The Pure Michigan Party in G-Rap

You just know this city is not the same sleepy town it used to be when a party before Easter attracted the jet-setters to come out to Cygnus 27 for the first ever Cyg-nature Pure Michigan party. The vibe was energizing as DJ Todd Ernst painted the soundscape with the super hi-tech Emulator mixer and the crowd of smartly dressed socialites mingled with

friends and new acquaintances atop the Amway Grand Plaza hotel's roof-top setting.Party on!

The Best Hangover Food From Around the World

Philippines - Chicken Adobo with Garlic Rice and Fried Egg

We've all been there. The amazing dinner followed by an all-nighter at a foreign beach watering hole. The one too many sake kampai's at a reunion with close college friends. That four-day wedding weekend in Bali. The boys trip to Vegas. Oktoberfest in Munich. Carnival in Rio. J'ouvert in the Virgin Islands. It feels so good... until the next day when your head feels like a 50-pound medicine ball. 

In Manila where I grew up, the ultimate hangover cure is a combination of protein (cured sausage, sweet marinated pork or beef, adobo, corned beef, even deep friend fish), garlic fried rice, fried eggs and a vinegar dipping sauce. 

Do you have any suggestions for the best global hangover food?

Check out the best of list from Matador Network by clicking here.

Food Network's Ice Brigade Delivers the Bling at the JW Marriott

It was the first season finale West Michigan has been waiting for - The Spring Bling with Ice Brigade at the JW Marriott Grand Rapids. And did the fans of Ice Brigade show up! In fact, close to 600 gathered at the JW to watch the season one's final show. It was a big night for the area's first nationally televised series and the show's star, Randy Finch, couldn't have been more elated. 

Live ice carving demonstrations, green screen photographers and a host of "characters" from Star War's Darth Vader and Storm Troopers to Lady Gaga and Elvis impersonators. DJ Todd Ernst provided the soundscape that got the

crowd dancing until 1 AM. A big congratulations to the Ice Brigade and Food Network's team for a successful season one. We can only imagine what season two will bring.

Airbnb.com - The Next Best Thing For Global Travel

Our one-bedroom discovery in Hell's Kitchen

I hate to admit this, but I am hooked! This is coming from a hotelier. Airbnb.com is the real deal and if my first experience with this online booking site is a good indication, then hang on tight because airbnb could be the next Travelocity or Orbitz for the global traveler. 

I am a big fan of vrbo.com; a global villa rental site which I have used in the past. Airbnb takes it down a notch where travelers can book individual rooms to huge villas around the globe. In fact, I saw one host who was offering a couch! The site even has categories for igloos and tree houses. Hey, why not? During my search for listings in New York area,

I saw rates from $27 for a single room in Queens to several hundred dollars in Manhattan. There are a myriad of options available in most cities. In fact, Grand Rapids have a few places listed. The navigation on the site is quite intuitive and has all kinds of tools (and reviews) to help narrow down your options.

I used airbnb on this trip to NYC to give my daughter a sense of what it's like to live like a local in NYC. She and I visited NYU and Columbia on this segment of our college tour. We found a one bedroom in Hell's Kitchen, just two blocks from Times Square. It was a perfect home base between the schools. The photos and description on the site were quite accurate and it gave us an honest indication of what to expect from our visit.

After reading the guest reviews and the host's profile, I went ahead and booked it with my credit card. Within seconds, I received an email from airbnb informing me that they received my reservations and that he host had 24-hours to finalize the rent of his space. Within three hours though, I received an email from the host confirming our reservations. His email and cell phone where also included. 

I called our host to confirm our itinerary. We made arrangements to meet at the apartment at our ETA of 11:00 PM on a Sunday. No problem. Luis, our host, made me very secure about our reservations. He was genuine in his hospitality. So genuine that he even emailed me the day before we left for NYC to offer to pick us up in Newark for a fee (which was a lot less than a cab ride). I would have taken him up on it if I hadn't made arrangements with a car service. 

