Who knew Missouri even had a wine country? A few fun events are happening this month in celebration of libations from this part of America’s heartland.

Stone Hill Winery has three locations in Missouri but special fun is scheduled for their Hermann site on March 20. For $20, registered participants for the Grapes to Glass event will be given a tour of Stone Hill’s vineyard, cellars, tank building and press house. However, the best part will undoubtedly be the wine tasting. Hermann is located among Missouri River’s hillsides, an area compared to the Rhine Valley in Germany. Founded in 1847, the winery was at one time the second largest in the States. Stone Hill’s wines won eight gold medals throughout the rest of that century’s world’s fairs. In the 1920s prohibition came along and destroyed their business, turning Stone Hill’s cool caves (incidentally the largest series of vaulted cellars in the United States) into a haven for mushrooms rather than wine. Along came Jim and Betty Held to the rescue. They bought the winery in 1965 and went about restoring the buildings and underground cellars. At last count, in 2009, the winery produced over 260,000 gallons of wine and remains Missouri’s oldest and most awarded winery.

Should you decide to visit and need a nice place to sleep, or just sleep off the wine, there are many options available . If Stone Hill’s event isn’t quite your glass of wine, the Bias Winery/Gruhlke’s Microbrewery is hosting their annual Celebration of the Gnomes on the same day, March 20. Located in Berger on a 67-acre estate, participants will be provided with a list of items to locate in the search areas. A special Golden Gnome will be hidden somewhere, with its significance to be announced at the end of the event. Sounds like someone is going to get lucky. Gruhlke’s microbrews will be on hand for those who would rather drink beer.

For a winery with a down-home feel, visit River Ridge Winery . Located on an 80-acre farm, this winery has been in business since 1980. Varietals such as Cab Franc, Syrah and Chardonnay thrive in River Ridge’s vineyard. The Fermentation Room Caf © is open daily and offers a comprehensive menu of food comprised from fresh ingredients. Owners Jerry and Joanie Smith promise that you’ll “come as a customer and leave as a friend.”

There are many other wineries to visit in Missouri. Who knew? Cheers!

Missouri Wine Country is a post from: Zoocap

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Well now that you have check into that amazing room of one of those luxurious Malibu hotels you must be starved. You could go down to the restaurant at the hotel and I am sure it will be great but how about a local hang out. Maybe you could see some cool famous actors or musicians while your eating. How about Duke’s Malibu restaurant. They have the barefoot bar which is a little more casual right off the beach. The menu is also casual with some burgers and sandwiches along with fish tacos and beach style cocktails. The place gets its name from Duke Kahanamoku who was the father of international surfing and Olympic multi-medalist for the U.S.. Duke’s also has a more fine dining cuisine and ambiance for dinner that is topped off with Hula Pie which was created at Kimo’s and features macadamia nut ice cream, chocolate and more chocolate and more nuts with a bit of whip cream.

Moonshadows Blue Lounge is also a sophisticated and tranquil restaurant that features some really unique seafood dishes, a few chicken, pork or short rib selections and great wine selections. This is the spot for a nice romantic dinner on the patio over looking the ocean with the sun setting in the distance. They also feature a great DJ’s on the patio to add to the glamor of the evening. Another legendary classic to the area is Geoffery’s Malibu restaurant. It has been a staple find dining the stars for decades and was designed by Richard Neutra, architect. The faces of fame that have dined here include Frank Sinatra and Shirley MacLaine. Rumor has it that this is also the place were John F. Kennedy began an affair with legendary actress Marilyn Monroe.

Malibu Restaurants is a post from: Zoocap

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Recent years have proven that Singapore is a real force in the world for contemporary culture. It is a place where style and design are always at the forefront, and it has an unusually creative energy that seems to enter into the everyday flow of life.  It has a rhythm that is particular and unique, and very contagious, where new innovations are always developing at the speed of light it seems.  The many cultures that make up the island city state all have a turn at participating in the constantly changing fabric of things here, and this is reflected in the performing arts, the design, and certainly in the food.  As you’ll soon discover, Singapore is a wonderful place to get lost in the local culinary traditions.

It’s a very international place, with an international sensibility, and there are all sorts of varieties of food here.  Chinese and Indian influences are very strong here, of course, but there is also a magnificent selection of Italian restaurants.  The food here is excellent, prepared by chefs who are trained in traditional Italian cookery, as well as being great innovators.  There are plenty of fresh ingredients in Singapore to make dishes that are absolutely sumptuous, and the seafood here is magnificent.  It’s a great place for Italian restaurants, and it’s got a very significant Italian culture as well.

