You finally score that hard to get dinner reservation, and sit down in a lavish restaurant soaking up the ambiance.  Now the difficult choice is deciding what to order from the numerous mouth watering menu choices.  Why hassle?  Let the head chef decide for you.

This is a growing trend in top restaurants.  Tasting menus which typically come with set prices, are becoming more common at America’s top restaurants. Many have even done away with a la carte ordering all together.

If you want to know the highest price restaurant.  Manhattan’s Masa is tops with a $400 per person set menu – plus an automatic 20 percent gratuity.  Cha-ching!  Full article

In the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa, Stevenson’s Library, named for Scottish novelist Robert Louis Stevenson, has always been the place to go for specialty and traditional drinks.

Lively conversation, live music, billiards and board games, plus outdoor seating overlooking Keoneloa Bay make this Kaua‘i’s best luxury nightspot.

Savor the aged Cognac and Scotch selections or indulge in a specialty martini.  The majestic 25 foot-long Koa bar in addition to seating areas with deep-cushioned chairs and sofas provide a variety of areas in which to indulge.

Featuring a Sushi bar Friday through Monday.  Open every evening from 6:00 PM, entertainment begins at 8:00 PM.

Stevenson’s Library
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa
1571 Poipu Road,
Koloa, Hawaii, USA 96756
Tel: +1 808 742 1234
Fax: +1 808 742 1557

The world economic crisis has taken its toll on everybody, from the poor to the ultra-rich.

It’s time once again for Forbes to announce its list of the World’s Billionaires for 2009.

Amid the global recession, this year’s Forbes list of the World’s Billionaires is smaller and definitely poorer.  As a result, the very small club of billionaires from age 40 and younger, also got a whole lot smaller.

In Forbes’ 2008 list, the world’s 20 youngest plutocrats were all under the age of 36. Now in 2009, the billionaires age ranges from 25 to 40. The average age of the world’s 20 youngest billionaires is 35 this year, up from last year’s average of 32.

25-year-old German Prince Albert von Thurn und Taxis takes the award for the youngest billionaire in the world. Von Thurn und Taxis is worth $2.1 billion.

The list also includes former Yahoo! Chief Executive Jerry Yang.

See the complete list at Forbes

Recent news that eating a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy might ward off childhood allergies and asthma just adds to the list of studies suggesting this style of eating has a lot to offer.

Living longer, lower risks of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and possibly birth defects have all been linked to eating a Mediterranean Diet.

But is it easy to follow, especially given that the traditional way of eating in many Mediterranean countries – like everywhere else – is now under threat from faster lifestyles and faster more refined foods? Yes, says Dr Antigone Kouris, a Melbourne-based dietician and nutrition research fellow with Monash University, whose own background is Greek.

While she’s the first to agree that the traditional diet back in Greece is becoming more westernised, she believes that many principles of a Mediterranean diet can be easily adopted in Australia. Here are some good habits to borrow.

• Eat legumes. They’re common throughout Mediterranean countries and in a traditional Greek diet are eaten twice a week to avoid eating meat for religious reasons, says Kouris, herself part of a research team at Monash University that found legumes to be the most important food contributing to longevity in over 1000 elderly people in five countries.
• Eat lots of dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, rocket, endive, chicory and amaranth (excellent sources of magnesium and plant omega- 3 fats, she says). You’ll sometimes find amaranth – often called Chinese spinach – displayed with Asian veg in some greengrocers.
• Eat a range of coloured vegetables including tomatoes and capsicum – they’re high in antioxidants, including lycopene.
• Use extra virgin olive oil. There’s some evidence, says Kouris, that olive oil, like omega-3 fats, don’t seem to add weight around the waist as much as animal fats and processed (hydrogenated) vegetable fats that are high in saturated and trans fats.
• Include some fermented foods like yoghurt or fetta cheese that may help provide gut-friendly bacteria.
• Slow cook meats with vegetables, including tomato, garlic, onion and olive oil. This slow cooking of meat is less likely than grilling to form carcinogens, she says. Stewing also retains nutrients in vegetables.
• Eat fish and seafood. Traditionally, fish is eaten more often than animal meats, she says.
• Be generous with herbs like oregano, rosemary, dill and mint; they make vegetables taste great so you want to eat more of them. Indeed, “you don’t hear Greeks saying they hate vegetables,” says Kouris.
• Snack on nuts and seeds. Traditional snacks include pumpkin seeds, roasted chickpeas, almonds, walnuts, as well as dried and fresh fruit.
• Think outside the salad dressing and use vinegar as flavouring for other dishes. Besides adding a tangy flavour, says Kouris, it also lowers the GI (Glycemic Index) of foods and helps you absorb more iron.
  Author: Paula Goodyer

