Alligator nuggets? Asparagus wine? Tomato sorbet? Llama cutlets? Oryx steak? Beetroot gnocchi? Why not? You’re in a new place, so go beyond the familiar and treat your taste buds to a party at a great restaurant. I’ll take you there.

I’ve never classified myself as a “foodie,” a rather pretentious term people assign themselves if they know the difference between a yam and a sweet potato. On the other hand, I’ve never been able to understand people who eat just for sustenance and don’t particularly care what they consume, especially when they’re on vacation. I attribute this bafflement to my Italian heritage, where food is so integral to all other aspects of life that it’s unimaginable to me how anyone cannot relish a delectable meal, no matter what else they’re doing.

If you’re in Vienna, why are you patronizing Starbucks? And why are you searching for a McDonald’s in Buenos Aires? You shouldn’t be.

Now, we all have our limitations. You won’t ever catch me sampling roasted scorpions on a skewer. But if I never tried something new, I wouldn’t know I actually love whale steak, like conch fritters, loathe vegemite, and found haggis to be a savory and tasty delight, nowhere near as revolting as any non-Scot believes it to be.

These are some of my favorite culinary experiences. Whether it’s gelato so delicious you could easily ingest a gallon in one sitting, a mouthwatering lunch prepared by students at a culinary institute, or a phenomenal dinner in a restaurant that I can only hope will remain in business for eternity, this is where you should be eating.

• Adele’s Restaurant and Lounge (Carson City, Nevada)
• Albany Pump Station (Albany, New York)
• Alma de Cuba (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Ambrosia (Valletta, Malta)
• Bahnhof Hotel Restaurant (Aus, Namibia)
• Ballahoo (Basseterre, St. Kitts)
• Beach House (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands)
• Berta’s Latin American Restaurant (San Diego, California)
• Big Water Grille (Incline Village, Nevada)
• Billy’s Restaurant (Lincoln, Nebraska)
• Blooming Thai (Bloomington, Indiana)
• The Boiler Room (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
• Botticelli (Rapid City, South Dakota)
• Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse (Boulder, Colorado)
• Café Christiania (Oslo, Norway)
• Café Morlang (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
• Café Soleil (Washington, D.C.)
• Capistrano (Valletta, Malta)
• Casa Reina (St. Augustine, Florida)
• Chaophraya (Glasgow, Scotland)
• The Chocolate Bar (Buffalo, New York)
• Circe (Providence, Rhode Island)
• Copper Falls Steakhouse (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands)
• Creole Restaurant & Bar (Frigate Bay, St. Kitts)
• Cuts Steakhouse (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Da Nico Ristorante (New York, New York)
• Devon Seafood Grill (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Dixie Quick’s (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
• The Dubliner Restaurant and Pub (Washington, D.C.)
• Elephant Restaurant (Gdansk, Poland)
• Emporium Coffeehouse and Café (Scottsbluff, Nebraska)
• Ferdinand’s Caribbean Café (Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands)
• Finca Decero (Mendoza, Argentina)
• Fratelli Sarti (Glasgow, Scotland)
• Golden Thai (Toronto, Ontario)
• Haesje Claes (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
• Harry & Izzy’s (Indianapolis, Indiana)
• Havana 1957 (Miami, Florida)
• Havis (Helsinki, Finland)
• Il Buco (New York, New York)
• Ivar’s Acres of Clams (Seattle, Washington)
• Jack’s Oyster House (Albany, New York)
• Jama Michalika (Krakow, Poland)
• Joe’s Beerhouse (Windhoek, Namibia)
• Kaszubska Marina (Gdansk, Poland)
• Khazana (Edmonton, Alberta)
• Kuldse Notsu Kõrts (Tallinn, Estonia)
• L’Angolino di Mirko (Tivoli, Italy)
• Larkspur Bistro & Bar (Wichita, Kansas)
• La Scala Ristorante (Baltimore, Maryland)
• Legligin Wine Bar (Valletta, Malta)
• Le Lyonnais (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
• Leunig’s Bistro & Café (Burlington, Vermont)
• Literacka (Gdansk, Poland)
• Lucas Park Grille (St. Louis, Missouri)
• Maestro’s at the Van Dam (Saratoga Springs, New York)
• Mary Mahoney’s Old French Restaurant (Biloxi, Mississippi)
• McCormick & Schmick’s (Washington, D.C.)
• McGlynns Pub (Dover, Delaware)
• Mesh (Indianapolis, Indiana)
• Mia Tapas Bar & Restaurant (Ithaca, New York)
• Minervas (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
• Mojo BBQ (St. Augustine, Florida)
• NECI on Main (Montpelier, Vermont)
• Oceanaire Seafood Room (Baltimore, Maryland)
• Old Tbilisi Garden (New York, New York)
• Olde Bryan Inn (Saratoga Springs, New York)
• Palazzo Preca (Valletta, Malta)
• The Pancake Bakery (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
• Peacock Alley (Bismarck, North Dakota)
• Píwníca Rajców (Gdansk, Poland)
• Plank Seafood Provisions (Omaha, Nebraska)
• PM Buenos Aires (Miami, Florida)
• Pod Fredra (Wrocław, Poland)
• Poros (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
• Pstrag Górski (Zakopane, Poland)
• Ptarmigan Dining Room (Glacier National Park, Montana)
• Radicchio (Zagreb, Croatia)
• Rancho de Chimayó (Chimayó, New Mexico)
• Raw Bar by Slapfish (Indianapolis, Indiana)
• Restauracja Kultura (Warsaw, Poland)
• Ristorante da Pancrazio (Rome, Italy)
• Ristorante Il Massimo (Providence, Rhode Island)
• River House Seafood (Savannah, Georgia)
• Sage Creek Grille (Custer, South Dakota)
• San Chez Bistro (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
• Šašlik (Helsinki, Finland)
• Savor (Niagara Falls, New York)
• The Silk Road (Missoula, Montana)
• The Skinny Pancake (Burlington, Vermont)
• Sokeri-Jussin Kievari (Oulu, Finland)
• Sorge’s (Corning, New York)
• The Sultan’s Tent & Café Moroc (Toronto, Ontario)
• Taberna 132 (Lisbon, Portugal)
• Tavern at the Point (Indianapolis, Indiana)
• Tavern on Kings (Dover, Delaware)
• Thai Farm Kitchen (New York, New York)
• Toscana Divino (Miami, Florida)
• Twisted Fork Grill & Saloon (Omaha, Nebraska)
• Villa Zeezicht (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)