city guides

Bordered by the Pacific Ocean and Coast Mountain Range, Vancouver is able to supply local chefs with an abundance of pristine and unusual seafood, produce and game. It has also been rumored that its residents dine out more than in any other North American city. So it's safe to say that Vancouverites might know a thing or two about good eats. Here are five buzzy newcomers that are well worth a visit.

Los Angeles has the largest Mexican-American population of any city in the United States, so it should come as no surprise that Angelenos probably also have the widest variety of tacos north of the border. Of course, inventive L.A. chefs have added plenty of fun spins — some of which could hardly be called Mexican. We negotiated the two worlds to strike a balance with the 25 best.

The man behind the new book The 4-Hour Chef offers some advice about dining out at restaurants, especially some wisdom on how to receive VIP treatment without over-tipping and other out-of-pocket activities. And how did he come to these conclusions? It turns out Ferriss is a big restaurant-head, particularly in his San Francisco hometown (he’s also an investor in restaurants including Blue Bottle Coffee). We asked him about his favorite places.