Charleston Restaurant Review

Ladybrille's Moji Akinyemi [left] visits Charleston Restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland to bring you the brilliant scoop on fine dining. Read on for her verdict on Charleston!

Stepping into the Charleston restaurant in the Harbor East area of Baltimore
you get an overwhelming sense of welcoming warmth created by the southern contemporary decor replete with an open style kitchen which is at once warm and inviting. The layout consists of three themed dining sections, the Palm Room, Wine Library, and the Main Dining Area which is at the heart of the establishment. The set-up exudes both an ambience of formality and intimacy which can readily lend itself to that odd intimate romantic dinner or a night out with colleagues.

We were seated in the wine library-wine cellar experience; our hostess kindly offered us a shawl given the cool temperature of the wine storage - ample time to admire the world class collection of wine on display. Our captain came over – he was charmingly attentive and gave an informing run down of the menu – and of course with such an impressive wine list, was in his element in recommending the ideal wine - Moscato D'Asti, Tintero (Piedmont) 2006 a sweet sparkling wine to get the ball rolling!

The style of the menu had a variety of food themes giving you the creative license to make your choice of your three to six courses or simply opt for the Chef’s “menu of the moment”. I chose to create my own menu – not one to miss on the opportunity to sample as much variety as possible!

First to arrive was the cornbread –– light texture; full of flavor – my favorite! Couldn’t get enough! With appetite truly whetted, we were treated to cornmeal- fried oysters courtesy of the chef – as an oyster first-timer, I am hooked! For soup, I had the shrimp-Andouille sausage-real grits soup. Being a meat lover I couldn’t resist the grilled bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin on brioche toast, served with fresh artichoke in bordelaise sauce for my entree – it was a treat! Beef was succulent, well-done, and tender. With such a good time being had, it would be a shame not to satisfy my sweet tooth – which was duly satisfied with the frozen citrus soufflé, tangerine sorbet & pineapple consommé!

On her “victory lap” taking in the adulation of satisfied dinners, Chef Wolf made a stop at our table for a brief chat. The restaurant was named after Charleston South Carolina where she spent her formative years. She attended the Culinary Institute of America,Hyde Park New York and is well-traveled, mainly around Europe an experience that has a major influence on her cooking style. She describes Charleston’s style as low country of South Carolina and regional France cuisine. Charleston has been in business for 11 years and continues to be one of the best upscale dining experiences in the Baltimore area.

The Charleston experience was a fulfilling one - great location, warm and inviting decor, titillating and stimulating meals, impeccable service from back to front of the service chain – I suppose no less to be expected from a southern- themed restaurant! Definitely a worthwhile experience - one I’m keen to repeat soon!!! Now all I need is to get to the gym to make up for my overindulgence!

Visit the Charleston Restaurant here.

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The Calabar Carnival

Trinidad and Tobago is known for its elaborate carnivals. Similarly, the city of Calabar is gaining recognition, especially among Nigerians worldwide, for its Calabar Carnival.
A city known for its tourism [international museum, botanical garadens], culinary skills, beautiful women and very pristine/eco-friendly people and environment, Calabar serves as the capital of Cross River State.

Cross River State is situated in the Southeastern part of Nigeria. As far back as the 15th and 16th century it was a place Europeans visited often and also served as one of the major seaports in Nigeria. The city boasts one of the second oldest secondary [high] school in the country, Hope Waddell Secondary School which allegedly produced the first President of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe. Calabar is also home to the reputable University of Calabar [Unical]. Calabar is the center for tourism with its free trade zone and current construction of over $400 million Tinapa Entertainment and retail center project.

Late last month, the city orchestrated its second annual much anticipated Calabar Carnival. Celebrities from Nollywood, Nigeria's music industry and government officials were among the many that attended the carnival for a great time, colorful parades and to show off their costumes. For more pictures and to learn about the carnival, visit http://calabarcarnival.org.






