Beth D’Addono

 If you're like me - you never go to a tailor for custom made clothes. Which is why it was so fun to get fitted at Thu Thuy, a silk shop in the atmospheric little port town of Hoi An, about midway down Vietnam's meandering coast.

Located equidistant between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon, as it’s still called by the locals) on Vietnam’s long, meandering coast, Hoi An is an atmospheric harbor town that has changed little in the past 200 years.  So intact are its French Colonial houses, pagodas and Chinese assembly halls that the city made UNESCO’s World Heritage List. But in recent years, Hoi An has become synonymous with something else – the experience of having clothes made by the city’s army of tailors. More than 200 silk shops crowd the bustling downtown grid of streets, making Hoi An the Hong Kong of Vietnam when it comes to custom threads. The fact that just about everybody speaks English adds to the town’s allure.

Despite its historic significance, the main event in Hoi An, bar none, is shopping. The best advice for navigating this overwhelming sea of commerce is to come prepared.  Bring pictures of clothes you want made, or even favorite pieces from home for copying.Not all tailor shops are created equal when it comes to quality and workmanship. You can’t go wrong at Thu Thuy, the oldest and largest shop in town. Often recommended by guidebooks, including Lonely Planet, Thu Thuy has been in business since 1989, and employs more than 200 tailors who work shifts around the clock  to deliver clothing within 24-36 hours of when the first measurements are taken.

The process is simple: first, measurements are taken. Then, using your own designs, or choosing from fashion magazines, select the outfits you want made. Then, a sales rep takes you around the store, which is covered, floor to ceiling, with colorful bolts of raw silk, wool, chiffon, polished cotton and knit.  Prices are reasonable –starting at $10 for skirts, shirts and pants, $38 for dresses, $50 for women’s suits and $180 for men’s suits. Attention to detail, smiling service and pleasant surroundings – including a coffee bar and free internet access – make waiting for your appointment a pleasure.

When your clothes are ready, seeing your choices come to life is a real thrill.  Best of all – even after vacation eating for two weeks - there’s no size on the label sewn into your new outfit. It’s just a perfect fit.
 

Good food without good service can sometimes be tolerated. Good food with abysmal service is a recipe for indigestion.   On a weekend trip to Greenpoint in Brooklyn - a.k.a. Little Poland, a neighborhood where English speakers are a rarity, we had the worst service experience at Damis (931 Manhattan Avenue Brooklyn, 718-349-7501), a non descript little Polish restaurant on the main drag. In a setting that can only be called "early Tarzan" — fake palm trees, a stuffed gorilla, a stuffed bear (do bears live in the jungle? Is there a jungle in Poland?) our party of 6 ordered Polish specialties like pierogis, kielbasa and pork cutlet with mushroom sauce.  Four of us got our food - and despite repeated attempts to get the attention of a server, it took at least 15 minutes for the owner's wife to realize our order hadn't been put in. Forty-five minutes later, the other two parties were served - and when we got the bill, we were overcharged by almost $100. The owner finally came to our table - and not only did he not apologize or try to make amends, he told us "you always have to wait for food at a good restaurant." When we informed him that we weren't leaving a tip, he actually started yelling at us. I guess this particular restaurateur hasn't figured out that, here in America, the customer is supposed to always be right.  Save yourself the heartburn and go anywhere else BUT Damis in Greenpoint.

If you haven't discovered it already - run, (don't walk) to Cafe Roberto, an authentic Italian trattoria located at 2108 South St. (215-545-0793). The charmingly rustic cafe was opened recently by brothers Roberto and Fernando Vincenti, who, along with chef, Isidro "Ciro" Ramos last worked at Radicchio. Clearly a labor of love, the cuisine will remind you that it's been too long since you were in Italy. Dishes like insalata scoglio, fresh seafood simply dressed with lemon and olive oil, a deeply satisfying penne Amatriciana, spiked with briny pancetta and veal saltimbocca that literally does jump in your mouth, are just a few reasons to check this place out. The warm Italian welcome is another. Mangia! 

The road seemed to go on forever… climbing up the mountain high above Balsam, North Carolina, just 45 minutes outside of Asheville. At the top, the Galvladi Mountain Inn welcomed us, a beautiful log and stone structure that represents the realized dreams of transplanted Chicagoans Dave Stubbs and Terry Matre, whose "retirement" in the mountains of Western Carolina has turned into anything but. At 4000 feet up the mountain, on 250 acres, this retreat delivers breathtaking views, local wildlife and birds, (and Max and Tinker, the family dogs)  gourmet cuisine prepared by Terry in her professional kitchen, and the kind of kick-back relief from the hectic working world that is sure to recharge your batteries. 

I was just in Phoenix researching a story for Physician's Travel & Meeting Guide and found Sol y Sombra, a fabulous restaurant that will appeal to fans of chef Jose Garces' restaurant Amada, in my home city of Philadelphia. Turns out the two chefs, Aaron May from Sol y Sombra and Jose know each other - they both worked under Douglas Rodriguez, and Aaron was at the opening of Amada in Philly. Located in the DC Ranch shopping district, Sol y Sombra means sun and shadow - referring to the two ticket options for the bullfighting ring - pay more to sit in the shade, sit in the sun, you get a bargain. Aaron's menu borrows from the Catalonia table, featuring traditional tapas, like tortilla espanola and Serrano ham with Manchego cheese, along with updated classics like air dried chorizo stewed in hard cider and skewered lamb served with honey, quince and red chile sauce. A sangria bar includes seven house-made concoctions and the all-Spanish wine list is top shelf.

You haven't tasted peaches until you've eaten South Carolina peaches from the Old 96 District, an area in the north western part of the state that includes Greenwood, Edgefield, Abbeville and Laurens. Peach producers like Titan Farms take great pride in their peach crop - making South Carolina the number two producer of peaches in the country. (Behind California, but ahead of Georgia!) I was one of the judges in this year's Old 96 Peach Off, tasting the best of the best locally made peach cobblers, pies and cakes. My favorite was Phillip Trotter's Peach Pound Cake, a densely satisfying treatment of this wonderful fruit.

Looking for a different way to treat pork tenderloin? I just love this Bon Appetit recipe, which comes from Douglas Rodriguez, the father of Nuevo Latino cuisine in America. He substitutes pork for beef in a traditional Argentine churrasco (grilled steak) recipe. Allow 2-6 hours to marinate, but everything else is a snap, including grilling, just 2 minutes per side. I doctored up a Trader Joe's pineapple salsa with fresh cilantro and garlic and it was the perfect accompaniment. Pork Tenderloin Churrasco Serves 4 1 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons hot smoked Spanish paprika (Pimentón de la Vera) 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves 1 teaspoon (packed) minced fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 1-pound pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat and silver skin membrane Combine oil and paprika in heavy small saucepan. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes to infuse oil, whisking occasionally. Cool to room temperature.Pour oil mixture into blender. Add garlic, thyme leaves, rosemary, salt, and pepper; blend marinade until herbs are finely chopped.Cut each pork tenderloin lengthwise into 4 strips. Place each strip between sheets of waxed paper and pound to 1/3-inch thickness. Arrange pork strips in 13×9x2-inch glass baking dish. Pour marinade over and turn to coat pork evenly. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Scrape off most of marinade from pork strips. Grill pork until just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Arrange 2 pork strips on each of 4 plates. Spoon pineapple salsa atop pork. *Available from http://tienda.com