Ever feel that you might want to skip the family Christmas celebration and Uncle Bob after he’s had one-too-many and head to the movies and eat Chinese food like the neighbors? Or maybe you grew up ordering Chinese takeout and you can recite the family’s order by heart. Well, now that you’re a grown up, you can either continue your holiday tradition and order your favorite noodles like you always do, or start a new tradition by skipping the fruitcake and heading for some dim sum. In honor of old and new traditions and using Localicious and Foursquare, we present the Top 5 most popular places to go diving for dumplings.

5. Chi Café – Chicago

The perks of this place run from “pretty decent service” to late hours: open till 5AM during the week and 24 hours on weekends. Rolled noodles and pan fried turnips shake up what is a menu where folks rave about the Chi stir fry special, chicken wings, the salt and pepper squid and curry fish balls.

4. Grand Sichuan – New York

This unassuming Sichuan restaurant in a far northwest corner of Chelsea is an awesome place for groups to share family style eating. The soup dumplings or dumplings in red oil are a “must”. The service is uneven, but “people put up with it for the amazing food”. Tip: order an off-menu item: green pea shoots.

3. Gourmet Dumpling House – Boston

Offering both Northern and Southern Chinese cuisine in the center of Chinatown, patrons parse the qualities of their moist dumplings: some opine that the “pork dumplings better than the pork and crab” but you can’t lose either way. Of note: It’s “one of the few places in Boston that you can get xiaolongbao soup dumplings.”

2. Mission Chinese Food – San Francisco

The started-as-a-taco-truck-serving-sandwiches culinary phenom that eventually took shelter in a Chinese restaurant (with a pop up burger shop in between) was named one of the best new restaurants of 2011 by Bon Appetit. Couldn’t have said it better: ”Cumin lamb belly? Fiery and addictive. Warm egg custard with duck confit and sea urchin? Brilliant. Hot-and-sour pork dumplings made to order? Further proof that MCF is no accident.”

1. Jade Garden – Seattle

Named best Dim Sum restaurant this year by Seattle Weekly, the place is “run down and chaotic”, but the food is fresh. Diner favorites are the sticky rice in banana leaves and the honey walnut shrimp. Tip: “call ahead, and then check when you arrive: your name will be put on the list when you call.”

The Mile High City, Denver offers an amazing selection of places to get buzzed, belly up to and chow down at, in between playing–hard. Here, we merge Localicious lore and Fousquare check-ins to bring you the best boites in Bronco-ville:

Breakfast: Snooze

Local winner for best pancakes, this joint is worth the two-hour wait (possibly three on weekends), for the six different kinds of Eggs Benedict, the red velvet pancakes, pineapple upside down pancakes, coffee and mimosas and Bloody Mary’s. Tip: you can get your flapjack fix with a single of any flavor as a side order.

Lunch: Steuben’s

A re-imagined version of the classic American chrome-and-comfort-food diner, Steuben’s serves bacon-infused-vodka Bloody Mary’s as well as classics like fried chicken, mac and cheese, gravy fries and Monte Cristos in an ambiance that keep people coming back for more. Double bonus: veggie burger is “particularly veggie-full” and there’s a gluten free menu.

Dinner: City o’ City

Yes, it’s vegetarian and vegan, but the raved-about seitan Buffalo wings and croquette baskets are to die for, as is the great coffee. The burger and poutine platters will please even meat eaters. Locals say it’s the “best place to see local musicians.” Great happy hour specials make people, well, happy.

Coffee: Rooster & Moon

Voted Denver’s best new coffeehouse, you’ll “come for the coffee and stay for the food”, like the raved about tomato basil bisque and banana pudding.  Bottomless coffee is a bargain to buzz about.  With creatively flavored simple syrups for cocktails, it’s “fun to play” with them for coffee. Check out their happy hour Monday – Friday from 3-7PM.

Drinks: Rock Bottom Brewery

You won’t get bored—or thirsty—with this beer selection in Downtown Denver. Become a Mug Club member and on occasional  Thursdays — usually once or twice a month — Rock Bottom gives away free pints from 6 to 6:30PM to introduce its newest beer. Or get a sampler of some of the newest beers.  Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Get Down: Beta Club

Westword’s “Best Dance Club” winner, Beta boasts a state of the art sound system, and uses sustainable materials wherever possible, encouraging patrons to recycle within the club. Hit the dance floor to the best DJs playing dub step, drum and bass, electronica and more. Tip: Get there early – lines get long after 10:30PM.

