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Becoming a home chef doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a journey that requires you to abandon the realms of perfection and lean into the spirit of curiosity, the inevitability of failure, and most of all, the world of mouthwatering flavor. As someone navigating their own journey, my tragic instinct while in the kitchen is to always work harder and not smarter, which usually ends in tears or my neighbors doing a wellness check — I may be yelling, but the chicken will never yell back. Personal issues aside, I’ve found that the most simple hack to make the adventure easier is investing in an arsenal of tools that spark joy and aid in getting the job done. These 8 chic, must-have gadgets will not only add style to your kitchen, they will ultimately elevate your home chef experience.

Photography provided by AnZa

AnZa Espresso Machine

To me, there’s nothing sexier in life than the luxury of pulling your own espresso shot at home. AnZa’s remarkably artful espresso machine is designed to keep the look of your countertop sleek while also making a quality and delicious drip. Any questions?

Photography provided by Food52

Rosti Mensura Scale

This one is for the bakers and those who dread pulling out those measuring cups. Built to measure both dry and wet ingredients, this Rosti scale can weigh up to 22 pounds and offers multiple six-unit calculation features. Warning: Once you’ve lived the scale life, you’ll never go back.

Photography provided by Caraway

Caraway Dutch Oven

Making things easier for yourself in the kitchen is not, and will never be, a crime. The art of slow cooking requires equal parts patience and trust, that you’ve set the dish you’re making up for success. This enameled Dutch oven by Caraway allows for a seamless transition from stovetop to oven, making it a one-pot diva.

Photography provided by Lulu and Georgia

Lulu and Georgia Julep Oil Cruet

If you’re keeping your olive oil in the vessel you purchased from the market, you’re doing it so wrong. Investing in a cruet allows you to flex your style game, add some personality to your countertop and free up space in your cabinets. Not only is this one from Lulu and Georgia playful, it’s dishwasher safe.

Photography provided by Dreamfarm

Dreamfarm Flucier Citrus Juicers

This one is for the haters who claim that hand juicers are a scam. Please put that lore to bed and snag one of Dreamfarm’s fabulous (and affordable) citrus juicers that does the trick so well and so fast, that it honestly feels like cheating.

Photography provided by Our Place

Our Place Cast Iron Pan

For anyone intimidated by using cast iron in the kitchen, Our Place is a great introduction to upping the cooking and flavor game of every stovetop dish. The brand’s range of cast iron products makes it a fool-proof journey for every user, and the enamel finish allows for an 8-in-1 multifunctionality.

Photography provided by Gohar

Gohar Mother-of-Pearl Spoon Set

Some might not consider serveware a gadget, but I’m here to debunk the skeptics with this chic set of caviar spoons by my favorite treasure-creating icons at Gohar. This mother-of-pearl set elevates every aperitif experience and is a charming addition to the hosting experience.

Photography provided by Saffron + Poe

Saffron + Poe Atlas Brass Pepper Grinder

A high-quality pepper grinder is a non-negotiable for every home chef. Each Saffron + Poe grinder is handcrafted in Greece with natural brass and classic adjustment settings. A big perk is that the finish will acquire a natural patina to remind you just how much you love using it.

The post 8 Chic Must-Have Kitchen Gadgets for Every Home Chef appeared first on Artful Living Magazine.

Photography by Chris Bernabeo

What was your creative process like developing Tahini Baby?

I always knew I wanted to create a veg-based cookbook. Our family isn’t vegetarian, but over time the food I cooked at home just started to become mostly that. We embraced the shift and felt like nothing was missing — if anything, we felt better, fuller and more satisfied after every meal. I wanted to share more of that in my work, on social media and in this book. Tahini Baby  has over 100 veg-based recipes that will help you create the most bright and satisfying table spread imaginable.

Do you have a favorite Tahini Baby recipe?

I really can’t choose because all of these recipes are so near and dear to my heart… but if you were to come over for a fun introduction recipe to the book, it would be my ultimate shroom shawarma. The mushrooms get the star treatment with all the seasoning and searing, which brings out the most incredible meaty texture and flavor. These get packed into a fresh laffa (a soft and chewy Iraqi flatbread. I’m obsessed with that recipe, as well. They are so easy to make and so tender) and covered with all the dreamy Tahini Baby condiments, starting with my garlicky tahini, which takes every dish to the next level. It also has my celery zhoug, amba pepper sauce and a nice heaping spoonful of chopped veg salad. It really is a choose-your-own-adventure kind of meal, but any way you do it, it will be absolutely delicious.

Also, in this book I finally shared my mother’s cheesecake recipe that people have been asking about for years. It’s a special one.

Photography by Kayla Rocca

What’s the No. 1 takeaway you hope home cooks get from Tahini Baby?

What I really wanted to achieve with this book is to showcase how easy it is to bring bold, approachable and crowd-pleasing vegetarian dishes into your life. I applied all of my favorite simple flavors and techniques so every home cook will be able to make these recipes and weave them into their day-to-day lives. I’m not trying to push a vegetarian lifestyle, but I am showing how easy it is to eat veg-forward food that is tasty and will make you forget about meat altogether. I want people who grab this book to create bountiful, colorful food that will make them feel great and also make them look like a badass in the kitchen.

Any pro tips for hosting a fabulous dinner party?

I always host family style so when my guests sit down, there’s already a gorgeous spread prepared upon arrival and everyone can dig into whatever catches their eye. This usually includes a fresh bread, like my Jerusalem bagel dinner roll. It should be baked first thing in the morning when you entertain and served with a couple dips that can easily be made in advance and plated/dressed with condiments, dips and all the noshes, like my safta’s baba or whipped feta with crispy herbs and honey. Next is a salad like my crispy spiced chickpea crunch salad with pomegranate and a side like the harissa and honey carrots with gremolata and labneh. Then, for the star of the show, offer something like the herb-stuffed peppers in a black lime sauce. Finish strong with my creamy and cold sage-honey semifreddo.

Important note: Every dinner should be served with garlicky tahini, please and thank you.

Photography by Chris Bernabeo

Does Eden Grinshpan have a go-to kitchen hack?

Yes. Life hack: Preparing dessert in advance is a game changer. Also, lists are your friend! Make a list of what needs to get done, I’m talking every single step. It will change your life.

Any life advice you’re willing to share?

Use your pretty plates, drink that expensive wine you have been saving, wear all your nice clothes and hang with your favorite people. Live every day to the fullest and surround yourself with people that make you laugh and feel good.

Finally, what’s the funniest thing you’ve heard recently?

I recently watched Dumb and Dumber for the first time in forever and literally every line had me laughing. The comedy in that movie has really held up.

