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Norwalk, Connecticut's Knipschildt Chocolatier is one of the most prominent young confection companies in the country, an independent empire run by Fritz Knipschildt, a handsome Danish chef who combines his background in fine dining with a boundary-breaking flair for sweets. Knipschildt's individual chocolate pieces are named after women, such as the Stacy (white chocolate with cardamom ganache), Carrie (crunchy mocha nougatine), Hannah (burnt caramel with Hawaiian sea salt), Donna (dark chocolate and currant with edible gold leaf), Rosa (rose truffle with rose petal), and Kelly (strawberry lemon thyme). They're all a treat for the eyes as well, miniature art pieces bedecked in edible finery. At Chocopologie Cafe, his adjacent eatery, you can take the chocolate theme even further into unexplored territories, such as escargot with beurre chocolat and garlic bread, or just enjoy savory offerings such as salads, sandwiches, and breakfast plates without chocolate. It's the perfect place to go wild, or stick with more familiar fare.

Knipschildt is an easy and short drive from your stay at Four Points by Sheraton Norwalk, so there's no excuse not to dive into this chocolate wonderland and pick out some gifts for your loved ones. Knipschildt is also easily accessible from New York City, about an hour train-ride, with the shop and cafe located mere blocks from the train station. What are your favorite chocolatiers in the world? Please tell us about them in the comments below.

While there's a bit of a craze for zombies in pop culture right now, for some people, zombies never went out of style. Nor scorpions or volcanoes. That's right, tiki lives on here in the States and around the world. Particularly, it turns out, in London.

Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London" name-drops Trader Vic's, which opened in London in 1963 and is still going strong. Werewolves prefer piña coladas, but the classic is, of course, the Mai Tai. Far less hidebound is Mahiki Club (pictured), a popular destination for celebrities, certain royalty and the paparazzi who follow them. It's not just for the beautiful people, though, and the drinks are well-made, if a bit pricey. It's also conveniently around the corner from the Park Lane Hotel.

The Sugar Cane goes the whole nine yards with the Polynesian theme, and specializes in rum drinks in both classic tiki tradition and some of their own. Try the fun Hairy Coconut or their own bourbon-and-rum Pacific South — and take the edge off with something from the kitchen, too.

St. John - and the Westin St. John Resort & Villas is a luxurious destination. But every in-the-know island hopper (including celebs like Kenny Chesney) carves out an afternoon for beer drinking at Woody's, home of the island's most popular happy hour.

Spend the early part of the day relaxing on the Westin's 1,200 feet of private beach along Great Cruz Bay. But when 3 o'clock hits, it's time to head to Woody's, St. John's self-proclaimed "coolest bar and restaurant." Woody's does plenty to earn that label, starting with its happy hour. Locals and tourists alike cram into the pint-size bar (and its handful outdoor tables) located a stone's throw from the ferry dock to order $1 Budweisers and well drink specials from 3 to 6 p.m. But its most famous - and addictive - drink is the Painkiller, a potent mix of dark rum, coconut, pineapple and orange juice, topped with nutmeg and a maraschino cherry. The drinks tend to get the lion's share of the rave reviews, but ordering the amazingly tasty "shark bites" is a must: The nugget-size pieces of fish come blackened in a powerful mix of spices and served in a basket. Like the Painkillers, you'll likely have a tough time keeping it to one order.

Belgium didn't invent beer, but it makes a strong case for being the best beer country in the world. Breweries in and around Brussels and across the country make some of the most highly regarded beers available, and produce some unique styles that rank among my personal favorites.

To start your own exploration of Belgian beers on your next stay at the Four Points by Sheraton Brussels, head to the source. The Museum of the Gueuze is housed inside the famous Cantillon Brewery, makers of fine lambic, or spontaneously fermented beer. Here you'll learn the traditional brewing process, unchanged for more than a century, inspect the aging barrels and finish with a sample.

Naturally, from there you may wish to sample a wider variety. Chez Moeder Lambic is a good place to start; it's developing a fine following among the beer cognoscenti. But to graduation to the big leagues, look for the pink elephant and explore Delirium Cafe. With more than 2,000 beers available, making a choice may be difficult, but the staff is very knowledgable and happy to offer suggestions. Be forewarned: the bar can get quite smoky, particularly later in the evening.

Want to bring a couple bottles back to the hotel, or ship them home? Beer Planet and de Bier Tempel are at your service. Both have ridiculously large selections, ranging from the mass-produced to the family-made.

Soul Gastrolounge serves sushi, global tapas, and craft cocktails. Sounds like a questionable mix, right? It should be, but the end result is utterly delicious, fabulously hip, and definitely a must on your next trip to Charlotte.

Located two miles east of the Aloft Charlotte Uptown at the EpiCentre, in the heart of the cool and artsy Plaza Midwood neighborhood, Soul is tucked into the second floor of a corner building, giving a night spent here a sort of in-the-know flavor from the start. It's fairly dark inside, with plenty of exposed brick, eclectic seating (gigantic slide-on-in booths, loveseats, two-tops, bar seating along the DJ booth), and, most likely, a whopper of a line. The best plan of action is to arrive with a "drink then eat" plan in mind. Order a cocktail or glass of wine from the bar and sip until you can snag a seat. Once your dinner menu is in front of you, wish yourself luck: It's hard to whittle down your order to what you can actually eat. Standouts include the sashimi tuna tacos, served in a crispy fried wonton shaped to form a very mini taco; the white bean and goat cheese dip tinged with rosemary, which perfect a combination of rich and comforting flavors; and the soul roll, spicy salmon, cucumber, and jalapeno maki topped with white tuna, wasabi aioli, chili, and spicy mayo sauce.

