Meryl Pearlstein

This is the year to pack your bags and explore the world. Valentine’s Day gives you another excuse to share the gift of travel with someone you love. However, shouldn’t love be celebrated year-round?

The following list of diverse romantic getaways is sure to inspire you and make your significant other, friend, or family member swoon. Gift them now, book them later. Pick a time that works for you and celebrate Valentine’s Day at your convenience. Bonus points if you know the love songs in this...

Make the most of the wintery weather with a pampering, fun getaway at the Miraval Berkshires. Writer Meryl Pearlstein did and tells Real Food Travelers what it’s really like.
Winter is the perfect time for a wellness refresh, a season when gray skies and cold weather beg for something to kick you into gear. A spa holiday with a focus on personal discovery is just what I needed for a jumpstart.
Miraval Berkshires
Located in the western corner of Massachusetts, in Lenox, Miraval Berkshires embr...

NYC Winter Outing Discounts Include Broadway Week Specials for Shows Like The Lion King (©Brnkhoff Mogenburg) with NYC Winter Outing Discounts Available January 20 Through February 12

Winter is a great time to visit New York City. The annual NYC Winter Outing program, Broadway Week, Restaurant Week, and Hotel Week kick off now with major discounts offered January 20 through February 12. Details are available through New York City Tourism + Conventions.

Winter is a great time to visit New York City. The annual NYC Winter Outing program, Broadway Week, Restaurant Week and Hotel Week kick off now with major discounts offered January 20 through February 12. It’s a great opportunity for some serious deals if you’re attending IMM, The New York Travel Show, or just enjoying the Big Apple. Details are available through New York City Tourism + Conventions.

Just over an hour’s drive from San Antonio and Austin, Fredericksburg blends small-town Texas hospitality with European flair. A winter visit to this Hill Country town offers the chance to shop, sip and saunter along streets lined with historic limestone buildings dressed in holiday finery. With its deep German roots, Fredericksburg celebrates both European and American traditions, where heritage, resilience and winemaking are woven together.
Determination and a Desire for Harmony
Fredericksb...

I had never stayed in an overwater villa before. I had only admired them from a distance when I visited Tahiti on a cruise.

But finally, staying at Sun Siyam resorts in the South Malé Atoll in the Maldives provided me with the visceral experience of waking up to an endless view of blue above, below, and extending to the horizon. It was as if I had entered an underwater world without a snorkel.

Tired from my 20-hour trip but stimulated, I couldn’t resist the glistening ocean. I donned my swims...

Fine wines are one thing. But enjoying them in a beautiful setting is another. That makes a visit to Long Island Wine Country an ideal way to enjoy the sippable bounty that comes from the area in New York. Writer Meryl Pearlstein is back with a guide for RealFoodTraveler.com readers for where to experience some of the best.

Exploring Long Island Wine Country

A beautiful day on Long Island’s East End is as lovely as they come. Open fields, grand estates, and some of the world’s top-rated beach...

If you’ve ever read Dr. Beach’s “Top Ten Beaches” list, you can understand the appeal of the Hamptons. Beautiful beaches combined with stunning landscapes and vineyards, mansions inconceivable in their extent, sitting beside traditional shingled cottages. Also, some of the best produce in the country.

The Hamptons, on the South Fork of Long Island in New York, are a group of hamlets, villages and towns lying along the Atlantic Ocean.
The area is a perpetual playground for the rich and famous ...

You don’t need a passport to feel like you’ve gone to Europe when visiting these 12 US cities.

Mexican chef Enrique Olvera has introduced a new dining concept to New York: all-day tapas with a vegetarian slant. Atla is the sibling of Olvera’s groundbreaking Cosme, the restaurant that offers upscale modern Mexican cuisine. In a setting that’s more casual, with a menu that’s more accessible (no reservations needed), Olvera creates food that spans the day from breakfast to post-dinner. You could enjoy poached ranchero eggs with hoja santa in the morning, grab an ea...

The story’s eerily familiar: the king who doesn’t exactly behave kingly and, in the process, loses the support of his subjects. While William Shakespeare couldn’t have predicted the similarities to today’s political scene, the play certainly makes a statement that’s undeniable. In this new version, Richard II remains one of Shakespeare’s most intense psychological dramas about power, image and corruption.

The off-Broadway production of Shakespeare’s Richard II at the Astor...

A slow-paced river cruise is a luxurious and relaxing experience and opportunity to see amazing sites. Combine that opportunity with the history of major world events and it becomes more than just a vacation. Writer Meryl Pearlstein shares her journey on a Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours itinerary that commemorates D-Day.

Sailing the Seine aboard Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours

Eighty years have passed since General Dwight D. Eisenhower gave the order that changed the course of world history. On ...

The Best Mexican Food in New York

True fans of Mexican cuisine want to know who makes the best tamales in town. Who has their own tortilleria, making the flour and corn staples right before your very eyes?
Whose hot sauce provides the most flavor? Who has the best selection of tequila? Who makes their margaritas fresh?
Presented in alphabetical order, here are the Best Mexican restaurants in New York.

Cosme Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: Chef Enrique Olvera, of Mexico City restaurant Pujol, brings his Mexican cuisine to discerning Manhattan diners in the buzzy yet romantic Cosme. (The name was inspired by the Mercado de San Cosme, a famous food market in Mexico City.) The dimly lit dining room has been decorated very simply, aside from some greenery.
Food & Drinks: Sip a mezcal-laced cocktail while perusing the menu, which may seem compact in terms of choices, but each dish is fi...

Southeast Asia is a region brimming with contrasts, history and unique beauty. When deciding which countries to explore, I crafted an itinerary combining land and water experiences as the key to uncovering each area’s distinctive soul.

Some countries like Japan, China and Thailand merit in-depth exploration on their own, as I had discovered on previous visits to the region.
Others meld better into a multi-country journey with overlapping history and geography. For this Southeast Asia trip, I ...