Berryville Cross-Post: Provender Garden
September 6, 2026
[Cross posted from apothecaryshed.com]
Provender Kitchen is excellent. And it’s in Berryville. This is not a normal combination. We approve.
Our first visit was on opening weekend. Delicious and intimate. Romey and I really enjoyed ourselves. Kurt and Jodi have a great thing going.
Much of the produce is grown by the owners. Other sourcing is from local farms.
It’s fun to see what the chef(s) come up with using the very same garden ingredients that we have in our garden.
We returned the very next week with friends. The menu was transformed and was once again creative and delicious.
Sweet corn and crab.
Raffles Boston
August 4, 2026
It’s not Singapore, of course, but there really is a Raffles in Boston. Last time we were in town for David Byrne, we stopped in for a very crowded drink at the upstairs speakeasy.
Of course, we know all about the real Raffles…and the Singapore Sling. It’s pretty hilarious to see this transplanted to Boston. But why not?! Can you say “wicked Sling???”
We are in 1007. This, they tell us, is an upgrade from our requested suite. We’re all for that kind of thing. Thanks y’all.
Extra bathroom.
Not one iota of plastic, of course. And shower pressure that will blow your hair plugs right out of your scalp…assuming you have some.
So how goes it Raffles? It goes, as Sammy would say, pretty not bad. The space is excellent and the staff is top notch. But there are some things that could use some attention and maybe refactoring.
1007 could use some closet space. And engineering needs to fix the drapery. The real problem is inscrutable electronic controls. How do you set the AC to anything less than hurricane? Who knows? And lights? Just press buttons randomly until something happens. About the only other place with these kinds of UI electricity challenges is the College Hotel in Amsterdam.
Greeted with a personal note and a cocktail. Very nice touch. And the Butler thing is actually great. Our man Thomas was hugely helpful and made our visit noticeably better.
Bottom line? Excellent staff (and attention to staff development as well—which we witnessed while working in the libary) but some physical plant work required.
FWIW, the spa is apparently great. Go do that. Ask for Paula. (Side note: if you would like to buy some house perfume and then fly. LOL. Good luck with that. Hotel? Travel size for flyers is pretty much mandatory.)
Oh, and the Long Bar space? Lets upgrade that breakfast menu. Great bar, though. And excellent staff. (The menu could use a dose of the rest of the world…see the Chicago Peninsula.)
Blind Duck was empty and nice when we showed up at opening time. They served this sweet blue thing…
On rainy Monday, we spent some retail therapy time in Copley, the Pru, and then—when it cleared up—Newbury. Then we went to dinner at a very crowded and touristy Saltie Girl (recommended by the concierge/front desk). It’s overly Newbury. If you like being surrounded by people from out of town, this restaurant is for you!
Tuesday was La Padrona (where their computer texts you in Italian but does not like or even understand Italian answers). Delicious food—first time for pistachio lasagna. In the end, really quite poor space layout (our table was in a bizarre booth over in the margins) and staff that needs to be trained (they seem to forget who is paying). This is really more of a Boston issue than a La Padrona issue. Boston’s high end restaurant scene is no longer anywhere near the top edge in our experience. Time to get out of the little pond and see what the big fish are doing out there in the rest of the world, Boston.
Charlie’s is still a dive, but they raised their prices to make some margin. THey have grits!
The neighborhood (and exact apartment) of yore.
Five showerheads and some wicked new hairplugs for Raffles Boston (assuming you used to have those). We’ll be back.
Welp, Hilton has somehow taken over the best boutique hotel in the city
just like it did in Dublin. Sadly that means the Haven hotel is not really up to NPS standards. Alas.
On the other hand, Rotterdam is well worth a visit. Take a water taxi or seven.
Even if you let a Hilton know exactly when you will be arriving early, they will still NEVER be prepared.
Our room had a view…a long long view.
But even a suite here has such a bad layout that you can’t really nest. I mean, who puts a hot tub directly in the room? Or a sauna just across from the shower?
