Philadelphia’s Italian Market is something of a misnomer. One of the oldest establishments of its kind in the country, it’s where locals go to stock up on pasta and Parmigiano-Reggiano—and, increasingly, to feast on such international delights as lamb barbacoa, pho, and freshly pressed corn tortillas straight from the steamy bag. 

The market, located on and around 9th Street in South Philadelphia, is essentially a living museum chronicling the city’s demographic and culinary evolution. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, immigrants from Sicily and Abruzzo landed in this part of town. In the 1970s, the area drew Vietnamese refugees escaping war, while the mid- to late 1980s saw the arrival of thousands of Cambodians fleeing the Khmer Rouge. A decade or so later, the North American Free Trade Agreement brought waves of Mexican immigrants, largely from Puebla, many of whom still call South Philly home. 

So, what started as an Italian market more than a century ago has become an all-out global feast. Growing up in Philly as a third-generation Italian American, I spent my childhood exploring those stalls. There was Isgro Pastries for cannoli, each delicate shell piped to order with chocolate chip-studded ricotta. Cacia’s Bakery and Sarcone’s Bakery satisfied my cravings for tangy, garlic-scented tomato pie, while Di Bruno Bros. was a perennial pitstop for wedges of Parmigiano shipped in from the Motherland. Ralph’s (the oldest Italian restaurant in America) was for celebrating birthdays and baptisms. 

But the older I got, the more I came to appreciate Philly’s cosmopolitan food scene beyond the Italian mainstays. After all, Philadelphia is home to one of the country’s highest percentages of residents born abroad, primarily Latin America, East Asia, and West Africa. And with all that immigration has come some truly phenomenal food. 

Since moving back to Philadelphia eight years ago, now with my own family in tow, I’ve introduced my husband and our three daughters to my childhood favorites—and to fragrant papaya salads, herb-marinated pork tacos, and bubbling bowls of hot pot. In the process of rediscovering my home city as an adult, I’ve become something of an expert on the international dining scene. Follow my recommendations, and you’ll be treated to a global taste tour—without setting foot outside the City of Brotherly Love. 

Thai at Kalaya

4 West Palmer Street
(215) 545-2535

Opened in 2019 as a tiny BYOB in the Italian Market, Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon’s ode to southern Thai cuisine now occupies a revamped warehouse in Fishtown. Palm trees grow under the lofty ceiling in the center of the dining room,where you might start the evening with a cocktail made with galangal and lemongrass. The fiery, complex curries are always revelatory, as are the platters of grilled freshwater prawns and sweet-and-tangy cabbage doused in pungent fish sauce. Consider bookending those mains with an appetizer of handmade dumplings, such as the bird-shaped kanom jeeb nok, and a dessert of shaved ice that arrives in a shimmering dome.

Cambodian at Mawn

764 South 9th Street

According to the sign outside this small, lively restaurant, Mawn is a Cambodian “noodle house with no rules.” Peruse the menu, and you’ll see why: There are dishes chef Phila Lorn, the son of Cambodian immigrants, ate growing up, including cold noodles with oyster sauce and clam salaw machu in a tangy tamarind-lemongrass broth. But there are also unorthodox standouts, including a particularly phenomenal Thai khao soi, the schmaltz-enriched Mawn noodle soup (an ode to Lorn’s wife and partner, Rachel), and (at lunch) a Cambodian chili dog with Prahok and sport peppers. Make a reservation, since the 28 seats book up weeks in advance.

Japanese at Royal Izakaya

780 South 2nd Street
(267) 909-9002

There are two ways to nab a spot at Royal Izakaya, the ever-packed Japanese bar and sushi counter in the Queen Village neighborhood: Either book online for the coveted eight-seat counter exactly 30 days in advance, or try your luck at the walk-in-only front room, which serves more casual fare. At the counter, watch chef Jesse Ito (trained by his father and co-owner, sushi chef Masaharu Ito) skillfully prepare each bite of the exquisite 16-course, $300 omakase with highlights including charred New Zealand salmon belly sushi and Kombu cured Japanese scallops. If that sounds a bit extravagant, stick to the bar, where shrimp shumai and chile-glazed wings pair wonderfully with pitchers of Kirin Ichiban. 

Modern Italian at Fiore Fine Foods

2413 Frankford Avenue
(215) 339-0509

Fiore is a fresh chapter in Philly’s long love affair with Italian cuisine that offers a lighter alternative to the usual red-gravy staples. The contemporary café in Fishtown has whitewashed walls and big windows that let in lots of natural light, and nearly everything on the menu is made from scratch. Breakfast centers around baked goods such as lemon olive oil cake, custard-filled bomboloni, and cornetti with pistachio cream, plus savories such as egg and ricotta sandwiches on focaccia. For lunch, there are slow-cooked pork panini and housemade pastas. No matter the time of day, save room for a scoop of gelato (I love the rainbow cookie and fresh fruit flavors), or get a pint to go. The restaurant usually closes after lunch but makes exceptions for the occasional pop-up dinner.

Afrocentric at Honeysuckle Provisions

310 South 48th Street
(215) 307-3316

Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate opened Honeysuckle Provisions in West Philadelphia in 2022 as a way to bring fresh produce and healthier prepared foods to a neighborhood that was lacking both. The project began with the Afrocentric café and market on site, where you’ll find plantain snack cakes (inspired by St. Aude-Tate’s Haitian heritage) and breakfast sandwiches with vegan black-eyed pea scrapple. Earlier this year, the couple unveiled Untitled, an ever-changing tasting menu served in an eight-seat room that speaks to the couple’s memories and to Black culture and history as a whole. The experience starts with a handwritten menu and unfolds with highlights including sorghum tea and deviled eggs from their compost-fed chickens topped with lump crabmeat and caviar—served on ceramic dinnerware that Tate, an artist and chef, made himself. 

Modern American at Illata

2241 Grays Ferry Avenue

Philadelphia has long been a BYOB paradise, thanks to the state’s rigid and antiquated liquor laws. But in the wake of the pandemic, the once-booming genre seemed to be losing steam, with longstanding spots closing left and right. Then, Illata opened in 2023. At the intimate, 20-seat spot in Graduate Hospital, a table of four can (and should) order the whole succinct menu. The dishes change regularly, but a recent meal included plump mussels in miso and chile oil, vivid green caramelle pasta with mint and peas, and a salted brown butter tart I can’t stop thinking about. Insider tip: Pick up an eclectic bottle of wine (or non-alcoholic beverage) at nearby Cork. 

Mexican at El Chingon

1524 South 10th Street
(267) 239-2131

Juan Carlos Aparicio started baking at age 16 after moving to the U.S. from Puebla, and in 2022, he finally opened his own place. Inside this colorful South Philly café, you can taste the culmination of three decades of experience woven together with time-honored family recipes from Mexico. Cemitas are built atop his from-scratch rolls and stuffed with chorizo or herb-marinated pork, and tacos come on sourdough tortillas, made using a starter he’s kept since his baguette-baking days. Beyond the sandwiches and baked goods, the aguachiles stand out for their bright flavors and variety. Try the “tropical” ginger-spiked salmon topped with thin mango matchsticks, or the vegan version with hearts of palm.

International at Friday Saturday Sunday

261 South 21st Street
(215) 546-4232

Have you ever heard of a cocktail made using the Fibonacci sequence? At this modern American restaurant in Rittenhouse Square, bartender Paul MacDonald uses the mathematical formula—in which each number is the sum of the two preceding ones—to strike the optimal balance of ingredients in cocktails such as the Assassin’s Handbook, with mulled wine shrub, Averna, Jamaican rum, and cognac. Start with a pre-dinner cocktail at the polished downstairs bar. Afterward, head up to the dining room for chef Chad Williams’ tasting menu that features dishes such as pasta with Benton’s Country Ham and collard greens and jerk quail, which make fantastic finger food when tucked into the slightly sweet coco bread that comes alongside it. 

Jewish American at Famous 4th Street Delicatessen 

700 South 4th Street
(215) 922-3274

In a notoriously difficult industry, few restaurants make it to the century milestone, and those that do are usually tourist traps. But since 1923, Famous 4th Street Deli has been a Queen Village staple for gathering around heaping, perfectly executed hot pastrami or chopped liver sandwiches, bowls of matzo ball soup, and other Jewish delicatessen standards. The wooden tables, set amid deli cases of knishes and black and white cookies, are always overflowing with  neighborhood families, well-dressed office workers, and everybody in between. 

Italian at Saloon 

750 South 7th Street
(215) 627-1811

Walking into Saloon feels like stepping back in time. The South Philly staple, part Italian restaurant, part steakhouse, opened in 1967 and still exudes that nostalgic charm with its wood-paneled walls, penny-tiled floors, and stained glass light fixtures. The bilevel restaurant fills up nightly, with waitstaff (sharply dressed in all black) buzzing around tables covered in plates of clams casino, veal piccata, and New York strip steaks. If you don’t have a reservation, you can usually find a seat at the upstairs bar. Wherever you land, start with an icy martini and end the meal with a treat—say, tiramisù or cannoli—from the old-school dessert tray.  

Mediterranean at Mish Mish

1046 Tasker Street
(267) 761-9750

Dinner at Mish Mish, the Mediterranean-ish restaurant on East Passyunk, feels like an intimate, effervescent dinner party. The dishes change seasonally—fluke crudo with torn herbs and elderflower vinegar in the spring, perhaps, or braised pork with tamarind barbecue sauce in the fall. Natural wines are broken out by cheeky descriptors (“pink linen,” “hammocks, palm trees”), and it’s all set to a soundtrack that bops from Egyptian rap to aughties R&B. Speaking of cheeky, the giant apricot that hangs over the front door is a nod to the restaurant’s name: Mish Mish means apricot in Arabic. Deal hounds shouldn’t miss Sunshine Hour, from 5 to 7 p.m., for $8 snacks (think “lil hunks of marinated feta”) on the sidewalk patio.

Vietnamese at Gabriella’s Vietnam

1837 East Passyunk Avenue
(272) 888-3298

In the wake of the Vietnam War, thousands of refugees settled in Philadelphia, resulting in a large, vibrant Vietnamese community. Along Washington Avenue and in pockets of South Philly, pho shops and Vietnamese bakeries specializing in bánh mì and bánh cam (sesame rice balls) abound. Complementing the tried-and-true classics, chef Thanh Nguyen, who grew up in Vietnam, opened Gabriella’s in 2021 to spotlight dishes that are popular in her home country right now: water fern dumplings, crisp savory crepes, and vermicelli platters served with a pungent kumquat-shrimp dipping sauce, to name a few. Early evening, the minimally adorned dining room fills with families, while later, it’s groups of friends feasting on chicken hot pot, sizzling catfish, and other shareable favorites.

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At the tip of Cape Cod, on a narrow strip of land 60 miles out to sea, lies Provincetown, Massachusetts—the end of the world (or, at least, New England), and the place I’ve called home for close to two years. Locals might call me a “washashore,” but I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

That’s because Ptown is (per capita) the queerest town in the country and one of the most sought-out vacation spots for anyone on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. It’s a place of extraordinary natural beauty (the dunes! the beaches! the gardens! the architecture!) as well as a playground for freedom and pride. The main drag, Commercial Street, runs the length of the town along the bay side and is home to the majority of the restaurants, clubs, shops, and galleries. During the summer, it overflows with people of all flavors of gender expression, kink, and sexuality.  