Photo credits: Ekpo Ekpo, Linda Ikeji

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Stephanie Okereke Wows Audience With Premiere of “Through the Glass”

Fans from across the nation and respected names in the film business such as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of CW Television Network, John Maata; and Mike Ajakwe, writer/producer/director were some of the guests that attended the premiere of Nollywood A-list Actress Stephanie Okereke’s film “Through the Glass.”

Excitement filled the air as the premiere held on October 18th, 2008, at the Pacific Design Center in Hollywood, opened to a packed, diverse and very receptive audience. There were lots of laughter, cheers, and at times sounds of empathy as the audience reacted to the screening.

“I did not know what to expect,” said Ajakwe to Ladybrille. “I was pleasantly surprised,”he added. “It was unexpectedly good,”nremarked one American guest after viewing the premiere. “I really liked it” said Maata.
L-R: Mike Ajakwe, Uduak and Actress LaTamara Smith, "The Lion King"

The above were not the only ones impressed with Okereke. Prior to the screening of “Through the Glass,” Okereke along with her audience were surprised when she was awarded two certificates of recognition for her work on her film. One was from the California Legislature Assembly, signed by Assembly Member Curren D. Price Jr. of the 51st Assembly District and the other from Mayor Jim Dear of the City of Carson.

After the premiere, and with gift bags that included goodies from Stephanie’s fashion label S.O. Collections and Clear Essence [one of her sponsors], guests headed to the very upscale restaurant and bar lounge, Tanzore. Tanzore was on fire with a red carpet VIP lounge, a fashion show debuting Okereke’s S.O. Collection by Stepahnie Okereke, free drinks and food, and lots of dancing to some of the top singles from Nigeria’s hip-hop and R&B artists.

Speaking to Ladybrille after the show, Okereke said. “I am just overwhelmed. I was really proud. I was so proud when I looked at the faces of Nigerians who were present.”It looked like they were waiting for something like this for a long time.”


First photo: Uduak of Ladybrille with Nollywood A-List Actress Stephanie Okereke at the Tanzore VIP Lounge.
**************************
Ladybrille captured all the excitement and we will bring to you, soon, more pictures and our Ladybrille TV coverage of the event. To hear directly from Stephanie on the making of "Through the Glass" film, click here.

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21st Annual National Convention of the Akwa Ibom State Association, USA

by Elfonnie Inokon, special to Ladybrille, Photo credit: Picture Mane Photography

Akwa Ibomites from all over the world gathered to celebrate the 21st annual National Convention of the Akwa Ibom State Association, USA at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in Virginia. More than two thousand indigenes and non-indigenes of the Southeastern Nigerian state attended the convention which was held from August 7th-10th, 2008.

This year’s event was like no other as top government officials, past and present flew in from the motherland to unite with their fellow citizens. Governor Godswill Akpabio accompanied by top ranking officials of his administration, was an honorable guest at the event. Other high profile personalities that graced the event included: The Secretary to the State Government, Umanah O. Umanah, the first female Head of Civil Service, Grace Anwana, former First Lady of the Southeastern State and former Federal Minister, Helen Esuene, Chairman of the Niger-Delta Commission, Bassey Dan Abia, former Gubernatorial Candidate, Nsima Ekere, former First Lady of the State, Imoh Isemin, and former Military Governor, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga.


Also in attendance were famous Nollywood names like Emem Isong [Producer, Director & Script Writer] actresses Ini Ikpe and Ini Edo.

Every year, Akwa Ibomites gather to promote their culture, raise money for education scholarships for the youths back in Nigeria, discuss economic and health development and create an avenue for the youths in the United States to learn about their heritage as they build life-long friendships. For most people, the convention is a means of returning home with their children without physically doing so. “Calabar women,” the term used to identify a woman from either Cross River or Akwa Ibom States, are known for their natural beauty and fashion sense. They lived up to that reputation, all weekend, as they came out dressed in various colorful, magnificently designed traditional outfits, ranging from the very traditional look of two wrappers; one tied short over the longer one with a fitting blouse and a big head gear, to more contemporary looks where traditional fabrics are used to design hollywood-like dresses. The men, both old and young also got their fashion on as they displayed their traditional wear of a long wrapper tied around the waist, worn with a big shirt, a traditional hat with matching shoes and a walking stick.

