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The minute you walk into the Hotel St-Martin Montreal, you’ll know it’s something special. You’ll notice the warm welcome, the “at-your-service” attitude, and the gorgeous decor. The hotel, despite a successful recent history, began controversially. It’s built where a legendary smoked-meat restaurant once stood. Mind you, the restaurant had been closed for several months before it was destroyed and upgraded into a 4-star hotel, but many locals held on to the thought that it was intrinsic to the Montreal identity and shouldn’t have been replaced, even though the building was rapidly decaying. To those folks I would say: Spend a night at the St-Martin, and see for yourself. As a Montrealer, I say that it was good for the city. The hotel’s restaurant, L’Aromate, can get quite busy at lunch and during happy hour, which proves the menu is as delightful as the ambience. And the brunches are particularly tasty.

When visitors to Belgium ask me what to eat here (besides the inevitable chocolate, waffles and frites), my reply is always stoofvlees (unless they are vegetarians!). Stoofvlees, or carbonnade a la Flamande as it’s called in French, literally translates to ‘stew meat.’ Essentially, it is cubed beef, stewed in Belgian beer for so long it melts in your mouth. It’s typically served over mashed potatoes or Belgian fries and it is hearty, heavy and heavenly. In the city centre, not far from Grand Place, is a great place to try stoofvlees, called Cafe Novo. This colourfully quirky Belgian cafe always has an eclectic crowd. The menu is varied and caters well to vegetarians (the falafels are great!) as well as carnivores. Cafe Novo is open every day (a rarity in Brussels) and is great for a late Sunday brunch. They have a small but sunny back garden that books up quickly. Thursday evenings Novo hosts ‘cocktail concerts’ so you can enjoy a bit of live music as you dine.

Just through the heavy wooden doors of this Sichuan pop-up-turned-brick-and-mortar is the Pour House, an always-busy music venue where early evening soundchecks often fill the dining room with drum and bass noise. Even louder are the explosive flavors on the plate—the kitchen is unrepentant about not toning down the spice on the Sichuan beef and Yu Xiang pork slivers. For the full lip-numbing cocaine-face experience, start with the dry-rubbed Shaoxing chicken wings, which balance sweet, salty, savory, and spice with plenty of crunch. A few noodle bowls are adaptable for the more spice averse, but this is a place for adventurous fire hounds. On Sundays, brunch offers one of Charleston’s only dim sum experiences, including plenty of dumplings, scallion pancakes, and turnip cakes. After a meal, head to the Pour House deck for free daily concerts by local bands, before bigger-name bands take the indoor stage at night.

This upscale property opened its doors in 1927 and, since then, has hosted some of the city’s most prized names in art, film, music, and politics. The Lowell’s location, down the street from Central Park and surrounded by Upper East Side luxury, is just one of its draws, however. The other would be its dedication to home-away-from-home living—more than 14 rooms boast landscaped terraces with sweeping city views, while 33 feature wood-burning fireplaces. Among the 74 total rooms, there are even five specialty suites designed to resemble Manhattan apartments, complete with special touches like de Gournay wallpaper and a library of Assouline books. Additionally, a fleet of dining options greet guests upon arrival. For French classics, stop at Marjorelle, and when it’s time for high tea, pay a visit to the Pembroke Room, a European-inspired salon perfect for a fancy breakfast or weekend brunch.

One of the newer boutique inns to emerge in the Catskills, this 11-room property is a gorgeous mix of old-fashioned elegance and urban styling. Guests can expect classic features such as stone fireplaces and sheepskin rugs along with a glorious hodgepodge of vintage sofas, Moroccan tiling, and framed butterflies. Rooms feature white walls and matching linens, with pops of color in the form of grass-green rugs, tufted velvet chairs, bright wallpaper, and serene, forest-inspired art prints. Just be aware that about half the rooms—specifically, those on the third floor of the old house—share common bathrooms. There’s also a cottage with three bedrooms and its own kitchen, where guests can bring their pets provided they let the owners know ahead of time. Don’t miss the Sunday brunch served in the intimate Bar Room—one of the inn’s owners is a chef by profession, and his culinary artistry gets consistently rave reviews.