I landed in Ptown after 20 years in professional kitchens ended in epic burnout. In 2021, mid-pandemic, I sold Willa Jean, my restaurant in New Orleans, and headed north. Love was waiting, as was eventual heartbreak and, ultimately, recovery and healing in Ptown. 

I’m not sure if it was the sunset G&Ts with friends on the beach, the impromptu clambakes, or the slices of pizza I devoured in the street after raucous nights out, but eating my way through the city has taught me that to be a queer person in Ptown is to be part of a community. Every restaurant and bar contributes to this spirit, and these are some of my favorite places.

Nor’East Beer Garden

206 Commercial Street

The Nor’East Beer Garden is an unassuming outdoor space on Commercial Street that serves some of the best food and cocktails in Ptown. That’s because you never get bored: The culinary “theme” changes each season; this summer, it’s “light Italian,” which means you can savor dishes like mushroom pâté, burrata with fried dough, and minty brown-butter mussels. 

Sal’s Place

99 Commercial Street

Sal’s is by the water in the West End, which makes for spectacular views. Cash-only and often difficult to reach by phone, Sal’s is worth the trouble of getting a reservation, whether you’re booking dinner with friends or a date. Don’t skip the cauliflower Caesar with baby romaine, which I love to order alongside the charred octopus with garbanzo beans and smoked chile oil.  

Relish

93 Commercial Street

This inviting little bakery in the West End makes a variety of breakfast and lunch sandwiches—great for a handheld meal while strolling about, or as beach picnic fare—but I always go for the pastries. Spring for a wedge of key lime tart, or grab a cookie or a slice of coffee cake.  

Tea Dance at the Boatslip Resort

161 Commercial Street

Shirtless muscle gays, margarita-sipping drag queens, straight vacationers who love to party—Ptowners of all stripes congregate every afternoon at the ultimate pregame called Tea Dance (or just “Tea”), held at the Boatslip Resort from 4 to 7 p.m. The legendary bartender Maria reigns over the right side of the bar, the end closest to the water, and will happily start you off with the Planter’s Punch, their official cocktail. 

Strangers & Saints

404 Commercial Street

After Tea, many revelers flock to Strangers & Saints, housed in an incredible 1850’s Greek Revival homestead. The Ken Fulk-designed interior, and well-made cocktails make for a dependably enjoyable second stop. The food goes well beyond basic bar snacks with dishes like meatballs with salsa verde and cucumber kimchi (my go-to dish), which pair nicely with the charred shishito peppers or spicy Moroccan carrots. Eating at Strangers & Saints feels like being welcomed into the home of someone with impeccable taste who loves throwing dinner parties.

The Mayflower

300 Commercial Street

Long before Provincetown was an LGBT+ mecca, it was a Portuguese fishing village. Remnants of that past can be found at the Mayflower, where traditional Portuguese flavors endure in dishes like the Portuguese kale soup, made with spicy linguica sausage and red beans. Its obligatory sidekick is an order of garlic bread, and if you’re still feeling peckish, a dozen steamers, a Cape classic of brothy soft-shell clams that you dunk one by one in melted butter. Family-run with a no-reservations policy, the Mayflower has an old-school diner feel with a down-home friendliness to match. They also happen to make the best Manhattans in town.  

Irie Eats

70 Shank Painter Road

Provincetown has a large, vibrant Jamaican population—many first arrived as seasonal workers and wound up making Ptown a year-round home. A little off the beaten path is Irie Eats, which offers spicy Jamaican food that fuels my summer season. My favorite dishes in the regular rotation are the curry goat, jerk chicken or pork, salt fish, and oxtails—all of which come with rice and red beans, and slaw. It’s a grab-and-go vibe, but they do have a small outdoor seating area to soak in the sun (and the flavor). 

Pop + Dutch

147 Commercial Street

My personal “best sandwich shop” award goes to Pop + Dutch. Their slogan is “Sandwiches. Salads. Lube,” and their tiny market selling vintage, often slightly titillating textiles and art only adds to the appeal. The shop carries everything you need for a day at the beach or pool, including sunscreen and, yes, lube. The fridges are stocked with fresh potato salad, pimento cheese, chicken salad, dolmas, and a variety of drinks including a great Arnold Palmer. But the sandwiches are the main event (lately, I’ve been loving specials like turkey topped with Cool Ranch Doritos and ranch-flavored mayo). In the morning, they make a mean scrambled egg sandwich on brioche, but slugabeds be warned: It’s only available from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

Crown & Anchor

247 Commercial Street 

The grande dame of Ptown is Crown & Anchor, an entertainment venue that sits in the center of town. Housing six bars and entertainment venues, a restaurant, a pool club, and a hotel, it caters to visitors and locals of all types. In 2021, it got new owners who were determined to turn the complex into a safe (and profitable!) space for queer artists, musicians, and chefs, among others. The restaurant concept changes daily, while the oyster bar is open seven days a week. Brunch (Thursday through Sunday) is hosted by yours truly and features a New Orleans-meets-New England menu. Expect my famous biscuits and gravy, plus live drag performances fueled by talent and fantasy. 

Lobster Pot

321 Commercial Street

The bright neon lobster sign, one of the Cape’s most recognizable images since 1979, welcomes stampedes of seafood lovers to the Lobster Pot. Tanks of fresh lobsters? Check. Ocean views? check. Consistently friendly service? Check. The plan of action here is to venture upstairs to the “top of the pot,” snag a seat at the bar, and kick things off with a perfect bloody mary. Then, it’s lobster rolls all around—or, for the lobster-averse, a wide-reaching menu of all sorts of fish and shellfish that you can order pan-roasted, grilled, stuffed, baked, blackened, fried, and more. There are also to-go dishes around the corner at Lobster Pot Express (5 Ryder Street). 

The Red Inn

15 Commercial Street 

Happy hour at the Red Inn is peak Ptown. From 2 to 4 p.m. daily, you can enjoy a raw bar menu, cocktails, and wine specials—all on a deck overlooking the beach that’s blessed with the best natural light in town. If oysters won’t cut it, chase them with heartier dishes like panko-crusted shrimp with sweet chili sauce, bacon-wrapped oysters, or shrimp remoulade salad. 

Helltown Kitchen

338 Commercial Street, Unit 3

Legend has it that Provincetown, because of its remote location, used to be a hideaway for smugglers and pirates. That’s why Puritans began calling it Helltown, a nickname that inspired the name of this restaurant that blends international flavors with New England ingredients. There’s truffle-scented, South American-spiced lobster risotto studded with peas and mushrooms. And if lobster isn’t it for you, Helltown does an incredible pork vindaloo that comes with mango chutney, basmati rice, and naan to sop it all up. 

Provincetown Brewing Company

141 Bradford Street 

Provincetown Brewing Company is fueled by community activism, and its business model reflects that. Not only does the brewery donate 15 percent of proceeds to LGBTQIA+ and Outer Cape causes; it also buys from queer-owned businesses and farmers. I’m big on their artichoke-cheese dip and jerk chicken sandwich, which I wash down with a flight of whatever PBC beers happen to be on tap. Keep an eye out for themed parties, trivia nights, “fag-out Fridays,” women’s night, and even a “yappy hour” for dogs. 

Atlantic House

6 Masonic Place

If Tea is where the party starts in Ptown, the Atlantic House (aka “A-House”) is where it ends (or at least where last call happens). Most patrons have no idea that the establishment is a contender for the oldest gay bar in America, having been in continuous operation for over two centuries. It draws the biggest crowd of any bar in Ptown and has three spaces: little bar, macho bar, and the dance floor, where the lights are low, the music is loud, and little by little the clothes seem to disappear. 

Spiritus Pizza

190 Commercial Street

Spiritus pizza is an old faithful and has become the staple stop between the party and the after party—so much so that the hour from 1 to 2 a.m. is called “pizza dance.” Spiritus is the only late food option in town, and after last call at the bars, the pizzeria fills up with hungry crowds, who overflow onto Commercial Street to revel in what’s essentially a nightly pizza party. There are three New York-style slices: cheese, pepperoni, or Greek (cash only!).  

Chalice at the Land’s End Inn

22 Commercial Street

Chalice is a new favorite wine and beer bar on the manicured lawn of the Land’s End Inn, which sits atop the tallest point at the end of the Cape. Complete with a fire pit and stunning views of Provincetown and beyond, it makes an ideal pitstop on your way to Tea or pre-dinner cocktails.  Look out for the pink martini flag: If you see it flying, then Chalice is open and well worth the uphill walk.

The post Where to Eat and Drink in Provincetown, Massachusetts appeared first on Saveur.

Fresh heads of romaine lettuce are split down the middle, grilled until charred and smoky, and then topped with blue cheese and bacon for this satisfying salad.

Featured in “California Eternal” by Georgia Freedman.

The post Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese and Bacon appeared first on Saveur.

Joyce Kutty likes wicked sharp knives and catch-of-the-day dinners. 

As a child, the 33-year-old metalsmith learned to fish the waters off Point Judith, Rhode Island, and helped her mother prepare Tamil- and Malayali-style curries in their kitchen in East Providence. Now, after a stint crafting Harmony engagement rings for Tiffany & Co., Kutty has moved on to more utilitarian objects inspired by the ancestral housewares her father carried home after visits to family in Kerala, India: Hand-forged spice spoons, hammered thali bowls, nadan kathi knives, and koduval coconut cleavers.

Her own boning and filleting knives reference the same graceful curves of these more traditional South Asian blades. “Both my parents are from coastal states,” she says. “So we eat a mostly fish diet. Making knives that can carve into fish and the things we grow stems from the root of my culture and upbringing.” Providence chefs Scott LaChapelle of Pickerel and Robert Andreozzi of Pizza Marvin are fans of her designs (Andreozzi is her occasional fishing buddy). “Part of my practice is to get out on the ocean and harvest seaweed from secret fishing spots [to create] a saltwater patina on bowls.”

On days away from her studio, she rises before dawn to cast for bluefish, stripers, and bonito. Oily mackerel is a particular favorite for those family curry recipes, which mingle deeply oceanic flavors with the sting of chiles. With every fish she brings home, Kutty also slices off a little piece for crudo to taste its essence. And the ones that get away? “Some for us, some for others, some for next season.”

Recipes

Keralan Fish Curry

Get the recipe >

Sri Lankan Fish Curry

Get the recipe >

The post Meet the Knifemaker Inspired by South Asian and New England Fishing Traditions appeared first on Saveur.

In Mexico City, no matter where you are, you’re steps from a taco. That unmistakable aroma of grilled meat, chiles, onions, and earthy corn tortillas may emanate from a busy street stand or hole-in-the-wall shop, its walls blackened by decades of smoke. Or maybe the scent is coming from a corner vendor hawking blue corn squash blossom quesadillas, or from a market stall known for its tacos de guisados (topped with saucy stews).

Tacos are an integral part of daily life from the Southwestern U.S. to Central America, but in Mexico, they’re so omnipresent that the phrase “echarse un taco” (to down a taco) is shorthand for “let’s grab a bite.” Much of Mexican gastronomy has been influenced by immigrants from Europe and beyond, but corn tortillas have been consumed here since pre-Hispanic times, and the idea of wrapping food in them precedes written history. The taco is ingenious—it is plate, fork, and spoon. Its three elements—tortilla, filling, and salsa—need to be well crafted and of high quality as balance is the key to a great taco.