The post Top Chef Host Eden Grinshpan on Her New Cookbook, Tahini Baby appeared first on Artful Living Magazine.

Before we dive into the complexities of Minnesota cuisine, let’s address the elephant in the (dining) room. Yes, there’s definitely some truth to those lefse and lutefisk stereotypes; after all, our state has strong Nordic influences dating back to early European settlement. But like most preconceived notions, those presumptions don’t tell the full story.

Photography by Matt Lien

Simply put, Twin Cities food isn’t just 50 shades of beige. Alongside those Scandinavian staples are international delights like masa from Mexico, kimchi from Korea, laab from Laos, suqaar from Somalia, housemade Hmong sausage, Argentinian-style steaks and so much more. That’s not to mention all the delectable dishes crafted from Indigenous ingredients that, like this place’s original peoples, have been here for centuries.

This is about so much more than just mouthwatering food, though there’s plenty of that to be had. It’s about honoring heritage. It’s about celebrating culture. It’s about storytelling on the plate. And it’s about inviting in others to create greater empathy and understanding.

But you don’t just have to take our word for it. Although we’ve had the great pleasure of eating our way through most of the restaurants around town, it’s the acclaimed chefs behind our deliciously diverse restaurant scene who can best explain how the Twin Cities became an unexpected haven for global cuisine. Here, in their own words, nine local food luminaries give their take on what makes the Land of 10,000 Lakes so standout.

Photography by Reece Hickman

We Minnesotans often find ourselves having to set the record straight when it comes to misperceptions about our home. How the Twin Cities’ most prominent chefs describe this midsize metropolis to out-of-towners — warm — might seem counterintuitive given the state’s climate.

“The best way to describe the Twin Cities to people who haven’t been here is that it’s a warm, comforting place,” says renowned Hmong-American chef Yia Vang, who last year opened his magnum opus, Vinai. “I purposely use that word ‘warm,’ because the weather might be cold, but people’s hearts are warm. We have this welcoming hospitality going on.”

Making its debut after years of anticipation, Vinai was one of 2024’s most celebrated restaurant openings not just in the Twin Cities but in America. Accolades steadily rolled in from the likes of The New York Times and Esquire, and Racket MN aptly dubbed it “the year of Yia.” Vang opted to name the Minneapolis eatery after the Thai refugee camp where he was born. He says it’s a love letter to his parents, who immigrated to the United States in 1988 in hopes of giving him and his siblings greater opportunities.

Photography by Lauren Cutshall for Vinai

At Vinai, Vang is sharing his people’s culture in the best way he knows how — through comforting, heartfelt dishes that feel like home even for the unfamiliar, such as the popular braised beef rib, shrimp and pork toast and crabby fried rice. All that fare is made even more flavorful thanks to accompanying fresh produce and housemade hot sauces, such as the must-try Mama Vang variety.

Chef Jamal Hashi, whose family immigrated from Somalia in 1993, echoes that emphasis on the Twin Cities’ warmth. “This is a place where innovation thrives, but there is also so much respect for tradition,” he says. “People here are so open, genuine and curious about different cultures. We have Somalis moving here from other parts of the country and even other parts of the world — not because of the weather, but because of how warm this community is.”

Photography provided by Jamal Hashi

Speaking of innovation, Hashi introduced Midwesterners to his people’s cuisine with his camel-on-a-stick offering at the Minnesota State Fair back in 2010 — believed to be the first East African food served at the annual end-of-summer extravaganza. That playful take highlighted the fare his family had long been offering at their Safari Restaurant in downtown Minneapolis: roasted goat cutlet, jambo steak, chicken fantastic with Somali rice and other favorites.

Commemorating the eatery’s importance, a photo of that now-shuttered restaurant hangs in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Hashi has gone on to open more than a dozen restaurants, including a Harlem outpost of Safari Restaurant, the first Somali eatery in New York City that fittingly earned a New York Times shoutout as the Big Apple’s best African restaurant. Today, he is working to bring culturally relevant foods to area schools and other institutions.

Through their culinary creations, Hashi and Vang are not only sharing stories about their unique familial histories but also honoring the substantial Somali and Hmong populations in Minnesota, both the largest diasporas of their respective groups within the United States. The Twin Cities is also home to sizable Mexican, Indian, Ethiopian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Filipino communities. That multicultural makeup reflects the state’s long-held tradition of embracing immigrants.

Photography by Eliesa Johnson

Minnesota’s first peoples, the Dakota and Anishinaabe, began intermingling with European explorers and fur traders as early as the 1600s. Starting in the 1700s then surging in the mid-1800s, immigrants largely from Scandinavia and Western Europe flooded into the state. The Land of 10,000 Lakes received another wave of immigrants after the Vietnam War, when refugees from Southeast Asia arrived. Then, asylum seekers from East Africa made their way here in the 1990s to escape the political violence of their homelands. These migration swells over time have majorly reshaped the face of our community.

This open-arms embrace of diversity flies in the face of commonly held misconceptions about Minnesota, as Vietnamese-American chef Christina Nguyen points out. “I don’t buy the whole ‘Minnesota Nice’ thing — the idea that people here are super icy,” says the restaurateur behind Hai Hai and Hola Arepa. “Yes, we can be reserved, but we’re also kind and empathetic. This is actually a really progressive place, with a willingness to accept people and a genuine curiosity to learn about other cultures.”

Photography by Tyson Crockett

She also thinks the cold that defines our region is something to be celebrated, not just tolerated. “Our winters are long and introspective, and people have a lot of time to work on creative endeavors during those cold months,” says Nguyen, who grew up in Minnesota, the daughter of immigrants. “We’ve got the four seasons, and we sometimes take for granted how beautiful spring, summer, fall and even winter are.”

Recognized for her flavorful fare like banana blossom cobb salad, Hanoi sticky rice and water fern cakes, Nguyen joined the Best Chef: Midwest club at last year’s James Beard Awards, which are considered the Oscars of the food world. Making the honor even sweeter was the fact that fellow Twin Citian Ann Kim, who earned the accolade back in 2019, presented the award to her. Kim, too, has opinions on the cold, borrowed from the late great Prince.

Photography by The Restaurant Project

“I often think of Prince’s quote that it’s so cold in Minneapolis that it keeps the bad people out,” says the chef/owner of prominent pizzeria Young Joni. “He pretty much nailed that. I love it when people discover that the Twin Cities is such a hidden gem. It’s this inviting, affordable place where immigrants can set down roots and create a life for themselves.”

