Tag Archives: scandinavia

Best Restaurants (Everywhere Else) – 2014

Posted on 2014-12-21 by tikichris

Have I ever eaten so well in so many different destinations? Nope. If 2014 was one thing for me, it was a fantastic time of great foodie adventures. When coming up with this list of noteworthy restaurants visited the past year (see my list of London’s best here), I realize I did the bulk of the job of making a list of the best restaurants I’ve ever visited in my life. Continue reading →

Posted in Basel, Best of 2014, Best of the Best, Drink, Faroe Islands, Food, Louisiana, Portugal, Restaurants, Switzerland, Travel, Wine | Tagged 8th, Basel, Best of 2014, Best of the Best, Calle Cuchilleros, Domilise's, Domilise's Po-Boy & Bar, douro valley, faroe islands, Gaia, Graham’s Port Lodge, Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Hotel Foroyar, hotels, Koks, louisiana, luxury, new orleans, nola, Peso da Régua, port, porto, portugal, Quinta do Vallado, Quinta Nova, Quinta Novo de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, Restaurant Rubino Luftgässlein, Restaurante Botin, Rose’s Luxury, Rua do Agro, Rua do Agro 141, scandinavia, spain, sweden, switzerland, The Hay-Adams, torshavn, Travel, Vila Nova de Gaia, Vilarinho dos Freires, vinum, Vinum at Graham’s, Washington DC, wine | 1 Comment

Best Hotels – 2014

Posted on 2014-12-19 by tikichris

From the inner core of downtown DC to a sparsely settled archipelago at the junction of the North Atlantic and the Norwegian Sea – with loads of scenery and bon vivant adventures along the way – I stayed in some fantastic hotels this year. Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Best of 2014, Best of the Best, Faroe Islands, Hotels, Luxury, Portugal | Tagged 1804 Inn, Alabama, Albernoa, alentejo, Barboursville, battle house, Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel and Spa, Best of 2014, Best of the Best, douro valley, faroe islands, florence, Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Hotel Foroyar, Hotel Koster, hotels, koster islands, luxury, Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa, mobile, Muscle Shoals, North Royal Street, Peso da Régua, portugal, Quinta do Vallado, Quinta Nova, Quinta Novo de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, scandinavia, sweden, The Hay-Adams, torshavn, Travel, Vilarinho dos Freires, virginia, Washington DC, west sweden | 1 Comment

5 Scan-tastic Reasons to Visit Sweden’s Koster Islands (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-10-10 by tikichris

About a month back I had the pleasure of visiting the Koster Islands, Sweden’s most westerly populated (if only sparsely) islands. Just south of the Norwegian coast, it’s a rugged and beautiful part of the world and a great place … Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Food, OneTravel, Sweden, Travel | Tagged beer, Drink, Food, hotels, koster islands, lobster, lobster safari, luxury, OneTravel, restaurants, review, scandinavia, sweden, sydkoster, Travel, west sweden | Leave a comment

Lobster Safari in the Koster Islands, West Sweden

Posted on 2014-09-24 by tikichris

The Koster Islands are situated off Sweden’s western mainland just south of Norway. It’s a beautiful part of the world – a rugged and ‘out there’ archipelago where wilderness and cultivation blend in such a way as to suggest that humans and nature actually can get along. Summer’s the main time folks visit this tranquil area, but I was there at the onset of autumn for the start of the lobster season. Lured by the prospect of catching (and eating!) the regionally renowned “black gold of the sea” lobsters for myself from one of the cleanest of nutritionally rich fjords in Scandinavia, I tagged along on a Lobster Safari “activity and dining experience” offered by the lovely little Hotel Koster on the island of Sydkoster. Continue reading →

Posted in Beer, Drink, Food, Hotels, Luxury, Restaurants, Sweden, Travel | Tagged beer, Drink, Food, hotels, koster islands, lobster, lobster safari, luxury, restaurants, review, scandinavia, sweden, sydkoster, Travel, west sweden | 1 Comment

Far North Foodie Adventure in the Faroe Islands (Great British Chefs)

Posted on 2014-09-07 by tikichris

Chris takes us on a journey through the very scenic and serene Faroe Islands, a tiny island nation that’s also one of most fascinating places for food he has been to! Continue reading →

Posted in Faroe Islands, Food, Great British Chefs, Hotels, Luxury, Restaurants, Travel | Tagged chef, chef Gutti Winther, Chef Poul Andrias Ziska, faroe islands, faroese, fine dining, fishing, Food, GBC, GREAT BRITISH CHEFS, Gutti Winther, horse mussels, Hotel Foroyar, hotels, Koks, luxury, MUSSELS, New Nordic Kitchen, north atlantic, norwegian sea, Poul Andrias Ziska, red wine, restaurants, saksun, salmon fishing, scandinavia, scandinavian food, seafood, tasting menu, torshavn, Travel, travel blog | Leave a comment

Faroes and Away: My New Happy Place

Posted on 2014-08-21 by tikichris

Sometime between my trip to the Faroe Islands and writing up this series about the experience, I paid a visit to the dentist for a routine check up and cleaning. To say I’m not a fan of going to the dentist would be putting it mildly. Usually during a check up, I’ve got my eyes clinched tight and my hands clutching the arms of the chair with my lower legs and feet squirming around. In my mind, I’m concentrating as hard as I can on pleasant thoughts and such. This last time in the dentist’s chair, my mind went straight back to the Faroes. It’s my new ‘happy place’ I reckon and as scenic a mind’s eye destination as I could ever image. I was, for perhaps the first time during dental appointment, completely unfazed and all but unaware of the activity going on in my mouth. Continue reading →