Tacos were originally sold from carts or baskets by itinerant vendors, but the earliest taquerías (restaurants specializing in tacos) appeared around the turn of the 20th century.  Many of my favorite places go back to the 1940s and ‘50s. While the earliest venues usually specialized in the aforementioned guisados or simple grilled meats, the midcentury influx of Lebanese immigrants introduced the now iconic tacos al pastor, a fusion of spit-roasted shawarma with local ingredients. And recently, a new generation of chefs have begun highlighting local, seasonal produce that speaks to tradition and frequently incorporates foreign flavors. 

Even in the taquería mecca of Mexico City, not all tacos achieve greatness, but the ones served at these, my favorite haunts, always do. 

Taco de rib-eye at Taquería Los Parados

Monterrey 333, Roma Sur

Los Parados is, as its name implies, a standing-room-only hangout and a Mexico City institution. Tacosal carbón(cooked over coals)are the specialty, and the smoky aroma seduces patrons from half a block away. I’ve tried everything on the menu, but the rib-eye is the winner. Strips of tender, marbled meat come charred and juicy on a soft tortilla accompanied by ruby red tomato-guajillo and fresh green tomatillo salsas served out of big molcajetes (volcanic stone mortars). Local office workers congregate here during the day, while the late-night hours attract a motley cross-section of tired club patrons, off-duty workers from the nearby hospitals, and policemen who assiduously devour tacos by the plateful.

Taco de mole verde at Taquería El Jarocho

Tapachula 94, Roma Norte

This Colonia Roma landmark, in business since 1947, specializes in tacos de guisados. My repeat favorite is the mole verde: tender pork swathed in a luxuriant jade green sauce made with pumpkin seeds and the anise-like Oaxacan herb hoja santa. There are always a few vegetarian options as well, such as the old standards, poblano chiles in cream, or eggs in tomato sauce. While the prices are high for Mexico City, each taco comes topped with an extra tortilla, so it’s really a two-for-one. Rice-based horchata is the libation of choice.

Taco campechano of rib-eye and longaniza at Maizajo

Fernando Montes de Oca 113, Colonia Condesa

Maizajo, a Condesa hotspot, started out as a tortillería (tortilla factory) on a mission to promote fast-disappearing varieties of heirloom corn. In late 2023 it was expanded to become a restaurant, whose retro-tiled interior pays homage to taquerías of yore. The menu offers well-crafted versions of street-stand classics, including the campechano, a combination of sautéed rib-eye and housemade pork longaniza (a type of chorizo fragrant with chile de árbol). Heaped on a blue corn tortilla and garnished with chopped cilantro and onion, it’s best with a dollop of brick red salsa martajada (grilled tomatoes and chiles). Also worth noting is the grilled eggplant taco, a good plant-based option.

Taco de carnitas de costilla y buche at Amor y Tacos

Calle Corregidora 5 C, Centro Histórico
Calle 5 de Febrero 34, Centro Histórico

Amor y Tacos’ sign proudly proclaims its age: “Since 1958.” The beloved institution in the historic center recently relocated, but you’d never know it, thanks to the midcentury-style décor complete with sawdust-strewn floors and walls with slogans lauding taco culture: “Mexico is beautiful—Mexico is tacos,” proclaims one. The specialty here is carnitas, the Michoacán dish that’s now found all over the country (and the world). To make it, cooks boil a whole pig, viscera and all, in water perfumed with onion and garlic, then braise the meat in its own fat, confit-style. Tacos are then made to order according to the preferred cuts of meat. I usually order a combo of costilla (spare rib) and buche (stomach) because the ribs have all the flavor but can be dry without the succulent buche, whose melty texture is similar to tripe. Carnitas should be dressed with salsa, cilantro, onion, and an obligatory squeeze of lime.

Taco de jaiba suave at Siembra Taquería

Avenida Isaac Newton 256, Polanco

Siembra is the visionary project of chef Israel Montero, formerly of the acclaimed Raíz, who fronts this venue for restaurant versions of classic regional street tacos. The menu includes 20 options, many traditional, others creative, and all come atop tortillas made with local endemic corn. Popular are the cecina (salted dried beef) combined with housemade green chorizo; and the picaña con chicharron, grilled, juicy beef topped with crunchy cracklins. But the sleeper hit here is the deceptively simple jaiba suave (softshell crab), which comes tempura-fried, resting on its blue tortilla like a crispy little cloud. A drizzle of housemade Japanese-style mayo, a crown of shredded red cabbage, and a dash of salsa chiltepín—made from a tiny but potent chile—makes a great thing greater. The compact locale features pleasant outdoor seating under a shady wooden canopy.

Taco de chilorio at La Tonina

Serapio Rendón 27, Colonia San Rafael

In 1949, Tonina Jackson, a successful lucha libre wrestler, opened this restaurant to rectify the city’s dearth of cooking from the northern states of Sonora, Durango, Nuevo León, and Sinaloa. It was once the after-hours haunt of showbiz luminaries who frequented the spectacular Cine Opera, down the block and now in ruins. The restaurant may have lost its former glamor, but the food still sparkles. Flour tortillas—a rarity in the capital—are made from scratch and served fresh from the griddle. The fillings are beef-based as the north is cattle country. Chilorio, my favorite, reminds me of that Tex-Mex classic, chili con carne. A favorite in the markets of Sinaloa, it’s made with shredded beef, ají colorado, garlic, oregano, cumin, and vinegar.

Taco de chorizo verde at Ricos Tacos Toluca

Calle López 103, Colonia Centro

This open-to-the-street, standing-room-only taquería serves up specialties of nearby Toluca and Mexico State, namely, chorizo, cecina (salted dried beef), and obispo (stuffed offal along the lines of haggis) tacos. Red and green sausage links hang like Christmas ornaments above the griddle, and their spicy aroma entices passersby to stop for a tentempié (quick bite). The bright green chorizo verde, made with ground pork, serrano chiles, cilantro, tomatillos, spinach, and pine nuts, reminds this ex–New Yorker of the Italian sausage once proffered in Little Italy. Brightly colored salsas—chile-avocado, fresh pico de gallo, and roast tomato-chile—can be added to each diner’s liking.  

Taco de carnitas de buche y barriga at Taquería El Gran Abanico

Francisco J. Clavijero 226, Colonia Tránsito

This legendary carnitas purveyor occupies an entire block in the working-class Tránsito neighborhood south of the Centro. It is a pilgrimage site for aficionados of all stripes, who sit in the cavernous interior or spill onto the street to revel in all things pig. While some spring for the taco de maciza (pork loin), I recommend the “buche y barriga hecho a la plancha” (griddled pork belly and stomach). The extra pass on the grill gives the meat a crackly crust and brings out more flavor. Sides of sautéed nopalitos (cactus) and grilled cebollitas (baby onions) round out the proceedings, and a chela (slang for beer) is the perfect accompaniment.

Taco al pastor “negro” at Taquería El Trompo Imperial

Calle Río Lerma 43, Colonia Renacimiento

Tacos al pastor, iconic in the capital, are the Mexican interpretation of Middle Eastern shawarma, brought to the country by Lebanese immigrants in the middle of the last century. To make it, thin slices of achiote-marinated pork are stacked onto a trompo (upright skewer). Then, a peeled pineapple is placed on top, and the whole thing is grilled vertically and shaved to order by the pastorero with rhythmic elan. The meat is heaped onto a small tortilla, then topped with cilantro, onions, and salsa. Ex-music promoter and restaurateur Carlos Ruíz is the brains behind this refined neighborhood taquería. His version of al pastor stands out because it’s negro, “extra dark,” thanks to a marinade of smoky charred chilies. 

Taco de milanesa de res at Los Milanesos

Calle Glaciar 121, Colonia Olivar de los Padres

Los Milanesos stands alone—literally and figuratively. It’s located on a grassy strip in what feels like the middle of nowhere in the southwest part of the city, and its milanesa tacos are in a category of their own. Milanesas are breaded deep-fried cutlets of beef or chicken that can be layered with ham and cheese. To turn them into a taco, cooks here slice them into strips and bundle them in a tortilla with a schmear of frijoles refritos. The optional addition of fresh green or roasted tomato-chile salsa lends every bite a welcome zing. 

Taco de birria at Birria Las Margaritas

Mercado de La Merced, Pasillo 29 Banquetón, Centro

Birria, Jalisco’s signature dish, is a spicy, soupy stew of mutton or beef. It starts with a marinade combining several chiles and spices, such as cumin and oregano. The meat is then wrapped in leaves of the maguey plant (from which mezcal and tequila are extracted) and slow-roasted in pots sealed with corn masa. The dish is a specialty of this unassuming stand, which is run by the Gómez family from Guadalajara, and has just a few tables outside the Merced Market’s main building. Their recipe is a guarded secret, and once you taste the birria tacos garnished with cilantro, onions, and avocado—you’ll understand why. The bowl of accompanying consomé, ladled from a cauldron, is ambrosial with its balanced flavors of beef, chile, and spice.

Taco de pork belly cantonés at Cariñito Tacos

Guanajuato 53, Roma Norte

This tiny yet popular restaurant typifies the new breed of modern taquerías whose chefs don’t forsake traditions but add to them, fusing foreign techniques and ingredients with classic Mexican ones. Cariñito offers several types of pork belly tacos (plus a couple of vegetarian options such as grilled eggplant or cauliflower) that incorporate Korean and Chinese ingredients. The Cantonese, my favorite, consists of sous vide pork with a crackly chicharrón crust. It comes sliced and mounded on a housemade flour tortilla slicked with Korean barbecue sauce, then dressed with a chile and tamarind infusion and topped with lemony pickled carrots and turnips. This is Mexican-Asian fusion at its best. 

The post The Top 12 Tacos of Mexico City—And Where to Try Them appeared first on Saveur.

LGBTQ bars have had a tough run lately. Shuttering in concerning numbers, many have been struggling with soaring rents and an increasingly challenging business model (not to mention dating apps, which make it easy to flirt from the couch). But happily, and against all odds, many of our go-to LGBTQ spaces are still standing—thriving, even. What’s more, they need your business more than ever in light of discriminatory anti-transgender legislation and distressing Don’t Say Gay laws. To that end, here’s a pared-down list of our favorite queer bars, restaurants, and clubs in major cities across America. Drop in for a drag show, catch a late-night DJ set, or simply pull up a stool at the bar. No matter your gender or orientation, you’re in for a good time.  

The Stonewall Inn, New York City

“We really are like the gay Church,” said co-owner Kurt Kelly. Mecca for America’s gay liberation movement, Stonewall is the site where a dayslong protest for LGBTQ rights ensued in 1969 after police violently raided the establishment. In 2019, an estimated 5 million people made the pilgrimage to Greenwich Village to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the pivotal event. Today, Stonewall is more than its brick-and-mortar location; behind the scenes, the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative is taking the “Stonewall Inn legacy to the most marginalized in our community and in the toughest places to still be LGBTQ+,” said Stacy Lentz, Stonewall’s co-owner and CEO of the nonprofit.    

Round-Up Saloon, Dallas

Next time you’re in Dallas, lasso up your friends and take them to this kitsch Oak Lawn dance hall where queer culture meets line dancing and twangy country music. Thursdays are the best nights to go for the uninitiated; that’s when instructors give free lessons on, say, how to do-si-do your partner and dance the “Hoedown Throwdown.” Nobody goes for the gastronomy (the menu is basically burgers, fries, and wings)—though it helps to have something to nibble on to mitigate the dangerously generous pours.

