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A journey into the ethnic neighborhoods redefining the City of Light

It isn’t wine or cocktails that mark happy hour for locals in Marseille but Pastis, the anise-flavored drink of choice first commercialized by Paul Ricard during the prohibition of absinthe. Ricard’s recipe and formula– star anise, licorice root; five volumes of water for one volume of Pastis - proved an instant hit back in the early 1930’s and is largely responsible for popularizing the aperitif-hour tradition in the south. Today’s experts can be found at La Maison du Pastis, a shop tucked deep in the colonnades of the Vieux Port specialized in 75 different varieties of Pastis and Absinthe. Be sure to ask for a taste before you pick up a bottle, the staff is more than happy to oblige.

In 1984, As You Like It was performed at Manuel’s Tavern, signaling the beginning of what would become the New American Shakespeare Tavern. The Atlanta Shakespeare Company, the tavern’s resident acting troupe, specializes in “original practice,” which tries to keep methods as closely to those of the writer’s time period. While many of the plays put on are from namesake William Shakespeare, such as Twelfth Night, Othello and King Lear, the ASC has also performed other works like A Christmas Carol and Our Town. The theater is in the round, which allows most seats an equally unhindered view of the performance. And since it is called a tavern, the theater has a full food and drink menu with British favorites like shepherd’s pie, Cornish pasty and bottled selections from Samuel Smith.

Summer, mid-afternoon in the South of France--there’s no better place to be than in the shade, cicadas singing overhead, taking a nap in a hammock hung from a medieval village-wall by a lazy, quiet river... My wife and I were visiting friends in the Provençal village of Le Thor. Their house was built in to the medieval wall, with just enough space between the wall and the river for a few chairs and a hammock. Close to Avignon, but off the beaten path, the surrounding sunflower fields were the perfect place for tandem-bike-rides...we kayaked in the Sorgue river, floating down past the village walls to the Romanesque church...and after a snack of olives and pastis, it was my turn for a ‘sieste’ in the hammock... Ah, the allure of villages in the South of France; pick one and stay a while. Soak it up.

In 1911, American star jockey Tod Sloan took a bar in Manhattan, dismantled it, and shipped it to Paris. At the time, American tourists and members of the artistic and literary communities were beginning to visit the City of Light in ever-increasing numbers, and Sloan wanted to capitalize on his fame and make the place a spot where expats would feel at home. Over the years, Harry’s New York Bar has been frequented by a number of famous Americans and international celebrities, including Sinclair Lewis, Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, Jack Dempsey, Rita Hayworth, Humphrey Bogart and the Duke of Windsor. Whether or not you have star status, you can still settle in on a stool with a drink and soak in the history.

Some say that Keller’s second restaurant in Yountville is even better than his flagship, the French Laundry. The rest of us may never know. But Bouchon is open until midnight seven days a week, and you can grab a seat at the bar without a reservation and spare yourself the theatrics of the more formal dining. Champagne, oysters, and French fries are a fine first course, and the bar also makes a mean martini.

Bouchon is a Thomas Keller star (at a third the price of French Laundry). which serves unpretentious, French fare with a Keller twist. From Croque Madame to steak and roasted chicken, the kitchen puts out classical French bistro fare. Try sitting at the marble-topped bar with a Pastis in one hand and a spoon for mussels in the other. Not only is it quite affordable, but if you are lucky enough to snag an outdoor seat, you may also sit, Paris-style, all afternoon chatting with friends (and I dare you to resist walking into the Bouchon bakery two steps away to complete your meal- or grab a foie treat for your dog!).

There is a fado song proclaiming that all artists and fado singers come to A Tendinha, here in one of the oldest areas in Lisbon, founded in 1840.


At Rossio, between the old cafes like Suiça and Nicola and on the other side of the D. Maria II National Theatre, next to Arco da Bandeira, you will find this little tasca. Here you can eat ham or fresh cheese sandwiches, bifana (pork sandwich) or some fried petiscos (snacks) like the Pastel de Bacalhau, a codfish cake, and shrimp croquettes. Ask for a beer or red wine from the house to accompany.

I hear about Ginger Elizabeth all the time—a friend’s favorite new flavor of macaron or the chocolate gift box received as a birthday gift. When I finally made it here, I was impressed by the beautiful interior, friendly staff, large selection of macarons, and most of all, the beautiful chocolates. Ginger Elizabeth trained as a chocolatier and pastry chef at the Culinary Institute of America and takes pride in using all-natural, high-quality ingredients. She also promotes responsibility through carefully choosing organic and fair-trade products and local packaging. Ginger Elizabeth surprised me with flavors like grapefruit and fennel chocolate caramels and blackberry coffee macarons. Fun seasonal delights include chocolate skulls, Day of the Dead chocolates, and pumpkin pie macarons. It’s a great place to indulge yourself or buy gifts from the heart of Sacramento.

Opened in 1916, this Upcountry Maui icon draws hordes of locals and savvy tourists with its racks of sweets, including legendary cream puffs and amazing stick doughnuts. The menu here also features pies, rolls, bread, cookies, cupcakes, turnovers, and irresistible guava malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts), but the bakery is best known for its Long Johns—yeast-risen pastry bars coated with glaze or icing. Go early, as the crowds pick the trays bare by 10 a.m., and be sure to check out the memorabilia of bygone eras tucked among the postcards, pantry staples, and fishing gear for sale.

Over the past two centuries, the covered market at Borough, not far from London Bridge, has become one of the country’s most famous foodie spots. From Wednesday to Saturday each week hundreds of traders gather to sell homemade breads, hand-reared pork, artisan chocolate and all manner of ingredients—plus excellent coffee, fresh juices and organic wine. Plentiful samples add to the convivial vibe, and restaurants around the market’s edge provide additional sustenance for longer stops.

On this week’s episode of Travel Tales by AFAR, Ryan Knighton—a blind surfer who’s never surfed outside his Canadian bay—heads for the big waves of Kaua‘i.

“Let’s have a Greggs!” This refrain is certainly something you may overhear while roaming the rather handsome streets of Glasgow. Is Greggs a chain? Yes. Does Greggs have a rather ubiquitous presence? Certainly. Did somehow I find myself back there on a daily basis? I did. If you want to sample some Scottish goods without forking over plenty of dough, this is a great way to do a wee taster. Sample a sausage roll (not to be confused with roll sausage), a cheese and onion pasty, perhaps a chicken bake, and of course, a Scotch pie filled with beef mince and mutton. All are just the right size to take on the road and will cost a pound or so, which really isn’t bad considering.