Pat, Author at Hungry Travelers

Pat

Author or co-author of more than 30 books and several hundred articles about travel and food, Pat was an arts administrator, a museum docent, and a tour guide before she embarked on her career as an author.

Barnsley lights up a Southern Christmas

Posted on December 12, 2017February 24, 2018 by Pat

What's better than an atmospheric ruin with a romantic backstory? An atmospheric ruin with a romantic backstory festooned with holiday lights. That's exactly what I discovered at Barnsley Resort (597 Barnsley Gardens Road, Adairsville, Georgia, 877-773-2447, barnsleyresort.com), about 60 miles northwest of Atlanta. Godfrey Barnsley was only a teenager when he left England in 1824 to seek his fortune in the American South. He settled in Savannah and established himself in shipping and the cotton trade. In 1828, he married Julia Scarborough, the daughter of a wealthy merchant and shipbuilder. In the early 1840s, Barnsley purchased 4,000 acres of former Cherokee land in North Georgia. Because Julia suffered from a lung ailment, Godfrey wanted to build her a home in the more favorable upcountry climate....Read More

Crème de la crème ignites apple crisp

Posted on October 25, 2017February 25, 2018 by Pat

On my first visit to London many years ago, I ordered a bowl of apple crumble for dessert in a casual eatery catering to students. It was so good that I went back the next night for another serving. I wanted to figure out why the dish seemed so much better than the very similar apple crisp that I enjoyed every autumn at home in New England. I finally decided that the difference wasn't the apple variety or the recipe. It was the custard that topped each serving. Thick, silky, and redolent of vanilla, the delicious custard just seemed so much more elegant than my usual scoop of vanilla ice cream. Even the custard's more formal name—crème anglaise—lent a certain sophistication to a homey dessert....Read More

Kensington afternoon tea shows sweet wit

Posted on August 29, 2017February 28, 2018 by Pat

Years ago on a visit to London, David and I interviewed Benny Hill for a feature in an American magazine. We were surprised when his publicist suggested that we meet the comedian known for his bawdy humor for afternoon tea. It seemed a bit, shall I say, refined. But, in person, Hill turned out to be a gentle man, perhaps even a bit shy. And the ritual of the tea service made for a very relaxed couple of hours. The experience sold me on the afternoon tea tradition. Now I make a point of sampling tea in a different spot whenever I'm in London. On my last visit, I spent a lovely afternoon with a couple of friends in the Kensington (at top). It's one...Read More

108 Brasserie redefines British comfort food

Posted on April 28, 2017April 25, 2017 by Pat

The simple but delicious starter of Dorset crab on toast with watercress and apple perfectly encapsulates the style of the kitchen at the 108 Brasserie (47 Welbeck Street, 020 7486 6600, 108brasserie.com) at The Marylebone hotel in London. “It's a very simple recipe and it's all about the ingredients,” executive chef Russell Ford (right) told me. When Ford took over the kitchen more than five years ago, the food was very dated. “We pared it back,” he recalled, “and focused on keeping it simple, with great seasonal ingredients.” Ford works directly with several butchers and fish and produce suppliers. He also has a good relationship with some of the specialty shops in the Marylebone neighborhood, including the marvelous cheese shop, La Fromagerie (2-6 Moxon Street,...Read More

Doyle shows Irish hospitality, sip by sip in London

Posted on April 23, 2017 by Pat

Nothing says “welcome” like a good hotel bar. I certainly found that to be the case at the three Doyle hotels (www.doylecollection.com) in London. (That's the Bloomsbury Club Bar above.) The family-owned collection launched in Dublin in 1964 and made its first foray into the British capital twenty years later. The Marylebone The Marylebone (47 Welbeck Street, +44 20 7486 6600) was the first Doyle property in London, but a recent renovation has given it the most contemporary design of the three hotels. The clean lines and bright, warm colors strike a perfect balance between modern style and good old-fashioned comfort. The Marylebone's 108 Bar has an entrance right off the sidewalk. It's just a short walk from Marylebone High Street, the main shopping drag...Read More