The sauna was actually fun to use.
And the bed was very comfortable.
But the “suite” was not.
Anyway, we were in Rotterdam, so that was a thing. Lots of amazing food: Zeezout was excellent, River Bar was delicious but not as welcoming. We also scoped out a bunch of little street places with mixed results.
The water is a main attraction.
We had a boat tour of the harbor since it was mandatory. It is a great way to experience the architecture.
The felix is definitely worth a visit.
Sunset at the NY hotel is worth a cocktail visit.
Rotterdam has a door to nowhere.
This is an ice cream cone. LOL.
Four showerheads for the Haven. Not our demographic. We will stay elsewhere when we return to Rotterdam.
A San Diego Gem: The Orli Hotel
June 4, 2026
is an absolute gem. Of course, being situated in La Jolla is no detriment to the property.
Flying in to San Diego brings back lots of memories.
The weather is still on that same VHS tape loop from the 1970s. “Tomorrow, the weather will be perfect.”
I was assigned the Irving Gill Penthouse. Two stories with a balcony overlooking the Pacific.
The garden area is comfortable and pretty.
Glass shower? Yes, in the now famous death star design.
Upstairs is a small bar.
Sunset balcony.
On the first night, Alex and I headed to the Realm of the 52 Remedies for some craft cocktails. Excellent.
A visit to the QPS summit is always a blast. Five showerheads for the Orli and hope for a timely return with my spouse.
When In Bruges: Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce Hotel
March 4, 2026
Surely you’ve seen In Bruges?! Well we have, and we saw it again before the big birthday trip just for good measure. This is the very hotel featured in the movie.
In person, Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce Hotel is much more sedate and refined. No guns. No child murderers. No rooms full of crazy parties with cocaine and hookers. Darn.
We are actually on a scouting expedition for our return in July. Here’s what we learned.
Room 25 is the one we want. This time we were in 20, which is a very nice room that overlooks the canal but is a smidge small and has extremely limited closet space. So we looked at all the other rooms and 15 and 25 are the new targets.
Room 20 is the one on the right on the second floor where we stayed this time.
And what is that? Real klimt on the wall?? Yup. Lots of real pictures.
No wait really is that a Matisse?
Yes and in fact there is another on the wall in room 20.
We arrived so early that we simply dropped our bags and walked over to hop on a boat. We lulled Madou into a false sense of security by visting 5 previous times and never doing anything touristy. Bwahahaha!
This time he rode the boat.
We even made him climb the tower! But then he ran away, leaving us to explore on our own before returning with reinforcements for dinner.
What a view.
Euro-bathroom might kill you if you are a lawyer.
The breakfast room is very nice, but our quick hit did not include time for that. We were up way too early to take the direct train to Brussels airport (about 90 minutes and very easy) and fly home. The logistics of being in Bruge are excellent on that front.
Dinner at Republiek was great, especially with the entire gang. There was also mandatory ice cream.
All in all Bruges is very much a tourist town, smelling faintly of sugar and clogged up with lost people walking in circles. But it is worth a visit, if not just to drag Madou up the tower.
Four showerheads for Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce Hotel, a romantic little gem hidden among the droves.
Ciel Bleu is Exceptional
March 3, 2026
(cross-posted on apothecaryshed)
Executive Chef Arjan Speelman at Ciel Bleu is a great guy. Not only is he running one of the best of 417 two star restaurants (in 26 countries), but his kitchen exhibits a relaxed intensity that only comes from years of practice and absolute top notch management skille. The restaurant is a machine. Not the kind of machine that grinds you up…the kind that nurtures you and teaches you and sets you up to make something out there like it. You can feel this when you are present. And, damn can you taste it.
Mastery of the highest order. Watch out waterside, here they come.
