-
Chable Yucatan: The luxury resort that rehabilitated a historic hacienda—and rebuilt an ecosystem
Inside a chalk-white, seashell-shaped structure, I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of waves and the rise and fall of a man’s voice intoning a traditional Maya blessing. What he said was a mystery, but mine was not to question; mine was to relax, something the American obsession with productivity, and Northeastern sense of impatience, has made me exceedingly bad at. I’d come to Chablé Yucatán, about 30 minutes outside Mérida in northeastern Mexico, for the ultimate test of my ability to let go. “The new luxury is space, nature, sustainability, and wellness,” Sales Director Oscar Quijano told me of the immersive resort. Chablé Yucatán’s commitment to personal…
-
The best Mediterranean restaurant you’ve never heard of is in the basement of an Albany bank
Follow me into the gray corporate depths of the NBT bank in search of Bon Appetit Cafe in Albany. A few weeks ago, I was in the checkout line at Trader Joe’s on Wolf Road in Albany when my stomach growled loudly enough for the cashier to hear it—and chuckle. “Know any good places nearby to eat?” I asked. He pointed across the street to the homely six-story brown brick building that squats over a parking lot on the other side of the street. “Walk over there, into the basement, and go all the way to the back,” the cashier instructed me (ominously? Did I imagine ominously?).…
-
Book Review: Maude by Donna Mabry
Maude, a novelized biography of the Donna Mabry’s paternal grandmother, is neither beautifully written or groundbreaking. But it is a memorable page turner about the captivating story of a girl forced into adulthood during a tumultuous period in time – the beginning of the 20th century through to the 60s. It’s not a fine piece of literature because flowing descriptions and self soliloquies are not the language of Maude, who became a wife and mother before turning 15, but what it lacks in style, it makes up for with feeling. Written by her granddaughter Donna, who is featured in the later years of Maude’s life, the story shows the hardship…
-
Book Review: Amazing Grace Adams
Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood. I finished this book in one day and wish it hadn’t been a debut novel so I can read more of Littlewood. 45-year-old linguist Grace walks/stumbles/fights her way across London to bring her estranged 16-year-old daughter a birthday cake. With each step forward, Grace takes us a step back in time to how this estrangement occurred. Amazing Grace Adams reminds us that mothers are neither saints or sinner; simply and profoundly human. 272 pages; published 2023 by Henry Holt and Co.
-
Got Pizza?
Kay’s in Averill Park is rightfully a beloved seasonal institution for pizza during the summer. Great ambiance, fast service, affordable pricing, a location that screams “hidden gem” that makes you feel like you’re a welcome local. I’m a big fan of the fried scallops and the thai chili chicken pizza – essentially a fusion of your favorite Asian takeout on top of your favorite pizza takeout. BUT, I have to tell you something and this may sound sacrilegious…the pizza at Towne Tavern just down the road and open year- round is the bee’s knees and my go to place when I’m looking for carb comfort. Perfect crust. Well-priced. Less doughy…
