Endo Tempura: Kyoto, Japan
Care to drink too much? Care to eat too much? Care to spend too much? Well then, come to Tempura Endo Yasaka. Endo is one of the most famous restaurants […]
Category Archives: the libation
#2: Seattle SuperPhonics
I’ll start by saying that Seattle wasn’t my favorite city to visit. I stayed at the W Seattle and wasn’t all that impressed. I went to the Public Market and […]
Vegas Knockout: The Encore Wynns in Overtime
(3) Encore vs (2) Wynn The Encore vs the Wynn is analogous to 1 divided by zero, the answer is undefined. It’s really a matter of personal preference. They are […]
Vegas Knockout: Topless at Venetian’s Tao Beach
(10) Venetian vs (2) Wynn For a time, the Venetian was the best hotel on the Strip because of its beautiful architecture, decent priced suites, and ideal location. Tao nightclub was a […]
Vegas Knockout: Fading to Blackout at the Hard Rock
(15) Hard Rock Las Vegas vs (2) Wynn There are Hard Rock Cafes throughout the world like the Hard Rock Hotel in Bali, Indonesia, but there is only one Hard Rock Las […]
Vegas Knockout: The Black Magic of the Artisan Hotel Boutique
(14) Artisan Hotel Boutique vs (3) Encore The Artisan Hotel Boutique is dark. The Artisan Boutique Hotel is unknown. The Artisan Hotel Boutique is haunted. The Artisan Boutique Hotel doesn’t have ghosts […]
How Much Does a Polar Bear Weigh?: The Pick Up Artist Visits the Icebar Tokyo
One day I will tell you about my visit to the Tsukijii Fish Market to eat the world’s freshest sushi. One day I will tell you about visiting the Tokyo Imperial Palace, an […]
Put Some Hot Sauce on My Burrito Baby! The World’s Best Hot Sauce
“How’s it going in Mongolia?” everyone asks with some sarcasm. Here is what I have found out thus far: 1. I found an apartment after being featured on House Hunters International: Ulaanbaatar. 2. […]
BBQ Without Borders
Dear Mel, In April of 2014 I received the bad news that you and the evil empire better known as the HOA had decided to ban all BBQs in my condo […]
Take Me Home, Country Roads
Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountain, Tuul River. Life is old there, older than the trees, younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze. Country roads, take me home […]
They’ve Gone Too Far!
This time they’ve gone too far! Outraged, angry, and disgusted is how I feel right now. We borrowed a bottle of Tabasco for the apartment from a local restaurant because […]
In-N-Out Burger UB Style
Animal style? Protein Style? Not quite, but I did have a mouth watering double cheeseburger on the way home after a couple more Chinggis Darks. The price was right, the […]
I Love Sweden!
I love Sweden (exclamation point) because it is Sweden! And I’m not only saying that because I left the bar at 5am and they played a delicious combo of hiphop […]
Jack on the High Seas
Me and John Daniels. That’s is who accompanied me on my overnight journey from Helsinki to Stockholm. The cruise from Finland to Sweden is supposed to be a ‘party’ boat […]
The Farewell Feast
The countdown to Mongolia is on and I am in Michigan prepping for the cold winter by fattening up on home cooked food. Today, I stopped by at my grandma’s […]
I Found Hidden Valley
Why do you travel? Is it for food, drink, or the combination of both, culture. I have written extensively about the best places in the world for pho, a list […]
Man vs. Himself: My 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest
In AP English we learned that all novels have the following protagonist vs. antagonist: Man vs. Man Man vs. Nature Man vs. Himself What Mrs. Frillici could not anticipate was […]
Xiao Long Bao: A Tutorial
A trip to Shanghai would be all for naught if you do not have authentic, street inspired xiao long bao. They aren’t your local Chinese restaurant’s takeout dumplings and they […]
Mongolian BBQ (for sale)
As some of you may know I am taking ThePointsOfLife on the road to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia this summer. The book release party will occur somewhere in the countryside so I […]
Since I cannot personally go to SE Asia with Mikey and show him the ladyboy bars in Bangkok…
Remember when you saw Coming to America the first time or tried princess chicken for the first time at Empress of China when you visited Flint, Michigan? That and experiencing other firsts is why […]
Arabs fight over who makes the best kebab
Americans compete over who makes the best bbq, Vietnamese the best pho, and us Arabs, we fight over who makes the best kebab. Kebab, kebab, kebab, that’s all I’ve heard […]
Why I Love Montreal in the Winter: A Vacationer’s Guide to Vacation
It’s been a longstanding tradition for me to go somewhere out of the country for New Year’s. The tradition started way back in 2001 when I went to Cancun then […]
Do I need to comment? Brazil is synonymous with celebration
The 2014 FIFA World Cup is upon us and I am ready to go. Whether I actually do is another topic altogether. The World Cup highlights the best things in […]
Final Score: Savvy Beer Drinkers 100 – Benihana 0
“One Bud Light please,” I meekly told the bartender. “That’ll be 40 Dirham,” she replied. $11 for a beer and the night out in Dubai had only just begun. There […]
“It’s Like Riding a Bike.” Those words have haunted me for years.