Anyway, we were just damn lucky enough to have my 60th birthday dinner of note with Chef Speelman. Not in the gorgeous dining room, but in the kitchen itself at the chef’s table. And not just drive by chef, but engaged and fun chef who plays along, talks to us about things, and even allows us to interject some Florence and the Machine into the soundtrack. An experience of a lifetime to be sure.
Every minute was a delight. Every bite was worth talking about. Even the butter was better. The people creating this experience were so genuine and so psyched that we were having so much fun.
Thank you chef.
Madou is hitting on my wife. He’s single you know.
The chef’s table is IN the kitchen at the cold station side.
Presentation in a tuna bone.
A wall of stars. We think three is in order.
Did someone forget to serve Madou his wine?
Butter delivery by our German hostess. This young woman was outstanding in all respects. Her repartee was unmatched and hilarious.
The uni mouse is exquisite. For a long time this was best in our book.
Red mullet with skin so delicious
OMG pidgeon has no picture but so amazing.
Roe buck.
Pre dessert
Cocoa nut husk delivery with dry ice. This was as delicious as it was ridiculous.
Sadly the women had to retreat, but we finished up without them.
Once again, thank you chef.
Hey wait, who is that??!
A fitting birthday celebration.
The Wilmina in Berlin: A Design Gem
January 16, 2026
Our train across Germany to Berlin was easy and fast, and we arrived at sunset. Our Berlin welcome involved drizzle. The Wilmina glowed with welcome.
Room 107 is a garden view room, spacious and clean, but configured for handicap access.
Each room in the hotel was adapted from some aspect of a historical women’s prison.
Though the shower was not plastic, it was not glass either. It was mostly too big.
What a property.
The bar is something to write home about. Absolute world class excellence with house made infusions and highly creative cocktails. Best hotel bar in Germany for sure.
Time for some reading by the fire.
The associated bakery.
We were only in Berlin for a short while, but we crammed in some great food, some excellent company, and some art. Seri Melayu was a nice reprive from brown food. The House of Small Wonder lives up to its reputation. Itarei was good but needs a service and wine overhaul.
Four showerheads leaning hard into five for the Wilmina. If we find the right room, the rating will improve.
The Proper in Austin Texas Thinks Big About Itself
December 25, 2025
We flew in to see Billy Strings play some old school blue grass at Austin City Limits. There was almost enough time to relax before dinner at the Peacock (which is very good indeed). The Proper is a nice hotel, and likely the best one in Austin, but it’s not quite as nice as they seem to think it is. Oh those Texans.
We were assigned a king balcony room 714 overlooking the unused pool. The day we arrived in Texas it was 37 degrees (which in Texas is way below freezing).
Not one speck of plastic in the shower. The bathroom is a little too small.
View of the pool on a cold winter day. It was even too cold to use the balcony.
And then it was time for Billy Strings to pick a few. (Lots of pictures and videos from the show here.)
Late night at Goldies. So secret the front desk even thinks it’s closed.
While in Austin we had an excellent breakfast at the well and then walked to Imogene + Willie and maufrais.
And then, it was time to fly home.
Four showerheads and a smaller hat for the proper. It’s awful hard to get five.
The Rosewood São Paulo: Excellence and the Disney Effect
September 23, 2025
First of all, the Rosewood is a gorgeous facility, centrally located in São Paulo and yet somehow an oasis of sorts. Two blocks from the main drag (Av. Paulista), as soon as you enter the driveway you enter a different world, lush and green like the jungle. Having an oasis to retreat to from the chaotic third world aspects of São Paulo is a necessity when you are old and spoiled.
344 is a luxury king category that is almost sufficient for several days. The best aspect is a balcony that overlooks the real street. In case you wonder whether you are actually in a big city, a look out the window banks makes that clear. Fortunately the room is seriously soundproofed.
The bathroom is awesome with nary a plastic shower in sight. In fact, the shower controls are complex enough to require a manual.
The bar and coffee center went unused.
