In our annual Dream Trip Contest, you can upload a photo you took on your travels and explain what made it unforgettable. Wow the editors and win a $25,000 dream vacation to anywhere you wish. But that's not all. Condé Nast Traveler staff, including consumer news editor Wendy Perrin, will work with the winner to craft a truly flawless journey. Last year's winner traveled down the east coast of South America and on to Antarctica.

Every month, our editors pick five winners to be added to the final pool at the end of the year. Here is the best of June:

* Arch of Gold, by starboard7
"The beauty of the words I could not understand and simplicity of the sound of her broom against the floor reminded me that the greatest of arches is but a sculpture of the human soul"...read the full entry here

* The Closest Spot to Heaven, by angelsambrook
Our guide "took us to Ravello, because he wanted us to see what he and his fellow Italians called the closest spot to Heaven"...read the full entry here

* Amazon River Babies, by sarahkolt
"He was working to catch piranha to take home for a family meal"...read the full entry here

* Ramen Experience, Tokyo, by bries
"We each had a small cubicle and you never see the chef, or the faces of the people around you"...read the full entry here

* Happy Cheetah, by Lauricap
"This moment during the trip to Kenya was special because our group had just witnessed a mother teaching her children to hunt"...read the full entry here

The new Aston Martin V8 Vantage
hugs the curves of Highway 1.
Photo: Craig Pusey

by Brook Wilkinson

I've always loved a good road trip, and one major reason I moved to San Francisco was the ease with which I could flee the city. I did just that a few days ago, in a brand-new Aston Martin V8 Vantage. The folks from Aston Martin set up a drive through Marin and Sonoma counties so that we journos could test out the updated 2009 Vantage. But you don't need a $120,000 supercar to enjoy the winding roads of northern California. This route takes in redwoods, ocean vistas, quaint towns, fabulous food, and city views. If you want to retrace my steps, here's how:

* Head over the Golden Gate Bridge and go north on Highway 101.
* Take the Lucas Valley Road exit and make a left at the light.
* Drive 10 miles on Lucas Valley Road, then make a right at the next T onto Nicasio Valley Road.
* About 4 miles later, make a right at the next T onto Point Reyes-Petaluma Road.
* In another 4 miles, make a left onto Hicks Valley Road.
* At your next T, turn right onto Wilson Hill Road.
* After 2.5 miles, turn left onto Chileno Valley Road.
* Go left at the next T, toward Tomales, then right at the following T, onto the Shoreline Highway.
* Make a quick left onto Dillon Beach Road, then in 2.5 miles, continue straight where the main road curves to the left.
* Turn left at the next T onto Highway 1, and follow this through Jenner and into Bodega Bay.
* In Bodega, turn left onto Eastshore Road and stop in for a bite at the just-opened Terrapin Creek Cafe, which makes the most of the region's agricultural bounty. If you're into oysters, though, hold out for a few more miles.

Read on for driving directions back to San Francisco, and a review of the Aston Martin.

Homey dishes lie behind
Angel's doors.

Every May, Conde Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

For years, Prague gourmets have enjoyed the special events of chef Sofia Smith, whose pan-Asian dinners at various city venues were partially inspired by her childhood in Malaysia. At Angel, an Old Town restaurant decorated in soothing earth tones, these sporadic happenings have become an everyday treat. Smith's fare is both homey and refined: coconut-laksa scallops with pineapple sambal, lacquered duck breast with honey and ginger, and Javanese lamb shank with black rice and curried jackfruit. The service is attentive but unstuffy, echoing the spot's cozy feel (entrées, $20-$30).

Address: 7 V Kolkovne
Tel: 420-773-222-422

Further reading:
* Hot List 2008
* Angel's Web site
* The Prague guide

Missoni's runway looks:
Future hotel staff uniforms?
AP Photo

by Ondine Cohane

I am always interested to hear about luxury brands that have made big names for themselves in a particular market making the jump to hotels--think Bulgari and Ferragamo. Now two more are taking the leap.

