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First opened in 1939, this beloved local favorite is now being operated by the third generation of the founding family, who’ve also expanded the brand with an outpost Kochi and a couple in Dubai. The original Calicut location began with focus on the variety of Malabar coastal cuisines, including Moplah (the dishes of the Muslims of northern Kerala) and Thyyas, by the Ezhavas community in the southern part of the state. The menu now includes both vegetarian and non-veg dishes from all over India, including curries and breads made in the tandoor, but there are also a number of unique regional specialties. Check out the baby squid pan-seared Malabari-style, traditional moiley curry, and a selection of additive breads, including crispy, lentil-based appam and a perfectly flaky, buttery paratha.

Yes, V. Sattui Winery, in St. Helena, makes great wines, but on bright and beautiful days, the secret attraction is its deli and marketplace, where visitors can purchase all sorts of items to furnish a picnic and set up to eat at any number of picnic tables out front. The 2.5-acre picnic area is open to the public, and tables are available on a first-come, first-served basis. As for the yummies, choose from a range of prepared sandwiches, salads, salumi, and 200 types of cheese, or piece together an antipasto with salami, cheese, olives, and fresh bread. On weekends, in summer, Italian chef Stefano Masanti takes up residence (his Michelin-starred restaurant in the Italian Alps is only open in winter) and turns out perfect wood-fired pizzas. Go early to avoid big crowds.

Skiers and visitors who think fondue and raclette are the best expressions of Switzerland’s melted-cheese cuisine will be surprised when they taste their first Käseschnitte (called croûte au fromage in French-speaking Switzerland). This soul-satisfying, open-faced, broiled-cheese sandwich is usually laden with bacon or ham and topped with perfectly bronzed cheese or a cheesy cream sauce before being garnished with cool pickled cukes and cocktail onions. Cabane du Mont-Fort, a self-serve kiosk located in a 1920s stone Alpine hut on the slopes of Verbier at Les 4 Vallées (Switzerland’s largest ski resort), has the best in the country, not to mention stunning views of Mont Blanc from its outdoor picnic tables. Don’t expect fawning or fast service, but you can count on a thick slice of bread anchored by a slab of melted cheese, marbled sweet and smoky bacon, and a few tomato wedges to offset the fatty richness.

House in a restored colonial building, Spencer Cameron Gallery, which is helmed by expat painter Rosey Cameron Smith, sells a mix of art work (sculpture, paintings, blown glass), plus reproductions of island charts and maps. For a unique souvenir, take home some of the gorgeous pottery by local artist Carla Astaphan.

The building is also home to a secluded courtyard café that sells coffee, bread, and cookies, as well as a women’s clothing store called NOMAD. The top floor, which dates back to the 1750s, even hosts yoga classes on Saturday mornings if you’re looking for a good stretch before breakfast.

Kabana serves up Dubai’s best Afghani food—piping-hot bread, juicy meats, and deeply seasoned rice plates—in the Jumeirah neighborhood. Especially recommended are the muhammara (a spread made from roasted red peppers and ground walnuts, served topped with walnuts), and fried kibbeh (spiced ground lamb mixed with bulgur and onions). Kabana’s live music nights and shisha, or waterpipe, selections bring out an interesting cross-section of the city’s diverse culture.

A few kilometers inland from Mykonos Town, Ano Mera is a small Cycladic idyll of a village. To get a feel for how people lived before the tourism boom, wander the streets and smell the scent of fresh baked bread. The Panagia Tourliani church and the Paleokastro Monastery are centuries old, and you can also find graves of the ancient Geometric era of Greece here.

Located in Denver’s trendy River North district, the Source is a collection of 25 vendors sharing space in the hip industrial interior of a former 1880s iron foundry, where artisans and retailers include a bakery, a butcher shop, florist, coffee roaster, barber, and even a food photography studio. Restaurants include Acorn, a locally acclaimed eatery serving wood-fired specialties (a meaty oak-roasted monkfish comes rubbed with a Moroccan blend of chermoula and saffron ; Comida, a Mexican taquería known for authentic and slow-cooked pork carnitas and fantastic margaritas; as well as a couple of breweries and a cocktail bar. The space also hosts pop-up events for other food vendors, as well as jewelry, home goods, clothing, accessories, and cosmetics, and a 100-room hotel that opened in summer 2018.

It may look a little like your childhood summer camp, but Phantom Ranch feels like the Ritz by the time you make it to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, whether by foot—a steep 10-mile hike—mule, or boat down the Colorado River. Set near a creek in the shade of a cottonwood grove, the lodge is the only property located beneath the rim of the canyon, making it an extremely popular destination. Book early; the concession uses a lottery system for reservations beginning 14 months in advance. There are two lodging options: log cabins that sleep up to 10 people and are furnished with cold water sinks and toilets (there are common shower facilities), and four dormitories—two each for men and women—that sleep 10 in five bunk beds. Linens are provided and, thankfully, all of the buildings have air-conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter. Also be sure to reserve meals ahead of time. Seating in the canteen is limited, and the steak and meat-stew dinners, served family style, are surprisingly tasty.

