Paris Tasting Tour

Brigadoon on the Baltic Cut off from the rest of the world for much of the 20th century, three Estonian islands are now welcoming visitors.• See the slide show Eat Like a Local: Paris It's easy enough to find your average bistro in Paris. The challenge is discovering those off-the-radar spots that locals keep to themselves. Clotilde Dusoulier leads us to seven restaurants that are destinations in their own right.• Launch the Google map New Hampshire: Over the River On the Appalachian Mountain Club's trails in New Hampshire, hiking is only part of the thrill. Along the way, you can stay in huts straight out of summer camp, complete with picnic-table dinners, silly skits, and plenty of trail tales. Lights-out at 9:30! 25 Reasons We Love Philadelphia Forget the Liberty Bell. Artists, designers, and restaurateurs are rewriting this city's history.• See the slide show• Launch the Google map Four Hotels: Bangkok A new crop of small hotels offers plenty of bang for your baht. Brand News: Eco-conscious Hotel Groups Pricey eco-resorts no longer own the hotel high road—with the major chains now more environmentally minded, anyone can afford to think about the planet. Road Trip: North Carolina A father-daughter duo takes on the mountains and mansions along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.• See the slide show• See writer Kate Appleton's photos from the trip 40 Best From our April issue: Deals for Orlando, Tuscany, Cancún, and 37 other fascinating destinations worldwide.

UNPLUGGED IN CABO POLONIO It's well past midnight when Joselo, the blind bartender with silver hair past his shoulders, brings up the story of El Pingüino. "Four penguins washed up on shore," he says. "I took them all in, but El Pingüino was special." Joselo is speaking by candlelight in his eponymous bar in Cabo Polonio, a tiny beach town about 150 miles east of Uruguay's capital, Montevideo. The candles aren't for effect. A half-hour dune buggy ride from the nearest highway, Cabo Polonio has no cars, no paved roads, and, apart from its signature lighthouse, no municipal electric power. "When the bar would fill up, I used to bring El Pingüino out on the dance floor," Joselo explains. "He'd walk right through the crowd completely at home." Dancing penguins hardly seem out of the question in Uruguay, a Dorito-shaped country of 3.5 million wedged between the more touristed Brazil and Argentina. The towns along its Atlantic coast—cut off in capes, isolated on rocky points, and marooned behind dunes—have evolved along their own, often quirky, paths. In Cabo Polonio, Bar de Joselo is getting crowded. It's a local favorite, although competition is admittedly scarce; apart from a few peak weeks of the high season (December through February), Joselo's is the only bar in town. A side door leads from the ramshackle bar room to a backyard garden. I feel my way through a maze of flowering vines to a hidden outdoor patio. Small groups of Argentines and Uruguayans, and even an unlikely pair of Americans, sit huddled around bottles of grappamiel, Uruguay's trademark blend of grappa and honey. It's smooth, sweet, and deceptively potent. Last call sends everyone spilling out onto Cabo's sandy main street. The village, with an estimated year-round population of 79, is dark now except for candlelight seeping from a few windows. A short walk takes me back to the Posada Mariemar, a guesthouse a few yards from the ocean's edge. Mariemar offers simple, comfortable rooms, oceanfront views and—a luxury in these parts—electric power drawn from its private generator. I drift to sleep watching the glimmer of the lighthouse on the water and wake up the next morning to what sounds like distant howling, barely audible above the crashing waves. At breakfast, on Mariemar's sunny seaside patio, innkeeper Daniel Machado explains that it's the sea lions: "We've got a whole colony." On cue, a sleek, whiskered head surfaces from the water, a stone's throw from where we're