Cheer Up Charlies, Austin

Austin’s LGBTQ residents are up in arms: It may be too late to protect three emblematic Fourth Street queer bars from the wrecking ball as they’re slated to be replaced with luxury highrises. That makes Cheer Up Charlies—which is safe, for now—all the more important to support. With a well-furnished outdoor patio, bubbly staff, and a vegan food truck always parked outside (sweet potato fries! blood orange hard cider!), this bar is our favorite spot for partying in Texas’ blissfully “weird” capital. 

Atlantic House, Provincetown, Massachusetts

The “A-House,” as locals call it, is so old that its original owner was a mounted postman who died of cholera. Opened in 1798 as a stagecoach inn, it became a hub of Bohemian life at the turn of the 20th century as artists and writers fled gritty, industrial Boston for a freer and more solitary life. As early as the 1950s, the A-House was an openly gay establishment, a badge it wears proudly to the present day.   

Big Chicks, Chicago

The first thing you notice when you walk into Big Chicks in Chicago’s Far North Side is the diverse clientele: a wonderfully motley mix representing virtually all ages, races, physiques, and gender identities. Translation? Everybody feels seen at Big Chicks. Consider starting your evening with updated diner fare at Tweet (the sister restaurant) next door, before unbuttoning your shirt and heading over to the dancefloor. 

Akbar, Los Angeles

Akbar is all “good vibes and pretty guys,” according to Los Angeles-based music and travel writer Taylor Henderson. But it nearly shuttered due to the pandemic, when it was running up debt to the tune of $10,000 per month. In a do-or-die plea for aid, the owners created a GoFundMe page that, to their surprise, met its goal within 24 hours. Such is the commitment of this cozy watering hole’s clientele, which doubles as a community space and open mic venue.

Slammers, Columbus, Ohio

Here’s a not-so-fun fact: There are only 33 lesbian bars left in the entire country. And Slammers, fortunately, is one of them. A downtown Columbus standby since 1993, this indoor-outdoor establishment serves pizza and jalapeño poppers and strong drinks against the backdrop of live performances. There’s also karaoke, darts, and pool for those who like some friendly competition. 

Jolene’s, San Francisco

A relative newcomer on the Mission District scene (est. 2018), Jolene’s is a casual queer bar whose Insta-famous neon sign says it all: “You are safe here.” At a time when lesbian bars are closing at an alarming pace, Jolene’s is bucking the trend as a non-male-centric space that doesn’t feel exclusive. The bar food punches well above its weight with dishes like craggy fried chicken served with mashed potatoes and succotash, and cheese-cloaked sliders served alongside thick-cut fries. 

Pony, Seattle

Whenever Mark Stoner wears his Pony hat in another city, he can’t believe how many people stop him to say, “I love that bar!” The owner of this Seattle institution housed in a defunct 1930s gas station loves the compliments, but to Stoner, what “feels even better” is “when marginalized people in our own LGBTQIA+ community tell me that it’s one of the only spaces where they truly feel safe and relaxed,” he said.

The post 9 Amazing American LGBTQ Bars, Clubs, and Restaurants appeared first on Saveur.

Pull into a parking lot in San Gabriel Valley, then take a whiff: Is that five spice tickling your nostrils? Hoisin wafting out that window? The smell of dumplings sizzling in a skillet? As anyone who’s traveled to this corner of Southern California knows, hiding among the drab, sand-colored strip-mall storefronts are some of the nation’s most outstanding Asian restaurants.  

Situated 15 minutes from downtown Los Angeles, these eateries often catch diners’ eyes with bright neon signs and “Best Of” stickers pasted on the doors. Step inside, and you might find soups brimming with braised meats and handmade noodles, baskets of steamed baos, or dim sum carts overflowing with dainty mouthwatering morsels.  

In the mid-1800s, citrus farming brought the first wave of Chinese immigrants to San Gabriel Valley (aka SGV). They were mostly from Guangdong (formerly Canton), which led many Americans at the time to believe Cantonese food was representative of all Chinese food. That false impression was cemented by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which barred immigration from China altogether. It would be nearly a century before SGV got its next major influx of Asian immigrants—primarily from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Vietnam—who joined the Mexican, Filipino, Japanese, and South Asian Americans who had already made the area their home.

In the 1970s, new restaurants began cropping up celebrating the cuisines of Hunan, Sichuan, Shanghai, Taishan, Taiwan, and beyond. And recently, wealthy Chinese investors have further changed the face of SGV’s food scene by opening a smattering of high-end dining spots. 

An Angeleno of 27 years, I began my exploration of the area’s food scene in college with late-night rides to boba tea shops and to Hong Kong-style cafes to study for midterms. These days, you’re more likely to find me devouring Emperor’s jar soup, Uyghur big plate chicken, or Asian American mashups like Bopomofu’s honey-walnut shrimp burger. Whatever you’re in the mood to eat, you can probably find it in SGV. Here are the Asian restaurants I’m head-over-heels for. 

Dai Ho

9148 Las Tunas Dr., Temple City
(626) 291-2295

This popular and efficient Taiwanese noodle house opens just three hours for lunch because its handmade threads are sold out by the afternoon. After starting with refrigerator-case appetizers such as shredded tofu with celery and carrots and smashed spicy cucumbers, move on to the beef noodle soup (the national dish of Taiwan, natch), whose springy noodles rest in a complex broth and come topped with flank steak and bright green spinach. If you’ve got room for more, order more noodles—preferably the ones topped with minced pork and fermented bean sauce. (Be sure to bring cash, or be ready to pay via Venmo or Zelle.)

Hui Tou Xiang

704 W. Las Tunas Dr. #5, San Gabriel
(626) 281-9888 

Hui Tou Xiang serves tender dry noodles and rich noodle soups, but pan-fried pork dumplings are their strongest suit. They stand out for their rectangular shape, which makes for more crispy surface area. The pork filling is equally delightful with its touch of unexpected sweetness. Then there are the soup dumplings, with their impressive number of pleats, delicate yet sturdy wrapper, and gloriously splurty center. Basic ambiance and decor—pleather booths, hardback chairs, fluorescent lighting—let the food do the talking. 

Golden Deli

815 W Las Tunas Dr., San Gabriel
(626) 308-0803

Many pho spots look alike in this corner of SoCal, but it’s a mixed bag when it comes to how good the broth is. At Golden Deli, it’s just right—the clear soup sweetly beefy and aromatic with ginger, onions, star anise, cloves and cinnamon. Top your bowl with tender slices of rib eye and brisket, and if you like, tendon and/or tripe. A must-order pho precursor is chả giò, fried spring rolls, which are spectacularly crispy. The best way to eat these is by wrapping them in a lettuce leaf and herbs, which make a crisp, cool counterpoint to the juicy filling of pork, carrots, mushrooms, and glass noodles. Since its first location opened in 1981, Golden Deli has become an SGV institution, with long lines that are worth the wait.

Newport Seafood

518 W Las Tunas Dr., San Gabriel
(626) 289-5998

Newport Seafood is known for its quality seafood, often seen swimming in its tank before you order it. The signature dish is wok-fried, sauce-coated lobster with green onions, garlic, jalapeños, black pepper, and butter, a recipe developed by co-owner Ly Hua reminiscent of his childhood in Phnom Penh. A close second is the baked shrimp and crab, served crisp and eaten shell-on. Speaking of shells, one of my go-to orders is clams with “spicy hot sauce” whose name is as misleading as it is redundant, since there’s little heat to report but plenty of aromatics like basil, garlic, and ginger. Hua and wife Wendy Lam have roots in Guangdong but were born in Cambodia; both sojourned through different countries to eventually land in Southern California, where they met. Through their journeys you can taste your way through the restaurant’s menu filled with Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Cambodian influences.

NBC Seafood Restaurant

404 S Atlantic Blvd., Monterey Park
(626) 282-2323

Dim sum in SGV has come a long way, starting from roving dim sum carts and moving into made-to-order dishes brought hot from the kitchen. NBC Seafood Restaurant is one of the few remaining push-cart holdouts. You know the type: white tablecloths, lazy Susans, satiny gold chair covers that drape over the carpeted floor. I love the bustle and hum of the place—the servers hawking their wares, the whine of turning cart wheels, the din of diners’ conversations. The classics are all you want at NBC, and the classics are what you’ll get: crystal shrimp dumplings; open-faced pork, shrimp and mushroom dumplings; steamed pork ribs; steamed and baked buns filled with chicken or pork and pan fried radish cakes. Just be ready to wave and point when a dish catches your eye—this is no time to be shy.

Yang’s Kitchen

112 W Main St., Alhambra
(626) 281-1035

This second-generation restaurant by Chris Yang and Maggie Ho is a brunch hotspot five days a week and a dinner destination for four, but you can always count on products from local purveyors: This time of year, it’s all about kabocha squash from Yao Cheng Farm and dry-aged barramundi from The Point. Traditional dishes like congee and cold sesame noodles are my go-tos, as is the strawberry amazake smoothie made with Chavez Farms strawberries and oolong “Fresca.” At dinner, Hainan fish rice is a creative spin on what’s usually a boiled chicken dish, with added crunch thanks to crispy fish skin. Dan dan campanelle delivers perfect QQ, and the smoked char siu pork jowl is perfectly tender and sweet, capped off with an outer char. Yang’s wine list is singular and exciting, featuring  unexpected bottles such as Domaine Bükk’s “Litro Libre” made with zenit grapes from Hungary. A great reason to make a reservation for the weekend is wine nights: Flights are $34 and consist of three generous pours.

Bopomofo Cafe

841 W Las Tunas Dr., San Gabriel

Bopomofo is the quintessential SGV Cafe: It’s a casual cafe by and for second-generation Asian Americans and a side project of YouTube sensation Philip Wang of Wong Fu Productions and Eric Wang. They serve inventive beverages like mint matcha lattes and lychee berry bliss, the latter made with calamansi juice, strawberry purée, and coconut milk. If you’re peckish, consider my favorite menu item, the honey-walnut shrimp burger slathered with wasabi-yuzu sauce and topped with candied walnuts, pickled jalapenos, and red onion. There’s also your standard variety of popcorn chicken, crispy niblets dusted in house seasoning, available in white or dark meat and furnished with Thai basil aïoli. 

SinBala

651 W Duarte Rd. Ste. F, Arcadia
(626) 446-0886

SinBala has long been the local standby for Taiwanese comfort food and desserts. The classic order (from the enormous menu) is the pork chop over rice, a battered-and-fried behemoth with a crunchy layer that gives way to tender, juicy meat. There’s also the glutinous meatball, a staple of southern Taiwan, topped with a sweet, orange-tinged garlic soy sauce. Every bite is a delectable combination of pork, wood-ear mushroom, and lip-smacking sauce. After all that richness, a refreshing dessert is in order: Shaved ice topped with condensed milk and your choice of mochi balls, grass jelly cubes, red beans, and boba.

