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Masullo Pizza is my idea of the perfect pizza place in the U.S.—the servers are friendly, the interior is stylish, the food honors what is local and seasonal, and the pizza is outstanding. Robert Masullo, the owner, takes pizza seriously, using a combination of expert technique and carefully picked ingredients to create beautifully simple and delicious pizzas. Greatness continues with the rest of the menu: the appetizers, salads (which change with what’s in season—I was once told that the oranges were from his friend’s tree), desserts, and selection of local wines and beers. Their freshly baked bread (shown above) is sold at nearby Taylor’s Market. I have loved Masullo since it opened about 5 years ago. Then again, I love just about anything from Italy—especially authentic Italian pizza. Masullo Pizza is located in the cute Land Park neighborhood just south of downtown. Outdoor seating is available. Open all day 11:30-9:00 on weekdays (until 9:30 Fridays) and 5:00-9:30 on Saturdays. Closed Sundays.

This airy, elegant Richmond eatery celebrates the fusion of French and southern-central Vietnamese cultures in its look and menu. Chef/owner Lan Do and her team painstakingly bake baguettes daily and simmer beef bones for 12 to 15 hours for the pho stock, enriched by onion, ginger, shallots, star anise, cinnamon and cardamom. Another standout: the banh khot, petite savory rice crepes tinged with turmeric that cradle shrimp. Finish with macrons and a TWG tea from Singapore. Note: Bánh Mì Très Bon has slightly elevated prices for a restaurant tucked near the Walmart Super Centre, but that’s only because it sources as locally, sustainably and organically as possible—the same nutritious food Do would serve her own family.

Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market is crammed with 120 vendors, butcher counters, bakeries, ethnic eateries, and seafood shops. But there’s one reason why most people come here: the peameal bacon sandwich, which is dished up at the Carousel Bakery. It’s not really bacon—or at least not the bacon you usually eat—but rather tender, thicker strips of pork, cut from the loin and then rolled in peameal (like cornmeal but made from peas), and served on a kaiser roll with a swipe of mustard. It’s a porklicious treat!

Bar Basso is one of the oldest cocktail bars in Milan. It’s appeared in many films and is a piece of history in the city. It’s always been a privileged meeting place for designers, journalists, artists, and writers. Here you can taste the best international drinks dipped in a real atmosphere of an Italian bar. Between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., the Milanese file into their neighborhood bars and fashionable watering holes. They elbow their way to the bar and partake in one of the city’s long-held social traditions: the aperitivo. Strictly speaking, an aperitivo is a pre-meal drink served to whet your appetite or, as the Italians say, to “open your stomach,” commonly with drinks such as Campari and orange juice or Cinzano on ice.

Husband-and-wife team Genevieve Gergis and Ori Menashe are behind Bestia, an Italian haven that consistently ranks high on local “best of” lists. The decor follows the name—which translates to “beast” in Italian—with its wall of weapons and meat-hook chandeliers. There’s no wrong choice on this menu, but the roasted marrow bone and alla ‘nduja pizza are favorites for first-timers. Without a reservation, expect to wait at least an hour, even on a weeknight. If you’re looking to dine in a big group or want a primo time slot (7 p.m. on a Saturday night, say), then you’ll need to plan ahead and make a reservation at least a month in advance.

Picky eaters should make a beeline for eco-friendly Baked in Telluride, where menu offerings include gluten- and dairy-free cakes and cookies, plus traditional deli counter delights like Reubens bursting with enough pastrami to power you through an afternoon of black-diamond skiing. Don’t leave without trying the puff-pastry vegetarian burrito or a slice of the sourdough-crust pizza.

Perched high above the Bay of Positano, Il San Pietro is the epitome of Italian seaside glamour—the hotel has attracted a coterie of international VIPs since its opening in 1970, including Gregory Peck, George Clooney, and Julia Roberts—but retains the charm of a family-run inn. Michelin-starred Zass restaurant culls ingredients from the property’s organic gardens, which spill down to the sea across 10 terraces teeming with local produce, and rooms feature custom ceramic tiles made in local factories using traditional techniques. If the 400 steps down to Positano’s only private beach sound daunting, an elevator cuts through the rock to water level, where tangerine loungers on the stone sundeck give way to a cove with sandy shores. Here, breezy Carlino restaurant serves up lemon spaghetti beneath a cheerful thatched roof. Prefer more active endeavors? Hugging the cliff face above, seaside tennis courts serve up sets with a dazzling view.

