Fall of Saigon…40 years ago today–

WOW!  It’s been forty years since The Fall of Saigon. . .on April 30, 1975 North Vietnamese tanks crashed through the gates of the Presidential Palace in Saigon as the last U.S. and South Vietnamese helicopters flew away from the roofs of the U.S. Embassy and the Palace marking the end of the Vietnam War, or as they call it in Vietnam, the American War.  How one feels about all of this depends on your perspective: North Vietnamese people were ecstatic and celebrate this Independence or Unification Day with great gusto. . .South Vietnamese folks maybe not so much.  Many folks from the South escaped in various ways and are now living proud and productive lives all over the world. . .folks in the North “won” the war and have pretty much stayed home and are doing quite well, thank-you-very-much.  There are many folks on-the-fence regarding the war, who won and who lost, the legacy of the war, current challenges and struggles, prospects for the future, etc. and so on.  All I know is this, Vietnam is a great country, I love the people here, I love the food here, I love the history of this place, and I hope that we can all remain friends, colleagues, and thriving business partners for many years to come.  Peace, understanding, communication, and cooperation are so much better than conflict, confusion, closed doors, and intolerance.  Salut!

I send you celebratory vibes from Vietnam on this fine anniversary. . .feel them. . .they are worthy of your respect and acknowledgement.

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It’s lovely out there.

Oldest burger joint in America–

Here we are hanging out at Louis Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut–the oldest hamburger joint in the U.S. of A.  A dude called Louis opened this place back in 1895, and it is still pretty much the same as it was 120 years ago. . .in fact, the guy shaking my hand above is the grandson or great grandson of the original Louis. . .still cranking out simple, extremely tasty burgers in iron upright cookers that are 117 years old–they have three of them here–no others like them exist anywhere else in the world. . .just here in little ole New Haven.

Eating here is simple. . .remember, there is great wisdom in simplicity.  You order a burger plain or with some combination of cheese, tomato, and onion.  The burgers are only cooked medium-rare, unless for some ridiculous reason you decide to direct the man behind the counter otherwise. . .and why would you do that?  You will just ruin everything if you attempt to interfere with the hundred-plus-year-old cooking process.  Also, the burgers are served on toasted white bread only–the toaster is from 1929. . .and there are no condiments–NONE.  Don’t even ask for any. . .just take your perfect simple white-bread covered burger of goodness, sit down, and enjoy.  This hamburger is all about great meat flavor and the juice that meat secretes when cooked correctly. . .slurp it, gobble it, ingest it, and ask for another. . .yer gonna want another cuz these babies are good. . .real good. . .magically good.

After your burger, I recommend that you consider a slice of pie. . .I had the bloo-beri. . .it was delectable.  The owner’s wife makes the pies. . .he makes the burgers. . .an assistant serves up drinks and bags of chips and takes the money when it is time to pay.  You have never spent a better twenty bucks than you will here for two burgers, two waters, a slice of pie, and a cup of coffee.  Damn, life is so good every now and then.  Enjoy

I send you simple vibes from Louis Lunch in New Haven. . .feel them. . .they will put a great big smile on your face.

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It’s lovely out there.

#1 Roast Beef…Boston-ish–

MMM!  Here we are hanging with friends in a town about 10 miles north of Boston, Mass. called Wakefield.  In Wakefield is a totally gobble-worthy place called Billy’s Famous Roast Beef and Seafood, and I gotta tell you: this place rocks!  I had one of their “famous” roast beef sandwiches with a bit of mayo, hot sauce, cheese and onions on it, and I simply could not stop eating it until it was all gone and gurgling away in my belly.  The roast beef is quite possibly the most luscious that I have ever tasted. . .mmm, aaaahh!  On top of this goodness, I tried Billy’s clam chowder, and it was also damn good. . .has a kick of black pepper that I love. . .and the fried seafood here is also quite “famous” locally because it is delectable and satisfying–cod, shrimp, clam bellies, calamari, etc. all come in the Fried Seafood Platter.  Damn, I love Billy’s in Wakefield, Mass., and you will too if you ever find yourself toolin’ around about 10 miles north of Boston lookin’ for somethin’ good to jam into yer gullet.

I send you extremely satisfying vibes from Billy’s Famous Roast Beef. . .feel them. . .they will help you sleep real good tonight.

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It’s lovely out there.

Bountiful bonanza…Boston–

  BOOM!  When in Boston we absolutely love dining at a place called B & G Oysters in the South End section of town.  This place rocks, and the main reason it rocks is because of the owner: Barbara Lynch.  Barbara Lynch is a scrappy badazz chick from the Southie section of Boston. . .her childhood was rough, and her climb up the ladder of the restaurant world to become a James Beard Award winner is totally inspiring. . .I recommend that you Google her and read her story online–amazing.  And the best part is that she can really cook, and we all get to enjoy everything that all of her restaurants serve up.  So, when you are in town here, I strongly recommend that you consider eating at B & G or The Butcher Shop or No. 9 Park or Menton. . .all of these places rock, and I am quite confident that you will find satisfaction no matter where you choose to dine in the Barbara Lynch empire here in Boston.

I send you luscious vibes from B & G. . .feel them. . .they will make you real happy.

