Food, Drink & Lodging For The Simply Smart Traveler
Simply Smart Travel Recommended Restaurants, Wineries and Places to Stay.
We love to eat good food no matter what its ethnic origins and we are always anxious to sample good wine and an occasional craft beer or spirit, so good food and drink are an essential part of any Simply Smart trip for us–and we hope for you too. Here are some of our recommendations gleaned from our recent travels.
Simply Smart Travel Recommended Restaurants
Name: Jessop’s Tavern & Colonial Restaurant
Where: New Castle, Delaware
Why: Wonderful ambiance in a tavern dating back to 1724 and very good food and service. Lots of Belgian beers.
Name: Harry’s Seafood Grill
Where: Wilmington, Delaware
Why: Great riverfront location, nice decor and good seafood menu.
Name: Le Graffiti Resto-Cite
Where: Quebec City, Quebec
Why: Kitschy neighborhood, upscale food and drink and excellent service.
Name: Mouton Noir
Where: Baie St. Paul, Quebec
Why: French chef, great food and service, beautiful riverside patio.
Name: Restaurant Helena
Where: Montreal, Quebec
Why: Wonderful upscale ethnic food, great service and a super downtown location.
Name: Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute
Where: Ottawa, Canada
Why: The name Cordon Bleu says it all-this is as good as it gets. We had a gastronomic tour de force from aperitif onward.
Name: Glowbal on W. Georgia
Where: Vancouver, B.C.
Why: Superb service, nice ambiance, way above-average food.
Name: Gotham Steakhouse
Where: Vancouver, B.C.
Why: Really excellent Canadian beef, good service, nice Okanagan Valley wines.
Name: Il Terrazzo Ristorante
Where: Victoria, B.C. (LoJo)
Why: Recommenced by locals in-the-know because the food is just plain good–very good indeed. Reservations needed.
Name: Meehan’s Irish Pub
Where: St. Augustine, Florida
Why: Great View on the Matanzas River and excellent Irish food downstairs and fantastic seafood at Johnny’s Oyster Bar upstairs. The Tropical bar out back is lively too.
Name: 3 Brasseurs
Where: Quebec City, Montreal and elsewhere
Why: Good beer and wine selection and an excellent brasserie menu.
Wineries We Loved To Visit
Wine is one of nature’s true gifts to the connoisseur. Consumed in moderation, it lifts the spirits and caresses the taste buds. We love to visit outstanding wineries and sample the winemakers’ best. Whenever we get there, it’s automatically 5 o’clock to us!
Name: Left Coast Cellars
Where: Rickreall, Oregon (Willamette Valley)
Why: Incredible pinot noirs, beautiful grounds, great pizza and owned by a really cool family.
Name: St. Josef’s Estate Vineyards & Winery
Where: Canby, Oregon (Willamette Valley)
Why: An Oregon wine pioneer (1978!) with a really extraordinary selection of delicious, fairly-priced reds and whites. Salmom Safe Certified.
Name: Wiens Family Cellars
Where: Temecula, California
Why: The best winery you never heard of…truly amazing cabernet sauvignons.
Name: Bouchaine Vineyards
Where: Carneros, California
Why: Try the magnificent chardonnay.
Name: Nickel and Nickel Winery
Where: Oakville, California
Why: Single vineyard cabernet sauvignons worthy of royalty.
Name: Trinchero Family Estates
Where: St. Helena, California.
Why: Incredible cabernet sauvignons and merlots
Name: Ravenswood Winery
Where: Sonoma, California.
Why: Some of the best Zinfandels in Sonoma County or anywhere else.
Simply Smart Travel Recommended Places To Stay
Having a great place to stay always enhances the satisfaction of travel. While a comfortable bed is a necessity, so are a great location, attentive service and memorable ambiance.
Name: Casa de Suenos Bed and Breakfast
Where: St. Augustine, Florida
Why: Great location in the historic district, excellent staff and good food. Nightly happy hour and dessert are nice bonuses.
Name: Embassy Suites Downtown
Where: Portland, Oregon
Why: Not your typical Embassy Suites. Fabulous lobby, good location. Built in 1912. The only Embassy Suites by Hilton that is a member of Historic Hotels of America.