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to every one.  In celebration of this festive Irish day, let’s take a look at Ireland and the famous Blarney Castle and Blarney Stone.

Blarney Castle was originally a timber hunting lodge built in the 10th century, which was replaced by a stone castle in 1210.  The present day castle was completed by Dermot McCarthy, King of Munster in 1446.

Following the epic Battle of the Boyne in 1690, all Irish chiefs were stripped of their powers and the McCarthys were again forced to leave Blarney Castle.  The Castle was then sold to Sir James Jefferyes, Governor of Cork in 1703.  The Castle is currently owned and managed by the Trustees of the Blarney Castle Estate.

The famous Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower, in the ancient Irish village of Blarney.  The walls of the castle are 18 feet thick.  The stone is believed to be half of the Stone of Scone which originally belonged to Scotland.

Scottish Kings were crowned over the stone, because it was believed to have special powers.   One of the stories says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning.  Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king the ability to talk sweetly.  He was able to talk anyone into doing things.

The stone was given to Cormac McCarthy by Robert the Bruce in 1314 in return for his support in a battle.  Queen Elizabeth I wanted the Irish chiefs to agree to hold their own lands under title from her.

Cormac Teige McCarthy, the Lord of Blarney, handled her every Royal wish with clever promises keeping loyalty to the Queen without “giving in”.  Elizabeth proclaimed that McCarthy was giving her “a lot of Blarney.”

This is how the story began that if you kiss the blarney stone you will also be able to make clever promises.

During a difficult economic time, where both business and recreational travel is significantly down, Hilton Hotels is making a bold move by announcing a bold, new hotel brand – Denizen Hotels.

Striking a balance between business and pleasure, Denizen Hotels will be technology-rich, smart-in-design and comfortable for each guest.

Launched last week, this new brand means ‘citizen of the world’ and will appear in international cities catering to globally-conscious modern travelers in the coming years.

Denizen Hotels, a luxury boutique hotel brand, is being introduced as a global lifestyle brand to the Hilton Family of Brands.

“We are thrilled to welcome Denizen Hotels into our portfolio of brands,” said Christopher J. Nassetta, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hilton Hotels Corporation. “While we continue to operate in a challenging macro economic environment, the addition of Denizen Hotels demonstrates our commitment to continuing to invest in our long-term growth.

Denizen Hotels will definitely benefit from being part of Hilton’s global infrastructure. The Hilton empire supports a worldwide network of more than 3,200 hotels and 545,000 rooms in 77 countries.

Denizen Hotels is aimed primarily at the globally-conscious modern traveler. Developments are being planned in cosmopolitan, urban cities as well as resort destinations.

Denizen Hotels provides for everything from an inspiring urban weekend getaway to a rejuvenating retreat or smart business trip in destinations across the globe.

To read more, click here: www.denizenhotels.com

The Barbie doll has been a treasured collectible for decades. What started out as a simple doll for girls by toy maker Mattel, has turned into a massive worldwide, collectible market.

Thought to be the largest single-owner Barbie collection ever auctioned, the Dutch collection was sold in September of 2006 by Christie’s of London. The Barbie collection of over 4,000 dolls was said to include practically every Barbie ever produced. Starting from the 1959 #1 ponytail, to the current dolls of the 2000′s.