The Korean-American chef, whose family immigrated to the United States in 1977 sponsored by a Minnesotan uncle, didn’t set out to create a culinary revolution; rather, she shifted to the restaurant world for a change of pace from acting. But soon she realized she had an opportunity to acquaint diners with Korean staples such as kimchi and BBQ beef short rib — foods that during Kim’s childhood in a largely white suburb caused her great embarrassment — by presenting them in a “safe” way, atop pizzas.

Photography by Rachael Crew

“Pizza became the gateway to introduce people to new flavors and to prompt new conversations, which is a great place to start,” she says. “As I think about my culinary career after 15 years, I realize this is a way to honor my heritage, but that wasn’t really my initial goal. There’s also a lot of weight and pressure that comes with that, and sometimes there are unrealistic expectations and judgments that come with being the first person to do something differently.”

That’s a nuanced nod to the criticism Kim has faced over the years that her cuisine — which she very openly explains is intended to reflect her upbringing rather than somehow represent an entire ethnic group — isn’t authentic. It’s a common critique for BIPOC chefs, sometimes from within their own communities.

Photography by Matt Lien

Ann Ahmed can relate. Despite receiving ongoing critical acclaim for the soul-warming fare served at fan-favorite spots Gai Noi, Khaluna and Lat14 — think laab seen, green papaya salad and panang spaghetti — the Lao-American chef has had major insecurities about the authenticity of her culinary creations for much of her career. In fact, it wasn’t until last year when she returned to her birth country of Laos, which she left at the age of two, that she finally overcame that sense of self-doubt. Even still, she sometimes feels she exists between two worlds — not quite Lao enough, not quite American enough.

“When I opened my first restaurant 20 years ago, I didn’t even call it Lao food because I was worried that no one would come,” she recalls. “Over time, I found my identity and my voice, which helped create that confidence within. I’ve always served bold flavors, but I didn’t have the bold personality to really put myself out there. I’ve come to realize that the more you can share your story, the more you can educate people.”

Photography by Matt Lien

Staying true to yourself and showcasing your culture’s bold flavors can be especially tricky in a place known for its aversion to spiciness. But like many Minnesota misconceptions, that too seems to be more farce than fact. Hmong-American chef Diane Moua disproved that stereotype when she refused to alter her recipes to appeal to the assumed unadventurous Midwestern palate upon opening Diane’s Place last year.

“In the beginning, even our servers were telling me we couldn’t serve the Hmong hot sauce because it was so spicy that people might choke,” she says with a laugh. “I refused to dumb it down because if you go to any Hmong gathering, this is the hot sauce you’ll have at everyone’s house. But I did make a sweet and sour sauce that’s not as spicy for people who can’t do the hot sauce. We go through way more Hmong hot sauce than sweet and sour, which makes me so happy.”

Photography by Gemma Weston

Before striking out on her own, Moua spent many years working as a pastry chef, most recently at Gavin Kaysen’s celebrated eateries, including Spoon and Stable, Bellecour and Demi. The two-time James Beard winner and Minnesota native cheered on his former colleague when she decided to open her own restaurant honoring her heritage and her refugee parents, who raised her on a Central Wisconsin farm. (Her beloved pastries are still on the menu at Diane’s Place, alongside delectable dishes like Hmong pulled pork, beef laab carpaccio and sticky fried rice.)

That kind of community support is crucial given the many obstacles restaurateurs face — let alone restaurateurs from marginalized groups that have experienced historical injustices. Layered onto that are ongoing divides and inequities, as evidenced by the racial reckoning that spiraled out from Minneapolis five years ago after George Floyd’s killing. Among the many hurdles BIPOC entrepreneurs encounter is difficulty securing funding; just ask Vang, who spent years trying to make Vinai happen. Those financial limitations often mean their restaurants aren’t located in buzzy neighborhoods with expensive real estate, Ahmed explains, requiring customers to specifically seek out those dining experiences. Other challenges abound, like diners’ attitudes about the price of certain cuisines and their tendency to box chefs into what they can and can’t do.

Photography by Connor Siedow

Having built a bona fide culinary empire here, Argentinian chef Daniel del Prado has recently turned his attention to uplifting others. One of the Twin Cities’ most prolific restaurateurs with nearly 10 eateries to his name — among them Martina, Colita and his most personal, Argentinian steakhouse Porzana — he is partnering with former employees to bring their culinary dreams to life. Case in point: Über-cool East Asian eatery Minari is a collaboration with Jeff Watson, executive chef and culinary director for del Prado’s restaurant group, to honor his Korean heritage. And elevated Edina sports bar Dexter’s is a partnership with a former server, Carla Jones.

Born in Buenos Aires, del Prado moved to the United States in his early twenties to pursue a culinary career. He made his way to the Twin Cities in 2005, working at esteemed eateries like La Belle Vie and Solera then opening Bar La Grassa with his mentor, Isaac Becker. He ventured off to other parts of the country but returned in 2012 to help Becker open Burch. That was all before del Prado started a string of eateries honoring his Spanish and Southern Italian ancestry. These days, he’s focused on passing the baton to the next generation.

Photography by Eleisa Johnson / The Restaurant Project

“My next chapter is helping other chefs open up their own restaurants,” he says. “I started from zero, and I did everything through hard work and learning as much as I could. Now, I want to share my resources and my know-how with the people who helped get me where I am today. This gives me another boost of energy to keep doing this because this can be a hard industry. I’m actually very excited about this next stage for my company, and I hope that’s the legacy I have here in the Twin Cities.”

Minari is in good company in Northeast Minneapolis, which has become a multicultural hot spot, with Vinai, Diane’s Place, Young Joni and Hai Hai all nearby. In fact, Moua and Vang have been asked if there’s friendly competition between the two of them since their eateries are just down the street from each other. But just as no two lived experiences are the same, their takes on Hmong food are uniquely theirs.

Photography by Eleisa Johnson / The Restaurant Project

Also in the neighborhood is Oro by Nixta, Mexican chef Gustavo Romero’s mission-driven restaurant centered around a single objective: to preserve heirloom Mesoamerican corn varieties, which have long been at risk due to colonialism, politics and international trade. Much to Twin Cities foodies’ delight, that purposeful pursuit yields delicious benefits in the form of tacos, tamales, molote and more.

Although Minneapolis is a far cry from Gustavo’s homeland in the east-central state of Hidalgo, he thinks the two places share some key characteristics. “One of the biggest similarities I see is how resilient and proud people are,” he says. “In my hometown, we believe we have the best of everything. Even with our flaws, we’re still very proud. That’s something Minnesotans also have. They know we have shitty weather here, but they still claim to be the best state in the country.”

