2. The French Quarter

New Orleans, LA

From the Freret St corridor Uptown, with its invitation to go from the best burger in the country to the best cocktail spot a block away, down to the Bywater, whose myriad of new spots has earned it the official hipster branding, NOLA is one of the few cities in America that, neighborhood-by-neighborhood, can make entire cities blush in jealousy over the food girth tucked into tiny enclaves here.

And at the crown of it all is the French Quarter -- not the Lucky Dog-strewn Quarter, but the one that houses legends like Antoine’s and Tujague’s and Arnaud's, three of the oldest restaurants in the country, and has newer legends, like Bayona, Susan Spicer’s ode to Creole food that earned her a James Beard, tucked away in a 200-year-old cottage since the ‘90s and witnessed the birth of the po’boy. If you’re worried creativity is dead here and good eats are limited to the old guys, just try Killer Poboys’ spins on the iconic sandwich, like their spiced lamb sausage and tzatziki po'boy or taste Meauxbar’s crispy pork belly & scallops that come with kimchi vinaigrette or the lamb hearts served with a corn chow chow at SoBou.

Oh, and you can drink, too, at spots like Tiki Tolteca, one of 2014's best new bars, and Cane & Table, one of 2013's best new bars. And all that makes a great deal of sense when you remember that the cocktail was invented here and -- besides that pesky Prohibition period -- the best damn gin fizzes and Sazeracs and grasshoppers in the country have never stopped filling glasses on nearly every corner.

But let’s not forget that there are those yellow-and-red Lucky Dog stands and neon Hand Grenade lights.