Posts by Abby Montanez
Going Wild in Guatemala
—Clinging tightly to the border of Belize, I took a trip to the Petén jungle where I encountered endangered wildlife, archaeological treasures and ancient civilizations all in the same day. By the time I arrived at the gates of Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel, it was nearing 8pm and I had just stepped off my third…
Read MoreGin Goes Boom with Asbury Park Distilling Co.
When people talk about their distaste for gin, they’re really referring to its distinct juniper flavor. The same way cilantro tastes like soap to certain folks, gin that’s heavy on juniper is like sipping on Christmas shrubbery. Its unique assertiveness and piney aftertaste is not pleasurable to most palates, yet craft distilleries are working hard…
Read MoreFelina
—Chef Anthony Bucco gives his newest restaurant the farm-fresh treatment of Italian cuisine. The choice to return to one’s roots is never easy. I mean that not literally, because Chef Anthony Bucco was born and raised in New Jersey, but figuratively in regards to the soulful turn his culinary career has taken. I say this…
Read MoreSun, Sand & Surf at W Punta de Mita
I know how this looks. Empty cocktail glasses are sitting in front of me next to plates of half-eaten tacos, the crumbs of which have fallen into the crevices of my keyboard. My muscles are sore from a morning yoga session, but the warmth of the afternoon sun is melting my pain away as I…
Read MoreEl Cosmico: A Modern Campground in Marfa, Texas
When I think about going off the grid and unplugging from my day-to-day, I think about camping. I envision being amongst the wilderness, setting up a sleeping bag under the stars—not the colorful campgrounds of El Cosmico. Way out in West Texas, there’s a ranching town-meets-art mecca known as Marfa. Its genuine mystique is one…
Read MoreHeirloom Kitchen: A Restaurant, Reimagined
Today’s restaurant model is as tired as its overworked employees. That’s why when Neilly Robinson first opened up Heirloom Kitchen in 2013, she did so with fresh eyes. The mission back then, which still holds true six years later, was to create a culinary center whose focus was on food education. A place where you…
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