Before I moved back to Maryland from Florida (many moons ago), when traveling back to this area to see friends and family, my wife was often baffled by the conversations that took place between locals. She grew up in both Massachusetts and Florida, where the accents you hear coming from people’s mouths are far different from what she was being subjected to in the four-state area. She’d listen to an exchange and then literally ask for me to interpret, like…
As I am out and about in my dining and travel adventures, I’m constantly amazed at the deterioration of one of the simplest and easiest forms of respect and kindness that can be shown towards another human being. Basic manners. Welcome to the “rude era”. In today’s world of excessive social media and instant, faceless communication, people are not shy about giving their unfiltered opinion. A careless word or hateful phrase can enrage and inflame emotions. We are no longer…
What’s going on with this winter’s weather? Here locally we’ve only seen a few dustings of snow and the temperatures have been averaging 20 degrees above normal for the past week. 20 degrees. It was 71 last Saturday (28 degrees above normal). The forecast is for 73 on Thursday and 75 for Friday (you do the math). Hello? It’s February. I took a walk today and snapped some pictures of blooming wild crocuses, which are already out all over the…
The warm weather this past weekend has got me in the mood to travel! I’ve been looking at the many travel websites I have bookmarked for amazing deals – and there are plenty to go around. Listed below are some highlights. Check out these sites for more deals and create your own adventure! Cloud 9 Living Zip Line Adventure Course Package in Rock Creek Park. Over 2,000 feet of zip-lining fun awaits you on a course that contains 44 crossings…
My wife recently bumped into a loyal “That Food and Travel Guy” reader, and after complimenting the articles, the person then added “I know he doesn’t like to eat at local places,” coming to that conclusion based on the fact that I’m generally making fun of local establishments (both chain franchises and family owned restaurants) in my posts. Let me take a moment to clarify. I’m a big fan of local cuisine, no matter what the price point. Make no…
Travel is a wonderful way to open one’s self up to new experiences, unexpected finds, and memories that will last a lifetime. That being said, there are certain people who don’t enjoy the pleasure of discovery in a new destination, whether it be domestically or (heaven forbid) in another country. To them, a vacation to somewhere else is just a big hassle and is something to be avoided. To be fair, travel isn’t for everyone (and that’s OK), but if…
In an effort to capture that all-mighty dollar and to pander to America’s ever changing appetite for food that wouldn’t be served to death-row inmates, the fast food titans have come out of their focus groups, test kitchens, and boardrooms with the latest and greatest to tease our taste-buds and empty our wallets. I don’t know who is eating all of this garbage, but evidently someone is. McDonald’s McDonald’s has recently introduced three sizes of Big Mac. They now offer…
I love to travel. There’s nothing more exciting than planning and enjoying a trip to a new (or favorite) destination. Whether it’s the anticipation of a new locale, the excitement of the journey, or the splurge of staying in a fancy hotel, travel makes life exciting and gets us out of our comfort zones. That’s why there’s nothing worse than when the best laid plans are ruined by a bad travel experience. Let’s be honest – sometimes bad things happen…
On Monday, I talked about how to create crispy wings at home (click here for that article). Today, I’ll address another Super Sunday favorite – chili. I know, I know – there are as many chili recipes out there as there are football fans (and that’s a good thing). It can be made with turkey instead of beef, mild or with a hot kick, and with beans or without. The main thing is to eat what you like. That being…
The Superbowl is coming up this week, and there’s no better excuse to prepare a big batch of delicious, crispy, chicken wings to snack on while watching the big game. While many folks will buy frozen, pre-made wings to heat up at home or put in a call for take-out ones from their favorite restaurant, good chicken wings are not hard to do on your own. Added bonus? They’re much cheaper than buying them out and can be tailored to…