The mission: Visit the best wineries in Mendoza, Argentina. The reward: Endless Malbec. The obstacle: The bicycle. “It’s Like Riding a Bike.” Those words have haunted me for years because […]
Where can you find the best Chinese food in the world? Flint, motherf$@king, Michigan.
Where can you find the best Chinese food in the world? The answer: Flint, motherf$@king, Michigan. Located right next to and across the street from two gentlemen’s clubs is positively, […]
#9: Trick Or Treat? Hong Kong Pho Halloween
Behold Hong Kong. Whether you are coming in from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), crossing the border via bus from Shenzhen, China, or making your way over water via a […]
They Tried to Serve Me Rosé!
In the Fligiht Reviews section of my blog, I’ll be discussing how I got from point A to point M (M is for Maldives) on points while staying away from too many pictures […]
“If you do go to a restaurant where the wine is out of your budget, drink beer!”
The setting is familiar: “Your table sir,” the maitre d’ graciously points out as he escorts me to my seat. The waiter comes by and introduces himself then proceeds to […]
The Ugly Hungry American
Wikipedia, my only source of reliable information, states that ‘Ugly American’ refers to perceptions of loud, arrogant, demeaning, thoughtless, ignorant, and ethnocentric behavior of American citizens abroad.” Nothing is worse than being told […]
“You can get anything you want here.”
Singapore is a country of rules. Rule #1: No fun*. You can’t do anything in Singapore: no gum chewing, no jaywalking, and certainly no illicit behavior of any kind. Did […]
Step 2: Make Tuesday Humpday
We are well on our way learning how to Step 1: Enjoy #ThePointsOfLife. As I stated in this post, the points game is only Step 1 out of 10. Now it’s time to preview Step […]
I am not drinking fucking Merlot!
“If anyone orders Merlot I am leaving. I am not drinking fucking Merlot!” One quote from a movie and I never drank Merlot again. Sideways came out in 2004 and 10 years later my wine aptitude […]
Swamp Water
I am here in Miami Beach visiting a friend of mine who incidentally refuses to like my blog on Facebook. Anyhow, his stubborn mentality notwithstanding, I am enjoying my time […]
Detroit Delicious
Food. Yum. Need I say more? Travel anywhere, well mostly anywhere and you will encounter amazing food. I’m going to start with the holy grail of food, Coney Islands in […]
Beer me
Who doesn’t like beer? It’s simply un-American if you answer you do not. But, let’s face it, American beers aren’t exactly the greatest. While you have your micro breweries and […]
Party Time Worldwide
“I can have fun without drinking,” someone once told me. Maybe, it is possible but I prefer the alternative. What’s on your bucket list? (worst saying btw) I hope Koh […]
We’re Off to Wine Country Worldwide
What makes a good wine? What credibility do I have to tell you what wine is good and what wine is crap? These pressing questions and much more will be answered […]
