New experience at a classic Fort Lauderdale steakhouse

Weston, Fla. - August 06, 2009 - Ireland's Steakhouse at the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center & Spa is bringing a new experience to the South Florida area. Through August 2009, the AAA-rated Four Diamond restaurant, known for its prime cuts and fresh seafood, is offering hand-selected dry-aged steak flights. For $54 per person, guests receive three 6-ounce cuts of USDA Prime New York Strip, which have been dry aged for 21, 30 and 40 days.

"The concept of offering the same cut of beef with three different age factors allows diners to compare the difference in texture, flavor and moisture content," said Carlos Morales, Hyatt Regency Bonaventure F & B director. "By offering this affordable option, Ireland's has created a unique way for guests to experience the highest grades of meat with a whole new approach."

Headed by Executive Chef Bob Axenfeld, the culinary team at Ireland's Steakhouse is continually crafting new dishes that fuse traditional technique with innovative concepts, like Southern Fried Ahi Tuna, Lobster Fries and Beer Can Chicken. Ireland's Steakhouse, which recently launched an upscale menu for children, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling 954-349-5656 or by visiting www.OpenTable.com.

Cricket, to many Americans, is a baffling sport, slow-paced and governed by incomprehensible rules. But in New York City, where the game is played in a half-dozen amateur leagues, mostly by people of Caribbean and South Asian descent, it is organized around a principle that will make sense both to aficionados and to those who can’t tell a wicket from a tickle: Fandom has its rewards.

“Very often, if you go to a cricket match and attach yourself to one of the teams, you will be given food at the end of the day,” said Joseph O’Neill, whose novel “Netherland” centers on an immigrant New Yorker’s scheme to build an international-level cricket stadium. Fans, he pointed out, are “not very numerous,” so the players happily share their spicy chicken or goat curries “as a matter of courtesy.”

Bring along a bottle of rum to share, Mr. O’Neill added, and “very quickly, you will have a party on your hands.”

For frugal sports fans, there may be no better introduction to the diversity of New York.
DESCRIPTIONLibrado Romero/The New York Times Cricket in Van Cortlandt Park.

But cricket — which you can watch most Sundays at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, at Marine Park in Brooklyn and at the Staten Island Cricket Club (check www.newyorkcricket.com for details) — is just the tip of New York’s minor-sports iceberg.

Forget big-league baseball, ice hockey, football and tennis: they’re overhyped, overcrowded and expensive. All over the five boroughs, decidedly urban games like handball and stickball are as popular as ever, imports like cricket and rugby are flourishing, and even Ping-Pong is surging.

Best of all, these games cost nothing to watch, almost nothing to play and will often lead tourists and residents alike into corners of the city they might otherwise never see.

IT may seem too early to be planning a 2010 vacation, but travelers who want to see the Winter Olympics in Vancouver this February or cheer their favorite soccer team at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa next summer had better get going.
Readers' Comments

Share your thoughts.

* Post a Comment »

Despite the recession, demand is high for both events, making tickets hard to come by and sending prices for any remaining hotel rooms soaring. But travelers can still watch their teams compete if they’re willing to be flexible, spend a little more money and make their travel plans now.

In general, the easiest option is to work with one of the official tour operators designated to sell hotel and ticket packages. It is also a sure way to find a hotel room when most are already sold out and to have someone to contact who understands the ins and outs of these sporting events in case something goes awry.

Let’s start with the 2010 Winter Olympics. CoSport is the only company authorized to sell Olympic tickets in the United States, and right now they’re sold out of them. While there is a chance that some tickets will be released this fall, the only way to get them now is by purchasing a travel package. A recent search on CoSport’s Web site pulled up several packages, including $5,136 a person for three nights at the Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside Hotel and a choice of three events including the coveted Feb. 12 opening ceremony.

What if you’ve already booked a hotel room or are staying with friends, and just want tickets? Scalping is technically legal in Vancouver, and while the Internet is rife with scalpers, buyers run the risk of getting counterfeits. One alternative: Ask a Canadian to buy you a ticket this fall, when the next batch of tickets is released.

Have tickets, but don’t have a place to stay? Nearly every hotel room in Whistler, downtown Vancouver and many of its suburbs are already taken by corporate sponsors, Olympic athletes or dogged fans. But some options remain for those who want to be in the thick of things — just be prepared to pay upwards of $600 a night or sleep in quirkier places.

The booths open at different times depending on the day of the week. The best time to go to the Times Square booth, in terms of evening performances — if you want the shortest wait — is probably 5:30 or 6 p.m. Really anytime after 5:30 there’s never a line. Most people get there when we open so the lines are longest then. That’s also when we tend to have the most shows available. There’s also a play-only line at the Times Square booth. There are hardly any lines for that.

Weather is tricky. On a beautiful Saturday afternoon people want to hang out in Duffy Square so it will be crowded. When it snows there won’t be a line. On a cold rainy day you won’t have a line. Fall through spring, the weather can make a difference.

When you’re talking about the satellite booths, because they are smaller and not centrally located, the lines are always shorter. The lines in Brooklyn are the shortest. Erik Piepenburg