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Brit-born cycling fanatic Gareth Jones first opened a bike shop called Vicious Cycles, then expanded into the next-door space with the Handlebar, a funky restaurant/bar/“cycle” cafe on a grungy, graffiti-lined backstreet in the increasingly touristy Psirri neighborhood. The simple brunch, bagels, and (mostly vegan or vegetarian) snacks fare here consistently earns rave reviews, and so do the DJs’s mad mixes of house music and more. The beer is cheap, and the young, edgy crowd is consistently enthusiastic. The bar closes at midnight so this isn’t a late-night venue. But where else can you eat well, drink inexpensively, listen to great tunes and get your bike fixed, all at the same time? Keep an eye out for occasional record launches, live gigs, and street parties.

Along with Kreuzberg’s Curry 36, Konnopke’s in Prenzlauer Berg is one of the most famous currywurst stands in Berlin. The two couldn’t be more different aesthetically, though. While the former has a fairly loud and brash character, Konnopke’s is a gentler, family-run affair that has been serving up street snacks in the same location since 1930. Set below the U-Bahn tracks at a busy rail and traffic junction, the stall offers currywurst (chopped pork sausage in a sauce of ketchup and curry powder) with or without skin as well as a range of other sausages, meatballs, and french fries. Enjoy your treat at one of the standing tables or, in colder weather, in the covered eating area.

Despite a name change from Mia’s Yunnan Kitchen to Julie’s, this inexpensive, cheerful restaurant in the French Concession continues to serve delicious cuisine from southern Yunnan province. Kunming, Yunnan’s capital, is 1,900 miles from Beijing, and the province’s cuisine has more in common with neighboring Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam than it does with other regional Chinese cuisines. The most unique dish on the menu is rubing—pan-fried goat’s-milk farmer cheese, simply seasoned with salt and pepper. It’s very simple but unusual: When have you seen dairy in Chinese cooking? Eat it with pickled mashed potatoes, spicy mint salad, and plenty of mushrooms—they’re native to Yunnan.

If you still need a gift for that one person on your shopping list who doesn’t eat chocolate, head to one of the many Maison Dandoy cookie shops dotted around Brussels. Dandoy is a Belgian institution and they have been making cookies in Brussels since 1829. The cookies are from 100% natural ingredients and some of the recipes are 180 years old. Try the traditional Belgian speculoos, a spicy biscuit a bit like gingerbread, or Pain a la Greque, a Brussels favourite. There is even an Earl Grey cookie with tealeaves – delicious. Not only do Dandoy cookies taste wonderful, but their packaging is lovely, making them the perfect gift. Choose from the newly designed Maison Dandoy boxes or a variety of tin boxes, perfect for travelling.

The Flying Biscuit, owned by waitress and chef Delia Champion and Indigo Girls member Emily Saliers, opened in 1993 and since then has expanded its original Candler Park location and franchised all around town. At least 5,000 of their famous biscuits are made every day at each location. As you can tell, those biscuits are the main attraction. They’re sweeter than the standard biscuit and are served with cranberry apple butter. Also recommended: an omelet with a side of their “creamy dreamy” grits or the Eggstra-Ordinary Breakfast, pictured here.

I have dreams about the family style BBQ from the Salt Lick, it’s that good. Located beneath the oak trees in a sprawling space in Driftwood, Texas, it is the perfect place to gather with friends and family and celebrate all things Texan. On the weekends, there’ll be live music to entertain you or dance to during the wait for your table and you’ll want to bring your own alcoholic drinks if you agree that a Shiner Bock beer is a must to wash down all that meat. All you can eat ‘Family Style’ is $19.95 per person and make sure that you bring cash, they don’t accept credit cards. Thankfully for me, they’re now shipping their goods worldwide!

There are few places where you can better learn about the beauty and complexity of desert ecology than the Desert Botanical Garden, not far from downtown Phoenix. Check out the Desert Discovery Loop Trail for a look at local flora, go for a flashlight tour or cooking class (using plants found in the region, of course), or catch one of the musical performances that are part of the garden’s concert series. Make a point to visit the Desert Terrace Garden for the best views of the surrounding buttes and desert.

