Ruth Tobias

Is there anything more refreshing than a scoop of ice cream on a hot summer day? Or a perfect milkshake to pair with a classic burger and fries? An iconic dessert and sweet treat on its own, ice cream has soared to new levels with a wave of new-generation scoop shops that churn up unexpected and delightful flavors, drawing from in-season produce and global cuisines. And while creativity is the name of the game for many ice cream brands today, there’s still a desire for that nostalgic sundae shop. We’ve compiled the best of both the long-standing parlors and the new-age shops—perfect for your summer road trip plans. RECOMMENDED: The best fast-food desserts in America  

The Mile High City has more than a mile's worth of charm to spare. However, the outdoorsy metropolis also rises to the occasion when it comes to world-class accommodation. Visitors hitting the town for a dose of mountain culture, to linger over an espresso in our trendy coffee shops, or dive into the booming food scene (which includes some of the best ramen in America), have plenty of places to lay their heads. These hotels – all in proximity to the best things to do in Denver – go to show that, when it comes to hospitality, the Mile High City is ready for its close-up. Updated August 2024: Consider our lists a gift that keeps on giving. Our newest arrival from the booking gods? The Source Hotel, where the happenings are always happening.  RECOMMENDED: 🛏See the best Airbnbs near Denver🍷Check out the best restaurants in Denver⛺️Enjoy a stay at the best Airbnb cabins in Denver, Colorado Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every hotel featured, we've based our list on our expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, hotel amenities and in-depth research to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

A warm bowl of clam chowder on a cold day, an after-work tray of oysters and a crisp glass of white wine, a napkin-ready seafood boil, or a decadent dinner featuring the best catches of the day—whichever experience you prefer, America knows how to do seafood. Of course, some of the best spots sit on the coasts, but there are plenty of not-to-miss restaurants across the south and dotting the middle of the country, too. Here, we have rounded up the very best places across the country to get a taste of the sea, wherever you may be. Whether it's a perfectly plated, caviar-topped dish at a Michelin-starred restaurant like Bernardin in New York, a fresh catch of the day at Mama's Fish House on Maui, or a basket of fried clams at Bob's Clam Hut in Maine, you'll find something on this list that fits your bucket and taste buds. 

Sushi has infiltrated the American palate in such a deep way that it’s now sold in deli cases in rural grocery stores—and you can find a California roll in many gas stations across the country. But it wasn’t all that long ago that sushi was still a somewhat unknown Japanese import to the American dining scene—now, sushi is everywhere. From spicy tuna rolls on DoorDash to onigiri menus in top restaurants and over-the-top omakase, America has cemented its status as a sushi capital. And while we love a takeout roll now and again, there’s no shortage of high-end sushi restaurants across the country that rival some of the best omakase experiences around the globe. From the best sushi restaurants in L.A. to the best sushi restaurants in New York and everywhere in between, here are the best sushi restaurants in America.

There’s a reason Denver is known as one of the most liveable cities in the US. Come here for a buzzing city vibe, but with the small added bonus of 300 sunny days every year. And that’s just the start of it.  Here you’ll find trendy breweries, excellent galleries and more restaurants and food halls than you can squeeze into one trip. All that while being surrounded by a jaw-dropping 360° mountain view. From unforgettable hikes to all-night parties, here are the best things to do in Denver, any time of year.  RECOMMENDED:🍴 The best restaurants in Denver🏨 The best hotels in Denver🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Denver Scott Snowden is a freelance writer, previously Time Out’s associate editor. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