sitting. Machado points me down a rocky trail to investigate. Finding the sea lion colony is hardly a challenge. I follow my nose toward Cabo's lighthouse, passing simple stone and stucco cabins (many available for weekly rentals) that cling to grassy cliffs overlooking the ocean. There are no shops, but a few local craftspeople have spread out woolen goods and carvings for sale. On either side, white-sand beaches stretch to the horizon. Surfers prefer the more southerly beach, while the calm waters of Playa Norte are better for swimming. Behind the lighthouse, I find several hundred barking, squealing animals sunning themselves on the rocks, giving off the heady bouquet of two-day-old sushi. The largest sea lions weigh nearly half a ton and laze untroubled, blinking sleepily in the afternoon sun. But the rest are in a feistier mood. Every so often, rivals bare fangs, let out a blood-curdling yelp, and charge. Blubbery necks crash with a satisfying slap. "They're the machos that got kicked off the islands offshore. There are no females here, so all they do is fight," Machado explains back at Restaurante Mariemar over the classic Uruguayan lunch: an artery-busting chivito sandwich. It takes two hands to steady this imposing pile of sliced steak, ham, and fried egg. Machado later escorts me to the oversized 4x4 that will ferry me across the dunes and back to civilization. We drive past vehicles loaded down with visitors arriving for the weekend: a mix of long-haired nature lovers, local families, and a few international travelers with imposing cameras. Looking back, I see the lighthouse has been fired up. Lodging Posada Mariemar, oceanfront, 011-598/470-5164, mariemar@cabopolonio.com, rooms from $35 Cabins, private owners rent out rustic, beachfront cabins; most have no electricity, and water for washing and flushing must be hand pumped. For photos and contact information, see cabopolonio.com/alquileresx.htm (Spanish site but most owners are English-savvy). Cabins from $60 Food Restaurante Mariemar, oceanfront, 011-598/470-5241, mariemar@cabopolonio.com, chivito (steak sandwich) with fries $7.50 Restaurante La Perla del Cabo, oceanfront, 011-598/470-5125, paella for two $18 Activities Sea lion colony, behind the lighthouse (follow your nose), free Nightlife Bar de Joselo, look for the bungalow with an exuberant garden out front (or ask anyone), no phone Finding Your Way International flights land in Uruguay's capital, Montevideo, with round-trip fares starting around $670 from Miami. At the airport's Budget office, you can rent a sedan for $104 a day during high season, with taxes and insurance included (visit budgetinternational.com to reserve in advance). Cabo Polonio is about 150 miles east of Montevideo (about three hours by car). Take the coastal highway (Interbalneario) to Ruta 9. At kilometer 209, turn right onto Ruta 15. Then turn left at Ruta 10 and continue to kilometer 264.5. There you'll find a fleet of ever-ready 4x4s that ferries travelers over the dunes and into Cabo Polonio (around $2 per person). Budget has good maps and can offer advice on getting around. Don't worry: Uruguay has only a handful of highways, all well marked. GETTING SUBVERSIVE IN PUNTA DEL DIABLO An hour's drive east of Cabo Polonio, Punta del Diablo (Devil's Point) is a cheery settlement of colorful bungalows. A onetime fishing outpost, the village has recently become a requisite stop for backpackers. But long before they discovered its endless beaches and low-key vibe, Diablo was a refuge for visitors of a different sort. "It was a haven for leftists back in the '70s," says Andrés Carrau, who custom builds and then rents out Diablo's trademark beachside bungalows, known as cabañas. "They came here to hide from the dictatorship." Carrau shows me to one of the Terrazas del Diablo rentals, a two-floor, magenta-colored cabaña that has a sundeck, a full kitchen, and an upstairs bedroom with ocean views, exposed beams, and bamboo furniture. Diablo is just as