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I’m not one for posting food photos, but I had to make an exception for this one. I was seated at a table at the Le Puy bed and breakfast in Newberg, OR. As this wonderful dish was placed in front of me, the innkeeper informed me that the eggs used to prepare this meal were taken from the farm right out the window. Now, I’ve heard the phrase “farm to table,” but I’ve never eaten a meal where I could actually SEE the farm FROM my table. Breakfast was great, and I applaud the innkeeper and the chickens.

Every city has an eatery that’s a mainstay for shoppers, and in Milan, it’s the tony Brera neighborhood restaurant Convivium. House specialties include complimentary rosemary flatbread, four-cheese pizza, and sea salt−encrusted sea bass for two. Via Ponte Vetero 21, 39/02-8646-3708.

Brasswood Bar + Kitchen is part of Brasswood Estate, a sprawling complex at the north end of St. Helena, comprises a winery, tasting room, restaurant, café, art gallery, and bottle shop. The property was formerly known as Cairdean Estate but was rebranded in 2016. Like many eateries in Napa, this one features local bounty—produce and protein grown in Napa and surrounding counties. Executive chef David Nuno specializes in Italian cuisine, so everything has a bit of a Mediterranean flair. In the restaurant, the duck Bolognese, with duck from Sonoma, is rich and savory; the herb-crusted lamb chop is made with local lamb, as well. The artisan bakery serves food in a less-formal setting; here, pay for your white corn soup or mushroom salad at the counter, and enjoy it by the fountain on the plaza outside.

On arrival at Terranea, it’s natural to release a big, tension-melting sigh. The resort occupies 100-plus acres along the bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, providing expansive views of the Pacific and a sense of spaciousness that’s rare in the city. The Mediterranean-style resort hotel spent $40 million in 2017 to upgrade the property, which includes 582 guest rooms and suites, eight bungalows, four swimming pools (take the kids to the 140-foot waterslide at the Resort Pool), and one acclaimed golf course. At its upscale wellness-minded spa, ingredients grown on the grounds go into the treatments, which are designed and timed to improve the body’s circadian rhythm.

Pure pampering aside, regulars return in part for the unparalleled access to dozens of postcard-pretty hiking trails, including a naturalist-led walk (there’s also a falconry program). One of the resort’s nine restaurants can meet virtually any craving that hits, but the mar’sel‘s scallops with basil risotto should be non-negotiable. Pro tip: Book a visit in December or January to watch the sun rise and set from the same vantage point—and maybe even spot some humpback whales.

Superstar chef Ed Kenney tucked his fourth restaurant inside the Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club, a funky Waikiki outpost that pays homage to the area’s 1960s scene. The eatery sits beside the pool, where period films screen (sometimes against a background of live music or a DJ spinning albums). The vibe hits all the right notes, from the Hawaii Potters’ Guild bowls to the custom Tori Richard fabrics for the banquette cushions. Kenney—a five-time James Beard Award semifinalist—serves elevated home cooking that draws upon the best of local farms as well as sustainably caught seafood. Fan favorites include a tangle of bright veggies topped with perfectly charred he’e (octopus) and deep-fried avocado on tacos with smoked yogurt, shishito peppers, and pickled red onion.

An edgy crowd gathers at Szimpla Kert, a wacky ruin pub in the old Jewish Quarter. On entering, you’ll be overwhelmed by the maze of rooms, where you might find recycled computer monitors, towering piles of books, hookah pipes, or live music. Bars throughout pour beer and, of course, shots of pálinka.

XBB, as locals call it, occupies a remodeled and brightly furnished former gas station in the Elliotborough neighborhood. Catering to its surfer clientele with Nicaraguan beer, the spot also offers a constantly changing menu of authentic Asian fare. Order the Vietnamese-style shrimp toast, a purée of local shrimp, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, lime leaf, and chilies spread on baguette slices, then pan-fried—crispy and satisfying.

The beach town of Pimentel, near Chiclayo (on Northern Peru’s desert coast), is known for its family-run beachfront cevicherias. These restaurants have immediate access to fish straight from the sea. Ceviche is eaten only for lunch in the north - so make your visit in the afternoon. Northern Peruvian ceviche is prepared with paper-thin sliced red onions, chile peppers, large chunks of fresh fish and lots of lime juice. The fish gets cooked by the lime juice on the outside, but stays raw on the inside. Fishermen in Pimentel still use the tule reed boats of their ancestors, which you’ll see on the pier and on the beach. The malecon (an ocean front promenade) is lined with decaying stately homes.