Chinese cuisine is integral to American culinary history and culture, making its flavorful entrance in the mid-19th century during the California Gold Rush when the first wave of Chinese immigrants set foot on American soil. Over the years, Chinese entrepreneurs adapted their traditional dishes to suit the American palate, giving rise to staple dishes in the American repertoire such as General Tso's Chicken or Mongolian Beef—delicious creations that might raise eyebrows in the mainland. Today, American Chinese food firmly stands as a category of its own. Chefs across the country continue to put their own regional and personal spins on these dishes. At the same time, a new wave of restaurants are introducing more Americans to traditional Chinese food—after all, while Cantonese cooking laid the foundation for American Chinese cuisine, it merely scratches the surface of the rich tapestry of flavors found across various provinces. Our picks include family-run joints serving mouthwatering noodles, trendy dim sum spots drawing long lines and fine-dining institutions challenging preconceived notions of what American Chinese cuisine can and should be. From an unassuming strip mall in Las Vegas to an elegant former banquet hall in San Francisco to a cozy neighborhood noodle shop in Chicago, we present the 16 best Chinese restaurants in America to visit now. 

You've been through the best burgers in America. And the best pizza in America, too. (And, yes, we think you’ve probably downed a few tacos at the best Mexican restaurants in America as well.) Now it’s time to get fancy with French. But French stateside is a little different than it used to be. What’s the difference between your average upscale French restaurant and its New American counterpart today? Judging by their repertoires these days, the answer is not much other than “whatever the chef says it is”—which is fair enough. First, fine dining was and is built on the foundations of haute cuisine, perfected at fine French restaurants. Second, several decades ago, haute cuisine itself underwent a shift, bringing local ingredients and global influences to bear on classical technique. Whether preaching tradition or moving the conversation forward, these 21 restaurants speak with passion and authority to the idea that French cooking is our universal heritage. They are the best French restaurants in America, and you want to be eating in them.

If, as we observed in our roundup of the best French restaurants in America, contemporary American cuisine has its roots in France, its future may belong to Spain. It was the Spanish, after all, who introduced us to the now-commonplace notion of small plates; it was they who mainly led the way in popularizing the techniques of molecular gastronomy so widespread today. (A single glance at the nation’s toughest restaurant reservations or the best restaurants in New York, L.A., Chicago and beyond goes to show the depth and breadth of the Spanish influence.) And our 16 picks for the best Spanish restaurants in America—be they the most rustic of tapas bars or pioneering of avant-garde temples—make that future look exceptionally bright.

“Cucina povera” and “alta cucina” may be apples and oranges (or rather mele e arance), but we Americans adore them just the same. While we’ll happily scarf down the best Thai food in America as well as the international fare plated up at the best Japanese restaurants in America and the best Chinese restaurants in America, recent reports show that Americans love Italian food more than any other foreign cuisine. So when the inevitable cravings for exemplary pizza and pasta hit, head to the best Italian restaurants for some memorable, belt-loosening meals.

As this former cowtown becomes a hot commodity, prices are soaring in the Mile High City. But there are still a few bargains to be found for travelers keen on exploring the best things to do in Denver and the city’s booming dining scene: charming inns with curious histories, business hotels that aim to break the generic mold and even a groundbreaking hostel or two. Can’t quite fork out for the luxury of the very best hotels in Denver? These budget-friendly options in and around the city ensure you’re sleep well when in town.

Vegetarian fare has come a long, long way since the days of Woody Allen’s “wheat germ, organic honey and tiger’s milk” in Sleeper. Be it the mastery of fake meats displayed by many Chinese kitchens or the literally nutty innovations of raw-food chefs, herbivores these days have nearly as many dining options as carnivores. Whether you’re looking for vegan vittles in L.A. or meatless meals in NYC, take your pick of the best vegetarian restaurants across the country, from lunch counters to white-cloth plant palaces. Follow Time Out USA on Facebook; sign up for the Time Out USA newsletter

Vegetarian fare has come a long, long way since the days of Woody Allen’s “wheat germ, organic honey and tiger’s milk” in Sleeper. Be it the mastery of fake meats displayed by many Chinese kitchens or the literally nutty innovations of raw-food chefs, herbivores these days have nearly as many dining options as carnivores. Whether you’re looking for vegan vittles in L.A. or meatless meals in NYC, take your pick of the best vegetarian restaurants across the country, from lunch counters to white-cloth plant palaces.