easygoing; the streets are sand, and a fleet of wooden fishing boats bobs in the bay. But international attention has also lent the village a young, hip vibe and the kinds of accommodation and services to match. Beachside restaurants offer French and Italian cuisine, and a few tasteful mini resorts are now sprinkled among village cabañas. Right on the beach, El Diablo Tranquilo, a hybrid hostel, pub, and laid-back restaurant, is at the vanguard of the new Diablo. I climb to the rooftop for possibly the best view in town: The beach three stories below is scattered with young, beautiful people sunning alongside fishing boats pulled up on the white sand. Surfers ply the waves beyond. Farther still, thrill seekers clamber out onto Diablo's rocky point, a 300-foot finger of land that extends into turquoise water. "In other beach towns, it's all about being seen," says Brian Meissner, expat owner of the El Diablo Tranquilo. "Here, you could be famous and no one would know." Thirty years ago, Uruguay's most infamous guerrillas flocked here for precisely that anonymity. In the '70s, the leftist Tupamaros terrorized the country, robbing banks, looting gun depots, and even kidnapping the British ambassador. When the government cracked down, the Tupamaros fled to Diablo. Sympathetic fishermen ferried the rebels to safety in Brazil, until the government caught on, reportedly sinking a fishing boat and drowning its crew in retaliation. After dinner at El Diablo Tranquilo—grilled local whitefish caught fresh that day—I trek the few blocks back to my cabaña. Instead of bearded revolutionaries, I pass partygoers headed for Diablo's most happening nightspot, Bitacora Bar, an open-air, sand-floored club. During Diablo's manic January peak, when vacationing uruguayos descend upon the Atlantic coast in droves, Bitacora hosts all-night parties with dancers numbering in the thousands. But most nights the scene is far more intimate, with bands playing for crowds of just a few dozen. The next day I'm up at dawn, in time to witness a few fishing boats unloading the night's catch. I follow a narrow path that leads away from the village and into Santa Teresa National Park, a UNESCO biosphere reserve that's home to endangered sea turtles and, during spring mating season, pods of right whales. The trail climbs along a sandy bluff before plunging down to a gracefully curving bay. Hardly a bad place to be on the lam. Lodging El Diablo Tranquilo Hostel, Playa del Rivero, 011-598/477-2647, eldiablotranquilo.com, rooms from $65 Terrazas del Diablo, rental bungalows on or near the beach, 011-598/477-2250, puntadeldiablo.com.uy (Currently Spanish-only), bungalows from $60 Food El Diablo Tranquilo Bar, Playa del Rivero, 011-598/477-2647, eldiablotranquilo.com, grilled whitefish with spicy salsa $9.50 Activities Santa Teresa National Park, trails begin at Playa del Rivero, parquesantateresa.com.uy (Spanish-only) Nightlife Bitacora Bar, open-air club in the dunes behind the village, no phone, bitacorabar.com Finding Your Way Punta del Diablo is about 35 miles east of Cabo Polonio (about one hour by car). From Cabo Polonio, take Ruta 15. At the intersection with Ruta 9, turn right and follow Ruta 9 to kilometer 298, the entrance to Punta del Diablo. GOOD VIBRATIONS IN MYSTICAL PIRIÁPOLIS This resort town on a rugged stretch just outside of Montevideo has inspired enough dark legends and Byzantine conspiracy theories to fill a Dan Brown novel. It all started in 1890, when Piriápolis's founder, local real-estate baron Francisco Piria, bought 7,000 acres of undeveloped coastline in pursuit of his twin dreams: making a load of money selling vacation homes and building a utopian city based on Kabbalah, a mystical set of religious beliefs. "Piria built his city around the spots where magnetic vibrations were strongest, just like the Aztecs, the Egyptians, and the Druids did," says Carlos Rodriguez, our New Age Mystical Tour guide. We're standing at a scenic point high above Piriápolis, joined