[image via Soul Gastrolounge]

A tiny shop in Paris makes what many say is the absolute best ice cream in the world. Whether you're saddled with a mean sweet tooth or just love to taste la crème de la crème, a stop at Berthillon is a must.

The luxe ice cream maker opened its doors in 1954 - and now it opens its door daily with 30-some ice cream and sorbet options; by day's end, the available choices will have dwindled to just a handful. Located across the river from the Westin Paris just beyond the Notre Dame on the Ile Saint-Louis, its fame stems in part from its 50-plus-year commitment to using natural ingredients: no preservatives or chemical sweeteners, just the best milk, cream, sugar, and eggs, accented by real fruit and flavorings. No description will do its incredibly concentrated flavors real justice - you just have to taste them. But what exactly can you taste? Flavors include pistachio, dark bitter cocoa, rum raisin, cassis, licorice, and praline with lemon and coriander, among others. Take the multi-scoop cone route so you can sample more than one. Be prepared to wait in line, and to be wowed. A tip: The scoops are on the smaller size and fairly expensive. Savor, don't criticize, or be prepared to frowned upon by the foodies of the world.

[image via Wikimedia Commons, Copyright © 2003 David Monniaux]

The hamburger is the quintessential American food, I think — even more so than apple pie. Although there are plenty of regional styles out there, the burger has become a blank slate upon which culinary artists may express their creativity. Or, they can just get crazy with it, like these three spots.

In Chicago, the top burger place in town comes with a side of metal. Heavy metal rules at Kuma's Corner, where it plays on the stereo and every burger on the menu is named after a metal band. The half-pound burgers range from the conventional (the Mastodon, topped with bacon, cheddar, barbecue sauce and frizzled onions) to the haute (the Lair of the Minotaur, with pancetta, caramelized onions, brie and bourbon-soaked poached pears) to the downright nuts (the Slayer, a platter of chili cheese fries with a burger and andouille sausage under the chili). Make the trek from the W Chicago - Lakeshore and be prepared to wait for a table.

The Lunchbox Laboratory in Seattle embraces the insanity. Its daily experiments, aka, specials, are the draw here — ridiculous mounds of toppings smother the premium ground beef or "dork" (ground duck and pork) patties, all but daring you to try to use the bun to lift it to your mouth. Grab a cab from the W Seattle, and stop at an ATM on the way — these burgers are pricey, but definitely worth it.

It's hard to tell you where to go from the W Los Angeles - Westwood to find Yatta-! Truck, a food truck featuring the All-American, a cheeseburger-like sushi roll filled with beefsteak, pickle and melted cheese, tempura fried. Follow the truck on Twitter to find out where to get this weird wonder.

You think your local big box supermarket is big? Imagine having to take a taxi from one section to another.

La Central de Abasto is the largest wholesale market in the world. It covers 327 hectares (808 acres) and serves as the central axis for Mexico's food supply. Or at least it did when it was built. Once 80% of the country's food passed through this market; today it's more like 20% thanks to competition from Costco and Walmart. However, the market has adapted by allowing retail sales alongside the wholesaling, which means you're now free to explore and shop to your heart's content. Arrange car service and a tour guide through the concierge at the Sheraton Maria Isabel, and plan to get up early for this overwhelming experience. Don't forget your camera.

If that sounds too crazy, the Mercado de la Merced is still bewilderingly large, but it's at least manageable by foot. The labyrinthian market is lined with stalls selling fresh meat, produce and spices; shops offering housewares; restaurants cooking up little snacks or antojitos; and bars serving drinks and less savory things. As with much of Mexico City, it's wise to guard against pickpockets, but keep your eyes open and enjoy one of the greatest spectacles Mexico City has to offer.

It's a little-known fact, but people of Chinese descent can be found all over South America, brought to the continent as laborers under the Spanish colonization. Lima, Peru has the oldest South American Chinatown, el Barrio Chino, and it's well worth exploring during your stay at the Sheraton Lima Hotel & Convention Center. Hire a taxi to Calle Capon, not far from the Mercado Central, Lima's central market.

In Peru, the word chifa means Chinese restaurant, and Calle Capón's zodiac inlaid walkways are lined with them. One place to check out is San Joy Lao, one of the restaurants that helped revitalize the neighborhood a few years ago. Like many restaurants, it mixes some Peruvian sensibilities into its Chinese dishes.

Restaurante Royal comes highly recommended but is also one of the pricier restaurants in the neighborhood. They do, however, offer the rare "Oriental breakfast," a combination of dim sum and Peruvian items such as buñuelos. For tasty dim sum later in the day, try Salón Capón, a Barrio Chino favorite.

Ah beer. Nothing quenches a thirst on a hot summer day quite like it. And if you're traveling to Portland, Yosemite or Cincinnati this summer, there's a festival devoted to the cold stuff that might be worth planning your weekend around.

Oregon Brewfest brings more than 80 craft beers to Portland July 22-25. It's a relatively cheap event: you can get to drinking for as little as $10. The Westin Portland is offering a special event rate for festival-goers, too.

The 15th annual Mammoth Festival of Beers & Bluesapalooza fills Mammoth Lakes with music and brews August 6-8. Stay at the Westin Monache Resort and enjoy the product of more than 50 microbreweries while catching sets by such acts as Los Lonely Boys and Shemekia Copeland.

The Cincinnati Brew Ha-Ha brings together beer and stand-up — more than 80 of the former and 50 of the latter — August 27-28. The Westin Cincinnati is your home base when you've had enough beer-belly laughs.