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It’s lovely out there.

Pahkah House…Boston–

BAM!  Here we are doing a bit of gobblin’ and sippin’ at the Parker House in Boston.  The Parker House is the longest-running continually operating hotel in the entire U.S. of A.  The original Parker House was built in 1855 on the corner of Tremont and School Streets in the heart of Boston.  The current building was constructed in 1927 at the same location and is still rockin’ and rollin’ as I write this to you.  Lots of wonderful folks have stayed here:  Charles Dickens lived here for two years, Longfellow, Emerson, Oliver Wendall Holmes Sr., John Wilkes Booth stayed here ten days before he shot Lincoln, Malcolm X was a busboy here, Ho Chi Minh worked in the kitchen for a bit, JFK had his bachelor party here, etc. and so on.  Totally amazing history and atmosphere here. . .not flashy. . .just solid, clean, organized, wonderful staff, and lots of good stuff to eat and drink.  Boston Cream Pie was ‘invented’ here–gotta have some. . .the chowdah is thick, creamy, and rich. . .the whiskey is poured generously. . .and the neighborhood is prime Boston.  I love hangin’ at the Parker House, and you will too if you ever find yourself lookin’ for a place to rest your weary bones while visiting one of the great towns of America.

I send you ‘istoric vibes from the Parker House in Boston. . .feel them. . .they will help you stand up a little straighter.

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It’s lovely out there.

Kids…trees–

BAM!  In Madagascar the kids are super cool, and the trees are super stupendous.  Here we are hanging out on the west coast of Madagascar in a spot called the Avenue of the Baobabs that is loaded with the best kids and trees.  The landscape is soaring and other-worldly, but the kids keep us grounded in a reality of sorts that says to us, “yes, this place is spectacular and jaw-dropping, but don’t forget that people live here who are struggling to get by and who appreciate a little respect, genuine interaction, and help, if you can offer any.”  I hope you can visit here some time before you return to stardust. . .you will love it, I gar-ron-taaay!

I send you wildly varied vibes from the Avenue of the Baobabs. . .feel them. . .they are worth the effort to appreciate and process.

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It’s lovely out there.

Here before us, here after us–

These amazing trees, a part of the landscape in Madagascar, were here long before you or I were a twinkle in our parents’ eyes, and they will be here–we hope–long after our physical bodies shut down and return to stardust.  So, it is important to keep breathing in the air, breathing out the toxic bits, sipping on delightful beverages, gobbling interesting and tasty bits of sustenance, and to enjoy all moments as they pass. . .enjoy this one. . .and this one. . .and that one, too. . .etc. and so on.

I send you obvious vibes from the trees of Madagascar. . .feel them. . .they are some of the best stuff that we have.

It’s lovely out there.

Meat is sweet–

POW!  Here we are gobbling lots of goodness at the Bowery Meat Company on the corner of Bowery and 1st Streets in Manhattan, New York City.  Yes, they gots lots of meats at this cozy dining establishment, but we chose to mix things up a bit on our first visit by ingesting the following items: char-grilled oysters–inspired by the masters of this dish, Drago’s in New Orleans, and damn tasty. . .Chinese BBQ pork belly–succulent, tangy, and mouthwatering. . .duck lasagna for two–gooey, cheesy, ducky, hearty, and utterly gobble-worthy. . .plus some kale salad and charred brussels sprouts–good for digestion. . .all washed down with an easygoin’ Tuscan red. . .mmmm, aaaaahh!  Be sure to check out the Bowery Meat Company the next time you find yourself wandering around the Bowery lookin’ for somethin’ good to jam into yer piehole. . .you will like, I gar-ron-taaaaaay!

I am sending nutritious vibes to you from the Bowery Meat Company. . .feel them. . .they are oh-so good for you.

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It’s lovely out there.

Cannoli and graffiti–

Here we are gnoshing on some goodness down in Little Italy. . .cannolis make us happy, very happy.  Plus, you never know when a wall of art is gonna pop up while strolling along the streets of lower Manhattan, New York City–quite tasty to gnosh on visually while gnoshing on food items. . .mmmm, aaaahh!  So much to eat and see everywhere. . .be sure to eat and see as much as you can wherever you are.

I send you vivid vibes from New York City. . .feel them. . .they will make your head tingle.

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It’s lovely out there.

Korean BBQ is good–

BOOM!  Here we are puttin’ a major feed on at a place called Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong located on the corner of 32nd Street and Fifth Avenue in the heart of Koreatown, Manhattan, New York City.  This place rocks!  All of the meats are thinly sliced, tender, and delectable. . .cooked to perfection right before your very eyes.  All of the condiments and side dishes are extremely tasty. . .kimchi, sliced onions in vinegar, spicy sauces, tangy sauces, and lots of greenery to help with your digestion. . .plus, they serve up wonderful beers and cocktails to wash everything down with. . .oh, and one more thing, the entire staff here is friendly and helpful. . .mmmm, aaaahh!  Get on over here and gobble some Korean BBQ. . .you will love, I gar-ron-taaaaaay!!

I send you freshly-grilled vibes from Baekjeong. . .feel them. . .they will make you feel big and strong.

To see more amazing images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.