Picture someone’s backyard patio. Now move it all inside. That’s Back Deck, a Boston grill house that serves up charcoal-grilled favorites inspired by food served at casual cookouts. If you’re in the mood to eat al fresco but a chilly late-fall night in Boston quashes that idea, Back Deck is the perfect solution. Read about it >
German Food Beyond Oktoberfest in Alexandria
King Street, the main commercial strip in Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia, boasts a wide variety of international cuisine for your dinner options, everything from Thai to Italian, Greek to Indian. On my first night in town, I gravitated toward the Oktoberfest sign hanging over the entry doors to Alexandria Bier Garden and the big Bavarian flag cascading down from the roof. It had all the makings for an authentic German meal. Read about it >
Share my story:
A French Favorite in the Heart of Luxembourg
Place d’Armes in the heart of Luxembourg City was electric. With packed restaurants lining two sides of the square, overflowing into the center with filled-to-capacity outdoor chairs and tables, the whole city seemed to be abuzz with the excitement of excellent dinners and the nighttime marathon that was about to wend its way through. Amid all that, I carved out a window table inside La Lorraine, one of the best French restaurants in Luxembourg. Read about it >
Share my story:
Guiding Lights
Sentinels of the sea. Lighthouses have been around for a while. A long, long time, actually. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt, completed around 246 BC. Since then, they’ve been protecting sailors around the world, evolving from simple fires atop a hill to sturdy structures that can withstand the fiercest weather and are equipped with powerful modern technology. Critically important, and fun to visit, lighthouses have long fascinated me with their relevance, their loneliness, and their unique beauty. Read about the top five lighthouses >
Share my story:
Epicurious About Ecuador
I was sure that I would be able to find a restaurant in the South Astoria neighborhood of Queens, New York, where I could sample a cuisine I had never had before. After all, it’s not that uncommon here to see an Egyptian hookah lounge, an Italian deli, a Greek bakery, a Thai restaurant, and an Irish bar all on the same block. So, when I spotted the Ecuadorian flag in the windows of Barzola, I knew I had located what I was searching for. Read about it >
Share my story:
A Mystical Meal in Alexandria, Virginia
Although it opened only in 2024, Mystic Bar & Grill is operated by a family that has been running restaurants in and around Old Town in Alexandria for half a century. Southern cuisine abounds here, exactly what I was looking for, covering the gamut from Texas-style smoked brisket to Carolina pulled pork, spicy she-crab soup to Creole bouillabaisse, Low Country shrimp to grits. It sets the standard for Southern food, and it more than met my expectations. Read about it >
Share my story:
Raising Asian Arizona
When I saw the Miss Saigon sign on a building in downtown Tucson, Arizona, I thought, for a second or two, that I might catch a show that night that I had never seen on Broadway. But I was deceived. The building wasn’t a theater, and the Miss Saigon sign wasn’t for the musical. Rather, it was for a superb Vietnamese restaurant, and it made for an unexpectedly delicious dinner. Read about it >
Share my story:
This Twain I Shall Meet
Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Two of the most well-known characters in American letters. Still, despite my Bachelor of Arts degree in English and love of classic literature, I have never read either of their adventures. In fact, I’ve read very little of Mark Twain’s works—just A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court and The Innocents Abroad. So, when I found out that Twain’s historic house was located just a mile from where I was staying in Hartford, Connecticut, at the Goodwin Hotel, I decided it was time to better familiarize myself with his canon and with his fascinating life, all of which unfolds beautifully at the Mark Twain House and Museum. Read about it >
Share my story:
The Place to Be(er)
If you’re a bibulous beer aficionado, Bier Central in Ghent, Belgium, can’t be beat. With 30 draft beers on tap and more than 300 different bottled beers, you can have a different libation almost every day for an entire year. The knowledgeable beer sommeliers make well-educated recommendations for which beer pairs best with your meal. So, between your Flemish food and your Belgian brews, you’re guaranteed to have a memorable visit here. Read about it >
Share my story:
Dinner for Dudes and Dudettes
Thanks to a recommendation from the staff at my hotel, I found my way to Stagecoach, just outside the heavily-touristed core of Sedona. It turned out to be the first good dinner in Arizona after four days of mediocrity around the Grand Canyon. With some pretty impressive plating, Stagecoach brings a sophisticated air to a county roadhouse—even if you’re sitting next to a mechanical bull. Read about it >
Stephen Travels 