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You might have caught wind of some recent buzz about this contemporary patisserie with its unveiling of the haute dog, Craftsman and Wolves Chef William Werner’s upscale version of the classic American food (think better meat and a flaky, buttery croissant instead of a bun). Or perhaps you’ve heard people talking about a Mission bakery that served a savory muffin with a soft-cooked egg inside of it (it’s call the Rebel Within). Whatever the reason, head to Craftsman and Wolves for a changing menu of classic and innovative breakfast pastries, cakes, confections, confitures, desserts, lunch, and savory fare, with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, beer, and wine to wash it down. Craftsman and Wolves is open Mondays through Thursdays from 7 am to 7 pm, Fridays from 7 am to 8 pm, Saturdays from 8 am to 8 pm, and Sundays from 8 am to 7 pm. Can’t make it to Mission? Stop by the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market on Saturdays from 8 am to 2 pm or order through their online shop.

The Washington National Cathedral stands high over D.C. as a beacon of faith for the nation. The impressive Gothic architecture evokes comparisons to Notre-Dame (despite being built more than half a millennium later). Flying buttresses, spires, and stained glass windows inspire heavenly awe, while statues of modern missionary and civil rights figures such as Mother Teresa, Helen Keller, and Martin Luther King, Jr., ground us in earthly good works. The stained glass Space Window includes a lunar rock donated by the crew of Apollo 11, reminding us of our small place in the universe. Bring binoculars to scan the gargoyles for a Star Wars surprise, and climb the steps to the towers for panoramic city views. While overseen by the Episcopalian church, the cathedral welcomes all people.

The date-night dinner-and-a-movie standard has been taken to a new stylish height at this acclaimed restaurant in the Mission District. Grab a table on the patio under the strings of lights to dine on seasonal California cuisine while films flicker on the back wall. It’s romantic, and easily one of San Francisco’s most unique dining settings. But don’t think of Foreign Cinema as just a gimmick. The stellar cuisine is the real scene-stealer here, which is why Foreign Cinema is consistently ranked as one of the city’s best restaurants. Chef Gayle Pirie and her partner, chef John Clark, have transformed this into a destination restaurant. Reservations are still tough to get, especially for Saturday night and Sunday brunch, but plan ahead and you’ll be glad. From fresh local oysters on the half shell to caramel pecan sticky buns to a popular sesame curry fried chicken, the food is always as stellar as the setting, making date night or brunch with friends an event you won’t soon forget. The adjacent wine bar, Laszlo, is perfect for predinner drinks or nightcaps.

Stop by Gravel & Gold in the Mission and you’ll find not only vintage goods from around the world, but also handmade and sustainably produced homeware, specialty food products, books, clothing, and jewelry made in and around San Francisco. Be sure to check out the shop’s made-and-designed-in-house line of clothing and bags, Gravel & Gold Goods; their “Boob Top” is a particular bestseller. Check their website for in-store events like homebrewing workshops, and stop by every Wednesday to pick up a share for nearby Eatwell Farm’s CSA. Gravel & Gold is open Monday to Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Who hasn’t daydreamed about being an astronaut at least once? Thankfully, Space Center Houston makes it easy to learn about the great beyond. It’s the area’s No. 1 attraction for international visitors and the first Smithsonian Affiliate in the greater Houston area. The center features more than 400 space artifacts and several exhibits related to the past, present, and future of America’s human spaceflight program. It’s also home to the world’s largest collection of moon rocks and lunar samples for public view, and offers guests the opportunity to go behind the scenes to see NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

The Mohawk is home for a diverse creative culture. This beloved Bar and Live Music Venue, located on the corner of 10th and Red River in Austin, TX. Handmade in downtown Austin Texas, The Mohawk was built in 2006 as a one of a kind Bar & Venue. Its mission is to host friends, musicians, and staff that represent all music tastes and all walks of life. All are welcome at the Mohawk Austin. Fall Happy Hours Monday – Friday, 5-8 PM. Weekly drink specials. Mohawk Crafted Cocktails.

While Heath Ceramics is over 60 years old, having been founded in 1948 in Sausalito, their colorful bud vases, dinnerware and tiles have enjoyed a boom in recent years. Straddling the line between a rough, hand-crafted aesthetic and an elegant, understated quality, their pieces are hard to miss in the pages of design magazines as well as at the homes of some of your most tasteful friends. The new retail location on 18th Street includes a workshop alongside a café serving Blue Bottle coffee. There is also a smaller location in the Ferry Building.

The church of the mission of San Jose del Cabo is simple, both inside and out, but one of its charms is a special area where locals tie ribbons with petitions for divine intervention or expressions of thanks written on them. If you’d like to join in on the tradition and express your thanks, choose a white ribbon and write about what you’re grateful for on it. Then, tie it to the rack near St. Charbel Mahklouf, the somewhat obscure Lebanese saint who is believed to work miracles.

