Sherman's Travel

When I’m on the road without my kids, what I need most out of a hotel room are, naturally, the two things that I can’t get at home – privacy and quiet. Once those basics are locked down, I don’t really expect much in the way of in-room amenities.

But that’s the thing about hotel amenities. You don’t necessarily expect them. Almost by definition, they’re things you didn’t even realize you needed until you see them.

So when I walked into my room at the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago this spring, my wheelie bag and I stopped dead in our tracks at the sight of a Nespresso machine. Evidently I needed this very much because I couldn’t pass it without brewing a cup. But the real surprise was the UV towel warmer in the closet. Where had this thing been my whole life? Read more

Shortly after schooling me and a bunch of other drooling foodies last month about how to fix a proper pan of paella, Iron Chef Jose Garces sat down with me at Revel resort, where he’s operating three eateries – Amada, Village Whiskey, and Distrito Cantina.

When Garces isn’t in Atlantic City or Kitchen Stadium he’s often traveling between major cities to tend to his other restaurants, so we began our chat by touching on some quintessential city snacks.

Philadelphia is associated with cheese steak, but I feel like you can easily leave there and miss something else. What would that something else be?

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