Anyone who takes more than a fleeting interest in Georgia’s traditional cuisine beyond the inescapable khachapuri and khinkali will probably agree that walnuts are the real gastronomic workhorse of Georgian cuisine. This versatile ingredient is deftly woven into a range of delightful dishes from soups and salads to rich, creamy stews, of which the Megrelian kharcho is one of our favorites. A slow-cooked dish of beef or veal simmered in creamy walnut sauce tempered with fried onions, garlic, and a generous amount of spices including coriander, a local variety of blue fenugreek (Trigonella caerulea) and marigold flowers (often called “the poor man’s saffron”), Megrelian kharcho is a heavy, hearty dish. It’s usually served with corn grits, locally called ghomi, or the cheese-saturated version called elargi – a combination that often calls for loosening the belt after indulging.

In a side street in Nishi-Tenma, Sobakiri Arabonpu serves hand-ground, hand-cut soba that must be eaten within minutes. A family-run shop with a Michelin Bib Gourmand and a devoted local following, it shows how far craftsmanship can go in a city known for fast, casual food.

It is 6:30 pm – the workday of most of the taco, quesadilla and memela vendors in the city is over, but “The Artist’s” shift has just begun. Every day, as the dusk light bathes the streets, 34-year-old Caleb Santiago sets up his food cart right below the centuries-old clock that overlooks the corner of 5 de Mayo and Murguía. By 7:00 pm, he is ready for another night of juicy hamburgers and hot dogs. Among all the late-night hamburger stalls sprawled across the city, Caleb’s is something else. Initially known as just “Cangreburgers,” this little SpongeBob Squarepants-inspired cart has been feeding Oaxacans for the last 16 years.

A one-woman seafood show on three wheels, Treiz’envie brings the spirit of Marseille’s Mediterranean to the street.

A beloved Cinisi food truck serving Sicilian panini layered with memory, technique, and local flavor. U Puparu shows how street food can be art.

Lisbon is changing so fast that it’s quite refreshing when a restaurant opens without proclaiming a twist or a “concept.” When Canalha was announced, it stirred great curiosity among local diners – and for good reason. A talented chef, renowned for Michelin-starred restaurant Feitoria, as well as the itinerant project Residência in 2023, was leaving fine dining to open a place with Portuguese fare sprinkled with a bit of Spanish inspiration. Just a few days after opening in November, Canalha became the talk of the town, and now you need to book a table for dinner weeks in advance.

A quiet neighborhood izakaya in North Shinjuku, Jin has been serving seasonal fish and steady hospitality for decades.

Once a ritual of fine dining, Paris’s gilded cheese carts have nearly vanished. But a new cheese culture, one that is smarter, smaller, and more dynamic, is redefining how Parisians indulge in their favorite dairy obsession.

In Istanbul’s still-local Samatya district, Tarihi Mimoza serves fiery bowls of kelle paça soup deep into the night - the ultimate post-meyhane comfort.

Explore our 2025 guide to gifts from the backstreets featuring culinary treasures from Europe, The Americas, and Asia. We've sourced one-of-a-kind kitchenware, spices, and specialty foods like Sicilian Moorish-head planters, artisanal Korean gochujang, Turkish kaymak, and Mexican barro negro pottery – and avoided Amazon altogether.

Tucked into a sunlit corner of Villa Ortúzar, Bar Oriente offers the kind of milanesa that keeps Buenos Aires running, a straightforward neighborhood refuge where tradition lives on through family hands and handwritten menus.

Discover the best restaurants in Bangkok through a local lens, from century-old shophouses serving timeless noodles to modern chef’s tables redefining Thai cooking. This guide highlights essential spots across the city.

From the outside, La Tonina – a humble taquería in the San Rafael neighborhood that’s been in business for some 80 years – gives nothing away. It’s not until you step inside and the scent of fresh flour tortillas hits that you suddenly find yourself transported out of Mexico City and up to northern Mexico. La Tonina was founded in 1946 by Héctor Garza, a professional wrestler known by his lucha libre ring name Tonina Jackson (more on that later). Héctor was from the northeastern city of Monterrey – where wheat and flour tortillas are essential to the local cuisine – which is the reason why in his restaurant, corn never stood a chance.

Jokes and laughter can be heard from among the olive trees in a field on the coast of Arsuz, a village in the southern Turkish province of Hatay. Here, two dozen women are hard at work on the hilly land, with a view of the Mediterranean Sea on one side and the Amanos Mountains on the other. Seven days a week, from early morning to midday, the workers comb through the trees one by one, gathering the olives and depositing them on plastic tarps spread on the ground.

Marché Popincourt is a locals’ favorite for seasonal produce, friendly vendors, and Parisian charm – without the crowds.