The Italian Cultural Institute in Singapore is a great resource for people of Italian descent looking to live and work here, especially if there is an interest in government offices.  They also have a fantastic number of resources for anything related to the Italian language, including classes that are offered here or online.  It’s part of a world wide network devoted to Italian culture, but it’s big in Singapore, and not just the language.  Italian style sometimes meets Singapore style with a happy marriage, as demonstrated when Emilio Bergoni visited to introduce Pupa’s new Techno-Romance line of eye shadows, merging technology and romance.  Singapore is a great place for these to meet.

Italian Culture in Singapore is a post from: Zoocap

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Nothing beats a great night out at, having some dinner at a Baltimore restaurant, and then heading off for a stroll through the American Visionary Art Museum.  The museum focuses on art that is the work of self-taught artists who have not had formal training.  Visionary art is art that is a reflection of one’s soul and one’s own traditions and the unique way they make use of the materials and the world around them.  The curator of the museum states that sometimes the creators of the pieces do not always consider what they have created to be art.

Folk art is broadly defined as art created by the people, for the people.  However at the museum, they contain that folk art is based on techniques that are handed down through generations, and the art that they represent is from the individual, from spontaneous acts of creativity.  Visionary artists follow their own rules, and they create works based on their inner voice.  They look at possibilities, they see things that other people do not even know exist.

The American Visionary Art Museum has stated that their mission is to seek out visiting curators who have rich daily lives outside the world of art, those who know visionary artists when they see them.  There are more than four thousand pieces in the museum’s collection at any given time.  The permanent collection is housed on the first floor and the pieces are rotated in and out from time to time.  There is also a gallery on the third floor which showcases pieces that are on loan to the museum.  There is a barn filled with sculpture.

For those living life on a budget, a great time to visit the museum is when they are in the process of switching out exhibits.  While it may be a bit hectic with the staff moving pieces around, the museum still remains open to the public and offers a discounted admission rate.  The themes at the museum are always fresh examples of current human creations.  There is always a variety of works by a variety of different artists as they never put up one person shows.  This is a great place to spend the day or the evening, wandering through the works of so many talented and created visionary artists of the world.

Baltimore’s American Visionary Art Museum is a post from: Zoocap

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Daniel D. Tompkins was the New York Governor for ten years, 1807-1817.  He was then the United States Vice President from 1817 through 1825.  The President he served with was James Monroe.  Tompkins Square Park in the East Village of Manhattan is in honor of him.  Tompkins purchased that bit of land in the mid 1800′s, and during this time is was put into development for the creation of a town square.  The original plans for the site involved the construction of a large market place that would take up the space beginning with 1st Avenue and stretch all the way to the East River.

But this project fell threw.  The land was originally a swamp and when the state acquired it, the swamp was cleared away and landscaping was was planted.  This process took fifteen years.  However, all but three of the trees were removed in 1866.  Two of those trees are now believed to be the oldest in the city.  The park is steeped in history, and what was once a swampland is home to many sculptures and monuments, and the streets surrounding it are lined with hip apartment buildings and restaurants. Of New York the history of the art scene of the late 1950′s and 1960′s, many of the pubs and bars of the Beat Poets, the song writers and the artists still stand and remain a huge draw for those still involved in the art world today.

The band-shell was removed during the renovation of the park in the early 1990′s, but performers still set up on the corners and along the sidewalks.  The movement of dissent and demonstrations that the park is so known for began in the mid-1800′s demonstrations were stage to due lack of jobs.  In the 1980′s people demonstrated against gentrification, even though the park had become over-run by the homeless and a breeding ground for illegal drug activity.  Now, there is a fancy dog park, new playground equipment has been constructed, the grass and the sidewalks are repaired, and many of the statues were conserved.  This is still a place that is diverse and creative, and offers a bit of a meditative pause, in a city where those quiet moments are oh so necessary.

A Park in Honor of Former New York Governor, Daniel D. Tompkins is a post from: Zoocap

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I never really dined out much when I was younger. I always ate a lot of home-cooked foods when growing up, because Dad seldom took us out to eat. I could say that I’ve been deprived of good hawker fare in Singapore and I’m trying to make up for all that lost time. I’ve had so many wonderful encounters with the local food hawkers, but I must say that the nicest experience was always the warm welcome I’d receive after I blogged about which hawker I liked the best. I’ll usually find a hawker that serves what I consider the best sushi Singapore has to offer. The sushi hawker will always tell me, because of my blog, just how much their business has tripled.