The Nobu group, whose sushi restaurants are considered some of the world's best--with outposts in London, New York, and Milan--just announced that it is opening a hospitality division, with two properties being designed by David Rockwell already in the pipeline. The first will be unveiled in Herzliya Marina, billed as the Riviera of Israel's Mediterranean coastline and just minutes from Tel Aviv, with 225 rooms and residences with sea views, private cabanas, and a members club (as well as a Nobu restaurant, of course). The second is planned for Lower Manhattan. Nobu Matsuhisa says that he was inspired by, "the traditional Japanese inn, or ryokan, which combines the impeccable attention to detail characteristic of Japanese hospitality with modern amenities and sophisticated luxuries." With partners like Robert de Niro, the group isn't aiming small: It is developing properties throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, North America, and South America.

I have also heard that Missoni (in conjunction with the Rezidor hotel group) is opening its first hotel in Edinburgh next year on the city's famous Royal Mile. The property will have 136 bedrooms and a signature bar and restaurant, but what I really want to know is if the women on staff will get to wear the clingy vintage Missoni dresses I covet. The second property (with 200 bedrooms) is in the works for Kuwait City on the waterfront of the Symphony Complex with views of the Arabian Gulf. Like Nobu, the group is thinking large scale; it says its future expansion will encompass 30 hotels opening or being developed in the next ten years throughout Europe, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East.

AP Photo

by Mollie Chen

Condé Nast Traveler contributing editor Susan Hack is our expert on all things Middle East, from Dubai's booming art scene to Egypt's most famed antiquities guru. She has a must-read piece on the changing Arab world in this September's Power Issue--but for now, Susan has a lead on the world's best burger. 

Every summer, she and her family decamp from their Cairo home to New York. This year she has a very important mission: to determine whether New York has a burger that can rival the one served at her favorite Cairo diner. Lucille's Mermaid Columbus, an American-owned restaurant in the city's Maadi neighborhood, has maintained a loyal following of both homesick expats and locals, even through the unstable post-9/11 years. Susan says, "It was and is the place that unites people, however they regard the U.S. government and its disastrous Mideast policies; you see veiled women as well as Texan oil workers." Everyone comes to Lucille's for its burger, which Susan claims is the best she's ever tasted (Time agrees). What sets this restaurant apart is the perfect ratio of lean, responsibly sourced beef to belly fat and the homemade toasted bun.

by Julia Bainbridge

For day two of our cachaça tutorial, I traveled to the Ribeirão Preto region of São Paulo--well, vicariously so, through Sagatiba.

If Mãe de Ouro is the Alexander Wang (young, edgy, with indie cred) of the cachaça world, then Sagatiba is Valentino. (The jet-setting fashion designer celebrated the Gramercy Park Hotel Private Roof Club's unveiling with Sagatiba cocktails, by the way.) The company's got both a ready-to-wear line and a couture collection in the brand's Pura and Preciosa, respectively.

I recently tasted the 23-year-old Sagatiba Preciosa with master distiller Nahor Gustavo Lanza Luz de Faria. Yes, his name is a mouthful, and so was his cachaça: It tasted round and woodsy, with that sweet/bitter thing that caramel does to the tongue. I never knew cachaça could be drunk by itself--like a fine bourbon--but this one might have to take Pappy Van Winkle's spot in my liquor cabinet.

* San Francisco may boast two new landmarks soon. This is definite. This depends on voters.
* This week's travel meme: Dubai + Beaches + Nudity. 
* Pilot sounds off on Gadling.com about in-flight cell phone use.
* I would totally eat here.
* In London, dead men (and women) do indeed tell tales.

Tcheka in "island country" mode.
Photo: chazz.eu

by John Oseid

In this corner, Cape Verde. In that corner, Cuba.

