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The Huffington Post named the Hilo Farmers Market the best in the United States. For fresh local flavors, the market is open every day except Sunday. The big market days are on Wednesdays and Saturdays where more than 200 vendors including farmers and crafts people gather to sell their goods. If you’re looking for local souvenirs to take home or just a place to grab a quick fresh and tasty lunch, the Hilo Farmers Market will provide a beautiful morning or afternoon of shopping and eating.

It was the fifth of seven food stops on our Jordaan Food Tour (http://www.eatingamsterdamtours.com/jordaan-food-tour/), a four-hour gastronomic adventure through one of Amsterdam‘s most scenic and historic neighborhoods. We’d already devoured apple pie, Indonesian sandwiches, ossenworst, raw herring and lightly fried kibbeling. But could we find room for something sweet? Enter Mariska Schaefer, owner of Het Oud-Hollandsch Snoepwinkeltje, an old-fashioned candy boutique that harks back to a simpler time, when kids saved pennies for a trip to the local candy store. As we might have expected, a child about ten was using his birthday money to buy a bag filled with his favorite sweets on the day we visited. “No pictures of children,” ordered Mariska, then turned her attention to the kid’s selections. “I opened the candy shop because I really like Dutch old-fashioned shops; they have so much more atmosphere than the big chain stores,” she reflects. Inspired by her grandmother, she stocks drop, the national sweet, in dozens of flavors in her small shop—some sweet, others salty, still others downright inedible for some.

Melbourne’s market culture is obviously very much alive and, in the case of Queen Victoria Market, has been since the 1870s.


Food stalls to try: Börek; Bratwurst Shop & Co.; American Doughnut Kitchen; Gozleme Turkish Café; Le Croissant des Halles; Pizza by Nature; La Cantina; Sushi Kissaten; Pide Bread Bakery; Spanish Donut Van.

This appeared in the May 2014 issue.

With shops offering enough pumps, boots, spike heels, designer clothes, cosmetics, suitcases and specialty foods to satisfy the fussiest shopper, Leidsestraat attracts droves of tourists, locals and fashionistas. Whether you’re searching for high style, camp shoes, Dutch cheese or soft drugs, you’re likely to find what you’re looking for in the boutiques, high-end department stores, specialty shops and coffeeshops on this busy passenger byway and the small streets shooting off from it. Running from Koningsplein to Leidseplein, Leidsestraat continues the shopping adventure where Kalverstraat (Amsterdam‘s other pedestrian shopping street) leaves off. Walking south, you’ll know you’ve reached it when you come to the flower stands at the Bloemenmarkt. Popular draws include Sissy Boy, Replay, Abercrombie & Fitch, Metz & Co., Cora Kemperman, V & D, Eicholtz and a Henri Willig Cheese & More shop. As you approach Leideseplein, one of Amsterdam’s entertainment squares, more souvenir shops, fast food options and money changing outlets appear. Watch out for trams running down the center of the pedestrian byway!

I have to say I had my doubts when, in search of a lunch spot during our final day in Marfa, a local shop owner sent us to Fat Lyle’s. I didn’t know what to make of the unique name of the food stand. But I would put my preconceptions aside and give it a try. I am so glad I did. The food was delicious. If I wasn’t stuffed from my order I would have ordered more and more and more. We sampled the Korean Chicken which was so tasty. The chicken makes my mouth water just thinking about it. I got the brussels sprouts with carmelized onions, blue cheese, and french fries. Sounds like a weird concoction but for some reason it works. Make sure you stop here for a bite to eat. I need to go back to Marfa for more.

This soul food joint thrived for two decades in its unassuming nook on the peninsula’s East Side before being discovered by diners outside the neighborhood. It’s managed its transition to Southern food darling well, retaining its modest checkered floor, plywood walls, and red leather booths while also embracing the new attention by launching a website. Fortunately—and most importantly—the family-run operation hasn’t altered their recipes for favorites like their heaping plate of crab rice, fried local shark steak, or savory lima beans stewed in smoked neck bones and pigtails. Daily specials feature harder-to-find items like oxtails and stew gizzards, but it’s not all offal—you’ll certainly leave smiling after a plate of fried chicken or a hefty baked turkey wing.

What’s old is new again at Venice‘s most buzzed-about shopping destination: a department store opened in 2017 in a building dating to the 1500s. An even earlier iteration, a 13th-century trading hall for German (“tedeschi”) merchants, went up in flames. It’s a gorgeous space to see—and Instagram—even if you’re not in the market for a Gucci handbag or Bottega Veneta sunglasses. There’s a small food hall that features local products, including Burano lace, and the family behind Venice’s longstanding Quadri provides the food at a café in the central atrium. Don’t leave without making your way up to the roof for sweeping views of the Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge.

