected as the extravagant home of Sir Victor Sassoon, a shipping baron, financier ...
- [Hotel Review: The Nadler Soho, London](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/05/04/hotel-review-the-nadler-soho-london/) - Taxi drivers sometimes have a hard time finding the Nadler Soho because it’s tucked away on a quiet dead-end street in the heart of Soho’s intricate maze of narrow one-way lanes.
- [Jin Sha and Four Seasons Hangzhou at West Lake](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/05/30/jin-sha-and-four-seasons-hangzhou-at-west-lak/) - Four Seasons Hangzhou at West Lake is a lightning-fast train ride away from Shanghai. The 78-room resort unfolds like an ancient village surrounded by weeping willows, cherry trees and meandering streams crisscrossed with footbridges.
- [Quick Look: Restaurant 1833, Monterey CA](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/05/29/quick-look-restaurant-1833-monterey-ca-robb-r/) - Marrow bone at Restaurant 1833, Monterey CA (photo by Brad A Johnson) Restaurant 1833 seemed unlikely to become a standard-bearer for today???s savvy yet casual approach to fine dining. It was beset by long delays, and two chefs came and went before...
- [Jungle Book: The Search for Bengal Tigers in Ranthambore, India](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/09/25/72293085/) - An elusive Bengal tiger in Ranthambore ???He???s watching us,??? says the guide, leaning out of our idling Jeep and pointing to the soft-dirt road in the jungle that we???ve been traversing. Monkeys screech overhead, swinging from the Banyan trees. ???He???s ...
- [Where to Eat Now: Sausalito, CA](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/10/31/where-to-eat-now-sausalito-ca/) - Sausalito’s moment has arrived. Although it has always been a popular destination for travelers to the Bay Area, the quaint town just north of the Golden Gate Bridge was never a serious foodie destination. San Francisco? Of course. But Sausalito? It was for tourists. That has begun to change. Here's where to eat now in Sausalito. The
- [Hotel Review: Hotel G, San Francisco](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/02/14/quick-review-hotel-g-san-francisco/) - Overview: The Hotel G soft-opened in San Francisco last May, but the adjoining restaurants and fitness center didn’t open until fall. The 13-story building was originally constructed in 1908 as the Fielding Hotel, which faded long ago. After a two-year renovation, the old property is now fully open and operating as a 153-room boutique hotel. The
- [Quick Review: Hotel Zetta, San Francisco](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/06/26/quick-review-hotel-zetta-san-francisco/) - Overview: The Los Angeles-based Viceroy Hotel Group opened its first Bay Area property, the 116-room Hotel Zetta, last fall and it instantly became the darling of tech-savvy hipsters in SoMa. That’s no easy feat given the hometown love this city already feels for Kimpton, which owns several worthy competitors in the same neighborhood. (Viceroy operates the
- [Review: Orsa & Winston, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/04/30/la-review-orsa-winston/) - “How are you feeling?” She looks at me with genuine concern as she asks me this. She is removing yet another empty dish from the counter in front of me. It was filled with a velvety, unctuous custard made from sea urchin roe, topped with tiny, perfectly square nuggets of fried, salty mortadella. After three
- [Quick Review: Marriott Courtyard & Residence Inn, LA Live](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/09/09/quick-review-marriott-courtyard-residence-inn-la-live/) - Overview: In downtown Los Angeles in July, Marriott introduced a co-branded, 24-story Courtyard and Residence Inn hotel. This is Marriott’s first co-branded property on the West Coast. (The first such dual-flagged hotel opened in New York in December.) Although the hotel is branded with two logos, they share a common lobby and front desk as well
- [Review: Animal, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2008/09/01/review-animal/) - Photo by Brian Leatart ???We???re definitely not going to be having sex tonight, are we???? the voluptuous Brit asks, rhetorically, as she grabs her knife and sets about carving another hunk of steak from its enormous bone. Our foursome is just starting...
- [Review: Osteria La Bucca, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2010/02/22/review-osteria-la-bucca-los-angeles/) - Photography by Peden + Munk for Angeleno magazine.. Cutting the Apron Strings: After a bittersweet shakeup in the kitchen, Osteria La Buca is the best it???s ever been ???The nighttime traffic screeches to a standstill at the seamy intersection of Mel...
