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Flavorwire Travel Guide: Capturing the Spirit of Italy in Miami

By Alexia Nader on

Whether it’s Fellini films or pizza, Italian culture has always had a certain pull for us in the States. When we think of Italy, we think of aesthetic elegance, romance, and a laid-back, joyful way of life. Or maybe that’s just what the Italophiles like me, who’ve been taken in by the genius melodrama of a Verdi opera, or the sublime flavor balance of good pistachio gelato, think. We are the type of people who wonder if you can spend a whole weekend exploring Italian-influenced art, architecture, music, and food — practically pretending to be on vacation in Italy — in an American city. After all, we crave the enchantment of Italian culture, and we’d like to find it closer to home, in places we can explore without dealing with customs and international flights.

Inspired by the recent arrival of the FIAT 500 on American shores, Flavorwire sent me to Miami, New Orleans, and San Francisco to find out if it was possible to recreate Italian grandeur right here stateside. In these cities where you might not expect to pull off a weekend jaunt all’Italiana, I discovered a surprising number of spots that retained their local flavor while staying true to the Italian spirit. Click through to explore the first of three action-packed weekend itineraries that will show you where to find the magic of Italy without having to cross the Atlantic. … Read More

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The Most Beautiful Coffee Shops in the World

By Claire Cottrell on

T.S. Eliot, quite possibly the greatest English language poet of the 20th century, oh-so eloquently reflected on the passing of time by saying, “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.” So have we Thomas, so have we. From the borough of Brooklyn to Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Tokyo, and every other hub buzzing with creative productivity, we suspect that if they’re not all jump starting their days with Nespresso at the crack of dawn, they’re fueling their weary world with the rich, velvety, caffeinated goodness of some damn good direct trade, shade-grown beans roasted on vintage gear, pulled by an expert hand.

In true Flavorpill fashion, we’ve rounded up some of the most beautiful purveyors of coffee around the world in virtual guide form, meaning not only have we included the eye candy you know and love, but we’ve also added addresses and handy links to Google Maps. Bookmark it. Share it. Re-post it. Set the ultimate nomadic coffee lovers goal and try to hit each and every one at least once in your life. From a charming shop in a 19th-century Portuguese townhouse to a converted orange-packing factory in Tel Aviv, click through to check out some of the most beautiful coffee shops in the world. Help us discover more java gems by nominating your picks in the comments below! … Read More

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Flavorpill Goes to Africa! Vol. 5: Cape Town

By Tom Hawking on

The appeal of ultra-portable computers is kinda self-explanatory: they’re ultra portable! Or that’s the idea, at least – the combination of light weight and low profile means you can take them just about anywhere. Anywhere? Well, let’s see. In conjunction with our friends at Samsung, we’ve equipped one of our intrepid editors – specifically, Music Editor and general man-about-Flavorpill Tom Hawking – with the new Samsung Series 9 laptop and sent him off on a trip likely to really put the machine through its paces: a journey through Africa for three weeks! He started off in Cairo, and after an epic journey down through Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Mozambique, he’s arrived at his final destination: Cape Town. … Read More

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Flavorpill Goes to Africa! Vol. 4: Maputo

By Tom Hawking on

The appeal of ultra-portable computers is kinda self-explanatory: they’re ultra portable! Or that’s the idea, at least – the combination of light weight and low profile means you can take them just about anywhere. Anywhere? Well, let’s see. In conjunction with our friends at Samsung, we’ve equipped one of our intrepid editors – specifically, Music Editor and general man-about-Flavorpill Tom Hawking – with the new Samsung Series 9 laptop and sent him off on a trip likely to really put the machine through its paces: a journey through Africa for three weeks! He started off in Cairo, made brief stops in Addis Ababa and Dar Es Salaam, ten days later, he’s blazed down the continent’s east coast to arrive in Maputo, the idyllic beachside capital of Mozambique. … Read More

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Flavorpill Goes to Africa! Vol. 3: Dar Es Salaam