Cuba has 30 times the population of Cape Verde, but in a musical matchup, the tiny Atlantic archipelago nation packs a punch as hard as the Caribbean island powerhouse. Even the most casual of music fans has heard of the superstar singer Cesaria Evora. Of late, though, a new generation of CVs are touring the world, eclipsing Cubans as the darlings of the worldwide music scene. (I'll share a few of the hottest ones with you over time.)

Last weekend, the up-and-coming artist Tcheka performed for the first time at the intimate Joe's Pub, which just celebrated its tenth year as the New York City venue for international stars. In a soft voice, he sang his own Portuguese Kriolu ballads, which reflect the rural roots of his homeland--call it island country. The handsome performer also invents rhythms that depart from the melancholic morna style of music that made the Cape Verde sound famous. His mean acoustic guitar work gives some tunes a folk rock attitude.

On his new album Lonji, Tcheka adds jazzy brass elements that lift up the gorgeous song "Sabu," and the accordion on "Tuti Santiagu" lends a cabaret touch. His 2006 album Nu Monda comes with a concert DVD filmed in Lisbon. Tcheka has some lovely videos uploaded on his MySpace page, and a brief text explains the African percussive influences in his music.

Lastly, a quick shout out to Tcheka's label Times Square Records, which has impressed me for years. Each of the dozen or so international performers on its roster is a major artist in his/her respective genre.

Not coming to a Dubai boardwalk anytime soon.
AP Photo

by Beata Loyfman

A few weeks ago, we did round-ups of our picks for clothing-optional hotel zones in the U.S. Check them out here and here. This week we delve into the Middle East, where wandering around in a bikini (let alone in the buff) might incur a penalty far worse than unsightly tan lines, as these 79 people can attest.

But since more and more travelers are heading to the Middle East--the region welcomed a record 46 million international visitors in 2007, according to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer--it would help to know where it's safe to disrobe and enjoy that burning sun without worrying about going to prison.

The trick is to show skin only at Western-friendly resorts:

The name of Shangri-La's Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa in Oman doesn't lie. The three-hotel resort on Al Jissah Bay is truly heavenly. Private beaches and a sprawling infinity pool shelter guests from the eyes of the law (and propriety), so you can wear your skimpiest without being arrested. In addition, the Chi spa has single-sex rhassuls and hammams for optimal (i.e. naked) pore expansion.

Similarly, Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, that mecca of self-aggrandizing opulence, has several hotels and even a faux Arabian souk in one monster resort. A private beach connects it to the neighboring Burj Al Arab (the one that looks like a sail). Because of their popularity among bling-enamored Russian millionaires, Dubai's resorts are desensitized to displays of skin (unless you strip completely, which is not advised). By the way, if you see a pasty middle-aged British couple, it's probably Mr. and Mrs. Adams, David Beckham's in-laws, who now reside in his Dubai mansion.

Perhaps the most clothing-relaxed place in the Middle East is Israel, where it's not necessary to confine your semi-nakedness to a private beach. Here, you have the option of strutting your stuff on two seas, Red and Dead. Just watch that you don't have any cuts--that sea salt burns!

Every May, Conde Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

The Cliff at Cupecoy Beach, a luxe condo-hotel tower, is home to the Caribbean's first Dior Spa, a gleaming white and mirrored salon that attracts a who's who crowd for body-contouring treatments. Padded lavender rooms are a clinical but calming setting for marine bath treatments involving some 220 jets that aid in lymphatic drainage (from $65) and thermal body masks during which you lay in a podlike vessel while your therapist massages your scalp ($95). If the beauty jargon is a bit overwhelming, well-trained therapists will explain it all. Plan ahead and ask to have a meal afterward on the ocean-view terrace (massages, $135).

