Bric-a-Brac 11
Insider El Paso (Marfa's gateway), a martini recipe from The Odeon, and a Navigator whose list of favorite hotels and trips is a definitely a keeper.
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THE RECIPE
My husband Matt’s new book, The Martini: Perfection in a Glass, just came out this week, so I asked him to share a recipe from a restaurant that we all love so much, The Odeon in New York City.
The Cucumber Martini
5 slices cucumber
2 oz (60 ml) Hendrick’s gin, preferably from the freezer
3/4 oz (20 ml) dry vermouth, preferably Dolin
1/2 oz (15 ml) St. Germain elderflower liqueur
Muddle 4 of the cucumber slices in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice, add the gin, vermouth, liqueur and shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with the remaining cucumber slice.
DISPATCH FROM…EL PASO
For years I’ve been wanting to visit Marfa, which can be pretty hard to get to—El Paso being one of the airports to fly into, about three hours by car. So, when Janean Mann, founder of Junes, based in El Paso—where she creates a line of biodegradable mesh totes made by an all-female sewing coop across the border in Juárez—reached out, I figured it was a sign! She explained why she loves it: “El Paso is unlike any city in the world, as it offers Mexican culture from our sister city—Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua—as well as Southwestern flair from our neighbors in Las Cruces, New Mexico. In the last years, it’s truly brewed new city life with great local coffee shops, boutique hotels and local festivals.” Here, she shares her list of favorite addresses:
EAT
Elemi - Beautiful traditional Mexican cuisine
Piedmont Cafe - A delicious vegetarian and vegan-friendly spot
Lucy’s Cafe - An El Paso treasure. My favorite spot to get border Mexican food, the chicken tacos and machaca are the best in town and the owners are quintessential El Paso hospitality.
Pizza Joint - Owned by a woman and the only place in El Paso where you can get pizza by the slice
Mom’s Fresh Juice - Love this place—it’s my go-to for fresh juices, smoothies, snacks and vegan lunches. They make their own delicious almond milk and these amazing cookie dough “truffles,” completely sugar free and gluten free—so good! Other faves are the falafel salad (with coconut tzatziki or Mexican pesto dressing), GLAM juice (ginger, lemon, apple, mint), cafe con leche (almond milk + cold-brewed coffee) and overnight oats.
Taconeta - Specializing in Mexican tacos, opened by some friends of mine. They serve homemade tortillas and use local ingredients when they can. The space is beautifully designed and decorated inside and out. They have a nice selection of mezcal and tequila for their delicious margaritas, perfect for happy hour on a warm afternoon. This is our favorite lunch spot for team Junes!
Sheepdog Brewery & Deadbeach Brewery - I’m sensitive to a lot of grains, but when I drink Sheepdog’s beer, I have no reactions. Clean ingredients and processing—it’s delicious! Deadbeach is a local favorite and their downtown location has a great outdoor area with a fireplace in the winter! Perfect for a weekend hang.
Ambar - Largest tequila collection in the United States, inside the Plaza Hotel. The Plaza was recently renovated, which brings the design of the historic past of the colliding cultures of the Paso del Norte region. The Ambar bar and restaurant is the main feature of the hotel, which has restored many of the aspects of the original design. Cowboy-meets-upscale-modern-meets-Mexico.
STAY
Gardner Hotel and Hostel - Oldest operating hotel in El Paso (founded in 1922)
Stanton House El Paso - boutique hotel showcasing El Paso in both hospitality and food/wine. They have an excellent and simple lunch, and I also like to come here during happy hour for a glass of wine from their excellent selection.
The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park - An El Paso landmark in the city’s skyline, famous for hosting Elizabeth Taylor in the 1930s
Historic Airbnb - Stay at the Essex Apartment, a 100-year-old building in the heart of downtown El Paso.
AND…
Chuco Relic Central - The perfect place to pick up an El Paso souvenir with style.
Historic Mission Trails - The historic Mission Trails were established in 1682, reflecting history through their adobe architecture. The trail is named for the three missions that date back to the 17th and 18th centuries: Ysleta Mission, Socorro Mission and San Elizario Chapel. They are the oldest churches in the state of Texas.
The Reagan - A must-visit entertainment venue/bar that celebrates the revitalization of downtown El Paso. They have an amazing selection of items for Sunday brunch—one of our favorites is their fluffy pancakes topped with pecans. 10 out of 10!
Paradigm Texas - Local El Paso boutique curated with unique gifts for everyone
Casa Ortiz - This art gallery is located in Socorro, Texas, just minutes from El Paso. The space is beautiful, an old and wide adobe home from the 1700s, which has become a safe haven for creatives. They hold weekly artist showcases which is a great way to meet people in town!
THE NAVIGATOR
Alex Erdman Ely, Owner, Local Foreigner
Tell us about you/your company.
Local Foreigner is a boutique travel agency based in NYC with affiliates all over the US (and Europe!). We plan travel worldwide and have spent the last 10 years sourcing and building relationships with the best partners in every region of the world. Our focus is on luxury travel, but we understand that means something different for everyone, so while some clients appreciate over-the-top hotels, others might value seclusion. I got into the business because I loved to travel and was always researching destinations and planning trips in my free time (so cliché, but true!). After working at another luxury travel company in New York, years (and a lot of hard work) later I started Local Foreigner with my three business partners in 2015.
