Located around the corner from Grand Central Station in New York City is a hidden gem called The WheelTapper Pub. Here’s a trivia question for you... what is a “wheeltapper"?

If you’re thinking this is “just another Irish Pub,â€? have we got a surprise for you! I mean, seriously, how many Irish Pub’s have a AAA 5-Diamond Rating?!  If that doesn’t do it for you, we can mention that it has close to one million dollars in authentic Irish rail system artifacts scattered throughout the inside and outside areas. The bar was even brought over from Ireland--piece by piece! And don’t think everything about this Pub is old-school, it has certainly embraced technology by installing monitors that communicate the train schedules from Grand Central Station, real-time. So if your train is running seven minutes late, you can relax and enjoy that Guinness, instead of slamming it down...

journeyPod enjoyed a traditional Irish breakfast, complete with white and black pudding (I must admit, I didn’t know “pudding� wasn’t pudding--boy was I shocked!) Then journeyPod had a chance to speak with Chef Auggie and found out first hand what the heck a “wheeltapper� really is...

Check out the Celtic sounds of pod-safe artists, Great Big Sea and their song, Irish Paddy Festival.

 

journeyPod is your guide to luxury travel around the world.  This week we have a very special guest on the show as we catch up with the lovely and talented Miss Canada 2008 - Alesia Fieldberg.  Miss Canada shares some travel tips about her beloved Canada.  We also learn about an amazing international charity that Miss Canada supports called the Teddy Bears of Hope Campaign.  She is an amazing ambassador for Canada as she helps collect and deliver teddy bears to children in need around the globe.  You can see more info about this great cause here. 

 

We also preview some top notch Canadian music with podsafe artist Allison Crowe and her song "Montreal." 

journeyPod caught up with Evan Goldstein, Master Sommelier, at the 4th Annual San Diego Wine and Food Festival.  We had a sheer blast interviewing Evan and learned the “properâ€? way to taste chocolate with wine.  We’ll never taste chocolate the same way again, that’s for sure!

Evan Goldstein is one of the nation’s most prolific food and wine industry veterans. Evan provided festival-goers a Top Ten Wine and Chocolate Pointers for Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate, a new line of gourmet dark chocolate with sophisticated ingredients.

Evan shared his pairing tips in person with journeyPod. Who knew sipping port and melting chocolate in your mouth could be such a, well, mind-blowing experience! Take a listen now.

Then check out the unique sounds of Roadtrip and their song, The Chocolate Song.

journeyPod headed to sunny Southern California for the The 4th Annual San Diego Wine and Food Festival. journeyPod was there for lip smacking, glass clinking, celebrity watching, swishing, swirling, mouth watering kinds of fun! Held at venues along the stunning San Diego waterfront, the Festival was a sizzling five-day festa that offered attendees everything from cooking classes with celebrity chefs, to wine tastings with Master Sommeliers, to a Reserve Tasting aboard the Hornblower’s Inspiration, and the Final Grand Event --where over 800 wines were poured.

journeyPod caught up with some of the movers and shakers at the festival. We spoke with Kathleen Inman from Inman Family Wines. We also chatted with Executive Chef Jeff Grossman from Terra Restaurant right here in San Diego.

Let's take a listen to what Inman and Grossman had to say about this year’s San Diego Wine and Food Festival. And mark your calendar’s for next year’s event -- November 12-16, 2008.  And for an in-depth lesson on pairing chocolates with wines, check our upcoming exclusive podcast with Evan Goldstein.

Check out the cool sounds of Johnny O and his song, The Waterfront.