Tel: 599-546-6620

Further reading:
* Dior Spa Web site
* Hot List 2008

A Massachusetts boutique
with European flair.

by Anna Martinez

A plane ticket to Europe is a lofty price to pay for even the most lust-worthy Italian designs and French fragrances. But for anyone who has felt her most luxurious shopping was done along the banks of the Seine, the new Marblehead, Massachusetts, boutique French+Italian provides a fix--no boarding pass necessary. Inspired by her own love of everything French and Italian, owner Aimee Lombardi sought to surround herself with favorites from across the pond (and to make them available for other foreign style enthusiasts). Lombardi hand selects pieces that capture the essence of the European lifestyle, such as Parisian designer Anne Willi's effortless frocks. (Her collection can otherwise only be found in the 11th arrondissement). French+Italian features a natural and eco-friendly line as well, with organic fabrics and delicious Italian bath products by Santa Maria Novella. Other coveted items include delicate French Paper journals and Roberto Collina Knitwear. Now you can enjoy a piece of Europe close to home--even when the last bottle of duty-free Chianti is gone.

by Julia Bainbridge

A few weeks ago, Mãe De Ouro U.S. brand manager Dave Catania came by the DT office to talk cachaça. I was familiar with the spirit from the selfless tasting I did for Food & Wine magazine's cocktail guide, but my colleagues (who I promptly bored with talk of stills) were befuddled. At their request, a quick and dirty guide to the most unpronounceable spirit (for the record, it's ka-CHA-sa):

Basically, cachaça is a rum-like spirit made largely in Brazil. Unlike rum, though, most cachaça is made from sugarcane juice--not molasses.

As for Mãe De Ouro, Catania (a.k.a. Cachaça Dave) said, "As far as I am aware, we are the only brand in the U.S. that is 100 percent made on one estate, without any raw materials coming from outside sources." Made from unburnt sugarcane, which producers hand cut and crush immediately to preserve freshness, the liquid goes through a fermentation process using natural yeast and is then transferred to traditional Alambic stills. After distillation, it ages for one year in oak barrels before being bottled--with no added water. In other words, this stuff is pure. (In other words, no hangovers.)

For Catania (who is currently in New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail . . . sigh), it all started with a Brazilian girlfriend. That relationship led to trips all over Minas Gerais, THE cachaça-producing state in southeast Brazil, which in turn led to Catania becoming the U.S. brand manager for Mãe De Ouro. I guess you could call his work a true labor of love. (He and said bonita are no longer together, but they remain good Caipirinha-drinking buddies.)

Cliffside golf course at Hawke's Bay.

Every May, Conde Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

This golfers' magnet provides plenty for those who think golf a good walk spoiled. A five-mile road winds through farmland and bush to the property, on a 6,000-acre peninsula abutting the Pacific, and from the moment of arrival every whim is catered to. The main lodge features soaring ceilings and rustic artifacts such as old farm tools, and while the 22 suites and a cottage are broadly based on farm dwellings, bathrooms have underfloor heating; the gym, a personal trainer; and the wine cellar, master tastings. Diversions beyond golf include ATVs and guided nature tours. The verdict? Well above par.

When to go: December through February, the warmer summer months.
Which room to book: Ridge Suite 20 for its privacy and views.

Address: 448 Clifton Road, Te Awanga, Hawke's Bay, North Island, New Zealand
Tel: 64-6-875-1900

Further reading:
* Farm at Cape Kidnappers' Web site
* Hot List 2008
* Check out this year's top 100 golf resorts from our 2008 Golf Poll

We don't want this on the runway.
AP Photo

by Barbara S. Peterson

Perhaps it is just a coincidence that after another close call at Kennedy International Airport--the second in less than a week--the Federal Aviation Administration has rolled out one of the most ambitious airline safety projects in recent memory. Four hundred million dollars have been committed to upgrade runway safety lighting at 20 major airports around the country, including, naturally, JFK.

