The historic pit stop connecting the new Southwest
For years Route 66 (and later I-40) took travelers through Albuquerque, where they’d pull over to dine on Southwestern specialties like red and green Christmas-style chile enchiladas — and then quickly move on. That roadside culture has faded, but in its place the Duke City now enjoys an allure of its own. Bars and restaurants gaining national recognition now dot a revitalized stretch of old Route 66 in the Nob Hill neighborhood. At the same time, a burgeoning entertainment industry — responsible for TV shows like Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and Stranger Things — has put a spotlight on the city and invited financial investment. The interstate still brings visitors to town, but these days, they stick around. — Justin De La Rosa
Map: The 25 Essential Albuquerque Restaurants
Over the course of a few blocks of Central Avenue, which takes the place of Route 66 within Albuquerque, you can eat your way through some of the city’s most ambitious hot spots.
1. Ihatov
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This crowdsourced bakery is beloved for its buttermilk biscuits and Kenji Miyazawa poems that adorn each cup of coffee.
The award-winning cocktail bar serves Oreo Negronis and other wild cocktails while reducing waste.
2. Happy Accidents
This creative French restaurant weaves together classic steak frites, a formidable burger, and a clever carrot hot dog.
3. Frenchish
The fifth location of an Italian power player restaurant group, Bar Roma serves up house-made pasta and other Roman classics.
4. M’tucci’s Bar Roma
This do-it-all spot pivots easily from daytime sandwiches to date-night seafood.
5. Central Bodega
This new neighborhood hangout attracts locals for cocktails and creative small bites.
6. Gather
This Southwestern heartthrob puts its own spin on classic dishes, like watermelon aguachile and duck leg with pumpkin mole.
7. Mesa Provisions
The arts hub getting a food scene to match
Kolkata, Eastern India’s biggest city, was once the colonial capital of British India, but today it’s more often called India’s forward-looking cultural capital. Yet even as the arts and fashion scene pushes boundaries, conversations about food have long been charged with nostalgia, dominated by eateries that have been around for decades. In the past few years, though, the city’s culinary scene has undergone a transformation, with a slew of openings, more local chefs experimenting with seasonal produce, and posh venues engaging with global flavors and sustainable practices. Even traditional establishments are getting in on the rush, like the city’s age-old pice hotels: Once strictly functional eateries serving economical, homestyle Bengali food, they’re increasingly catering to visitors looking to better understand Kolkata’s cuisine and culture. — Priyadarshini Chatterjee
Any place known as the City of Joy has to include decent sweetshops, and Kolkata more than delivers. Some businesses have been serving up particularly beloved treats for over a century. Among the array of classic desserts, here are a few worth seeking out. — PC
Map: The 31 Essential Kolkata Restaurants
Popular in Kolkata though not exclusive to Bengal, amriti are swirls of fermented black gram batter, deep-fried and soaked in sugar, that look even more intricate than their jalebi cousins.
Amriti
Creamy, dense, and almost custard-like, mishti doi is sweetened yogurt set in clay pots, which gets its distinct reddish-brown tinge from caramelized sugar.
Mishti doi
One of Kolkata’s most iconic sweets, roshogolla are balls of fresh chhana stewed in sugar syrup.
Roshogolla
Made of chhana (cottage cheese), sandesh come in myriad shapes, flavors, and textures, often pressed into intricate shapes with molds.
sandesh
This nutmeg-scented ladoo is made with syrup-soaked bonde (deep-fried beads of gram flour) held together with lots of khoya, nuts, and raisins.
Darbesh