What’s the entry level to talk to you?
We work as a consultancy and charge hourly fees for our time. We don’t have a trip cost minimum, but we work holistically with our clients who come to us for everything they need as it relates to travel. Typically, they are investing over $100,000 per year in the experience of travel.
What is the sweet spot of your expertise?
Safaris, boat charters and multi-gen trips for large families, though we work with excellent partners in every corner of the world. We can almost guarantee that someone on our team is an expert in the destination of your choosing…though no one’s been to Antarctica…YET!
A favorite experience/trip you’ve planned that best represents your travel philosophy…
Our philosophy in a nutshell is “travel makes people better.” So, I would have to say that a favorite trip that we planned was a year-long, around-the-world adventure for a family of four with two children under age 10. Stops included Paris, Israel, Maldives, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and East Africa. They used the opportunity to teach their children about the importance of taking the time to get to know and understand cultures other than their own. We had them with incredible local guides (who were often friends!) everywhere they went and used as many opportunities as possible to have them connect with children their age. Making connections with people, taking the time to enjoy beautiful landscapes and learning about distinct cultures and ways of living to reflect on your own life is what it is all about.
A favorite hotel or other property you love and go back to again and again…
Oh man, this is tough. I adore Eden Rock on St Barths and am returning to the island for my fifth time this fall and staying in one of the villas from the Eden Rock Villa Collection. I am also a huge fan of small properties with a high level of food and wine experiences, so I would have to say Twin Farms and The Point on Lake Saranac are two of my all-time favorites. In Europe, Le Sirenuse and The Beaumont in London have the most incredible service, and in Asia, the Aman Tokyo. I also love New Orleans and could visit that city every year and stay at Maison de la Luz, which is a dreamy home away from home.
The most memorable meal you’ve had while traveling…
Anything with good company! But if I had to choose one, it would be one Thanksgiving spent with my husband and good friends at Falsled Kro a couple hours outside of Copenhagen. Everything about the meal and the hotel was perfection. I’ve been back multiple times since then to basically drool over their cheese cart. Also, I was lucky enough to stay at La Chartreuse at Cos d’Estournel in Bordeaux and every single meal we had there was absolutely insane, from the multi-course sit down dinners to oysters shucked fresh from a little shack along the estuary.
A not-to-be-missed favorite experience in your region of expertise…
I don’t think I can choose! Walking safari at Little Chem Chem in Tanzania, hiking the Base Las Torres in Patagonia, a makoro ride in in the Okavango Delta, horseback riding on the beach in Jose Ignacio, a behind-the-scenes tour of the restoration workshops at the Louvre, a food safari with Ingrid-Anne and Bjorn at Storfjord in Norway, private access to Catherine’s Palace in St Petersburg, the heli hot tub experience at Minaret Station in Wanaka, and nothing beats first tracks with Hanazono Powder Guides in Niseko.
What is a place we should consider traveling to that could really use our dollars, and what is a place we should put on pause because, even though we love it, it sees too many tourists?
For the first, Southern and Eastern Africa. Every dollar spent helps conservation efforts and supports local communities. I hate to say it, but coastal Europe in high season could do without so many people crowding its shores, so my suggestion would be to focus on low season in those towns.
Underrated location, overrated location, personal favorite, recent discovery?
Underrated: Jose Ignacio (Bahia Vik), Zimbabwe (Singita Pamushana), Panama (Sweet Bocas and Islas Secas), and the Musandam Peninsula in Oman (Six Senses Zighy Bay).
Overrated: I don’t think anywhere is necessarily overrated, but I do think people have unrealistically high expectations for Japan. We also find that our clients feel the need to tick off a million restaurants in Tokyo (despite our pleas to take it easy for a few meals) and inevitably want to cancel half once they are on the ground, which is not culturally appropriate.
Personal Favorite: New Zealand (Minaret Station and Blanket Bay), Sumba Island (Nihi Sumba), Botswana (Mombo and Zarafa), Patagonia (Tierra), and the American West (Ranch at Rock Creek and Dunton Hot Springs)! If you can’t tell, I like the outdoors!
Recent Discovery: Domaine de Primard just outside of Paris is so incredibly dreamy. Fantastic food and that perfect “at home” vibe. The entire Domaines de Fontenilles collection should be on people’s radars.
The one thing you always pack…
My Bose Noise Cancelling headphones. Also, I just had a baby and the SlumberPod is quite possibly man’s greatest invention, especially if you are sharing a room.
What is something you wished we all knew or were better at as travelers?
I wish people had more patience, compassion, and understanding for everyone they interact with throughout the process, from their travel advisor to the concierge to their waiter. Travel is so beautiful, but nothing is ever perfect, nor should it be. My best memories are of trips gone awry! And while you should be getting a high level of service and room product when spending at the luxury level, there will be mistakes along the way, and kindness (especially during these times) should be king.
How do you want people to reach out to you? Website, please!