It is almost universally accepted that the Hamburger is America’s favorite food! John Mariani takes us through the good and bad of the burger along with a fascinating historical journey to look at our beef (or other ingredients) patties. In search of the perfect burger? You gotta watch this! For more on John Mariani go … Read more
The Restaurant & The Actor Our virtual Gourmet promises more than a restaurant review in this video. In discussing the popular actor, Chazz Palminteri and his self named restaurants, John Mariani leads us inside the workings of that whole celebrity restaurant trend, how it works and why it sometimes fails. The restaurants in this case … Read more
Despite having been published in newspapers and top magazines internationally for decades, as well as his own popular online newsletter, “The VIrtual Gourmet,” and appearing as a regular expert in streaming video for Celebrating Act 2™, John Mariani recently started his own radio show! It airs weekly on a local Westchester County, NY station and … Read more
Whether it’s a holiday get together, a dinner among friends or a special occasion, It’s always a good idea to bring a gift for the host or hostess. John Mariani knows some of the social pitfalls awaiting those guests who may be unaware or uncaring and offers many excellent ideas in this video. You don’t … Read more
No one appreciates the legendary excellent taste in food and adult beverages of 007 than the Virtual Gourmet, John Mariani. Not only a fan of the original books by Ian Fleming but of the long running movie series, At the urging of John Coleman and Art Kirsch of Celebrating Act 2™, John analyses both the … Read more
OK, Sure, Buffalo wings originated in Buffalo–but Which restaurant? And what’s the story behind them? The Virtual Gourmet, John Mariani, takes us for a culinary tour of the USA to all the original places responsible for classic American fare such as CheeseSteak, the PoBoy; Irish Coffee; Bananas Foster; Boston Cream Pie and more. Filled with … Read more
World Traveler John Mariani recommends visiting France again–COVID restrictions have lessened and tourism is low. Watch as John explains all the reasons to see France now and why he exhorts travelers to not get bogged down in Paris when the country is so large and inviting! While THe Louvre and Notre Dame may be Must-See, … Read more
Looking for some scenic fall travel in the Northeast? Travel and Food writer John Mariani tells Celebrating Act 2™ about the joys and wonders of the Mystic CT area. It’s quaint, historic and bucolic –all while offering lots of great inns and hotels and wonderful food! For specific tips and places to go watch this … Read more
Fall seems to bring more holidays that are celebrated as FEASTS than any other time of the year! Celebrating Act 2™ asked John Mariani for some ideas on great wine to go with holiday meals and seasonal cuisine. Of course he did not disappoint. You’ll get some great ideas about food and wine from John’s … Read more
It’s controversial, and it’s unique to the U.S.! So Why do we do it? What’s a ‘fair’ tip and does it really stand for “To Insure Promptness? These and many other aspects of tipping are explored in this free ranging discussion about the practice of tipping our servers in restaurants! It’s the kind of talk … Read more