What to buy in a Nassau grocery store

Posted on March 3, 2017June 9, 2020 by Pat

Bayside Food Store (242-323-2911) is located on Frederick Street, just steps from the souvenir shops and high-end jewelry stores on Bay Street. It's the largest supermarket in downtown Nassau. Locals stream in to pick up take-away lunches and shop for the fixings for dinner. The store has a few shelves devoted to products that represent the taste of the islands. For visitors who have come to love Bahamian hot spices and sweet tropical fruits, it's a good place to purchase a few items to bring back home. Best of all, most of the products are seasonings that pump up the flavors of a dish without a lot of effort by the cook. A couple of local companies offer a broad array of products. D'Vanya's Spices...Read More

Graycliff anchors the ages in Nassau

Posted on February 27, 2017June 9, 2020 by Pat

Houses lead big lives in the Bahamas. Graycliff (www.graycliff.com), for example, was built in Nassau in 1740 by notorious pirate John Howard Graysmith. During the American Revolution, the U.S. Navy used the house for its headquarters and garrison. In 1844, Graycliff became Nassau's first inn. Over the years, it's been owned by British nobility and by a woman close to gangster Al Capone. Its latest chapter began in 1973 when the Garzaroli family from Italy purchased the property. Today, visitors can spend the night in one of 18 guest rooms decorated in old world style. They can also watch master cigar rollers from Cuba or buy sweet confections at the on-site chocolatier. Those who choose to dine in the sunlit dining rooms can also tour...Read More

John Watling’s Distillery revives Bahamian rum

Posted on February 24, 2017June 9, 2020 by Pat

Pepin Argamasilla, co-owner of John Watling's Distillery (johnwatlings.com), comes from a family of Canadian master blenders. Yet he has his own unique way of testing each product. “I call it the hangover test,” he says. “I drink a 250 ml. bottle and see if I wake up with a hangover. I do it with everything I launch.” Argamasilla (right) and his partners opened John Watling's Distillery in 2013 to draw on their expertise from big manufacturing to create a micro-distillery with a true Bahamian spirit. They named their operation after the colorful 17th century pirate John Watling, whose treasure may still be buried on the Bahamian island of San Salvador. And they based their operation in the storied Buena Vista estate in downtown Nassau. The...Read More

77° West establishes New World flavors at Atlantis

Posted on February 20, 2017June 9, 2020 by Pat

Patti and I had barely sat down at 77° West when a server delivered a bowl of tortilla chips and four salsas to sample while we studied the menu. The combination of pico de gallo, roasted tomatoes, roasted tomatillos, and guacamole telegraphed the kitchen's culinary bent. The chefs at 77° West, the newest fine dining option at Atlantis (atlantisbahamas.com), work in an open kitchen to create dishes that fuse South American and Caribbean flavors and cuisines. My meal felt like a whirlwind tour through South America. For example, I couldn't resist the empanadas starters. The flaky turnovers are among my fast-food standbys when I'm in Spanish-speaking countries. The chefs at 77° West elevated this staple of hand-held cuisine by filling the flaky crust with duck,...Read More

Café Martinique at Atlantis dresses up humble conch

Posted on February 17, 2017June 9, 2020 by Pat

“I trained by watching other chefs,” says Lisa Rolle, who worked her way up through the kitchens of the Atlantis resort (atlantisbahamas.com). Now she's the chef de cuisine at Café Martinique, perhaps the resort's top fine dining establishment. Understated and elegant, Café Martinique nonetheless has an air of mystery and mystique befitting the fanciful world of Atlantis. A birdcage elevator carries guests to the second-floor dining room. The venue recreates the 1960s restaurant where James Bond met his eye-patch wearing arch-nemesis Emilio Largo in the 1965 film Thunderball. Today's Café Martinique is part of the culinary empire of French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Although Vongerichten develops the recipes, Rolle injects local flavors. “The base of a dish is local,” she says. “A lot of the items...Read More