WHY Without booking a trip to Rome, you can taste farmstead mozzarella di bufala from cheese makers working in the DOP (Denomination of Protected Origin). The cheese, sourced from Agro Pontina (where the bufala roam) and Paestum (south of Naples) is flown to L.A. three times weekly.

WHAT Based on the sushi bar concept, Obika sprang to life in Rome and now has branches in 14 cities, including Tokyo and London. As with sushi, the servers construct your meal from ingredients displayed at the bar. Smoked mozzarella, creamy burrata, and fresh ricotta are rolled with various salumi, made part of a salad or worked into a pasta dish. You’ll also find excellent cured meats: bresaola, speck, prosciutti and pistachio-studded mortadella. Carefully selected regional wines and ricotta-based desserts round out the spectacular menu.