Search results for

A short walk from Oliwa Cathedral lies the veritable pierogi paradise Mandu. Pierogi are a sacred part of Polish cuisine—a simple dish that everyone remembers from childhood, usually with a hint of nostalgia—and Mandu respects that tradition while also devising new, creative variations. In addition to classics like minced beef with onion and bacon, Mandu serves international versions such as spicy, deep-fried Korean dumplings with pork, tofu, kimchi, ginger, and leeks. Everything here is made fresh to order, meaning you might have to wait during busy times. Instead of getting impatient, use the few extra minutes to watch the skilled cooks work in the open kitchen.

For one of the best restaurant views you’ll ever enjoy, head to L’Orangerie at the five-star hotel Bastide de Gordes. Here, you can dine on the garden terrace or open-air veranda with breathtaking vistas over the Luberon Valley. The menu features traditional Provençale dishes, providing flavors—and prices—to match the elegant setting. Start with a salad of chilled watermelon, feta, mixed greens, and fresh mint, followed by roasted cod with squid ink spaghetti. The Grand Marnier soufflé with bourbon-vanilla ice cream will set you back around $20, but there are few places you can savor dessert in such extraordinary surrounds.

At this colorful eatery in San Nicolas, the owner, chef, and namesake crafts piquant sauces to accompany a variety of fresh seafood and meat. The curry goat-and-chicken roti (spicy stew wrapped in flat bread) is a top choice, as is the fried red snapper with Creole sauce. Shrimp with red beans in garlic sauce also can’t be missed. The atmosphere is as friendly and laid-back as one would expect in a Caribbean family home. Just don’t ask Kamini for recipes—her sauces are closely guarded.

This family-run bakery has been making cantucci (what you might know as biscotti) for decades. The clan’s patriarch, Roberto, mixes and rolls everything by hand in the back, using a recipe that he knows by heart—ask, and he will happily show you the original recipe, now splattered with egg whites and cocoa. Roberto’s delicate cantucci are far from the tooth-cracking kind sold at many places. If you are really lucky, a fresh batch of the dark-chocolate-and-pistachio variety may have just been pulled out of the oven when you arrive.

Via Tornabuoni, one of the most elegant streets in Florence, is lined with many imposing Renaissance palazzi, including a 15th-century beauty owned by the Antinori family, the famed wine producers. The ground floor of Palazzo Antinori is given over to a refined restaurant with a formal dining room—think starched linen tablecloths and waiters in white jackets—suitable for the aristocratic atmosphere. The kitchen relies on ingredients from the family’s estate, so the menu is limited, seasonal, and fresh. Not surprisingly, the wine list is deep, with a selection of super Tuscan blends and wines from the Antinori cellars.

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.

After helming two restaurants in Los Angeles, native Santa Fe chef John Sedlar returns to his grandmother’s New Mexican cuisine at Eloisa. The whitewashed, minimal, brick-exposed space serves as a temple for savory empanaditas, sopes, tamales, posole, tortillas made with fresh masa, and creative jicama and guacamole tacos with flower petals. To sip, tequila and mezcal cocktails are crafted by Dede Roybal, a bartending genius. You won’t be disappointed. All dishes are expertly and artistically plated. Afterward, stretch your legs walking around downtown Santa Fe—Eloisa’s locale couldn’t be any more convenient.

This cavernous brewpub has a wide-open kitchen, a long bar, tall communal tables, and a patio shaded by live oaks. If you can, grab a seat at the chef’s counter and watch the team spread creamy aïoli on locally made rye bread, topping it with pickled shrimp, vegetables, fresh herbs, and chervil leaves. The beer selection is unparalleled in Charleston, with the restaurant’s own brews ranking among the city’s finest local offerings.

They also now have a second location at 1505 King St. #115, Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. & Taproom, which is a casual restaurant and the location of their brewing facilities.

