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El Morro means “hill” and from the top of this one, you’ll be able to take panoramic photos of the port, city and valley of Arica. If you’re keen on military history and, in particular, the relationship between Chile and neighboring Peru, the on-site museum is likely to be of interest. There’s also a tomb of the unknown soldier and a gigantic Chilean flag at the top of the hill.

High-elevation baking might not always (ahem) rise to the occasion...but at Clafoutis, the French family that owns and cooks at this bakery/restaurant has acclimated perfectly to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. While it might be hard to tear yourself away from red-and-geeen-chile-on-everything while in New Mexico, if you do want to take a break from capsaicin for your morning eats, this is the place. Just to the northwest of the city’s historic core, Clafoutis is one of Santa Fe‘s morning institutions. You can get things to go, but if you wait for a table, you’ll be served café au lait in a bowl along with “Bonne Maman” jams to transform perfectly-textured baguettes into “tartines.” “Bonjour” greets you as you walk in the door, and your eyes will feast on the piles of pâtisseries beckoning from the counter. My wife and I had one of the best chausson-aux-pommes--in or out of France--that we’ve ever tasted. And, in a nod to local tastes, they even offered green chile to go with les oeufs... Be forewarned, though--parking is extremely limited, and weekend mornings are formidably popular. Un peu de patience: so worth the wait!

A modest, friendly family establishment (serving since 1963) where locals and visitors-in-the-know visit for flavorful James Beard award-winning New Mexican cuisine including carne adovada with warm, marinated roast cubed pork in a brick red chile sauce.

Plate-sized, Pop Art–colored lollipops. Candied and dried fruits rolled in chile powder. Crackling peanut brittle stippled with sesame seeds. Gelatins of every conceivable flavor. Names you can’t pronounce, much less decipher, even if you speak Spanish fluently. The Mercado de Dulces, a specialty section within the Merced Market, is a delight for all ages. More than 150 vendors hold down stalls selling dulces del país, candies made in Mexico. Even if you prefer savory over sweet, a turn through the market is an enjoyable experience.

Yes, New Mexico actually has an official “state question"--since 1996, referring to the ubiquitous chile sauce, it’s “red or green?” Fortunately you don’t have to choose just one; the local way to say ‘can I have both’ is just one word: “Christmas.” If you’re driving through New Mexico on the way to Arizona and points beyond, the only town of any size on I-40 between Albuquerque and Flagstaff is Gallup. For road-trip food here, get away from the Interstate and its humdrum chain restaurants. Seek out Jerry’s--a block off old Route 66. You can’t miss the retro neon sign, and there’s often a line out the door for its New Mexico-style fare. Gallup is surrounded by Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni lands--you might well be one of the few non-Native-Americans eating here at breakfast or lunch. The restaurant allows local vendors to come in and show their wares--usually jewelry and bracelets--while you eat. (You can request a ‘do not disturb’ sign for your booth if you want.) “Hole in the wall” gets overused, but Jerry’s definitely fits that description. Nothing pretentious here--but the flavor of the chile sauce is as good as you’ll find in Albuquerque or Santa Fe. A recommendation: the flat cheese-and-onion-enchiladas, topped “Christmas” style with a fried egg on top. And don’t forget to sop up the sauce with the sopaipillas, saving some of the frybread to top with honey as a dessert afterwards...

Check out the rocking, hip and popular Cowgirl, a melding of Texas BBQ and New Mexico flavors and Old West style. Early evening, there’s happy hour including cheap, tasty margaritas. At night, patrons kick up their heels to live music. There’s a big patio outside for plenty of sipping.

Since 1983, Santacafé has been a culinary destination for the chic lunch set (Tom Ford is a fan). Opt, as they do, for eclectic “classics” like crispy calamari with four-chile lime dipping sauce, shrimp and spinach dumplings with tahini sauce, or the homemade pasta of the day. Come summer, the large patio is bustling, while in winter, guests are ushered into the minimalist-yet-cozy dining room, made warm with fireplaces and cool with taxidermy.

coffee in Santiago is even worse than in Paris (if that can even be possible?) but lucky for picky people like me, Wonderful cafe makes a very respectable + smooth cappuccino. It comes with latte art as well. Light lunches and other foods (i.e. bagels) are also available. Located in the up-and-comng Lastarria neighbourhood. You are welcome!

