Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, Susan Skelly returns to a city that is reinventing itself in many unexpected ways. Tap into the Creole/Cajun cuisine, the new French Quarter and see how Downtown is turning into a vibrant metropolis. Irvin Mayfield has presence, patter and precision. He plays an audience with the same dexterity he brings to…
Curiouser and curiouser … there’s nothing quite as fabulous as unfurling a crisp white napkin and waiting for the Heston Blumenthal magic show to begin. Great moments of fine dining? Mmmm – where to start? Ferran Adrià’s “This Is Not a Dinner” event with Dom Pérignon in Barcelona this year; Thomas Keller’s Per Se in…
One minute longhorns, lassos, lager, the next cocktails, fine food and old masters. As Susan Skelly discovers, Fort Worth is not just next door to Dallas… Mayor Betsy Price is holding court in Fort Worth’s sparling new Sundance Square Plaza. She’s just come from winning the women’s division in a clay-pigeon shoot and has invited…
Snorkel, scuba dive, climb, trek and kayak… then rest up with fine food and designer digs. All reasons to head to Lord Howe Island, the treasure island just a couple of hours’ flight from Sydney. Chris Roseby gives it his best shot Here are must-have adventures for those who embrace fitness and the great outdoors. And who find…
London’s East End got all the love in the lead up to the Olympic Games, but, reports Susan Skelly, the West End has always been a precinct of interest for sleuths. Just ask Sherlock Holmes. London W1: home to The Ritz, Claridges, The Dorchester, Brown’s Hotel, Charlotte Street and the Sanderson. One of its oldest…
A collaboration between two food and wine behemoths raises questions about directions for gastronomy, dining, and future-proofing luxury brands, reports Susan Skelly. It’s mid-April 2015 and Ferran Adrià is back in the kitchen for a three-night stand, four years after closing his celebrated three Michelin-starred elBulli close to the town of Roses in the north…
Is it a dining room, lounge, bar or art gallery? As it is, the Centennial Hotel in Woollahra ticks all the boxes. And you can throw in upmarket pub. Centennial Hotel is part of the Halcyon Hotel Group’s portfolio, which also includes the Woolwich Pier Hotel, the Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel and the recently purchased Buena…
So discreet it doesn’t even have an address, this Byron Bay retreat offers intensive tailored programs to help beat addictions. The Sanctuary Byron Bay is an enigma. Locals will tell you they’ve heard of it, those working in drug and alcohol fields talk about it with respect, but no-one can quite locate it or explain…