The four-day event was filled with cultural performances, a Miss Akwa Ibom USA pageant, fund-raising and a town-hall meeting with the governor. In his speech, the governor reassured the people of his state that just like his name; God’s will has begun in Akwa Ibom state. He announced that in less than a year of being in office, 49 roads have been tarred in Eket Local Government Area and the State was working on ways to improve the electricity and water situation. The highlight of his speech was when Governor Akpabio announced that from September 2008, education will be free from primary [grade] through secondary [high] school. Diasporites responded with excitement and applause.

Further, to support the association’s “School of Excellence Project” which promotes scholastic excellence, sports and upgrading of schools, the governor donated $100,000.00. The audience responded with a standing ovation and jubilant cheering. The convention ended with the crowning of Miss Ima Usoroh of New York as Miss Akwa Ibom State USA 2008-2009. Miss Usoroh along with the four other contestants were surprised by the governor with first class round-trip tickets to visit Akwa Ibom State plus $2,000.00 taxi monies, each.

Famous Nollywood Actress Ini Edo with fans at the 2008 Convention

Akwa Ibom male youths at the event
Akwa Ibom female youths at the event
Akwa Ibom Cultural dancers

L-R: Godswill Akpabio & Secretary to the State Government, Umanah O. Umanah

Ms. Akwa Ibom USA 2008, Ima Usoroh
A cross-section of Akwa Ibom women from Maryland Chapter
The very first picture featured is the very gorgeous Elfonnie Inokon.

****** Get a sense of Akwa Ibom cultural dances with "Udim Ket"

Experience Akwa Ibom hip-hop hit makers with "Eyen Akwa-Ibom"

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Hotel Review: Hilton Riverside, New Orleans

There are so many great places to stay in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. From the Central Business District to the French Quarter, you are sure to find hotels that range from your five star to very unique boutique ones. Hotels in New Orleans aka the “Big Easy,” however, are not typical of the many across the country or globe. Instead, they seem to make it their business to make sure you feel right at home. One such hotel I stayed during my visit for the New Orleans Jazz Festival is the Hilton Riverside Hotel.

With their recently completed $40 million upgrade, their ideal location [easy walk to the French Quarter, the Arts District and Convention Center], health club, sexy remodeled rooms, brilliant restaurant and café, and their 29th floor Executive Lounge, among many amenities, the Hilton Riverside will most likely be your hotel of choice, if you decide to visit soon.

Ideal Location: Located on Poydras street in the Central Business District, with the Mississipi River serving as its backdrop, the Hilton Riverside is an ideal place whether you travel solo, with family [it is a very safe location, especially when traveling with children] or for a romantic getaway. Less than a block, to the right of the hotel, once you exit its main entrance, are street cars. You can catch a street car for only $1.25 for a brilliant tour of the city.

Shopping: For the fashion-forward/fashionistas, this is a perfect, perfect location! The Riverwalk Marketplace is known for its shopping, dining and entertainment is less than a minute away. In fact, the Riverwalk Marketplace is an annexation to the hotel. For an even more uplifting shopping experience, exit the main entrance of the hotel veer right and walk straight to the foot of the famous Canal Street. There, you will find “The Shops at Canal Place,” a premier shopping destination that is home to many exclusive and famous designer boutiques and stores like Kenneth Cole and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Art & Culture: Right next to The Shops at Canal Place is the Aquarium of the Americas [think the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California if you’ve ever visited]. Across the hotel and in very close proximity is the IMAX theater, ideal for a romantic movie with your sweetheart or watching the movie “Hurricane on the Bayou.” If you'd rather just hang out Las Vegas style, head on to the well known gigantic Harrah’s Casino, also located across the hotel and less than a minute from the theater.

Mardi Gras World: Exit the hotel’s main entrance, veer right and walk towards the rear of the hotel.