Unlike the smaller venues which typically host markets once or twice a week, the V&A Market on the Wharf is open daily. If you are staying at accommodation in the V&A Waterfront or Greenpoint area, the is a great market to grab a drink and snacks for a picnic in the park or up Signal Hill. You can find homemade biltong, dried fruits, Cape Malay spices, and artisanal cheeses. If all this talk of food makes your mouth water, several of the vendors sell prepared meals like wraps, pies, salads, etc. For good ice cream, stop by The Creamery’s stall. You can sit outside when the weather is nice, but there is also seating on the upper level (as well as a bar) which makes it a great winter activity, too.

Östermalms Saluhall is one of Stockholm‘s most famous markets. While the prices aren’t cheap, since 1888 the market has been where those looking for the very best fish, meat, and produce shop. For most travelers in Stockholm, it provides a good lunch option if you want a fish sandwich or snack in an atmospheric Victorian food hall. The Saluhall will be closing for renovation and moving to a temporary building across the street in January 2016, and is scheduled to return to its home in 2020 after it has been refurbished and upgraded, ready to serve discerning Stockholm residents for another 125 years.

Did you know that only 25% of French people buy their cheese from a fromagerie? And of that 25, only 3-4% go to an affineur (cheese refiner). Both are the sad realities of a dying tradition in France of sourcing provisions from neighborhood artisans. Young affineur Baptiste Yapar doesn’t let the disheartening takeover of corporate food business dull his passion. The firebrand cheese master focuses his energy on running his shops Au Coeur du Marché (at the Marché d’Aligre) and educating the public. At La Cuisine Paris cooking school, he takes a small group through a complete background of cheese (it didn’t begin in France!), methods of production and the various designations and families of cheeses available. A copious tasting of 7-10 different cheeses (with wine) follows the contextual debut and is, as my friend and I agreed by the end, the closest thing approximating cheese heaven on earth. It is a fascinating two-hour experience that will not only inform how you consider the nuances of cheese in the future but will have you excited to seek out your nearest independent cheese shop for more.

The small town of Créon is located a little over 12 miles (20km) from Bordeaux. It is one of Aquitaine’s original Bastide towns, centered around a market square, which comes alive on Wednesdays.

Although the market is mainly a food market, you can find some stalls that sell household goods, clothing, etc. as well. As with all markets in France, it’s the town’s weekly ‘social'; people catch up, either with each other, or on the towns news, while shopping for the coming week. People watching is of course great, but its also a chance to engage with the locals, and make use of the French words you may have picked up by now.

We tasted freshly baked breads, delicious cheeses, fruits, and ham, you simply wouldn’t get back in the US. Because of Bordeaux’ proximity to Spain, hispanic influences are strong. Fiestas are put on throughout the summer, and Basque influences make their way into the incredible cuisine here.

Nestled on Frigate Bay, this casual restaurant has fine-dining aspirations. Here, you can enjoy freshly caught lobster in any number of ways—grilled, in a bisque, or dressed up as Lobster Thermidor, just to name a few. If you’re not in the mood for shellfish, try the lionfish (eat one and you’ll be helping to eliminate the invasive species from the local reefs), the steak (made with Angus beef), or the tapas, which range from breaded chicken strips to garlic shrimp.

Cruising down the Garonne river onboard the AmaDolce, the first port we called on was Cadillac, located about 19 miles from the city of Bordeaux. Cadillac, founded in 1280, is a small fortified town, and I bet their charming Sunday market is probably just as old. The market occupies a number of streets in the town center–you won’t miss it. It’s a great place to try all sorts of local specialties (seafood, breads, cheese, sausages), and of course to people watch. The locals not only do their weekly grocery shopping here, markets are also a real social event in France. Friends catch up, stories are exchanged, laughter rings through the streets. Stock up on your picnic needs, as you’ll have no challenge finding a picturesque spot to sit down and snack along the Garonne.

No worries about the little goose pictured here, it already had a name by the time the buyer walked away from the stand. Definitely pet, not food.

Adjacent to the restaurant is a cheery boutique filled with gourmet products from all over Tuscany. Thanks to the restaurant’s long-standing relationships with many of the region’s top purveyors, you’ll find high-quality olive oil (tastings can also be arranged), cheeses, cured meat, preserves, breads, and more. Not all of it will make it through customs, but you can savor any perishables on a picnic to the Tuscan countryside.