Dilli Haat is an open-air market with 62 stalls that features both permanent and transitional vendors, allowing original items to be introduced regularly. The space, designed to resemble a traditional village market, was created to showcase products from across India. There is an application process to determine the temporary vendors who generally stay for 15 days. Items include textiles, crafts, clothing, shoes, beads, gems, and art, as well as a food court with specialty items from across the country. The small entrance fee and gated exterior keep unwanted panhandlers at bay, allowing for a leisurely shopping experience. Though prices are reasonable, bargaining is still encouraged. Dilli Haat is a favorite jaunt for locals and tourists, adding to the diversity of the experience.

Centro Cocina Mexicana showcases the regional foods of Mexico with fresh ingredients made in-house every day. Here you are likely to find Mexican dishes you have never heard of, all with bright, vibrant flavors. From Oaxacan mole and fish tacos to enchiladas with corn and zucchini, the food here is never boring. Centro is proud of its tequila, and the bar offers more than 150 kinds. Fruit-infused tequilas are made in the back of the restaurant, and some are on display behind the bar—look for the glass containers with colorful cut fruit inside. Some favorite tequila infusions are strawberry-pineapple and vanilla-pear. Centro is located in the Sutter District, named for the nearby historic Sutter’s Fort, on a lively block of J Street in Midtown Sacramento. Grab a table outside or by the window, enjoy drinks and small plates at Happy Hour, and watch local residents gathering for the evening here or at one of the other trendy neighborhood establishments.

If you find yourself staying at Hotel Las Alcobas on a Saturday, ask staff to point you in the direction of Parque Lincoln (Lincoln Park), just a three-minute walk from the hotel, so you can stroll through Polanco’s Saturday tianguis, or street market. Tianguis are a beloved tradition in Mexico City, and many neighborhoods, including Polanco, host these weekend markets. At a tianguis, you can find everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to “fast food” snacks, from tacos to tropical fruit adorned with lime and chile. Prices are more than reasonable and the scene is entirely local. It’s a perfect way to spend part of your Saturday.

Viernes Culturales is a local Miami event in Little Havana, where restaurants, galleries, clubs and street vendors get together on the last Friday of every month for a cultural art show. Local merchants and artists set up on the streets of Calle Ocho to turn it into what looks like a street fair. The City of Miami sets up an event area in the alley next to the Tower Theater to host DJs, performers, artists and sellers. Sponsors set up booths around here and offer free tastings and gifts. There are many live performances that occur throughout the day and night, but people dance throughout the streets during the entire festival. Many nightclubs serve drinks and vendors give out samples. Be sure to check out the expansive list of restaurants before choosing. I suggest going on a food crawl to really explore the Cuban American culture in Miami.

Set on Bayreuth’s market square inside one of the oldest buildings in town, this charming tavern dates back an impressive 600 years. Run by two families, Wenk and Bauernfeind, since 1999, it features a purely Franconian ambience of regional food, beer, and wine, all presented with a warm welcome and friendly service. Dishes like grilled beef, roast pork, and local trout are cooked to perfection, portions are big, and waiters are dressed in typical Bavarian attire. There’s also a streetside terrace that’s great for people-watching.

If you are looking for a quiet meal, this is not the place for you. But if you want mouth-watering, inventive food with attentive service and authentic Israeli hospitality, Machneyuda hits the spot. Situated in the iconic Jerusalem shuk, or marketplace, the restaurant is the brainchild of three acclaimed chefs: Yossi Elad, Assaf Granite, and Uri Navon. The kitchen showcases locally sourced ingredients prepared with modern creativity and classic techniques. The lively dining room is focused on creativity. For the restaurant’s signature dessert presentation, tables are covered with aluminum foil and covered with a dizzying variety of cakes, fruits, ice creams, and sweets.

Cocktails in Hawaii are likely to evoke tiny umbrellas, wedges of pineapple, and unnatural-colored liquid. Honolulu bar Pint + Jigger takes a different tack, mixing up cocktails like the Smoking Gun margarita, with smoked macadamia nut simple syrup and aged tequila. They also have an extensive whiskey list, nearly two dozen beers on tap, and another 40 in bottle, representing both local microbrews and globally known favorites. The gastropub menu is also a standout, serving many bar food classics like burgers and fish-and-chips made in-house, with suggested cocktail and beer pairings.

Usually when a restaurant tries to offer two distinct menus, they fail miserably. Not at fatCUPID. The beefburger smothered in fried egg and the lemon butter snapper are just as tasty as the nyonya laksa or the sambal udang, with their juicy prawns. You can eat here and satisfy both your urge to eat local and your desire for home comfort food. The restaurant itself feels distinctly Malaysian, but also fresh and new. The restaurant is only a year old; I hope they keep it exactly the way it is. Delicious.