Food & Wine readers have a longstanding love for France and Italy, and this year we saw some other destinations competing for attention, from the Southwest U.S., to a European coffee capital. We traveled for wine, seafood, and sandwiches; sought out special small businesses; and fell for new and novel concepts (like No. 11: women-only nightclubs). These are your favorite stories from 2025 with plenty of travel inspiration for the year ahead. Wherever you’re headed, simple pleasures and highly unique experiences are calling.
Find Smoke, Spirit, and Small-Town Charm in This Texas Barbecue Town
Courtesy of Lisa Hause
Long celebrated as a barbecue capital, the city of Lockhart, Texas, is a day trip from Austin, and it’s become a draw for much more than smoked meat. Annie Brown Verdin shares what makes this the next place you should visit in Texas.
12 Stunning US Vineyards to Visit This Harvest Season
Courtesy of Kiona Vineyards
You have 11 bonus destinations to choose from in Katie Kelly Bell’s highly selective list of beautiful wineries from coast to coast. Plan a wine tasting weekend in Washington, Oregon, Michigan, Colorado, California, or Texas, where Driftwood Estate Winery is less than an hour drive from burgeoning Lockhart.
The Cappuccino Originated in This City With 40 Coffee Specialties
Courtesy of Veronica Stoddart
Get deeply steeped in coffee lore in Vienna, Austria, where you can participate in a tradition on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. There are more than 2,000 venues — from traditional coffeehouses and pastry shops with their own cafés, to espresso bars and mini roasteries — where there is no pressure to order anything beyond a single cup. Veronica Stoddart reports that you can linger as long as you like.
Walt Disney World’s First Adults-Only Speakeasy
Douglas Sacha / Getty Images
That’s right, our most popular theme park story of the year is for grown-ups. Even if you make the holidays all about about the kids, you can plan a getaway that includes watching fireworks over drinks in this speakeasy behind one of your favorite Epcot rides. Floridian Megan duBois takes us inside.
Florida’s Farm-Raised Oysters Are Wildly Fresh and Always in Season
Courtesy of Southern Oyster Company
Speaking of the Sunshine State, readers loved Carrie Honaker’s deep dive into the boutique shellfish that’s cleaner than wild-harvested oysters, supports the environment and community, and has nuanced flavors all year round.
This Food Museum Provides Guests With a Barf Bag — and a Bingo Card
Courtesy of Anja Barte Telin for the Disgusting Food Museum
When Tawny Clark shared her experience at Sweden’s very unusually themed museum, we had to hear more, and so did you. Mentions of vomit and smell jars have not deterred people from filling their bingo cards at this unique experience that may leave you with a story or two to repeat ad nauseam.
America’s Best Sandwich Shops From Chicago to Seattle
Courtesy of Christen Clemins Photography for Bill’s Sandwich Place
We completely identify with our audience’s devotion to solid sandwiches. Kayleigh Ruller stacks a hearty list of places elevating the humble lunch item with special touches like housemade bread, chef-y creations, and theatrical assembly. Grab a sandwich so good you can’t resist posting about it.
A New Restaurant in Miami Has No Menu, Just Lasagna
Courtesy of Gaby Cuadra
Our third most popular story of the year was Carrie Honaker’s experience at the Miami restaurant that simply serves lasagna and tiramisu. A sign, like sandwich fandom, that simple pleasures are what we all need this year.
Meet the Winery Powering America’s Next Great Wine Region
Julia Stotz
F&W’s Lucy Simon transported us to a middle-of-the-night harvest under the stars in Arizona for a journey around a captivating American wine region amid desert and mountains, complete with four wineries to visit on your own trip.
A Local’s Guide to Italian Dining Etiquette
jenifoto / Getty Images
Bless Laura Itzkowitz for providing this guide for all of our back pockets when we visit the always alluring country of Italy. It’s savvy and considerate for any visitor to brush up on local culture before landing in a new or unfamiliar place, and these tips from a local make a dream dining destination even more enjoyable.
Dining and Cooking