Directly across the street from my excellent hotel in Porto, Infante Sagres, a cluster of restaurants faces the odd tunnel that swallows up vehicular traffic in the middle of a square. They’re extremely popular, to the point where it was difficult to score a table. So I bumped up my dinner time earlier than the usual Portuguese tradition and took a seat at O Marinheiro, which translates as “the sailor.” Read about it >
Category Archives: Restaurants
Bed and Dinner in Lisbon
In the popular Baixa neighborhood of Lisbon, Portugal, menus come in up to 12 languages and staff try to lure you into the touristy restaurants as you walk by. Fortunately, Taberna 132 wasn’t as aggressive, and the outdoor seating was inviting. It also just happened to be on the ground floor of my accommodations, Behotelisboa, and after a full day of exploring this exhaustingly hilly city, the thought of just retiring upstairs for the night after dinner made it even more appealing. Read about it >
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Seafood in Middle America
I was 482 miles from the nearest ocean, smack in the middle of Indiana. That didn’t seem to make a difference at Raw Bar by Slapfish in Indianapolis, where the menu teems with oysters, lobster, mussels, shrimp, and crab. Amid that bounty of surf, there’s also some turf. And that’s what makes this restaurant a favorite not only of pescatarians of all stripes but also of those who want to see more than seafood. Read about it >
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Mesh Makes a Magnificent Mix in Indianapolis
On the recommendation of the friendly folks at the visitor center in Indianapolis, Indiana, I headed to an early dinner at Mesh. The name truly reflects the cuisine, a creative blend of ingredients that you may not intuitively combine, but, once assembled, transform into an excellent meal. Read about it >
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B-Town’s Best Thai
Bloomington, Indiana, was jumping. Indiana University was hosting an outdoor science fair and recruitment drive that kept its gorgeous campus lively, spilling down popular Kirkwood Avenue. Eventually I made my way to the downtown square and grabbed an early outdoor dinner at Blooming Thai, a family-run business that brings its traditions and recipes from Thailand to hungry diners in Indiana. Read about it >
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An Indianapolis Standby for Food Lovers of All Ages
In the heart of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, Harry & Izzy’s attracts an eclectic clientele, from businessmen in suits from the nearby office towers to ladies out for a retirees’ lunch to high school students from across the United States in town for a convention for future farmers. Like me, they were attracted to this upscale American grill that prides itself on a fine menu and refined service amid a sophisticated setting. Read about it >
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An Old Tavern That Keeps Itself New
The second-oldest bar in Indianapolis traces its roots back to 1887. Today, Tavern at the Point is a friendly, neighborhood watering hole where locals and visitors like me gather for a drink or two and some solid, contemporary gastropub food. Read more about it >
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Food With a Mood
Throughout my travels, I’ve eaten in a vast variety of settings. Some of them would hardly classify as formal, although the quality of what they served was shockingly good: the stand in Bergen, Norway, that peddled a delicious Jagtwurst, the street cart in Uppsala, Sweden, with the sweetest raspberries imaginable, the barbecue joint in Brooklyn with brown-paper placemats that served astoundingly tender pulled pork. But sometimes I crave something unique—a restaurant with atmosphere and an unmistakable sense of place and history that supplements the dining experience to such a degree that I’m still able to recall it fondly decades after I went here. Read about the top five atmospheric restaurants >
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Get Your Mojo Back at Mojo BBQ
After an exceptional Mexican dinner at the bustling Casa Reina, I found myself at the more subdued Mojo BBQ the following evening. Also located in the historic district of St. Augustine, Mojo BBQ can definitely satisfy any discerning carnivore, as evidenced by its expansion to eight locations across Florida. And, unless you’re here on a night with live music, it comes with some fairly quiet neighbors. Read about it >
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First-Rate Riverside Dining in Savannah
The oppressive early-summer sultriness of Savannah, Georgia, had been draining me—literally—all day. Fortunately, just as I began to hunt for a dinner spot, and just upon the verge of melting into a mound of putty-like flesh and liquified bones, I found myself along cobblestoned River Street, a strip of shops and restaurants facing the Savannah River. The excellent River House Seafood was my salvation. Read about it >
Stephen Travels 