Bistro Na’s

9055 Las Tunas Dr. #105, Temple City
(626) 286-1999

Bistro Na’s introduced SGV to the Imperial cuisine of the Qing Dynasty, representing a new era of deeper-pocketed Chinese immigration to the area. Inside its red- and gold-walled dining room, guests can feast on dishes that were literally made for royalty. Dishes by Bejing-born chef Tian Yong include extraordinarily crispy shrimp in its rendition of walnut shrimp and Emperor’s jar soup, a blend of beef tendon, mushroom, fish maw, quail egg, and sea cucumber suspended in concentrated chicken stock. The restaurant serves only eight Peking ducks per night, and to claim one, you’ll want to call ahead. The bird’s skin has a uniform thickness that almost shatters when you bite into it. Chef Yong carves it delicately and serves the dish himself in two stages—first with only sugar, then in hand-rolled wraps filled with cucumber, green onion, and homemade plum sauce

Dolan’s Uyghur Cuisine

742 W Valley Blvd., Alhambra
(626) 782-7555

Before this Alhambra restaurant opened in 2019, there were hardly any Halal restaurants serving SGV’s Uyghur community. Here you’ll find dishes seasoned with star anise, cumin, black pepper and cardamom—signature flavors of China’s Turkic Muslim minority. Big-plate chicken, the standout main, features flat noodles, potatoes, bell peppers, leeks, and chiles in a spicy, hearty sauce. Equally hard to pass up are the hand-crimped beef and onion manti and the hand-pulled laghman noodles with stir-fried beef and vegetables. Televisions show landscape shots of the vast and diverse landscape of Xinjiang province, and make you reflect on this deep-seated culture fighting eradication. 

Colette

975 N Michillinda Ave., Pasadena
(626) 510-6286

This Pasadena gem that opened in 2022 brings SGV Cantonese cuisine full circle. Though you’ll spot classic preparations—such as dim sum staples like juicy pork dumplings and egg yolk buns or salt and pepper tossed calamari—there’s a new emphasis on seasonality and quality of ingredients. A case in point is chef Peter Lai’s chicken stuffed with shrimp paste distinguished by phenomenally crispy skin. Don’t miss the stir-fried vegetables, including savory luffa tossed with salted egg yolk, and wokked chayote with minced pork and pickled olives. If you’re feeling adventurous, ask your server what the specials are, but don’t veer too far off: While the menu is vast and includes modern takes, experience has shown me that the classics are where it’s at. 

Hsi Lai Temple

3456 Glenmark Dr., Hacienda Heights

In the Easter SGV enclave of Hacienda Heights lies one of the largest Buddhist temples in North America. Hsi Lai, which means “coming west,” is a breathtaking, 15-acre complex with gardens and temples built in Ming and Qing dynasty architectural styles. Every day, they put out a humble $10 vegetarian buffet as a service to the community. You’ll find fairly standard dishes such as tempura vegetables; sesame tofu salad; vegetable broth; stir-fried noodles and cut fruit. The food is nothing to write home about (and may be bland to some, since it’s allium-free due to religious restrictions), but the compound is worth visiting for its meditative serenity alone. The temple encourages visitors to take only what they can eat, so be mindful of waste.

The post An Insider’s Guide to the Pilgrimage-Worthy Asian Restaurants of San Gabriel Valley appeared first on Saveur.

Charleston isn’t just a locale full of history, cobblestones, and hot-out-of-the-fryer hush puppies. It’s a living, breathing city that’s gone through many busts and booms—and right now, it is booming.

The upswing is clear from one look at the skyline. Historically dominated by steeples, it has a new constant: soaring hotels, from the waterfront to the city center and out to the sea islands. 

The new lodgings have shooed out the dusty “moonlight and magnolias” hotels of yesteryear (soft carpeting, classical music, house merlot) and upped the ante for on-site restaurants, many of which have become destinations in their own right. The construction boom has also lit a fire under decades-old properties, which have added amenities and renovated facilities to keep up with the times.

The secret to choosing a hotel in Charleston is simple: Follow the locals. While we Charlestonians might not stay in the rooms ourselves, we know where we’d like to put Grandma up for the wedding, meet a friend for drinks, or dream of a staycation. A good hotel is about more than towel warmers in the bathroom and bubbly at check-in; it’s about uniqueness in a sea of sameness. 

So next time you’re in town (for the Charleston Wine + Food Festival or otherwise), seek out culture over cookie-cutter experiences by booking a room at one of these exceptional hotels. 

The Dewberry Charleston 

334 Meeting St.
843-558-8000

This crown-jewel hotel occupying a mid-century office building has understated elegance, attentive service, and one-of-a-kind furnishings. The sleek furniture that anchors the “living room” is original to the period, as are many desks and dressers in the rooms. The lobby bar, presided over by staff in black dresses and dinner coats, positively gleams. And the rooms and hallways are restfully quiet and well-insulated. A spa treatment, such as an express facial with Natura Bisse products, is well worth the price. You can show off the glow at the rooftop Citrus Club, which I frequent for Dewberry daiquiris (Plantation pineapple rum, sherry, lime), warm crab dip with butter crackers, and (naturally) the sweeping city views. —S.B.

The Spectator Hotel

67 State St.
866-476-4212

In this era of price-gouging for run-of-the-mill amenities, The Spectator stands apart. From the welcome cocktail to the mini-fridge restocked daily and bicycles available for exploring Charleston’s narrow side streets, “complimentary” is the operative word here. Steps from the trinket- and tourist-filled Market Street, this enclave of dark wood and Art Deco details is all about personalized service. Case in point: If you walk through one of Charleston’s frequent rainstorms, upon return, consider leaving your shoes out for shining with the butler service, then use that (or any other) excuse to have a nightcap of the Spectator’s private-label bourbon while seated on one of the Malachite green leather bar stools in the large lobby bar. —S.B.

Zero George

0 George St.
843-817-7900 

This cluster of restored 1804 buildings surrounding a private courtyard has the charm of an old-timey inn and all the creature comforts of a 21st-century hotel. It’s worth staying in for a night to experience the outstanding tasting menu at The Restaurant at Zero George, or at the very least sipping a glass of grower champagne at The Caviar Bar. Cooking classes with executive chef Vinson Petrillo are available, but if you prefer to be cooked for on vacation, the wagyu burger is a must. Whatever you choose to eat, you’re only a couryard’s crossing to accommodations defined by old pine floors and Italian Frette linens. —S.B. 

Post House

101 Pitt St. Mt Pleasant
843-203-7678

The devil is in the details, and at the Post House, the details are just right. From the moment I was handed my betasseled antique gold room key—so much easier to find in a purse than a key card!—I couldn’t stop noticing the thoughtful touches throughout this seven-room inn built in 1896. From the botanical-print William Morris wallpaper and handsome vintage light fixtures to the daily-changing fruit-infused water dispenser by the staircase and the mini bar brimming with local treats, there’s so much to delight. Each stay also includes a perfectly apportioned continental breakfast—cheese, charcuterie, fruit, a croissant, and a hard-boiled egg alongside freshly brewed coffee—which you can linger over in the light-flooded dining room or get delivered in a picnic hamper to your room. Lunch and dinner are no slouch, either—there’s plenty of fresh local seafood on the menu (don’t miss the crudo of the day or the blue crab toast), not to mention one of the best cheeseburgers in town. —Frances Kim, Digital Director

Mills House Charleston, Curio Collection by Hilton 

115 Meeting St.
843-577-2400

The elegant pink hotel at the corner of Meeting and Queen has had a recent glow-up. Under new ownership and management since 2017, The Mills House has since undergone a total interior redesign. While the 19th-century beauty’s facade and fountain courtyard have lost none of their stately charm, improvements to modernize the guest rooms and common areas make this hotel a particularly hip home base from which to reach some of our favorite restaurants in the Crescent City. Or you could stay put: When last in town for the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, I re-energized with a morning yoga class and a green juice smoothie by the pool, then switched to iced lattes and fresh, buttery breakfast pastries in the buzzy Black Door Café. Come happy hour, you don’t want to miss the small-bite menu at Iron Rose, which is peppered with polished takes on beloved Southern flavors like pimento cheese, butterbean hummus, pickled local shrimp, and blue crab fritters.  —Kat Craddock, CEO/Editor-in-Chief

The Charleston Place

205 Meeting St.
855-666-8103

Come for The Charleston Place’s plush princess beds, saltwater pool, and spa—but stay for the food. Once a part of Belmond’s international luxury hotel group, the opulent accommodation was recently acquired by the locally based Beemok Hospitality Collection, and it’s still just as grand. Click over the polished marble lobby floors, beyond the glittering chandelier and curved double staircase, for a cocktail or afternoon tea in the Thoroughbred Club. Clarified strawberry milk punch and a barrel-aged black Manhattan with Amaro Averna are high points on the wood-paneled bar’s drink menu, but the bartenders make a mean classic Bloody, too. Down the hall at the Charleston Grill, celebrated chef Michelle Weaver last year granted the chef de cuisine role to her longtime mentee Suzy Castelloe. Breakfast in the posh and pretty Palmetto café is also a special treat—though folks looking to avoid the fuss in favor of a quieter, more exclusive experience can spring for a room on the hotel’s club floors. Guests staying in this super-premium section have access to an all-day bar and a buffet of treats from breakfast to happy hour to desserts and digestifs. —K.C.

Fulton Lane Inn

202 King St.
843-720-2600

King Street is the main drag in Charleston for dining and shopping, whether you’re interested in summer frocks, antique silver, or a plate of fresh oysters—and Fulton Lane Inn is smack in the middle of the action (though it feels like a secret). Duck down an adorable little lane off King Street and you’ll find yourself at this hotel where rooms feel like a bed and breakfast gone right—all the charm of four-poster beds, fireplaces, and upholstered wingbacks but with the amenities and standards of a discerning hotel. For anyone enamored with Charleston’s specific Southern charm (or eager to experience it), this inn is the perfect place to rest after a day of frivolity and fun. —Ellen Fort, Contributing Editor

Hotel Bennett

404 King St.
833-313-1798

Hotel Bennett’s signature restaurant, Gabrielle, got an upgrade last year with Edgar Kano coming on as executive chef. Born in Mexico City and of Japanese heritage, Kano showcases coastal Carolina’s freshest seasonal bounty through Latin and Japanese lenses. After dinner, sashay across the lobby to Camellias, the hotel’s opulent champagne bar (decked out in pink marble and crystal), for a glass of bubbles and the famed Camellias cake from French pastry chef Rémy Fünfrock. A pink chocolate-glazed dome of lemon-almond sponge, topped with the daintiest macaron, makes the rosy environment that much more Instagrammable (on my last visit, there may or may not have been an impromptu photoshoot underway of two identical black yorkies, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn). —Toni-Ann Gardiner, Brand Partnerships Lead

The post Charleston’s Top Hotels for Food-Focused Travelers appeared first on Saveur.

If shrimp and grits are what come to mind when you think about food in Charleston, my hunch is that you haven’t been down to my neck of the woods lately. Since the late aughts, the city has undergone a culinary renaissance propelled by a cohort of chefs, notably Sean Brock, who brought the farm-to-table movement to new heights. In part because of this burgeoning scene, Charleston’s tourism sector has grown exponentially in recent years, and the city of just over 150,000 residents now receives close to 1 million tourists annually. (Some 35,000—including a handful of SAVEUR staffers—descend on the Charleston Wine + Food Festival each year alone.) 

But Charleson’s culinary evolution continues apace to the present. These days, a new class of chef-driven restaurants has cemented the city as an evergreen food destination, drawing from the traditional Lowcountry palate as well as international flavors and cooking techniques. 

Charleston is a thriving centuries-old port, and its food is grounded in the influences of enslaved people from West Africa and beyond who largely built the city from the ground up, grew its crops, and worked and cooked here. On this peninsula hugged by the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, they creatively combined spices and other foodstuffs that came off the ships with the bounty of this place—corn, game, shrimp, fish, crab, oysters—and established a singular cuisine at the intersection of many cultures. 

