Travel + Leisure

I HAVE BEEN TRYING to impress upon my son, Bobby, the importance of experiences over things. Toys are great and all, but eventually they turn to clutter and sit, forgotten, in the corner of his room. Obviously, there are only so many times you can tell that to a nine-year-old without caving on a purchase. That’s what happened at Savi’s Workshop, a boutique-slash-theater tucked in the winding, bazaar-like corridors of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge—probably the most impressive part of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, in Orlando, Florida. At Savi’s, you can customize your very own light saber under the watch of the “Gatherers”: Walt Disney World cast members who never break character. Bobby chose a green crystal and a hilt with a design emphasizing protection and defense. When he activated the glowing stick, he…

A GLOBETROTTER’S GUIDE TO THE LATEST IN TRAVEL ROCA. IT’S THE Spanish word for “rock,” but in European foodie circles, it’s also a name that carries a certain cachet. That’s because husband-and-wife team Josep Roca and Montserrat Fontané opened a restaurant called Can Roca in 1967 in Girona, about an hour north of Barcelona. It quickly became known for authentic, homestyle food like arròs a la cassola, a rice casserole often made with rabbit, prawns, and vegetables. The couple’s sons added to the legacy in 1986 with El Celler de Can Roca, which today is a Michelin three-starred restaurant reported to have an 11-month waiting list. Each brother has a specialty: the oldest, Josep, is a sommelier; Juan is the head chef; Jordi, the youngest, handles dessert and pastries. Together, the trio…

LOS ANGELES IS home to the largest population of Iranians outside of Iran—many of whom fled during the revolution of 1978–79. In the decades that followed, a variety of Persian-owned restaurants, including white-tablecloth establishments and casual cafés, sprouted up on a stretch of Westwood Boulevard between Wilshire and Pico. Today a new generation of Iranian-American chefs is bringing the cuisine to other corners of the city. Here are five places to experience the new wave. JUST LIKE MOM MADE Azizam (above), which opened in Silver Lake last year, is an ode to the comforting meals that owners Cody Ma and Misha Sesar grew up eating. But don’t expect kebabs. The family-style dishes, such as the braised jidori chicken served on a bed of yellow fava-bean rice, and the eggplant khoresht (a tomato-based…

THERE AREN’T many places with 275 residents that have a Michelin two-starred restaurant and are next door to a renowned wine region. But Elk, a tiny speck on a bluff along the Pacific Coast Highway in California’s Mendocino County, is quietly making a name for itself as a destination. WINE DOWN A great place to get acquainted with the region is Drew Winery, just outside Elk, which got its start as an apple orchard. Next, wind your way through the Anderson Valley, stopping at wineries like Husch, Toulouse, Goldeneye, and Pennyroyal Farm, which also has an on-site creamery. One of the state’s coolest-weather wine-growing regions, the valley is known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as Alsatian varieties like Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris. AROUND TOWN Matson Mercantile carries gardening tools,…

THE PAT OF BUTTER didn’t stand a chance as it slid across the surface of the coconut-custard-slathered toast, surrendering to the warmth of the bread beneath. “This is one of the few places left where they still toast over charcoal,” my guide, Desiree Koh, told me as we crunched our kaya toasts at Chin Mee Chin Confectionery. Opened a century ago by Hainanese immigrants, who came to Singapore to work as cooks for the British, this kopitiam (Singaporean for “corner diner”) is a beloved fixture in Katong-Joo Chiat, the city’s most underrated food neighborhood. Visitors often skip K-JC, as the area is called. But Koh, a lifelong resident, invites them to stay awhile and sit down to Singapore’s best breakfast: wobbling soft-boiled eggs, kaya toast, and a frosty “iced Milo dinosaur”…

THE NAME EMERIL LAGASSE is synonymous with New Orleans. He was the executive chef of the legendary Commander’s Palace, opened Emeril’s in the Warehouse District in 1990, and, through his popular TV shows Essence of Emeril and Emeril Live, introduced America to Cajun and Creole recipes. His latest project, 34 Restaurant & Bar (entrées $34–$50), is a detour from the Louisiana cooking that has defined much of his career; instead, it celebrates his Portuguese roots. The chef was raised in Fall River, Massachusetts, an area that is home to the largest concentration of Portuguese Americans in the United States. He learned about the country’s cuisine from his mother, Hilda, who grew up in the Azores. “The influence of Portuguese culture, my environment, and my mom—that’s the foundation of what I am…