Get Out: Red Rocks Park and Ampitheatre

More than the acoustically amazing ampitheatre , this majestic setting also features a park for hiking, biking , picnicking and more, nestled in the foothills of the Rockies. In addition to concerts, you can catch cult-status films during the summer film series. Tip: from about row 35 and up, you can take in a great view of Denver from the seats.

Donuts (or doughnuts depending on what you fancy) have come a long way from the cliché of cops hanging out late night in a seedy, fluorescent-lit donut shop. They’ve been elevated beyond even the ubiquitous Dunkin’ Donuts or the cult-turned-chain Krispy Kreme to delicate, delicious and delectable bits of yeasty fried dough that can be as exquisitely gourmet or down home as you like. Here, we’ve merged Localicious and Foursquare info for the Top 10 Doughnut Shops in America.

10. Doughnut Vault – Chicago

Doughnut devotees stand in line 15-people deep to wait for flavors like chestnut, carrot cake, & maple-bourbon-bacon. The Ginger Stack is “oh so ginger-y” or the old-fashioned buttermilk “hits my cozy button” (Chicago Magazine). Closed Mondays.

9. Mighty-O Doughnuts – Seattle

Organic, “vegan doughnuts galore” (Seattle Times). But “don’t let ‘vegan’ scare you off”. Try nutty vanilla, Don King or (when in season) grasshopper. A must in Green Lake.

8. Sublime Doughnuts – Atlanta

This “Best of Atlanta” winner’s menu reads like a fantasy dessert menu: Oreo, A-town cream (glazed filled with vanilla cream and coated with chocolate) orange dream star (glazed topped with orange-infused frosting), Reese’s, fresh strawberry and cream and banana fritter, to name a few, where “toppings exceed the standards set by other bakers” (Creative Loafing).

7. Frost Doughnuts – Mill Creek, WA

Bacon Maple Bar is a signature offering and the Salted Caramel is “pretty awesome”. Chocolate lovers, rejoice: choose from malted milk chocolate mousse or Aztec chocolate. Specialties like Marcona Almond and Tart Cherry Bismarck take the cake, so to speak. Tip: “get there a little after opening for the full selection. They are not always ready at 6”.

6. Round Rock Donuts – Round Rock, TX

Patrons rave about the donut holes, and “if you’re craving chocolate, go for the brownie”. Or feed a crowd (or yourself for several days!) with a dinner-plate sized Texas Size Round Rock Donut, glazed or chocolate. Fruit or jalepeno kolaches will remind you of your great Aunt Bessie’s stories of the Old Country via the Rio Grande.

5. Randy’s Donuts – Inglewood, CA

Head for the iconic giant donut that sits atop this 24-hour donut oasis, just off the 405, and on your way coming or going from LAX. The fresh cinnamon crumb and coconut donuts, bear claws and cinnamon rolls are must-eats here.

4. Dynamo Donut & Coffee – San Francisco

The maple glazed bacon apple is the headliner here, and that, along with the strawberry Earl Grey have people thanking the higher powers above. Also highly recommended: spiced-chocolate doughnut (with a Four Barrel coffee) and and more exotics like Lemon Sichuan filled with lemon curd and Guinness molasses. Tip: nice patio in the back, dogs allowed.

3. Doughnut Plant, NYC

Hipsters on the Lower East Side and now in the Hotel Chelsea wait patiently in lines down the block for the fresh donuts to roll off the racks – waxing poetic for the Tres Leches – “a fiesta in your mouth” – to the Crème Brulee, Blackout or be-a-kid-again PB&J. Bonus: excellent chai and coffee, too.

2. Top Pot Doughnuts – Seattle

“This place makes our hearts beat faster. We get a maple chocolate doughnut with black coffee” (Metromix). And we can see why: glazed chocolate cake doughnuts are “awesome” as is the bullseye (“tasty”) and the old-fashioned glazed, Seattle Weekly’s Best Doughnut winner this year. Wash it all down with an Ovaltine latte.