- [Review: Ace Hotel, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/05/18/review-ace-hotel-los-angeles/) - Overview: The Portland-based Ace Hotel chain (with locations in Palm Springs, New York and London) recently expanded to downtown Los Angeles with its long-awaited conversion of the 13-story United Artists building and adjoining Broadway Theatre, both originally built in the 1920s. The Location: Downtown’s vintage theater district still feels dirty and downright sketchy, particularly on Sundays when
- [Short Order: Ahgassi Gopchang, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/07/02/short-order-ahgassi-gopchang-los-angeles/) - Ahgassi Gopchang opened about a year ago on 6th Street in Koreatown. It’s from the same owners as the popular Korean barbecue joint Kang Ho-dong Baekjeong. “Gopchang” is the Korean word for intestines. It’s important to know that because that’s their specialty here. But of course that’s not all they serve. In fact, the beef
- [Quick Review: Hotel Normandie, Los Angeles (Koreatown)](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/07/20/quick-review-hotel-normandie-los-angeles-koreatown/) - Overview: The Hotel Normandie opened in 1926 as a residence hotel for single men. It was apparently quite the social scene back then, if not exactly high glamor. But a lot changed in this neighborhood, now better known as Koreatown. The hotel stopped being a real hotel long ago. It even became, temporarily, a "hotel" for
- [Quick Review: JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. Live](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/08/31/quick-review-jw-marriott-los-angeles-at-l-a-live/) - Overview: It’s been a few years since the 878-room JW Marriott rose up in the former parking lot of the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles in the complex that is now called L.A. Live. The glamorous JW is Marriott’s most luxurious brand, to be outdone only by the group’s Ritz-Carlton (which occupies the highest
- [Short Order: Son of a Gun, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/07/09/short-order-son-of-a-gun-los-angeles/) - Chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo opened Animal in 2008. They struck gold with pig fat and innards. They followed up with the slightly more ambitious, seafood-oriented Son of a Gun in 2011. Then last year they made the leap from chefs to rather-rockstar-ish culinary enablers. They’re the behind-the-scenes partners at celebrity chef Ludo Lefebvre’s
- [Best Sushi in Southern California](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/02/17/best-sushi-in-southern-california-ahem-in-america/) - For anyone who loves sushi, as I do, we’ve got it good here. Nowhere else in the United States — not New York, not San Francisco, nowhere — comes even remotely close to the quality of sushi widely available in Southern California. And while Los Angeles has always been the sushi capital of America, Orange
- [OC Review: Sushi Roku, Newport Beach](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/08/18/oc-review-sushi-roku-newport-beach/) - “Irasshai!” shouts a hostess as she leads me to my table. The sushi chefs and waiters respond in kind. Most are cheerily enthusiastic, although I can’t help but notice one waiter rushing through the room with an armful of food who mumbles the greeting under his breath in a way that suggests the Japanese-to-English translation
- [Best Thing I Ate This Week: Baby Squid Sushi](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/05/03/best-thing-i-ate-this-week-baby-squid-sushi/) - I told the chef "omakase," meaning that I trust his judgement, I'm in his hands. And the first few courses were fairly predictable, as I've dined at the sushi counter at Shunka a dozen times before and knew more or less what to expect. But I also knew there would be a curveball at some point, and here it was: baby squid sushi.
- [Photo of the week: Bangkok, Thailand](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/05/03/photo-of-the-week-bangkok/) - I shot this photo from Vertigo, the rooftop restaurant and bar atop the Banyan Tree hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. The city has an incredible rooftop bar scene, with outdoor bars on rooftops of skyscrapers all over the city. Vertigo was one of the first. Now there are dozens. The park in the foreground is Lumphini
- [OC Review: Old Crow Smokehouse, Huntington Beach](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/05/19/oc-review-old-crow-smokehouse-huntington-beach/) - Old Crow is far and away the best restaurant to open thus far at Pacific City. The corporate chef is Tony Scruggs, a self-taught cook who competed on television’s “MasterChef” a few years back. Scruggs’ barbecue is probably best described as Chicago-style with influences ranging from Tennessee to Arkansas.