by a busload of open-minded travelers from as far away as Spain. Some sway rhythmically, overcome by the good vibes. I'm not feeling it. But the town spread below is undeniably appealing. A regal stone boardwalk winds along the waterfront, past a grand old hotel and aging mansions. On the white sand out front, day-tripping families soak up rays, and behind them, lush hills rise dramatically to rocky peaks. When the sunset séance begins, I part ways with my mystical friends. On the boardwalk, local fishermen hawk fresh squid, shrimp, and mussels from wooden stands. Sandy beaches eventually give way to cliffs, where a few seafood joints sit right over the water. At Barlovento, the red wine comes in half-liter jugs, and the house special, linguine tutto mare, comes with just about everything local fishermen have caught that day: clams, mussels, calamari, octopus, and shrimp, all served over homemade pasta. It's dark by the time I follow the boardwalk back into town, and except for the waves below, Piriápolis is quiet. Then an eerie drone starts in from the water, soft at first but growing louder. Piria's ghost? Kabbalah spirits? "Frogs," explains the concierge at my hotel, the oceanfront Terrazas del Puerto. While not a match for the gracefully moldering period hotels along Piriápolis's main drag, Terrazas del Puerto has airy rooms with ceramic tile floors and large terraces overlooking the ocean and the yacht club below. From my room, four floors above the Atlantic, I listen as Piriápolis's amphibians croon late into the night. I rent a bicycle from a shop on the boardwalk the next morning and make for the area's most famous landmark, Castillo de Piria. The three-story castle is hard to miss. Rising from farmland outside town, it has medieval turrets and a yawning portico, all frosted a delicate shade of pink. I meet up again with Rodriguez, busy initiating another group in the town secrets. "The castle is built on a fault line," he says from behind a pair of mirrored sunglasses. "A lot of negative energy converges here." Inside, we navigate a maze of twisting passages, secret staircases, and blind doorways. Rickety stairs lead to what appears to be a basement lab. "Piria was an alchemist," Rodriguez explains matter of factly. "All Kabbalists were." It gets weirder. On the way back into town, we pass the ruins of a Gothic-style cathedral that towers nearly 10 stories above a fallow field. It's Piria's unfinished masterpiece. "He built the cathedral to fulfill a prophecy," Rodriguez begins. In quick succession, he reveals that Hitler was a black wizard, Churchill was one of the Knights Templar, and in 1944, the Holy Grail was in grave danger of falling into Nazi hands. So, naturally, the Pope had the Grail brought to Uruguay. Tour goers are scribbling down notes, nodding enthusiastically. Rodriguez pans the crowd, his face grimly serious with the weight of this revelation. He fixes his gaze on me. What can I do? I exchange a solemn nod. After all, this is Uruguay's Atlantic coast, where penguins barhop, insurgents unwind, and—just maybe—a kooky alchemist once stashed the Holy Grail. Lodging Terrazas del Puerto, Avenida Francisco Piria (upper level), 011-598/43-21-432, hotelterrazas.com.uy, rooms from $40 Food Barlovento, Rambla de los Ingleses, 011-598/43-26-895, linguine tutto mare (pasta with fresh seafood) $11 Activities Mystical Tour, contact mystical guide Carlos Rodriguez, 011-598/43-22-544, solraca63@hotmail.com, three-hour tour to Piria's castle and cathedral $12 (transportation included) Castillo de Piria, Ruta 37 (2.5 miles outside of town), no phone, free Cathedral, Ruta 37 (1.5 miles outside of town), no phone, free Finding Your Way Piriápolis is 125 miles west of Punta del Diablo (about 2.5 hours by car) and makes a convenient stop on the way back to the international airport in nearby Montevideo. From Punta del Diablo, take Ruta 9 west. Turn left on Ruta 37 (toward the end of the trip), the access road to Piriápolis.