In less than two minutes, you will be at the Riverwalk. At the Riverwalk catch the FREE ferry to Algiers Point, a village within the city with buildings and homes that date back to the 19th century. Algiers Point is also home to the famous Mardi Gras World-where all the gigantic floaters you see during Mardi Gras are made.

Restaurants & Cafe: The second floor houses the hotel's River Blends Café so you can get all your coffee and mocha latte fixes. On the first floor, you will find two restaurants. One is the Le Croissant Restaurant. The other is its well known Drago’s Seafood Family Restaurant. The story goes like this: Papa Drago and Mama Klara Cvitanovich opened their restaurant, Drago’s, in 1969. It quickly became known for excellent cuisine and hospitality.

In fact, Mama Klara would stand and continues to stand at the door to greet customers. After the recent Hurricane Katrina and as part of its rebuilding efforts, the Hilton Riverside which housed students from Dillard University, during the Hurricane, for seven months, thought they’d like to bring Drago’s ambience and great food to the hotel. The hotel solicited the Cvitanovichs who said, “no problem, so long as we are allowed to continue serving our amazing foods and delivering our famous hospitality.” Today Drago’s has expanded to a 360 seat restaurant located at the Hilton; and they continue to be true to their philosophies of great food and hospitality. I brought my legal colleague and native of Louisiana with me to sample some of the food. His highly discriminating taste bud was impressed with their Charbroiled Oysters and very delicious Red Beans and Rice. Good stuff!

Business Traveler: “Time is money and money is time,” especially for the entrepreneurs among us. Avoid the lines at the ariport and save time with the hotels express check-in kiosks located on the second floor. Also, a very cool feature I observed was the OBGYN conference TV channel negotiated and dedicated to the OBGYN group, members could easily know about their coneference's day activities. That's a cool feature you can negotiate with the hotel if you are planning a big conference.

Fitness: For outdoors fitness i.e. running or walking, take a long stroll or walk alongside the Riverwalk. If you choose to work out in the gym, then you must try what I consider, by far, my favorite amenity at the Hilton Riverside, their health club. It is just brilliant! New Orleans while super cool for great cuisine, cocktails and culture gets a zero rating when it comes to facilities for staying fit. It’s hard to find quality gyms around the city. But wait! The health club at the Hilton Riverside offers 106,000 square foot of space housing state of the art and unmatched fitness equipments! There are two tennis courts, two volleyball courts, one basketball court, several racquetball courts, a virtual and very cool golf course room, saunas and jacuzzis in the men and women’s locker rooms, aerobic rooms, jazzercise rooms and tons of cardiovascular and weight training equipment.

They even have a juice bar! How cool is that? The cost to use all of these is only $12.00 per day! Their health club surpassed that of even the famous 24hour fitness Super Centers that charge $20.00 a day to use. The hotel independent of the fitness club has two large clean pools for the hot summers.

Negatives:The Hilton Riverside is not for you if you want something small. Its very large size can be intimidating. However, the hotel compensates for its large size with excellent room service. House keeping services were just superb and offered at least twice a day. If you need something from concierge, room service or anything of that sort, before you can even hang up your phone call, they are right there. The beds are amazing and great to sleep in. Another real cool thing is the 29th Executive Floor services the hotel offers. If you stay in the executive rooms which I believe is the 20th floor and above, you get access to the Executive Lounge on the 29th floor with a panoramic view of the city and the Mississipi river. You can, while taking, in all the beauty and watching the cruise ships, freighters and riverboats pass by, enjoy continental breakfast in the morning or in the evenings sample some appetizers, fruits, baked goodies and drinks.

Overall, I found the hotel to be a safe location for the family, a great place for a romantic getaway and perfect for those traveling solo. By the way, the hotel continues its renovation throughout the year so if you decide to stay there, be sure they have booked you in one of their remodeled rooms. The Essence Jazz Festival is coming up very soon! It might be a good time to visit New Orleans and also check out the Hilton Riverside Hotel. Bon Voyage, safe travels and have a happy stay at the Hilton Riverside, should you make it your hotel of choice.