- [OC Press Club Awards!](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/05/19/oc-press-club-awards/) - Great news from the Orange County Press Club Awards last night! I am happy to announce that I received six awards — the most individual awards of any journalist at the gala. I am humbled and honored to have swept 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the restaurant-review category (for Waterman’s Harbor, Orsa & Winston
- [Review: Rivera, Los Angeles](https://bradajohnson.net/2009/05/01/review-rivera-los-angeles/) - Photos by Ethan Pines By the time we settle into our corner table, tequilas in hand, I???m lightheaded. I fear I???m outmatched tonight and could end up under the table. I???m dining at Rivera with The Blonde, The Sailor and a Tequila Baron. We haven???t ...
- [Best Airline Food of 2011: Singapore Airlines](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/01/01/best-airline-food-of-2011-singapore-airlines/) - Medium-rare filet mignon and whipped potatoes on Singapore Airlines (Brad A. Johnson) I eat a lot of meals on airplanes, and while some airlines get worse and worse, others just keep getting better. The food on Cathay Pacific was always excellent ...
- [Photo of the Week: Hue, Vietnam](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/06/12/photo-of-the-week-hue-vietnam/) - Hue was once the imperial capital of Vietnam, and it must have been magnificent back in the day. This region today is mostly impoverished and forgotten. The country's recent spate of modern development has mostly skipped Hue. But there are some truly beautiful historical sites worth seeing. For more travel inspiration and photos, I invite
- [Hotel Review: Ovolo Southside, Hong Kong](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/08/02/hotel-review-ovolo-southside-hong-kong/) - Overview: A former high-rise warehouse turned 162-room boutique hotel, the Ovolo Southside is the first serious hotel to set up shop in the emerging Southside neighborhood of Tin Wan. The Location: The industrial Southside neighborhood of Tin Wan, adjacent to better-known Aberdeen, is a congested jungle of vertical warehouses and high-rise factories that has become
- [Lung King Heen, Hong Kong: World's Best Chinese?](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/04/29/lung-king-heen-hong-kong-worlds-best-chinese/) - Lung King Heen, the fine dining Cantonese restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong, is quite possibly the best Chinese restaurant in the world.It was the first Chinese restaurant ever awarded three stars by the Michelin Guide. And absolut...
- [First Look: Oneworld Lounge at LAX's New Tom Bradley Terminal](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/06/30/first-look-oneworld-lounge-at-laxs-new-tom-bradley-terminal/) - Overview: Oneworld alliance partners Qantas, British Airways and Cathay Pacific debuted a new luxury lounge on June 17 for first- and business-class passengers flying out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. And although the lounge is branded specifically for these three airlines, who footed the bill for this project, the club is actually
- [Rome's Top 3 Luxury Hotels](https://bradajohnson.net/2010/10/27/romes-top-5-luxury-hotels/) - Regina Hotel Baglioni Regina Hotel Baglioni The Lowdown: Italian owners revamped this 103-room Art Deco diva on the famed Via Veneto just last year. Rooms boast period furniture and lacquered closets. And the new Panoramic Penthouse comes with a p...
- [Quick Review: The River Cafe, Brooklyn](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/03/29/quick-review-the-river-cafe-brooklyn/) - One of New York’s most celebrated restaurants is back and better than ever. I thought it could never be done. It was a sentiment shared by pretty much everyone after The River Café in Brooklyn took a devastating hit from Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The restaurant opened in 1977 aboard a riverboat that was moored
- [Hotel Review: Park Hyatt New York](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/01/27/hotel-review-park-hyatt-new-york/) - The debut of the Park Hyatt New York in August was widely regarded as one of the most important hotel openings in America in years.
- [Hotel Review: Casa Madrona, Sausalito](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/10/31/hotel-review-casa-madrona-sausalito/) - Casa Madrona has long been considered the best hotel in Sausalito, and in 2010 new owners took over the hotel and began a four-year renovation that was completed in June.
- [Quick Look: Nizuc, Cancun](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/01/08/quick-look-nizuc-cancun/) - Nizuc is one of the finest resorts in Cancun. It might even be Cancun's very best. It was originally conceived by legendary hotelier Adrian Zecha, as it was supposed to be the first foray into the America's by Zecha's GHM Hotels group. But he backed out before it was finished, so the original designs were
- [Exclusive First Look: The Viceroy Riviera Maya](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/12/19/exclusive-first-look-the-tides-riviera-maya-u/) - A new beachfront villa at The Viceroy Riviera Maya (Brad A. Johnson) The Viceroy resort (formerly called The Tides) near Playa del Carmen, Mexico has just unveiled its brand new beach villas and a fresh new look throughout the property. The revamp...