Beer Tote ($20) and Tokens (6 for $20), Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Brewery opened its Williamsburg location in 1996. About 20 percent of the beer is still made here (the rest is made upstate), but that 20 percent includes all of the brewery's reserve beers. To get a beer at the very popular happy hour, you must first buy and then redeem a wooden token (six for $20, or one for $4). The expansive tasting room fills up quickly, so come on the early side if you want a chance to sit at one of the communal picnic tables. For an easy souvenir, hang on to your token (or stow away a coaster). The store also sells other mementos, including playing cards and a light but sturdy case for carrying six bottles. 79 N. 11th St., Brooklyn, 718/486-7422, free tours on the hour on weekends between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., happy hour Fridays at 6 p.m.–11 p.m. Candy Bars ($9) and Peppermints ($4), Economy Candy This Lower East Side fixture hasn't changed its look much since it opened in 1937: it still has linoleum floors, mirrors near the ceiling to discourage shoplifting, and shelf after shelf brimming with candy. Gummy strawberries, Pixey Stix, huge gumballs, Sugar Daddys, lollipops, chocolate-covered graham crackers, and dried fruits and nuts are all on hand, as are more obscure sweets, including novelty foil-wrapped chocolates of city landmarks, the hard-to-find Beemans Chewing Gum, and candy cigarettes. 108 Rivington St., 800/352-4544. Coffee Mugs ($10), Fishs Eddy Named for an unincorporated village in upstate New York, this housewares store near Union Square piles its goods a little haphazardly on lived-in wood tables and old barrels. The store's 212 design, which incorporates Manhattan's skyline, comes on coffee mugs, plates, and salt and pepper shakers. If you've overloaded on Manhattan, try the Brooklyn pattern, or, better yet, the Brooklynese designs—the coffee mug says "cawffee." Broadway at 19th St., 212/420-9020. Leather Wallet ($40), Off the Train Cuffs ($25), and Silver Jewelry ($25–52), The Market NYC Held on weekends in a youth center on the edge of SoHo, this bazaar is a handy way to see what young designers have up their sleeves. The up-and-coming tastemakers do a good business with handmade jewelry, purses, and racks and racks of clothes, most of them for women. The market often fills up with tourists and trendy neighborhood regulars, so expect a little hand-to-hand combat if there's something you really want. Prices range from relative bargains (a $15 bracelet, a $19 pair of shoes) to extravagant (a $250 leather handbag). Recent finds there include bracelets sculpted from vinyl records (from Wrecords by Monkey) and hand-cut sterling-silver jewelry (by Elena Volovelsky). 268 Mulberry St., with another location at 490 Hudson St. that's open Sat. only. Subway T-shirts ($20), Wooden Trains ($10), and Subway Map Umbrella ($20), New York Transit Museum The museum is devoted to a major and often contentious presence in so many New Yorkers' lives: the subway. Housed in a former station built in 1936, the museum has lots of vintage equipment that makes it well worth a stop. But if you just want to check out some cool souvenirs, you can also head to the separate shop and gallery in Grand Central Terminal. Popular items include T-shirts carrying the symbols for various subway lines, as well as kid-size models of subway trains. Boerum Pl. and Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn, 718/694-1600. Grand Central Terminal, 87 E. 42nd St., off the main concourse in the shuttle passage, 212/878-0106. Red Tote Bag ($8) and Adrian Tomine Tote Bag ($11) , Strand Books Famed for its "18 miles of books," the Strand crams cheapo paperbacks, review copies, remainders, first editions, and rarities onto imposing tables and bookcases that rival those in any library (it can get crowded with people, too). The battered wooden floors creak, the stairs are worse, and the staff can be curt, but for many fans, that's just part of the fun. The store is just about the only survivor of the city's Book Row, once home to 48 bookstores, and you can bring home a bit of that history by getting one of its classic tote bags. 828 Broadway at 12th St., 212/473-1452. Black and White Cookies and Rugelach ($9 per package) and Coffee ($9 per pound), Zabar's Famed for bagels, coffee, cheese, smoked fish, sweets, and other things that New Yorkers crave, this Upper West Side destination is also a great lunch stop (there's a café next door). Good options for gifts include a pound of coffee, a pack of cinnamon rugelach, or chocolate babka, a rich yeast bread (try to avoid eating it all on the ride home). 2245 Broadway at 80th St., 800/697-6301. Books About New York, Tenement Museum Located inside an apartment building from 1863, the Tenement Museum shows just what it was like to live during some of Manhattan's toughest times. The tours show how the immigrant families who once lived here struggled in their search for a better life. The gift shop, housed with the visitor center in a separate building nearby, carries an extremely well-edited selection of books about the history and culture of the Big Apple. (By the way, lots of other museums in the city come with great shopping, especially the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art). 97 and 108 Orchard St. 212/982-8420.

