St. John is an English restaurant on St. John Street in Smithfield, London. It was opened in October 1994 at a former bacon smokehouse location. St. John specializes in "nose to tail eating," which includes offal and other cuts of meat that help reclaim traditional British recipes. Typical dishes include pigs' ears, ducks' hearts, trotters, pigs' tails, bone marrow and squirrel. As a result, St. John has developed a following amongst gastronomic circles: "chefs, foodies, food writers and cooks on sabbatical."



St. John has won numerous awards and accolades, including Best British and Best Overall London Restaurant at the 2001 Moet & Chandon Restaurant Awards. It has also been listed as one of the top 50 restaurants in the world. In 2011, it placed 41st. It was awarded a Michelin star in 2009.



The interior made me feel like I was in a hipster tavern. The menu changes daily and begins with small bites and descends into larger portions.



We started with the complimentary crusty bread and perfectly softened butter.



Roast bone marrow & parsley salad



Halibut, leeks & tartare sauce



Grilled jerusalem artichoke, red onion, olive - this was revelatory. It stands out in my mind because I did not know an artichoke could taste like this. I had never had anything like this before and never have I since it had this perfectly soft and firm texture and a wonderfully savory flavor.



Deep-fried plaice, little gem & aioli



Eccles cake & Lancashire cheese



Ginger loaf, butterscotch sauce, and malt ice cream



One for the books.

Grade: A

Nando's is a South African fast casual restaurant chain that specializes in Portuguese flame-grilled, peri-peri style chicken.

"Many centuries ago Portuguese explorers added a squeeze of lemon and a kick of garlic to Mozambique’s African Bird’s Eye Chilli to create a legendary spice: PERi-PERi! Along with a hint of paprika there, a dash of onion here, PERi-PERi is most popularly used to baste tasty, tender (if it’s from Nando’s) chicken. Handed down generations, fiery family recipes for PERi-PERi eventually made their way across to the braai grills of South Africa where Nando’s story began," reads the website.



I ordered the Boneless Butterflied Chicken Breast - Flame-grilled, skin-on, basted in your choice of PERi-PERi sauce. I did plain so it wasn't super spicy, but I was able to try lots of different flavors for dipping sauces. Also, I had sides of macho peas & spiced grains with feta.



This meal was really tasty. There was a good bit of spice, but not necessarily spicy. The chicken was moist and full of flavor, and the sides weren't bad. I enjoyed the garlic Peri Peri sauce, which definitely added some heat.



Grade: A

Lyle's is a pioneer of modern food in London and was awarded a Michelin star just 18 months after opening. It has been listed as the 33rd best restaurant in the world.

"The pared-down, ersatz-industrial look of the restaurant gains extra animation from the open kitchen, while warmth and personality come courtesy of the delightful service team. The dishes may appear to be as unadorned as the room, but don’t be fooled – they are technically accomplished, cleverly composed and boast plenty of depth and sophistication. The excellent ingredients – be that red mullet or mutton – provide flavours that are clean, unadulterated and a joy to experience. There’s a set menu at dinner; for lunch there’s an array of individually prices dishes," reads the Michelin Guide.



When one of my best friends, Bri, invited me to join her on a trip to London, I took her up on it. She already planned to stay at a lovely hotel in the Shoreditch area and generously allowed me to tagalong. My first priority: food. And Lyle's was at the top of the list.



They offer a daily rotating menu of super seasonal dishes in a light-drench dining area with concrete floors and light wood tables and chairs.



We began our meal with hearty sourdough bread & a log of butter. And then we ordered a few dishes to share.



Beetroot, walnut & cured hereford beef



Hereford bavette, heritage beans & anchovy



Squid, burnt tomato & marjoram



Ceps, vin jaune & egg yolk

Everything was wonderful.

Grade: A

For over 25 years, City Brew has been brewing up the best for the Mountain West! From dark to light, intense to bright, there's always a new cup awaiting. Savor the finest, globally sourced coffee beans roasted to perfection, reads the website. City Brew was my first stop in North Dakota, so I was ready for a drink and snack. I opted for a Mountain Morning Latte - our signature Cool River espresso and milk combined with Ghirardelli White Chocolate and caramel pecan create a rich, nutty, and sweet latte. I also ordered a bagel with cream cheese. The coffee was very tasty. Just the right amount of sweet for me. The bagel was lackluster - not a ton of flavor and maybe a bit too toasted that made it crumbly. Grade: B

Seaman Cafe is a general cafe in Miami near the cruise port. I stopped here for a quick bite before it was my time to board the ship.



At this time of day, they featured some breakfast pastries and lunch specials. I wasn't feeling breakfast or sweets on this particular day, so I went with the spaghetti and meatballs.



It was a plentiful dish, but nothing extraordinary. The noodles were way past done, and the sauce was pretty plain. But, it was almost nostalgic for me in a way for college days, where sometimes a meal was a box of pasta and a jar of tomato sauce.



Grade: C