An Mediterranean Restaurant Opens In DUMBO, Brooklyn

In 2020, after reading too many restaurant obituaries, I set out to write annual restaurant love letters instead. Now that the food world is roaring back, getting stronger—and more creative—than ever, it has become even easier to fall in love. And so, I have a new round of love letters.

The famous Asian-inspired hotspot KYU has opened its first location on the West Coast this month. KYU already has top-rated restaurants in Miami, New York, and Mexico City, making its address at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas one of the most hotly anticipated restaurant openings of the year.

The sign on the outside of the Berlin restaurant NOname is very discreet—just NO in script. At first glance after entering, the interior looks pretty subtle as well: tables and curved black chairs, filmy white curtains lining the walls. But then on the back wall is an illustration of the restaurant’s motto No Limits, No Boundaries, No Name: a large mural of a model named Fräulein Fuchs in a black swimsuit tied with bondage ropes. Apparently, on certain nights, risqué programs in sync with the city’s racy reputation take place here. But so on every night does the creative, assured cooking in a six or eight course tasting menu that this year earned the four year old restaurant its first Michelin star. Edgy with excellent food, just like Berlin itself.

When in Jaipur, it’s imperative to dine with a great view—the city affords some of the best backdrops with monuments and markets. At outdoor restaurants in Jaipur, these panoramas come with good food and great vibes.

Let’s face it: most restaurants located in Times Square are usually tourist traps with overpriced, mediocre food, especially “red sauce” Italian joints. Diehard New Yorkers— me among them—typically avoid dining in the area at all costs and gravitate to other hip local spots instead.

“That’s the restaurant I could never get into in Rome,” said the woman walking behind me on Soho’s MacDougal Street to her friend. “Now I can’t get into the one in New York either.” Roscioli, the restaurant in question, a mixed street level trattoria/salumeria and basement level tasting menu dining room has definitely been a tough table to get since its phased opening: the downstairs dining room in July and the A La Carte street level space in October. But for those who persevere (for walk in tables and a few reservations on Resy), lively, authentic, classic dishes will transport them instantly to Rome.

Locals and tourists frequently swarm to the DUMBO area of Brooklyn for some iconic photos of the Manhattan Bridge, as well excellent shopping and cutting edge art. Visitors can now add another reason to stop by. Just steps from the Brooklyn Flea, NINA is a new restaurant that focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients and seeks to create a warm environment where sharing plates add to the fun.

In 2019, my overall travel experience was significantly elevated after I discovered the world of airport lounges. For those who don't know, airport lounges are separate spaces inside terminals, and those with access can enjoy complimentary food and refreshments, private bathrooms, comfortable chairs and other amenities. Though some lounges require you to have a specific fare class or airline elite status, my Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers me a free Priority Pass Select membership.

What do you get when you cross two alums of the fine dining pantheon The Modern with the finest Italian seafood, creative cocktails and deep and esoteric wine list all in a gorgeously chic Soho setting? Say hello to Principe, which is fast becoming everyone's new favorite downtown destination.

Priority Pass is most well known for its network of airport lounges. But Priority Pass also includes some non-lounge experiences, including restaurants. These restaurants let eligible Priority Pass members enjoy sit-down dining experiences at select airports as part of their membership.

On a recent evening in a dimly lit Japanese restaurant, nearly a dozen diners watched rapt from across the bar as a chef blowtorched a sliver of sturgeon until it was kissed with char. He topped the nigiri with crisped fish skin and a spoonful of caviar.

The MTF represents tourism as a vehicle for peace, economic stability through its historical glory, as the cradle for the world’s civilization.