Craft, Flatiron District Head judge Tom Colicchio made his culinary name in NYC, and season five contestants had the honorable—and nerve-racking—challenge of cooking lunch at Craft, Colicchio's flagship restaurant, in Manhattan's posh Flatiron District. Meals at Craft stress fresh, fine ingredients and don't come cheap; entrées start around $25. In keeping with the times, Damon Wise, the restaurant's executive chef, just launched Damon: Frugal Friday, a weekly food and drink series made especially for recession-weary wallets. Every Friday from 5:30 p.m. to midnight, guests can lounge in Craft's private dining room and order small plates like smoked beef tartar and spiced flatbread ($5), escargot and smoked bacon on a stick ($5), and fresh ricotta, black cabbage, and truffle vinaigrette mini pizzas ($7). Nothing on the food or drink menus will set you back more than $10. Can't make it on Friday? Try splitting a few items from Craft's regular à la carte menu. Start with the beet and tarragon salad ($10), add sides like roasted Hen of the Woods mushrooms ($13) and Jerusalem artichokes ($8), and splurge on a hearty entrée like Colicchio's signature braised beef short rib ($30). 43 E. 19th St., 212/780-0880, craftrestaurant.com. Governors Island Season five contestants first sized each other up aboard the Coursen, a ferry that whisked them to Governors Island, a former military base 800 yards offshore from Lower Manhattan. Upon arrival, chefs competed in a surprise apple preparation challenge at the north shore courtyard between historic buildings 111 and 112. Recent culinary school grad Lauren's uninspired apple and spinach salad sent her home before she even set foot in the Top Chef kitchen. Governors Island, a favorite day trip for many city-weary locals, is only open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from May 30 through October 11. The free ferry departs at least once an hour from Manhattan's Battery Maritime Building and takes seven minutes to reach the island. Once there, rent a bike from Bike and Roll and pedal six miles of trails while savoring upclose views of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan's skyline (2008 rates were $5 for a half hour, $10 for up to two hours, $15 for the day). Governors Island also hosts dozens of free events that have ranged from kayaking and concerts to festivals like Figment, a multi-day, interactive art celebration (June 13-14, 2009). Pick up a jerk chicken sandwich from the popular Jamaican food cart ($5) or a sandwich from the Pyramid Coffee cafe, located on the main promenade (from $4). Then walk 20 minutes, bike, or hop a free tram to the island's newest picnic spot: eight acres on the southern end directly across from Lady Liberty. govisland.com. Williamsburg, Brooklyn Those gorgeous skyline views made it clear that season five's living quarters weren't in Manhattan. The contestants stayed across the East River in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Hipsters have gradually gentrified this once gritty immigrant neighborhood; galleries and restaurants occupy former industrial buildings, and ultramodern, glass-sheathed condos tower over older row houses. No. 20 Bayard, the luxurious 18-story apartment building that housed the chefs, is indicative of Williamsburg's changing scene. Contestants shared two $2.5 million duplex penthouses, each with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, three terraces, and floor-to-ceiling windows that conveniently allowed cameras to catch Hosea and Leah smooching. The building sits on the edge of 36-acre McCarren Park, where newcomers and old-timers alike gather to picnic, play soccer, and jog around the track. Grab a sandwich from Urban Rustic, a locally sourced organic café across from the park, take a seat on a park bench, and soak in the neighborhood's flavor. No. 20 Bayard, 20 Bayard St., 718/302-3030, twentybayard.com; Urban Rustic, 236 N. 12th St., 