1. Voodoo Doughnut – Portland, OR

A Portland landmark, this shop offers a kaleidoscope of flavors and toppings. Most popular might be the bacon maple bar, but you’ll have fun mixing it up with toppings like Coco Puffs, Cap’n Crunch, Froot Loops, bubble gum dust, and fun names like Miami Vice, Dubble Bubble and or Dirt (crushed Oreo cookies) and classic cake doughnuts and apple fritters. Have fun with the Voodoo Doll doughnut with a pretzel ‘stake’ through the heart. Tip: check out the menu on their website for detailed descriptions of each flavor.

With all the hype around Black Friday, are you letting your turkey digest, or are you headed out to shop till you drop? Here, at the intersection of Foursquare check-ins and Localicious-ness, we present the 5 most popular malls in the U.S. of A.:

5. North Park Center, Dallas, TX

Going to one of the oldest malls in the country doesn’t mean you don’t keep up with the trends. You can get everything from custom cowboy boots to a Betsey Johnson frock. Tip: avoid the crowds and park in the garage under Macy’s.

4. The Mall at Millenia, Orlando, FL

Shoppers say it’s “the most beautiful” mall, and the New Age music is “relaxing”. Best bet is the valet parking!

3. Roosevelt Field, Garden City, NY

The 8th largest mall in America is the retail wonder of Long Island with a bountiful selection of stores.  Best parking is on the 2nd level by Nordstrom.

2. The Grove, Los Angeles, CA

The “best people watching” according to People magazine, including celebrity sightings (can you say Beckhams?) with a farmer’s market adjacent.

1.Mall of America, Bloomington, MN

You wanted the best,  you got the best, the largest mall around:  40 million visitors a year, an amusement park, and even foodie favorites like Famous Dave’s BBQ make for a delirious experience.

Atlanta is more than Hartsfield airport, the Braves and Falcons, or even the city that burned in the film Gone With the Wind. Looking at Foursquare check-ins and Localicious intel, discover foodie finds, intriguing culture, ample recreation and green space and history that continues to be relevant to this day.

Coffee – Octane Coffee

Bon Appétit magazine liked this place enough to put them on their Top 10 list, and we can see why: house-made syrups, Intelligentsia loose-leaf teas, de rigeur double shots of espresso, and grilled PB&J’s to snack on.

Breakfast – West Egg Café

So much of the menu is so good you’ll happily come back for dinner –on Sundays they serve their brunch menu until 10PM. There’s something for just about everyone: black bean cakes with eggs & grits have a “spicy goodness, perfect for breakfast or anytime” or the well-reviewed tofu scramble for vegetarians.  Meat lovers rave about the maple sugar bacon (“it’s like candy”), and the Brunch Burger — double patty burger, fried egg, hollandaise sauce.  If you’ve got room, try the biscuits (“not the healthiest, but the tastiest!”) or the Coca-Cola cupcakes and you’ll see why this joint has earned loads of local accolades.

Lunch – OK Café

Named for the cafe adjacent to the courthouse in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” complete with an autographed copy of Harper Lee’s book, OK Cafe’s best dishes are traditional Southern fare. Be sure to sample the squash soufflé, three-cheese macaroni and cheese and “Pot Likker” – liquid left over after cooking collard greens, ideal for dipping biscuits. While they use organic meat, the veggie burger “rocks” and the veggie plate (your choice of 4 veggie sides) is great. Top it all off with a “heavenly” piece of pecan pie.

Dinner – JCT Kitchen and Bar

Patrons say you basically can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but highly recommend the shrimp & grits, fried chicken (as an entree and on the JCT salad) and the truffle fries, deemed to be “amazing”. One dish we’re intrigued with: fried oysters over creamed spinach. Killer desserts include ”dreamy” tapioca pudding and salted caramel chocolate pudding.  Gracious service and a good wine list round out  a wonderful experience.  Bonus:  Tons of outdoor space upstairs.

Drinks – The Brewhouse Café

In the heart of Little Five Points, the Brewhouse has “one of the best patios in city” where you can also bring your dog. Check out live music and entertainment in the beer tent, and you can count on coming here to see all the big college and NFL football games, along with international soccer and rugby matches.  The Brewhouse is also home to the “painkillers” cocktail: Their levels of potency are distinguished by the amount of alcohol.  Patron recommendation: “Stick to a Level 2 painkiller. Delicious!”

