If you're planning on visiting Southern California anytime soon, be sure to check out The New York Times' Choice Tables blog, which just posted a rundown of some delicious-sounding restaurants in downtown LA, a highly underrated neighborhood often overlooked by travelers. 

We find Rivera particularly appetizing, thanks to its interesting array of tequilas, the diverse crowd it pulls in, and the promise of savory flan.

We mentioned the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival on our blog a few weeks ago, so we're excited to spread the word that Flavorpill and Jetsetter have partnered to give away a trip for two to the event. Talk about the ultimate escape in the city!

The winner will receive roundtrip airfare for two (should you and your guest not be New Yorkers) and a three-night stay at the swanky James Hotel from October 7th - 10th. Even more exciting are the sold out parties and events you'll get to attend if you win - …

Fall is just around the corner, so get in the mood with Harvest in the Square, the Union Square District's autumnal festival. The celebration of food, drink, and community will take place on Tuesday, September 21st at 7:30 in Union Square Park, with all proceeds going to the upkeep of the square. While ticket prices may seem a bit steep ($125 for general admission and $400 for VIP tickets), some of the best chefs from the most popular restaurants will be catering with produce from everyone's favorite Union Square Greenmarket, accompanied by local wines and microbrews.

Feeling in the …

While Maryland will never be Napa or even the North Fork, we confess to being intrigued by the idea of wine-tasting in the state after reading this piece in The New York Times. After all, Baltimore is one of our favorite underrated short jaunts, and a quick side trip from the city to do some vino-sipping sounds pretty tempting. 

Regardless of the wine quality, the region's food, fun activities (grape stomping, anyone?), and relaxed atmosphere (no one spits out wine after tasting; everyone visits vineyards just to drink) sound like reasons enough to make the trip. Check out the full feature …

While we know what to do in Nice, we didn't know about this mouth-watering ice cream shop. Next time we head to the Côte d'Azur, we're going to try it, thanks to David Leibovitz, one of our favorite food bloggers who just clued us in to Fenocchio Ice Cream. 

As the most famous ice cream producer in the region, this family-owned establishment has 94 flavors of ice creams and sorbets from tomato and basil, to cactus. Don't worry if these flavors sound too exotic - there's always vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. The first shop opened in 1966 …

When Gadling posted this article about the FDA's new rules on even more food outlets - including airlines and trains - providing nutritional information, we just had to chime in.

As New Yorkers, we've gotten used to seeing calorie counts at chain restaurants, and we have to confess that they make a difference to us. After all, when you see the number of calories next to a chai latte or a Frappuccino, tea or black coffee suddenly seems like a much better idea.

When it comes to in-flight food options, however, passengers have way fewer choices than consumers on …