We spent some time at the pool, meeting people sadly from Florida (or as from Florida as you can get when you are a french boat designer with a Russian designer wife
The only issue that needs attention at the Rosewood may, ironically, be that the staff is a bit too well trained. Lots of them are Disney alums, and it shows in the way they execute the script. Less script and more human would fit the vibe of Brazil better.
We experienced our first Brazilian live music at Cabo de Galo, a supposedly “secret” mixology speakeasy directly in the middle of the breakfast restaurant. Part of the Disneyesque script is to insert an unnecessary delay in all productions in order to give the illusion of exclusivity; like waiting for an open table to be open; or waiting to be seated at breakfast when open tables are all over the place. That stitch can be dropped.
Hell? Maybe.
We enjoyed some cashaça. (Throughout Brazil, the argument WRT whose cashaça is best continues apace even 20 years after my first visit.)
And a Brazilian cocktail involving not enough Fernet called macunaíma.
Greater São Paulo outside the Rosewood oasis has plenty to offer. Some things we saw before our arrival at the Rosewood, like the Jardim Botânico and Esperanza Spalding.
Our post-business side quests included some time in Liberdade at the open market (pretty down scale to be honest).
Av. Paulista. is close by and on Sunday the road is closed to traffic. The MASP (day one) (and MASP (day two)) are very close by indeed. Pinacoteca de São Paulo is a quick car ride away in the rain, and it is open on Monday.
We experienced an incredible dinner (among the best in the world) at DOM.
All in all, five showerheads for the Rosewood. An excellent, though slightly too Disney, experience. We will return.
NPS at Sheraton? São Paulo Business
September 18, 2025
So what is NPS to do when the official conference hotel is a Sheraton? Why, try things on for size again and realize that the hamster cage persists. The São Paulo Sheraton WTC is a standard issue mid-level business hotel straight out of Marriott central casting. Not our thing here at this blog. Luxury it is not.
What does that really mean? Well, imagine a mall. Then imagine a set of beige rectangular boxes stacked up over the mall. That’s pretty much it. The elevators do a weird jerky thing on arrival at a floor. The lobby is brown leather with little middle management desks set around featuring monitors you can’t see through or around. Breakfast is pretty not bad. The staff is friendly and sticks to the script. Getting out past the mall is a challenge and you have to set out to do it.
We are in 605. There’s sadly not much interesting to say. We have two comfortable double beds. The broken blow dryer was quickly replaced with an ancient stone age hairdryer of yore that worked. The analog phone is attached to the wall with wires and apparently does not actually work. The TV plays a central role.
And that’s good because we had to watch Sneakers on the first night to reminisce about Robert Redford. FWIW, we are still not sure why Dan Ackroyd’s handle was “mother.”
There’s excellent net (with a unify hotspot in the room).
But mostly things are just short of actually comfortable here in Sheraton-land. And they mostly work. Unless you would like a hot shower at 8am, then forget it. The early birds got the hot water. Staying overnight is like having McDonalds fries. You know what you’re getting and you also know that trans fat is bad for you.
Does the fluorescent lighting bring to mind Blade Runner and that famous Harrison Ford’s flick of the fingers? It should.
The shower is not plastic. And the fake marble veneer is so beige.
Look how comfortable the sitting area is. No, nevermind. Don’t.
But the room is free since we are keynoting the conference. Kinda. And the hotel is in São Paulo. So here we are in a great city! Woo hoo.
Late lunch at biO2 LAB Brooklin is quirky and just what the doctor ordered. Pato Rei Berrini serves a great coffee and the people are nice.
If you are stuck in the mall, try Nagairô Sushi D&D which is passable. The sushi does look great though.
Excellent amazonian food can be found at both Mamute and Banzeiro, but watch out for ants in your food and be forewarned that the fish is huge.
The Jardim Botânico is worth a visit.
Anyway, we are here for the show. First the little show at the University (USP).
And then the big trade show keynote.
Three showerheads and a yawn for the Sheraton. We already knew this.
RSS - Posts