If you like a little Gothic mystery with your lodging, this mansion-turned-B&B is the place to be. Built by—yes—a lumber baron in 1890, it was the scene of an unsolved double homicide back in the 1970s, and rumors that it’s haunted swirl to this day. But rest assured the inn offers plenty of non-gruesome entertainment as well, hosting elaborate paired dinners and classes like CBD-enhanced yoga in addition to full breakfasts and weekend brunch buffets. And you can rest even better in the elegant accommodations, graced by painted ceilings, period furnishings and Jacuzzis.

Standing out from the pack that lines the commuters’ corridor between Denver and Boulder, this business-oriented Westin property welcomes with a surprisingly handsome setting adjacent to Westminster City Park and the Westminster Promenade, with lovely views of the nearby fountain pond, lake and golf courses as well as the mountains. Tastefully modern Southwestern decor throughout the hotel sets the stage for its signature restaurant, the well-respected Kachina Southwestern Grill; for entertainment, you’re within walking distance of two delightful attractions—the Ice Centre at the Promenade and the Butterfly Pavilion. It all makes for an especially playful work trip.

If "luxury hostel" sounds like an oxymoron, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Occupying the top floor of a building that once housed a brothel (really), Fish is basically a contemporary art gallery you can sleep in. Each of its eleven individually decorated rooms—nine dorm-style, two private—is more vibrant than the last: Think cool murals and sculptures, chandeliers, and wildly patterned bedding. Of course there’s a guest kitchen, a concierge and housekeeping service; the management also hosts regular socials, from acoustic open mikes to themed soirées like the '80s Après Ski Party. Provided you play well with others, you've got a groovy pad here—which just so happens to share its address with Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, a hot spot for eclectic cuisine and live music. 

Think of Aloft (a Starwood brand) as the hipper sibling to Element. A colorful, Pop Art-y aesthetic lends cosmopolitan energy to this suburban hotel convenient to the business parks linking Denver to Boulder, complete with a lobby bar that boasts a pool table and a live-music lineup as well as a patio with lounge furnishings and an outdoor fireplace. (The Camp Aloft program should keep the kiddos occupied while you’re imbibing.) What’s more, the hotel is located within the Arista complex, home to a concert venue, the 1STBank Center, as well as a still-developing array of shops and restaurants like the Colorado Keg House and the much-awaited upscale-contemporary restaurant Hickory & Ash.

In the maze of business travelers’ lodgings that is the Denver Tech Center, this extended-stay Starwood property offers the most bang for the buck. The look is unusually stylish for the suburban genre: modern, clean and serene in earth tones from the lobby flanked by a patio with an open-access BBQ grill to the rooms and suites designed with both ergonomics and ecology in mind—not to mention hunger, as all contain kitchenettes. Of course, there’s also free breakfast and happy-hour service and a 24-hour bodega (but if you’re up for a quick outing, you’ll find excellent Peruvian food at Pisco Sour and fine pizza at popular parlor Racca’s nearby). Add a 24/7 gym and business center as well as an indoor pool, and you’ve got a reliably complete package.

This cabin in the woods comes as close to ski country as you can get less than an hour from Denver. In fine weather, you can kick back on one of three decks surrounded by aspen trees, maybe soaking in a hot tub or firing up a grill; if you’re snowbound, you can hang out in the rec room, playing pool by the stone fireplace. Then retire to your wood-planked room, where a quilt-covered log-post bed awaits (along with modern amenities). It’s quite the rustic experience. 

Out in Golden—a suburb in the foothills of the Rockies—this trim little gingerbread-style inn has all the coziness of grandma’s house, starting in the antique-filled parlor near the brick fireplace and moving up on up to the simple but genteel rooms, all vintage wallpaper, quilting and lace. Breakfast usually consists of homemade pastries, quiches, granola and the like; fresh-baked cookies may be on offer when you check in, as well.

