M2 Travel Boston Sunday Globe DECEMBER 9, 2018 The Concierge TIPS FOR TOURING HERE AND ABROAD cclaimed actor, Dorchester native, and for- mer bad-boy rapper Mark Wahlberg founded Wahlburgers restaurant in 2011 with two of his nine siblings, teen idol Donnie Wahlberg, a member of the ’80As band New Kids on the Block, and Paul Wahl- berg, now the chef at his family’s Hingham Italian restaurant, Alma Nove. With 27 Wahlburgers in the United States (the first in Hingham) and two in Canada, the burger chain will join competitors like Shake Shack and Five Guys when it jumps across the pond this coming spring. But it’s not going just KIERAN KESNER anywhere in England. The Wahlberg brothers have chosen to make their British debut in London’s West End theater district of Covent Garden, which until recently was fairly seedy but now harbors luxury hotels like One WAHLBURGERS Aldwych, Tiffany and Apple stores, and cocktail bars like Champagne + Fromage. “We created Wahlburgers in hopes of sharing some of our favorite foods and recipes that we grew CROSSES THE POND up with,” says Paul Wahlberg, “like my Mom’s Slop- py Joe, my Dad’s fries — and to give people a com- fortable, friendly place to enjoy great food with By Victoria Abbott Riccardi | Globe Correspondent their friends and family. Of course, one of my favor- ite foods has always been burgers, so that’s a bonus for me!” Sweets range from frappes and floats to cupcakes In addition to single, double, and triple Angus and the Grilled Fluffanutta (sliced banana, peanut beef burgers (composed of brisket, short rib, and butter, marshmallow creme, and Nutella), while Above: chuck), the London menu will sport a turkey burger the drink menu features wine, beer, and cocktails, a BBQ bacon and the veggie-based Impossible Burger. Wahl along with boozy dessert frappes. burger at Sauce (a spicy blend of mayo, ketchup, and caramel- The Covent Garden location has two levels with Wahlburgers. ized onion) comes with most burgers, along with a massive video screens throughout to “beam in” variety of toppings, including Government cheese, Wahlberg family members for live greetings or From left: the orange American-style processed cheese the special wishes on occasions like birthdays. Donnie, Paul, Wahlberg clan grew up eating. If you can’t get enough of the Wahlbergs, watch and Mark There will be sandwiches and hearty salads, too, “Wahlburgers,” an A&E reality show now in its Wahlberg. like smoky bacon and arugula salad available plain ninth season offering a behind-the-scenes peek of or topped with chicken or fish. Unique to the Lon- the Wahlberg trio building their burger empire don location will be batter-fried fish and chips, with guest appearances from their mother, Alma, meat pies (a beloved British staple), and a fried other siblings, and Southie pals. chicken sandwich. For kids, there are mini burgers and grilled Victoria Abbott Riccardi can be reached at cheese sandwiches, along with sides like Tater tots. [email protected]. HERE THERE Complete the route in four, five, six, or — easy to do, even with gloves on — seven nights. Rates start at $905 (four and then slide out the two trays, load WORCESTER’S ART COLLECTION GETS SEE FRANCE ON A SELF-GUIDED nights) to $1,360 (seven nights), based skis or snowboards, slide the trays ILLUMINATED ADVENTURE on double occupancy, and include back into place, and close the two top Swing by the Worcester Art Museum Discover France at your own pace as lodging, breakfasts, luggage transfers, bars. The proprietary GripLock rub- to check out “lumina,” a floor-to-ceiling you wander through clifftop and forti- route notes, and other information. ber holds gear firmly in place. Both display in which animated images fied medieval villages in the Dordogne www.onfootholidays.co.uk the mounts and the GRIP bars can be from the museum’s collection are pro- region on a new self-guided tour of- locked using the same key (locks pre- jected onto hanging strips of illuminat- fered by On Foot Holidays. The trip EVERYWHERE installed). Kuat offers two different ed silk. Visitors walk into and through takes walkers through Loubressac, size racks, which let you load four or the silk