Continue west beyond Boulder’s iconic Pearl Street walking mall, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by incredible restaurants. New to the block is Bartaco, a fun, hip South American–inspired eatery that always seems to be hopping; while there might be a wait for a table, keep an eye on the first-come, first-served bar seating. Choose from unique taco flavors like glazed pork belly with arbol chili sauce or tamarind-glazed duck, and sides like a spicy cucumber salad or fresh pineapple with lime—and make sure to save room for the fresh, hot churros. The Kitchen, self-described as an American bistro, is one of the fancier, albeit relaxed, eateries, offering brunch, lunch, and dinner that have been sourced as much as possible from local farmers. For delicious pub food, jump into the classic West End Tavern. Burgers, beers, ribs, BBQ, and more make this a place to satisfy everybody.

The Hall family’s restaurant empire includes SNOB, High Cotton, and steakhouses in three cities, but this Upper King headquarters is where their pride in hospitality is most prominently on display. Diners are greeted upon arrival and bade farewell upon departure, often by one of owner Bill Hall, Sr.’s sons. The bartenders are equal parts warm and professional, but the real star is the meat. Halls’ menu includes dry-aged cuts and a massive wet-aged porterhouse, all sourced from Chicago’s acclaimed purveyor, Allen Brothers. The Chophouse is not haughty, however—there’s a kids’ menu, and most diners aren’t dressed for white tablecloth environs. Sunday’s popular gospel brunch features live singing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On weekdays, it’s worth a happy-hour swing-through for a glass of whisky or wine among the city’s top businessmen and power brokers, who mingle in this stately wood-and-leather classic Charleston spot.

This designer budget hotel, set in a former brothel, is the brainchild of Andre Saraiva, a graffiti artist and nightlife entrepreneur who worked with Parisian artists and designers to pull off an edgy balance of style and substance. Rooms, which are on the small side, are painted in unconventional palettes and decorated with graffiti, and curated flea market and auction finds, vary in their level of provocation, though each could double as a contemporary art gallery installation or soft-porn concept store. While traditional services are nonexistent, the hotel is perfectly located for exploring SoPi, the more upper-crust residential part of the 9^th arrondissement just south of the transvestite cabarets and tourist zones of Montmartre, where classical mansions and 19th-century buildings are being colonized by young Parisians and expats opening bars, restaurants, vintage shops, and fashion boutiques. The restaurant that occupies most of the lobby and garden is a perennial favorite among Parisians of all ages for dinner and Sunday brunch.

The bold color palette of this reimagined motel reflects the hues of 14 different desert wildflowers. Nearly every room has a balcony or patio and art installations and photography from local artists can be found throughout the hotel. The young crowd hangs by the pool, which has two hot tubs and a poolside bar. The Saguaro also has two restaurants: El Jefe offers small plates inspired by the street food of Mexico City, while Rocco’s Electric serves Mexican-inspired brunch every day.

A pioneer of the East Nashville restaurant scene, Margot McCormack created this stylish spot in a repurposed service station in the heart of East Nashville’s Five Points long before the area was considered a destination for fine dining. The Nashville native, who moved away for the Culinary Institute of America and a stint at restaurants in New York City, serves from her collection of mismatched china in a cozy space with copper pots hanging from exposed brick walls. After more than a decade, the restaurant remains a favorite for dinner and Sunday brunch. The menu changes daily, but entrées might include pan-roasted scallops with parsnip purée, baby carrots, and preserved lemon, or house-made fettuccine with butternut squash, walnuts, and goat cheese.

