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An authentic Latin American kitchen experience at a motel? That’s pretty funky! Chef and owner Raul Claros pays homage to his Venezuelan birthplace and Bolivian childhood by whipping up his mother and grandmother’s old family recipes. Headlining the menu are Bolivian salteñas—imagine empanadas on steroids—filled with a gelatinous beef stew to which he adds carrots, peas, onions, olives, egg, and roast chicken. Representing Venezuela are the arepas, ground corn cakes (grilled or fried) served plain or stuffed with combination favorites like roast chicken and avocado, braised beef in tomatoes and chili peppers, and grilled skirt steak with tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. (Thanks to my Dad for introducing this eatery to me!)

Part restaurant and part performance venue, the Rendezvous is a full night out in one cozy spot. The restaurant has typical bar food (burgers, salads, deep-fried snacks) that’s basic but good; happy hour goes from 3-6 pm daily with food specials. The tiny Jewelbox Theatre is an intimate cabaret-style theatre, where you’ll find everything from burlesque to comedy variety shows to live music and theater. They also have two excellent private rental rooms for parties. Upstairs, the Red Velvet Lounge looks out onto the main dining floor and has its own sound system. Downstairs, the basement-level Grotto is a dark, red-lit cave with its own private bar and plenty of room for dancing.

If you’re hungry for a deliciously carb-heavy Hawaiian plate lunch, why not go to Rainbow Drive-in and enjoy a meal fit for a president? It’s true: President Obama ate there as a kid and tries to make it back during his visits. Starting at 7 am, you can order up a big plate of mahi-mahi, eggs, and rice (or the omnipresent Spam). Lunch specials include loco moco, BBQ ahi, fried chicken, and chili dogs, with plenty of gravy poured over everything. Best of all, nothing on the menu is over $9, making this a rare bargain on a very expensive island. Stop at their shop next door for seasonings and souvenirs on your way out.

Unicorn is one of my favorite places to take visitors because there’s just so much to look at: the lurid circus-painted walls, the costumed and accessorized taxidermy, the lavishly painted bar that seems to have been pulled off a carousel. During happy hour, load up on discounted snacks like “narwhal balls” (deep-fried potato croquettes with dipping sauce), hand-dipped corn dogs, and bacon popcorn. They recently expanded into the basement, now known as Narwhal, which has another full bar and a selection of vintage arcade and pinball games. It gets wild on weekend nights, but you can stop in on a weekday afternoon or evening for a more sedate experience if you just want to soak up the colorful surroundings.

Charleston is a relatively small city to sport a food court, and Workshop’s out-of-the-way location on the Peninsula’s Neck underscores that. Situated in a Silicon Valley-esque complex of start-up office spaces, you’ll need to drive to get there, and once at the modern, industrial food hall, you’ll be faced with some tough decisions. The rotating vendors have included Juan Luis, a Tex-Mex spin from BBQ master John Lewis, and seasonal booths where the city’s up-and-coming chefs test out their latest concepts, from Japanese sliders to shareable Indian small plates. Although the vendors change regularly, there’s always a coffee shop, a craft pizza or burger stand, and a variety of ethnic options, making Workshop a must on any dining tour of Charleston’s latest and greatest. It’s also directly adjacent to Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co., a popular hangout and generally regarded among the city’s best breweries.

Three blocks inland from the waterfront, on Frenches St., the Craftmen’s Centre sells locally made, reasonably priced crafts: intricate grass mats in sizes ranging from place mats to full floor mats, colorful batik cloth, handmade West Indian dolls, hand-painted calabashes, and more. Cash only! (P.S. The grass mats roll or fold into a neat bundle to carry home.)

Harry’s Roadhouse, a favorite haunt of locals and visitors, is conveniently open seven days a week. The massive breakfast menu melds regional Mexican and New Mexican fare with items like huevos rancheros and hearty chilaquiles (eggs any style with salsa and cotija cheeses). For your sweet tooth, try the french toast or lemon ricotta pancakes, washed down with a cup of joe.

The French destroyed this famous temple in 1954, but it was lovingly rebuilt and remains a favorite with locals. The structure commemorates the legend of Emperor Ly Thai Tong who originally built the temple way back in 1049. The distinctive single pillar is meant to signify the stalk of the lotus flower, a sacred Vietnamese symbol of purity.

One block south of the glitz and glamor of Huaihai Road, the boutiques on Nanchang are the perfect antidote for the over saturation of foreign labels and runway glamor. The storefronts that dot this tree-lined road in the Former French Concession are as fun as their quirky names suggest. Tucked in between fruit vendors, baozi steamers and neighbors bantering over mahjong games, the shopping here is truly Shanghai-chic.

Tucked away on Rampart Street on the sliver between the French Quarter and the Treme enclave, this cool bar balances neighborhood dive-iness and of-the-moment popularity. Find yourself a cozy corner and order up an updated version of a Big Easy classic or something fantastic hatched from the mind of one of the skilled cocktail craftspeople behind the bar.

Here at the très chic Boulangerie Fauchon, on the Place de la Madeleine in the heart of Paris, the loaves can look almost too good to eat. In French, the idiomatic equivalent for ‘window-shopping’ is “leche-vitrine,” which literally means ‘window-licking'—appropriate for staring in the storefront of a bakery on a cold February day!

Just steps from the beach, Sapphire offers outdoor dining year-round on its cozy patio. Run by executive chef Azmin Gahreman for more than a decade, the restaurant is certainly a Laguna institution, but one that’s constantly evolving to stay fresh. Though Sapphire is worth a visit for every meal, it really shines at brunch, when such indulgent dishes as buttermilk pancakes, fried chicken and cheddar biscuits, and eggs Benedict with roasted jalapeño hollandaise are on the menu. Pair your breakfast with bottomless mimosas in flavors like orange, mango, and grapefruit and you’ll have the makings of a perfect morning.

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.

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.

Day-trippers in search of awesome views, cool drinks, and light bites score at this oasis in the middle of Arikok National Park. The menu is simple and heavy on island favorites, from fried whole fish to seafood served with plantains, salad, and pan bait (a pancake-like bread). There are also hamburgers and cold sandwiches, along with frozen cocktails and local beer. Still, it’s the views that really stun. From its perch between Boca Prins Bay and the Fontein Cave, the restaurant has sweeping vistas of desert, hills, and sea.