Christie’s sold the rare dolls individually and others were in lots of 10 to 12 dolls. The bidding for the lots will started at around $100 to $200. The estimate was at the time, the collection was worth approximately $185,000.

Auction house Christie’s, tells Reuters, “This is a collection of virtually everything — and most of it is in mint condition as it has never been taken out of its boxes, making it particularly highly prized.”

The first ever Barbie, wearing a zebra stripe swimsuit and white sunglasses, sold for over $6,000 to an anonymous collector.

This was a far cry from the pocket-money price of $3 when she first went on sale in 1959. In all more than 4,000 of the dolls went on sale at Christies attracting buyers from all over the world.  Full article

eBay is one of the biggest success stories on the Internet. What if you don’t want a porcelain cat or used pair of jeans, but are in the market for hard to find luxury items? The answer is the BillionaireXchange.

The BillionaireXchange is the world’s first online auction and trade site for luxury items. They are the first international auction and exchange site for the affluent. BillionaireXchange draws wealthy buyers from all over the world searching for high-end luxuries, either for sale or auction.

Browsing the classy site, you will find an amazing variety of luxury items, covering the following categories: Arts & Antiques, Luxury Vehicles, Boats & Yachts, Luxury Real Estate, Jewelry & Watches, and Places & Helicopters.

At the time of this writing, some of the premier luxury items available include mansion estates owned by basketball star Shaquille O Neal and Hall of Fame football quarterback Dan Marino, a St. Regis Penthouse in San Francisco, 2008 Riviera Sport Yacht 4700, 2007 Murcielago LP640 Coupe car, and a 2004 Dassault Falcon 900c jet.

Registering on the site is simple and easy process, designed to screen for unqualified and/or undesirable elements. Once registered, members of The Xchange can buy, sell, bid-on, auction, and or exchange luxury items from all around the world.

If you are looking for trading your luxury items, then BillionaireXchange can help you too. Imagine trading your upscale mansion in Beverly Hills, California for an elegant Chateau in France. How about trading your antique custom Rolls Royce for a new model Bentley. For wine connisieres, exchange a bottle of your best 1802 Chateau Lafitte for a bottle of 1947 Cheval Blanc. The possibilities are countless. So, ask yourself, “What is the luxury object of your heart’s desire?

To be successful, the management team of BillionaireXchange strongly believe in protecting the integrity of the luxury brands for auction, as well as offering secure escrow transactions. They partnered with industry leading Safefunds to provide escrow services for both buyer seller transactions.  By offering this service, the company provides its members with piece of mind in either buying or selling these desirable, high ticket items online.

BillionaireXchange is headquartered in Miami Florida, but has an aggressive plan to expand internationally. They are moving forward with opening new offices in Beverly Hills, China, Germany, Dubai and the U.K. The company believes it’s critical to have representation in these key, global areas.

So what are you waiting for? Your luxury dream is now only a click away.

For a luxury cruise ship experience, a trip on the MS Europa by Hapag-Lloyd may be just the choice.

The Europa is possibly the cruise line industry’s most intriguing and upscale cruise ship. But it also may be one you have never heard of.

Hapag-Lloyd is a well known German shipping company giant. It operates four ships within its leisure-cruise division. The luxury Europa is their premier ship.

The Europa has the distinction of being the only cruise ship in the world that’s been rated five star-plus by the cruise industry gospel, the Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships. The mighty Europa held that elite crown for the past eight years.

The Europa is a 28,437-ton, 408-passenger elegant ship, with vaulted ceilings in public areas that offer a formal, country house ambiance, plus one of the industry’s highest passenger-to-space ratios. Because of this, you never feel crowded on-board.

The ship was first launched in 1999. One primary difference is the Europa is surprisingly small compared to the mega-ships being built today. It offers a crew of 280 to cater to the needs of up to 400 passengers. This is the highest staff/passenger ratio of any cruise ship sailing today. These numbers make top-notch service possible.

“Smaller ships are especially good for seasoned travelers,” says cruise expert Douglas Ward, author of the Berlitz guide. “Big cruise ships don’t have the finesse of the smaller ships.”

