A glass of bubbly usually appears at every reception. People hold their long, delicate stemware and sip on the elegant sparkling wine. Question is – what is everyone drinking? These days, the festive drink- of-choice is typically the Italian Prosecco. Once while in Venice, I asked for a waiter for a glass of water. He smiled and said, “I will bring you a glass of Venetian water” and promptly returned with a tall, thin glass of Prosecco. Yes, the Italians love their sparkling wine, but so do Americans.

One important aspect of Prosecco is its versatility. According to Bolla and his astute winemaker Gino Cini, Prosecco is no longer relegated to opera and theater intermissions because it pairs wonderfully with appetizers, entrees and desserts. A good overall choice is Oro Puro “Pure Gold”-- to quote Pasternak Distributors “Oro Puro, DOCG or translated "Pure Gold" is the pure expression of the unique DOCG terroir in Valdobiaddene.”
EYE ON THE ARTS, NY -- Celia Ipiotis

When you enter the trains, time slows down. Seats are upholstered, there's ample space between seats, dining cars are set with linen and historic Chinaware, sleeping cars include luxurious double beds in suites that echo men in tuxes and women dripping in diamonds and furs. For the most part, the cars are refurbished and maintained by individual families. Step into a car, and the owners can describe all the car's details and stories of barons and pirates. In one car, the owners had retained the wood-burning stove and old style "ice-box" meaning you keep the little box cold with ice. This exhibition of cars makes you wonder why, oh why, luxury trains have given way to the innocuous, sterile trains we travel in today.

Here's the announcement:
An extraordinary assembly of historic train cars spanning the heyday of luxury rail travel, as well as the latest in railroad technology, will be on display together for the first time in the free and family-friendly “Grand Centennial Parade of Trains” weekend. The historic train cars, including an observation car from the iconic 20th Century Limited – arguably the most famous train in the world – will be accompanied by a number of cars from the Metro-North fleet. The event also includes Grand Central’s first model train show and “Railroadiana” antiques and collectibles event.
Visual highlights include:
· A “Kid Junction” activity area with a modular train display from the animated train series “Chuggington” (as seen on the “Disney Junior” channel)
· Guinness World Record/Chuggington challenge for “World’s Tallest Railroad Track” (Saturday only, 12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.)
· Demonstrations with a Master Builder from the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester (Saturday, 2:35 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.; Sunday 10:40 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. and 1:20 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.)
· Creative activities led by New York Transit Museum and New York Botanical Garden staff
· Demonstrations by Metro-North, about the many functions that support a railroad
· Musical performances (Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.)
· Metro-North’s robotic mascot, Metro Man, Talks Railway Safety (Saturday, 10:40 a.m. and 2:10 p.m.; and Sunday, 12:10 p.m. and 2:40 p.m.)
· Vintage IRT subway trains running on a track of the Times Square Shuttle all weekend long
· Special deals and promotions at Grand Central shops (Saturday and Sunday, while supplies last).
WHERE: Grand Central Terminal
Trains: Platforms at Tracks 34, 35, 36 and 37
“Kid Junction” and “Railroadiana”: Vanderbilt Hall, 89 E. 42 St., New York, NY

Monday, May 6, the James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception will take place at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City and will be hosted by Stanley Tucci. Prior to the major public event, the James Beard Foundation Book, Broadcast & Journalism Awards Dinner, an exclusive event honoring the nation’s top cookbook authors, culinary broadcast producers and hosts, and food journalists, will take place at Gotham Hall in New York City on May 3 hosted by Ted Allen.

Established in 1990, the James Beard Foundation Awards recognize culinary professionals for excellence and achievement in their fields and continue to emphasize the Foundation’s mission: to celebrate, nurture, and preserve America’s diverse culinary heritage and future. Each award category has an individual committee made up of industry professionals who volunteer their time to oversee the policies, procedures, and selection of judges for their respective Awards program. All JBF Award winners receive a certificate and a medallion engraved with the James Beard Foundation Awards insignia. There are no cash prizes.

Tickets to the May 6 Awards ceremony and gala reception are now on sale and can be purchased at jamesbeard.org/awards or through the Awards Box Office at 914.231.6180. General public tickets are $475 ($425 for James Beard Foundation members).

Il Palladio just reopened for the season with a new and exciting addition to their facilities: The opening of the first Hair Spa in Venice, which offers a variety of enriching, healing and revitalizing treatments for both scalp and hair. This new dream therapy includes a scalp mask followed by a Feng Shui massage, designed to achieve total harmony between body and soul.

Many of the Spa’s luxurious rooms have private working fireplaces, Jacuzzis and steam rooms, in which guests can pick among treatments that offer champagne, fresh fruit and live musical accompaniment. Word has it, the spa is painted in soft and soothing pastel tones, and the architecture retains many of its original and historic features, in keeping with the rest of the hotel’s style.