Get Out – Piedmont Park

The city’s “Common Ground”, it’s the place residents head for a morning jog or a picnic on a beautiful day. With ample paths for skating and biking, a dog park, green market, carousel and even beer gardens, you can play all day and get some shots of the city skyline, too.

History – Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site

Several blocks of the traditionally black neighborhood of Sweet Auburn is now a National Historic Site and includes Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birth home, the Ebenezer Baptist Church where he was a pastor, and his grave site along with a history of the civil rights movement. Tour at your own pace: Inside the historic firehouse you can rent a handheld GPS that will take you on a tour.

Culture – High Museum of Art

Well known for its collection of 19th and 20th century masterpieces, the High also boasts the only full-time curator in North America dedicated solely to folk and outsider (sometimes referred to as “self-taught”) art. Tip: if you’ll visit more than once, it’s worth getting a membership for the perks.

Sights – Georgia Aquarium

Georgia Aquarium is the #1 attraction in Atlanta and rightfully so. It is the largest indoor aquarium in the world with more than 100,000 animals of 500 different species. The aquarium was built as a gift to the city of Atlanta in 2001. The shark, otter and dolphin exhibits are favorites, and Planet Shark is “well worth” the additional charge. Tip: Ocean Voyager on the second floor, past the restaurant is an off-the-beaten-track, usually a quiet spot even on a busy day.  Get there early on a weekday and you’ll have the place to yourself.

You’ve probably heard by now: Yoga’s not just for those who were seemingly born double-jointed. You don’t have to twist yourself into a pretzel in order to relax, stretch and forget about road rage. And just because Yoga Month has wound down, it doesn’t mean you have to ditch your quest for balance. Here’s our rundown of the most Yoga-licious locales, based on Foursquare check-ins:

10. Los Angeles – YogaWorks

This charming Larchmont Village space spans two floors at the Center for Yoga (the first yoga studio in LA) iand has three yoga rooms including a rope wall and a giant main room with high ceilings and a life size Buddha.

9. Milwaukee, WI – Bikram Yoga

Yoginis here say it’s “sweaty but healing – just do it”. Eco-bonus: Their new state of the art heating systems uses about “one-third the amount of natural gas we would use with a traditional heating system” to fire up their Bikram yoga classes.

8 . Austin, TX – Pure Bikram Yoga Downtown

This place is gonna make you sweat! Bring your own towel. With 2 studios at this location, there are plenty of classes, so you’ll find something to fit your schedule, and located just a few minutes from Whole Foods, where you can stop to get a juice after class to maintain your healthy glow. Good karma: babysitting service offered for select classes.

7. Santa Monica, CA – Bryan Krest’s Power Yoga

This donation-based studio has a bevy of teachers that students rave about. Even venerable Vogue magazine says “Bryan Kest is synonymous with Power Yoga, a high sweat aerobic variation of Ashtanga yoga that has a meditative side.”

6. Seattle, WA – Urban Yoga Spa

This award-winning yoga studio and spa is what some call “the best yoga in Seattle—period”. They offer an alternative to Bikram–Hot Hatha–which is highly recommended, and great if Bikram style is too intense for your warrior pose.

5. Boston, MA – Back Bay Yoga

“Rock Your Asana” here! Not only is that the name of a class, you can throw down to Hip Hop Yoga too, along with Vinyasa classes that flow along a more traditional tip.

4. Chicago, IL – Core Power Yoga

With numerous locations around the city, you can get your asana to a class, be it the raved-about Yoga Sculpt class or chill out and take a class lit only with candlelight and elevate your Mudra.

3. San Francisco – Funky Door

At this Nob Hill location, they teach strictly Bikram style, with belief that “anything worthwhile is worth doing, and anything worth doing is worth doing in 100-degree heat.” Survival tip: “Hyrdate the day before, and the day of class, and don’t eat anything before (class).”

2. Austin, TX – Black Swan Yoga

Sweaty Yoga and Power Yoga are definitely favorites here (bring a towel!), but you can brush up on your Sanskrit as you peruse a wide range of styles, including Hatha (recommended for beginners and runners), Vinyasa Flow and Prana.

1. Minneapolis – Core Power Yoga

Bow to this location in the Warehouse District and Downward Dog-it in your choice of classes, among them Yoga Sculpt, Vinyasa Flow, or a range of heated Core Power classes, rated 1-3 based on heat, humidity and intensity.