Europa’s all-outside, almost all-balcony accommodations are plush and spacious. Each room on the ship is designated as a suite. About eighty percent have balconies. The room’s walk-in closets have plenty of storage space. Bathrooms come with a tub and separate shower that are very roomy. The sitting area consists of a mini-bar and desk, with a keyboard for accessing a free e-mail account.

The Europa’s itineraries offer a sophisticated sightseer’s dream. One will rarely do the exact same activity even though it travels all around the world each year.

The MS Europa is definitely a luxury cruise ship experience that is geared toward sea travel offering an international outlook, particularly for English-speaking travelers. The ship’s entire crew is fluent in English.

The primary reason you may never have heard of the the Europa is that Hapag-Lloyd hasn’t marketed its ships in the North American market.

The dining experience on the Europa is a dream for your taste buds. The serving menu consists of a wide range of cuisines. The ship offers about 8,000 food items, compared to around 3,000 on most cruises. Alos included in its arsenal is approximately 17,000 bottles of wine that covers vintages from all the world’s top wine-producing areas.

A formal night on the Europa starts by enjoying a cocktail in the two-story atrium. Here you can relax and enjoy a classical pianist perform music on a Steinway piano. Then passengers sit down to a five-course gourmet dinner that is unforgettable.

OK, you’re over it. You’re ready to divorce yourself from the Strip and its claustrophobic cluster of people, flashing lights, blaring music and encroaching buildings all bleeding together and assailing the senses.

Breathe. Here’s one antidote, at the far end of Las Vegas Boulevard, in a very humble strip mall. Rincon Criollo is a hole-in-the-wall in the best possible meaning. It’s a Cuban restaurant with an utter lack of posturing.

Dallas doesn’t have many homey Cuban food options, which makes Rincon Criollo worth a lunch trip no matter what your budget is. The cooking here has soul: roasted, marinated pork leg falls into tender, ropy chunks. The chicken in the arroz con pollo tastes fresh, and the yellow rice is gently but distinctively seasoned. The Cubano sandwich yields an honest crunch, and scattered slivers of pickle perk up the layered meats between the bread slices.

Don’t forget the sides: maduros (mashed ripe plantains drizzled with olive oil), yucca fries with a garlic-infused dipping sauce and even avocado slices to further enrich the pork leg.

The laid-back service (there may be one person waiting tables) and determinedly plain interior presents a contrary vision of Las Vegas to what most visitors experience. But it can be soothing to enter a glitz-free zone. Perhaps some flan and a strong coffee before you head back?

Photo courtesy of: Liberace Foundation-Museum

This is a follow-up to our original Liberace Museum story. It’s a must see for all fans of iconic Liberace.

The life and legacy of pianist and entertainer Liberace will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 15 with the 30 year anniversary of Mr. Showmanship’s best encore performance. The celebration will be held at the glittering Liberace Museum.

The Liberace Foundation is a non-profit organization and is offering a full day celebration at the Liberace Museum. The festivities will run from 9 AM until sundown.

This monumental Liberace event will be hosted by the Honorable Lorraine T. Hunt-Bono and Dennis Bono, who are serving as the event’s Rhinestone Chairs.

Admission to thee museum will only be 30 cents, and includes free performances by past Liberace scholarship recipients and Liberace Piano Competition winners.

Liberace opened his Museum on Easter Sunday, April 15, 1979. It is located close to his Las Vegas home on Shirley Street, as well as the famed Las Vegas Strip where he performed for many years.

So many lives have been positively impacted since Liberace himself created his own Museum and Foundation. Over the years, there are many unique stories to be told through Liberace Scholars from across the U.S. who’ve received monies.

The Liberace Museum will also debut a new exhibit titled, the 30th Anniversary Exhibit. It will run through May 31 and commemorate three decades of milestones since the museum’s opening in 1979. The event will celebrate musical legend Liberace’s amazing career and his contribution to the Las Vegas and international entertainment scene.

Make this an event you can’t miss and remember, don’t forget your bling.

For more information, please go to: www.Liberace.org