Relaxing Times at Salento in Houston

The weather in Houston today was picture perfect - temperatures in the upper 60s, beeeautiful clear skies and our Gulf Coast humidity was nowhere to be found. What a great day to head to Rice Village. We wandered around from store to store with the baby and took some time to chill out for a relaxing lunch at Salento. What a great little place - cozy and quaint with a focus on "gathering" (as their web site explains) rather than just eating before hitting the road.

Salento offers a small selection of sandwiches, salads and sweets and excels with a nice mix of wines, teas and coffees. But the clincher is that Salento is a great place to just hang out. In fact, they want you to linger... regular events such as live music and weekly Wednesday night tango nights make it easy to do so.

While our baby boy wasn't very cooperative today, we still found the time to enjoy some excellent (and generously sized) sandwiches, salad and a Quilmes beer. You know... given the tango nights and the Quilmes, I can't help but wonder if the place is Argentine-run. Anyway, I can't recommend the place enough. A local crowd (architectural historian Stephen Fox was enjoying a leisurely Sunday afternoon) frequents the place and it's not unusual to see the same faces sitting hour after hour. It just has a great vibe and the people are nice - you can't ask for more.

More Travel Tips with Kids

Now, did I post these or not? I know I included some links about traveling with a baby but just received some new ones via Baby Center. Here are some great articles if you're planning to go a travelin' with a baby.

Seven Secrets to Successful Travel with a Young Child

Traveling with a Newborn to 8-Month Old

Tips for Helping Your Child Adjust to Travel

Baby Center also has a message board where readers share tips and ideas on traveling with children. Could be some good tips there, too.

La Trattoria - Real Italian Cuisine

I'm always on the lookout for real Italian restaurants in Houston. At times, the search can be quite daunting - many of the most popular Italian restaurants in town are chains, sadly unauthentic or run by individuals who really don't have a clue.

La Trattoria at 6504 Westheimer, however, would not fall into any of those categories. Carlo Molinari opened La Trattoria in the 1980s. His restaurant focuses on mostly northern Italian cuisine with other Italian classics thrown in for good measure. His wine list is about as extensive as you'll see with typical Italians wines like Chianti and Barolo as well as other great varieties like Valpollicella and Nero D'Avola.

What's great about La Trattoria is that Carlo does not compromise when it comes to his food. Clients looking to add chicken to their pasta will find that La Trattoria will not oblige. Rightfully so as chicken and pasta do not add up in Italy. Some people find Carlo's inflexibility off-putting but I find it refreshing as not often does one find an Italian restaurant that refuses to bend to American ideas of Italian cuisine.

Excess is Alive and Well in Manhattan

Let's talk decadence, excess and, well... downright stupidity. If you're that guy in New York City who would be willing to plunk down $1,500.00 for a cocktail or $1,000.00 for a pizza, then there's a new prix fixe "deal" waiting for you at Masa. Then again, if you are that guy, then stop by Serendipity 3 to watch $1,000.00 evaporate while you eat a sundae.

For our money, we'll grab a cocktail at Bemelmans Bar, the legendary watering hole in the Carlyle Hotel or The Monkey Bar, a famed spot not only frequented by us but also by my dad in the 1950s.

Shots fired at Santa

While I would love to visit Rio De Janeiro, I always wonder about safety in the city. Certain stories make you think - maybe it's not so safe when Santa can't even catch a break.

A colonial day trip from BsAs

Yes, it's true... I have Buenos Aires on the brain. I can't help it - I'm really very excited to be going back next year. There's just something about BsAs that has me ensnared. Yes, despite being robbed at gunpoint and nearly tied up two years ago, Buenos Aires has me in its spell. It's that reason that I've been thinking about possible day trips that we can take the next time we've there.

Last year, we went to Bariloche for three nights - it was a great, albeit rainy, trip. I've been meaning to post about that trip and eventually will. The previous year, we went to the Estancia Santa Susana. Little did we realize when we went there that it was owned by my friend's family. Small small world.

Next year, I'm really leaning towards taking the Buquebus (the ferry) across the Rio Plata to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay. While I'd like to check out Montevideo, I've heard the day trip to Colonia is worthwhile. The Buenos Aires Argenita Guide Blog has a great entry on visiting Colonia - worth checking out the next time you head to BsAs. The historic quarter has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site. Much more detail on Colonia can be found in the UNESCO nomination.

Why Colonia? Apparently the historic quarter of the town is well-preseved with many 17th, 18th and 19th century buildings. Cobblestone streets and a colonial feel make the town a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of BA. The town was actually a Portuguese settlement but traded hands between the Spanish and the Portuguese until the birth of modern-day Uruguay. The day trip is only 50 minutes each way with a high speed ferry and is easily made with small children.

Starbucks Spreads Its Wings

Full Discolure... we're in a sitting in a Starbucks right now. We spend a lot of time at Starbucks... too much. We'll admit it. Yes, probably daily visits... and part of it is just the experience of going there, hanging out, bringing the laptop or a book or a magazine and just chillin' out with our little baby. It's an American take on cafe' society, I suppose. Cities like Houston don't really have hordes of cafes where one can sip an espresso and watch the world go by. So, for us in the States, Starbucks will do quite nicely.

But... what do you do when you encounter a Starbucks overseas? I think it's a bit of a quandary. I can unequivocally say that I wouldn't dare set foot in a Starbucks in Italy. No way - it would be like eating McDonald's in Italy. Just so wrong. Now, Canada? I felt no qualms about it - we did it quite a bit while in Ottawa. Then there's places like London...

According to my boss, there are more Starbucks in London than there are in New York City. I think he's telling the truth - from what we saw during our New Year's Eve trip to London, Starbucks was everywhere. There were two within close walking distance in Marylebone. You would usually find a competing Costa Coffee across the street. Well, I guess we just didn't have a big problem with it in London, as you can see from my wife's cup. We grabbed some before taking a train to Hampton Court.

Some people see this as a blight to foreign countries. I don't know... much of me tends to agree. I can't imagine getting a Starbucks in Buenos Aires - yes, it has arrived in Argentina. It just doesn't seem right in BsAs. Same goes for Italy, as mentioned. Now, what about China? Starbucks is starting to expand like crazy in China. Singapore is full of Starbucks stores. Apparently the locals don't mind. The Starbucks in Al Khobar, according to my business associates, is full of young Saudis enjoying a taste of western culture.

At the end of the day, the way I tend to look at it is this - the more "english" the country, the less I mind Starbucks. The more traditional European (i.e. France, Italy, Spain) the country, the less I like the idea (but don't tell anyone we had Starbucks in Madrid - I'm somewhat ashamed but dang it helped with jetlag). I guess it's personal choice. For me, it's remains a quandary. Just know this - Starbucks + Italy + me will never happen.