Founded in the early 1950s by European film archive pioneer Manoel Ribeiro, this museum’s mission is to safeguard film heritage. In the Cupid Room is an exhibit of Magic Lanterns, an apparatus for projecting images onto glass painted in translucent colors. Also there are several collections of sound, lighting, video, decorative objects, and pre-cinema devices. Indie film festivals take place here too. In the bookshop you can find not only film books but also DVDs. And on the same floor, on a nice terrace, you’ll find a restaurant.

Yep, you read that right: There is a Pirate Supply Store in the heart of the Mission! In their words: “We are a ragtag group of miscreants who sell pirate supplies in order to benefit the free programming that happens at our writing-tutoring center at 826 Valencia, and in classrooms all over San Francisco.” Cofounded by author David Eggers, the non-profit organization 826 Valencia (which is their address, not coincidentally) teaches writing to teachers and students all over the Bay Area. Chapters of 826 have also been founded in seven other cities around the country. The Pirate Supply Store—if you’re still baffled by this, they do indeed sell pirate supplies like hooks and eyepatches—is just one part of the 826 network, with other chapters having similarly quirky stores, such as Brooklyn’s Superhero Supply Co., Los Angeles’ Time Travel Mart, or Washington, D.C.’s Museum of Unnatural History. The Pirate Supply Store is open every day from noon to 6 p.m.

“Chile has nearly 4,000 miles of coast, one of the most arid deserts on earth, and mountains that climb to 22,000 feet. Imagine the diversity,” marvels Rodolfo Guzmán. The chef behind Santiago’s restaurant Boragó is on a mission to promote his country’s over-looked ingredients, such as the superacidic copao fruit, which grows in the Atacama desert. “We want to show diners something that is only found here.” Many chefs source locally but then use European techniques in the kitchen. Guzmán, however, bakes his grouper and basil chlorophyll in a mud oven—a technique the indigenous Mapuche people have used for centuries. Avda. Nueva Costanera 3467, 56/(0) 2-953-8893. This appeared in the October 2012 issue.

Not too long ago, the Palms Casino Resort, just west of the Strip, was synonymous with “Oops! I Did It Again”-era Britney Spears and the Playboy Club that attracted porn stars from all over the world. That changed when the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians bought the place in 2021, and the property became the largest Native American–owned hotel-casino in town. Since then, the San Manuel have restored the coolness factor the Palms enjoyed in its early aughts heyday. The Playboy Club is gone, but the famous themed suites got a refresh and are as mind-boggling as ever. The Hardwood Suite famously has an NBA-caliber basketball half-court and a full locker room, while the Kingpin Suite is designed around two bowling lanes. The Cinema Suite contains a screening room with theater-style seating and a full movie screen.


In addition to the specialty suites, Palms has 1,365 guest rooms, all recently renovated. Accommodations in the Fantasy Tower were designed with muted tones, while the ones in the Ivory Tower are more colorful and feature modern art on the walls. Ghost Bar, a cocktail lounge on the 55th floor, offers epic views of the Strip; it’s not as hopping as it was in the 2000s, but it still offers live entertainment every weekend.


Related: 7 Hotels to Book for “Non-Vegas” People

Visiting Beyt Design in Cambridge was inspirational. Their award winning social enterprise uses architectural salvage from conflict zones in the Near East destroyed by violence and up cycles them into one of a kind home decor. Tiles from 18th century mansions, reclaimed wrought iron gates, window frames & antique textiles make their way into tables, lamps and shades in this unique shop. In addition, the labor they employ is from diverse, disadvantaged backgrounds. When I visited, I spoke with a woman working on a lampshade, clearly proud of her project and the opportunity the owners had given her. Their mission to ‘Restore the Unseen Beauty of the Broken” resonates in each and every piece.

Swarovski, world-famous Austrian crystal maker, has made it its mission to amaze. While the glittering creations do that on their own, the family has also built a whole world of wonder for you to enjoy. The Crystal World is a dream-like place of beauty and art, where visitors can share in the brand’s fascination with glamorous products. Enter through the mouth of a giant, whose grassy face emerges out of the ground, and explore the otherworldly creations of Brian Eno and Alexander McQueen. The Crystal World allows you to let your imagination roam freely and see things through completely different eyes.

What started in 2002 as a little café tucked into a Newtown laneway, Campos has become one of the biggest household names in Australian specialty coffee. The company’s success stems from its simple but ambitious mission: to buy, roast and serve the finest quality coffee. Today, the Campos menu rotates more than 10 direct-trade coffee varieties grown in nine regions around the world. The café continues to experiment with beans, machines, and barista techniques to maintain its order pace of hundreds of coffees per hour. Now operating in Queensland and Melbourne as well as Sydney, Campos has recently introduced cupping classes Thursday through Saturday held in a dark upstairs lounge above the Newtown location. Customers pay $30 to compare five coffee varieties from different regions and learn the different processing and preparation styles. Sydney’s newest Campos café in the Alexandria neighborhood features a siphon bar that only serves select single origin coffees.