I’ll even get invitations from promotional agencies as well as from other street hawkers to dine at their establishments. Sometimes, I’ll read about an interesting hawker in the newspaper or word-of-mouth and go try those places. There are lots of ways to hear about a great place to dine. Their success is not about my review in my blogs but truly about having the right product and experience of any restaurant or street hawker.

Singaporeans love to eat and being the technical savvy generation, they are surfing the net for good food and places to dine. Blogs are a first hand experience of a real person. At first, all you have was word-of-mouth, then restaurant reviewers from the local newspaper, but now there’s the web. That is where it’s at now.

As for healthy eating, it all boils down to eating in moderation. For example, if I know that I’m going to have a heavy meal at night, I’ll make sure to have smaller meals during the day. It’s really very simple, healthy eating, it’s a way of looking at it and achieving balance in one’s food intake. I still cook at home over the weekends though, I have more time on my hands during this period of the week. For the moment, I’m experimenting with gluten free pizza and pasta. I make my own gluten free dough for the pizza and make my own sauces. As for the pasta, I’ll purchase a rice pasta from the market. It’s really not hard to eat healthy, it’s a choice. So, become choosy.

Eating Healthy in Singapore is a post from: Zoocap

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The United Arab Emirates city of Dubai is continually growing in international appeal and attention. While there are many traditional Arabic entertainment and cultural features of the city, there is also a focus on contemporary arts, technology and it continues to draw some of the best artists from around the world for festivals, individual concerts and other major events. For tourists who are interested in experiencing the more traditional aspects of Dubai during their trip, there are no worries involved, for there are great examples of traditional Arabic architecture, celebrations and other cultural aspects such as some of the great food offerings, traditional performances and of course the opportunity for camel riding. Tourists who are staying in one of the Dubai UAE luxury hotels have a great variety of options to enjoy each day, and many prefer a somewhat combinational perspective taking a blend of traditional cultural and adding it to their contemporary and progressive entertainment options.

The food is absolutely fabulous in Dubai and while there are options for cuisine from most world ethnicities in the city, it is bar far the most popular for tourist to try some of the traditional favorites. Hummus is a popular dip served with many foods, while seafood is a relatively common Arabic entrée staple. Slow cooked lamb and wheat is another favorite. One of the must tries for the hungry tourist on the go is a shawarma. This fast snack is a standard favorite throughout the UAE and consists of a delicately spiced grilled piece of chicken or lamb mixed together with salad greens and finally rolled inside a nice pocket of Arabic bread. You really haven’t tasted the UAE if you haven’t had one of these quick snack options. They’re even great for packing and taking with you if you’re headed out to enjoy one of the many desert tour option packages available. Further hotel information here

Dubai Food and Culture is a post from: Zoocap

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They say cheese is a dessert too, but I petty much decided custards and tarts and cakes oh my would be more the ticket. While looking for a sacher torte the mighty dessert that made Vienna famous (OK, it would be famous without it, but still) consisting of thin apricot jam layers and chocolate cake with dark chocolate ganache served at I guess any of the hotels Vienna Austria calls authentic. But first we had to sample an apfelstrudael, kind of like a pie made with apples and suggests the heavy German influence on the city. It’s easy to get lost in sugar revelry looking at the Gothic cathedrals and imperial palaces of a bygone era, even for breakfast when we had canned peaches for breakfast.

It’s really hard choosing and maybe the best strategy is to have dessert morning noon and night which is what I attempted and maniacally tried to visit each of the two thousand cafes, coffee houses and sample the marzipan. But first even I had to have some real food to get me through so we went to of all places a Georgianrestaurant and had chicken stewed with vegetables including green cabbage and of course had a raspberry tort slice for dessert. Fortified, we headed back out and stoodastride the Danube River (I wanted to waltz, but got no takers) which divides the city in half and saw the Hofburg palace and lots of art museums like the Leopold Museum. the city is peaceful and beautiful and dessert laden. Now to find some Weiner schnitzel and enjoy veal the way it’s meant to be enjoyed: pounded into a flat cutlet, dipped in eggs and breadcrumbs and fried. You can get it just about anywhere.

Sweet on Vienna is a post from: Zoocap

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