Idyllwild, California, a mile high up in the San Jacinto Mountains above Palm Springs, is one of those pretty little mountain towns you always hope to find and seldom do. It’s artsy, quiet, cozy. It has no ski-lifts, no lake, no factory outlet stores. Just pine-fresh air, a clutch of hiking trails, a burbling creek…
Author: Donna Meyer
Donna Meyer is a freelance travel writer and the creator of Nomad Women, a blog to inspire older women travelers to get out and see more of the world. When she is not traveling the world--and eating everything in sight--she lives in San Miguel de Allende, in central Mexico.
Restaurant Bouillon Chartier: a Paris Institution
Really Authentic Food, Really Affordable Prices Restaurant Bouillon Chartier is a Paris institution, and one visit will show you why. Ever since it was first opened in 1896 by the Chartier Brothers, through 122 years and over 50 million meals served by only four owners, the restaurant has strived to live up to the Chartiers’…
La Terraza at the Gran Hotel– The Best View in Mexico City
Dining while taking in a great view—there’s something magical about the experience. And that magic is in full force at La Terraza Restaurant, at the Gran Hotel in Mexico City. The fifth-floor balcony restaurant and bar offers a sweeping vista of the grand urban square called the Zocalo, the pulsing heart at the core of…
Great Apple Pie & more at Cafe Papeneiland, Amsterdam
The Dutch have a long-beloved tradition called bruine kroegs, or brown cafes. This is Dutch pub culture at its most traditional, and Cafe Papeneiland is one of the oldest and most typical of them all. In fact, it was first granted a liquor license in 1642, but was likely serving up drinks to patrons a…
Zero Waste Dining at Instock Restaurant, Amsterdam
In Amsterdam (and now in two other Dutch cities), it’s easy and lovely to eat a fine meal and also help the planet. At Instock Restaurant in the Oosterpark neighborhood just outside the historic canal belt, food waste is turned into creative cuisine. Think ugly but perfectly edible fruits and vegetables, one-day-old bread, bycatch fish,…
Tapas at La Rambla Restaurant & Bar, McMinnville, Oregon
Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become a popular destination for wine touring. The valley produces some of the finest wines in the country, with a special emphasis on award-winning Pinot Noirs. And where there is good wine, you’re going to get really fine food. McMinnville, Oregon makes a wonderful base for wine touring in the valley….
J.Trani in San Pedro, CA–Classic Italian with a Modern Twist
If you find yourself in the LA Harbor town of San Pedro, California—and you really should; it’s an intriguing place—you can’t do better than to treat yourself to a meal at J.Trani Italian Ristorante. Just ask any San Pedran who has eaten here in the last 93 years! Yep, that’s how long this classic Italian…
El Pegaso–Eclectic Mexican Food & Style in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
San Miguel de Allende, the lovely colonial town found in the central highlands of Mexico, has become something of a destination for foodies, with a new and upscale, chef-centered restaurant seeming to open every month. But if you ask any long-time ex-pat in this UNESCO World Heritage site to name a few of their favorite…
A Meal in the Forest at The Gastrognome, Idyllwild, California
Perched under the tall pines of the San Jacinto Mountains, right in the center of the idyllic mountain village of Idyllwild, California, is The Gastrognome Restaurant… or as locals call it, The Gnome. Like a rustic throwback Alpine chalet, but with a sun-drenched wooden dining deck and serving up-to-date New American Cuisine, this popular site…
Philippe The Original French Dipped Sandwiches in Downtown Los Angeles, CA
When you head to Philippe the Original in Downtown Los Angeles, you’re not just going to a great deli/restaurant. You’re heading into a landmark. A favorite with local workers on lunch break, high-class concert goers, Dodger fans pre or post-game, and pretty much anyone else who’s ever been there, Philippe’s has been a downtown fixture…