The peninsula is still Charleston’s gastronomic epicenter, which means a lot of the best restaurants are within walking distance from one another. However, as the city has grown, so has its culinary footprint, and now diners can be served—and served well—by spending some time west of the Ashley River, in the Park Circle neighborhood of North Charleston, and out on the Sea Islands. 

Charleston’s restaurants are marvelously diverse, and nowadays, you’re almost as likely to find flounder cooked in miso-infused broth as you are to enjoy it dredged in cornmeal and deep-fried. That’s why this primer runs the gamut.

I hope the list sparks your imagination: This city by the sea is where I dove headfirst into food writing, and almost two decades later, I am just as enamored with Charleston’s restaurant scene as I was that first soft-shell crab season. My biggest piece of advice? Come hungry—enjoying all that Charleston has to offer takes time, reservations, and a voracious appetite. 

The Glass Onion

1219 Savannah Highway
(843) 225-1717

Sixteen years and counting, The Glass Onion continues to churn out pitch-perfect po’boys with flash-fried plump local shrimp served on a soft yet crusty roll. Beyond the sandwiches, there are in-season vegetable sides like local field peas stewed with onions and fresh herbs, which are great to share alongside entrees including pan-roasted Carolina trout and succulent pork chops. The diner-style dining room is simple yet comfortable enough to linger for dessert, which may be a tart meringue pie one day and buttermilk panna cotta the next.

Costa

320 Broad St., Suite 160
(843) 969-2555

At this Mediterranean restaurant next to Colonial Lake, Chef Vinson Petrillo (of Restaurant at Zero George fame) reminds everybody why burrata became so trendy in the first place: This is the good stuff, ultra-creamy with a mild tang (and it doesn’t hurt that there’s an option to have it arrive gilded with caviar). Eggplant parmesan, bubbling from the oven, feels like a coat on a cool night, but regardless of the weather, I find myself returning to the cool beef carpaccio with velvety slices of meat encasing an Asian-inspired herby salad.

Da Toscano Porchetta Shop

109 President St.
No Phone

After moving to Charleston to open Le Farfalle, chef Michael Toscano connected with local pig farmer Tank Jackson and soon perfected his already exceptional porchetta. At this Charleston take on an Italian American butcher shop, try the flavorful, thinly sliced pork on a focaccia sandwich topped with salsa verde, or skip the swine and opt for the eggplant scapece sandwich with arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, and ricotta. When you’ve gone hard the night before, Da Toscano’s breakfast sandwiches—such as porcini-rubbed prime rib topped with a sunny-side-up egg—always save the day. 

Rodney Scott’s BBQ

1011 King St.
(843) 990-9535

There’s often a line out the door to this restaurant on Upper King, and when Rodney’s in the house, a line to see him, too. Rodney Scott is one of the great pitmasters of smoky whole-hog barbecue, which requires the strength to lift butterflied pigs over glowing coals, the stamina to tend it for multiple hours, and the patience to know when it’s crisp enough to serve with zippy vinegar sauce. The sound system is always playing some classic pop or blues in the sun-filled dining room, and the music is even piped out to the parking lot for customers at the drive-through. Rodney’s is a rare taste of country-style barbecue in the city—red cafeteria tray, pork skins, beans, collards, and all. 

Vern’s 

41 Bogard St. A
No phone

It feels like a cozy dinner party at this Cannonborough neighborhood haunt, where seasonal bistro dishes are the draw. A few recent standouts include escargot with tarragon and gruyère, gnocchetti with walnut arugula pesto, and bavette steak with sweet onions from Wadmalaw Island. Bethany, the co-owner, is a marvelous host, serving wine, hugging customers, and deftly maneuvering the crush of diners. Settle in for aperitivi at the bar, then peruse the wine list favoring low-intervention small producers. 

Kultura 

73 Spring St.
(843) 974-1674

There’s no cornbread in sight at this Filipino restaurant with a pleasant side yard patio—yet as any local will tell you, Kultura has quickly become a Charleston favorite since opening last year. Ingredients sourced nearby, like Peculiar Pig pork and a variety of vegetables, shine through in dishes like arroz caldo topped with smoked trout roe and tocino (twice-cooked pork ribs with banana ketchup and furikake rice krispies). It’s astonishing that the cooks can achieve such depth of flavor and beautiful plating using little more than an induction burner and a small oven. On Sundays, guests belt out karaoke hits at brunch while sipping mimosas and halo-halo cocktails made with coconut, sake, and ube foam. 

Chez Nous

6 Payne Court
(843) 579-3060

We’ve already professed our love for this spot swimming in fairytale European charm, but the lasting appeal of Chez Nous is how it connects the diner with the seasons—six menu items at a time. On a recent visit, there was crispy fish with peas and sofrito, shaved carrot and golden beet salad spooned over creamy mozzarella, and berries in vanilla cream for dessert—all served in an unhurried, well-choreographed procession. At Chez Nous, the candlelight glows, the Old World wine list flows, and there’s always a new season to celebrate.

Malika

1333 Theater Drive, Mount Pleasant
(843) 388-5178

This Pakistani street food mecca next to a movie theater is the Mount Pleasant sister restaurant of Ma’am Saab. Its walls pop with Pakistani street posters, and Bollywood music blasts from the speakers. Masala fries, sprinkled with the house chile-spice blend, come topped with onions, cilantro, and spicy ketchup; they’re a solid starter to munch on while deciding between mains like beef kabab with green chutney and tamarind or the paneer tikka masala combo with vegetable korma. For dessert, don’t miss the traditional kulfi (pistachio, rose, and cinnamon) ice cream. 

FIG

232 Meeting St.
(843) 805-5900 

Though FIG recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, reservations are as hard to come by as ever (so book ahead!). Favorites like the gnocchi and tomato tartine are always in seasonal rotation, but there’s always something new to try in dishes like broiled Steamboat oysters with green garlic (which go great with Cruse Wine’s sparkling rosé), beets with house-made cottage cheese, and sautéed snowy grouper served in a pool of artichoke dashi with peas and asparagus. After-dinner cocktails such as the “café de Carmen”—espresso, Hoodoo chicory, Giffard Banane du Brésil, and Cynar—make a wonderful pairing for desserts like rich Carolina Gold rice pudding topped with local blueberries. 

Bintü Atelier

8D Line St.
(347) 249-6594

Bintü Atelier is one of Charleston’s first African restaurants. Tucked in a house in Eastside with an old-fashioned kitchen store attached, the establishment cranks out stunning mains such as goat with melon seed and pumpkin; mafe, a groundnut stew with chicken; and fried soft-shell crab served over shito spicy crab rice. To wash it all down, there are fresh house-made juices from pineapple to ginger to soursop. This is a family-run operation (you can often spot chef Bintou N’Daw Young at the stove through the screen door), which adds to the warm, homey feel.

The Obstinate Daughter

2063 Middle St., Sullivan’s Island
(843) 416-5020

From wood-roasted clams to seasonal vegetables, the OD (as it’s affectionately called) is all about shareable French, Italian and Spanish plates. Start with oysters from the raw bar, a flatbread with butterbean puree, or Frogmore chowder with shrimp and sausage, then move on to a veal cutlet over creamy grits or the Capanelle made with seasonal fish, green olives, calabrian chili, and breadcrumbs. Make sure to save room for a gelato sampler from Beardcat’s downstairs, which uses local and seasonal ingredients ranging from strawberries to Counter Culture espresso. The OD is the rare restaurant that’s great for romantic dates, family celebrations, and everything in between. 

Bertha’s Kitchen

2332 Meeting Street Rd.
(843) 554-6519

Braving the long line here is part of the pilgrimage, and everybody’s in it together: construction workers, churchgoers, the lawyer from those TV ads, and now you. Bertha’s is about more than the silky okra soup, creamy mac and cheese, green beans like my granny’s, and fried pork chops (my go-to order ever since one of the owners gave me the up-down and said, “You look like it might be a pork chop day”). With its mural of Bertha herself and tables of impatient children waiting for their parents in line, Bertha’s is community across the steam table. 

Chubby Fish 

252 Coming St.
(854) 222-3949

Cooks here work hand in hand daily with local fishermen to bring patrons the best Lowcountry seafood imaginable. You might luck out with a snapper ceviche with avocado and cucumber on one visit, while the next, it might be fried soft-shell crab nachos. The dining room bathed in varying blues, the wine list with plenty of lights and white, and the ever-helpful staff make this Cannonborough neighborhood standby feel like a party—without getting in the middle of yours. Insider tip: The caviar sandwiches on potato rolls are one of the best Charleston restaurant experiences on the peninsula.

Lowland Tavern

36 George St.
(854) 895-4137

Lowland Tavern is the kind of place local chefs flock to when they’re not on the line: It’s cozy yet decadent, thanks to the art-saturated walls and ornate 19th-century fireplaces, and the menu is deceptively simple yet full of subtle culinary flexes. Take the Tavern burger and fries, for instance, inspired by James Beard Award-winning chef Jason Stanhope’s favorite burgers at Peter Luger Steak House and Minetta Tavern in New York: It’s bathed in creamy cognac sauce and comes on a pillowy, sesame-flecked bun that absorbs just enough of the juices so they don’t dribble down your chin. When I’m in the mood for something lighter, I spring for the celery salad with dates, walnuts, and mint. 

Jackrabbit Filly

4628 Spruill Ave., North Charleston
(854) 895-4137

The patio here on a summer night is Park Circle (North Charleston’s hip neighborhood) at its finest. The cocktails—perhaps a carafe of the sake-based If You’re a Bird, I’m a Bird—and easy-to-drink Lambrusco, chenin blanc, and rosé make for many gregarious rounds, and the dim sum brunch of dumplings, congee, and a big ol’ piece of chocolate chip banana bread is so popular it’s often standing-room only. No matter the occasion, at least one order of Sichuan hot karaage, drizzled with house “filly sauce” and served with sweet pickles, is a must.

The post Where to Dine in Charleston, According to a Local appeared first on Saveur.

Nashville, “Music City,” has long been a haven for musicians and songwriters, but these days my hometown is also experiencing a surge of culinary talent. A decade or two ago, finding handrolls made with fish from Tokyo or natural wine by the glass was a challenge. Now, we’re in business, with more options coming down the pike at a rapid pace.

Born and raised in Nashville, I spent my childhood digging into plates of fried chicken with sides of squash casserole and turnip greens at Elliston Place Soda Shop, and meandering out to Highway 100 for a plate of biscuits at Loveless Cafe—establishments that have fed this city for generations. We’ve always eaten well here, but as the city has changed—becoming more international, and influenced by the East and West Coasts—so have its tastes, expanding beyond the down-home cooking visitors might expect. 

That’s a good thing. Ours is a vibrant dining scene that caters to all tastes and budgets, from experimental fine dining to tried-and-true lunch counters. There are way more than 13 excellent places to visit in Nashville, so use this as your primer to getting a taste of Music City. Whether you’re craving a plate of hot chicken from Prince’s or artfully arranged Appalachian food from chef Sean Brock, Nashville has it.

Elliston Place Soda Shop

2105 Elliston Place, Nashville, TN 37203
(615)-219-2704

Aside from hot chicken, Nashville’s other hometown food is the “meat ‘n’ three,” a plate lunch consisting of a protein and three sides. The Southern classic is a specialty of The Elliston Place Soda Shop. Opened in 1935, it is one of the few remaining (and best examples) of the genre. Generations of Nashvillians have graced the red leather booths and black-and-white-tiled floors over the years, tended to by staff that feels like it turns over about once a century. (Ms. Linda, “the pie lady,” still makes her beloved coconut meringue pies every morning.) Though Elliston Place moved to a newer space next door a few years ago, it still features the soda counter and pressed tin ceiling, which makes the milkshakes, sundaes, and off-menu Elmer—all made with ice cream from Nashville’s Purity Dairy—taste like the good old days.

