On my most recent trip to the Valley of the Sun, however, I had the good fortune to eat at Isabella\u2019s Kitchen<\/a> at Grayhawk Golf Club<\/a>. More specifically, I was lucky enough to order the Pork Milanese.<\/p>\n Now, I know what you\u2019re probably thinking. It\u2019s a pork cutlet, pounded thin, and deep fried. How memorable could it really be? For starters, the plate of food that was placed in front of me was massive. I\u2019m always a quality-over-quantity guy, but even so, this was impressive. Furthermore, an excellent Milanese is as much about the fresh salad garnishing the meat as it is about the protein itself; and Isabella\u2019s mix of arugula, pickled red onions, fennel, and grated Parmesan \u2014 all tossed in a bright lemon vinaigrette \u2014 was phenomenal.<\/p>\n Shaun Tolson<\/p>\n Tacos at Tingum on 5<\/p>\n Speaking of tacos \u2026 On a recent visit to the Abaco Club in the Bahamas, I heard talk of a taco truck parked out near the beach, just beyond the golf course\u2019s fifth hole. I also heard that those tacos had a cult following amongst the club\u2019s members. Frankly, that was all I needed to hear. <\/p>\n Hopping in my golf cart, I coasted down the front nine. It took a bit of time \u2014 I drove for almost a mile and a quarter \u2014 but I eventually arrived at the Tingum food truck. If I didn\u2019t already have tacos on the brain, the cheese-crusted lobster quesadilla almost assuredly would\u2019ve ended up on my plate. But I reminded myself that the truck\u2019s tacos were the treasure. <\/p>\n Classic options like grilled chicken and blackened fish were juxtaposed by more creative offerings, such as buffalo shrimp (with pickled onions, jalapeno ranch, and coconut slaw) or dry-rubbed flank steak (with fried cherry peppers and a cheesy crema). The steak came recommended by the cook, so that settled it: two steak and one blackened fish. Both were as good as the hype and proved some things are worth going the extra mile for \u2014 literally.<\/p>\n The Saint James Cocktail<\/p>\n While staying at the Abaco Club, I saddled up to the bar in the private residential community\u2019s new Bay Club. I immediately spotted a familiar bottle \u2014 St George Spirits\u2019 Aqua Perfecta, a basil eau de vie that\u2019s delicious but, in my experiences at home, somewhat challenging to mix with. I asked the head barman, James Vil, how he typically incorporates it into drinks, only to discover he hadn\u2019t attempted to use it yet.<\/p>\n One sip of it later, he was willing to give it a whirl.<\/p>\n Try these 6 delicious twists on the classic Transfusion cocktail<\/a><\/p>\n By:<\/p>\n Vil pondered for a moment, then broke out a cocktail shaker and promptly poured in two ounces of the vexing eau de vie, which immediately surprised me. (On the spirit company\u2019s website, the few cocktail recipes that use Aqua Perfecta never treat it as the foundational spirit. Not Vil. He was going to make it the star.) The young bartender then added an ounce of lemon juice, half an ounce of blackberry liqueur, and a quarter ounce of agave nectar.<\/p>\n After vigorously shaking the concoction, he extracted a small sample to taste test, then double-strained the rest into a coupe glass and pushed it my way. \u201cLet me know what you think.\u201d<\/p>\n Sweet and subtly tart, the sour-style cocktail was pleasingly herbaceous, albeit in an understated way. It seemed the perfect libation for an early evening in the Bahamas. \u201cIt\u2019s good,\u201d I told him, nodding as I took another sip.<\/p>\n \u201cNow you have to name it,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n Fortunately, I came upon it almost as quickly as Vil settled on the drink\u2019s recipe. \u201cThe Saint James,\u201d I declared.<\/p>\n He smiled.<\/p>\n Negroni at the Orient Express La Minerva<\/p>\n If nothing jumps out to me on a cocktail menu, my go-to drink order is a Negroni. It\u2019s been that way for years. I love a good old-fashioned, but I\u2019m particular about how they\u2019re made, and, if I\u2019m being completely honest, I make a damn good one at home. So I\u2019m picky.<\/p>\n A Negroni<\/a>, on the other hand, is almost foolproof. Equal measures of gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari, the ratios are straightforward and consistent. Sure, I\u2019ll lean a little more into my gin pour when I make one at home, but a standard Negroni is never going to disappoint.<\/p>\n So, you can imagine my delight when my host at the Orient Express La Minerva in Rome asked if I\u2019m a Negroni fan. The La Minerva bar, he told me, makes the best one in the city; and a specific brand of vermouth is the bar\u2019s secret weapon.<\/p>\n How to make a perfect Negroni, according to a cocktail expert<\/a><\/p>\n By:<\/p>\n![\"Isabella's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Isabellas-Kitchen-pork-Milanese.jpg\")
\n The Pork Milanese at Isabella\u2019s Kitchen is served in a generous portion.<\/p>\n
\n ![\"Transfusions](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Transfusion-cocktail.jpg\")
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\n Shaun Tolson <\/a><\/p>\n
\n ![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/negroni.jpg\")
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