Photography by Kadi Kaelin

At 17, Romero crossed the border into the United States and began working in restaurants in Arizona, California and Florida and even spent a short stint in Italy. He cut his teeth cooking other cuisines but often wondered why there weren’t any Mexican restaurants that served food the way he knew it back home. He moved to Minnesota in 2014 and eventually saw an opportunity to introduce Midwesterners to authentic Mexican food, no matter the distance from the Mexican border. In 2020, he and his wife opened a tortilleria that totally transformed Minnesotans’ understanding of what makes a good tortilla. Then in 2023, they debuted the lauded Oro by Nixta, where they offer a masa master class of sorts.

“Entire civilizations have survived on this crop,” says Romero, who officially became a United States citizen last August. “But the more I started talking to people here about corn, the more I realized there was a lack of understanding about our people and our food. I think one of the easiest ways to understand people is to look at what they eat and what they’ve had to do to survive throughout history.”

Photography by Travis Anderson Photography

Romero’s ambitions are closely aligned with that of Oglala Lakota chef Sean Sherman, who is on a mission to revitalize Native American foodways in Minnesota and beyond. That comes to life at his renowned Minneapolis restaurant Owamni — which serves decolonized fare devoid of Eurocentric ingredients like beef, pork, chicken, dairy, wheat flour and cane sugar — as well as at his NATIFS nonprofit and its Indigenous Food Lab incubator kitchen. The latter is situated in South Minneapolis’s Midtown Global Market, another destination for global fare.

The TIME 100 honoree grew up eating government commodity foods on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation, one of the poorest communities in America. Like Romero, Sherman spent much of his early career cooking European cuisines, which highlighted how little he knew about his own people’s food. That epiphany set him on a path to amplify Native knowledge via the medium he knows best: food. At Owamni, that takes shape as simple yet sophisticated dishes like Three Sisters, a stew made with corn, beans and squash; smoked elk rack with pumpkin carrot purée; and fan-favorite roasted sweet potatoes with maple-chili crisp.

Photography by Scott Streble

As much as the Twin Cities’ multicultural fabric is made up of those who have come here, it’s also about those who have always been here. “When we look at United States history, Indigenous peoples have largely been left out of the discussion,” says Sherman, who moved to Minnesota in his early twenties. “Our cultures, languages and knowledge are relatively unknown. I feel hugely honored to be able to help open up people’s minds to the immense diversity of our Indigenous cultures and to help people recognize all of the Indigenous food that sits right here in America.”

For Sherman and his Twin Cities counterparts, food is about so much more than just nutrition. It’s also a means of preservation, education, celebration and connection — something we’re dearly in need of these days. Though their missions and motivations certainly vary, these local thought leaders are united by their powerful ability to use food to effect meaningful change.

Photography by Bill Phelps Studio

Ultimately, it all comes back to community — much like that warm embrace that the Twin Cities has historically shown immigrants, refugees and others who choose to call this place home.

“Here’s the secret behind Vinai that we don’t really tell people,” Vang says with his characteristic smirk. “We’re here to build community, and good food just happens to be the byproduct of that. People come here because they want to be a part of the community and they want to sit at the table, even if the food is a little outside their comfort zone. Then slowly as they feel comfortable and let their walls come down, they start seeing and smelling all the delicious food around them, and they want to try it. Understanding literally starts one bite at a time.”

Read this article as it appears in the magazine.

The post How the Twin Cities Became a Haven for Deliciously Diverse Cuisine appeared first on Artful Living Magazine.

Dressed in a plain black T-shirt and trousers with dark inkings of ferns and leafy plants on his arms, he’s seated across a low table from me in his Copenhagen restaurant, Alchemist, digesting what it means to be voted the World’s Best Chef at the 2024 Best Chef Awards. He speaks with a Danish accent, at times so quietly that I need to push my recorder across the table to catch what he’s saying.

“It means a lot to receive it, and I feel very privileged,” he says, taking a pause. “Of course the title is amazing, but I don’t believe in such a thing, that there’s a best chef in the world, because how do you compare them? But I do think we’re one of the most interesting restaurants in the world right now.”

Photography provided by Søren Gammelmark and Alchemist

The accolade recognizes his avant-garde approach and visionary contributions which have, the awards team says, redefined modern gastronomy. The immersive theatrical experience he has created at Alchemist has earned him global acclaim, two Michelin stars within seven months of opening and a coveted spot in the top 10 of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

The first person he called when he got the news was his mum, a retired care worker in Jutland, rural Denmark, where he grew up.

“She was like, ‘so, there’s nothing more to achieve now,’” he says, laughing. “‘You achieved everything, right?’”

He’s laughing because the idea of packing up now, at the peak of his game, is ridiculous. There’s just so much more at stake.

“Every time they award the best restaurant in Denmark or Europe or the 50 best in the world, you want to do as well as possible on those lists because a prize like this opens doors,” he says. “I’m very aware of using this spotlight to create something for the greater good.”

The planetarium dome at Alchemist. This universe is called Heartbeat.

If Munk was simply a world-renowned chef serving billionaires dinner four times a week in his extraordinarily expensive restaurant — the fixed 50-course, six-hour dinner costs around $765 per person before drinks — it would still be impressive. But his ambitions go way beyond just feeding the 1%: For him, it’s about changing how we look at food. Along with Alchemist, Munk runs Spora, an innovative food lab working on global food challenges, as well as JunkFood, a charity that provides food for the homeless in Denmark and other multidisciplinary projects, including the development of better hospital food.

Alchemist is a portal for this altruistic work. His signature Space Bread came out of work he conducted with MIT’s Media Lab designing food for space travel. Using a new technique, they created a ball of soy with the texture and crunch of bread that disappears on the tongue. In space, crumbs are banned due to the hazards they can create in machines and tubes. The research has been useful in many ways, not least in devising options for long-term sick children in hospitals who want to eat something crunchy but can’t because of their health conditions.

Social justice has interested Munk since the start. His culinary school teacher, Martin Knudsen, said that when he was younger, the chef had expressed interest in being a lawyer “because there was so much injustice in the world.”

“He won all the competitions as a young chef,” said Knudsen. “But it was always more important to him that he was changing food and using it to tell stories. The purpose of his brilliant restaurant is making the world a better place. He’s a man with a big heart.”

In his restaurant, the former theater set-building workshop of the Royal Danish Theater, this story plays out four nights a week.

The 13-foot-high bronze doors open silently. My dinner companion and I start in a small room where a large cubed TV is broadcasting scenes from history. Man lands on the moon. The Berlin Wall falls. The Spice Girls are singing; Geri Halliwell wears a Union Jack dress. It takes me a moment to realize that Geri has my face. In fact, all the characters are me and my companion: In this retelling of mankind’s history, we’re cast as the main characters, our faces shining out from the TV. As the doors open into the next room, a cozy lounge bar, I’m already dazzled and disconcerted, which is, of course, the point.