International Market

2013 Belmont Blvd., Nashville, TN 37212
(615)-297-4453

International Market introduced Nashvillians to Thai food in the 1970s, when it opened on Belmont Boulevard serving an exceptionally affordable steam table lunch of Thai and Chinese dishes. Now, with a new location (across the street) and new ownership (Anna and Arnold Myint, children of the original owners), the restaurant incorporates high-quality local meats and produce in an updated setting—though thankfully the original mustard-and-orange bench seating came along for the ride. The kitchen is now a proving ground for chef Arnold Myint, a recent James Beard Semifinalist. Menu items venture beyond the typical selections of curries with five-spice duck lo mein, shrimp and pineapple curry, and red curry rice ball wraps. At lunch, diners can choose from the classic steam table option or order from the menu; nighttime brings table service with Singhas and craft cocktails.

Locust

2305 12th Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37204
(No phone)

At Locust, chef Trevor Moran created his own culinary genre blending influences from Japan to his native Ireland. I’ve eaten briny Belon oysters that tasted—pleasantly—like licking a battery; a roast sole served with morels and uni; and a bowl of tiny sea snails served with toothpicks and spicy salt. The DIY beef tartare handrolls—freshly ground bottom round, fluffy rice, and smoky pickled egg cream, plus freeze-dried capers and nori for rolling—are a must, as is the tuna crisp, featuring house-cured slices of tuna loin and belly atop a fried wonton crisp slathered with horseradish. The chefs deliver these dishes to the tables themselves to an eclectic soundtrack featuring everything from Meat Loaf to old-school hip-hop. The drink list is heavy on natural wines, though my go-to is the Toki Highball cocktail or a can of sake. In homage to Moran’s birthplace, there’s also Guinness by the pint, and Irish gin and tonics compete with Orion beer and sake cups.

Kisser

747 Douglas Ave., Suite 105B, Nashville, TN 37207
(No phone)

The diminutive Kisser, modeled after a Japanese kissaten, a neighborhood spot serving comfort food where locals can eat, drink, and hang out, has been a smash hit since opening in 2023. After spending years in some of the best kitchens in L.A. and Nashville, co-owner couple Brian Lea and Leina Horii decided to focus on their own vision. Inspired in part by Horii’s family sushi restaurant in California, the menu blends traditional Japanese cuisine and their fine-dining techniques with dishes like onigiri stuffed with snow crab and avocado, a perfectly crispy chicken katsu sandwich on fluffy housemade milk bread, and bowls of udon in delicate broth. It’s one of the best places in town to enjoy fresh fish, particularly the chirashi bowl brimming with pristine sashimi and glistening salmon roe. Make sure to end your meal with a green melon-cream soda or a crackly miso crème brûlée. 

Folk

823 Meridian St., Nashville, TN 37207
(615)-610-2595

Folk is a neighborhood gem that Nashville needs now more than ever as hotels and chains threaten to take hold of the dining scene. The restaurant is perched on a quiet corner in East Nashville’s McFerrin Park and welcomes diners with wood-fired sourdough-crust pizzas—my favorite is adorned with Little Neck clams, parsley, bonito, and lemon—and rustic Italian-leaning dishes like Marcella beans with spicy pepper relish, bouncy focaccia with whipped ricotta, and more. From the high-ceilinged dining room, adorned with paper lanterns and exposed brick walls, you can glimpse the bustling kitchen and blazing pizza oven. Natural wines and classic cocktails are the move at the bar, where the afternoon light streams in during the daily apéro hour. The crowd of shockingly healthy houseplants are as well-nourished as the patrons. 

Redheaded Stranger

305 Arrington St., Nashville, TN 37207
(615)-544-8226

Not far from Folk stands a Tex-Mex taco shop with a sense of humor where you can gobble down one chef’s highly agreeable take on Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap. To make it, chef Bryan Lee Weaver (also of Butcher & Bee) fills his fluffy handmade tortillas with Texas red chili, pork green chili, or both when you order it “Xmas-style.” If tacos are more your speed, you’ll find toppings like brisket, tater tots, and freshly roasted Hatch chiles. To me, the sleeper hit is the vegetarian taco with charred poblano, whipped feta, and crispy rice, thanks to its variety of textures and smoky heat. The queso dip comes with more of those warm, velvety tortillas (never chips!), and the frozen margaritas are tart and free of sickly-sweet sour mix. The interior offers retro-diner vibes, with a formica bar and red leather booths, but there’s nothing like grabbing a patio seat in the summertime to let those margs work their Texas magic.

Audrey

809 Meridian St., Nashville, TN 37207
(615)-988-3263

Chef Sean Brock has dedicated his career to studying Appalachian foodways and cuisine, from his time at Charleston’s award-winning restaurants McCrady’s and Husk to present-day passion projects like Audrey. Within this minimalist monolith of a building is a warm restaurant serving food that borrows from the chef’s upbringing in rural Kentucky. On the menu, chicken and dumplings with fines herbes and black truffles are based on a recipe from his grandmother, Audrey, who gave the restaurant its name. The dining room is centered around the kitchen and its woodfired grill; its walls display Brock’s collection of outsider art, from Butch Anthony to Moses Tolliver, selected to immerse diners in his dreamworld. 

Henrietta Red

1200 4th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37208
(615)-490-8042

Lucky for Nashvillians, former Per Se chef and Nashville native Julia Sullivan came home to open her first solo restaurant in Henrietta Red. This airy, tiled Germantown spot boasts an oyster bar glistening with mollusks including Maine’s salty Mookie Blues and Alabama’s buttery Murder Points. Despite Nashville’s landlocked status (the Cumberland River doesn’t count), Henrietta Red deftly combines coastal ingredients with Southern flavors in dishes like oysters roasted with ‘nduja butter and whole trout with dandelion greens. Wood-fired seafood is the focus here, but the fresh pastas and vegetables—particularly the beet salad with pistachio and mint—stand out, too. Brunch brings its own reason to visit, with dishes like shrimp toast with beets and tahini and smoked fish cakes with lemon-fennel aioli.

Bad Idea

1021 Russell St., Nashville, TN 37206
(no phone)

So named because “opening a restaurant is a bad idea,” this natural wine bar is the brainchild of owner-sommelier Alex Burch and chef Colby Rasavong. You might kick things off, for instance, with a scallop-stuffed crêpe in a pool of nam prik blanquette topped by a lacy tuile, and follow that with a vegetarian laab made with sunflower milk, or pain perdu kaya toast topped with caviar. It’s all happening inside a repurposed church sanctuary with original windows and high ceilings. Worship at this altar of wine and food later in the night, and bar snacks are the vibe—think curry-caviar corndogs and fried bologna sandwiches (a late-night Nashville classic) with potato chip aioli. 

Prince’s Hot Chicken

5814 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211
(615)-810-9388

Despite the ever-widening swath of restaurants serving Prince’s signature dish around the globe, you have to visit the original purveyor to get real-deal Nashville hot chicken. As the story goes, the ultra-spicy sandwich was created as punishment by a jilted lover of Thornton Prince; but, instead of catching on fire, Prince loved the spice so much that he’d go on to perfect the recipe that launched his business. Today, Prince’s remains the best in class, serving up fried chicken spiced with cayenne pepper oil atop a slice of white bread with a pickle (a foil to all that cayenne).

Wendell Smith’s

407 53rd Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37209
(615)-383-7114

Wood-paneled walls line the dining room of this classic meat ‘n’ three restaurant that’s been serving up Southern soul since 1952. Every day, the fourth-generation owners welcome a regular crowd hungry for roast beef, baked ham, and pit barbecue, plus daily specials like fried catfish, chicken and dumplings, and throwback fixins like candied yams, turnip greens, baked apples, fried corn, and creamed potatoes. Wendell Smith’s is a slice of Nashville that has hung on to its corner lot despite unchecked development all around it, still sharing space with the adjacent liquor store of the same name that’s been operating just as long. 

Loveless Cafe

8400 Hwy. 100, Nashville, TN 37221
(615)-646-9700 

What began 70 years ago as a humble motel and cafe at the start of the Natchez Trace Parkway has been thriving from the moment Lon and Annie Love began serving biscuits and fried chicken to travelers out of their home kitchen. After their continuing success, the couple turned their home into a restaurant and opened 14 rooms as a motel to accompany their new dining destination. The motel went out of operation years ago, and its rooms are now home to retail space with smoked hams, jams, and biscuit mix on offer. Though there is now expanded outdoor seating and an outdoor bar serving bloody Marys when the wait is long, there’s nothing better than grabbing a seat in the tiny dining room that still feels like home.  

Sperry’s Restaurant

5109 Harding Pike, Nashville, TN 37205
(615)-353-0809

An institution since 1974, this legendary West Nashville steakhouse is a windowless dining room featuring backlit stained glass, carpeting, a stone fireplace with a roaring fire (most nights), and sporty portraits of the hounds and horses that once lived on the grounds of the abutting Belle Meade Mansion. Martinis and Manhattans pair perfectly with Sperry’s steaks and seafood, from a filet Oskar smothered in crabmeat and Béarnaise to king crab legs served with drawn butter. Nashville’s very first salad bar remains gloriously intact here, where diners can pile their plate with neon green goddess and bacon crumbles (though the plated iceberg wedge salad topped with bacon and black olives is my choice). Bananas Foster, another highlight, is served tableside in a plume of booze-soaked flames and cinnamon-fueled sparks. The doors open at 4 for happy hour, when sausage-stuffed mushrooms and discounted cocktails draw a steady stream of locals each day. 

The post 13 Excellent Restaurants to Try in Nashville appeared first on Saveur.

For most of my adult life I’ve lived in Queens, the largest of New York City’s five boroughs. Nicknamed “The World’s Borough,” with half of its 2.4 million residents being foreign-born, it’s one of America’s most diverse urban areas—and one of the most exciting places on the planet to eat. 

In my neighborhood of Jackson Heights, more than 160 languages are spoken, from Bengali to Thakali to Mixtec. Here I might spot a saffron-robed monk eating a Burmese tea leaf salad by the subway stairs or stumble on a church bazaar selling Salvadoran pupusas. 

As I worked on my cookbooks and National Dish, about cuisines and identities, food has always been my entry point into the polyglot social mosaic around me. In the part of Jackson Heights dubbed Little India, the air practically throbs with the scents of masalas from every South Asian region. To the west, along a vibrant pan-Latin thoroughfare under the elevated 7 train rumbling above, Quechua-speakers munch on chochos (lupini beans) and Colombian teens clutch plastic cups of Technicolor raspados (crushed ice). East of here is the Little Manila of Woodside. South lies Elmhurst, an ever-expanding Asia-zone with some of the most vibrant Thai food in the country. 

A far larger Asia-town awaits in Flushing where I can try noodles from Guangzhou or Chengdu or Lanzhou. Beyond it: Murray Hill’s massive Koreatown. And did I mention the Egyptian seafood and Balkan bureks and Greek pastries cheek by jowl with hip cocktail spots in fast-gentrifying Astoria? Or the post-Soviet mosaic that is Rego Park, where golden khachapuri (Georgian cheese pies) preen next to Uzbek samsa next to Slavic pirozhki at bakeries? Or—whew, I’m getting winded now—the indie modern-American restaurants in Ridgewood and Long Island City? In Queens, you can have it all. 