Posted in Faroe Islands, Faroes and Away, Hotels, Travel | Tagged faroe islands, Faroes and Away, faroese, Food, Hotel Foroyar, hotels, Karin Visth, Koks, luxury, nordic, north atlantic, norwegian sea, scandinavia, torshavn, Travel, travel blog | Leave a comment

Faroes and Away: Shhh …

Posted on 2014-08-20 by tikichris

It may seem mundane and not terribly exciting, but one of the main reasons I loved my time in the Faroes was the peace and quiet found there. Folks say that silence is golden. But during one particularly placid morning at my hotel, it was mostly deep green and soft brown with tiny dots of wild flower yellow and a soothing blue ocean view. Continue reading →

Posted in Faroe Islands, Faroes and Away, Hotels, Luxury, Travel | Tagged faroe islands, Faroes and Away, faroese, Hotel Foroyar, hotels, luxury, north atlantic, norwegian sea, scandinavia, torshavn, Travel, travel blog | 3 Comments

Faroes and Away: A Bad Day Fishing …

Posted on 2014-08-19 by tikichris

My first full day in the Faroe Islands had me tagging along with local television personality and ace cook, Gutti Winther, on a fishing trip at what seemed to be the very edge of the world. The salmon weren’t biting, but the setting was breathtaking – and the clean sea air, majestic scenery, and Gutti’s ‘plan b’ lunch more than made up for any lack of catch. As the saying goes, “a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work,” and my scenic Faroese fishin’ expedition certainly proved that point. Continue reading →

Posted in Faroe Islands, Faroes and Away, Food, Luxury, Travel | Tagged chef Gutti Winther, faroe islands, faroese, fishing, Food, Gutti Winther, horse mussels, luxury, MUSSELS, north atlantic, norwegian sea, saksun, salmon fishing, scandinavia, Travel, travel blog | 1 Comment

Faroes and Away: Koks Restaurant and Its New Nordic Kitchen

Posted on 2014-08-18 by tikichris

One especially delicious ‘just go’ reason to visit the Faroe Islands is the opportunity to dine at Koks restaurant. Located at Hotel Foroyar with sweeping views over the town of Torshavn and across the bay to the island of Nolsoy, the restaurant features haute cuisine dishes “designed to delight guests with the essence of Faroese culinary heritage” using ingredients almost exclusively sourced locally. For English speakers, the restaurant’s name might sound a bit unappetising, but don’t let that put you off … or expect anything salacious. It simply means “cooks” and is apt enough given the magic done there. Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Faroe Islands, Faroes and Away, Food, Hotels, Luxury, Restaurants, Travel, Wine | Tagged Áki Herálvsson, chef, Chef Poul Andrias Ziska, faroe islands, faroese, fine dining, Food, GERMAN WINE, Hotel Foroyar, hotels, Karin Visth, Koks, luxury, New Nordic Kitchen, north atlantic, norwegian sea, Pfalz, pinot noir, Poul Andrias Ziska, red wine, restaurants, scandinavia, scandinavian food, seafood, sommelier, sommelier Karin Visth, Spätburgunder “Kalkmergel” 2009 from Weingut Knipser, tasting menu, torshavn, Travel, travel blog, wine | 5 Comments

Faroes and Away: Just Go

Posted on 2014-08-18 by tikichris

Why the tiny (if staggeringly scenic) nation of the Faroe Islands wasn’t overrun with tourists during my visit in early August is beyond me – especially considering that my flight from Stansted was hardly more than two hours long and that I had never seen anywhere on earth quite as extraordinary or been anywhere quite as distinctive. That this archipelago of 18 islands jutting from the juncture of the North Atlantic and the Norwegian Sea is such an accessible yet sparsely populated and utterly gorgeous destination should be reason enough for you to stop whatever it is you’re doing right this instant and start making plans to see the Faroes for yourself. Continue reading →

Posted in Faroe Islands, Faroes and Away, Food, Hotels, Luxury, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel | Tagged 62ºN, Atlantic Airways, binoculars, bird watching, birdwatching, boating, boats, bour, chef Gutti Winther, CL Pocket, faroe islands, faroese, fine dining, Food, Gutti Winther, Hotel Foroyar, hotels, Koks, London Stansted Airport, luxury, north atlantic, norwegian sea, puffins, restaurants, scandinavia, Shopping, Sigurd Nordendal, stansted, Swarovski binoculars, Swarovski Optik, Swarovski Optik binoculars, Swarovski Optik CL CL Pocket, Swarovski Optik CL Pocket binoculars, torshavn, Travel, travel blog, Vágar, Vágar Airport | 4 Comments

London Goes Scandinavian (OneTravel)

Posted on 2012-11-17 by tikichris

If next time you find yourself doing something especially fashionable in London and for a split second you forget where you are and start wondering if you’re actually in, say, Malmo or Reykjavik, you’d be forgiven. London, it seems, is … Continue reading →

Posted in Coffee, Design, Drink, Food, London, OneTravel, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel | Tagged brick lane, cafe, Chase & Sorensen, chatsworth road, clapton, coffee, cooper & wolf, dalston lane, danish design, FIKA, fitzrovia, furniture, hackney, London, marylebone, MARYLEBONE LANE, OneTravel, reviews, scandinavia, scandinavian food, scandinavian kitchen, TOMMI'S BURGER JOINT | 1 Comment

Handy Scandi Christmas Gifts from Scandinavian Kitchen

Posted on 2012-11-09 by tikichris

When Danish/Swedish tag team Bronte (from Denmark) and Jonas (from Sweden) opened Scandinavian Kitchen in 2006, the plan was simply to make available to themselves and their ex-pat communities all the food and drink they missed from back home. Little … Continue reading →