Shop crystal, dine Kristall
The Swarovski Crystallized shop in Manhattan hosts Café Kristall from Kurt Gutenbrunner, Michelin-starred for his nearby restaurant Wallse. kg-ny.com

Trade insider information
The best palates in Houston not only divulge where they eat, but take you there in Where The Chefs Eat culinary tours. Celebrated chefs including Hugo Ortega (Hugo’s) and Monica Pope (t’afia) lead the dine-arounds, including The Americas tour (September 18), Middle Eastern outing (October 16), and Street Food (November 13). houstonculinarytours.com

Reserve now
Consider this season’s banner openings: America Eats Tavern, featuring American classics from José Andrés (pictured) in Washington, D.C.; Bread Street Kitchen in London, with wood-fired flatbreads from Gordon Ramsay; and Cochon, a pig-focused spin-off in Lafayette from New Orleans chef Donald Link. americaeatstavern.com, gordonramsay.com, donaldlink.com

See how a restaurateur makes beds
Owners of the famed Cipriani restaurant in New York just debuted Mr. C, a 138-room hotel with an Italian (of course) eatery, in Los Angeles. Rooms from $329. (310) 277-2800, mrchotels.com

Finish with something savory
Move over, sugar. Savory is the new sweet. Sample goat cheesecake (pictured) at The National in New York, jalapeño pineapple polenta cake at The Henry in Las Vegas, and bacon ice cream root beer floats with candied pork jowl at Brookville Restaurant in Charlottesville, Virginia. thenationalnyc.com, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com, brookvillerestaurant.com

Dine among art at Dragonfly
Located inside Dallas’ chic Hotel ZaZa, Dragonfly offers up creative cuisine in a fun, art-filled setting that attracts the city’s A-listers. Sidle up to the 20-foot Carrera marble bar and perch yourself on one of the 20th-century bentwood bistro chairs, or let your dinner party spill out to the pool for alfresco dining on a temperate fall night. Be sure to end the evening with chef Dan Landsberg’s fun “Afterschool Snack,” featuring a homemade Hoho, Twinkie, and butterscotch pudding. hotelzazadallas.com

Pop a wheelie
You can’t drink and drive, but you can commute between beers aboard the Pedal Tavern in Milwaukee. The 16-seat bike-pedal-powered mobiles offer neighborhood pub crawls. pedaltavern.com