We watch through a window as teams of chefs create the perfect omelet in front of our eyes, make pisco sour cocktails that sit like an egg yolk in the middle of a silver flower and meticulously plate freeze-dried nettle butterflies on a silver branch. We eat multiple delicious mouthfuls, bug-eyed with amazement.

In the main dining room, projections play above our heads of turtles swimming in a Pacific-blue sea, caught up in plastic garbage. The domed ceiling evokes a planetarium or immersive artwork and brings a sense of drama. Lava fills the screen, and then we’re inside a giant body, watching a beating heart as the first course arrives at our table.

We begin with a dish called Autumn Kiss. Served in an anatomically accurate model of a human tongue, this beef tartare appetizer is meant to highlight how cutlery can change the experience of a meal. Next up there is Hunger, a thin layer of rabbit decorated with wild flowers draped over a silver skeleton meant to evoke the plight of undernourished children. As we swallow our guilt along with the rabbit, we are presented with Plastic Fantastic, a mini ocean garbage patch of edible plastic floating on a square of blue resin that tastes like the most divine bite of fish and chips I have ever tasted. Then there’s 1984, a delectable medley of steamed lobster claw, yuzu juice, roasted cherry tomatoes and caviar that’s served in an enormous resin model of Munk’s eye. As we tuck into what tastes like heaven and looks uncannily like the chef’s own pupil, dystopian images of screens and a huge eye watch on above us in the ceiling projection to remind us of the surveillance state we live in. The experience is to other restaurants as a James Turrell art installation is like a Turner landscape.

Twenty courses in, my dining partner and I are feeling overwhelmed. Munk told me that during nearly every service, one or more guests will cry. I feel like I could be one of them. It’s not that the experience makes me sad; it’s the pure sensory overload of it all. I cut into a tiny, perfect heart, and blood pools on the white porcelain plate. This one has eight flavors, one for each of the people you could save if you participate in organ donation.

It’s not all this heavy: Among the more jarring dishes, a tiny lightbox shows up with a cream of white beans in the shape of my face. I’ve never eaten my own face before. I can’t stop laughing. We eat a scrumptious crab toast made from local Danish crab and a divine lobster claw inspired by a Connecticut lobster roll. Before leaving the main dome to repair to the final lounge for petit fours and coffee, we take a detour into an art room where we dab edible paint all over the walls. I draw a series of big smiley faces.

Munk has been popping up all night and is there to see us in the final coffee lounge again. He is present at every dinner in the restaurant, serving impressions, supervising the kitchens and talking to guests.

While the food here has broken frontiers in my mind — I’m still marveling that I ate my own face — Munk has his eye on another frontier: space. In late 2025, Munk will be cooking food at the edge of the earth’s atmosphere for the space travel firm Space VIP. With the team, he is currently brainstorming how to create his unique brand of boundary-pushing gastronomy in a tiny area with a kitchen the size of two airline trolleys. Oh, and without a naked flame.

“In many ways, it’s a strange idea for me because I’m a control freak and I’m afraid of heights,” he says. But like the title ‘best chef,’ it’s a way to open doors so people want to collaborate with us.”

“In those collaborations, a lot of magic happens. We try to connect all of those different perspectives, and the outcome sometimes becomes an innovation.”

That’s the Munk process right there: Shoot for the moon, and you might land among the stars. Or if you’re him, you’ll achieve the impossible and land on them all.

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In recent years, American chefs have found novel ways to reinvent the burger joint, the roadside diner and the slice shop, so it was probably only a matter of time before they pounced upon the raw bar. And while a traditionalist might be inclined to grouse that raw bars have no need to be fussed with and fancied up — that the briny glory of Neptune Oyster cannot be topped — a few minutes at Holbox in Los Angeles or Penny in New York City’s East Village might get that staunch traditionalist to think twice. Borrowing innovations from cities like Barcelona and Copenhagen, amplifying their focus on sourcing the very best ingredients and rethinking everything from mignonettes to marinades, this generation of chefs has turned a formerly sleepy format into one of the most exciting categories on the American restaurant scene. Here are some of our favorites from coast to coast.

Photography by Catherine Dzilenski

Gift Horse

Providence, Rhode Island

You can’t think of New England without thinking of seafood, but Gift Horse nudges you to think about it in a new way. There’s kimchi in the mayonnaise and the mignonette, Asian pear and black garlic in the house salad and one of the menu stars is a fried pajeon — a Korean pancake — studded with tender mussels and squid. You’re tasting the influence of chef Sky Kim, who grew up in Korea and who has joined forces with local star Ben Sukle to explore what might happen if the cuisine of the Ocean State spent a gap year in Seoul.

Photography by Liam Brown

Holbox

Los Angeles, California

Before the Mercado la Paloma officially opens each day, a line of customers starts winding from the food court out to the edge of the parking lot. These people are waiting to grab seats at Holbox, chef Gilberto Cetina’s boisterous shrine to Mexican seafood. They’re hungry for the tostada piled with freshly glistening kanpachi from Baja California and uni from Santa Barbara; they’re dreaming of ceviche with wild shrimp and striped bass and Yucatán octopus. A few of them know that this modest-looking counter in South Central has managed to earn a Michelin star. Others know only that the seafood stew is delicious enough to leave you delirious.

Photography by Andrew Thomas Lee

Chubby Fish

Charleston, South Carolina

Walking by Chubby Fish is like walking by a jazz club in the midst of a jam session. You sense sparks flying inside — the room radiates that sort of energy. In fact, jazz is what chef James London and his team are up to. “Items change daily and are subject to seasonal availability” aren’t mere words on a website when it comes to Chubby Fish. Pray that they’re serving their signature “caviar sammich,” a squishy potato roll smeared with crème fraîche and piled with luxurious fish eggs. Secure at least two orders of the grilled oysters with crab-fat curry. Beyond that, well, anything might happen. London’s crew can create virtuosic crudo-and-ceviche riffs out of whatever local fishermen are inclined to deliver.

Photography by Teddy Wolff

Penny

New York City, New York

The word “cool” comes to mind at Penny. There’s the “wow, this is a cool place to hang out” meaning of the word: Penny, which consists of a single white marble counter that stretches like a runway from the front window to the very back of the room, occupies a sliver of space in New York City’s hippest neighborhood, the East Village. But place your fingertips on that marble and you’ll summon the other definition of “cool.” The owners of Penny understand that with a raw bar, as with a martini, temperature matters. The chill must be taken seriously. Start things off with an oceanic centerpiece, the Ice Box, in which oysters, razor clams and mussels perch upon frozen pellets and shine with splashes of inscrutably delicious sauces.

