Fans of food and warm weather—that’s pretty much everyone—only have a few more weeks to wait until the kitchens start cooking down in South Beach. Love it or hate it, the Food Network knows cooking, and all their celebrity chefs and personalities—yes, even Guy Fieri—will be on hand to welcome one and all for a little food and wine in Miami.

The South Beach Wine and Food Festival is celebrating its tenth year of chowing down, and this year’s festival runs from February 24 through 27. If you’re looking to head down to overindulge on sun and snacks you better hurry up, as there are at least 50,000 other fans looking to do the same. ]]> kjb 2011-02-16T09:13:26-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/4/14/9484/63209

Somehow we’re already halfway through April, and since we like to always look forward, it’s time to start thinking about May. It’s always a good idea to be in Memphis during the month of May, and this year is no exception. Of course there’s plenty of barbecue to enjoy, but way there’s more than just smoke and ‘cue.

The whole Memphis in May Festival actually starts on April 30—their secret is safe with us—with the Beale Street Music Festival. The music runs through May 2, and this year’s concert features four different stages and over fifty acts ranging from rock to gospel. Hall & Oates, Alice in Chains, and Bret Michaels are just some examples of the eclectic blend of music styles. A three day pass to all the music and entertainment will run about $75, and that includes all the mandatory fees and surcharges. Just please remember that the concert is not an open casting call for the next season of Rock of Love. ]]> kjb 2010-04-14T14:15:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/3/2/75256/84034

Continental Airlines is true to their Texas roots, and they do so by bringing their own custom barbecue pit to events and festivals around the country. Thanks to the folks at BBQ Pits by Klose the airline has their very own custom Boeing 777. It’s a 1:10 scale of one of the airline’s wide body jets, and it weighs almost 40,000 pounds including its trailer. The wings are fiberglass though, so no using them as a flat top grill—but they can probably hold a beer or two.

This Continental creation has been around since 1999 and has made appearances at numerous cook-offs and has even made it to the Boeing facility in Washington. Supposedly this thing cost about $200,000 to construct, so they’re probably pretty eager to show it off. ]]> kjb 2010-03-02T08:39:59-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/1/29/82926/7524

We’ve seen food festivals dedicated to some of the more popular tasty treats, but there are some lesser-known foods that want a chance in the spotlight. That’s why we’re recommending the annual Kumquat Festival in Dade City, Florida for your weekend itinerary. We know what the fruit looks like—kind of like an orange—but don’t think we’ve ever had one. Apparently they are tasty enough for their own party, so we’re intrigued.

Kumquat festivities have been going on all week, but the main event is Saturday, January 30 from 9am to 5pm. There will be a farmer’s market to bring home some citrus souvenirs, antiques, live music, and even a car show. Of course there will be plenty of specialty dishes including the featured ingredient. Aspiring kumquat chefs battled it out earlier in the week in a recipe contest, so be on the look out for samples of the blue ribbon winning recipe. ]]> kjb 2010-01-29T15:45:09-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/23/71542/264

Just in time for your New Year’s resolutions, there’s a report out regarding the health of those airline meals that everyone loves so much. Obviously a tray of delicious chicken in some sort of sauce is a rarity on domestic travels these days, but if you do get something, you probably want to know its nutritional value. After all, it has to be a little better than the options within the terminal—we’re looking at you Cinnabon.

Charles Stuart Platkin—he's been looking at nutrition in the sky for the last 10 years—checked out what the airlines are currently offering and tallied up the results. Continental Airlines came ahead in this year’s report. They were praised for their low-cal offerings and variety of meals. It probably also helped that Continental still passes out the meal trays for free on many of their flights. Southwest came in last, but we don’t really understand how they can compete with other airlines. They just serve nuts and a soda—not really that fair. The worst major carrier was US Airways which is not too shocking. ]]> kjb 2009-12-23T11:49:48-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/7/161840/242

Vincent Vega said it best. They've got the same things overseas that we have here in America, but as a traveler you notice the little differences, like beer served in movie theaters, French fries served with mayonnaise, and funny names for fast food sandwiches like Royale with Cheese. LA Weekly must have been thinking along the same lines when they published their funny list of American fast food items that you can't get in America. ]]> Victor Ozols 2009-11-07T16:18:40-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/29/1101/1608

Northern California native Ash Fulk didn't have it easy during his run on Top Chef. He didn't win one challenge on the show, and was eventually asked to pack his knives and head back to New York City, where he serves as a Sous Chef at Trestle on Tenth. The Swiss-French-American restaurant is a neighborhood-y locale open for breakfast, brunch (on weekends), lunch and dinner, making it a go-to spot for Chelsea diners looking for elevated comfort food. And schnitzel.

Trestle's menus aren't intimidating in the way that many contemporary, haute cuisine restaurants tend to be. Here you'll find familiar dishes with a Swiss-French influence that makes them just different enough to be memorable, without being too perplexing or stomach-turning. We're still wondering why fellow TC contestant Hector would dare include Tofu Ceviche on his menu. No, Trestle is where you'll find a Signature House Burger, Cobb Salad, Roasted Chicken with Seasonal Vegetables in Consommè, and Coriander Hanger Steak. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-10-29T14:24:18-05:00 40.7483811 -74.003639 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/