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AOC takes a New Nordic–inspired elemental approach to food. Ingredients are sourced locally with a focus on maximizing the complete experience, which includes rich colors, presentation, smells, and flavor. The restaurant is small, with room for roughly 45 people and located in the cellar of a 17th-century building. The design is simple and clean, and it avoids anything that might distract from the food. The restaurant has been awarded a Michelin star. Photo: cyclonebill (flickr)

The most important lesson that I learned from my time in Ljubljana.... is that I love Bosnian/ Serbian food. I may be suffering some serious Ćevapčići withdrawal when I return to Canada. But while the Bosnian excel at food they are masters of coffee. If you end up at Harambasa don’t miss out on the perfect end to a perfect meal...treat yourself to the Bosnian Coffee!

It’s best to follow these lunches on wheels on Twitter, but usually you’ll find them lined up near the L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station in southwest D.C., McPherson Square, Franklin Park, and Farragut Square all in northwest D.C. Popular ones include Takorean, Fojol Bros., Red Hook Lobster Pound, CapMac, Big Cheese, Dangerously Delicious Pies, Pepe, Feelin’ Crabby, DC Ballers, and Carnivore BBQ. You can keep track of all their movements on the Washingtonian’s food truck tracker website, Food Truck Fiesta.

Genuine Magallanes fare such as open-flame, spit-roasted lamb is what you find on the menu at this bucolic oceanside estate on the Eberhard Fjord in Patagonia. Aperitifs in hand, visitors can watch how the flavor-packed food that just keeps coming is prepared, and the service is a paean to Patagonia’s renowned hospitality. Connoisseurs recommend ordering the matambre, an especially tasty cut of beef. Tables hold parties of six or more, and individual diners are seated with whatever group can accommodate them. Reserve on the restaurant’s website (and remember that mobile service can be intermittent in this corner of the planet). Open mid-September to late April.

The largest of Tanzania’s state-administrated national parks, Ruaha is home to the Great Ruaha River, imposing baobab trees, and one of the greatest populations of elephants in any African park. It has few lodges and therefore few tourists. It is also wilder than its close neighbor, the Selous Game Reserve, and boasts a truly authentic safari experience. Night driving is not permitted, nor are walking safaris, generally, due to the large number of elephants here. But hidden away on the Jongomero River in the remote southern area of the park is the Jongomero Camp, which is both fantastically luxurious as well as truly one with its surroundings. It is possibly the best camp in the whole of Tanzania, and its guides are second to none. In addition to the breathtaking campsite itself, it offers “fly-camping” trips on which the adventurous traveler can spend the night under the stars.

A delightful peach-colored villa set directly on Treasure Beach, this Jamaican-owned guesthouse is a gem, and feels more like a vacation home than a hotel. There are six spacious guest rooms and two larger suites, each with their own patios or balcony with a glorious sea view. The interior is intricately decorated with carefully chosen African-themed paintings and sculptures, and the owner—who returned after many years in the US—takes pride in providing true Jamaican hospitality. There’s a bar and no restaurant on site, but that doesn’t prevent the large kitchen and staff cook from taking your daily orders for breakfast and dinner, dishing out excellent local specialties that are served poolside with the sea in front of you. It’s one of my favorite places to stay and get away from it all.

Peru hotly contested a UNESCO recognition of Mexican food as cultural heritage, arguing its cuisine was equally worthy. While diners wait for that second designation to be made, they can drop in at San Miguel’s La Parada—literally “The Stop”—and enjoy a local taste of the Andean nation. Owner Juanito is best known for his ceviche—seafood cured in citrus juices—but also offers Los Fresquitos, coastal dishes served tapas-style; romantics should order the arroz afrodisiaco, accompanied by an artisanal Peruvian cocktail, such as the most authentic pisco sour in town. Visitors dining in large groups often go for the whole tapas menu.

Max’s Wine Dive asks, “Champagne and fried chicken? Why the hell not?!” which pretty much sums up their concept of pairing comfort foods with wine or champagne. This place gets packed at peak hours, yet the waiters stay attentive and friendly. If you want to experience Texas’s “classy comfort food movement,” Max’s is a great place to do it.

It’s a single street after Amsterdam‘s Negen Straats (Nine Streets), but Hazenstraat, the Tiende Straatje (Tenth Street), rates a ten in serious shoppers’ books. Lined with boutiques, cafés and galleries, this cobbled strip in the Bohemian-chic Jordaan begins starts at Lauriergracht, where French urban artist Invader installed one of 26 mini-mosaics inspired by Space Invaders characters. Highlights include: The English Bookshop, as much a literary gathering spot as a place to buy books and DVDs made from them; Petsalon, a hat shop that’s been a Jordaan fixture for 25+ years; Brown Clothes, featuring Kings Road-inspired couture; Joep Buijs’ art studio, with paintings of colorful women, children and dogs; Olivaria, Holland’s oldest olive specialty shop; Coffeeshop Biba, a back-to-the-60s-style smoke shop that’s grown up with the flower children; Chocolátl, a chocoholic’s Nirvana; Cats ‘n Things, for all things feline; Saarein. a bar for all “queer minded people"; La Festa Pizzeria/Bed & Breakfast; ‘t Stuivertje, serving continental cuisine; and Flamework, Daniela Malaica’s glass jewelry shop proffering vibrant necklaces and other contemporary accessories inspired by her African-Italian roots.

