After a Monrovia hiatus of several months, I’m back on the scene, ready for the rainy season and a continuation of culinary adventures. To ease my return, the first column of my second Monrovia stint will be confined solely to the pleasures of the luscious libations at The Living Room, the rooftop bar at the Royal Grand Hotel.
Amidst Progress, America’s Chief Africa Diplomat Warns of Economic & Security Challenges
The US State Department’s chief diplomat for Africa, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, delivered an address entitled ‘Securing a Peaceful and Prosperous Future for Liberia’ yesterday at the African Methodist Episcopal University. Thomas-Greenfield served as the US Ambassador to Liberia from 2008–2012 and began her remarks by noting, “Every day since I left, I’ve missed Liberia.â€
OP-ED: Is George Weah the Hillary Clinton of Liberian Politics?
Although presidential elections in the United States will take place nearly a year before those in Liberia, one would not know by the political jostling and cabinet resignations presently shaking up Monrovia.
OP-ED: How to Write About Liberia – The Financial Times Example
A recent “Lunch with the FT†piece, featuring an interview of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by David Pilling, the paper’s newly minted Africa editor, stands out as a sterling example of the failure of international journalists to capture the complexity and diversity of influences that shape Liberian society.
Does an Anonymous Restaurant Offer the Best Value in Monrovia?
Just behind the wall at the turn to Bernard’s Beach, between President Sirleaf’s house and the CDC headquarters lies a restaurant, which in my opinion offers the best value for your money in all of Liberia.
A Forgettable Evening at the Usually Solid B. First
I had been to B. First Restaurant at the corner of 13th Street and Payne Ave a few times before. A sign denoting specialties covering the cuisines of seemingly half the population of the world – India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh – beckoned. On previous visits, I ate mutton biriyani, shrimp fried rice, butter chicken, paleek paneer, and other standard Indian fare. The portion sizes shamed Mama Susu, and everything tasted pretty good.
Language Barriers and Basketball Bonding at the Congo Town Back Road Chinese Restaurant
I had heard good things about the spot from the only two people I’ve known who had been there, one of whom was Chinese. While the restaurant didn’t exactly disappoint, I think my visit was a classic case of unduly raised expectations.
Flying Higher than Expected at L’Avion
For a year, I had thought that the restaurant sandwiched between the UNMIL outpost, and the Spriggs Payne Airport was no more. Thanks, however, to the invitation of an aviation executive (the most distinguished of any of my dining companions since I’ve initiated these reviews), I discovered that I had been misinformed.