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Local Hawaiian Barbecue is easy to come by in the Islands. And, no fast food or plated lunch chain makes it easier to taste a bit of Island food than L&L Barbecue. Menu favorites include Kailua Pork and Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken. To try something new, there is Lau Lau (pork wrapped in taro leaf), Saimin (noodles and broth with choice of meat), Musabi (meat and rice block wrapped in seaweed), or Loco Moco (hamburgers, rice, gravy, and eggs).

Good, old-fashioned pie can be hard to find these days, which makes Betty’s in Encinitas more than worth a trip. Don’t be turned off by the location in a strip mall, Betty’s pies are delicious; they always use real fruit, pure butter, premium chocolate and local eggs. Betty’s doesn’t sell pie slices, hence the name Betty’s Pie Hole, but they do make sweet and savory pies in individual and full-size portions. The chicken potpie is hearty and delicious—but it’s the fruit pies, like the perfectly balanced strawberry-rhubarb with a flaky crust, that you’ll be dreaming of for days.

The atmosphere alone in this Iranian restaurant is a wonderful introduction to any day. The sunny, high-ceilinged space on Avenue Laurier Ouest is decorated with nice wooden furniture and traditional Middle-Eastern patterned pillows, for your ultimate comfort as you sip sweet mint tea served in small gilded glasses and decide what to order. Will it be the selection of flatbreads served with fresh herbs, nuts and fresh cheese? It comes with a selection of house-made jams like kiwi and passion fruit or orange blossom. The “omelets” are also very special – they’re actually scrambled eggs mixed with ingredients such as feta cheese and dill. Photo: Frédérique Ménard Aubin

French pastry chef Pascal Dupuy has made a name for himself as the macaroon man du jour in Oslo. His patisserie, Pascal, has several brances in Oslo city centre, the nicest one located in Henrik Ibsens gate. They serve lunch and dinner from 11am to 6.30pm, and the menu is filled with classics like eggs Benedict and Croque Monsieur. Tarts, macaroons and cakes are also served over the counter, and you can even order picnic hampers if the weather is nice and you’d rather have lunch in nearby Slottsparken. Pascal also hosts cookery and dessert making classes, so if you’ve always wanted to know how to make a Tarte Tatin, there is no need to look further.

After 30 years at the forefront of Sydney‘s fine-dining scene, Quay Restaurant underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation and reopened in 2018. The restaurant swapped white linens for Tasmanian spotted-gum wood tabletops and exchanged the previous purple-and-gold palette for blues, grays, and browns that better reflect Quay’s harborfront location facing the Sydney Opera House. Executive chef Peter Gilmore loosened up his menu, too, offering either six or 10 inventive courses such as the Oyster Intervention—a crumble of oyster cream, crushed fried dehydrated oysters, chicken skin, tapioca, and caviar served in a ceramic oyster shell—creating a dish that’s all bivalve flavor without the slippery texture. Fans of the old Snow Egg dessert will be won over by White Coral: a multitextured masterpiece of aerated ganache, coconut cream, and ice cream.

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!)

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.

From the dingy exterior, you might expect Little Village Noodle House to be a hole-in-the-wall, but it’s surprisingly cute and nicely decorated inside, with fountains, decorative woodwork, and nice tables and chairs. The chef’s special fried rice is justifiably a signature dish: piled high with pork, shrimp, duck, egg, and other goodies. The orange chicken was intensely citrusy with lots of orange flavor — but not that gross, sickly-sweet syrupy coating that usually makes the dish a soggy mess. Lunch items are around $10-12, and portions are decent, though not huge. Considering the unexpectedly fancy decor and fast, friendly service, this is a great choice for a meal in Honolulu‘s Chinatown.

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.

For something different from Laguna’s typical California fare, head to Starfish, where you can get dishes from Thailand, Vietnam, China, Korea, and India. The menu ranges from sushi and satays to dumplings, noodle dishes, whole fish, and more—all perfect for pairing with signature cocktails like the Whiskey Blossom, with bourbon, orange bitters, clover honey, and egg whites. Beyond the delicious food, Starfish is known for its upbeat atmosphere. DJs spin well into the night, while guests linger on the outdoor patio, sipping drinks amid tropical foliage.

This tiny café serves up some of Mexico City’s tastiest breakfasts alongside impeccable coffee. A year and a half out from its opening, it was the first place in town to offer Japanese-siphon-extracted brews. They’re also into methods like dipper and French press; choose from Veracruz, Oaxaca or Chiapas varieties, and even take home some beans. Naturally, with the joe at this level, there’s got to be breakfast of equal caliber; the beet hummus (with poached egg) and the berry French toast are current faves. That said, the menu never, ever bores.

This family-run bakery has been making cantucci (what you might know as biscotti) for decades. The clan’s patriarch, Roberto, mixes and rolls everything by hand in the back, using a recipe that he knows by heart—ask, and he will happily show you the original recipe, now splattered with egg whites and cocoa. Roberto’s delicate cantucci are far from the tooth-cracking kind sold at many places. If you are really lucky, a fresh batch of the dark-chocolate-and-pistachio variety may have just been pulled out of the oven when you arrive.

A visit to Hyderabad may not be complete until you have savored the cuisine at Paradise Food Court. The Secunderabad location—considered the largest sit-down restaurant in all of India—has multiple spaces, including Paradise Cafe, Paradise Bakery and Confectionery, Paradise Roof Garden, and Paradise Heights. But whatever you do, make sure to try the biryani—a fragrant mixed rice dish cooked with meat or eggs. Hyderabad has more varieties of biryani than any other South Asian destination, so come hungry and sample the goodness.

A loud mix of hipsters, college students, and professionals enjoy three floors of entertainment and fun at this traditional-themed British pub. Nosh on favorites like fish and chips, bangers and mash, and the “Brixton Burger” with bacon and fried egg on its first floor restaurant. Down a pint of Fuller or St. James at the second floor’s Lodge Bar adorned with wood paneling, brick walls, antler lighting fixtures, and leather furniture. Or head upstairs one more level to bask in the panoramic views of D.C. and the surrounding U Street neighborhood on its rooftop deck.

Who says nothing grows in the desert? Local flavor is fresh and on display Saturday mornings during cooler weather at the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market, where Arizona-grown oranges and peppers are sold alongside homemade tamales and mozzarella. There are food trucks, artisanal ice cream, and cooking demonstrations from local chefs. Head to the Singh Farms stand to view the harvest of organic peaches, tomatoes, figs, peppers, and more, along with fresh-baked bread, herb butter, honey, and eggs. Most weeks, a local chef dishes out breakfast from the outdoor café on-site.