Celebrate Triangle Restaurant Week At Fairview Dining Room, Photo Credit: Washington Duke Inn
No matter the outcome of Groundhog Day (February 2), we’ve got the ticket to at least make the winter seem shorter. Get your mind off of the dropping temperatures and get your hibernation weight up with these appetite-friendly adventures.
Gourmand getaway in British Columbia
Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Hastings House Country House Hotel offers foodies a taste of the English countryside. The Gourmet Experience on Salt Spring Island package (starting February 10) treats you and a guest to an English breakfast, an Anglo-style afternoon tea and two three-course dinners, where you can enjoy dishes like shepherd’s pie or house-smoke albacore tuna.
The deal also includes a picnic lunch, a Hastings House cookbook and a half-bottle of Veuve Clicquot to consume while taking in views of Ganges Harbour.
From the quaint cottages and rustic dwellings filled with charming rooms and suites to the converted barn that houses five additional suites and Wellspring Spa, this setting is a perfect retreat for foodies and anyone else looking to forget about life’s stresses for a little while.
Casa Marina, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, Photo Credit: Casa Marina, A Waldorf Astoria Resort
Wine and dine in Key West
It seems like it’s always sunny in Key West, and it definitely will be this weekend for the Key West Food & Wine Festival (through January 29). The only thing better than the 78-degree forecast is enjoying it all with a good libation and some delicious food in hand.
The fest’s main event kicks off at The Reach Resort, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Grab a patch of sand on Friday for the Sunset Grand Tasting (January 27, 5 to 7 p.m.). Bask in the Saturday afternoon sun during a family-style Italian lunch with Castello Banfi wine at neighboring Casa Marina, A Waldorf Astoria Resort (January 28, 1 to 3 p.m.).
Both Forbes Travel Guide Recommended properties are amazing addresses, but they may get a little boisterous with all the fork-clanking festivities.
For a quieter alternative, check into Southernmost Beach Resort, a Forbes Travel Guide Recommended property sitting only five minutes away from the other two hotels. The hotel’s oceanfront hammocks will make you forget about the crowds.
Close out the weekend with the Beach Bash Brunch (Sunday, January 29, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.), conveniently hosted at the resort’s Southernmost Beach Café.
Gourmet sampling in the Triangle
There’s still time to head to North Carolina for Triangle Restaurant Week in Raleigh-Durham and Chapel Hill (through January 29). Nearly 100 eateries are participating this year, so taste your way through some of the finest restaurants that the tri-city area has to offer. Nosh on three-course lunches ($10 to $15) at eateries such as H Street Kitchen and dinners ($20 to $35) from top spots like Babylon.
If you’re coming from out of town, base your stay at Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club for a down-home-yet-upscale experience. Stroll over to the inn’s Four-Star Fairview Dining Room to get a jumpstart on the restaurant week fun with three-course lunches and dinners.
