One of the most significant parts of any new culture is the food: trying new dishes, learning about local spices, and determining which exotic foods you can recreate at home and which are a bit too outside of your comfort zone (spicy Oaxacan grasshoppers, anyone?) And there’s nothing like walking down the street in a foreign country and observing the language, art, and customs of the city’s locals.  

Fortunately, area residents are lucky: There's no shortage of international influence at our doorstep. Check out the restaurants, cultural centers, and businesses below if a year of staying at home has you aching for an affogato or bonsai fix.

ITALY

Italian cuisine is some of the most accessible in the U.S., but authentic Italian, well, that can be harder to find. Chefs at restaurants in Italy know that some noodles pair better with certain sauces and that they should pick herbs just a few minutes before use. And the art is just as inspiring as the food—after all, who hasn’t felt a sense of awe when standing in front of Michelangelo's David or gazing at a Roman floor-to-ceiling tile mural?

•    Vaiano Trattoria specializes in Tuscan cuisine: simple, flavorful dishes with healthy doses of tasty olive oils, including zuppa di fagioli (a rustic white bean soup) and melt-in-your-mouth tiramisu. There's no "mix and match"-style pasta here, but their pasta menu alone offers everything from tagliatelle to farfalle. 7160 Douglas Boulevard, Granite Bay, 916-780-0888, vaianotrattoria.com

•    It may not be the same as an art class in Florence, but it’s close: Blue Line Arts offers classes in classic Italian disciplines like sculpting and mosaic arts. You can also try your skills at bocce ball or Italian cooking with one of the many programs offered through the Murer House. 405 Vernon Street, Suite 100, Roseville, 916-783-4117, bluelinearts.org; 1125 Joe Murer Court, Folsom, 916-413-9231, murerhouse.org

•    We all know Italians take their cuisine seriously, but drinks are equally as important. In addition to authentically prepared plates of pasta, Visconti’s Ristorante also shakes up some fierce cocktails, like their namesake Visconti’s Sicilian Kiss with Maker’s Mark bourbon, amaretto, and DeKuyper Peachtree schnapps. 2700 East Bidwell Street, Suite 700, Folsom, 916-983-5181, viscontisristorante.com

•    Step inside the Miraflores Winery tasting room and you might feel like you're in a wine cellar in Central Italy. If what you're missing most about Italy is the wine, stop by the vineyard to chat with vintners Marco Cappelli and Fernando Abarca and try the Muscat Canelli or red blends. 2120 Four Springs Trail, Placerville, 530-647-8505, mirafloreswinery.com

Mexico is a broad category—after all, it's a sprawling country—but unfortunately, Mexican cuisine in the U.S. all too often gets reduced to Tex-Mex and prepackaged margarita mix. Fortunately, California has some of the country's best authentic Mexican food, along with some of the best places to brush up on your Spanish skills. Plus, more than a quarter of Californians speak Spanish at home or work, so it’s quite a useful language to learn.

•    If you love all things mole, head to Mezcalito Oaxacan Cuisine. Their menu focuses almost exclusively on Oaxaca's cuisine, with different mole blends, dozens of spicy peppers and sauces, and ceviche guests rave about. 5065 Pacific Street, Rocklin, 916-701-4772, mezcalitocuisine.com

•    Made from scratch and representing various Mexican states, La Rosa Blanca is highly rated for its dishes like chile colorado, asada de puerco, and tacos de papa. Just remember to save room for their refried beans with plenty of melted queso and authentic Spanish rice. 402 Natoma Street, Folsom, 916-673-9085, larosablanca-folsom.com

•    Would you really be embracing the full Mexico experience without sipping on margs from sunup to sundown? Luckily, the offerings at Mexquite are the real deal. Made with freshly squeezed lime juice, 100% natural agave nectar, and top-shelf tequilas and mezcals, you can’t go wrong with any (or all) of them. 25095 Blue Ravine Road, Folsom, 916-984-8607, mexquite.com

•    Take online or in-person Spanish lessons through Sacramento’s Casa de Español. If you don’t know what that means (“House of Spanish”), you’ll want to start with the beginner class. 1101 R Street, Sacramento, 916-346-4535, casadeespanol.org

If it pained you to postpone your 2020 flight to Tokyo, you'll hopefully be able to reschedule it for 2021. But in the meantime, you can still build your own bonsai garden at home or taste Japan's complex and meaningful food culture (which is far more than just sushi.)

•    If you're just starting to dabble with Japanese cuisine, try Hisui Sushi. They have a massive sushi roll menu to ensure everyone will find a few favorites (and an all-you-can-eat lunch so you can sample them all!), but they also offer bento boxes and more traditional Japanese dishes like udon and donburi, plus Sapporo and sake. 25004 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 107, Folsom, 916-985-7778, hisuisushi.com

•    Mikuni Sushi has the perfect menu for both ramen enthusiasts and adventurous sushi eaters. Choose the latter from their multi-page maki, sashimi, nigiri, and handroll menu, or try the tonkatsu ramen: It’s a staple of Tokyo's beloved ramen scene. And for those itching to learn the art of sushi-making, they offer a virtual, hands-on Sushiology course taught by Master Chef Taro Arai! Multiple locations including Folsom, Roseville, and Fair Oaks, mikunisushi.com

•    Take a class on Japan’s most famous plant: the bonsai tree. At Lotus Bonsai Nursery & Gardens, you can take courses on bonsai styling and education and pick up your own bonsai to raise at home. 1435 Lower Lake Drive, 530-622-9681, Placerville, lotusbonsai.com

If you had to cancel your cruise on Ha Long Bay, urban vacation in Bangkok, or jungle eco-lodge stay in Vietnam, you can still experience some of Southeast Asia's best culture and cuisine in the area. Start your evening with Vietnamese pho or Thailand's pad ka prow, before taking in a multicultural show at an area theater.

•    With a head chef trained in the kitchen of one of Bangkok's five-star hotels, you know the food at Thai Paradise is something special. They offer a traditional Thai menu with plenty of spicy options for guests who want an authentic Bangkok-style experience. (Thai food can be fantastically spicy!) 2770 East Bidwell Street, