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For the most authentic Mexican food in Laguna Beach, head to Carmelita’s, where the kitchen works tirelessly to prepare each dish from scratch using as much local produce as possible. On the menu, diners will find favorites like made-to-order guacamole and fire-roasted street corn alongside traditional options like veggie-stuffed poblanos, carnitas tacos, and tampiqueña (skirt steak served atop enchiladas with guacamole). Pair it all with handcrafted margaritas in flavors like pomegranate, cilantro-cucumber, and pineapple-jalapeño and you might just find yourself planning a trip 85 miles south to the border.

It’s the chef who has carte blanche at this aptly named eatery, which feels more like an intimate dinner party than a restaurant. There’s just one seating each evening (except Sunday and Monday) for 14 guests, who each take a spot along the curved bar facing the open kitchen. Chef Dennis then prepares and plates a five-course tasting menu before diners’ eyes, with dishes changing nearly every night. Expect anything from ceviche as an appetizer to seared beef tenderloin for a main course, plus creative desserts. Note that Carte Blanche cannot accommodate vegans or vegetarians.

Dinner at The Kitchen Table is best described as a “culinary journey.” Here, the experience of lingering over seven to eight courses is limited to just 16 diners a night. Meals begin with a sunset cocktail, during which guests are encouraged to mix and mingle. Then, it’s time for artfully presented dishes made with local ingredients and homegrown produce. The dynamic menu changes often but usually includes standbys like salt-cured tuna with native greens and Creole sauce, and black salmon topped with mango chutney, saffron sauce, pickled squash, and curried popcorn. Vegetarian menus are also available.

After helming Woodfire Grill, starring on Top Chef, and writing his first cookbook (which was nominated for a James Beard Award), chef Kevin Gillespie opened Gunshow in 2013. He named the spot after a Sunday tradition with his father but created an entirely unique concept for the menu, combining elements of Chinese dim sum and Brazilian churrascaria. Here, diners pair small plates like Japanese bacon-and-shrimp pancakes, Caribbean red snapper crudo, and Southern-style banana pudding with quirky cocktails, made with ingredients like asparagus vodka and shishito syrup. Popular with locals, Gunshow is also a favorite of celebrities, so make a reservation to avoid waiting.

You can find this Shanghai stalwart just around the corner from the Portman Ritz-Carlton, plying eager diners with prototypical Shanghai dishes around the clock (and all-you-can-eat dim sum on the weekends). Locals here tuck into hairy crab soup (the crab comes from nearby Yangcheng Lake), lobster fried rice, sheng jian bao (pan-fried soup dumplings), Shanghai crispy duck (an umami-packed take on Peking duck), and, from the dim sum menu, fresh tofu vegetable rolls. If you’ve got limited time and want to taste both Shanghainese classics and proper dim sum, Lynn is the place.

Prague’s Grand Café Orient is the only cubist-designed space of its kind in the world. It occupies the first floor of the House of the Black Madonna, designed in 1911 by modernist architect Josef Gočár. Renovated in 2005, the spacious café retains the original silk-shaded hanging brass lanterns and marble-topped buffet-bar. Diners can enjoy such menu highlights as Prague ham and apple strudel or tartar of smoked salmon with black caviar and lettuce, and then visit the Museum of Czech Cubism upstairs.

The recreational park, located at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino, is filled with fun family-friendly things to do. The park is divided into four sections: An aquatics area, a playground, an indoor sports facility, and a game-infused restaurant. At the Aqua Park you’ll find a pool, three slides, lounge chairs and wacky sprinklers, while the playground allows children to test their physical capabilities through rope and climbing challenging. For those wanting to play sports, indoors you’ll find basketball, badminton, tennis, and volleyball. Visiting the Recreational Park’s American Diner doesn’t just mean delicious food, but also bowling, pool, video games, and a movie theater. Note: This attraction is open only to guests staying at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino or The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort.

My everyday diet goes off the rails when I visit Montreal. This is my favorite food town in the world, and I often begin an adventure with a visit to Patati Patata. Poutine for breakfast isn’t a healthy option, but the beer I drink with it has plenty of organic ingredients, so it’s basically a wash. I’ve made plenty of photographs in this place, but I thought this shot of one of the cooks prepping a takeout box perfectly captures the atmosphere; there’s nothing quite like waiting for that first bite. Don’t be put off by the lines; this diner is a Montreal institution, and a joint you can’t miss. But I do suggest you punch a new hole or two into your belt.

Félix Meana and Katie Button, veterans of elBulli in Spain, converted Asheville’s former downtown bus depot into a stylish tapas bar. Cúrate means to cure oneself, which diners can do with traditional Spanish dishes such as Catalan sausage bocadillos, codfish salad, and honey-drizzled fried eggplant. This appeared in the July/August 2012 issue. Read Emma John’s feature on the North Carolina bluegrass scene.

The “new” Testaccio Market opened in a modern building next to the Ex-Mattatoio (former slaughterhouse) in the summer of 2012. The space was much larger than the original market, which meant there was plenty of room to grow new businesses, especially “fast food” stalls. While dining at the market is prevalent in many cities, Rome never had such a thing before Testaccio opened stalls like Mordi e Vai (meatball sandwiches).

There’s a lot that makes Shutters on the Beach special, starting with its location—it’s one of only two Santa Monica hotels right on the beach (the other is Mediterranean-inspired Casa del Mar, the sister property next door). Shutter’s waterfront spot gives it a palpable sense of place—especially when you’re sipping something sparkling in the hotel’s updated courtyard, listening to the waves or the Saturday brunch jazz ensemble. The design by White House decorator Michael S. Smith takes its cues from Cape Cod, with blue and white interiors and floor-to-ceiling shutters opening up to ocean views.


The 198 guest rooms and suites—many with balconies—and all feature sunken Jacuzzi tubs. In the summer, life revolves around the beach here, and an activity center is well-stocked with boogie boards, beach cruisers, and umbrellas. The pool is heated year-round, with curtained cabanas and superb guacamole served at the pool bar. Come winter, the main lounge is the beating heart of the resort. The fireplaces crackle as bartenders serve up drinks from a hearty whisky, wine, and cocktail menu; the couches are so comfy, the kiddos might curl up and fall asleep as the folksy duo on duty plays an acoustic nightcap. This is laid-back luxury at its best.



Don’t forget to spend some downtime at the serene ONE Spa, or dine on blue crab and hamachi crudo at the higher-end, coastal California restaurant, 1 Pico. Pro tip: You don’t need to step far from your room to soak in some culture. The hotel has a noteworthy art collection, with pieces by Ellsworth Kelly, John Baldessari, and William Wegman, among others, on display throughout the property.

Founded in 2015 by three childhood friends from Georgia, Down the Hatch brings a Southern twist to the aloha spirit. The classic watering hole serves shrimp po’boys, chicken and waffles, and Mexican-inspired fare like seared ahi tacos, but the real draw is the cocktails, which range from tiki favorites and Moscow Mules to craft libations like the Snake Oil with gin, dragon fruit, lilikoi kombucha, and CBD oil. Featured on Guy Fieri’s Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Down the Hatch also boasts the longest happy hour in Maui. It takes place daily from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and features specials on appetizers, draft beers, and select cocktails.

Nick’s is a Southern California institution, with coastal locations in Long Beach, San Clemente, Manhattan Beach, and Pasadena. The Laguna outpost has the others beat, however, thanks to its perch just across the street from Main Beach. Diners can head here after a long day in the sun for delicious takes on classic American dishes, from buttermilk fried chicken and San Francisco cioppino to rib eye melts and cheeseburgers with Thousand Island dressing. Whatever you choose, pair it with a house cocktail (you can’t go wrong with the jalapeño-watermelon margarita) as you watch the sun set over the Pacific.

Located along the Great Smoky Mountains Arts & Crafts Community route, this iconic spot has been a local lunch favorite for more than three decades. The homey log-cabin interior spills out onto a dog-friendly patio surrounded by forest, where diners enjoy light, healthy fare like seasonal veggie platters, lobster pie, and a signature chicken salad. Inspired by Alpine teahouses in Austria and softened with Southern hospitality, the Wild Plum has proved a hit—advance (not same-day) reservations are highly recommended unless you want to wait for a table. Visitors should also note that the last seating of the day is at 2:40 p.m.

Chef Darren Walsh has come a long way since the 2001 New York Times review in which food critic William Grimes wrote that his Manhattan restaurant, Papillon, served “two-star food in a no-star setting”—all the way, in fact, to Guadalajara. The Irish chef, who trained in France and headed restaurants in New York, brings all these cultural and culinary influences—and many more—to Lula Bistro, where his food and presentation finally achieve parity. Diners can look forward to a seasonal, modern European tasting menu, complete with French-meets-Mexican dishes like beef filet, duck confit, and octopus, as well as a sophisticated wine list with several Mexican vintages.