In the most recent incident at the New York airfield, which occurred last Friday, a Delta 767 and a Comair regional jet came within a half mile of each other horizontally, and 600 feet vertically (far closer than is allowed by FAA rules, which mandate gaps of three to five miles horizontally and 1,000 feet vertically). As the two events were very similar--they took place on the same runway, with one plane taking off and the other executing a "go around"--the FAA said it would change the way planes take off and land on those particular airstrips.

With runway safety on the front burner, the FAA is accelerating its plans to expand the safety lighting system, which we wrote about in our June issue. While it costs $20 million per airport to install, it is a fairly low-tech approach, using a series of ground lights (much like traffic lights) to signal to pilots whether or not it is safe to enter a runway. In fact, the system has already been in use at Dallas Fort Worth, where it has reportedly prevented dozens of airport fender-benders. San Diego's airport has a similar system, but it doesn't cover all situations--and it didn't activate in the case of a near-collision between a Southwest plane and a private jet during an incident last January. But as safety experts continue to warn of the potential for runway disasters, the nation's busiest airfields have been demanding they get the new system ahead of schedule. Other airports in line to get the new lights over the next three years include Chicago O'Hare, Atlanta Hartsfield, Boston Logan, Los Angeles International, Newark, LaGuardia, Washington Dulles, and airports in Charlotte, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, and Minneapolis.

by Mollie Chen

When it comes to technology, I operate at a grade school level. Email I can handle, but once you get into the realm of RSS feeds, twittering, and network clouds, you've lost me. I am, however, a prolific picture taker. Until now, I've been painstakingly uploading my pictures to sites like Kodak Gallery and then forwarding them to all my friends. (And I'm guilty of creating the occasional Facebook album.) But I'd love a more streamlined way to share photos and files with coworkers, family, and friends.

My good friend Sam Lessin has come up with a perfect solution. His site, Drop.io, is basically a drop box for whatever you might want to save or share from movies to PowerPoint presentations (that's for all you consultants out there) to photos. It's so easy that I think even my staunchly anti-Internet editor (she only semi-jokingly asks me to look things up on "the Google" for her) could figure it out. I love that you don't have to create an account in order to use it: All you do is pick a name for your "drop" and as long as it isn't taken, it's yours. From there you can customize your drop--add a password if you like, set up administration controls--and then e-mail the link to anyone you want. A recent Ars Technica article explains it better than I can. All I know is that this past Sunday I had Saturday's birthday party pics up and distributed faster than you can say Snoop Dogg.

Travel to Myanmar to see this gorgeous sunrise over Bagan, and to help victims of the recent cyclone.
Photo: fdwalton, as an entry in Conde Nast Traveler's $25,000 Dream Trip Contest.

by Brook Wilkinson

Remember the devastating cyclone that hit Myanmar (also known as Burma) back in May? Just vaguely, right? While the news media quickly moved on to cover the riots in Tibet and the Democratic primaries, those in Myanmar are still trying to pick up the pieces, with little help from their ruling junta. More than 138,000 people are listed as dead or missing. The tourist season is approaching, and a drop in visitors could devastate the country's already battered economy.

That's where you can help: Consider planning a trip to Myanmar through Journeys Within. This tour operator has just announced that, from December 2008 to December 2009, it will funnel much of its profits from Myanmar itineraries to that country's relief efforts. Specifically, Journeys Within will donate ALL of the profits from the first ten trips that it plans to Myanmar, and half of the profits from the rest of the trips during the year. Journeys Within owner Andrea Ross told me, "Most of the country has not suffered any damage but is now struggling because the tourism industry has essentially collapsed. Guides, drivers, and hotel staff are all facing uncertain futures." I can personally vouch for the high quality of Journeys Within's tours: I traveled to Cambodia with them last December, and wrote an article about my voluntourism experience that appeared in Conde Nast Traveler's May issue.

The company's nonprofit arm, Journeys Within Our Community, has already been instrumental in Cyclone Nargis relief efforts. Director Jesse Wolfe was among the first aid workers let into Myanmar after the disaster, and you can read his assessment of the situation on JWOC's Web page.