Photography provided by Found Oyster

Found Oyster

Los Angeles, California

Found Oyster brings a dash of Southern California sunshine and Hollywood levity to the raw bar genre. Its seafood smorgasbords are called the Baywatch Platter and the Overboard Platter; its chowder is identified on the menu as “chowdaaa.” There’s caviar, sure, but there’s also fun bites like the peel-and-eat prawns and party dips involving Jonah crab or smoked trout. Chef Ari Kolender and his crew take cooking seriously so you don’t have to. Grab a stool at the bar or a seat on the sidewalk, exhale and relax.

Photography provided by The Anchovy Bar

The Anchovy Bar

San Francisco, California

The Anchovy Bar is a celebration of a local delight. That’s correct — anchovies don’t just swim off the shores of faraway places like Portugal and Spain, and they needn’t always emerge from tins. There are fresh local anchovies in San Francisco, and this spot (from the team behind San Francisco’s beloved State Bird Provisions and the Progress) honors them by bedding them on toast with an heirloom tomato vinaigrette and searing them in a skillet that roars with the fiery flavor commotion of chile oil, yuzu kosho, sansho togarashi and fermented chile turnips. Beyond those tiny fish, everything on the menu expresses a radical approach to raw bar staples. Where else will you find a Pacific Rim-style crudo that involves halibut, Thai basil, fish sauce and nectarines?

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Photography by Bo Carlock / Spacecrafting

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Long before Netflix’s bombshell documentary on longevity maverick Bryan Johnson turned your neighbor into an expert on the health of his mitochondria, another wealthy entrepreneur was tinkering around with his own formula for cheating death. Meet Dave Asprey, the “Father of Biohacking.”

In his twenties, Asprey weighed 300 pounds, and his 46-inch waist could barely fit into an XXL T-shirt. Relentlessly long days working in Silicon Valley had left him with brain fog, arthritis and pre-diabetes. Eighteen months of exercising 90 minutes daily on a strict low-fat, low-calorie, plant-centric diet hadn’t worked. “It was not a lack of effort,” Asprey says. “It was a lack of knowledge.” Determined to reclaim his health, he began experimenting, applying many of the same data-based hacks he learned from working in tech to his body. He started tracking and regulating his hormones, diet, sleep, blood sugar, exercise and stress, noting the inflammation he experienced when any one of these key systems was out of sync.

Illustration by Eleanor Shakespeare

Asprey not only lost 100 pounds and cleared his brain fog, he also claims to have reversed his biological age by 20 years and increased his IQ by over 12 points. He went on to create the wildly successful Bulletproof Coffee (a “keto coffee” made with grass-fed butter or ghee and MCT oil that’s designed to increase energy and mental clarity) and is widely credited with coining the term “biohacking” (Asprey’s name is in the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of biohacker).

At its best, biohacking uses technology — as well as simple daily adjustments — to extend longevity and boost performance, health and vitality. (At its worst, biohacking conjures five-day water fasts and pseudo-scientific hacks like penile injections.) Some of the newer therapies involve cycling psychedelics, therapeutic plasma exchange and gene therapy.

Asprey, who is not a medical doctor, is not without legal troubles — or critics. In 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent him a warning letter regarding false declarations he made about his supplements’ ability to prevent and treat COVID-19, citing the lack of scientific evidence to support his claims. Asprey was required to cease making such statements and declined to comment on the incident. And his high-fat, low-carb “Bulletproof Diet” has also come under heavy scrutiny. “This diet can help people lose weight initially, but with most of the food coming from fat, it can be challenging to sustain long-term,” says Samantha Lynch, a registered dietitian nutritionist who specializes in integrative and functional nutrition.

Despite these controversies — and his lack of formal medical training — Asprey is still invited to lecture to thousands of doctors at medical conferences. There, he’s not one to tone it down. “I’ve got to get real with people when the doctors won’t,” Asprey says. “You can’t take away my medical license because I don’t have one,” he says.

Today, at 51, the four-time New York Times bestselling author of The Bulletproof Diet and Smarter Not Harder is 200 pounds with 4.8% body fat and an epigenetic age of 31.5 years old, according to a TruDiagnostic test (an at-home blood test that analyzes DNA to determine one’s true biological age). And with his popular podcast, The Human Upgrade, he is determined to share his hard-earned wisdom about health and longevity with the world. “We normalize obesity, metabolic dysfunction, hypertension, diabetes and early aging,” he says. “But we can do better. There are lots of ways to take control of your biology.”

His newest venture, Danger Coffee, is free of neurotoxic mold (a common coffee contaminant, he says) and packed with minerals that our bodies need. Though he stepped down as the CEO of Bulletproof Coffee in 2019, he has founded eight other companies, including Upgrade Labs, a longevity clinic where would-be “super agers” can test-drive many of Asprey’s favorite biohacks. At 40 Years of Zen, a five-day, $16,000 personal development retreat he hosts outside of Seattle, Hollywood celebrities, C-suite execs and professional athletes can sample cutting-edge treatments like neurofeedback, brain mapping and low-dose cyclic ketamine treatments. “Combining ketamine with neurofeedback creates a synergistic effect where the neuroplasticity induced by each method is amplified,” Asprey says.

If the thought of spending five days with electrodes stuck to your head makes you want to swan dive into a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, fear not. Asprey’s biohacking blueprint has some core principles that even the most hardcore skeptics can get behind.

Dave Asprey’s Longevity Blueprint

Optimize Sleep

In addition to tracking your sleep and avoiding food within three hours of sleep, he recommends sleeping in total darkness. Cover all blue lights with tape and use blackout curtains with Velcro at the edges. He suggests using dimmers to keep lights at candlelight level. “LEDs take two seconds to scramble the timing system of your brain.”

Balance your Hormones

Asprey is a big believer in bioidentical hormones (Editor’s note: although such plant-based versions are often viewed as safer than traditional synthetic HRT, there is no credible evidence to prove this.) Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can prevent symptoms of hormonal imbalances that kickstart the aging process in men and women and is proven to protect bone and cardiovascular health. “If you supplement with hormones at the right age — and the age varies based on people — there is now so much evidence it reduces all-cause mortality risk,” says Asprey.

