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Colours of Aruba
Got there fast, Takin' it slow
Hey everyone! I’m happy to report that within just five hours of landing in Aruba, I heard Kokomo played on a steel drum. What I’m sayin’ is: this place really delivers.
All my ’80s dreams of bright colours and cheesy songs about living recklessly on tropical islands are coming to life. Thus, I am allowing myself to write in this bold turquoise font.
More to tell you in the coming days...stay tuned!
Five Best Sites in England for Period Movie Buffs
1. Castle Howard, Yorkshire – Home of the aristocratic Marchmain family in 2008’s Brideshead Revisited, Castle Howard makes for a complete day out (the house, multiple cafes, gift shop, gardens and adventure playground are open to the public), but it is still privately owned by a disgustingly wealthy family.
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Good FOUR You!
This year, I’ve had the opportunity to experience LOTS of fine dining in various countries. And eating rich, cream-smeared, foie-gras injected foods day after day is great - especially if you want to be a contestant on the next Biggest Loser. Seriously...this is one of my major travel pet-peeves. I’m all for indulgence, just not for a week straight.
That’s why I was delighted to discover FOUR - a restaurant in downtown Toronto where all the dishes weigh in at under 650 calories.
Is it called FOUR because they only use lettuce, celery, water and aspartame? I wondered that myself. The answer is...(drumroll) no. Actually, I don’t know the real answer. And lets not ruin the mystery by finding out.
Given FOUR’s slick, modern ambiance, it’s especially popular with the Bay Street lunchtime crowd (types that are eating out 5 days a week), but I think it would be a wise choice for health-conscious travellers as well.
Chef Matt Rosen consults a nutritionist about each and every creation to ensure that meals are balanced and within the calorie limit.
“It’s a challenge to make something that tastes good and is under the 650 calories,” he says.
“The key is to use things that have really intense flavours, like a tapenade.”
Instead of going all funky and serving things you’d have to look up in the Dictionary of Rare Hippie Health Foods, FOUR is decidedly traditional. Think Beef Tenderloin, Greek Lamb Salad and Chicken Meatballs. Sure, elements like bran fusilli and flax seed crisps sneak in there, but they don’t overwhelm the dishes.
I really enjoyed my meal at FOUR...in fact, I could hardly discern that I was eating at a “healthy alternative.” I especially loved the fresh-squeezed blueberry lemonade, the brie, almond and apple burger ($9) and the cute little shot glass desserts ($2). Of course, if you shoot more than one you’re also shooting your calorie count in the foot.
FOUR VITALS:
Address: 187 Bay Street
Hours: 11:30am to 11pm, Monday to Friday
Phone: 416-368-1444
Price Range: $9 to $25 for a main.
Also, note that FOUR is participating in Toronto’s Winterlicious Event. Check out their menu here:
FOUR Winterlicious Menu 2010
The Big Picture: Parisian Rapunzel
Sleeping Around: Arizona
My attitude toward them was nothing short of disdainful. And given that their current ambassador is a four-eyed doofus named Bubbles, can you really blame me?
Then, one dark Arizona night, I saw the light. It was neon light, and it illuminated the words “The Shady Dell.”
A collection of ten vintage trailers dating from 1949 to 1959, the place is a glorious celebration of mid-century modernism and a throwback to golden age of the tow-your-own hotel-room movement.
My lodging for the evening was a 1959 Boles Aero, the park’s newest addition. Upon entering, I discovered that its shiny metallic exterior was really just a big old time capsule.
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