Welcome to Tel Aviv

Flying into Tel Aviv is so beautiful - blue & green everywhere. I'm told the bright colors will soon be gone and the heat and humidity of the summer will take over. But for now, it is lush and gorgeous and I'm loving the sunshine. We ate at Hahultziym 3 in the Florentine neighborhood and I am dreaming of the next time I can eat there for hunks of parmigiano-reggiano, bruschetta, and challah bread stuffed with crumbled pork. I'd go back this week but the chef/owner is closing up and going on vacation to Italy. Aside from my lost baggage, which has since been returned to me, I love Israel already.

View from Old JaffaA tour with National Geographic Emerging Explorer Aziz Abu SarahWonderful dinner at Hahultziym 3

The Dominican Hotel, Brussels

I recently stayed at The Dominican Hotel in Brussels, an urban retreat built on the site of a former monastery near everything in Brussels. Brussels itself is easily walkable - my mom and I only took cabs to and from the train station. The lounge is packed every night, in a cool way, not a "I can't breathe and am too hot" way. I loved the self-service shoe shine machine on every floor to spruce up my well-worn boots after miles of daily walking. And the lobby and breakfast area is gorgeous - high ceilings, rich draping, floor-to-ceiling windows, cozy nooks. If it had been warm enough, I would have been sipping my morning cappuccino and chowing down on eggs in the garden.

Here are more of my favorite discoveries in Brussels - and finding a delicious chocolatier - on my National Geographic column, Urban Insider.

Room at The DominicanLobbyMore lobbyLounge

Bike Ride to Roberta's in Bushwick

There are places in New York that you start to hear rumbles about, then they are splashed all over restaurant pages in the Post, Daily News, Times, and blogs, people like Anthony Bourdain tweet about it, then the wait times exceed 3 hours which of course makes the "cool factor" seem even higher. Oh, and the Clintons hosted a fundraiser here too. For me, there isn't much I'd wait 3 hours for, which is why I had avoided Roberta's up until now. Plus, it was in Bushwick, Brooklyn, a neighborhood I don't really frequent but is one of those changing areas where something cool always seems to be opening.

On Easter Sunday, after a proper Upper East Side church service and breakfast with our wonderful friends, we decided to break out our bikes for the first time in months and bike to Bushwick. The ride, when combined with a visit to Fort Greene, ended up being 14 miles round-trip, and was relatively flat most of the time, except for the Williamsburg Bridge. You really see New York when bike riding, and how the neighborhoods quickly change. We rode through everything from sketchy areas, perfect brownstone streets, and gritty urban sprawl.

And there, after passing factory after factory (no wonder the smell of wontons wafted through the air), there was Roberta's. The pizzas were perfect - thin, crispy crust charred to perfection, and the ideal ratio of cheese to sauce. The vibe - casual, edgy, Good People all around. Plus, we saw a hipster walking his cat when we left (read this for the full story and photo...hilarious). The verdict? Roberta's is worth the journey, and is right near a subway stop if you don't want to bike it! 

Now if only I could score a reservation for Blanca next door...

The Beautiful c/o The Maidstone in the Hamptons

On my first trip to the Hamptons, I fell in love immediately. If you've read this blog for any length of time, you know that! It is one of the only places in the world where I don't care about my phone and have actually spent many days in a row not opening my computer. The collection of little towns, whose sleepy winter populations swell in the summer months, embodies the best of all the worlds I love. There is a sophistication not found in any other small towns, because of those in New York City that call it their retreat and want to keep the quality of life the same. Because of this, you'll find some of the best restaurants all within a short drive from one another (depending on traffic of course). The beaches are hands-down the most stunning in the world, where you can most easily see the gorgeous Hamptons light that has lured artists to the East End for decades.

Andy and I recently packed Rocco, our dog, up and headed out to spend a weekend at c/o The Maidstone in East Hampton. To say that I didn't want to leave is an understatement. I tried to figure out how I could cancel all my Monday and Tuesday meetings so we could stay longer. The first thing we noticed when we arrived was a display of Eton of Sweden pocket squares and shirts. Eton of Sweden is basically the only brand Andy wears - his shirt and pocket square collection is almost entirely Eton. They have a small shop on Madison Avenue in New York but are based in Sweden. I knew this wasn't going to be just another Hamptons B&B when I found out the owners are Swedish and have infused gorgeous Swedish design into every element of the historic property.

Lovely lounge & breakfast area

The place to be at nightThe location is the best in the Hamptons - you are a 5-minute drive from Main Beach and could bike it if you want, and only a short walk from the shops and restaurants of East Hampton. The building has been an inn since 1858 but is today owned by c/o Hotels, a Swedish company. The design effectively mixes Scandinavian design elements (such as a super cool blown-up photo of a deserted gas station in our room or the bright flowers and colors on pillows) with the cozy elements that you want in a Hamptons getaway (fireplace, soft throws, stacks of books to peruse).

Outside of our room

I didn't want to leave this roomOr this bedReason enough to not be on your computerLocal Treats from the North ForkThe Living Room restaurant (ok I admit I wanted to go even more when I saw Giada de Laurentiis tweet about it and it's on her list of Hamptons favorites) has quickly become a local favorite - they participate in the Slow Food organization, which is a committment to delicious, fresh food while maintaining environmental standards. The food has a Nordic bent, so you'll see items like Swedish meatball sliders or gravlax toast. Breakfast is included and I picked this "Continental Breakfast," which was presented like afternoon tea, piled high with meats, cheeses, fresh berries and fruit, fresh baked breads and croissants, and granola with Greek yogurt.

Continental BreakfastWe didn't need a beach pass because the beaches aren't crowded this time of year, but all rooms are given a free beach pass which is a lifesaver in the summer. It can be impossible to find parking and expensive. We did, however, take advantage of the sleek red Swedish "Kronan bikes" to bike to the Davids Lane duck pond and around East Hampton, past the Maidstone Country Club, Jerry Seinfeld's house, and on the back roads.

Most beautiful beaches in the worldTime for a rideI absolutely love pet-friendly hotels and am now constantly on the hunt for great ones, especially ones that don't charge extra. Rocco was especially happy when he was greeted with food & water bowls, cheesy treats, and a towel to clean his paws after running around at the beach.

He's posing!Best of all, every member of the staff was delightful and helpful, but scooted out of the way to give you your space. One of those ultimate New York dreams (besides owning in the Hamptons) would be spending each summer weekend at c/o The Maidstone - a dream that makes working really, really hard worth it.

On this trip, we also enjoyed a wonderful dinner at redlbar in Southampton and great tacos for lunch at La Fondita, which has only a small bar and no tables in the winter (lots of outdoor seating in the summer).

National Geographic: Asian-Inspired Chocolate in Brussels

I spent a morning with chocolatier Laurent Gerbaud in Brussels and got to indulge all my fantasies of opening a chocolate shop in the wonderful country of Belgium. Here's more on National Geographic Urban Insider.