All day long, creatives donning breezy blouses and wide-leg jeans dip into the burl wood-clad Ash Bar for polished Continental fare—think soft-scrambled eggs and salmon, Wellfleet oysters, and steak tartare—and when the sun sets, they beeline straight to Bloom’s. The marvelously over the top cocktail bar, outfitted with red velvet banquettes and undulating mirrors, buzzes with the energy of neighborhood folk who are eager to sample the barkeep’s magical mixing (the Ferrari, a mix of Fernet Branca and Cappelletti, could raise the dead). After a night of rabble-rousing, the Walters Museum is a quick stroll across Mount Vernon Place—stop to see the Washington Monument, the first monument begun in the U.S. to honor the President—as is the Peabody Institute, the renowned conservatory, which occasionally airs live performances by students, alumni, and faculty. Later, stop in at Comptoir du Vin. Operating from an unassuming townhouse in Station North, due north of Ulysses, they offer one of the best meals in the city, with a tight menu of French-inflected dishes and a robust list of genuinely delicious natural wines. Or, head to buzzy Clavel Mezcalería, from restaurateur Lane Harlan, to keep the party going. The celeb chef is quietly building a Baltimore empire of thoughtful, delicious, good-time spots, and the next venture—a bar called The Coral Wig—only just opened in Ulysses’ basement. —Betsy Blumenthal
Chris Simpson
Sensei Porcupine Creek — Rancho Mirage, California
You’d be forgiven for thinking this desert retreat—burrowed into the foothills of the Santa Rosa mountains in Rancho Mirage, California—was a figment of the imagination. Only Sensei’s second outpost, the lush, 230-acre spread once belonged to Sensei co-founder and tech billionaire Larry Ellison. But it’s real, and its modus operandi even more so. The brand is guided by the Sensei Way, a data-driven approach to wellness that hinges on the tenets of movement, nourishment, and rest. Among the offerings to work into your customized itinerary: a state-of-the-art gym, with exercise physiologists at your disposal; an open-air pavilion kitted out for wall yoga; tennis courts modeled on those of the nearby Indian Wells Tennis Garden; a spa that employs proprietary thermal mapping technology to optimize treatments; an expertly manicured 75-acre golf course; and a pool area with terraced alcoves that allow every swimsuit-clad guest to sunbathe in near-privacy. At the end of the day, once you’ve traded your workout separates for an off-the-shoulder sundress or a linen button-down and khakis, the guests-only dining experience of Sensei by Nobu awaits. The collaboration between Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa and Sensei co-founder Dr. David Agus marries classic Nobu flavors with local ingredients, and doesn’t skimp on fan favorites like the black cod miso and the rock shrimp tempura.
Part of the resort’s inherent appeal is in seclusion, but civilization isn’t too far off. Palm Springs is just a 20-minute drive up the road; visitors to the design-crazed town are wise to seek out a few of its famed antique and vintage dealers, including Angel View Thrift Mart, Iconic Atomic, and the plein-air Palm Springs Vintage Market, which takes place on the Sunday of each month. (Though, if you want to tuck your wallet away, the Palm Springs Art Museum—carved laterally into the landscape like the Temple of Hatshepsut—is an equally fulfilling stop.) Grab brunch at King’s Highway, the lovingly lived-in roadside diner inside the Ace Hotel, and hit Johannes for dinner; the eclectic, Austrian-inspired dishes boasts an entire mini-menu devoted to takes on schnitzel. —Betsy Blumenthal
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