Alex Bozikovic
From Saturday's Globe and Mail Published on Friday, Jan. 15, 2010 4:38PM EST Last updated on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 1:20PM EST
WHEN IN NEW YORK, EAT LIKE A ROMAN
In the past few months, a series of New York restaurants have opened a very specific concept: Roman food. The humble cucina Romana , which works with simple pastas and inexpensive cuts of meat, seems appropriate for today's iffy economic times. And now it's landed in the not-so-modest Gramercy Park Hotel, Ian Schrager's showpiece art hotel, with Maialino, run by veteran New York restaurateur Danny Meyer. The place is getting great reviews, and the setting has to add to the flavour. Where in Italy can you eat peasant food while overlooking a private park? www.maialinonyc.com
BACK TO BEIRUT
Beirut, once known as “the Paris of the Middle East,” is definitely seeing a tourism renaissance these days – there's no clearer sign than the opening of a five-star hotel. This week, the Four Seasons Beirut opened its doors with 230 rooms, all overlooking the Mediterranean and the Corniche, the city's seaside promenade. www.fourseasons.com/beirut
MIAMI NICE
These days, Miami's prominence in the art and design worlds make it a prime destination for cultural travellers, but none of that would have been possible without the wealth of art deco buildings that define South Beach. Those buildings – along with 1930s pop culture – are the focus of Miami Art Deco Weekend, a street festival running Saturday and Sunday that includes movie screenings and lots of classic cars. www.artdecoweekend.com
BODY LANGUAGE
The London International Mime Festival is getting under way this weekend, and no, it isn't all men in face paint. The 30-year-old festival shows off puppetry, circus arts and other “visual theatre” from 10 countries, including one new work accompanied by scratching from a live DJ. www.mimefest.co.uk
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