Il Palladio Hotel & Spa inhabits a palazzo designed by world-renowned Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio in the 16th Century, and is today one of the stunning properties of The BAUERs group. Located on Giudecca Island, across the Grand Canal from St. Mark’s Square, Il Palladio boasts private gardens in full bloom each spring, contributing to the calming scenery that makes this estate an ideal retreat away from the bustle of Venice and the crowds of the Biennale.

Not a bad way to spend a few hours--or a week. SPECIAL SPA EXPERIENCES Upon request, Il Palladio offers treatments in their gorgeous SPA’s relaxation room that looks out on the breathtaking view of Piazza S. Marco. It is also possible to receive a private treatment in the beautiful garden gazebo, surrounded by lush vegetation and singing birds.
EYE ON THE ARTS, NY -- Celia Ipiotis

Winston-Salem straddles the past and the future. Designated a National Historic Landmark, old Salem's Moravian community breaks out the bands during Easter pitching an all night musical celebrating the resurrection. Happily for all, festivities are fueled with the local wines, like the one I tasted -- Cabernet Francs (warm, well balanced red) to Viogners. Where tobacco leaves once grew, grapevines spread across the fertile soil on the Yadkin Valley. Yes, wine is the up and coming commodity from North Carolina.

From the looks of it, local growers and restaurants are creating memorable signature dishes as well like smoked beef belly, foie gras, sweet potatoes, onion marmalade, and pine glaze by Chef Scott Crawford, Herons Restaurant. Despite initial assumption, the combination produced a subtle and rich taste sensation. which I tasted and was surprised by the subtlety of favors -- by Chef Scott. Some other products on display included award-winning cow's milk cheese from Chapel Hill Creamery called the “Calveander” -- which I did not taste, and an assortment of sensational hearth breads that I munched on baked by the most enthusiastic Lionel Vatinet of La Farm Bakery. His mantra is back to traditional methods using unprocessed grains and homegrown starter. For those bread enthusiasts, his bread book is coming out in November “Passion for Bread.”

After all that eating and drinking, head to Grandfather Mountain for some fine cool breezes, a family style vacation and some winning events like the Highland games—the second weekend in July—when the gentlefolk from Scotland descend decked in kilts with all manner of folk music, dance and ritual events.

If you are looking for a little less drama and a lot of restorative relaxation, consider the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Carey, North Carolina. Lathered with awards, the Unstead features a glass sculpture by the famed artist Dale Chihuly as well as pottery by local potters with national reputations. In the midst of a transformation, the Unstead will unveil its renovated hotel and spa in the summer and it will surely tantalize all the senses.

Known as an area hospitable to artists of all kinds, I was the lucky recipient of a raspberry pink iPhone wallet by Holly Aiken. A slip pocket on the outside of the wallet serves as a perfect spot for my MTA Subway card.

North Carolina holds many pleasures for all. For more information about travel to North Carolina, visit: http://www.visitnc.com/
EYE ON THE ARTS, NY -- Celia Ipiotis

A nonprofit organization dedicated to the educational advancement of culinary skills, rooms are packed with animated students, swinging from classes on cooking for hundreds to the sensual act of baking and making chocolate (the only air-conditioned kitchen). My favorite image was a bank of brightly colored glass rolling pins suspended on a pastry kitchen wall. Donated by Julia Child, the hollow insides are filled with ice to keep the pastry dough cool. Really, how cool!

Physically demanding, students work against the clock. Their intense focus is evident when walking through the halls, and peering through the enormous windows into the various kitchens. Cooking is followed by cleaning and serving and on occasion, eating the spoils. At once an exhausting and exhilarating routine, the public tour delivers a behind-the-scenes look at the essentials of being a food professional.

Students can acquire a 21-month Associate Degree and then move on to a three-year Bachelor’s degree. The food industry offers many opportunities beyond the act of cooking, and those related fields are addressed at CIA—from nutrition to restaurant management.

If you go to CIA, I highly recommend you take the tour that costs $6 per person. Reservations are a must and the information is clearly stated on-line.

After the informative tour, many take the opportunity for a relaxing lunch, dinner or quick bite at the tasty Apple Pie Bakery run by former French Laundry chef Francisco Migoya. This doesn’t require reservations, but you will stand in line. However, odds are you will eagerly waiting your turn with the students, and it’s a treat overhearing their conversations about a dropped egg or stupendous soufflé. By the time we got to the bakery late in the afternoon, the only bread left was a whole grain loaf. The bread’s rich texture and full flavor lasted for a week--with a little freezer action. Later in the afternoon, we had lunch in the Caterina de’ Medici room. Well-spaced tables ring a series of large, arched windows. Students overseen by supervisors are in charge. Our server was delightful. Her clear description of the food and personal assessments of the wine options guided our choices. Well-timed service was prompt, but not rushed. Although some dishes like the thinly sliced lamb and sautéed zucchini and grilled octopus with garbanzos fared better than others, all the ingredients were fresh and the menu was well executed.

