Month: August 2012

Basilicata has romantic beaches, preserved-in-time villages, luscious cuisine, unforgettable wine and the hottest boutique hotel on the boot. Go there before everyone else does. SEE THE FULL STORY

1 FRENI E FRIZIONI Romans take their aperitivo time deadly seriously, and this bar has all the ingredients for a perfect pre-dinner drink: a great setting alongside the Tiber in the heart of Trastevere, and an ample buffet of bar snacks that are included in the price of your drink, which, by the way, should be an Aperol Spritz—made …

1SANTO PADRE This completely unpretentious trattoria is the secret canteen for Rome’s A-list, from soccer stars to politicians. Antipasti are waiting before you even sit down—heaping plates of beautifully ripe sliced tomatoes, light creamy meatballs, chunks of the freshest mozzarella—and waiters lead you through the tireless litany of classic Roman pasta dishes like cacio e pepe, carbonara, and amatriciana, …

1CHIARASTELLA CATTANA The work of local fabric and interior designer Cattana marries modern colors and botanical motifs with materials woven on traditional looms in the Veneto. The results are the kind of delicate tablecloths and duvet and pillow covers that you might originally buy as gifts but end up keeping for yourself. Located near Palazzo Grassi, …

1VENISSA This destination restaurant on the little-known island of Mazzorbo in the Venetian lagoon has its own nineteenth-century walled vineyard, sustainable fruit and vegetable orchards, and a star female chef, Paola Budel, at the helm. The menu changes every three or four days, but highlights include the local delicacy, Alpago, a rare breed of lamb that …

1LA PINETA I wish there were more coastal restaurants like La Pineta. Tucked into a seafront shack on the Mediterranean, an ex-fisherman turned cult chef Luciano Zazzeri has transformed his small restaurant into a culinary pilgrimage destination with a selection of fish that brings new meaning to the term boat-to-table (he uses seafood caught from his …

1BUSATTI Forget Frette and Pratesi—Busatti is Tuscany’s own secret artisanal linens house, with gorgeous hand-loomed runners, tablecloths, and bedding collections that have been the work of a single family since 1842. Anghiari, where the shops and weavers are based, is also a revelation—a small and charming medieval town that feels peacefully out of the tourist storm …

This blog was prompted by an ill fated wax experience in Buenos Aires. After asking for a spa recommendation from my hotel, I found myself inside a building that can only be described as a tenement and covered with a substance that I swear was just extremely hot dulce de leche. The woman going to …

France’s best new bars, spas, and shops aren’t only in Paris—they’re also popping up in the wine capital of Bordeaux, where hot spots cater to the modern manly sophisticate. 10 a.m. Spa Time The men of Bordeaux are fastidious groomers, and they go to the new, sleekly designed men’s spa 1 C-Men for haircuts and meticulous facials (61 …

About an hour north of Cabo, this Mexican village is home to some of Baja’s greatest waves. Here’s where resident beach bums find the best breakfast, beachwear, and breaks:   7 a.m. Begin at one of the ­area’s—if not the country’s—best breaks: San Pedrito has the big waves and reef bed that make it the stuff of local …