strips to experience the exhibit. Carennac and Autoire, members of GET A GRIP ON YOUR SKIS six pairs of skis (or two to four snow- See “lumina” through Jan. 20, and Les Plus Beaux Villages de France Forget your roof box this ski season. boards). Extra kudos: It’s a lot less don’t miss the museum’s special pro- (“the most beautiful villages of Kuat’s sleek new GRIP ski rack in- cumbersome than installing a roof grams, including the Salisbury Singers, France”), and along the area’s sleepy stalls in minutes, firmly holds gear in box for your adventures, and easier to Dec. 9 (2 p.m.), the Merrimack Valley byways and backwaters. The journey place, and has an ingenious slide-out store off-season. $349-$398. Ringers Dec. 16 (2 p.m.), the Arms and begins at Beaulieu and then climbs in- tray that makes loading skis and www.kuatracks.com Armor Demonstration, Dec. 15 (11:30- to the hills for four days before travers- snowboards a cinch. The rack’s Flip 12:30 p.m. and 2-3 p.m.), and a Lego under and for those who are ages 7-17 ing the steep-sided valley of the Ouys- Mount System fits both factory and STAY TOASTY WITH THESE HEATED exhibit Dec. 7 through Feb. 1, among on weekends and on weekdays after 3 se River to the end of the route at Bel- aftermarket crossbars: Attach the JACKETS other events. Admission: $14, seniors p.m., including some holidays. Muse- castel. Walkers stay at traditional inns four mounts onto your crossbars us- Take the chill off during your winter and college students with ID; $16, um admission is $25 for those age 18 and small hotels along the route, in- ing the adjustable cam buckle system travels with 8K Flexwarm’s ingenious adults (free first Sunday of every and older. 617-267-9300, www.mfa.org cluding a chateau, and enjoy sumptu- and then install the GRIP bars. Flip heated jackets. These stylish athletic- month). 508-799-4406, www.worces- ous French cuisine along the way. open the well-designed latch handles cut jackets (go one size up than usual) terart.org/events/holidays-at-wam NYC HOTEL OFFERS TOP VIEWS AND have front and back heating zones that LOCATION are powered by a lightweight, relative- MFA SHOWCASES ANSEL ADAMS Stay at a new Manhattan hotel that ly slim 7500mAh power bank that See many of the photographer’s most overlooks the East River and Brook- slips into an inner hip pocket. Press famous prints, from snow-dusted lyn, and features artwork by locally the jacket’s built-in control buttons, lo- peaks in the Tetons to aerial shots of a commissioned artists. The AC Hotel cated next to the left front pocket, and knotted roadway, in the “Ansel Adams New York Downtown just opened on turn on the heating elements, which in Our Time” exhibit at Boston’s Muse- Maiden Lane in Manhattan’s Seaport warm up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit in um of Fine Arts Dec. 13 through Feb. District. Look for the 33-story building six minutes. Or use the Flexwarm app 24, 2019. The exhibition showcases the with the wave-like geometric façade. to control the jacket’s temperature set- black-and-white photos Adams took The 274-room hotel has floor-to-ceil- tings in the three heat zones. The mul- from Wyoming to Los Angeles, the ing windows, a suspended Italian titasking power bank comes with two works of 19th century government marble staircase in the entryway, a USB ports so you can also recharge a photographers that influenced Adams, Spanish tapas eatery called AC Kitch- smartphone or other small device and images by more than 20 modern- en, and the AC Lounge cocktail bar. while on the go. Men and women can day photographers whose photos high- From the hotel, you have easy access choose from a vest, or a jacket with or light the concerns of the environment, to the new Pier 17, Wall Street, Brook- without a hood; boy’s and girl’s jackets land rights, and the misuse of natural lyn Bridge, the National September 11 have no hood. $255-$319 adults; $191 resources as heralded by Adams’ lega- Memorial & Museum, and the World kid’s jacket. www.8kflexwarm.com cy. Free with museum admission, Trade Center. Rates start at $229. 212- which is also free for those age 6 and 742-1900, www.marriott.com/nyclf KARI BODNARCHUK.