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When the Michelin Guide extended into Southern California in 2019, it came as no suprise that this restaurant in the Fairmont Grand Del Mar became San Diego’s first to earn a coveted star. Its executive chef, William Bradley, is essentially San Diego’s Thomas Keller. A Relais & Châteaux Grand Chef, he attracts top talent from around the country, ensuring a top-notch kitchen. Named after an architect who was inspired by Spanish, Portuguese, and Venetian decorative arts, Addison screams opulence with everything from iron-and-glass doorways trimmed in 22-karat gold to Venetian plaster walls and limestone fireplaces in the dining room. Guests can choose between a four-course menu or a chef’s tasting menu, either of which might include coffee-roasted canard with Koshihikari rice and candied peanuts, or fruits de mer with fennel, saffron, and piment d’espelette. All that deliciousness doesn’t come cheap, however—the four-course menu is $110. For a slightly more affordable evening, dine in Addison’s bar, Le Salon, which offers a four-course canapé menu for two plus a bottle of wine for $135.

A writer travels to the Horn of Africa to find the source of a global obsession.

A glimpse at the future of this important South African metropolis, according to the creatives who are shaping it.

Traditions on the Brink of Change: Photographer Eric Lafforgue

In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, Nell McShane Wulfhart—host of the podcast The Decision Coach—reveals how we can make better choices in all facets of our lives.

I’ve loved Ethiopian cuisine since the first time I tried it. Until I visited Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, I’d never heard of kitfo. This delicacy, which can probably be found at some Ethiopian restaurants in the United States if you look hard enough, is raw meat, eaten, of course, with injera, the spongy bread Ethiopians use to scoop up their food. The next day when I met up with an Ethiopian friend, I told him about my raw meat adventure. “You didn’t eat it completely raw, did you?” I nodded affirmatively. “And you’re okay today?” he asked. I nodded affirmatively again. It was delicious and I’d eat it again--yes, raw--on my next visit back to Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian wine? An unlikely pairing of words, for sure, and an unlikely beverage that you may regret having ordered while traveling around this fascinating country. I was at Castelli’s, a famous Italian restaurant in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. The restaurant is a relic from Italy’s failed attempt to colonize the African country. The food may be forgettable at Castelli’s, but this wine is even more so. Some day, perhaps, “Ethiopia” and “wine” may have a more congruent appeal. Just not any time soon.

Coffee was discovered in Ethiopia in the 9th century and cultivated by the Arabs in the 15th century. It’s your historical imperitave to continue to enjoy this amazing discovery at the oldest coffee shop in Ethiopia. Ethiopians will say the only good thing the Italians brought to the country was the coffee machinery and the resulting macchiato. Order yours at the front of Tomoca Coffee shop and then pick it up at the back, in front of two whirring espresso machines. The coffee is hot, strong, and deliciously bitter. Pick up a half a kilogram as a souvenier on your way out to continue the legacy of Ethiopian coffee.

Johannesburg is home to a good variety of people and cultures from all across Africa. Some of the more prominent culture clubs in town are Nigerians, Zimbabweans, Angolans and Ethiopians who all bring a little bit of their traditions and stylings into their businesses in Johannesburg. If you’re looking for a good African meal, Little Addis Café aka Kassa’s Kitchen in the Maboneng Precinct is a great place to go! Run by the very friendly Kassa, this homely, venue is watched over by a large portrait of the most prominent Ethiopian leader, Haile Selassie. If you can’t find place inside, there’s always a nice spot in the shade on a sunny afternoon on the sidewalk, I had the veggie and meat combo which was served with traditional injera (Ethiopian flatbread). Using your hand to eat is the only way to do the traditional meal justice!

If Southern California had ever been annexed by La Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia, the Fairmont Grand Del Mar would be the governor’s palace—all marble columns, gold-leafed staircases, and hand-stenciled ceilings. Even the 400-acre grounds, with their classical fountains, garden rotundas, and neatly arranged cypresses, are true to the retro Italianate vibe. The luxuries, however, are modern—namely, the 18-hole Tom Fazio–designed golf course and the critically acclaimed restaurant Addison. There, Relais & Châteaux grand chef William Bradley lures locals and travelers with his contemporary French cuisine, a seasonal tasting menu, and a wine list of more than 3,500 selections. (There are a few other drinking and dining options, too, including a casual all-day option, a clubby grill room, and a nightclub for live music and weekend DJs.)

The hotel’s 249 guest rooms and suites feature European-style soaking tubs, and views over the gardens, golf club, or Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve. Two opulent villas—ranging in size from 4,500 to 5,000 square feet—are tailor-made for families and larger groups. The spa here is also one of San Diego’s best: Book a signature Renaissance spa therapy, and follow the scent of eucalyptus-infused mist all the way down a grand staircase to your Moor mud wrap.

Not many museums offer you the chance to experience their exhibits like the Cavanaugh, where you can book in for a once-in-a-lifetime flight in an original WW2 plane like the Boeing N2S-4 Stearman Kaydet “Yellow Peril”. If taking to the skies doesn’t appeal there is still plenty to do here and it’s easily a full morning or afternoon’s visit for plane geeks of all ages. This is a mostly personal collection of aviation super-fan Jim Cavanaugh. Tucked away in the hangars at Addison airport, most of the vintage planes are totally air-worthy (which is unusual for a museum of this type).

One weekend a month, artists and designers set up shop at the Dallas Handmade Arts Market, located within the Addison Conference Center. The vendors here are all part of Dallas’ emerging creative class, and they’re selling their paintings, pottery, screenprinted t-shirts, jewelry, and textiles to eager local buyers. Local bands supply live music, new vendors appear every month, and market artisans even teach creative classes on certain weekends.

In keeping with the spirit of “going big” in Texas, opt to see the state’s third-largest city from the air. GoCopter’s helicopter tours depart from the Addison Airport. Prices start at $250 for a chopper flight over Addison and the Galleria complex; downtown Dallas, Fort Worth, and the Dallas Cowboys stadium can all be added onto your adventure at extra cost. There’s plenty of ways a visitor can view a city, but from the seat of a helicopter? Now that’s extraordinary.

With an expansive, welcoming outdoor space, Social House Addison has made for a brilliant addition to the Village on the Parkway complex. Its menu of from-scratch fare brings the young, hot, professional regulars in droves—shrimp and grits and the Social House Buffalo Burger are standouts. Get here early for happy hour—with a ton of half-off specials Monday through Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., you’ll have competition finding a spot in the sun.