The Great Market Hall in Budapest should be any visitors first stop in order to get acquainted to the people, goods and grub of Hungary. The market is one of those strange places that caters to both locals and tourists alike without losing its authentic appeal. Under one roof you can by meats and sausages, Royal Tokaji wine, paprika, hot Hungarian favorites, such as Goulash, an assortment of pickled vegetables and fresh produce. The upper floor has small eateries, where you can sample a variety of Hungarian favorites for very little money.

The centerpiece of the city’s emerging Vulkan neighborhood, Oslo’s very first food hall is a culinary utopia. Let your nose guide you to one (or five!) of 27 eateries peddling everything from cupcakes to tapas to bento boxes. Can’t decide? Stop at the Torget stall and order the Taste of Mathallen menu to sample mind-altering dishes from the hall’s best restaurants. The communal wooden benches in the center of the hall encourage sharing, so you and your friends can divide and conquer. Finish your visit with a craft beer in the basement pub Smelteverket, which features Norway’s longest bar.

Seattle’s most iconic restaurant has earned its laurels, reinterpreting Pacific Northwest classics like bonito with chrysanthemum and sea bean caper, and ricotta dumplings with mustard, rapini, and stinging nettles. in 2015, a young hotshot took the helm: Brady Williams, formerly from the two-Michelin-star Blanca in Brooklyn, New York. He ditched his goal of playing professional hockey to cook—and, boy, has it paid off! Among other distinctions, he was anointed a finalist for Rising Star Chef of 2017 by the James Beard Foundation (the year it won “Best Wine Program”). Reserve ahead and break out the grown-up clothes to check out his masterpieces, served high on Queen Anne hill overlooking the seaplanes and sailboats gliding on Lake Union.

The first Taiwanese restaurant to earn a fancy-pants Michelin star, this steamed dumpling and noodle chain gets rave reviews from Seattleites and reviewers alike. Long a staple of nearby Bellevue, Din Tai Fung has finally crossed Lake Washington to establish a Seattle outpost and and added a second option at Pacific Place shopping center (600 Pine Street). Go for the scrumptious, pillowy xiao long bao (Chinese soup dumplings), of course, but don’t neglect the rest of the menu. Standouts include sweet taro buns, vinegar-laced wood ear mushrooms, and sautéed mustard greens with shredded ginger, along with the red bean sticky rice wraps for dessert.

Don’t expect to find any Beijing residents on Wangfujing Snack Street, home of spiders, scorpions, starfish and pretty much anything else that can be skewered and cooked. This is firm tourist territory, a place for visitors to test their mettle when it comes to snacking on creatures that have six or eight legs or float about in the sea. It’s almost a rite of passage, to experience foods that most locals would turn their noses up at, and one that usually ranks among the top memories of a trip to Beijing. Scorpions on a stick seem to be particularly fascinating to visitors. In fact, during the Beijing Olympics it would have been easier to make a list of the visiting journalists who didn’t write a story about them. But, and this seems to be rarely mentioned, not everything on snack street has a ‘Man v. Food’ feel. The stalls offer far more identifiable snacks. Fried dumplings. Steamed buns. Mountains of noodles. Jellied acorn and chestnut. Corn. And given the overall cleanliness of the spot, perhaps due to its high tourism profile, it is generally safe to eat here. So, don’t feel you have to stick to the scorpions. The steamed buns will do, too.

Sonny’s has been open since 1944, making it the second oldest continuously operating eatery on Galveston Island. Hit it on a Friday gumbo night if you can, which comes in your choice of shrimp, crawfish, or both. Sonny’s may seem like a hole-in-the-wall, but don’t let that scare you off. It’s just old school and really friendly seafood place. Photo via galveston.com

The Alley on Bitters is a great place to wander. It occupies the land where a 19th century dairy farm once stood, and there’s still a great deal of character and old school charm. Meander past arts & crafts shops, antique dealers, and boutiques, and maybe even stay for a meal at Meadow Neighborhood Eatery + Bar, which serves seasonal Texas and Southern dishes.