Medium-rare filet mignon and whipped potatoes on Singapore Airlines (Brad A. Johnson)

I eat a lot of meals on airplanes, and while some airlines get worse and worse, others just keep getting better. The food on Cathay Pacific was always excellent this year (especially the duck noodle soup in the middle of the night). As were a couple of meals aboard Iberia, where the Spanish wine and cheese service was truly outstanding. But the best of the best for 2011 goes to... Singapore Airlines. It was like dining in a restaurant. 

Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Madrid, Singapore, Hangzhou, Playa del Carmen... a world of amazing meals. And here are the 20 best dishes of the year...

Tuna crudo with tomato granita at Cocina de Autor, Playa del Carmen (Brad A. Johnson)

1. Cocina de Autor, Playa del Carmen
Albacore tuna crudo with tomato granita, soy sponge, guacamole, cactus and cucumber. Grand Velas Resort. Carretera Cancun 62, Playa del Carmen, Mexico (866) 230-7221

Read the rest of this post »

Clockwise from top left: The Eveleigh, Baco Mercat, Lukshon, Next Door by Josie

Wow, what a year! Japanese kaiseke, American gastropubs, Southeast Asian flair, smart molecular gastronomy, a kick-ass brunch and a fabulous return to glamour—2011 proved to be a terrific year for new restaurants in Los Angeles. Rising stars like The Spice Table's Bryant Ng and Night + Market's Kris Yenbamroong went head-to-head with seasoned heavyweights such as Wolfgang Puck and Josie Le Balch. With so many outstanding choices this year, narrowing the year's best new restaurants to a list of merely 20 was difficult. But here it is. 

Read the rest of this post »

Rome, Italy (Brad A. Johnson)

I was walking down the street in Rome, Italy, when I saw this scene. I laughed outloud.The people looked like giants next to the tiny car. And the car's been through hell and back, as if it were a toy Matchbox car. I also love the way the sky was reflecting off the blue paint. Sigh. I love Rome.

Read the rest of this post »

Torta de carnitas at Takoba (Brad A. Johnson)

Austin is probably the most interesting dining city in Texas right now, and here are my 10 favorite places to eat for everything from old-school barbecue brisket and Tex-Mex to new-style, slow-roasted goat, sublime sushi and, well, the fine art of porch sitting. 

Read the rest of this post »

Mayakoba Resort near Playa del Carmen in Mexico’s Riviera Maya has just won two of the world’s most prestigious honors for its commitment to sustainability and responsible tourism. 

Read the rest of this post »

A new beachfront villa at The Viceroy Riviera Maya (Brad A. Johnson)

The Viceroy resort (formerly called The Tides) near Playa del Carmen, Mexico has just unveiled its brand new beach villas and a fresh new look throughout the property. The revamp also include a new beachfront restaurant and new menus. (The resort is owned by the Viceroy Hotels group, which recently sold the original Tides in Miami, so makes sense that the group would want to reposition the brand.)

Read the rest of this post »

(Photo illustration by Alexander Remizov via BeenSeen via Terminal U)

1. The ark, reinvented as eco-hotel/island/submarine. (Been-Seen)
2. Great news for anyone traveling to Asia in economy class! (Jaunted) 
3. OMG. This could be the best spaghetti and meatballs EVER. (Saveur)

Read the rest of this post »

Octopus and scallops at Ria, Chicago (Brad A. Johnson)

Chef Danny Grant deserves a James Beard nomination this year, and if he doesn’t get it, dammit, I’m gonna cry foul. His cooking at Ria in Chicago (11 East Walton, 312-880-4400) is as polished and refined as I’ve ever come across from a 29-year-old chef. Hell, maybe even from anyone twice his age. 

Read the rest of this post »

Public Hotel, Chicago (Brad A. Johnson)

Legendary hotelier Ian Schrager (formerly of The Mondrian, The Royalton, Gramercy Park Hotel, etc.) recently took control of Chicago’s aging Ambassador East and transformed it into a budget-conscious hipster hotel called Public. And yes, the Ambassador East has been home to the famed Pump Room restaurant since 1938—and, like it or not, Schrager has completely revamped that, too.

Read the rest of this post »

Radisson Blu Aqua, Chicago (Brad A. Johnson)

Radisson Blu isn’t your typical Radisson. In Europe, the Blu brand is well known and respected, and the outposts in Rome and Berlin are pretty damn cool. The first American location, Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, opened in Chicago last month inside the truly spectacular Aqua Tower designed by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects. At 82 stories, it's the tallest building in America designed by a woman (and it's expecting to receive LEED certification).

Read the rest of this post »

Sea bass with smoked ham hock at NoMi (Brad A. Johnson)

Earlier this year, the Park Hyatt Chicago closed its 7^th-floor restaurant, NoMi (800 N. Michigan Ave., 312-239-4030), to revamp it, expose the kitchen and relaunch it as something far more casual. When I first got wind of this, I thought, “Uh, oh.” I feared the worst. NoMi had been one of the most elegant, most wonderful restaurants in Chicago.

Read the rest of this post »

The "original" bäco at Bäco Mercat (Brad A. Johnson)

This is the best sandwich I’ve eaten all year. This is also my favorite new L.A. restaurant (in the bargain category, at least). The sandwich is not exactly a sandwich, though. It’s a bäco, which is a cross between a taco and a flatbread, an invention of one of my favorite chefs, Josef Centeno (still of Lazy Ox), at his new Bäco Mercat ( 408 S. Main St., L.A., 213.687.8808) downtown.

Read the rest of this post »

Amazing footage of skateboarders on the streets of Tokyo at night. Actually, it's an ad for Gravis shoes—but pretty damn cool nonetheless. Makes me want to return to Japan RIGHT THIS MINUTE.

Sian Ka'an in the Riviera Maya (Brad A. Johnson)

Anyone who traveled to Mexico's Riviera Maya 20 years ago (before it was ever called the Riviera Maya) will fondly remember the bucolic beauty (and perceived remoteness) of this part of the Yucatan peninsula. Well, guess what? There's still a part of this ancient Mayan land that is just as peaceful and blissfull as it was back then: the Sian Ka'an biosphere. 

View more pictures.