The nicest way to reach Obsthof am Steinberg is by bike. The roads there are gorgeous and you won’t think you are in Frankfurt anymore. After biking the last hill of the trip, you will feel like you’ve arrived in paradise. The tables are set up outside under the apple trees. They offer apfelwein from various types of apples and you can really taste the difference. That is why the drink menu is pretty long, so try several varieties. The menu showcases typical Frankfurt dishes (handkäse, potato salad, freshly grilled sausages and more. If you are lucky, you may catch a regional orchestra playing in the orchard. And if you want to learn more about artisanal apfelwein, you can join one of their guided tours during the day.

Adolf Wagner is definitely one of the oldest traditional apfelweinwirtschaft in Frankfurt, and one of the best. The apple wine tavern’s rooms are full of old bembel jugs, paintings and tourists. It will be busy and loud, but you will get some tasty grüne soße (green sauce), schnitzel, fried potatoes or even handkäse. Those huge wood tables are made to be shared; it’s part of the culture, as is the rudeness of the waiters. My suggestion is to go there with some friends to share a big apfelwein bembel carafe and a schnitzel, because the portions are enormous. Pro tip: Feel free to mix your apfelwein with some sparkling water to make it less sour.

Proletariat is a family-friendly apfelweinwirtschaft, the kind of old-fashioned tavern you want to spend your evening in. The interior is fully decorated with myriad picture frames, bembel jugs and mirrors on the walls. The apfelwein is some of the best in the city, as is their schnitzel, pounded thin with a crust that breathes with the meat. The menu is mostly composed of various meats with potatoes. But the handkäse (a German regional sour milk cheese) is a great dish to share as a starter with your friends.

During the summer, the terrace at Fichtekränzi is full of Frankfurters. It’s truly a local spot. Join in a toast with a glass of apfelwein (apple wine) and you will feel part of the family quickly. For a traditional German meal, start with some handkäse (milk cheese) to share (no fork!) or frankfurter würtschen (a thin, boiled sausage of pure pork). Following that, you can’t go wrong with Frankfurter Schnitzel (schnitzel and grüne soße), or just grüne soße with potatoes if you don’t like eating meat.  The cold herb sauce consists of sour cream, boiled eggs, spices and, of course, herbs. Those main dishes are made fresh every day and are typical of the German state of Hessen. During the winter, you always feel cozy sitting inside, next to each other. The place is full of long tables and are made to be shared. To keep you warm, don’t hesitate to order schnapps at the end of your meal. Mispelschen, made with apple brandy, is a tradition.

El Taco de Mexico is the place Denver chefs come to eat. Everything from the tacos to handmade gorditas to burritos are made with a variety of meats prepared with great expertise. The fried pork burrito is magnificent served smothered in green chile sauce. Invented in Denver, the burrito served here is a very refined version. The venue is down-market, but the food is anything but. This is a flagship for the unique version of Mexican food found in Denver we are calling Mexi-Den.

For some of the best Asian and Italian food in London’s west end, head to Russian restaurateur Arkady Novikov’s ornate three-floor, see-and-be-seen eateries and lounge bar in Mayfair. An elegant clientele packs the ground floor’s Far East fusion section with granite walls and its colorful display of fresh seafood and vegetables; while Italian lovers fill the spacious, sky-lit Italian eatery, below, with wood-fired oven, suede walls, solid oak-framed mirrors and rustic chandeliers. Novikov is the restaurant equivalent of that beautiful girl or guy who has it all and all the other girls or guys are jealous of and pretend to not like, but secretly do. 

For one of the best hamburgers in central Illinois, meat lovers head to Green Gables tavern on the shore of Lake Bloomington. Opened in 1929 at a gas station, the site was converted in 1952 into a bar, grill and full-service grocery store. Famous for its fatty, juicy patties smashed flat on the grill so their edges turn crisp, cheeseburgers are stacked with cheese, pickles, tomato, onions, ketchup and mustard, then swaddled in paper to steam. Legend has it musician Ted Nugent declared it the best cheeseburger he'd ever eaten. Pro tip: Accompany your burger with a fried side of cheddar cheese balls or corn nuggets. And prepare to wait. Service can be slow. 

Humble market stall it may be, but the burgers are brilliant. Fat, juicy patties, crafted from a blend of 28-day aged cuts, are grilled on a little hotplate and anointed with one of three toppings. Molten cheese tops Mother Flipper’s Cheeseburger. A third of a pound of brisket and short rib with bone marrow is fashioned into a patty, grilled and popped onto a rich brioche bun with lettuce, pickles and onions. There currently aren't any side dishes, but you can buy a cold can of pop to wash down your lunch. You'll usually find them on Tuesdays at “Kerb,” the street food gathering previously known as eat.st) near King's Cross, or on Saturdays at Brockley Market, but it's worth checking their twitter page on the day.

Relatively new on the burger scene, the owner is a former rock star and the burgers are a smash hit. The Chairman features a whopping one-third pound patty of brisket, short rib with bone marrow. Topped with cheese, bun sauce and pickled red onion jam, it’s sandwiched in a hamburger cream bun.  In an age of gourmet burgers galore, this is one of the best by far.

This glass-fronted, exposed brick-walled cafe on the edge of Borough Market serves biodynamic wines and a seasonal menu cooked on a wood-fired grill. They only serve burgers for lunch on weekdays, and Elliott’s burger fans pack the house. Mind-meltingly awesome, every single last thing on the burger is made in-house. Elliot's minces and presses its beef patties, incorporating aged rib-eye caps and fresher shin, shoulder or flank to perfectly balance the flavors of beefiness and age, aiming for an 80/20 meat-to-fat ratio. Beer-braised onions and Comté cheese give the burger a decidedly French je ne sais quoi and the wonderfully soft, slightly sweet buns are baked in-house using olive oil instead of butter. The buns are delicious, soft, yet sturdy. The burger is served with fried potato discs, homemade mayo and a rich, clove-infused ketchup. Uniquely, discs of sweet pickled cucumber are served skinless, which removes crunch, the perfect complement to the soft, squishy texture of the ensemble and the unusually deep flavor of the beef patty.