718-/388-9444, urbanrusticnyc.com, sandwiches from $5. The Today Show, Rockefeller Center, Midtown They may be on reality TV, but not all Top Chef contestants are cut out for live TV. In a season five challenge, each chef demonstrated a recipe during a two-and-a-half minute cooking spot—which yielded some disastrous, under-cooked messes. Judges deemed Jeff, Ariane, and Fabio most camera-ready, and the three chefs prepared their dishes at Rockefeller Center's Sea Grill for the Today Show hosts. Kathie Lee Gifford practically gagged on live TV when she tasted Jeff's shrimp roll before she, Meredith Vieira, Natalie Morales, and Hoda Kotb declared Ariane's watermelon salad the winner. To get up close with the ladies of the Today show yourself, secure a spot outside the ground-level Rockefeller Center studio at least one hour before the live filming starts at 7 a.m. Afterwards, grab a table at the Sea Grill when it opens at 11:30 a.m.; if you visit during winter, you can watch ice skaters glide by right outside the restaurant windows. Refuel on a shrimp sushi roll ($12); its flavors could teach Jeff a thing or two about seasoning. The Today Show, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, today.msnbc.msn.com; The Sea Grill, 19 W. 49th St., 212/332-7610, patinagroup.com/east/seagrill/. The French Culinary Institute, SoHo For more than two decades, the French Culinary Institute has launched the careers of top chefs like Bobby Flay of Mesa Grill New York, David Chang of NYC's Momofuku restaurants, Wylie Dufresne of WD-50—and Top Chef season one contestant Lee Anne Wong. Season three chefs had the opportunity to visit the renowned school and create a chicken dish for an all-star judges panel that included FCI founder Dorothy Cann Hamilton and famed alums André Soltner and Jacques Torres. Casey's attempt to label her dish "coq au vin" prompted an outcry from the judges (since the French dish is classically made with rooster, not a hen), and Hung's sous vide bird (cooked in an airtight bag submerged in almost-boiling water) was declared the winner. See what's cooking now by dining at L'Ecole, the school's contemporary French restaurant and home to one of NYC's best meal deals: $42 gets you a five-course dinner with dishes like juniper-smoked rack of lamb or seared scallops—all prepared by FCI students (at 8 p.m., the second seating, Mon.–Sat.). The seasonal prix fixe menu changes every eight weeks. 462 Broadway, 212/219-8890, frenchculinary.com. Harlem Gospel Choir, Times Square The legendary Harlem Gospel Choir treated contestants to an impromptu kitchen concert during season five's Christmas episode. As chefs drew knives denoting which of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" would be their dish themes, singers belted out corresponding lyrics. Hosea's 11 Pipers Piping smoked pork dish—a play on the idea of pipers smoking instead of playing bagpipes—stood out from a chorus of mediocre dishes like Ariane's Six Geese A-Laying deviled eggs. Though the Harlem Gospel Choir won't be singing Christmas carols now, you can hear them live at the group's weekly Sunday Gospel Brunch at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in Times Square. As you enjoy soulful gospel standards like "Oh Happy Day," chow down on cornmeal-crusted fried catfish, mac and cheese, grits, biscuits, and sausage links from the all-you-can-eat Southern-style buffet ($40 in advance, $42.50 day of show). 