If your visit excites dreams of culinary mastery, review some of the fascinating options available for public consumption.

Food enthusiasts program break down into two modes. You can opt for Culinary Boot Camp that runs anywhere from one day to five days in length. Professionals and amateurs join to sharpen their skills or tackle a favored aspect of food whether it’s baking, grilling and barbecuing, dry heat or moist heat cooking and so much more.

For the budding kitchen cook, these immersion classes make a terrific gift (866-242-7787). Consider a “no expiration date” gift certificate to a $250 weekend class. If you opt for the $325 Meat course, participants take home all the cooked and remaining uncooked meat. Twenty-five different classes are repeated throughout the year at all three campuses.

Although CIA does not provide sleeping accommodations, delightful Bed and Breakfast options as well as old inns and small hotels blanket the area.

With the brilliant fall foliage approaching and holidays just around the corner, a trip to Hyde Park will lift the spirits and inspire culinary visions.
EYE ON THE ARTS, NY -- Celia Ipiotis

Founded by Massimo Zanetti, the NYC venue allows guests to dine in the lounge specialty area, created by renowned designer Antonio Di Oronzo. The extensive menu serves up modern Italian cuisine with global influences from mussels and oysters to a wide range of pastas, bruschettas, cured Italian meats and tantalizing entrees. The menu also has comfort food options such as four-cheese Mac 'N' Cheese with pancetta, the trademarked Segafredo Burger, an 8 oz sirloin burger with all the Italian trimmings accompanied with parmesan truffle fries, as well as the always-popular "sliders."

This is a fine addition to the active Village area, and offers one more opportunity to savor a morning hit of caffeine Italian style and return for easy, cooling down with wine and some light fare.

www.sze-nyc.com.
504 6th Ave. at 13th Street
212-300-4148
EYE ON THE ARTS, NY -- Celia Ipiotis

Guests can sip a Gold Medal Martini, exclusively crafted and served throughout the season with a gold leaf rim. For those who prefer a more traditional beverage, the Library Bar also offers some of the finest cognacs available; including the world’s oldest cognac that dates back to 1770.

The Lanesborough’s infamous “Liquid History” collection has an extraordinary assemblage of rare cognacs, Armagnac and whiskies, which is bound to appeal to the hotel’s discerning clientele in need of a quiet respite.

The Lanesborough’s Bar Manager Giuseppe Ruo, will be on hand to match the finest cognacs with a mix of eclectic cigars, including rare pre-revolution Cuban sticks. Classic cocktails are also served; one can simply sit back and bask in the intimate atmosphere of the Library Bar. Such a visit is guaranteed to offer guests a relaxing evening in the midst of the bustling Olympics festivities.
Premiere drinking for a premiere event.
EYE ON THE ARTS, NY -- Celia Ipiotis

They are also the first and only Forbes Five-Star hospitality establishments in Wisconsin to earn the organization’s highest rating that recognizes superior service and guest satisfaction. The American Club hotel is one of only 57 hotels worldwide with this distinction, while the Kohler Waters Spa is one of only 30 spas worldwide. The resort’s fine dining offering, The Immigrant Restaurant, was honored with the 2012 Forbes Four-Star Award – an impressive honor it has now received three straight years.

The Kohler Waters Spa opened at the resort in 2000 and quickly secured itself as a leader and innovator in the spa industry. Specializing in restoring and replenishing the body, Kohler Waters Spa focuses on treatments that emphasize the therapeutic benefits of water. Based in Kohler, Wisconsin, the spa has two additional locations in Burr Ridge, Illinois, and St Andrews, Scotland “The Kohler Waters Spa team is extremely proud of this recognition. We know it takes the entire team to maintain a consistent high level of service for every one of our guests, said Jean Kolb, Director of Wellness for Kohler Co. “After providing outrageous Five-Star service for nearly 11 years, we are honored to know that our flagship property has reached a new pinnacle of excellence.”

For a detailed explanation of how Forbes Travel Guide compiles its Star ratings, visit www.startle.com, the new interactive website of Forbes Travel Guide. Follow Forbes Travel Guide on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ForbesInspector.

Built in 1918 by Walter J. Kohler, The American Club was commissioned to house immigrant workers – “single men of modest means” – who came to work at Kohler Co. Here the men, most of whom spoke very little English, could live in clean and comfortable surroundings while beginning life in their new country and becoming American citizens. Hundreds of workers called The American Club home over several decades. In 1981 it was refurbished and reopened as a luxurious hotel in the heart of the Midwest. Today, the building is recognized by the Historic Hotels of America and pays homage to its historic beginnings with photos and memorabilia throughout the resort.

Learn more about The American Club Resort at www.AmericanClub.com or 800-344-2838. Stay up to date on resort happenings on facebook, facebook.com/americanclub and on twitter, www.twitter.com/theamericanclub."
EYE ON THE ARTS< NY -- Celia Ipiotis