From Dragos Restaurant





~Hotel review by Uduak Oduok
~Photocredit: Courtesy photos from Hilton Riverside, Drago Photos/Jason Perlow off the Broiler.

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Joseph Montez White, Artist/Fashion Illustrator

I just got back from what has got to be one of the most unique cities I have visited in a long time. That would be New Orleans aka "The Big Easy" or "The Crescent City." New Orleans is an absolutely fantastic and wonderful place to visit for great food, music, arts, architecture, shopping, festivals such as the New Orleans Jazz Festival, Mardi Gra, Essence Music Festival, and so much more! The people of New Orleans are indeed quite strong and still offer that Southern hospitality despite the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. While there, I ventured onto Magazine Street, famous for its retail and antique shops, and discovered an upscale space called Kunflama.

Located at 1920 Magazine street, Kunflama is a one stop shop where you can grab a bite to eat, shop at the retail boutique managed by fashion designer Kano Branon [you will hear more about him this month], and discover and/or purchase work from some talented artists in the city. One such talent I ran into while at Kunflama was Joseph Montez White, artist and fashion illustrator.

White, a native of Ohio, moved to New Orleans after obtaining his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Paul Robeson Center at Central State University. Once in New Orleans, he continued to refine his skills obtaining a degree from the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts. Today, he is a teacher at the Orleans Parish School system and his gaouche and charcoal techniques in his work makes him highly sought after. Enjoy his very talented work and if you want to purchase or reach him, contact the store, Kunflama, at 504-586-1606.

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Visual Collaborative Art Exhibition, Miami 2008!

MIAMI, FL – Art enthusiast, community writers and various artists gathered on Saturday, April 12, 2008 to celebrate the opening of the week long art exhibition, April 12th-19th, in Miami called "Visual Collaborative." Produced by Adeave studios and Icy Public Relations, the yearly event hosted six [6] artists at the exclusive art event opening. Over 350 people were in attendance at the Undercurrent Arts, 2563 North Miami Avenue Miami, FL, the location where the event was held.

Artists for the 2008 Visual Collaborative Art Exhibition were: Ade Olufeko [New York], Dawn Okoro [Texas], Jens Karlsson [New York], Linda Zacks [New York], Miko Simmons [Minnesota] and Tiphanie Brooke[Arizona]. Simmons' work was the talk of the evening as it pushed the envelope with provacative art that challenged society's concept of sexuality. Indeed, it was definitely the highlight of the evening drawing over 35 people to his work, at one time!

ABOUT VISUAL COLLABORATIVE: Visual Collaborative is an annual group exhibition/networking event focused on creative professionals and visual artists from all around the country, showcasing a rich blend of media work. These works include New Media Design, Abstract Art, Interactive Design, Oil Paintings and Traditional Painting styles.

WHO IT BENEFITS:The charity of choice this year was the Voices of Children Miami- Dade. The mission of Voices for Children Foundation is to raise funds to ensure that every abused and neglected child in Miami-Dade County has a court-appointed Guardian Ad Litem and that financial assistance and other resources are available for their accompanying health, educational and social needs.


VISUAL COLLABORATIVE 2009: Next year's Visual Collaborative Art Exhibition will take place in New York City! To be a part of it or for more information contact ICY Public Relations at 305.940.0067. You may also visit the site at http://www.visualcollaborative.com/. Enjoy some pics from this year's event!

THE ART

THE PEOPLE

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Eat, Shop and Chill in Stockholm, Sweden!

Eat at Gondolen Restaurant

I was recently in Sweden for a short but very sweet visit. One of my close friends was getting married. I, of course, gave my undivided attention to the wedding but also made time to engage in a very important activity, SHOPPING! Below is my short list of top places to eat, shop and just plain chill while you are in Stockholm, Sweden.

