Since we were already in Paris, I suggested to my husband that for his upcoming birthday we take a 2-day trip anywhere 3 or so hours away by rail from France’s capital. Almost immediately, he settled on Amsterdam, one of our favorite cities.

We love the charm of Amsterdam’s gorgeous canals bordered by17^th-century narrow brick houses, the astounding number of museums, and the friendliness of the Dutch. And we like trying the food there as well. For our first night we booked at De Kas, a stylish restaurant situated within what used to be a greenhouse built in the 1920s. Set amidst the green fields of a park, the tall, glass-framed structure was surrounded by an exquisite herb garden, while the interior, with its soaring glass ceiling and walls, took advantage of the structure’s brilliant light on a late summer evening. You could see the open kitchen from the large dining area and also a nursery where the restaurant grows its own produce. Talk about local!