Breaking Down The Times: April 26, 2010

Kyoto [c2.api.ning.com]

Welcome to Breaking Down The Times, in which Gridskipper speeds things up for you by sifting through the NYT Travel Section and telling you what you need to know.

1) Kyoto, Japan: This week’s 36 Hours is dedicated to Kyoto and focuses on the city’s wonderful contrasts between the ancient and the “breathtakingly new.” Try multi-course Kaiseki dining at the Michelin-starred Kikunoi (expensive) or Giro Giro Hitoshina (considerably less expensive), do the after hours thing at rock and blues venue Taku Taku, sing karaoke at Super Jankara, check out the Manga Museum or the more traditional Onishi Seiwemon Museum, and slurp udon and soba at Honke Owariya (est. 1465).

2) New York: There’s a positive review of the Rockwell Group-designed Andaz Wall Street, from Hyatt. The main point of the review is that this is a property that doesn’t have most of the irksome qualities of many boutique hotels. The bathrooms are huge enough to fit a small family, the amenities are top-notch, and the room service offers just what you need. The coolest part? The rooms: “Spacious, airy and open — nearly loftlike — with dark wood floors, light wood cabinetry, automatic blackout screens and handy one-touch light settings (“All Off,” “All On,” “Relax,” “Work,” “Nightlight”). The multi-purpose furniture in my standard room offered clever configurations: spin the armoire and you’ll find a full-length mirror. Spin it again and it reveals the minibar. The desk doubles as a media center that doubles as a vanity when you realize the flat-screen TV is backed by a mirror; a bench pulls out from underneath. It might sound complicated, but it’s not.”

3) Wroclaw, Poland: Charly Wilder writes about “emerging hot spot” Wroclaw, Poland. There’s the bar Szajba, which attracts a “young, well-coiffed crowd,” the more offbeat Graciarnia Pub and Cafe, the Georgian restaurant Armine, cheap Polish food spot Chatka at Jatkach, and the “student-friendly watering hole” Mleczarnia in the revived old Jewish neighborhood. The article is a fine one, full of rich descriptions and historical information, so check it out.

4) Minneapolis: For Surfacing, Michael Tortorello writes about Minneapolis’ 13th Avenue, which used to be a mostly Polish and not much of a destination. Eats include Anchor Fish and Chips, the upmarket comfort food bistro Northeast Social, and brunch spot Modern Café. Drink and listen to music at Peacock Lounge and 331 Club, check out the art at Rogue Buddha Gallery or the midcentury antiques at Spinario Design, and purchase some dirt cheap records at Shuga.

5) Buenos Aires, Argentina: There’s a rave of the restaurant Tegui, in the Palermo Viejo area of B.A. Run by German Martitegui, the man behind the “glamorous” Casa Cruz and Olsen restaurants, Tegui is a more under the radar affair. The menu offers you five choices of appetizers and five choices of entrees, and dinner runs about 50 dollars. The restaurant showcases Martitegui’s skills with Mediterranean-style seafood, and there are also interesting plays on Argentinean classics: “like veal tenderloin served with potatoes and chimichurri, layered with an egg and Brazilian manioc flour. That savory-sweet mix was also present in the shrimp ravioli, covered with a tangy scallop-based foam and playful chunks of mango.”

6) Escaping The Crowds: There’s an ambitious piece on off-season getaways worth visiting now. These include Charleston, Athens, Montreal, and Rio. They’ve done our work for us, as the sections go straight to the meat.

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Submited at Monday, April 26th, 2010 at 3:00 pm on Europe by hilman
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