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Burma Superstar lives up to its name. Opened more than 20 years ago, the Inner Richmond restaurant has gained a following for such specialties as hand-wrapped samosas filled with meat and potatoes, chili lamb, and traditional rice salad. Known for its curries and use of spices, Burmese cuisine combines the flavors of India, Laos, China, and Thailand. All these influences come together seamlessly on Burma Superstar’s wide-ranging menu, which features home-style dishes prepared with traditional recipes. The restaurant also has locations in Oakland and Alameda. Reservations aren’t accepted.

Best known by locals for its stunning views of the Canadian Rockies (nab a seat by the giant windows to make other diners jealous!), the Bison’s best-kept secret is its addictive dinner and Sunday brunch menus. Chefs Liz and Kirk are geniuses at creating special dishes that show off the region’s bounty, like bison carpaccio, venison striploin with maple parsnip purée, and a bison breakfast sandwich with bison sausage, fried egg, and foie gras butter. Ask the servers for help pairing the perfect regional beer or national wine with your order—they know their stuff.

This woman-owned artisanal aged-cheese producer was on the front wave of what is an increasingly vibrant local food movement. Wanda Otero, a microbiologist, decided to start her business in part to offer Puerto Ricans an alternative to expensive imported cheeses. She has since expanded into yogurt-making, and her products are now sold in supermarkets and found on the menus of the island’s finest restaurants. Travelers can visit the Vaca Negra facility for a tour, which includes the opportunity to make their own cheese.

Elizabeth street cafe is the charming outpost offering French breakfast bites & creative Vietnamese plates you didn’t know you needed in your life. The menu consists of everything from ho and bun bo hue to sticky rice, banh mi, and chocolate croissant and macaroons. It’s most known for its brunch, but they also server dinner.

Need some boba for bubble tea? Done. Seafood that’s alive and kicking? No problem. Fancy Russian chocolate? Easy. Dragon fruit? Cactus (edible cactus, of course)? Seven different kinds of eggplants? Frying cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano (not the parmesan that comes from anywhere buy Parma), brie, feta? Wine, beer, sake, lychee juice? Japanese curry, Thai curry, Jamaican curry? Wasabi mayonnaise? Lard, blood sausages, chicharrones? Eclairs, honey cake, baklava? You get the point, right? You even get your number one priority when looking for a farmers’ market: laundry detergent. This market has aisles for tons of cuisines, and free samples to boot! Try tacos, rice with furikake, you name it. And that doesn’t tie you over, buy some empanadas or korean sweets to eat on the spot.

My favourite building in Brussels is the Old England on Mont des Arts, just around the corner from Place Royal. It’s a striking concoction of steel and glass in the Art Nouveau style Brussels is so famous for. But what’s on the inside is just as good as the beautiful exterior. Once a department store, the Old England building now houses the Musical Instrument Museum, or MIM. This fascinating collection of more than 8000 instruments is internationally renowned. Rather than just looking at the exhibits, you actually get to experience them. An audio-guide is included in the cost of admission, but this is no stuffy commentary. As you approach particular exhibits in the MIM, your guide begins to play the music of the instrument you are looking at. It’s a wonderfully interactive approach to learning. I have one more reason to love the Old England building and that is the cafe on the top floor. The food is good, but the selling point of this particular restaurant is the view – one of the best in the city centre. In nice weather, you can even dine on the roof terrace. You don’t have to visit the museum to enjoy the restaurant (although you should). Just tell the door attendant you want to go to the cafe and he’ll load you into the period glass and steel elevator and take you to the top floor.

The Southernmost Point buoy, at the corner of Whitehead Street and South Street, marks not only the spot for the southernmost point of the continental United States but also the distance (90 miles) to the next country, Cuba. The buoy, installed by the city in 1983, is visited by thousands of people each day. (Before the buoy, a small sign stood at the spot alongside a line of seashells for purchase.) Taking a photo in front of the buoy is imperative for a first visit to Key West, so bring a tripod, or ask a stranger to snap a few shots. Buskers play music, and street vendors sell food and goofy souvenirs and slash open coconuts to drink.

Throughout Mexico in the many colorful markets there are lots of interesting items for sale, from live animals and produce to clothing and all sorts of knickknacks. Food is also plentiful and varied. But nothing seems to have registered more with me than the women in the Oaxacan markets screaming “Chapulines! Chapulines!” A quick peek at the giant baskets they carry and you’ll readily notice that insects are on display. Grasshoppers to be exact. Chapulines are very popular in this region and locals buy them by the bagful and munch on them as afternoon snacks. They are only collected at certain times of the year, and after a thorough cleaning and washing, they are toasted with garlic, lime juice, chili and salt. Skeptical as I was, I just had to see what all the fuss was about. So, I bought a small bagful. I reached in, grabbed one and got completely grossed out. Antennae, eyes, wings - everything was still visible. I took a tiny nibble on a wing. Not bad tasting really, but I just didn’t have the stomach to bite through to the center of the critter. I gave the rest of the bag away to a gentleman who was more than thrilled with my offer.

Eat dinner like a conquistador at Restaurante Sobrino de Botin. The combination of its central location off Plaza Mayor and its claim to be the “Oldest Restaurant in the World” makes it charming and fun for family and friends. Make sure to put in a reservation in advance and order a traditional dish. I particularly enjoyed the incredibly thin jamon because it was light and not oversalted.