- [The Ultimate Fish Taco at Four Seasons Punta Mita](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/05/23/the-ultimate-fish-taco-at-four-seasons-punta/) - Bahia at Four Seasons Punta Mita (photo by Brad A Johnson) A small fishing boat glides up the beach in front of the Four Seasons Punta Mita, just north of Puerto Vallarta on Mexico's Pacific Coast. A beach butler and one of the hotel???s lifeguards ...
- [One Perfect Morning: Playa del Carmen](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/05/16/one-perfect-morning-playa-del-carmen/) - I’ve just finished watching a the sunrise from the beach in Playa del Carmen. The coastline at dawn here is always eerily silent, the quietest it will be all day. For a few hours at most, no one is stirring. The dozens of bars and restaurants that line the shore appear abandoned, like a ghost town.
- [Is this the Best Hotel Ad Ever?](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/06/03/best-hotel-ad-ever/) - I love this new ad from Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts. It's an amazing little short film. Coincidentally, I just stayed at the Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong last week, and saw this ad on TV on the airplane flying into the city, which made me look f...
- [What to Eat (or Not) at the Orange County Fair](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/07/18/what-to-eat-or-not-at-the-orange-county-fair/) - My first strategy at the OC Fair was to follow the smoke. Where there’s smoke, there will also be good food. Or so it usually goes. I spotted the beef tri-tips smoldering on a grill. They looked awesome. They looked like real Santa Maria barbecue. I immediately got in line and ordered the tri-tip sandwich. It was gross...
- [Dish of the Week: Terry Black's BBQ, Austin TX](https://bradajohnson.net/2019/01/05/photo-of-the-week-terry-blacks-bbq-austin-tx/) - Three years without a taste of authentic Texas barbecue was way too long. But I got my fix, and all's good again. I had only a few hours downtime in Austin recently and the first thing I did was head to Terry Black's. Got there at 11 a.m. just before they opened, and there were
- [Photo of the Week: South China Sea](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/11/14/photo-of-the-week-south-china-sea/) - Sunsets at sea are the best. Here's one from the South China Sea, from my last cruise on the Crystal Symphony. The colors in the sky were absolutely magical that day.
- [Dish of the Week: Yellowtail Ceviche at Central, Laguna Beach](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/10/24/dish-of-the-week-yellowtail-ceviche-at-central-laguna-beach/) - This ceviche at Central in Laguna Beach is extraordinary. Chef Michael Campbell weaves ribbons of yellowtail into a beautiful tapestry with cherry tomatoes, red onion and fresno chiles in citrus-coconut broth...
- [Dish of the Week: Torta at Playa Mesa, Costa Mesa](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/10/29/dish-of-the-week-torta-at-playa-mesa-costa-mesa/) - When the waitress sets it on the table with a thud, I immediately assure myself that I’m not crazy enough to eat this entire sandwich. I’ll just eat half of it, at which point I will assert self control. Somewhere along the way my plan goes awry...
- [Photo of the Week: Painted Ladies, San Francisco](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/10/31/photo-of-the-week-painted-ladies-san-francisco/) - San Francisco's famous "painted ladies" at Alamo Square were built in the 1890s (by the guy who lived in those days in the sixth house from the right)...
- [Dish of the Week: Oxtail pho at Pho 101](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/11/09/dish-of-the-week-oxtail-pho-at-pho-101/) - This is the best oxtail pho in Orange County. Period. Well, actually, there is one other that's exactly the same...
- [Best thing I ate this week: bun bo Hue](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/05/20/best-thing-i-ate-this-week-bun-bo-hue/) - When eating at Ngu Binh restaurant in Westminster, the question isn’t what to order but rather, simply, “Large or small?”
- [Photo of the Week: Shinjuku, Tokyo](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/09/10/photo-of-the-week-shinjuku-tokyo/) - Tokyo is one of the most vibrant cities on earth. It is also filled with surprising moments of zen, like this little side street in the heart of Shinjuku...
