Specialty Travel Books

Although 13 years old, much of the info in this book is still relevant. Despite the youthfulness of Los Angeles, there are restaurants and markets that have managed to survive for decades. These places are invariably great and almost institutions in their community. Hence, many of the listings in Burum's book still survive in this megapolis. You'll have fun tracking down that obscure German sausage maker who has had his shop for some 30 years...as well as the occassional let down upon discovering that the old Japanese immigrant, who made fresh tofu daily at the back of his grocery store, decided to call it quits a few years ago.

This book is not only a guide to the ethnic markets in LA, but also serves as an introduction to the cuisine of LA's ethnic groups. Interspersed within the listings, you'll find glimpses into the history of LA's immigrant communities, and what they really eat that you don't get at the mainstream ethnic restaurants. If you're the type that prefers to eat where you're the only one not of the ethnic group the restaurant caters to, get this book. It lets you in on not just the basics of a people's cuisine, but makes you feel comfortable with the unfamiliar (and much more authentic] dishes.

The book is organized into the following chapters, which fairly represents the demographics of Los Angeles:
China; Japan; Korea; Thailand; Vietnam; Southeast Asian [Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillipines]; India; Mexico; Central/South America and Caribbean; Europe; Greece, the Middle East and Africa.

Overall, an indispensable introduction to LA's greatest asset: It's diversity of people and cuisine.

This is a fantastic compendium of ethnic food in LA. It gives you everything you'd ever want to know: best bakeries, best markets, best restaurants. It divides categories by geography (important in LA) & by ethnic cuisines.

While the 1992 printing will make some info out of date (restaurants for example), this book is one of a kind & the best in its genre.

This is the greatest book on the best ethnic restaurants in LA. Hopefully, the author will put out a new edition. I have it. It's about 10 years old, and I'm not going to sell it. It's better than any new guide out there. Even if you don't go to these places, it's an interesting read.

When this book first came out about 10 yrs. ago or more it was a revelation. In one collection it guided you through EVERY major ethnic community in the greater L.A. region and told you which were the best restaurants, bakeries, markets, etc. I don't know of any other book that comes to close to being this comprehensive & incisive.

If you ever spend any time in L.A. & you are interested in ethnic food, you must have this book.

This book is fabulous. I recently travelled to NYC with my 15 month old daughter, and was looking for a book with suggestions fo fun places to take her, and also wanted to know where the "cool" clothing and toy stores were. This book was right on target-answered everything I wanted to know and more.

Finally a "Zagat-like" guide for families. Although I have lived in the New York area all my life, New York with kids is a whole different place. This book has the inside scoop on activities, restaurants, shops and a ton of things I did not know. What's more-it's easy and it's fun to read.

All of my friends in New York were talking about this book, so I bought one before my trip. It's great to have everything from shopping to restaurants, to what to do in one book and be able to carry it around. It really made New York with kids easy and fun!

A small guide to a lot of the food paradises available in New Jersey written by a native.

Peter Genovese is a writer for The Star-Ledger, a newspaper based in Newark, New Jersey. He has two regular columns: "The Munchmobile" series, as well as "Eat With Pete". He has authored a total of six books, four of which are about New Jersey.

New Jersey is not all that most people think. Yes, it is one of the smallest US states, being 47th in size, yet 9th in population. Also, yes, New Jersey is known for chemical products, electrical equipment and being a suburb of New York City. But did you know that New Jersey is also known as the "Garden State"? That New Jersey also relies on tourism and their agriculture as part of their economy? Anyone who has lived in New Jersey or has travelled here a lot knows about Jersey tomatoes, their wonderful fresh seafood and how New Jersey has the best diners, and even makes award winning wines!

The book is divided into four sections: North Jersey, Central Jersey, South Jersey and the Jersy Shore. Each of these sections has information on numerous delicious places to find the food of New Jersey, such as Made Here; Specialty Stores & Markets; Farmers' Markets; Farm & Farm Stands; Food Happenings; Learn To Cook; Learn About Wine; Landmark Eateries; Brewpubs & Microbreweries; and Wine Trails.