By Tom Hawking on

The appeal of ultra-portable computers is kinda self-explanatory: they’re ultra portable! Or that’s the idea, at least – the combination of light weight and low profile means you can take them just about anywhere. Anywhere? Well, let’s see. In conjunction with our friends at Samsung, we’ve equipped one of our intrepid editors – specifically, Music Editor and general man-about-Flavorpill Tom Hawking – with the new Samsung Series 9 laptop and sent him off on a trip likely to really put the machine through its paces: a journey through Africa for three weeks! This week we’re publishing his adventures: he started off in Cairo, trundled through Addis Ababa, and now he’s in Dar Es Salaam, avoiding ferry disasters and lapping up Tanzanian hip hop. … Read More

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Flavorpill Goes to Africa! Vol. 2: Addis Ababa

By Tom Hawking on

The appeal of ultra-portable computers is kinda self-explanatory: they’re ultra portable! Or that’s the idea, at least – the combination of light weight and low profile means you can take them just about anywhere. Anywhere? Well, let’s see. In conjunction with our friends at Samsung, we’ve equipped one of our intrepid editors – specifically, Music Editor and general man-about-Flavorpill Tom Hawking – with the new Samsung Series 9 laptop and sent him off on a trip likely to really put the machine through its paces: a journey through Africa for three weeks! He started in Cairo, and today we find him in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia and also — unbeknownst to your correspondent — the 19th African Union Heads of State and Government Summit. … Read More

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Flavorpill Goes to Africa! Vol.1: Cairo

By Tom Hawking on

The appeal of ultra-portable computers is kinda self-explanatory: they’re ultra portable! Or that’s the idea, at least — the combination of light weight and low profile means you can take them just about anywhere. Anywhere? Well, let’s see. In conjunction with our friends at Samsung, we’ve equipped one of our intrepid editors — specifically, music editor Tom Hawking — with the new Samsung Series 9 laptop and sent him off on a trip likely to really put the machine through its paces: a journey through Africa for three weeks! First stop: Cairo, home of the Pyramids and of Tahrir Square, a city that’s both a hotbed of social change and the home to a history that’s the envy of the rest of the world. Click through after the jump to read what he’s been getting up to. … Read More

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Introducing Lunch Break: Flavorpill’s New Lunchtime Dance Party

By Russ Marshalek on

There have been many attempts over the years to dress up the common lunchtime staple of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But as far as we’re concerned, it goes best with hundreds of our best friends and a rockin’ afternoon dance party. That’s what we at Flavorpill set out to create with Lunch Break, our newly-launched series of Summer Friday afternoon dance affairs. Inspired by great daytime parties like MoMA PS1′s Warm Up, and the slowly-spreading international afternoon dance party trend, we decided to chase off the Friday workday doldrums with some great music, cold drinks, and, of course, brown-bagged PB&Js. We brought in the DJs of Mister Saturday Night, who are known for throwing epic parties, we got the sandwiches ready, and we waited to see what happened. … Read More

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It’s All Aces at the evian® Wood Racquet Cup

By Leah Taylor on

evian® takes tennis back in time for the first annual evian® Wood Racquet Cup. Held at The West Side Tennis Club (primary home of the US Championships from 1924-1977!) the retro party features a wood racquet tourney and table tennis, open courts for free use, DIY silk-screening, live music courtesy of the Hungry… Read More

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Check Out Amanda Palmer’s Exclusive Flavorpill Session

By Doug Levy on

Last week, we welcomed the fabulous Amanda Palmer into our office as the latest performer in the Flavorpill Sessions concert series, presented with Livestream. We’ve been huge fans of Palmer since her early days in the Dresden Dolls, and based on what she’s revealed so far, her new album, Theater Is Evil, could be her best work yet. The record isn’t out until September 11, but Palmer and her new band, the Grand Theft Orchestra, have been teasing a good portion of it via recent live shows and digital samples. Meanwhile, her recent high-profile success on Kickstarter has exposed Palmer to an even wider audience — but exposure isn’t something the extremely inventive songwriter has ever had a problem with, as emphasized by her latest music video.

During her hour-long session, the performer commonly referred to as AFP ran through stripped-down solo versions of new tracks including “The Killing Type” and “The Bed Song,” pausing to take requests and answer questions from fans around the world. Check out a gallery of photos from the event, and then click through to watch a stream of the complete session. … Read More