Gothic and grand, this 18th-century former nobleman’s home stands proudly on the banks of the Grand Canal in the San Marco district. Venetian-born owner and interior designer (among her many talents) Francesca Possati has restored this historic home to its regal glory. She has worked with local artists to breathe new life into original woodwork, ornate trompe l’oeil ceilings, and silk wall hangings, resulting in a once-again polished and posh palazzo. The distinctly Venetian rooms—many with canal views—are styled with rich fabrics, bold wall coverings, and pristine period antiques and illuminated by Murano glass chandeliers. Of course, they’ve been updated with the latest modern perks (like Italian marble and whirlpool tubs in the bathroom).

Stroll the art-filled hallways, splurge for a tasting menu at the elegant restaurant, and watch the gondolas float by from the red-awninged terrace. La dolce vita, indeed.

Chef Cristian Angiolin heads up the kitchen at this Venetian lagoon institution, which is open year-round except for January and Tuesdays. The restaurant is no longer a part of the Cipriani franchise, which began in Venice and has since expanded to places like New York and Miami.

What you come here for is the restaurant’s garden, which is open from late spring to early autumn and is one of the best places in the lagoon to visit with a large group of friends and celebrate into the evening. The bartenders make the best negronis and have an extensive wine list that includes pours from most regions on the Italian peninsula. If you don’t want to be marooned on Torcello Island, come for lunch. But it’s another one of those amazing dining spots with rooms, so that if you do come for dinner and miss the last boat back to Venice, you can always check into the hotel.

The front section of this small spot was crowded with locals having a quick drink and a plate of cicchetti. We had reserved one of the six tables in the back. The menu, written on a blackboard, was all almost all unknown to me. Thankfully my Milanese traveling partners were there to translate. We ordered plates of baccala manecato and polenta, a Venetian style fish lasagna, and a seafood pasta. All washed down with jugs of a cold local white.

Family style restaurant where you can sample virtually everything on the menu. Salad sampler, pasta sampler, meat sampler. GET IT ALL

If you go south along the shore, past Miraflores and Barranco, you will reach Chorrillos. While not part of many tourist itineraries, it’s a quaint, off-the-beaten-path seaside area offering marvelous ocean views and sandy strolls. It’s also great for real-deal ceviche, sold right on the beach at cute, family-owned stalls. You can’t taste fresher seafood, but since these kitchens are not the gleaming steel labs found in upscale eateries, be sure to patronize places where you see lots of locals lining up. Bird-watchers love Pantanos de Villa, a wildlife refuge in Chorrillos that’s home to more than 170 avian species.

The kitchen at this elegant Thai restaurant, complete with lotus pond, at the Siam Kempinski Hotel makes everything fresh and by hand, including the fish sauce and prawn crackers. Interestingly, Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin was founded by Henrik Yde-Andersen, whose Thai eatery in Copenhagen, Kiin Kiin, has earned a Michelin star. And so did the Bangkok restaurant for its creative approach to modern Thai cuisine and ten-course tasting menus that use Thai flavors and modern gastronomic cooking techniques in tastes such as basil foam and frozen red curry.

Set halfway between the old town and “newer” neighborhoods like Ville Nouvelle, this 40-acre urban resort perfectly marries historic details with cosmopolitan style. Surrounded by views of the Atlas Mountains, it features a collection of low-slung buildings, set around Moorish-style gardens and two glittering swimming pools (one is family-friendly with integrated whirlpools, while the other is 131 feet long and only for adults). Other amenities include clay tennis courts, dedicated programming for both kids and teens, and a gorgeous spa for Moroccan hammam rituals and nourishing argan-oil massages.

Catering to all types of travelers, the 139 accommodations range from spacious rooms in the main building to standalone pavilions, one-bedroom suites, private-pool suites, and villas with two or four bedrooms. All feature contemporary décor, handcrafted Moroccan accents, marble bathrooms, modern conveniences, and terraces or patios with views of the gardens or mountains. The poolside Azzera restaurant serves everything from flame-grilled meats to Thai papaya salads for lunch, while the romantic Inara lounge features cocktails and Moroccan cuisine made with herbs and spices from the resort’s gardens. Also on-site is Quattro, which serves a buffet breakfast in the morning, then morphs into an elegant Southern Italian eatery for dinner.

This historic bakery in Campo de’ Fiori serves good pizza bianca and excellent pizza rossa, as well as assorted slices, cookies, and pastries. The neighboring annex across the alley (Vicolo del Gallo 14) serves sandwiches and baked goods. Drop in during August and September for a taste of the seasonal treat pizza prosciutto e fichi (pizza bianca filled with savory slices of prosciutto crudo and sweet, overripe figs).