- [OC Review: Ootoro Sushi, Irvine](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/09/23/oc-review-ootoro-sushi-irvine/) - The chef reaches over the sushi counter and places a bowl in front of each of us. The bowls are filled with ice, topped with the live shrimp he has just dismantled. The shrimp are huge, like mutants. Their dismembered heads and bodies sit side by side, a couple of inches apart but still very much alive.
- [Photo of the Week: The Agrarian Kitchen, Tasmania](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/09/24/photo-of-the-week-the-agrarian-kitchen-tasmania/) - The Agrarian Kitchen is a literal farm-to-table cooking school in rural Tasmania, 45 minutes northwest of Hobart. Pretty much everything that makes it into the kitchen here comes from the surrounding farm: chickens, ducks, hogs, fruits, vegetables...
- [Photo of the Week: Huntington Beach](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/10/18/photo-of-the-week-huntington-beach/) - I love Huntington Beach in the middle of the week when nobody's there. Come Saturday, and this very beach is completely mobbed.
- [Photo of the Week: Shanghai Hairy Crab Soup](https://bradajohnson.net/2016/11/05/photo-of-the-week-shanghai-hairy-crab-soup/) - Shanghai is famous for its hairy crabs, which are in season in the fall. It was a sweltering day in October when I tasted this hairy crab bisque at Ye Shanghai, one of the city's most elegant Chinese restaurants. On such a hot day, a hot bowl of soup was the furthest thing from my mind...
- [Photo of the Week: Coit Tower, San Francisco](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/11/07/photo-of-the-week-coit-tower-san-francisco/) - Here's the view from the observation deck of Coit Tower, which sits at the top San Francisco's Telegraph Hill. The tower just celebrated its 85th birthday...
- [The Great Burger Debate: Lettuce or No Lettuce?](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/05/19/the-great-burger-debate-lettuce-or-no-lettuce/) - A chef on Instagram recently launched a debate by posting a picture of a cheeseburger beneath which he posed a simple question, “Lettuce or no lettuce?” I didn’t weigh in, but I silently screamed, “Lettuce!”
- [O.C. Review: Southern Spice, Irvine](https://bradajohnson.net/2018/08/26/review-southern-spice-irvine/) - Dining at Southern Spice will test your threshold for chaos. You’ll wish you had swallowed a Valium before leaving the house. But you will eat very well.
- [Where to Eat Now in Singapore](https://bradajohnson.net/2011/09/23/best-restaurants-singapore-andre-fiftythree-w/) - Andr?? Chiang The roads begin twisting and the architecture shrinks as my taxi snakes through the weathered shophouses of Singapore???s Chinatown. The historic neighborhood was almost demolished last decade to make way for more of the skyscrapers ...
- [Critic's Notebook: Candlenut Kitchen, Singapore](https://bradajohnson.net/2010/10/27/critics-notebook-candlenut-kitchen-singapore/) - Candlenut Kitchen Here???s a quick note about a fantastic restaurant in Singapore serving modern Peranakan cuisine. Candlenut Kitchen is housed in an old Chinatown shop-house that???s been totally renovated and brought back to life with a very minimal...
- [10 Rules of BBQ, and Where to Find the Best in O.C.](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/06/26/10-rules-of-bbq-and-where-to-find-the-best-in-o-c/) - I was waiting in line recently at Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Brea. The woman standing in front of me ordered the brisket. “Can you trim away all that fat?” she asked. That’s when I, the man directly behind me and the two guys after him, all raised our hands and volunteered to eat her fat. And
- [O.C. Review: Meizhou Dongpo, Irvine](https://bradajohnson.net/2017/05/31/o-c-review-meizhou-dongpo-irvine/) - My skin is numb. Not just my lips and tongue but my lungs and toes, too. I have never been so uncomfortable as right now because I badly want to eat this stuff. It smells so nice. And it tastes so good for that millisecond before the electric surge...
- [OC Review: TwentyEight, Irvine](https://bradajohnson.net/2015/03/02/oc-review-twentyeight-irvine/) - The Beijing-style lamb skewers disappear in a flash. The meat is cut from the belly of the lamb, a thick tangle of flesh and fat that turns crispy and musky when grilled, carrying with it the heady scent of cumin and char. “Should we order more of these?” asks one of my guests as she helps herself to the last skewer. I’m tempted to say yes, but we’ve already ordered too much. “Would you pass the noodles, please?”
