To Travel is To Live

What better way to spend the evening?  Okay, so I didn't just go dancing and have some wine - I found a lovely South American restaurant a couple of blocks from my hotel here in Houston, Texas.  Located in the Uptown area by the Galleria, within walking distance (if you dare) of the DoubleTree Hilton, the Marriot, Aloft and other hotels, is this fantastic restaurant called Tango and Malbec .  Urbanspoon rated this restaurant as one of the best in the area, and it's noted to serve authentic Uruguayan dishes. The menu is rich in veal, beef and seafood options and boasts some mouthwatering pasta dishes as well.  Every Friday and Saturday evenings, Tango and Malbec showcases some form of entertainment, from South American bands to tango dancers.  Unfortunately, I was unable to take either of these shows in on my visit, so I imagine this entertainment begins around 8:00 pm or later.  As a single diner, I was seated in the bar area, but at least I was able to s...

Along Stephen Avenue in downtown Calgary, the magic of Christmas is brought to life by the magnificent lights strung up between lamp posts and the various window displays that take you back to a time reminiscent of department store shopping and hot chocolate with friends as the snowflakes fell lightly around you.  When we decided to see A Christmas Carol for a pre-Christmas treat at theater, it only seemed fitting that dinner should preclude this event at one of the many delightful Stephen Avenue restaurants.  I've been to Catch once before and only to try oysters for the first time with a friend, years ago.  I remember a cozy atmosphere in a dark, back corner, along with some delectable oyster-sauce pairings (I still recall how yummy a raspberry flavored sauce was).  And, since then, I've only heard great reviews about the rest of the food at Catch, so we decided to spend our Christmas celebration dinner there before the play.  Catch is situated on two leve...

Bryan and I didn't make any formal plans for New Year's Eve but I thought it would still be nice to at least get out of the house for a good meal.  We haven't been for Indian food in ages, it seems, so when I found Royal Ganesha on Open Table, I thought it might be a nice place to try.  The reviews for this restaurant are all great, so I figured it seemed like a great opportunity to get back into my exploration of Calgary restaurants.  Plus, I LOVE Indian food so I was really excited to try this! Located in the west end of downtown Calgary, amid the never-ending quantity of high-rise, overpriced condo buildings, Royal Ganesha is situated within an old (presumably) home that has managed to survive fate of the bulldozer like most other buildings in the area.  Parking was very easy for us, as there was a spot on the street out front, but I am not sure whether there is other parking nearby with the lot across the street stating it's being designed into (you guessed it...