Eat with Intention

In general, Asprey advocates eating an organic, whole-foods diet rich in healthy fats (omega-3s) and antioxidant-rich vegetables and fruits. Asprey avoids artificial ingredients and seed oils like canola, soybean and corn (high in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids). While he doesn’t eschew red meat, he only eats grass-fed steak and favors white rice over brown (brown rice can contain 80% more arsenic than white, according to The National Celiac Organization). Bottom line: “You want to eat foods that nourish you without a lot of toxins,” he says.

Exercise Smarter, not Harder 

Asprey doesn’t push sustained, hardcore workouts as aggressively as one might imagine. Although regular exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of mortality by strengthening vascular health and lowering systemic inflammation, overexercising can hurt your joints and increase cortisol levels, he says. In his book, Smarter Not Harder, Asprey advises readers to “tap the power of laziness” to exercise in the most mindful, efficient way possible. “You want to have the biomarkers of working out without over-exercising,” he says. He exercises for 20 minutes a week; he claims his two, precisely targeted, 10-minute workouts allow him to build adequate muscle mass and strength while maintaining a solid “VO2 Max” (a cardiovascular biomarker that measures how efficiently your body consumes oxygen during exercise). Supporting his less-is-more approach: Recent research out of the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that walking just 7,000 steps per day can reduce the risk of premature death by 50-70% in people ages 38 to 50. Interestingly, walking more than 10,000 steps a day did not further reduce the risk.

De-stress and Connect 

“It’s important to learn the skill of chill,” says Asprey. In addition to meditation, breath work and other forms of stress reduction, he also recommends prioritizing relationships. Studies show that social connection improves cardiovascular functioning, reduces susceptibility to inflammation and viral disease, sharpens cognition, reduces depression, lowers stress, and yes, it can even slow biological aging.

“I schedule social time on my calendar just like I schedule work — it’s that important,” Asprey says. He recalls a conversation with Eric Kandel, a neuroscientist and Nobel Prize winner. When asked about the secret to living a long happy life, Kandel said emphatically, “Have a really good [partner].”

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“Street food is an integral part of Mexican culture, prevalent in every corner, from metro stations to busy streets,” says chef Roberto Alcocer of Valle in Oceanside, California. “It’s a reflection of our daily life — a livelihood for many and a way to connect with our heritage.” Leche quemada burnt milk candy and tascalate hot chocolate with roasted corn are just a couple of cherished taste memories from Alcocer’s childhood that you’ll find on his menu today.

In recent years, Latin American street food has inspired fine dining chefs across the United States who are paying homage to these humble culinary traditions with a refined contemporary perspective, often garnering Michelin stars and international accolades along the way. Here are five favorites from Chicago to Oceanside worth their weight in epazote powder.

Photography by Grupo Xcaret

Ha’ Restaurant

Quintana Roo, Mexico

Chef Carlos Gaytan shot to fame as the first Mexican-born chef to earn a Michelin star in 2013 for his Mexican-French fusion restaurant Mexique in Chicago. More than a decade later, he oversees a mini-empire with restaurants in Chicago, Downtown Disney and Riviera Maya.

“For me, it’s so important to open a restaurant in Mexico and go back to my country,” Gaytan says. “It’s a dream come true.” His soigné tasting menu at Hotel Xcaret México earned a Michelin star in Mexico’s inaugural guide last year. The first course playfully nods to street food, with a meticulous quenelle of wagyu beef tartare served alongside a crunchy savory buñuelo dusted with epazote powder, proffered by a wooden mannequin hand. “Buñuelo is a traditional Mexican dessert normally coated with sugar and cinnamon,” he says. “It reminds me of when I was a kid.”

Photography provided by Valle

Valle

Oceanside, California

From birria and barbacoa to ceviche and aguachile, many dishes on Valle’s Michelin-starred tasting menu have street food roots. “Our ceviche is inspired by the seafood carts of Ensenada, where I grew up,” Alcocer says. “Street food was crucial to my childhood and culinary development. Near my parents’ auto parts shop, a seafood cart run by chef Simon introduced me to ceviche and seafood preparation. He taught me how to shuck oysters and clams, which fueled my love for food.”

Alcocer tops local rock cod aguachile with an elegant chayote rose and he uses two different types of masa to make a bi-color tetela, stuffed with chicharrón prensado (pressed pork cracklings) and garnished with edible flowers. Tetela is Oaxacan street food akin to a triangular quesadilla, traditionally stuffed with cheese and refried beans. Try the Mexican wine pairing featuring pours from Alcocer’s own winery across the border in Valle de Guadalupe.

Photography by Kelly Sandos

Cariño

Chicago, Illinois

A nine-month road trip winding through Mexico City, Oaxaca, Michoacan and Monterrey, followed by a stint cooking in Tulum inspired chef Norman Fenton’s playful modern Mexican tasting menu in Chicago. The classic hangover cure michelada is deconstructed with tomato dashi mignonette and beer foam garnishing a raw oyster, rimmed with hot sauce and tajin. Precisely plated empanadas, tostadas and quesadillas all make appearances, and a dainty riff on chamoyada serves as a palate cleanser before dessert. “I’m trying to replicate the emotions from my journey through Mexico,” Fenton says.

There’s even a late-night taco omakase at the seven-seat chef’s counter that highlights Cariño’s on-premise masa program, featuring varieties of corn from the Midwest and Mexico, with tacos, tetelas, tostadas and more. More experimental than the traditional dinner menu, the late-night menu helps curb food waste associated with fine dining by repurposing food-prep scraps into salsas, toppings and tortilla flavorings.

Photography by Rey Lopez

Causa

Washington, D.C.

Chef Carlos Delgado considers himself an ambassador of Peruvian cuisine and culture and has fond memories of street food as a kid in Callao on the northern side of Lima. “As soon as the sun goes down, the charcoal grills come out and the smell of anticuchos cooking always brings me back to childhood,” he says. “Getting a late-night plate of this with friends while enjoying an overly sweet chicha and some choclo — while fighting over which vendor has the best sauces — is one of my fondest memories from growing up.” Anticuchos are Peru’s most famous street food, consisting of various skewers basted in ají, a pepper-based sauce.

At Causa, Delgado takes this street food inspiration to a more complex level with salmon belly and wagyu beef anticuchos, ceviche made with liquid nitrogen–frozen leche de tigre and seafood choripan on housemade squash milk bread bun with ají amarillo seafood sausage.

Photography provided by Casa Vigil

Casa Vigil Miami

Miami, Florida

“Argentinean food is all about sharing and spending time with family and friends,” says Executive Chef Mikel Goikolea, who combines Argentine and Basque influences at this Miami hotspot. Meat is an integral part of every Argentine meal, often cooked over fire. “There are more than 20 types of Argentinean empanadas, but every region has their own recipe for the classic beef empanada,” he says. At Casa Vigil, Goikolea uses ossubuco or skirt steak to pay homage to Argentina’s Italian heritage, first grilling and smoking the meat in the Josper oven, then slowly cooking it with a malbec reduction for a rich, juicy twist on an everyday staple.

