I love empanadas. In the Philippines, empanadas are filled with savoury beef or chicken, peas, and finely chopped red paprikas and onions. Argentines make fabulous empanadas, very similar to what we have in the Philippines. Because I have no easy access to Philippine empanadas, I was thrilled to find the Argentine variety served out of a taco truck near Fisherman’s Wharf. The pastry is thin and flaky, the empanada is stuffed with meat filling and the price is right: $3.50.

Tanguito
2850 Jones Street
(between Beach St and Jefferson St)
San Francisco, CA 94133
+1 415 577 4223
Closed on Mondays

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Google map of Mapplr’s favorite restaurants, cafes and taco trucks in SF

Bahai Gardens in Haifa

I have posted articles about boutique hotels in Tel Aviv. But every now and then, someone asks me where to stay in Jerusalem, Haifa or around the Galilee. Although Israel is a small country and one could do day trips from Tel Aviv, sometimes it’s better to stay overnight in another city.

In Haifa, I recommend the Colony Hotel, a recently renovated boutique hotel in the German colony. The hotel has kept its historic Old World charm, but upgraded the amenities to suit the 21st century. The hotel is next to many good restaurants and cafes. And when you look up to the hills, you see the magnificent Baha’i Gardens (listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site).

The Colony Hotel
28 Ben-Gurion Boulevard
Haifa, Israel
+972 4 8513344
www.colony-hotel.co.il

If you feel like getting away from the crowds, go to Safed (or Zafed) in the hills above the sea of Galilee. Zafed is also known as the center of Kabbalah, the mystical branch of Judaism. From Safed, you can go on hikes around the Galilee or enjoy wine-tasting sessions in the wineries that dot the landscape. If you want to stay overnight, I recommend Villa Galilee, an intimate boutique hotel in the French Provençal style with a lovely view of the countryside.

Villa-Galilee
Hagdud Hashlishi 106
Har Cnaan
Zafed, Israel
+972 4 6999563
www.villa-galilee.com

Now on to Jerusalem. You can’t miss Jerusalem. The traffic jams getting in and out of the city are gruesome, so if you want to explore it, you’ll have to stay overnight and take the time to visit old churches, wander aimlessly through the Old City’s narrow alleys, and visit religious sites like the Western Wall. Do not miss the Western Wall tunnels which takes you underground and along the unexposed portion of the Wall. Although Jerusalem has a lot of choices for accommodations, you should consider the American Colony Hotel, probably the most historic place to stay. It’s expensive, but has a lot of atmosphere and charm.

The American Colony Hotel
Nablus Road
Jerusalem, Israel
+972 2 627 9777
www.americancolony.com

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Related articles:

Three fantastic restaurants in Israel

List of articles about hotels and restaurants in Tel Aviv

Google map of Mapplr’s favorite boutique hotels and restaurants outside Tel Aviv

If you haven’t signed up for our tweets, you have a good reason to do it now. We will be posting fabulous hotel deals via our Twitter feed. Many of the deals are for a limited time and the hotels, many of which are exclusive boutique hotels, prefer to publicize their deals to a very select audience.

We will be following up with restaurant deals soon.

So make sure you follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mapplr.

I’ve been to Helsinki several times and each time is special. Helsinki has a certain peacefulness about it that one seldom finds in other cities. I love to walking along the water, especially at Brunnsparken, one of the city’s many parks. What I cannot forget about Helsinki is the the light and the way it falls on the water, the trees and the 19th century buildings. My most memorable time is in September when the air is crisp and one feels autumn slowly slipping into the city.

If you are going to Helsinki, check out these hotels:

Glo Hotel
Kluuvikatu 4
Helsinki, Finland
+358 9 5840 9540
www.palacekamp.fi

Klaus K
Bulevardi 2
Helsinki, Finland
+358 20 770 4700
www.klauskhotel.com

Hotel Haven
Unioninkatu 17
Helsinki, Finland
+358 9 681 930
www.hotelhaven.fi

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Visit the Google map of Mapplr favorites in Helsinki

I am reluctant to give away my taco truck secret, but I suspect it’s not a secret anymore judging from the queues that seem to be getting longer every week. The taco truck in question is Los Compadres, which is parked at the corner of Folsom and Spear close to the Embarcadero. It is in front of the luxury high-rise Infinity condominiums. I have no idea if the residents of the Infinity ever descend to the delights of this taco truck for lunch, but if they do, they’ll know that the 3 tacos dish (which comes with beef, chicken, fried pork or barbecue pork) is only $4.50. This 3 Taco plate is my favorite since it’s just enough for lunch. The burritos are also delicious, but too much for me. For someone larger and very hungry, they’re perfect. You can tell them to make your dish spicy (the sauce is very good) or mild.

One more thing: this taco truck scored 100 out of 100 in the city’s most recent inspection report.

Los Compadres taco truck
Folsom at Spear (near Embarcadero)
San Francisco, CA

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Check out my reviews of SF restaurants and cafes.