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After a multi-phase expansion completed in 2016, the former Restoration on King dropped “the King” from its name and gained a new restaurant, spa, coffee shop, and several dozen more suites. The sleek and modern rooms at the boutique Restoration are spread over five historic buildings at King and Wentworth, linked by a courtyard with its own wishing fountain. Exposed brick, high ceilings, and dark wood add to the suites’ loft feel, and amenities such as kitchenettes and breakfast baskets delivered to your room from the on-site Rise Coffee Bar beg a longer stay. Seasonal “happenings” at the property include yoga classes, movie nights, and fashion pop-ups at the Port Mercantile retail store. The Amethyst Spa and Nail Bar uses charged gemstones and essential oils in their massages and treatments, and the jewel-box rooftop pool provides refreshment on a hot day and has panoramic views. After a swim, the Watch Rooftop Kitchen and Spirits serves farm-to-table Lowcountry dishes and cocktails inspired by the city, such as the seasonal, bright tequila-and-watermelon-infused Charleston Brick. The Restoration understands the need for speed and style, and offers to hook up guests with vintage car rentals or even help serious riders design and commission their own custom-built motorcycle (a favorite subject of the hotel’s artist-in-residence, photographer Gately Williams) to pick up on a return trip to Charleston.

Classic luxury in a colonial building is what visitors can expect of Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City, located near the swanky neighborhood of Polanco and the sprawling Chapultepec Park. Proximity to the park offers respite from some of the noisier parts of the city, as does the hotel’s own expansive courtyard. Citrus trees and other greenery, tended by the same gardener since the hotel opened, radiate from a central fountain, while sculptures by Mexican artist José Luis Cuevas add even more atmosphere to the peaceful setting. This sense of refinement extends throughout the property, with Four Seasons’ signature service on full display—housekeeping, for example, is performed twice daily, and the staff can arrange for in-room massage services. Guests can also look forward to a contemporary Latin American restaurant, a tequila and mezcal bar, and a health club with a sauna and whirlpool.

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.

While many know the famous Reber brand Mozart Kugeln outside of Austria, those delicious marzipan and pistachio filled chocolate balls, they are by no means the original. They were created in 1890 by a Salzburg confectioner named Paul Fürst, who received a gold medal for these treats at the Paris Exhibition of 1905. The “Original Salzburger Mozartkugeln” are still created using the same family recipe by his great grandson, Norbert. They can only be purchased, along with truffles and other specialties, at one of his four namesake Cafe-Konditorei Fürst locations in the city.

If you’re looking to escape the tourist hubbub in Dubrovnik’s historic core, follow the locals to Lokrum. Just a 15-minute ferry ride from the Old Town, the island offers magnificent nature walks through botanical gardens and olive groves. Paths climb up to sites like the oldest Benedictine monastery in the region and Napoleon’s Fort Royal at the very top, passing native peacocks along the way. Come for a relaxing stroll, a picnic in the shade, or a refreshing dip in the sparkling Adriatic.

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.

To many gastronomes, the subtle flavors and spicing of Khmer cuisine makes it one of Southeast Asia’s great food secrets. That’s certainly the view of French chef Joannes Riviera, who has taken inspiration from Cambodia’s unsung culinary traditions to create one of the region’s biggest restaurant success stories. Cuisine Wat Damnak has received numerous accolades since opening for business in 2011. Using only the freshest local produce (think juicy tropical fruit, bamboo shoots, and fish from nearby Tonle Sap), Riviera devises regularly changing tasting menus that burst with creativity. Recent hits include a fish sour soup with green banana and rice paddy herb, and a duck confit curry with fresh rice noodles. Dinner is a steal at just $27 for five courses or $31 for six.

Cavell’s Cook Shop hides in plain sight along the road that hugs the shore on Antigua’s southwestern coast. Its humble, nondescript outward appearance bears every likeness of a simple storage shed or roadside workshop. Thick, encroaching foliage on either side further suggest its owner might prefer his or her place to maintain a low profile. The long line of cars regularly parked astride the road outside Cavell’s at all hours of the day, however, tells a different story. So too do the savory aromas emanating from beneath her galvanize roof, and the smiles on the faces of her steady stream of people filing in and out of here. You see, small and simple though it may be, Cavell’s is the prime spot for real local food in Antigua. The sun pounding down on the galvanize roof combined with the heat put forth by the various cooking apparatuses maKe standing inside Cavell’s feel like limin’ in an oven. No one was complaining, though. Cold Wadadli’s and good company have a way of keeping things cool here. Come to Cavell’s with a smile, some patience, and an open mind and you’ll make friends of the broad swath of local Antiguans, representing all walks of life, easily.