Luis was at the apartment when we arrived. He gave us a quick orientation of his apartment which was about double the size of a typical hotel room. He shared some local dining options and left us with a subway map, city guide and the apartment keys. My only expectation is to find the apartment as he described the place to be online. And it was. The living room was bright with three tall windows overlooking the intersection. The black leather sofa was comfortable and stylish. The small, narrow kitchen was fully equipped with all the basic appliances (which we never used). French doors separated the living room from the bedroom where a queen sized futon and a loft bed were housed. The bathroom with a stand up shower, was tiny as tiny could get, but it worked just fine. Cable TV and wireless connection were not installed yet, but was slated to be installed in the coming weeks. 

Our apartment was the gateway to "restaurant row" on 46th street between and 8th and 9th Avenue. Cabs were everywhere at any given time and the subway was 5 blocks away on 8th and 50th.  The area felt very residential despite the fact that it was steps from Times Square. 

Our overall experience: A+ for Airbnb.com, A + for our host Luis and A for our Manhattan pad. And I'm sure you've been wondering how much we paid for the apartment - $100 per night plus a $40 service fee. That's it! So our grade for value = A++. 

Would I recommend my friends to use the site? Absolutely. And if you are in need of a nice one bedroom apartment near Midtown, then tell Luis that I send my best.

Click here to explore Airbnb.

Click here to see Luis' listing in Manhattan.

DBGB: Daniel Boulud Rocks Manhattan With French-American Brasserie

Niman Ranch Pork Loin Schnitzel

DBGB - Chef Daniel Boulud's hits another home-run with his East Village "lowdown French brasserie meets the classic American tavern." Don't mistake it, DBGB tops the list on the ambiance scale with interiors that make every diner feel like they are having a meal in the chef's kitchen. Besides the open kitchen, floor to ceiling shelvings with kitchen equipment surround the main dining room while the bar area is filled with chef Daniel's favorite culinary quotes written

on the glass walls.

"There are two reasons for drinking; one is, when you are thirsty, to cure it; the other when you are thirsty, to prevent it...prevention is a better cure" Thomas Love Peacock

I just love this place! The brasserie menu items mixed in with a few modern takes on the classics. Fruits de mer, foie gras torchon, saucisson, oysters, charcuterie, and yes, burgers - perhaps, the best burgers in NYC. While waiting in the bar for our tables, the bartender presented the lady next to me with this amazing plate of schnitzel topped with an egg and there was no question that was going to be my dinner.

Every items on the menu was tempting. My daughter Margaux an I shared the Hand-Cut Steak Tartare ($14) with quail egg, grilled ciabatta, cornichons, pickled ramp with a side salad and the Sauteed Burgundy Snails ($14) with garlic, chili, lemongrass & ginger, thai sausage, crispy lotus root and red curry. Leave it to the French when it comes to steak tartare. DBGB's version is as classic as it can get. While I still prefer the traditional escargot with garlic and oil, this Thai style version is a refreshing take - aromatic and silky.

My Niman Ranch Pork Loin Schnitzel ($23) would make my Austrian chef friends tear up. A bone in pork, perfectly breaded with a fried egg on top. I can eat this everyday. Margaux couldn't resist the Frenchie Burger ($17) with a 6 oz beef patty, confit of pork belly, arugula, tomato-onion compote & morbier (my favorite) on a peppered brioche bun and served with cornichons, mustard and crispy fries.

My brother joined us for the latter part of our meal and he shared a dessert with Margaux. They ordered the amazingly light Mymi's Rhubarb Tart ($9) with rhubarb coulis, meringue and rhubarb sorbet.

DBGB was one of the culinary highlights of this trip (the other being our meal at Asiate at the Mandarin Oriental). Chef Daniel is a genius to say the least. He doesn't mess around with pedigree. he is about making people happy with good food and an inviting atmosphere. he definitely achieves that with DBGB.

In cae you were wondering, DBGB stands for Daniel Boulud and the GB is his tribute to New York's CBGB (Country, Blue Grass, Blues) bar.

DBGB
299 Bowery (between Houston and First)
212.933.5300

The bar area with chef Daniel's favorite quotes

Sauteed Burgundy Snails

The open kitchen

Hand-Cut Steak Tartare 

The Frenchie

Open Shelvings fill the interiors

Perfect French Fries

Mymi's Rhubarb Tart

With Chef Daniel at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami opening in 2010