- [OC Review: Sushi Murasaki, Santa Ana](https://bradajohnson.net/2013/04/17/oc-review-sushi-murasaki-santa-ana/) - Before I stumbled upon Sushi Murasaki, I had been making my rounds among the county's top-rated sushi restaurants for months, hoping to find a truly memorable omakase. Omakase is that tradition of putting yourself in the hands of the sushi chef, letting him prepare whatever he desires. Omakase is a simple word with a rather
- [OC Review: Arc, Costa Mesa](https://bradajohnson.net/2013/03/20/oc-review-arc-costa-mesa/) - The air is thick with the scent of brown butter and duck fat and smoldering embers. The musk of charred meat seduces the room like a flirtatious ghost. First it's here, then it's not. Sparks flutter up from the grill like a swarm of fireflies. And if you look into the mouth of the kitchen's
- [Review: Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, Las Vegas](https://bradajohnson.net/2010/03/04/review-twist-by-pierre-gagnaire-las-vegas/) - The Eiffel Tower sparkles in the distance. A helicopter swoops down on New York’s skyline before making a sharp turn towards Lake Como. A goliath-sized image of Bette Midler dances across a JumboTron above Caesars Palace, while fireworks spew out from a volcano on Treasure Island… The full-sensory stimulation of a Saturday night in Las Vegas is
- [Las Vegas' Best-Kept Secret: The Oyster Bar](https://bradajohnson.net/2012/07/27/las-vegas-best-kept-secret-the-oyster-bar/) - The Oyster Bar in Las Vegas (Photo by Brad A. Johnson) In a city filled with splashy, high-profile celebrity chef restaurants, it???s refreshing to discover something more low key, unexpected and off the traditionally beaten path. Chances are you di...
- [Restaurant Review: Faith & Flower](https://bradajohnson.net/2014/06/25/la-review-faith-flower-2/) - We eat with our eyes. This is confirmed at lunchtime at Faith & Flower. First come the deviled eggs. The filling is tinted orange from kimchi paste. The eggs are speckled with black sesame seeds. These aren’t colors and textures I’m used to seeing in my eggs, but the artistry is spectacular. I can already
- [Where to Eat in Bernalda, Italy](https://bradajohnson.net/2013/03/09/where-to-eat-in-bernalda-italy/) - Bernalda probably doesn’t ring a bell. Most Italian guidebooks fail to mention it. Or maybe the guidebook authors just wanted to keep Bernalda to themselves. But thanks to Francis Ford Coppola, Bernalda is now officially on the map, if not quite yet on anyone’s radar. It’s a quaint agricultural village on a hilltop in the
- [Where to Eat in Matera, Italy](https://bradajohnson.net/2013/04/20/where-to-eat-in-matera-italy/) - Matera will move you to tears. And if it doesn’t, there’s something wrong with you. The Sassi of Matera became UNESCO’s first protected “landscape” in Western Europe. Thus the hauntingly beautiful skyline and exterior facades of the Sassi can never be altered. The food here is fantastic. Slow food. Locavore at its best. The bread is considered

## Pages

- [Hotel & Resort Photography](https://bradajohnson.net/hotel-resort-photography/) - This is a sampling of Brad's hotel and resort photography. Click any photo to begin a slideshow. (Available for hire)
- [Product & Still Life Photography](https://bradajohnson.net/product-and-still-life-photography/) - This is a sampling of Brad's product photography. Click any photo to begin a slideshow.
- [About](https://bradajohnson.net/about/) - BIOGRAPHY Photographer | Writer | Editor | Critic | Traveler Brad A. Johnson is one of America’s most illustrious authorities on food and travel. In 2026, Brad was named Photographer of the Year by both the Society of American Travel Writers and the North American Travel Journalists Association (second year in a row for the
- [Food Photography](https://bradajohnson.net/food-photography/) - From caviar to tacos, this is a sampling of Brad's food photography shot on location. Click any photo to begin a slideshow. (Available for hire.)
- [Travel Photography](https://bradajohnson.net/travel-photography/) - This is a small sampling of Brad's worldwide travel photography. Click any photo to begin a slideshow.