At Pappa Zouk’s rum bar in Antigua the truest path to happiness is through a mix of rum, fresh fish, new friends, and zouk music. First you should know that Pappa Zouk’s is not a restaurant. It’s a rum bar with a dizzying array of rums, rhums, and rons from across the Caribbean and beyond. Yes, lucky rummies can supplement their rum intake with a full menu of authentically prepared fresh fish and other seafood delights, but first-and-foremost this quirky little space is dedicated to drinking and being merry. Secondly, you should know Pappa Zouk is not the mad German owner and bartender. No, that curmudgeon with a penchant for abruptly ending the night’s festivities with a hearty “Get the f**k out!” is Bert Kirchner. He named his place after a deaf, dumb, old man he met on Dominica who would transform from a shuffling ancient to a lithe dancer with pure joy radiating from his gap-toothed smile down to the tips of his barefoot toes any time zouk music was played. He couldn’t hear the music, but he certainly felt it. And his pure happiness in the face of his meager existence was something that always stuck with Bert. Now he spreads happiness his own way — with rum, fresh fish, and zouk playing in the background.

My first night at Galley Bay, I decided to take in their signature dining experience at Ismay’s. This is their top-of-the-line restaurant. Menu items include baked escalope of mahi mahi with olive and pine nut crust parsley; roasted cherry tomatoes, chilled caponata, sweet potato wafers, and balsamic reduction; and gratin of shrimp, crimson grapes, fresh dill, and champagne cream. Certainly impressive names, but perhaps the most impressive is the name of the restaurant itself. You see, when the then unnamed restaurant was being built in 2008, employees overwhelmingly suggested it should be named after one of their own: Ms. Ismay Mason. Ismay had been with Galley Bay for 45 years at that time during which she’d never called in sick and was a steadfast member of the team and community at large. Five years later, when Ismay finally retired, the tribute to her contribution toward the exceptional vibe of Galley Bay continued with the formation of The Ismay’s Foundation which provides for further career training and education within the community. Incidentally, I had the grilled beef mignon and sauté of shrimp, fondant potato, lemon, parsley and white wine emulsion.

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.

Flickering candles, velvet theater curtains, hushed conversation, and classic cocktails dressed up with slices of dried lemon or lime—the Golden Age Cinema and Bar feels like a secret supper club of yesteryear. Yet, with a geometric light installation, fresh bar snacks and drinks, and a digital film projector, the experience is entirely modern. That’s exactly what owners Barrie, Bob and Chris Barton—who also launched Rooftop Cinema in Melbourne—were after: creating a bar and movie experience that combines the best of today with the best of yesterday. The theater, housed underground in the 1940s Paramount Pictures building, features 60 seats made in the ‘40s and sourced from Switzerland. Shows are both classic and contemporary, with two screenings per night as well as special events such as the monthly Two Thousand Film Club, during which a notable local picks their favorite film and engages in a live Q&A. Before or after the program, enjoy movie-inspired cocktails, including a daily cameo that’s crafted entirely around what’s being shown—think whiskey for the music documentary Muscle Shoals set along the Tennessee River—with herb and parmesan popcorn, maple-bourbon pecans, or the sundae that Gelato Messina reinvents every month. Oh, and on Tuesdays, films are shown at “golden age prices,” which means you could see a 1960s flick for $1 with the purchase of a drink. You’re welcome.

In a country that has more cows than people, you can’t visit Argentina without shopping for leather goods. Prune opened its doors in 1999 and is one of Argentina’s premier brands for quality leather goods that are stylish and great value. They sell European-inspired handbags, clutches, leather jackets, belts and shoes. You can find Prune shops in both Palmares Open Mall and Mendoza Plaza Shopping in Guaymallen.

Located across the Tiber River from the Centro Storico, Trastevere is a kaleidoscope of ivy-covered buildings, complicated Italian history, and bombastic nightlife. The heart of the neighborhood is Piazza Santa Maria, a large square where street performers show off their stuff, and Porta Portese’s massive Sunday flea market. Film buffs can take a walk through the maze-like side streets for a glimpse of director Pier Paolo Pasolini’s early life before heading off to one of the neighborhood’s many bars for a craft beer or aperitivo.

Some of the most intriguing cocktails in London can be found at Jason Atherton’s bars in Soho: Social Eating House, Pollen Street Social, and the newly opened Newman Street Tavern. That’s thanks to Gareth Evans, officially crowned the best bartender in the UK in 2013, who likes a drink that will make you smile even as it makes you a bit tipsy. Hence the thermonuclear daiquiri, one of the brightest and most potent drinks on the menu at SEH, which has also become one of the hottest places to drink in London. I also love the Nightwatchman—a drink inspired by the sport of cricket, which comes complete with its own cricket bat-stirrer—and the Cereal Killer, which comes in an old-fashioned milk bottle. You cannot help but have a good time here.