After five days of cooking classes--learning from Estela Salas Silva and Jon Jarvis how to make typical Poblano dishes including sopa de tortilla, crema de chile Poblano soup, tamales, tinga, sopes, pipian verde and pipian roja, mole Poblano, chipotles en conserva, ensalada de nopalitos, and more--the payoff includes a diploma, a loose-leaf folder of recipes, and a deeper knowledge of central Mexican cuisine, culture, and history.

On a walk through Oaxaca‘s Centro Historico any evening, you’ll come across carts selling steaming corn. Order an elote and you’ll get the corn on the cob on a wooden stick. If you request it “con todo,” the vendor will squeeze some lime juice on it, slather it with mayonnaise, and add crumbled cheese and chile powder. If you prefer your corn in a cup, ask for an “esquite” and you’ll be served a cup of corn with the broth it was cooked in, and the garnishings will be added on top for you to mix in. Any way you like it, this makes a great snack to eat while you’re enjoying the street scene.

If you find yourself staying at Hotel Las Alcobas on a Saturday, ask staff to point you in the direction of Parque Lincoln (Lincoln Park), just a three-minute walk from the hotel, so you can stroll through Polanco’s Saturday tianguis, or street market. Tianguis are a beloved tradition in Mexico City, and many neighborhoods, including Polanco, host these weekend markets. At a tianguis, you can find everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to “fast food” snacks, from tacos to tropical fruit adorned with lime and chile. Prices are more than reasonable and the scene is entirely local. It’s a perfect way to spend part of your Saturday.

The Corral family’s second and third generations are behind the wheel at Los Olivos, a restaurant set in an old adobe-style building in Old Town Scottsdale. In fact, it’s a family affair from top to bottom – an uncle handcrafted the Spanish chandeliers, cousins greet you at the hostess stand, and an old family friend is the one to thank for those freshly made flour tortillas. For a delicious dose of patriotism, try the Mexican Flag enchiladas. It’s a 3-in-1 dish that comes with a red-sauce beef enchilada and two cheese versions; one topped with sour cream and the other with green chile peppers.

The beach town of Pimentel, near Chiclayo (on Northern Peru’s desert coast), is known for its family-run beachfront cevicherias. These restaurants have immediate access to fish straight from the sea. Ceviche is eaten only for lunch in the north - so make your visit in the afternoon. Northern Peruvian ceviche is prepared with paper-thin sliced red onions, chile peppers, large chunks of fresh fish and lots of lime juice. The fish gets cooked by the lime juice on the outside, but stays raw on the inside. Fishermen in Pimentel still use the tule reed boats of their ancestors, which you’ll see on the pier and on the beach. The malecon (an ocean front promenade) is lined with decaying stately homes.

No apologies for screen-staring while you eat or drink here: Insert Coin is all about ingesting entertainment from the multiple arcade games, PlayStations, and Nintendo systems while sipping a novelty drink like a Dive the Tower or a Kong Blast, or munching on the restaurant’s snacky menu. Use the on-table consoles for free as long as you are consuming. Fridays and Saturdays get so busy you might have to wait for a game-equipped table.

For a relatively quiet town, Tlaxcala (population 73,000) boasts a booming and bustling municipal market that can occupy you for hours. Under the modern cantilevered metal roof you’ll find perhaps a dozen stalls making tortillas on the spot, and scores upon scores of vendors selling cooking utensils, dried chiles and beans, shoes and clothing, souvenirs, fresh vegetables and meats, and more. We picked up a pair of comals and a couple of wooden spatulas for the pesos equivalent of a few dollars. The market is just a short walk from the town-center zocalo, where you can take a break on a bench under huge shade trees or settle into one of the cafes that border the square.