A Richardsonian Romanesque manor distinguished by intricately carved stone and woodwork sets a grand stage for this B&B in all its textbook charm. Run by a father-daughter team, it includes eight quaint-as-could-be, antique- and flower-filled rooms like the Snowlover, with a wraparound mural of an aspen forest and a private balcony. Others have fireplaces, four-poster beds, hot tubs, sun rooms and such. And the daily changing breakfast menu is—dare we say—restaurant-worthy, whether you’re served inside or out on the patio.

From sustainable mattresses and low-flow bathroom fixtures to individual recycling bins and a composting program in the garden that supplies organic produce and flowers, this boutique inn has plenty to offer the eco-conscious. Design mavens, meanwhile, will be stunned. Local artists created its four gallery-chic suites, each of which also boasts amenities ranging from hot tubs to fireplaces. But the standard rooms are no less impressive, with beautiful murals and furnishings both antique and locally built. Even the food is stylish: Consider potato pancakes with curried beets and fresh raita for breakfast, housemade cakes and cookies, and a happy hour (gratis, of course) featuring Colorado wines.

Bright and breezy and bursting with alegría de vivir, Ataula embodies the prodigious talent and energy of the team of young guns behind it—starting with second-generation chef José Chesa, whose menu reveals both his native-born fluency in Spanish cuisine and the locavore sensibilities of his adopted hometown. Between such signatures as the creamiest of salt-cod fritters and xuixos (a sort of custard-filled cross between xurros, aka churros, and sfogliatelle) is a seasonal bounty of delightful surprises: funky house-preserved tuna and mushrooms with pickled onions; braised-oxtail ravioli brightened by piquillos, sunchokes and caramelized pineapple; and, if you’re lucky, the off-menu cult favorite of croquettes stuffed with true jamón ibérico. Craft cocktails showcase cool Spanish spirits, fortified wines and liqueurs, while Basque cider’s a neat alternative treat. With wife Cristina Baéz and their partner Emily Metivier, Chesa has parlayed his success into two hot new projects—the sleeker, more upscale Chesa and a xurreria called 180—but Portlanders aren’t about to stop heeding the call to feast that Ataula literally emits (the name paraphrases as “come to the table”).

Living up to a name like The Iberian Pig is easy enough: just import lots and lots of world-class jamón. But of course Federico Castellucci does much, much more than that to win the hearts and minds of Atlantans who cozy up in his Decatur date-night haunt, lined with wine racks and glowing like a wall-to-wall hearth in brown-and-red tones. Though its porcine possibilities are endless—blood sausage on toast with wild mushrooms, melt-in-your-mouth pork cheeks braised in a cast-iron skillet beneath a poached egg and a dollop of black-truffle spread—the seasonal repertoire proves as diverse as it does deeply soulful, covering rabbit empanadas, boar meatballs and vegetarian delights like calçot-inspired grilled spring onions drizzled with Sherry in romesco sauce. Uniquely suited cocktails skew dark and decadent with brown spirits and bitters. And while Castellucci’s newer, slicker Basque-influenced venture Cooks & Soldiers warrants celebration in its own right, the Pig’s foie gras French toast—oozing with mascarpone and drenched in barrel-aged syrup—inspires next-level loyalty, which the gracious service only cements.

Any old celebrity chef can build a restaurant empire. Very few can run one as smoothly as Jose Garces. Wood-filled and burnished by lantern light, his handsome Old City flagship remains the unshakeable foundation on which his fame was founded. No doubt its endurance reflects, first and foremost, the kitchen’s fealty to and mastery of the classics: though the menu takes seasonal twists and creative turns here and there, it’s grounded in the ultra-robust likes of lamb meatballs, crab-stuffed piquillos and roast pork with white beans. Even luxuries like lobster and truffles get the rustic treatment in hearty paellas or on flatbreads. As for booze, far be it from us to suggest you cast aside the gorgeous list of wines by the bottle, but in sangría veritas. And here’s some truth we hope you swine lovers can even handle: twice a year, Amada (which has a New York sibling, by the by) hosts a suckling-pig banquet for the memory books.