Myeongdong is a dizzying shopping mecca where every major Korean cosmetic and fashion brand has a store—or several. The Korea Tourism Organization estimates that more than 1 million visitors pass through the area every day. Anchored by the Lotte and Shinsegae department stores, Myeongdong is packed with stalls and shops, both above- and underground. Don’t worry about a language barrier—most salespeople speak English and will even try to lure you in with the promise of free goodies like sheet masks. (Remember to bring your passport to qualify for tax-free refunds at participating locations.) At night, the energy intensifies with mazes of neon lights and vendors selling street food like rice cakes, egg toast, tornado potatoes, dumplings, steamed corn, and anything that fits on a skewer.

No hotel in Jamaica blends better with its surroundings than the aptly named Rockhouse, a string of villas clinging to the top of a sea cliff at the western tip of the island. Local stone, timber, and thatch are the building materials, and a harmony of design and setting is the result. The feel is rustic, but not rough (the showers might be outdoors, but the rooms are air-conditioned), and the feeling carries over to the pool, which sits on a rock platform halfway down the cliff face, from where sunbathers can don snorkel and mask and clamber down into a usually calm Caribbean. Even the restaurant hangs over the water, adding emphasis to the promise of dishes being fresh from the sea.

As does practically every hotel in Jamaica, Rockhouse has its celebrity stories, going back to the early ‘70s when Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones added their names to the guest register. But it wasn’t until 1994, when a group of Australian owners took over, that Rockhouse began to evolve its reputation as one of the most Jamaican of Jamaican hotels. It happened in part because Rockhouse has none of the formality that some of the island’s best-known hotels, with their British colonial roots, still possess. And in part because of its active role in funding local education projects, it’s a valued, and popular, part of the community. That, and the restaurant’s homemade jerk sausage is legendary.

A grand hotel in the Old World tradition, the Peninsula Beverly Hills exudes luxury with its gilded chandeliers and wood-paneled walls. From the moment a white-gloved valet opens the oversize front doors, every guest is treated like royalty. The elegant marble bathrooms—larger than some apartments—feature both soaking tub and shower, plus the softest bathrobes imaginable. Guests can enjoy a leisurely alfresco breakfast on the rooftop alongside wheeling and dealing studio types before moving over to a poolside cabana for a few hours of basking and celebrity-spotting.


Don’t forget to squeeze in a spa treatment—the Peninsula Spa is the beauty and relaxation regimen of more than a few big names. Afternoon tea in the Living Room can’t be missed, thanks to the spread of scones and finger sandwiches, accompanied by live harp music. Even though the hotel is in the heart of Beverly Hills, with trendy shops and restaurants only blocks away, the hotel’s complimentary Rolls-Royce service can drop guests anywhere they need to go in the area.

A stalwart on the medina dining scene for several years now, Nomad has fabulous views of bustling Place des Épices and takes a bold, creative approach to Moroccan dining. The yellow-and-black ‘60s-inspired space has several dining areas and rooftop terraces, which make lingering over lunch or dinner a joy; the food is a lighter, brighter take on local cooking that plays with traditional flavors and elevates them into something fresh and exciting. To start, try their delicately spiced Moroccan gazpacho or a shaved cauliflower and fennel salad scattered with toasted almonds; perhaps followed by a hearty plate of roasted bone marrow scattered with preserved lemons, cumin, and mint; then finishing with a hibiscus-infused panna cotta. Alcohol isn’t served here, but with food this enticing, you won’t miss it.

Much like when it picked then-up-and-coming Shoreditch for its first London hotel, The Hoxton brand put its Paris outpost in the heart of the 2nd Arrondissement, a booming neighborhood thanks to the arrival of several millennial-focused start-ups and tech firms. The 18th-century building’s position is also convenient for exploring the city, as attractions like the Louvre, the Marais, and Notre-Dame are a pleasant walk away. Back at home base, you’ll find eclectic interiors courtesy of the Soho House team, with original architectural details like spiral staircases and mosaic floors sharing space with vibrant floral wallpaper, mid-century-inspired furnishings, and hand-picked contemporary artwork. It’s all in keeping with The Hoxton’s emphasis on shared social spaces, so along with the comfy lobby lounges, you’ll find guests hanging out in the Rivié brasserie (which serves all-day menus of French fare and comfort food classics in both indoor and courtyard areas) and the cozy Jacques Bar (where Moroccan influences show up in the décor and the drinks list).

Just North of Moab, UT Arches National Park is a gem with over 2000 natural stone arches. The most popular hike is the three mile trail to Delicate Arch. It’s a fairly straight forward hike and it is uphill most of the way to the arch, but otherwise it’s an easy hike. The arch is amazing especially around sunset when the rock seems to glow a bright orange. There are also great views of the surrounding area from the Delicate Arch. There is a $10 entry fee for vehicles driving in, or $5 per person for walk-ins, bikes, etc. Both are good for 7 days. Campgrounds can book up during busy periods so plan in advance. Moab has plenty of shops to gear up, buy food and supplies, or join a guided trip mountain biking, rafting, climbing, off-roading, and a variety of other activities. Moab is also close enough, and has plenty of places to stay in case camping is not your cup of tea.