- [Contact](https://bradajohnson.net/contact/) - Please direct all business inquiries here. Note: I currently do not offer concierge services, complimentary consulting, assistance or advice for dining and travel. I invite you to follow me and join the conversation on Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
- [Restaurant Photography](https://bradajohnson.net/restaurant-photography/) - Click any photo to begin a slideshow of Brad's wide-ranging restaurant photography. (Available for hire.)
- [Commercial Photography Services](https://bradajohnson.net/photography/) - Restaurants | Food | Drinks | Hotels | Resorts | Portraits | Destinations My commercial photo studio is now open. Let’s work together to captivate your audience, drive engagement and make a meaningful impact. Food & Drink Glamorous culinary portraiture is my signature, but rest assured I'm just as comfortable shooting tacos and burgers as
- [Writing](https://bradajohnson.net/top-stories/) - This page features a portfolio of Brad's most popular and award-winning articles. For the most recent posts, make sure you follow the blog. The Ultimate Guide to Basilicata Basilicata, in southern Italy, is the land of wild boar. And wine. And the best bread in Italy. It’s a place to which few people travel, a
- [Privacy Policy](https://bradajohnson.net/privacy-policy/) - Privacy This site does not share personal information with third-parties nor does it store information collected about your visit to this blog for use other than to analyze content performance through the use of cookies, which you can turn off at anytime by modifying your internet browser's settings. We are not responsible for the unauthorized

## Categories

- [Uncategorized](https://bradajohnson.net/category/uncategorized/)
- [California Hotels](https://bradajohnson.net/category/california-hotels/)
- [California Restaurants](https://bradajohnson.net/category/california-restaurants/)
- [Travel: Adventure](https://bradajohnson.net/category/travel-adventure/)
- [Travel: Africa & Middle East](https://bradajohnson.net/category/travel-africa-middle-east/)
- [Travel: Asia](https://bradajohnson.net/category/travel-asia/)
- [Travel: Australia](https://bradajohnson.net/category/travel-australia/)
- [Travel: Canada](https://bradajohnson.net/category/travel-canada/)
- [Travel: Culinary](https://bradajohnson.net/category/travel-culinary/)
- [Travel: Europe](https://bradajohnson.net/category/travel-europe/)
- [Travel: India](https://bradajohnson.net/category/travel-india/)
- [Travel: Mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/category/travel-mexico/)
- [Travel: Spas](https://bradajohnson.net/category/travel-spas/)
- [Travel: United States](https://bradajohnson.net/category/travel-united-states/)
- [Travel: South America](https://bradajohnson.net/category/travel-south-america/)

## Tags

- [chicago](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/chicago/)
- [colorado](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/colorado/)
- [crystalcruises](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/crystalcruises/)
- [florence](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/florence/)
- [hongkong](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/hongkong/)
- [lasvegas](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/lasvegas/)
- [losangeles](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/losangeles/)
- [loscabos](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/loscabos/)
- [mexico](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/mexico/)
- [new south wales](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/new-south-wales/)
- [Noah Blom](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/noah-blom/)
- [O.C.](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/o-c/)
- [Playa del Carmen](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/playa-del-carmen/)
- [playadelcarmen](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/playadelcarmen/)
- [puertovallarta](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/puertovallarta/)
- [riviera maya](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/riviera-maya/)
- [safari](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/safari/)
- [singapore](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/singapore/)
- [SoCo](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/soco/)
- [South Coast Collection](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/south-coast-collection/)
- [Sunrise](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/sunrise/)
- [sunset](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/sunset/)
- [sydney](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/sydney/)
- [Sydney Opera House](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/sydney-opera-house/)
- [thailand](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/thailand/)
- [uganda](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/uganda/)
- [Where to eat in Orange County](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/where-to-eat-in-orange-county/)
- [wood-fire oven](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/wood-fire-oven/)
- [Yachts](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/yachts/)
- [yucatan](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/yucatan/)
- [Zihuatanejo](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/zihuatanejo/)
- [australia](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/australia/)
- [orangecounty](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/orangecounty/)
- [sanmiguel](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/sanmiguel/)
- [sanfrancisco](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/sanfrancisco/)
- [mexicocity](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/mexicocity/)
- [awards](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/awards/)
- [palmsprings](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/palmsprings/)
- [hotelreviews](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/hotelreviews/)
- [beach](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/beach/)
- [cooking](https://bradajohnson.net/tag/cooking/)