The Hotel St. Francis lays claim to being Santa Fe’s oldest hotel. Rebuilt in its current location in 1924, after a fire left its predecessor completely ravaged (save the brick chimney), the property formerly known as the De Vargas Hotel played host to elegant ladies and gentlemen in top hats, politicos, and other VIPs during its heyday. After World War II, the hotel lost some of its luster, though it was still popular with government types until the 1960s. In 1986, new owners restored the hotel to its previous grandeur, replaced the barber and beauty shops with a restaurant and bar, and gave the property its current name. Most recently, in 2008, the property was purchased by Heritage Hotels and Resorts and underwent yet another makeover. Inspired by St. Francis, the patron saint of Santa Fe and founder of the Franciscan order, the look is best described as haute-monastic. Think Frette linens and flat-screen televisions paired with neutral hues, wood furnishings crafted by local artisans, and dim, candlelit common spaces.

Why we love it: A conveniently located boutique property where history meets hip

The Highlights:
- A location just steps from bustling Market Square
- Handcrafted furniture and local art throughout the property
- A popular speakeasy that draws guests and locals

The Review:
From the team behind the recently refurbished Hotel Clermont in Atlanta and the design-forward Fairlane Hotel in Nashville, The Oliver shares the same dedication to historical preservation and cool, minimalist design as its sister properties. It’s also extremely convenient, with a location near Knoxville’s popular Market Square and some of the most beloved restaurants in the city. The circa 1876 building was home to a bakery, a drug store, and a dancing hall before becoming a hotel in time for the 1982 World’s Fair. When two young developers took control of the property in 2011, they set out to create a hotel that honored that history but also offered the modern amenities guests crave. Their success is your gain at this boutique stay, which features 28 elegant rooms filled with regional art, handcrafted furniture, and fixtures created by local artists.

Dining options include Oliver Royale, which uses ingredients from local farms and purveyors in its elevated comfort food, and an outpost of the popular farm-to-table Tupelo Honey café, where guests can enjoy lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch just steps from the hotel lobby. Most notable, however, is the much-buzzed-about Peter Kern Library, with its speakeasy vibe and craft cocktails. Now that the word is out, patrons line up under the red lamp in the alley that marks the secret entrance, but hotel guests can just stroll in through a door in the lobby like they own the joint.

Local-style comfort food gets the portions it deserves here, filling the soul and the stomach. Massive pancakes, kalua pork hash, and an all-day Big Island Breakfast Menu are the main draws. Seafood eaters shouldn’t miss the poke bowl (pronounced POH-keh): cubed raw fish seasoned any way you wish.

“Dude” is a word that’s used a lot around Rancho Pescadero, a small hotel in the surfing town of Todos Santos, located in the Mexican state of Baja California. The rooms here, however, don’t reflect the dude aesthetic, which is to say they are clean and classy. Spacious suites offer comfortable spots to relax, with most having retractable glass doors that eliminate barriers between indoors and outdoors and open up onto terraces that have hammocks or lounge beds. Terra-cotta tile floors, rattan and wood furniture, and locally made accents—such as hand-embroidered throw pillows—are some of the decor elements found in rooms. Surfers won’t feel totally out of their element, though; world-famous breaks are less than 10 minutes away and staff can give pointers on the best spots to hang ten. Apart from surfing, the hotel encourages guests to spend a lot of time relaxing and immersing themselves in the laid-back Baja lifestyle.

Think of My 420 Tours as your gateway to the new Denver marijuana-scape. Tour local dispensaries or take a cooking class, where you’ll learn how to make and cook with cannabis oils—and yes, you’ll walk away with goodies.

Locally hand-crafted braidings are something of a St Barths specialty item, and the perfect souvenir to pack into your bag. You’ll find them at shops and boutiques throughout the island, though Latanier’s are considered among the finest.

A-ji-shi is a stand-up sushi bar located in Taipei’s Shidong Market. There’s only a fixed menu and it is pricey by local standards. But the fish is fresh and the sushiman well-trained.