You can also read a paean to Myanmar that was published in Conde Nast Traveler before the cyclone hit, and check out the suggested itineraries from Journeys Within.

The restaurant looks out onto
one of Israel's many beaches.
Photo: concierge.com

Every May, Conde Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

With a prime beachfront location, modern interiors, and a celeb chef, Herbert Samuel is Israel's most successfully realized restaurant in decades. It marks the return of Yonatan Roshfeld, who almost single-handedly launched the country's haute cuisine movement nearly 20 years ago. The main room of the split-level space is anchored by an angular bar, and there are slim wooden shutters dividing the various dining nooks. Italian meats--from prosciutto aged for 24 months to garlicky lunga spessa sausage--warrant their own category on the menu, followed by hearty dishes like slow-braised lamb served in a hollowed onion or thinly sliced pork loin in a smoky bacon and lentil stew. Poppy seed ice cream is layered with pastry cream and almond crunch for a fun take on mille-feuille (entrées, $5-$22).

Address: Beit Gibor, 6 Koifman Street
Tel: 972-3-516-6516

Further reading:
* Hot List 2008
* The Israel guide
* The Middle East: Traveling Outside the Comfort Zone

by Anna Martinez

The design team at Rand McNally--hearing our desperate road trip woes--have created a collection of durable cloth city plans called fabMaps. Covering most major U.S. cities, these tear-proof, waterproof maps are car- and beach-friendly (the microfiber material can even be used to clean your sunglasses). Featuring some fun, specialized versions such as the Midtown Manhattan Theater District and the San Antonio River Walk, fabMaps provide a pocket-sized guide with no folding necessary: Thank you!

by Mollie Chen

Ever since he selflessly traveled to California, Tennessee, and Maine to partake in sumptuous farm feasts for a feature on farm dinners, Tim Stark has been Traveler's favorite farmer. Now the man behind those famous Eckerton Hill tomatoes is about to become a star outside of the greenmarket: His first book, Heirloom: Notes from an Accidental Tomato Farmer, is out now. The memoir is both funny and engrossing, the winding tale of how a bookish consultant stumbled into the illicit world of rooftop agriculture and, years later, became Manhattan's most celebrated tomato farmer.

Rabid foodies will love the voyeuristic peeks into some of the city's best kitchens--Dave Pasternack and Daniel Boulud love Tim almost as much as we do--but I love the quirky accounts of everyday farm life. Even with his book hitting stores, Tim is still consumed by his crops; he is arranging a schedule of tomato dinner/readings that coincide with the Greenmarket schedule so he can sprint over to the restaurant as soon as his last pallets are empty. Tomorrow night, Jarnac kicks things off with a special dinner highlighting the first of the Eckerton Hill tomato crop; look for events at Telepan and Craft later this summer. Or you can do what I do and visit Tim at his Union Square stand, where it's always fun to watch him field questions with picky produce lovers and talk shop with local chefs. Either way, make sure to pick up a copy of Heirloom--it's the perfect thing to tuck into your eco-friendly tote on the way to the beach.

One of Gordon's many
cozy rooms at Hotel Claude.

Every May, Conde Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

With only seven rooms in a handsome seventeenth-century house in the heart of the Casco Antiguo (Old Town), the intimate and friendly Hotel Claude is one of the glitzier resorts on Spain's Costa del Sol. Rooms decorated by Angell Gordon, one of Spain's top interior designers, are cozy and comfortable, with leather headboards, oak parquet floors, iPod docks, and flat-screen TVs. Baths in some guest rooms contain carved round stone sinks, and all are kitted out with Molton Brown toiletries. Public spaces impress with wrought iron railings, stacks of books and magazines in several languages, and plush sofas. Best of all, there's a quiet terrace built into the terracotta tile roof where you can sip an espresso from the complimentary tea and coffee station on the first floor or catch some rays while reading. The hotel's small restaurant has a contemporary Mediterranean menu, and weather permitting, the excellent breakfast is served alfresco.