New York, Washington D.C., and Chicago get a lot of the good press when it comes to the arts and art museums, but the Detroit Institute of Arts helps Detroit give these cities a run for their money. The diverse collection is spread out over 100 galleries and includes African, Asian, Islamic, and modern and contemporary art (and the list goes on). But don’t ignore the local contributions to the art world. Make sure you take proper time to stand before Diego Rivera’s enormous Detroit Industry fresco to give you some historical context before exploring the rest of the city.

No trip to D.C. is complete without ordering the district’s signature dish, the half-smoke. And while many restaurants serve it, there’s only one worthy of your order: Ben’s Chili Bowl. The popular landmark diner has been feeding the community and cultural icons since the area’s “Black Broadway” days, when jazz greats such as Miles Davis enjoyed this comfort food classic. When riots broke out after Martin Luther King’s assassination in 1968, Ben’s remained open and served both police and protesters. While the U Street Corridor has undergone an urban makeover, Ben’s has remained the same, serving its quarter-pound of half-pork/half-beef smoked sausage on a bun with mustard and onions, all smothered in spicy homemade chili sauce. The prestigious James Beard Foundation even took notice, deeming it one of “America’s Classics.” Bring cash and come hungry.

My guide, Paco, a.k.a. Francisco de Santiago, 46, is a full time tour guide, and also a former child chess champion and bullfighter (“that was many kilos ago”), orders a flight of artisanal mezcal samples at our first mezcalería of the evening, and instructs me on the proper way to taste the purest of agave drinks. “You spread the mescal on top of your hand, like this, then wait for the alcohol to evaporate, then smell it for citric, floral, or smoky tones.” After smelling, a sip, then another for good measure, you take a bite of orange slice dipped in crushed maguey worms and sea salt. After that, we dive into the city’s tacos and street food, beginning our night with two cups of esquite—boiled corn kernels mixed with lime, chili pepper, and mayonnaise, which we bought from a father-son team who have been working the same street corner for 22 years. I booked my 4-hour “late-night taco and mezcal tour” with Eat Mexico Culinary Tours. Francisco de Santiago of Mexico also runs Every Angle Tours ([email protected], tel. 55-2086-0851, $85–145 per person, depending on tour, includes food, beverage, transport, guide); all kinds of specialty culinary tours, or an all-day Frida Kahlo tour of the city.)

Street-food markets are all the rage the world over, and in Vienna you have the chance to visit one that’s been around for many centuries. Built literally over the channeled Vienna River, just beyond the Ringstrasse, the Naschmarkt is devoted to what its name happens to sound like in English: noshing. Whether you order a spicy wurst, browse the fish and cheese stalls, or purchase local products like pumpkin-seed oil and apple vinegar, the Naschmarkt is one of the city’s most enjoyable simple pleasures. In recent years, some gastronomic and ethnic food stalls have expanded into full restaurants. For decades, 400 dealers have set up their Saturday flea market next door, where shoppers hunt for bargains among books, record albums and CDs, and antiques.

Madrid born and bred, DiverXO’s owner David Muñoz, has taken the food scene by storm. His schooling in Asian cuisine melds with his Spanish roots and has given birth to fusion food from the artist’s soul. It’s not uncommon to see smoked sardines lay next to young coconut on the same platter, bringing two culinary worlds together. Each dining experience starts with a letter of intention, a poem of sorts, from Muñoz stating his intention behind preparation of your meal -- and then you eat the menu itself as a fanciful starter! It’s best to get a reservation ASAP, with three Michelin stars, DiverXO is almost always booked!

It’s easy to pass by Taylor’s Kitchen and not realize there is a fantastic restaurant inside...I had visited the neighboring shops without noticing the new restaurant, but I knew I had to visit once I heard people raving about the food. Taylor’s Kitchen uses ingredients from local farms and ranchers to create vibrant dishes that reflect the seasons of this agricultural region of California. This is not unlike many new restaurants in Sacramento, but what Taylor’s Kitchen does so well is create consistently good food. The restaurant is elegant yet cozy, suited to couples or small groups. The menu changes frequently based on what’s seasonally available and is a great reflection of Sacramento’s commitment to farm-to-fork dining.