237 W. 42 St., 212/997-4144, bbkingblues.com. Perilla, Greenwich Village Back in 2006, likable Long Island native Harold Dieterle out-cooked uptight Bostonian Tiffani Faison to win the very first Top Chef title. After the show, Dieterle returned to NYC and opened Perilla, a Greenwich Village bistro that serves seasonal American cuisine. The cozy restaurant's 18 tables fill up fast (make reservations two weeks in advance to guarantee a spot). But many regulars prefer to sit at the bar anyway, where they can chat with bartenders, people-watch through the big front windows, and order from the full menu. Make like the locals: Grab a bar seat and order Dieterle's signature spicy duck meatballs ($13). Dieterle fans should note that the original Top Chef is usually in the kitchen Monday through Friday. There's a chance of spotting him if he comes into the dining room. Or, if you ask nicely—and if the restaurant isn't too busy—the waitstaff might bring you into the kitchen to give Dieterle a quick hello. For more potential Top Chef alum sightings, stop into 24 Prince (owned by season four's Nikki Cascone), Sólo (helmed by season three winner Hung Huynh), or Café des Artistes (where season three's Joey Paulino is chef de cuisine). Perilla, 9 Jones St., 212/929-6868, perillanyc.com; 24 Prince, 24 Prince St., 212/226-8624, 24prince.com; Sólo, 550 Madison Ave., 212/833-7800, theprimegrill.com; Café des Artistes, 1 W. 67th St., 212/877-3500, cafenyc.com. Astor Center, East Village Astor Wines & Spirits is a downtown institution, thanks to its vast inventory and knowledgeable sales staff. Astor Center, the swank culinary education and event space above the wine shop, was created to celebrate the tastes and pleasures that come with swirling and sipping vino. It's also where Top Chef contestants cooked for some very harsh critics—each other—in a brutal fifth season elimination challenge. If you're hoping to train your palate to be Top Chef-worthy, take one of Astor Center's one-day wine or food classes. No less an expert than Astor Center president Andrew Fisher helms the class, Elements of Wine: Wine Tasting, Wine Pairing, and More ($75). And in The Fundamentals of Cooking ($125), you'll learn how to wield knives and prep food like a top chef. For a cheaper alternative, attend a free wine tasting at Astor Center, held most afternoons and evenings Wednesday through Sunday. Tip: Buy a bottle of whatever you've sampled and receive 15 percent off the price. 399 Lafayette St., 212/674-7501, astorcenternyc.com. Brighton Beach, Curry Hill, and Chinatown New York's not called a melting pot for nothing; the city's immigrant neighborhoods are unparalleled in their breadth and scope. So it's fitting that season five's chefs were dispersed to various ethnic areas to find cooking inspiration. Hosea created a smoked fish and potato dish after visiting Brighton Beach, a seaside Russian enclave in southern Brooklyn. For a taste of Little Odessa, head to M & I International Food, a family-owned shop and restaurant in business for more than 30 years; pickled potato salad ($4 a pound) and slabs of massive, creamy Napoleons ($8 a pound)are among the offerings. Stop at Café Glechik for a heaping plate of pelmini (from $5) or vareniki (from $6), two types of small dumplings stuffed with meat, cheese, cabbage, or potato. M & I International Food, 249 Brighton Beach Ave., 718/615-1011; Café Glechik, 3159 Coney Island Ave., 718/616-0494. Hawaiian chef Eugene hadn't cooked Indian food before the challenge, but he wowed the judges with a lamb dish inspired by food he sampled in Curry Hill—a slice of the Manhattan neighborhood Murray Hill so nicknamed for its density of South Asian shops and restaurants. Find the perfect spices for your own cooking at Kalustyan's. Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi is a fan of the two-story ingredient emporium, which is crammed floor to ceiling with bags of Eastern spices, grains, sauces, and nuts (small bag of Kalustyan's curry powder, $5). Kalustyan's, 123 Lexington Ave., 212/685-3451, kalustyans.com. Chinatown's Oriental Garden will satisfy any Chinese craving. The superb seafood restaurant serves dishes like salt-baked prawns ($19) and braised sea cucumber ($29). Not sure what to order? No need to worry: Whatever you choose will be infinitely better than the gloppy Chinese-inspired salmon noodle dish that got culinary student Patrick eliminated from the show. Oriental Garden, 14 Elizabeth St., 212/619-0085.