The restaurant’s Josper charcoal grill emulates the primitive but powerful grilling of outdoor street food, lending a smoky char to dry-aged steaks, whole branzino, octopus and vegetables. Dine on the outdoor terrace or rooftop overlooking Upper Buena Vista’s cheerful open air market.

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San Diego‘s sun-kissed brand of carefree fun has always appealed to families and friends seeking a laidback adventure. The sunny Southern California weather lends itself to outdoor activities like golfing, surfing, paragliding and kayaking among leopard sharks and sea lions at La Jolla Cove, but the city’s culinary and cultural cachet is growing, too. San Diego has the most small, family-owned farms in the United States, and independent restaurants and chefs relish the cornucopia of organic produce and sustainably caught seafood available locally all year round. Visit vibrant weekly farmers markets in Little Italy, Hillcrest and North Park to see for yourself.

Photography provided by Hotel del Coronado

Stay

Hotel del Coronado

San Diego’s beachfront grand dame resort wraps up a multiyear $550 million renovation this spring with a complete restoration of the iconic Victorian building. The hotel’s fascinating history began in 1888 when it opened with its own power plant, ice house, theater and — at the time, unheard of — manual elevators. Guests were entertained with various novel activities such as archery, glass bottom boats and even a menagerie of animals including parrots, monkeys and sea lions. Marilyn Monroe filmed Some Like It Hot here, and The Del has been a favorite vacation destination for presidents and movie stars for over a century.

Today, the sundeck is the heart of the resort, surrounded by dining, entertainment and a retail arcade. Beachfront rooms in The Cabanas neighborhood include spacious terraces and private fire pits, ideal for sunset drinks. Instead of a club lounge, book access to the Ocean Club for a complimentary breakfast buffet and exclusive beach cabanas.

Photography by Jim Sullivan

Dine

Marisi

This modern Italian restaurant in downtown La Jolla gives Amalfi Coast vibes with a rare combination of excellent people-watching and exquisite food. Purple and white bougainvillea dangles overhead on the spacious heated tile terrace, which is always buzzing for weekend aperitivo hour with bellinis, spritzes, stuffed zucchini blossoms and airy focaccia on every table.

Chef Cameron Ingle deftly uses the Italian hearth to cook whole branzino, Tuscan-style bistecca alla fiorentina and focaccia. A selection of fresh handmade pasta includes plump potato gnocchi swimming in verdant basil pesto. Vegetables here are outstanding too, mostly sourced from nearby Chino Farm. Ingle lets the flavorful produce shine, pairing earthy roasted carrots with pickled green tomatoes and the sweetest mara be bois strawberries with velvety burrata. Cocktails are fun and wine service is excellent, with elegant stemware and knowledgeable servers. A new soft serve machine whips up pine nut–studded swirls to conclude.

Photography provided by Shop Good

Shop

Shop Good

After an arduous personal wellness journey, Shop Good founder Leah Kirpalani understands that health and skincare are intricately intertwined. Skin is the body’s largest organ, after all. She created a clean beauty and healthy lifestyle boutique to help decode and demystify complicated ingredient labels and marketing claims. Every product sold here has been personally tested and vetted, with brands like Agent Nateur, Botnia and Ilia among her bestsellers. Kirpalani’s friendly team at both the North Park and Del Mar locations readily share their encyclopedic skincare knowledge, passionately helping guests find the perfect product or personalize a new skincare routine.

Holistic aestheticians with a compassionate and inclusive approach to beauty offer apothecary-inspired, results-oriented facials in two treatment rooms behind the retail shop. From back facials and scalp treatments to gua sha and high frequency, Shop Good facials are more effective and a better value than most floofy hotel spa treatments. You’re guaranteed to walk out feeling more beautiful.

Photography provided by San Diego Tourism Authority

Do

Balboa Park

Home to 18 museums and the world-class San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park is larger than New York City‘s Central Park, with a range of attractions for every interest. Comic-Con Museum is the newest permanent opening for a dose of pop culture superhero fun inspired by the annual entertainment convention, while the recently reopened Timken Museum of Art showcases work from European old masters, including Rembrandt and Rubens.

The Japanese Friendship Garden is a popular location for weddings and engagements, bursting to life each spring with an annual cherry blossom festival in March and hosting cultural workshops in black pine pruning, bamboo making and tea whisking throughout the year. Mingei International Museum is another thought-provoking stop, with 30,000 objects used in daily life from nearly 150 countries on display. Collections of textiles, jewelry, folk toys and delicately preserved ceramics range from ancient relics to contemporary designs.

Photography provided by La Jolla Ecological

Do

La Jolla Sea Cave Kayak

The La Jolla Ecological Reserve is a protected marine area with one of the highest concentrations of sea life in California. Everyday California’s eco-friendly guided kayak tours are fun and educational ocean adventures accessible even for beginners, and you never quite know what you’ll encounter. Wipeouts do happen on occasion, but everyone is outfitted with life jackets and athletic young guides help push your kayak from the shallows past the swells into calmer deep waters.

Enthusiastic guides share personal stories and fun maritime factoids, and you might even spot baby bat rays or baby whales if you’re lucky. With a fleet of 75 single and double kayaks, these tours are available year-round along with wetsuits for colder weather. While kayak tours are most popular, surf, snorkel and paddleboard lessons and rentals are also available. Shop the brand’s fun athleisure line at the retail flagship once you’re safely back ashore.

Photography by Kimberly Motos

Dine

Cellar Hand

This beguiling restaurant located in an unassuming strip mall is a collaboration between Santa Barbara’s Pali Wine Co. and Chef Ashley McBrady, a woman whose fanatical pursuit of the best ingredients has earned the respect of farmers, fishmongers and diners alike. The sprawling patio offers a casual indoor-outdoor ambiance and a well-priced wine list of easy-drinking and eclectic California bottles.

Begin with house-fermented wood-fired pita and colorful dips. Everything from pomegranate molasses drizzled over whipped tahina to pinipig dukkah sprinkled on tomato and fennel matbucha is made from scratch, and there’s even a dedicated fermentation chef.

Bluefin ‘nduja toast with thick cubes of tuna marinated in sweet smoky paprika and Calabrian chiles is a must, followed by brown butter pork chop generously dressed with cherries and smoked almonds to share. Sunday brunch takes breakfast classics to new heights, with ice cream–topped brûlée French toast and cheesy, pork belly breakfast sandwiches.

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