Sweden offers so much variety when it comes to fine dining but Gondolen restaurant has got to be the go to spot when it comes to a sophisticated ambience and richly textured yet fresh French/Swedish cuisine. Operated and owned by Erik Lauersted [famous restauranter/ business tycoon in Sweden], the key selling point, besides the good food and friendly English speaking staff, is the breathtaking view of Stockholm, observed 11 stories high where the restaurant hangs suspended. Check on it.

Hang out at Sture: Want to know where Swedish's finest hang out? Head to Sture Plan. Located in central Stockholm, this public square is littered with expensive restaurants, bars, clubs and is where the "in crowd," from young business executives to Swedish royalty can be spotted.

Go Shopping at Nordiska Kompaniet [NK]

Stockholm is a shopper's paradise. From the Spanish retail chain like Zara to Sweden's retail chain H&M, there is something for everyone's pocket book. Stockholm also has most European major fashion designer brands and retail outlets. Two key areas you want to touch include Drottninggatan which is a long pedestrian mall lined with shops; and the Sergel Torgs area. Look for a specific street called Hamngatan. At Hamngatan, you can find many neat boutiques, shops and department stores such as NK. The T-Centrum Gallerian [it's like a mall] is also located in the Hamngatan area. Check them out and shop till you drop, or run out of money!

I checked out so many stores and places but I would recommend you start with NK. NK is like Saks Fifth in New York or Harrod's in London, although I think it lacks as much sass as Harrod's in terms of layout and design. The stores below all have their retail outlets but all of them can also be found in NK. For the jeans, you should go to the retail outlets, the experience is more enriching. Shopping hours in Stockholm is Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm, Saturday 9am-2pm. On Sunday, most stores are closed but you can find those that exceed the hours stated above and also open on Sundays.

For Men's Shirts, go to Eaton

Ladies if your BF/brother/uncle/father/friend hates ironing or is always traveling 24/7, or both, consider suprising him/them with one of the classic, sophisticated and elegant wrinkle free shirts from Eaton. Eaton is a swedish brand with international reputation for making perfect shirts from their 100% wrinkle free cotton. Their shirts also run long and can be custom made to fit just in case the men in your life are 6ft and above. In case you don't make it to Sweden anytime soon, Eaton can also be found all over Europe and the USA. Check the Eaton link above for store locations.

Women's Clothes: NK is the place to shop. Shop for over 150 Swedish and non-Swedish brand names such as Gucci, Prada, YSL and more. You can also purchase accessories and beauty items at NK.

Men & Women's Jeans: NK or the T-Centrum Galleria are great places to begin scouting for the perfect jeans. I, however, highly suggest you go directly to the brand's flagship/retail stores for your jeans. In the jeans category, it appears the Swedish fashion-forward prefer Swedish brands. Swedish brands like Acne, Filipa K and Gul Bla are commonly seen all over the streets of Stockholm. The BIG problem, however, is that a lot of these brands forgot about the hipi/curvilicious women. They are made only for women that are straight like a board up and down, not good! Trust me. I tried so many of them and I ain't fat! The one that works best and accomodated my curves was Acne. I still had the Victoria Beckham slim look but more balanced thanks to more room in the hips and thigh area. Shoes: The Italian shoe line Scorett and the Swedish shoe retail store Nilson,which offers diverse selections, are a start. You can also head to NK or T-Centrum Galleria for more variety.

Cosmetics & Beauty Products: Cow Parfymeri is a great choice. The store sells quality eco-friendly makeup/skincare and perfume products from America and Europe I loved their makeup line Laura Mercier, tres parfait! Laura Mercier is a Dallas, Texas based company and needless to say is sold in stores in the USA and worldwide. By the way, if you are scouting strictly for Swedish brands, a good famous swedish makeup brand is FACE. Think M.A.C. but with more eco-friendly driven products.


Alright, that's my short list for now until my next visit where I will do more than shopping! By the way a quick Swedish word to know is "REA." Gosh you are so smart! Yes, it means SALE! Enjoy your visit.

[Photo credit for restaurant: Elias Hantzakos]

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