Place d’Armes in the heart of Luxembourg City was crowded, its restaurants overflowing at dinnertime. I was attracted to the fine tilework between the first and second floors of Grand Café, proclaiming its name, location, and address. I was also attracted to the posted menu, highly tempting for carnivores, but not exclusively. Read about it >
It wasn’t until I had dinner at The Monica in Tucson, Arizona, that I learned the origins of the word “chimichanga.” According to urban legend, chef and restaurateur Monica Flin accidentally dropped a burrito in a pan of oil about a century ago. Instead of cussing with a common Spanish expletive, she exclaimed, “Chimichanga!” Thus was born the famous fried food. Whether it’s true or not, it’s still one of many great stories that accompany a terrific dinner at The Monica, where all the food is made with love. Read about it >
In the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, New York, you’re likely to see a Halal restaurant next to a Colombian bakery across the street from an Italian gelateria. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church offers Masses in English, Spanish, Czech-Slovak, Vietnamese, and Italian. That’s a lot of diversity, but at its core, Astoria is still home to the second-largest Greek population outside of Greece itself. You’ll see it in the names of doctors on their office signs, in the blue and white shopfront awnings, in Athens Square, and in some excellent restaurants. One of the best is Blue Sea Taverna. Read about it >
Unlike the quiet location of Frans Restaurant where I had lunch the day before, Brasserie Rozenhoedkaai is right in bustling tourist central in the historic medieval core of Bruges, Belgium. Both are impossibly romantic—the former along the banks of the Lake of Love, the latter at a bend of a canal that’s one of the most photographed spots in the city. While you can watch swans and geese glide by at the first, at Brasserie Rozenhoedkaai you’ll be watching a steady flow of tourists becoming just as beguiled with this city as you are, all while enjoying a lovely meal. Read about it >
I wasn’t ready for lunch quite yet, but the attractive green frontage of Hartford Flavor Cocktail Parlour and the manicured shrubs lured me in. I felt like I stepped through a portal, back a century or two to Paris or New York, with the “u” in “Parlour” adding Old World dash. I liked it immediately. And when the owner gave me a personal tour of arguably the most interesting interior of any eatery in Hartford, Connecticut, I knew I was in capable hands. Read about it >
When the owner and chef of six restaurants in and around Sedona, Arizona, can excel at anything from a high-end Latin restaurant to a simpler place for salads and pizza, you know you’re in good hands. So, when I received two recommendations to try Pisa Lisa, one of those restaurants owned by chef, entrepreneur, author, humanitarian, and award-winner Lisa Dahl, I acted on it without reservation—a very smart decision on my end. Read about it >
On my way to the light-rail line in Tempe, Arizona, that was going to take me right into downtown Phoenix, I passed by Daily Jam. I liked the play on words: jam, as in a fruity breakfast spread; jam, as in something that someone particularly likes, as opposed to jam, an awkward situation. Closer inspection revealed an extensive menu, and before I knew it, I decided Phoenix would have to wait a bit while I was enjoying an excellent breakfast. Read about it >
If you already like celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis and her culinary creations, you’ll absolutely love her after exactly one of her brunches at her eponymous restaurant in The Cromwell Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Read about it >
Of course, when one is in Tucson, Arizona, one must have Mexican food for dinner at some point. Downtown Tucson has lost a few of these restaurants over the past year or two, but in 2024, a new arrival opened its doors. La Chingada serves up traditional Mexican dishes with a modern twist, and the husband-developer and wife-chef team have created a buzzworthy place that attracts all kinds of folks. Read about it >
The oldest eating establishment in Luxembourg? Of course I had to go there. I found it along one side of a square that leads to St. Michael’s Church and the bridge that accesses the historic Bock Casemates. Since 1842, Ënnert de Steiler has been serving up beer, mixed drinks, and generous portions of food in a building that predates it by nearly 500 years. Read about it >
Stephen Travels 