HIDDEN GEMS

Hot Chocolate in Sapa, Vietnam- go to the french hotel where they teach kids the hospitality bidness. Best cup of cocoa on the planet.

Hole in the wall bar in Dubrovnik, Croatia- along the western edge of the old city is literally a hole in the wall with a sign that says "cold drinks." The name in Serbo-Croatian is Buža which I think means hole. Best damned bar in the world, run by a former eye model for Stern Magazine who was a hero in the war. Hopefully the place is still there- it's been a few years.

Bagel and Cream Cheese with Lox in Ho Chi Minh and Ha Noi, Vietnam- Cafe Au Parc and Au Lac respectively. Same owner? Perhaps not the best in the whole world, but when you are jonesing in VN for your bagel fix, these are the places to go.

BBQ chicken in San Francisco, CA: Memphis Minnies on Haight St- so good the chicken is.

more later...