At the restaurant El Portalon, founded in the 15th century as a staging post in the historic district of Vitoria-Gasteiz, I experienced the beauty of sharing food at a Basque table. They were simple presentations, sometimes of only one ingredient adorned with olive oil and salt. Each was at the […]
Chef Ignacio Echapresto and his sommelier brother, Carlos Echapresto opened Venta Moncalvillo restaurant 25 years ago in their home town of Daroca de Rioja. The rustic farmhouse was renovated to accommodate the first-class kitchen and has a fantastic selection of wines in its cellar of over 600 labels and over […]
I just returned from a culinary and wine assignment in The Basque Country and La Rioja, Spain. First stop, two pintxo (Tapas) bars in Bilbao; El Globo and La Viña de Ensanche. Pintxos are exquisite little flavor bombs. Wash them down with a glass of funky Basque sidra or the […]
Wells Provisions. Last week, I was supposed to take a trip to New Orleans and Lafayette, Louisiana, and had to cancel the trip. I was none too happy about it. Diane and I had heard about a couple of cooks from New Orleans who opened a place in Charlemont, Mass. […]
Here is a LINK to my new story on Asturias, Spain. I was lucky to travel when I did before the recent surge of COVID. What an amazing and tasty place. Post Production Services
It was an honor to work with Northampton Neighbors on the 2021 year in review. Here is a LINK to the full report and member portraits.
In the Valle de Avila, at the small village of las Vegas de Toro in Asturias, a shepherd pauses with dogs after bringing his sheep down from the mountains. The English sheepdog and border collie herd the sheep, but the large Mastiff protects them against wolves. He wears a […]
I just got back from a trip to Asturias in the northwest of Spain. Beautiful rocky coasts, small villages amongst towering mountains, and a whole lot of sheep. Stick around, I will be posting images and stories in the days to come.
Like many travelers, I was thrown off the road by the COVID Pandemic. Stuck at home, I started a new journey with two new rescue kittens.
It has been quite a year and a half, where your mettle has been tried, tested and maybe a little too tapped out at moments. That’s why the theme of the Global Rescue 2021 Photo Contest — accepting submissions now until October 31 — is resilience.
By Cassie McGrath | cmcgrath@masslive.com When Northampton photographer Paul Shoul got his COVID-19 vaccine at the Big Y in Greenfield in March, he asked the nurse if he could take a photo of her. “I looked around and this was the happiest group I had seen during the pandemic,” Shoul […]
Experiencing the food of the world is one of the great joys of travel. These days, we might not be able to jump on a plane due to COVID restrictions, but we can travel at home in our kitchens. Last night, Chef and Food Consultant Deborah Christakos and I went […]
I’m super happy to have one of my stories selected in top ten stories of 2020 on Gonomad. Check it out Here ! Happy New Year to all.
I have carried a pocket knife most of my life. As I was growing up, my father, the surgeon, always emphasized the importance of quality steel and keeping a blade sharp. Knives were his bread and butter. “Dull blades are dangerous,” he told me. You have to push harder, and […]
Local Life under Lockdown SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 – BY PAUL SHOUL When the Massachusetts Review approached me to do a photo essay on local life under the COVID-19 lockdown, my first thought was, How could I possibly capture the pandemic? Could I physically do this? On March 5th, I had […]
Free tapas with every drink is still the norm at some restaurants in Castilla y Leon, Spain . Had a great time at Restaurante Ezequiel in Leon. On the plate is Jamon,chorizo,salchichon and cecina; an air dried cured beef. A specialty of the region.
The view from Hotel Son Moll Sentits in Cala Rajada, Mallorca.
Hot air ballooning over Segovia Spain with @siempreenlasnubes . Totally cool. Tradition demands a glass of champagne after the flight. Highly recommended.
This pic is of the amazing Vandoliers nailing it on a Friday night at The White Water Tavern in Little Rock Arkansas . An absolutely fantastic dive bar. Little Rock surprised me.
The famous wooden trains of Soller pass through a crowded town in Mallorca, Spain. For more info on Traveling to Mallorca, check out Spain.info
The best Gin and Tonic in the world. I just got home at 3:00 am this morning from a fantastic trip to the Castile and León region of northwestern Spain. I toured countless castles, cathedrals, and palaces, but none of them came close to the divine splendor of the Spanish […]
Cándido López, the third generation to continue the tradition of cutting their amazing roast suckling pigs with a ceramic plate at Mesón de Cándido in Segovia, Spain. The pigs are only 21 days old, roasted to perfection with crispy skin and fall off the bone sumptuous juicy meat. After breaking […]
The plaza del Coso with Peñafiel Castle rising in the background was the scene of this fantastic harvest festival deep in the heart of wine country in the Ribera del Duro region of Castile y Leon Spain. There were dancing and copious amounts of local red wine. Platters of homemade […]
The view from my room of the Bosphorus Bridge at night at the fabulous Raffles Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey.
Check out my new review of the fabulous Algonquin Hotel in NYC.
The Blue bar at the Algonquin Hotel in Times Square NYC was packed when we stopped in for a drink last weekend. The hum of a 100 conversations softened by the deep blue glow of the lights. In the shadows, ghosts of literary giants like Sinclair Lewis, Dorothy Parker, and […]
