The A-List Loves Bermuda: Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas

The Perfect Island for Couples Craving Culinary Creativity

Batten down the hatches, the gluttons are coming! An international coterie of professional eaters descend on Bermuda evety November to celebrate the annual Bermuda Culinary Arts Festival. From hit reality shows to cult followings, chefs remain a hot commodity these days.

Targeting the true food fan’s interest in learning from culinary mavericks, the BCAF is at the forefront of engineering much coveted intimate experiences with true masters of the craft. From cozy demos to decadent dinners, BCAF’s luscious offerings satiate even the most well-traveled and tasted palette. The programming is pitch perfect, an unprecedented opportunity to get up close and personal with the best of the best.

Imported foodies went wild over some of New York’s hottest chefs - Tom Colicchio of Craft, Cornelius Gallagher of Oceana, Aaron Sanchez of Paladar. Ashbell McElveen of London hosted the most incredible beachside BBQ, where I tasted the best pulled pork of my life. Canada’s own culinary treasure, Susur Lee, held his dining audience spellbound with his divine menu of caramelized sable fish with bone marrow crust and rack of lamb with two chutneys.

Sigourney Steak Out: If that isn’t enough to tempt you to book, I should mention BCAF’s momentum in securing celebrity hosts. The 2004 edition had three-time Oscar nominee Sigourney Weaver clinking glasses with guests.

Perhaps the most desirable attraction of BCAF is the tiny isle itself, which balances beautifully on two circles of extinct volcanoes. The millionaire’s haunt markets itself as a haven of order and social discipline. Vendors offering second-rate mementos are completely absent from the landscape. It’s simply not allowed.

Locals are polite, a feathered elegance born of offshore banking. There are no fast food outlets or wild discotheques. The streets are pristine and I had to ask the taxi driver whether there were any dogs on Bermuda. The rules for acquisition of a dog are so stringent, a glamour puss may click her kitten heels, nose in the air, without fear of undesirable accident.

Celebrity Real Estate Tidbit: Ross Perot, Quincy Jones, David Bowie and Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones all maintain homes on this 21 mile isle.

To Book for the next BCAF, click here.

Hollywood Hits the Mandarin Oriental to Celebrate the Blockbuster of the Year

The Perfect Hotel Ballroom for the Hottest Celebrity-Studded

After Party of the Summer

The Dark Knight reached a critical mass of buzz this year. Stars Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Batman himself, Christian Bale, gathered Monday night for the film’s official premiere, with a screening at the AMC Loews Lincoln Square and an after-party for 600 atop the Mandarin Oriental New York.

The only Imax theater in Manhattan, where overwhelming demand prompted the theater to offer midnight, 3 a.m. and even 6 a.m. screenings the night before its official release, Lincoln Square was a natural choice for the movie, which was filmed with Imax cameras. Before the screening got underway, film composers Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard treated guests to a live performance featuring musicians playing down the theater aisles and a brief light show choreographed to the film’s score.

When the curtain closed on the 152-minute movie, it was time for the after-party. Warner Brothers’ Bonnie Horton, Chad Hudson, Courtney Saylor, and Troy Williams oversaw the event and enlisted Wendy Creed Productions to recreate the sinister tone of the film on the 36th floor of the Mandarin Oriental. Guests departed Lincoln Square in school buses (a reference to the film), and traveled nine blocks down Broadway, where the bat signal beckoned buses to the black carpet stretched out in front of the hotel.

Celebrities love to party at the top of the Mandarin Oriental New York.

To Book a Stay visit www.mandarinoriental.com