Spring is full of possibilities.
The world opens up as the weather warms. Restaurants across the northern hemisphere emerge from seasonal hibernation with patio chairs and seasonal specials, colorful ingredients push their way up through even the frostiest Himalayan soil, and the buoyant spirit of Carnival shimmies its way throughout the Caribbean and Europe. Elsewhere, weather patterns differ, but the celebratory sentiment is the same: Sri Lanka welcomes visitors to its coconut palm-lined shores in between monsoon seasons, Argentine bodegas ring in fall with harvest festivals and damajuanas of tinto, and spring break offers an opportunity to eat your way through the desayunos Chinos at Panama City’s dim sum parlors or the hearty stews in the street-side maquis of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
If you didn’t manage to check every destination meal off your list in 2024, this spring is the perfect time to travel for yourself: Go where you want, gather in ways you want, and — most importantly — eat what you want. — Nick Mancall-Bitel