Few foods are so closely tied to a destination as lobster is to Maine. I can’t think of too many other single ingredients that would inspire a specific journey (maybe the South for bbq?  Southeast Asia for durian? Some interesting thoughts on it here). Recently we spent several days eating our way around Maine and sampling lobster in its myriad forms. My conclusion? Anything but lobster in its purest form is overrated. Lobster rolls? There is so little meat that it can barely justify the price, and while lobster stew is tasty, the massive amount of cream just makes the dish far too heavy and rich for my taste. Your best bet is to just go for the whole boiled lobster. You get the most amount of meat for your money, even if it is more...

The corner nail salon can be fine for a quick mani-pedi and a wax, but if you want to indulge – or really wallow- in a pampering experience, consider the new Cornelia Spa. Located inside the glam Surrey Hotel, the only Relais & Chateaux property in New York City, the spa oozes serenity, thanks to a soothing palette of cream and gray. Spa treatments are meant to indulge all the senses, even taste; treatments begin with a small amuse bouche. Signature treatments include The Reparative Caviar and Oxygen Quench, which wraps up with a caviar amuse bouche and prosecco and The Purist: A Dual Detoxification Treatment, using Cornelia's Honey Citrus Polish. In a hurry? Cornelia also offers indulgent treatments in 30 minutes slots. The Cornelia Spa at...

Blow dry bars have been cropping up all over the US for gals in need of speedy blow dry – without the hassle of making an appointment or paying big salon prices. Now the same fast (and thrifty)  approach is being applied to hair color. At Tint salon in LA, owned by Dana Clark and Frank Dino, all hair color is designed to take only 30 minutes and appointments are not necessary. The color menu is straightforward; pick from “California girl” highlights ($85) to Overall Color ($64) or a Balancing Act (up to 50 foils for $85). Client's hair color formulas are kept on file to ensure that the next visit is even faster, and clients can even blow dry their own hair for a speedy exit. Closed Mondays. Tint Hair Color,1422 B Second Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Phone: (310) 395-5888.
 

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­James Beard award winning chef Donald Link has done it again. Not content with three mainstay restaurants in New Orleans— Herbsaint, Cochon and Cochon Butcher or with his rock-solid reputation as a city supporter who puts his money where his mouth is (he opened his second restaurant, Cochon, six months after Katrina hit at a time when other local chefs were closing doors and firing staff), the chef has just added another delicious link in his pork-centric empire.

On September 15 Cochon Lafayette opened its doors in Lafayette, Louisiana about two hours from New Orleans. Two weeks later I had lunch there...