On a recent sweltering midweek night this past April, I made my way to Donald Link's highly regarded shrine to rustic and real Cajun cooking, Cochon.  I had seen Link's food stand at the Jazz Fest that previous Sunday afternoon but opted against the long lines and settled for the always stellar but simple red beans, rice and andouille sausage plate coupled with a tall can of Miller Lite. Tonight, it would be Cochon, a short cab ride or a 15 minute walk from my base in the French Quarter on Royal.  Dining solo, I was escorted to a seat at the kitchen bar overlooking the line and the wood burning oven - pure theatre and ample entertainment for the evening as it turned out. The restaurant features clean lines with wood paneling and subtle lighting offset by an exposed brick wall on the opposite side.  After surveying the crowd, I noticed none other than Peter Buck and some comrades at a nearby table; R.E.M. were supposedly holed up in New Orleans recording their follow up to Accelerate this spring.  A Kentucky Bourbon and soda seemed to be in order and was shortly dispatched to my place setting. While chatting with the couple ...

You call yourself a music lover, music consumer or better yet, a true aficionado? Are you in London or planning a trip there sometime soon? Jaded Londoners need not continue reading but those who have not been to Abbey Road and the famous "zebra crossing" should add it to their itinerary. You see, the famed Abbey Road studios are reportedly up for sale by it's cash-strapped and over-leveraged owner, EMI records. This old Georgian house in north London ranks up there with Graceland, The Whisky A Go Go, Motown's old HQ and Memphis' Sun Studios as 'hallowed ground'. The Beatles recorded 95% of their recorded output here, including the classic Abbey Road album which features the band casually crossing the road in front of the studio during a mid afternoon tea break. Legend has it that the album was set to be titled Everest but the lads couldn't be bothered to travel to the Himalayas for a photo shoot. The iconic album cover was the first not to feature the name of the album or the name of the band. In hindsight, those 7 or 8 photos taken that day seem quaint given today's PR machine world of choreographed photo opps and behind ...

A taste sensation and satisfying lunch on the run, just a short hop from Washington Square Park.  Following a tip from a buddy, I headed to Mamoun's for one of their legendary Falafel sandwiches.   It had been a busy and warm morning, I had just finished the East Village Rock & Punk walking tour, an entertaining and illuminating 2 hr. jaunt through the Lower East Side, finally ending at the fabled former site of CBGB's.  But I digress.. Mamoun's Falafel 119 MacDougal St. (between Third and Bleecker) New York, NY 10014 212-674-8685 119 MacDougal St New York, NY 10012 212-674-8685 Open 365 Days A Year Open 11am - 5am Everyday

Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I can't think of a better place to spend the holidays than in Petoskey with family and friends.  Come hell or high water I always make it to Petoskey for Christmas; in fact, I've only missed one Christmas in northern Michigan and that was 1992 during my year in Los Angeles. Petoskey has a quintessential "All American Town" feel to it and the town works hard to maintain a high quality environment for its citizens and tourists that flock up north for summer water sports, the fall color season and winter skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling. Petoskey's gaslight district comprises a 4 block area of downtown and is a shopper's delight with non-chain shops and cafes offering unique products and delicious seasonal cuisine.  Some of the my favorite establishments include Chandler's, McLean & Eakin Bookstore, American Spoon Foods and their Gelato Cafe, Symon's General Store, the Circus Shop, Dave's Boot Shop and Murdick's Fudge. Petoskey is situated on Little Traverse  Bay, the second largest bay on Lake Michigan and is in the northern northwest tip of the lower peninsula of Michigan.  Petoskey and the surrounding area are notable for being the setting of several of ...