The terraced organic garden that steps down the hillside in front of the Stanford Inn (above Mendocino Bay) provides some of the vegetables and herbs for the innovative cuisine in the hotel’s Ravens’ Restaurant. A stroll through the farm, with a visit to the donkeys and horses and llamas, helps work up an appetite for the vegetable-based whole-food meals that raise the bar on all-vegan fine dining. Innkeeper Jeff Stanford puts his ethics on the plate: Vegan for both health and philosophical reasons, Stanford collaborates with certified nutrition consultant Sid Hillman and the Ravens’ chefs to create dazzling meals, including one of the most innovative and tempting brunch menus I’ve ever encountered. The Inn, a large boutique hotel with panoramic ocean views, an organic farm, luxury amenities, and a bookstore and wine shop, gains additional points for being dog-friendly--even in a special dining area.

The Phoenix, a little slice of paradise on the edge of San Pedro, features more modern architecture than most buildings in town, as well as modern amenities. Rooms are one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom condominium suites that feature luxurious eat-in kitchens, bathrooms with walk-in showers and Jacuzzi tubs, large living rooms and laundry facilities. Each suite also has a balcony or patio, and almost all suites are just steps away from one of the pools which are the focal point of the resort. The larger main pool cascades into a shallower lower pool and is saline chlorinated, as is the 55-foot-long lap pool. A pool bar is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Red Ginger restaurant is open daily for breakfast lunch and dinner as well as brunch on Sunday afternoons and serves a tapas menu on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. There are also business services, an on-site spa, and fitness and yoga centers. Rates begin at $325 per night during low season for a one-bedroom beach view suite.

Chile en nogada is a poblano chile pepper, stuffed with peccadillo (shredded meat, aromatic diced dried fruit and spices), topped with a walnut-cream sauce and pomegranate seeds. This dish from Puebla is not often found on menus of Mexican restaurants in the U.S. It’s not even that common south of the border, except during the August-September season surrounding Mexican Independence Day. If you’re in downtown Tucson, however, you can try it at Penca. In a repurposed space with exposed brick and hip cocktails, this restaurant is also a worthy destination for brunch or late afternoon tacos. Choose from carnitas, fish, lengua, cabeza, nopales, carne asada, and more. The corn-tortillas are handmade right after you place your order. (The tortillas alone are almost worth the trip.) Mexico City is the inspiration. The food is fresh, and the scene is full of optimism: downtown Tucson is reinventing itself with a new streetcar for a live-work-play vibe. Taste and see how this desert city continues to evolve. (Penca has recently been named one of the best bars in the country. Start your meal here with a creative cocktail!)

This casual, open-air restaurant sits above an untouched stretch of Laguna Beach—and capitalizes on that beautifully. Floor-to-ceiling windows encircle the dining room so it appears to be floating above the ocean, all the better to watch the sunset while eating hand-shucked oysters and sipping Rum for Your Life cocktails. Chef Rainer Schwarz’s menu centers around seafood, prepared with a range of international influences—Spanish octopus is grilled with chickpea puree and zahtar, and lobster stars in a spaghetti carbonara. The spot draws a stylish crowd not just for dinner but also weekend brunch, with a must-try version of eggs Benedict (made with Berkshire ham and blood-orange hollandaise, plus steak or crab). While waiting for a table, sidle up to the Stateroom Bar, the former home library of Old Hollywood actor Slim Summerville, for artisan libations heavy on fine bourbon and whiskey. Pro tip: Locals know best, and they can’t get enough of the whole fried branzino, served with roasted shishitos and ponzu sauce.

Anywhere breakfast is served all day usually scores in my book. At Caficultura in Old San Juan, the food is “farm to table” and is as delicious as the creative menu sounds. In addition to the mostly healthy options, the highlight is the maple syrup made with rum, and coconut milk–dipped french toast topped with coconut shavings. The atmosphere was pretty cool—large black chandeliers hang from large wooden beams, and the picture windows face Plaza Colón outside.


Definitely a cool local place to stop into and grab a coffee or brunch while sightseeing throughout Old San Juan’s historic district.