As the editors of Travel Weekly scour the world in their hunt for the best stories, sometimes a single meal or beverage is the star of the trip, staying with us long after we return home.

Here, our editors share one of the most memorable foodie moment they’ve had in the past year, ranging from the tongue-in-cheek, Martha Stewart-inspired Martha-tini in Las Vegas to a “symphony of chocolates and fruits” onboard a major cruise line.

Transported to Arendelle on the Disney Wish

Disney loves theater. On its cruise ships, passengers are rotated through its restaurants nightly, so everyone has the chance to enjoy the ambience of each. On the Disney Wish, that means dining, literally, in Arendelle, the fictional Norwegian home of “Frozen” sisters Elsa and Anna. In Arendelle-the-restaurant, the menu runs to Scandinavian dishes with an American flair and served with a character nod, such as Kristoff’s penne pasta with meatballs (on the kids’ menu). But I’m not really here for the food; I’m here for the theater in the round, where Olaf and the gang sing and play instruments. Also, to see my daughter and a roomful of kids waving their napkins in a giant singalong. “Let it go” might have debuted 13 years ago, but to me, it never feels old.

– Rebecca Tobin

A lip-smacking meal on Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises has a strong reputation for specialty dining, and the line lived up to it during an Alaska cruise.

The Catch by Rudi, the seafood specialty restaurant aboard the Discovery Princess, was a scrumptious experience. Courses were delicious and artistically presented. 

And the dessert course especially left an impression that my kids and I will remember for a long time. Rudi’s Artistic Face to Face, described as a “symphony of chocolates and fruits” was served in the shape of a face. Whimsical and decadent. Remember the wax candy lips from years ago? This dish had candy lips, but they tasted way better than the ones dropped into your Halloween bag in the 1970s.

The Salzburger Nockerl, a berry souffle made to look like three peaks of the Austrian Alps, was a smash hit, too.

– Jerry Limone

Diving into the experience at Casa Bonita in Denver

Denver’s Casa Bonita is kitschy but loads of fun. The legendary Acapulco-themed restaurant and attraction that South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker renovated this decade for nearly $50 million was long maligned for terrible food. But these days, Casa Bonita serves quality dishes off its small menu developed by six-time James Beard Award-nominated executive chef Dana Rodriguez. 

Still, it’s not the taco salad or even the famous sopaipillas that I’ll remember from my most recent visit. It’s the live mariachi band, the lagoon and grottos and, most of all, the cliff divers, who plunge 30 feet from atop an indoor waterfall every 20 minutes, often to the accompaniment of Elvis tunes.

– Robert Silk

A Maui meal that packs a flavor punch

Mosey up to Maui’s Star Noodle in Lahaina, and you’ll likely see throngs of hungry patrons hovering near the front door or posting up on the restaurant’s wraparound porch. We were told ahead of time, wisely, to secure a reservation. 

At first glance, Star Noodle appears casual; guests in the open-air dining room are treated to a soundtrack of lapping waves (and the occasional slurp from a neighboring table). But the cuisine is a case study in elevated simplicity: My garlic noodles, made famous on social media, didn’t look fancy — a simple bed of noodles topped with fresh and fried garlic, dashi and scallions —  but its flavor packed a punch. I devoured the entire bowl, which is usually shared family-style, and washed everything down with a Lucky Cat White Ale. Lucky, indeed.

– Emma Weissmann

The Jell-O shot gets a glow-up at New York hotel bars

The last place I expected to run into a Jell-O shot was a fancy hotel rooftop bar in Manhattan. So, when a tray of jiggly, jewel-toned cubes appeared during a party to celebrate a revamp of the W Times Square, I was caught off guard. I picked up a pretty orange piece, assuming it was dessert, but the server set me straight: it was actually a Spicy Mango Mezcal Marg. And it tasted exactly like a well-balanced mezcal margarita, all in one cold, boozy bite. 

The mastermind behind these elevated, gelatin-based shots is New York-based Solid Wiggles, which sells its “cocktail jellies” both online and at bars and restaurants. The Arlo Midtown and Arlo Soho hotel serve them on their rooftops ($9 per shot), and this summer the Times Square Edition’s Terrace and Outdoor Gardens debuted a seasonal menu, featuring $25 spritz cocktails paired with a shot.

– Christina Jelski

The most perfect vodka martini in Las Vegas?

The Bellagio’s Petrossian Bar may have a $75 martini served in a giant ice block. The Candy Martini Bar might pile their festive drinks high with (unsurprisingly) candy. But to me, the best vodka martini in Las Vegas will always be the Martha-tini, a simple, well-proportioned cocktail named after lifestyle maven and media mogul Martha Stewart.

I thought the magic of the Martha-tini, served at the pristine Bedford restaurant in the Paris, was the vodka used: Zubrowka Bison Grass. But on a recent visit, they were out of it and subbed with another of Stewart’s favorites, Belvedere, which was just as good. It turns out, whatever Polish vodka you use, it is — as Stewart would say — a good thing.

– Jamie Biesiada