When to go: February and March are often rainy on the Costa del Sol; the rest of the year, it's a reliably sunny destination.
Which room to book: Splurge on the Suite Francesa, with its small private balcony, or book Savannah or Marroquí, deluxe doubles, each with its own terrific décor.

Address: 5 San Francisco, Marbella, Spain 29601
Tel: 34 952 900 840

Further reading:
* Hot List 2008
* Hote Claude's Web site
* Ondine Cohane's eating tour of Spain, parts one and two

Ferran Adria in lab phase.
AP Photo

by Ondine Cohane

Day two of my gastronomic tour began with a side trip to Cadaqués, a gorgeous fishing village that's been a chic getaway for the well-heeled Spanish and French ever since Salvador Dali put it on the map (it's close to the French border). I had heard a lot about it from friends and loved its maze of whitewashed buildings and restaurants along the harbor, which is touristy during summer but still charming.

We checked in at the Rocamar, just outside of town. The hotel, which seems like a relic from the 1960s, has incredible views and both a little beach and a pool on the promontory. After a nice swim in the sea to work up an appetite, it was time for the meal for which we'd made the pilgrimage: dinner at the three-Michelin-starred El Bulli, Ferran Adria's destination restaurant (about half an hour from Cadaqués, outside the town of Roses). We'd been told there was a two-year waiting list for a table, but Jamie had managed to secure one in each of the past four years, and we were the lucky friends who received invites this time around. Adria's distinctive approach to food is more like that of a scientist and, in fact, he has a laboratory where he puts together his unusual combinations and liquid nitrogen concoctions. The kitchen is a chef's dream, a state-of-the-art facility that you can gaze into from a window on the steps outside. He has 45 chefs working with him and 23 wait staff, all for about 50 clients a night who feast on a 35-course tasting menu.

Barcelona's Hotel Murmuri, on Rambla de Catalunya: The bar is quite the weekend scene.

by Ondine Cohane

My husband and I are just back from a full-out gastronomical dream in Barcelona with two of our closest friends, Jamie and Elizabeth, who live in London. I say "dream" because I ate so well and so often that when I woke up today it seemed unbelievable to have packed in so much eating in 36 hours.

First stop after landing in the early afternoon Saturday was Cal Pep, which is hands-down my favorite tapas bar in the city. Locals and insiders sit at the long counter drinking rosé and eating course after course of small plates of some of Barcelona's best food. In our sitting we managed to eat about seven courses, including delicate brothy baby clams, an incredible spicy baby squid and chickpea dish, a monkfish so tender it seemed to melt off the bone, and lightly battered fried whitebait with a fried egg on top. All of it was washed down with two bottles of local rosé, Ochoa Rosado de Lágrima from 2007. I can't believe how consistently excellent Cal Pep is. (The first year I went was 1998, and I return often, never to have a meal that isn't up to snuff.)

Then it was back to the Hotel Murmuri for a lengthy nap. The hotel opened a few months ago on Rambla de Catalunya and was designed by Kelly Hoppen, a well-known British interior designer who also happens to be Sienna Miller's stepmother. I particularly liked the bar area where we reconvened around nine--it's quite the scene on the weekends. Then it was off to meet Jamie and Elizabeth's friends at Inopia, a restaurant started a couple of years ago by Ferran Adria's younger brother, Alberto. (Ferran is Spain's most famous chef, but more on him later.)