There are no photographs in this guide, only drawings. The book is easy-to-read as it lists establishments and gives a brief overview. There are no complicated terms to embrace, just the facts. The author has even included some recipes from a few of the establishments in this book, such as: Garden State Seafood Salad and Strawberries with Creme Anglais.

Unless you are a collector of food guides, this book is really only for people who visit New Jersey, have a summer home here or live here.

This book provided some really interesting ideas for nights out or days exploring. There are some great suggestions for restaurants and diners. Suggestions for Indian restraints were really helpful (my favorite ethnic cuisine), description of the Charterhouse in Weehawken was also spot on. Diner descriptions are also interesting.

The list of farmers markets and wineries also provide good suggestions for shopping trips. The author goes further by providing accounts of some of the more interesting food producers (e.g. Fiorre's the mozzarella maker in Hoboken).

Farmers markets, cheese and butcher shops are all covered. The author throws in some good recipes.

Contrasting to Zagat's (practical but predictable) this is a fun, lucid and well written food book. It has a wide ranging scope with great coverage of numerous topics.

If you have every tried to find THE nursery with the best selection for a particular plant this is the book for you. Plus you discover all the nurseries that are in your area that you probably did not know existed.

As a horticulturist who is always looking for the unusual and hard to find plant, I found this guide to be an treasure. The authors divide the nurseries down by geographical sections, and then break each nursery down into whether they are wholesale/retail/mail order, plant specialties, brief history/description, how to get there and general information. Also covered are Horticultural Attractions and a list of plant societies. If your a plant nut like me, make sure you add this book to your collection.

What a wonderful resource this is! I ordered a copy on a whim, and found the author's writing style both informative and entertaining. There were so many shops and events that I've never visited, and I'm a Colorado native! I now have the book in my glove compartment, so my friends and I can visit a "pre-screened" fabulous restaurant, no matter what part of town we are visiting. I recommend this book to anyone who lives in Colorado, is relocating to Colorado, or visiting Colorado. I eagerly await her next book!

This book is chock full of great information for any foodie living in Connecticut. Not only are there great tips on restaurants, but also tips on artisan food producers, farms, farmers markets, gourmet shops, recipes, etc, etc. I have been a fan of Patricia Brooks restaurant reviews but this volume exceeded my expectations. It's also written in a chatty personal style that's fun to read. A real treasure!

If you live anywhere in or near Mass or travel there you will want this book! I saw it at the library and since I only live 1/2 hour from the Mass border I thought it would be fun to browse through it. I had post-it notes stuck on so many pages I thought I had better buy my own copy. The book is divided by regions and towns and has suggestions for restaurants, shops, markets, etc. If you consider yourself a foodie or just enjoy sampling local favorites you will want this book! I am now planning day trips around the foods I want to try. Great book. I wish there was one for every state.

I love this book because it has helped me escape the normal boring meals that I've been cooking for years. Now I have great dinner parties and impress all of my guests.

The recipes are divided up by country and at the beginning of each section there is a story from the author's personal experiences. A truly terrific addition to help set up the tone of the meal.

Be there, out in the middle of the Pacific with the crew aboard Anuenue as she sails for Honolulu Hawai`i in the 1969 TransPacific Yacht Race... one of the worlds longest running, long distance open-ocean yacht races... Follow along the course - some 2200 nm from Long Beach Calif to the finish line at Diamond Head Light, with Stu Milligan and his view of events in this exciting race as they unfolded in the summer of '69... you can also follow Transpac '97 on the web at: http://holoholo.org/wycnews/transpac/ - here you'll find links to all available online resources on the race, including excerpts from this wonderful first-person account of open-ocean yacht racing at it's finest.... be there... aloha... danno

this has to be the best help for anyone taking a bunch of youth anywhere. it works even with some older age groups because it keeps you laughing (or at least smiling) yet thinking at the same time. no matter what pagr you turn to, you find an idea or a thought that gets you going. it's a keeper!