The Basque Revolution In one small corner of northern Spain, even the lowliest farmhouse restaurant kitchen is a cradle of haute cuisine. Anya von Bremzen reports from the culinary vanguard.
Michael Kanners A unique design, the finest material, and a bit of wit
By Design
Art on the Range Thirty years ago the sculptor Donald Judd brought his grand minimalist dream to Marfa, Texas. Today the town may be the most avant-garde art destination in America, reports Michael Ennis.
Culture Watch
A Maison Of His Own A Paris collector has a lofty goal: to transform the French cultural landscape.
Private Eyes In an overheated art market, many collectors are turning to cool-headed advisors to land the key buy.
Going Down to Cabo Here, at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, where Pacific waters meet lush, lunar landscapes, new breathtakingly good courses seem to open every year. At this rate, says Gary Fisketjon, Los Cabos will have more premier golf than anywhere else in the world.
Home Front
Shell Shocked Thomas Boog tames nature, redefining seashell art with a bold elegance.
In Profile
Planet Newson At 41 Marc Newson is the newest member of an exclusive club of tastemaking designers who reshape our world one item at a time.
Sport
Into the Peruvian Wild Deep in the Amazon basin, a naturalist's paradise is home to thousands of unusual plants, animals, and, oh yes, 362 varieties of ants.
Travel
Fiji for Two It has no spa or tennis court. Instead, Dolphin Island offers an altogether rarer form of indulgence—the luxury of having the whole place (seven acres of South Pacific paradise) to yourself.
L.A. Confidential An insider's guide to where to stay, eat, visit, and, of course, shop.
Wine & Spirits
The 50 Percent Solution The lamentably elusive half bottle—375 ml versus the traditional 750—allows those dining à deux to pair a different wine with each course.
Worldly Goods
A New Digital Age Twenty-two megapixels you can hold in one hand? Medium-format photography pulls off the impossible.
Case Study Incredibly durable and stubbornly old-fashioned, cult favorite Globe-Trotter luggage is finally gaining the attention it deserves.
Private Barrel Rum This dark-horse liquor steps out from its rum-and-Coke reputation to give delicate palates a taste of something new.
Spinal Tap Glenn Horowitz sells more than rare books; he helps create one-of-a-kind literary worlds.
Enter your e-mail address to subscribe to World Wise, a monthly email newsletter to help you keep on top of fabulous splurges and compelling deals chosen specifically for Platinum Card® and Centurion® members from American Express.
TV TUNE IN: Checking in on Luxury
Departures Editor in Chief Richard David Story introduces the wildest innovations in contemporary luxury, airing on Plum TV®. The segments will be broadcast during Connections with Jennie Saunders beginning August 23. View programming schedule