This borough of hyphenated cuisines and identities also challenges notions of what is “authentic.” Here Colombian yuca-dough empanadas might be made by Mexican ladies at a Chinese-run café chain, while a Latin cocktail place might double as a Moroccan hookah lounge. To eat here, as I have done for over three decades, is to develop an ever-deepening appreciation of food as a cultural force behind the vitality of our immigrant neighborhoods, a force that brings together communities even at a time when identity politics fracture the globe. 

Nepali Bhanchha Ghar

74-15 Roosevelt Ave.
(917) 745-0533

The area around the Roosevelt Avenue-Jackson Heights subway station is dubbed Himalayan Heights for the Nepalis and Tibetans who continue to settle here, hooking the multicultural hood on their austere, pleasingly rugged cuisines. A Himalayan Heights eating adventure can quickly turn into a lesson in Nepal’s  many ethnicities (Sherpas, Thakkalis, and Mustangs, to name a few). And it will inevitably involve momos—the pleated dumplings that flourish hereabouts as something of an edible life force. For silky-skinned chicken or goat momos bobbing in jhol, a complex spicy broth pungent with Nepali masala, I love Bhancha Gar, winner multiple times of New York’s annual Momo Crawl competition. This homey spot also peddles crisp-golden sel roti (a skinny Nepali rice dough doughnut) served with spicy chutney for dipping. And yes, you’ll also want the sukuti, the chewy curried beef or goat jerky that Yamuna Shrestha, the petit, feisty co-owner, air-dries herself. 

Tortas Neza

104-58 Roosevelt Ave.
(347) 666-1517

The stretch of Roosevelt Avenue from Jackson Heights east to Corona is the borough’s pan-Latin food corridor. Churros and chuzos, tamales and tacos, Colombian arepas and Ecuadorian mote (hominy) are hawked on its thronged sidewalks as cumbia, salsa, and ranchera blast from loudspeakers. Around 104^th Street under the elevated 7 train tracks, you’ll find the blue Tortas Neza truck, where larger-than-life fútbol (soccer) fanatic Galdino Molinero constructs epic Mexican tortas (sandwiches) named after Mexico’s soccer teams. There’s always a wait, as Molinero crumbles chorizo, sizzles bacon, flips eggs on his griddle, and meticulously slices avocados for one of his 19 made-to-order creations. The result is worth the wait, especially when it’s a Torta Pumas (chorizo, ham, bacon, head cheese, veggies, breaded chicken, stringy quesillo, and pickled jalapeños), named for his soccer team. Customers receive this jaw-challenging tour-de-force with understandable awe. 

Zaab Zaab

76-04 Woodside Ave.
(631) 526-1664

The three-block stretch of Elmhurst’s Woodside Avenue, officially named Little Thailand in 2022, is the place to experience intense Thai flavors undiluted for farangs (foreigners). For herbaceous, funky cuisine from the country’s northeastern Isaan region, head to Zaab Zaab, the city’s only Thai restaurant awarded three stars by the New York Times dining critic, Pete Wells. Owned by seasoned restaurateurs Bryan Chunton (from Bangkok) and Pei Wei (from Taiwan), this hip, cheerful space with ceiling paintings of roosters is your source for the now-famous duck larb, featuring minced duck meat, liver, and cracklings all shot through with charred galangal, makrut lime, and chiles. There’s also hor mok, catfish and sticky-rice-flour “pudding” inside a banana-leaf parcel, and a whole steamed branzino in an irresistible lime-garlic broth (you‘ll want some sticky rice to sponge that up). A newer star on the menu is the majestic gai yang vichean buri, a whole grilled baby chicken marinated for 24 hours in coriander, black and white pepper, and lemongrass—served family style with two fiery papaya salads. 

Mapo Korean BBQ

149-24 41st Ave.
(718) 886-8292

Home to over 60,000 Koreans, Flushing’s Koreatown stretches for miles and can truly feel like a suburb of Seoul with spas, herbalists, neon-lit karaoke joints, fried chicken spots, and pochas (Korean bars) where English is seldom spoken. Craving the borough’s best classic tabletop BBQ? Emerge from the Murray Hill LIRR into a cluster of eating establishments dubbed Meokjagolmok (“Let’s Eat Alley”) and head to the resolutely old-school Mapo BBQ. Beautifully marbled Black Angus kalbi (short ribs) are the draw here, marinated in soy and Asian pear pulp and grilled over real hardwood coal, which the maternal waitresses pile into your tabletop pit–returning often to make sure everything is cooking to its succulent prime. The servers readily replenish the generous spread of banchan including (natch) exemplary kimchi. And I’m still daydreaming about the sizzling cast iron side of corn cheese that comes with the kalbi.

Rolo’s 

853 Onderdonk Ave.
(718) 417-6567

Ridgewood, the formerly working-class neighborhood bordering Brooklyn, began attracting attention a few years ago as young New Yorkers moved in looking for affordable housing. Sparking the neighborhood’s current restaurant boomlet was Rolo’s, a sprawling corner neighborhood place with a green awning, opened during the pandemic by four Gramercy Tavern alums. What started out as an all-day café and grocery has evolved into a quietly ambitious restaurant with warm cozy looks, a cool bar program (try the signature white negroni and tonic), a wine list rich in quirky affordable finds, and wood-fired cuisine pushing all the zeitgeisty buttons. Don’t miss the house-made mortadella and the giant flame-licked polenta flatbread with Calabrian chili butter. The kitchen, eclectic but leaning Italian, also does a marvelous two-sheet green lasagna blistered in that oven; zingy crudos (fluke with salsa macha, for instance) and succulent dry-aged house-butchered steaks. Desserts from pastry chef Kelly Mancin might include a dreamy passionfruit crème caramel.

New World Mall Food Court

136-20 Roosevelt Ave.
(718) 353-0551

Flushing, the last stop on the 7 train, is New York’s real Chinatown, so thick with regional eateries it’s hard to choose between Sichuan hotpot, Cantonese dim sum, or lamb chops from Donbei. Luckily the food court of the brash, glitzy New World Mall has 32 vendors specializing in different dishes and styles. The place can be a bit overwhelming, but definitely stop at stall #30 (Joon Hang Boon Sek) where unsmiling Korean-Chinese ladies from Shandong speed-pleat plump pork and chive dumplings. You’ll also want some lamb-filled samsa pastries from #5 (Tarim Uyghur Food), while # 28 (Xi’an Cuisine) is your source for flaky “Chinese burgers” and slippery cold liang pi (aka skin noodles) from China’s Northwest Shaanxi province. And don’t neglect the beef brisket soup at #15 (Lan Zhou Noodles) where nimble cooks flip and pull dough for the freshly made noodles. Still hungry? Consider a spicy Sichuan dry pot at #24 (Tian Fu Cuisine), and to finish, a Taiwanese sweet mung bean soup or intriguing herbal jelly concoction from #10 (3 Dessert).

Adda Indian Canteen

31-31 Thomson Ave.
(718) 433-3888

Each new restaurant from Unapologetic Foods, the group behind Dhamaka and Semma, is a sensation, including their latest hit, Filipino-flavored Naks. Amid all the hype one can forget that Adda Canteen, opened in 2018 on a cinematically forlorn stretch of Long Island City, was the place that propelled chef Chintan Pandya and restaurateur Roni Mazumdar to fame—and made goat brains the talk of New York. The unapologetically bold Desi regional cooking is still uncompromising at Adda, and the space decorated with collages of Indian newspapers still feels both edgy and cozy. The kitchen continues to send out playful Indian street snacks like the pakoda of kale served with sweet-tangy chutneys; smoky tandoori hits (grab the pompano crusted with mustard seeds); and multilayered curries so fiery you’ll be gulping mango lassis to extinguish the heat. The signature Lucknow-style dum biryani is quite a show, with servers breaking the dough lid to stir up the steamed basmati rice loaded with curried goat and fried onions. As for the plush house-made paneer used here in several dishes, it’s good enough to inspire whole cults. Ditto those goat brains. 

Hamido Seafood

3308 Ditmars Blvd.
(718) 545-2200

The section of Astoria dubbed “Little Egypt” is known for its “you pick it, they cook it” seafood establishments whose displays let diners pluck their dinner from a mound of crushed ice. Usually run by Egyptians from the coastal city of Alexandria (folks who know fish), these restaurants include old-school stalwarts like Sabry’s, as well as more recent newcomers like Hamido Seafood, my favorite. This busy spot, decked out with nautical paraphernalia, was opened in 2019 by Alexandria-born restaurateur Moghared (Rudy) Mansy, and his cousin Mohamed Abuker, who cooks like a dream. After choosing from the gleaming-fresh catch on the counter—red snapper, whiting, porgy, shrimp, clams, lobster—you decide if you want it fried or griddled in a coating of bran; roasted with garlic and olive oil; or oven-baked sengari-style, (butterflied and stuffed with tomatoes). While you wait at the table for your charred branzino or a daily special of tomatoey seafood tagine, select your side dishes–then listen to the server explain that Hamido is named after a ‘70s Egyptian comedy in which undercover cops pretended to be fishermen.  

Taste of Samarkand

62-16 Woodhaven Blvd.
(718) 672-2121

After the Soviet Union went bust, Rego Park became the hub of a Central Asian (Bukharan) Jewish diaspora from Uzbekistan, with Muslim Uzbeks arriving more recently. The neighborhood’s Bukharan restaurants all have similar Silk Road fare: tandir-baked flatbreads and samsa (filled pasties); lagman soup loaded with hand-pulled Uyghur-style noodles; and pilafs and kebabs, plus a few Slavic dishes. On the neighborhood’s southern edge, Taste of Samarkand, named for the famed Silk Road city, stands out with its precise cooking and traditional carved-wood decor. Make sure to order the fist-sized manti (dumplings) filled with hand-chopped lamb; the noni toki, a dramatically concave matzo-like bread; and the unusual nakhot garmack, nutty chickpeas braised forever with veal tails. The magnificent plov (pilaf) here comes spiced with Uzbek wild cumin, threaded with julienned carrots, and loaded with lamb chunks. 

M. Wells

43-15 Crescent St.
(718) 786-9060

Over a decade ago, before the glossy residential skyscrapers of Long Island City came looming up all around, Canadian chef Hugue Dufour and his wife, Sarah Obraitis (a Queens girl), opened their quirky, loveable steakhouse in a former auto-body repair shop. With its glowing bar, open kitchen, cool cocktails and wines, deep pink walls, and silvery-leafy wallpapered ceiling softening the industrial look, M. Wells feels like a Brigadoon that’s delightfully stayed put. But its “tiny but mighty menu” Obraitis says, is always evolving, now leaning more soulful Québécois bistro than chophouse. Dufour’s playful approach shines in his mortadella mille-feuille and the much-feted wedge salad scattered with bacon and jagged red ketchup chips. In winter, go for the city’s cassoulet nonpareil, or a rosy venison loin, or the Montreal ravioli packed with smoked meat and punctuated with diced pickled green tomatoes. Summer might bring a bright crab-stuffed tomato with a dressing of purslane. Stoking the community spirit, M. Wells entices its neighbors with themed dinners, block parties, and screenings. And isn’t it heartening to see the place packed with real New Yorkers of all ages and walks of life, happy and laughing? 

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