Weekly A to Z, July 19th.
The one from Portland. 🏖️😎👭
Greetings from the States! For the record, I am now a super fan of arriving early in Doha, sleeping in the airport hotel (such comfy beds!), and then heading onwards to the States. On Monday, we kicked off the week in the Q-Suites as we headed towards Boston. Trying our very best to stay awake, we happened upon Cosmica, which was located in our hotel, The Revolution. Sometimes, you just have to order a massive amount of Mexican food and enjoy dining outside (and promptly pass out at 8 pm).
Tuesday was spent hanging around Boston and checking out The ‘Quin House, a private club that I am completely enamoured with (and that friends are members of, and were kind enough to invite us for dinner and drinks). While I know the Arts Club and the Capital Club are nice, there was something truly charming about the ‘Quin, and I’d love to see another club like this in Dubai.
On Wednesday, we attended the Best of Boston soiree with friends (new and old), which was a blast. As much as I love Taste of Dubai/Abu Dhabi events, I prefer the adults-only approach to the evening in Boston. Essentially, it was a room filled with new-to-me restaurants, offering perfect hors d'oeuvres and a variety of beverage brands. The music was great, the people watching was impressive, and the after-party was an excellent way to end the evening.
On Thursday, we took the bus up to Portland and reconnected with the nieces, stopping shortly in Woodford, a must-visit for me every year in the city. And we ended the week doing one of my favorite activities: a bar crawl through Portland featuring many long time top restaurants and bars.
Links, please.
Travel & Leisure Asia has recognized Chef Himanshu Saini as Chef of the Year 2025. T&L
Yes, little videos are cooking our brains. Vox
You had me at air fryer deviled eggs. Instagram
If 😂 was a word, would that make emoji a language? Longreads
AI is a lousy chef. Wired
Additionally, offloading tasks to AI could be making us stupid. Salon
Why do we hate wet sounds? The Ick
You, too, can live like a Smurf. Time Out
Y’all, we need to talk about y’all. NPR
Headlines I don’t like: microplastics are ‘widespread’ in cheese. Dairy Reporter
As a millennial, I admire these oven mitts. Amazon
I also want this fancy Uno deck. Mattel Creations
Real talk: why does food taste better around the campfire? Popular Science
This is a sentence: the Champagne of Beers created the Spaghett-sicle. Today
Very into this Jenga whiskey set. Robb Report
Wizz Air, out. Skift
Do we really need a protein Uncrustable? Eater
Frosted Flakes-infused cocktail, anyone? Wine Enthusiast
Why slow frozen ice cubes are best for drinks. The Takeout
How do airplane toilets work? Popular Science
Feta x olives, checkerboard. Google
Why is it nearly impossible to buy an original Bob Ross painting? The Hustle
I would be able to consume this amount of Sour Patch Kids. Amazon
Would you try strawberry pasta? NYT
The ‘cousins or coworkers' technique can help you organize. BHG
Very into the idea of cold soma noodles. Just One Cookbook
Have we had enough ugly cakes? The Cut
Yes, I want to try this sushi bake. Lexis Clean Kitchen
This weekend? So much Portland fun! It’s one of my favorite cities, and we’re going to one of my favorite places, with some of my favorite people.
Next week? Finishing up our time in Portland, then heading to Savannah, and onto Atlanta.
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Enjoy your time there! Sounds like a blast.