Anyway, Inopia is currently one of Barcelona's hottest restaurants in the fashionable neighborhood of Sant Antoni; in fact, it is so popular that they have to set up a velvet rope to control the crowd. Ismael, one of Jamie and Elizabeth's friends, happens to be a chef with his own TV show and had snagged us the only table in the joint (otherwise you eat standing up or perched on a stool). I really liked the atmosphere (despite some of the most awful morgue-like lighting I have seen in a restaurant), with its big chalkboard menus and canteen-like kitchen. Even though the anchovies battered in lemon, sliced tuna belly, and lightly fried shrimp were excellent, Cal Pep retains its top spot in my tapas bar list (Jamie and Elizabeth agreed). But Inopia is still well worth checking out on your next trip to Barcelona.

Check the Daily Traveler tomorrow for more from Ondine's Spain trip.

The spirited glory behind
the Violet Hour's gatekeeper.
Photo: chicagomag.com

Every May, Conde Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

At this hushed, stylized speakeasy opened by veteran mixologist Toby Maloney (of Manhattan's Pegu Club and Freeman's), the emphasis is on esoteric liqueurs, homemade bitters, and eight (count 'em) kinds of ice. A signless door guarded by a decorous, costumed gatekeeper opens to reveal three high-ceilinged, crystal-chandeliered ballrooms painted an intoxicating cerulean. The bar stops admitting people once all the high-backed blue leather seats are claimed, so there's breathing room for the patrons savoring re-imagined classics such as the Maloney Negroni, a Herbsaint-anointed Sazerac, and the Iron Cross, a pisco sour with splashes of orange flower water and homemade summer bitters.

Address: 1520 N. Damen Avenue
Tel: 773-252-1500

Further reading:
* Hot List 2008
* The Violet Hour Web site
* Chicago's Hotel Sax

Some of the many ingredients
Christopher Curtin uses at Eclat.

by Julia Bainbridge

This past weekend I found myself along Pennsylvania's Main Line for some relaxation and, of course, dégustation.

First on my list: Éclat for some post-dinner (and lunch, and perhaps breakfast) chocolates. In the midst of his first year of college, Éclat owner Christopher Curtin decided to take off for Europe, where he says he "got stuck for thirteen years." (Mind you, getting stuck for Curtin means working in some of the finest chocolate houses in Belgium, Switzerland, France, Germany, and even Japan.) Now a master chocolatier, Curtin churns out some of the most beautifully sleek confections I've ever seen. (And he does it in the back of the store; the proof is in the brown-smattered chef coat.) He still keeps an apartment in Cologne, Germany, but (thankfully) business is in West Chester, Pennsylvania. I took away some delicate mendiants made with beans from a small estate in the Peruvian Amazon (also try the Aleppo Pink Peppercorn Mendiants; they have an exquisite heat that latches onto your tongue at the finish) and a mix of other chocolates: some with star anise, some with lavender, truffles, salted caramels . . . Cataloguing the treats, my mind wanders off to a much chicer kind of Willy Wonka Factory where customers trail their minks across a gold-leaf-flecked chocolate floor and Wonka himself is a looking glass-wearing, mustached master chef. This is fine stuff. 

Don't discuss Tibet in Beijing's
historic hutongs.
Photo: Concierge.com.

As the third entry in a multi-part series, Conde Nast Traveler reports on Chinese etiquette in the October 2008 issue--unfortunately too late for those who plan on attending the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing next month. So as a special service to our readers, we're giving you a preview now.

When chatting with locals in the stands (or anywhere), some topics to avoid:
* Sino-Japanese relations (never compare the two)
* Taiwan
* Tibet
* The Falun Gong
* Tiananmen Square
* The one-child policy

What to talk about instead:
* Education: Where people study, what opportunities their children might have to study abroad, etc.
* Ancient history: The more you know about China pre-1850, the better.

Some spas from our 2008 Hot List if you get some down time after all that talking:
* Chi Spa
* Jing-Chen Spa
* Quan Spa
* Serenity Spa

Further reading:
* How not to embarrass yourself in France, Japan, and India
* How not to embarrass yourself in the Mediterranean
* Check out our Hot List Beijing video
* Have only 12 days to spend in China? We have the trip for you