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St. Louis is a city of blues, baseball, barbecue and beer – basically, those quintessential American traditions that tourists and even locals alike are after. And in keeping with its down-to-earth reputation, St. Louis is a city where some of America’s most renowned culinary classics can be had at their best and on a budget.
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At the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, it’s easy to get lost in the aisles of stalls selling fresh produce at (mostly) reasonable prices. The colors that leap coupled with the scents traveling through the air make it quite difficult to ignore even a single stall, and you’ll find yourself spending much more time here than you’d expect. Each market is GMO-free, and the North Berkeley location is 100% organic, guaranteeing that the quality of the products is top of the line.
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It’s thought that Mark Twain once said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” The man had a point – rarely will you find a clear, warm day on the San Francisco Bay. The bright side of this is there are plenty of ways to spend your days inside, especially in the Ferry Building.
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Olive oil is a pretty awesome thing. Whether you’re browning meat, starting a pasta sauce, dressing a salad, or simply dipping bread, it somehow manages to be the perfect ingredient in every situation. Perhaps you don’t share the same enthusiasm for the rich, silky liquid as we do (doubtful), but you’ll enjoy a tour of the Pasrai Olive Oil Factory in Mendoza, Argentina regardless.
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Stumble upon a hole in the wall where writing all over the interior is encouraged, drinking unlimited wine from a baby bottle is a must, and overindulging in cheesy fondue and endless baskets of baguettes comes naturally.
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Berkeley: a known foodie’s paradise. But can the same be said for the drinks and, more specifically, the coffee? With a population overflowing with college students, artsy types, and otherwise hipster-inclined occupants, there’s quite the variety of coffee shops to choose from. We’ve racked our brains and put together a starting list of prime Berkeley coffee spots to check out for the flavor and scene.
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Treat yourself to creative food and even better surroundings at La Terrasse, the rooftop terrace of Galeries Lafayette in Paris. The fresh and funky food is to die for, but the 360-degree panoramic view of the Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Cœur and the beautiful Parisian rooftops is the real heart stopper.
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Reflective of the town it resides in, Timbale is charming and delightfully small. Feeling like you’re having dinner at grandma’s house – assuming you have the coolest Austrian oma ever – would only go so far if the food didn’t match up to hers, but that will not be a problem here.
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Located conveniently next to the Edinburgh Castle, the Scottish Whiskey Experience is that unique mix of cheesy tourist attraction, fountain of knowledge, and meeting point for friendly locals, creating a much more fun experience than you anticipated.
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Oysters are a way of life in Apalachicola, Fla., one of the oldest cities in the state and the last place in the country where the mollusks are harvested by long-handled tongs into small, wooden boats. At daybreak, oysterman head out to the Apalachicola Bay, deck up the raw treats, cull them by hand, and deliver them to the numerous eateries around town with locals ready to devour the slippery, salty treat.
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Visiting the art-dense capital of Tuscany can overwhelm even the most seasoned of travelers. The typical sightseer has a rushed itinerary visiting the gorgeous medieval city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982. But for those of us who want a more active experience, or those of us who’ve already been to ten-too-many museums and churches on their European tour, why not try making a cappuccino?
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Take a trip back in time at the early-morning-to-late-night eatery, Ben’s Chili Bowl: the only place in D.C. that’s known for its rushed orders, celeb guests and a half-smoke named after Bill Cosby. Founded in 1958 next to the Lincoln Theater, Ben’s Chili Bowl is a Washington, D.C. landmark with a rich history.
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London’s oldest vegetarian restaurant is not the stereotypical hippie enclave you might expect. Sure, the chefs use only GM-free and mostly organic, seasonal ingredients. But Manna, founded more than 40 years ago and acquired by American-born owners in 1995, is a truly chic and gourmet place.
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At first glance, much of Chile's culinary offerings might not match up to those of their Peruvian or Bolivian brethren. But dig a little deeper, and you'll find that it's possible to find a few gems on par with the country's 4000-mile coastline, world-class skiing, picturesque national parks, and plentiful vineyards.
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Tbilisi, Georgia, a place most people have never heard of, doesn’t get much tourism nowadays. But this capital city was a prime vacation spot for Soviet officials during the country’s USSR years, and for good reason. Besides its ancient architecture, famed bathhouses and surrounding green countryside, Tbilisi was and is a food and wine haven.
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Portland, Oregon: a city known for its bike lanes, environmentally friendly, granola-based culture, and, in recent years, its foodie status. Food carts now extend across the city, with many new “pod sites” featuring dozens of congregated carts in a single location. Portlanders eat at these makeshift food courts of the future for convenience but also trek to the furthest corners of the city to try out the newest cart.
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There aren’t many places in the world that inhabit the sort of hallowed ground that Cuzco, Peru, does. Places where one can sense the ghosts of long-deceased ancestors, the faint traces of a glorious past, and the crushing weight of bygone empires. Of course, if you’re not so much into ancestral spirits, you can also go to Cuzco to stuff your face with some really good grub.
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Grocery shopping at fresh markets may be a way of life for all French, but it’s especially so for the seafaring Cognaçais, who head to the vast indoor market in the midst of the old town for an extraordinary range of fresh produce, lavish greenery and succulent seafood.
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Argentina might be best known for giving birth to tango, Diego Maradona, and cattle that become delicious steak, but surely creeping up that totem pole are the malbecs that are gaining in popularity among casual wine drinkers around the world.
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Held on the lush grounds of Regent’s Park in northern London, this festival is the ideal event for any gourmet hoping to sample some of the finest food on the island. More than heavy pub grub, British food is increasingly international, featuring – among others – some of the best Indian and Thai food in Europe.
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At the end of the Champs-Élysées a white glow of 8,000 exclusive Parisian guests gathered for an evening of food, champagne, dancing and elegance known around the world as the Diner en Blanc.
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Traveling to the motherland for Cinco de Mayo is not required if you’re lucky enough to be in Los Angeles. And since the holiday isn’t really even celebrated much in Mexico anyway – it’s the gringo version of one of Mexico’s lesser holidays – it’s almost more autentico to celebrate in the U.S.
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