Located on the beautiful white sand beach motu, this is Maupiti’s swankiest pension with spacious bungalows decked out with modern conveniences like air-con and televisions (rare for Maupiti still). The location, on a small strip of beach, offers blue-green lagoon vistas amid rows of swaying palms -- the water is very shallow here so swimming isn’t so great, but hop in a house kayak and take yourself to deeper waters. Airport transfers, kayaks and snorkels are free. Also opt for the full-board option as the owner is an excellent cook, specializing in French meets island dishes including excellent fresh seafood.

Über restaurateur Michel Péclard made waves in Zurich when he took over the iconic Café Schober in the Niederdorf a few years ago. In 2012, Péclard set his eyes on another classic establishment, Milchbar, which had sat tucked away in a quiet square off of Paradeplatz for over three decades. Now in its new incarnation near the Zurich Opera House, the café is as alluring as ever with Edison bulbs hung from the ceiling, long wooden communal tables, single origin coffee and super smooth espresso made with an exclusive blend by Fresh Coffee in Rüschlikon.

The recipe for the delicious, tiny truffle-cream sandwiches at atmospheric old Procacci is a guarded secret but, oh boy, are they good, especially when accompanied by a glass of prosecco. Smart Florentine ladies-who-shop flock here for a pit stop between purchases, but it’s also popular for an early-evening aperitivo. Procacci is additionally one of the few places to buy just-harvested truffles in Florence: look out for them in November and December. Heap truffle shavings over fresh, buttered taglierini pasta or a simple scrambled egg—after only one bite, you’ll understand the attraction to these precious, musty-smelling delicacies.

Pokhara, located in the center of the city, has one of the best ambiences around. The quintessential European café, with a touch of Paris and a touch of Spain, it attracts a younger, hip crowd. Don’t expect food beyond the obligatory croissants and tortilla española, but do try their carajillo. They put special care into this boozy alchoholic drink. First vodka or whisky (your choice—but choose whisky) is set aflame. Then a shot of espresso is pulled while the bartender whips body into cool, fresh cream. All of this goes into a glass to form the carajillo, one of the most delicious drinks known to man.

Located on the island’s unassuming south coast, down a street that doesn’t even have a name (which isn’t uncommon in Barbados) sits a little beach bar called the Carib. Wander up to the wood deck and smile at the Bajan waitress pulling double-duty behind the Mt. Gay Rum-lined bar, as she waves her hand at you, the universal sign for “just sit anywhere.” Pull up a non-luxurious plastic chair and soon you’ll find a cold Banks in your hand (the local brew - about the color of a Bud Light but with much more flavor) and a plate of steaming Bajan food on its way. The Carib, which I eat at almost daily during my time in Barbados (I’ve been to the island seven times), has the best flying fish on the island. Order yours platter or sandwich style, with sides of cou cou (a local dish about the consistency of mashed potatoes) and salad. Be sure and start your meal with a basket of pipping hot fish cakes - also the best on the island. Luckily when you’re done with lunch and ready for a nap, the beach is a few steps away. Grab a chair and an umbrella for $10 U.S. for the entire day. You probably have the beach to yourself, until school gets out when the local youth will stop by for a dip in the ocean and maybe a game of cricket.

My wife, Robin, and I have been camping, fishing, and hiking in the Lakes Basin area, near Sierra City, since we met. These days, our usual home base is a tiny log cabin at the edge of Packer Lake, pictured here. From trailheads around Packer you can hike to many other lakes--Saxonia, Deer, Lower and Upper Tamarack, Young America, Upper and Lower Sardine. Most of the hikes are relatively easy, and on some trails you’ll rarely encounter other hikers. In early October 2007, a brief, unseasonable storm passed through and carpeted the area with an inch or two of snow, which made for an especially invigorating walk along the Pacific Crest Trail to the lookout at the top of the Sierra Buttes.

Head chef Matt Clarke has created a rare gem in this southerly city. With a recently refurbished contemporary dining room and bar overlooking Stanley Harbour, the Restaurant at the Malvina House Hotel champions high-quality local ingredients. Clarke specializes in fresh fish and chargrilled meats, though the menu extends to such interesting options as upland goose pâté and reindeer. The fish & chips, fried local squid and duck confit are among the most popular dishes at this casual eatery.