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Donald Link’s “swine shop” (part wine bar, part butcher, part sandwich spot) is a meaty addendum to the Cajun chef’s pork-centric Cochon (around the corner). You can’t go wrong with the always-on-the-menu muffaletta or the pork belly on white bread with cucumber-mint salad and chili-lime aioli, but, on my most recent visit, I opted for the Gambino. Link’s take on the classic Italian sub is a serious undertaking with three types of house-cured meats—coppa, cotta, and soppressata—plus arugula and a herby vinaigrette on perfectly crunchy ciabatta.

Among the sleek high-rise buildings of El Golf, right off the Plaza Peru, is Tiramisú (aka Santiago‘s best pizza). If you are yearning for an authentic, Italian pizza with thin crust, buffalo mozzarella, and primo ingredients pull up a chair. Always buzzing with a long wait for tables at lunch and dinner, this family-run establishment starting 12 years ago with only a dozen or so tables--and is now over 132. Besides pizza, the large salads, calzone, and bruschetta are delicious. Isidora Goyenechea 3141, almost corner Augusto Leguía Norte (Metro El Golf) Phone: 56 (2) 2519 4900

Madrid’s multi-level Mercado San Anton is a sight to be seen. Rows of gorgeous produce, local specialties, Italian deli favorites, briny seafood and locally-farmed meats line the perimeter of each floor, each stall more enticing than the one before it. Even better, its high tables and counters make it well-suited for a quick bite and glass of wine. For a relaxed sit-down meal, head up to the restaurant on the rooftop terrace and finish off the evening with a drink in the lounge.

With soaking tubs and smart TVs in every room, Hotel Ivy is sleek and sophisticated. In addition to the stylish rooms, the subterranean cocktail bar (Constantine) and coastal Italian restaurant (Monello) are hip destinations in themselves, with renowned local chefs and bartenders from Borough and Parlour at the helm.

Local designer Yobe names men’s and women’s frames after glamorous, made-up personalities. Pentagonal lenses are Dorothy’s trademark; Debbie’s are round. This appeared in the May 2015 issue

Fondazione Prada reopens its Milan exhibition space in a 205,000 square foot space designed by OMA (by Rem Koolhaas). Prada always has the most engaging shows-- getting the best of contemporary art.

Country kitchen and slow food oasis in the middle of Milan. This is the place where you will want to have your Sunday, especially if the weather is good and you can get an outdoor table. Cuisine plays homage to Lombardy’s best and favorites, using only locally sourced products.

Domenico Ghirlandaio’s beautiful fresco representing the Last Supper is one of my favorite paintings in Florence, and luckily, most tourists ignore it, so you may find you have the place to yourself.

Easy beach access and a laid back vibe.

Hotels often say they’re “steps from the sand,” but here, it’s actually true. Location is everything at Malibu Beach Inn; it’s right on the water, with all of the 47 guest rooms and suites overlooking the crashing surf from private balconies, and a few hundred meters from the historic pier. There are about eight steps from the hotel’s restaurant terrace to its private stretch of beach underneath, where guests can order a chicken club sandwich or a glass of wine from the extensive list to enjoy on loungers.

The hotel changed hands in 2015 and has since been re-imagined by L.A.-based interior designer Waldo Fernandez; rooms and communal spaces alike feature purpose built, hand-made white oak furniture and furnishings that make clever use of space. Our suite had custom built liquor shelves tucked into a tiny corner alcove. Across the hotel, artworks include prints by Donald Sultan and Jasper Johns.

The rooms are designed to evoke a private beach house. And as you drift off among Italian linens, gazing at the stars and lulled by the white noise of never-ending waves, it’s easy to dream.

While traveling through Italy, my art history professor booked us students into religious colleges and convents. Wether it was to save money or because she thought osmosis would occur and our knowledge of Venetian Religious Art would be enhanced, I am not sure. However, as a non-religious person I really didn’t mind staying in a space dedicated to Christianity. The rooms were clean and the breakfast conversation was as interesting as the breakfast itself. But there is Wi-Fi, serene areas to write, relax and take in the sounds of the connecting church and the location is ideal for any traveler looking to explore a part of Venice that many tourists don’t see. The view from your room won’t disappoint either, and unlike hostels, for some reason I just felt like my stuff was safer with the prying eyes of Mother Mary, the crucifix adorned in every room and paintings of Don Orione looking over you.

The indoor dining room and lounge and outdoor patios surrounded by greenery at this chic waterfront restaurant in Brickell are elegant, and pretty much every table has an paralleled view of downtown Miami and the bay. The menu is Italian-influenced and consistently good, and the service is always on point. Lighter dishes made with quinoa and vegetables are on offer, along with favorites such as fried chicken and beef short ribs.

Work your way from Excelsior’s top floors (slinky Chloé dresses, Balmain leather jackets) to the main floor (watches, speakers, a sea of colorful iPad cases), then down to the subterranean floors for the impressive wine shop and restaurants.

My friend Andy says you can’t go to Milan without having an evening in Brera, the tiny artsy area adjacent to Milan’s fashion center. Bar Brera is the hangout of choice for expensive liquor and people watching.

Milan invented the art of bel cafè, the pedicured bar for a delicious morning coffee or afternoon aperitivo. Passerini has a delicious selection of pastries for mornings and afternoons, and is the ideal hideaway for an aperitivo in the city center.

Artist Dan Flavin’s last installation is the Church of Santa Maria Annuciata in Chiesa Rossa, fondly known as simply Chiesa Rossa. Flavin’s light installation is a technicolor dream of electric hues across the main nave and central apse.