Where every order comes with a side of history.
Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor, Dania Beach, FL: Alongside an endless array of vintage kitsch (turn-of-the-20th-century license plates; displays of retro candy) are 45-plus flavors of south Florida’s favorite ice cream, handmade daily for 58 years. 128 S. Federal Hwy. $$
Fountain Coffee Room, Beverly Hills: The luncheonette at the Beverly Hills Hotel has served local starlets and studio heads since 1949. While the banana-leaf wallpaper remains, there are nods to today’s tastes: cold-pressed juices and a decadent caramel pumpkin pie named for Mary J. Blige. 9641 Sunset Blvd. $$$
Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar, Melbourne: Melbourne’s reputation as a coffee capital began here, where the city’s first-ever espresso was made in 1954. The look is pretty much unchanged, as is our order: a short black. 66 Bourke St.; 61-3/9662-1885. $
Brittania & Co., Mumbai (pictured): The Irani cafés of Old Bombay may be in decline, but you’d never know it at this sepia-toned relic. Parsi families pack the wobbly tables for berry pulau (basmati rice with fried onions, shaved almonds, and tart barberries). 11 Sprott Rd.; 91-22/2261-5264. $
Bo.lan, Bangkok: A temple to modern Thai cuisine from chefs Duangporn Sonvisava and Dylan Jones. 42 Soi Sukhumvit 26, Klongtan Klongteoy; 66-2/260-2962.
Commander’s Palace, New Orleans: Believe the hype: the restaurant where French-Creole and Cajun first blended with nouvelle cuisine four decades ago still sets standards for inventiveness (absinthe-poached oysters), high-gloss classics (turtle soup), and white-glove service. $$$
Balthazar, New York City: Given the gorgeous interior and crazy-sexy crowd, the food at the SoHo stalwart is far better than it needs to be. Take it from star chef Eric Ripert: “I go as often as I can—they have great energy, good service, and fantastic steak frites.” $$$
Angelina, Paris: Skip breakfast—hell, skip lunch—and save every calorie for the decadently thick, not-too-sweet hot chocolate at this ornate 1903 teahouse, an erstwhile haunt of Coco Chanel. $$$
Nasi Ayam Kedewatan, Ubud, Bali: Since 1964, this humble roadside spot has served the finest chicken rice (nasi ayam) in town, garnished with grated coconut, long beans, peanuts, and fiery sambal. $
Ad Hoc, Yountville, CA: Winemakers, farmers, and off-duty cooks make the scene at Thomas Keller’s convivial Napa Valley canteen, where the nightly-changing three-course dinner costs just $52. $$$
Restaurant Pricing Key
$ Less than $25
$$ $25 to $75
$$$ $75 to $150
$$$$ More than $150
Related Links:
Best Places to Eat Like a Local
Best Italian Restaurants in the U.S.
5 Restaurants for Classic American Food
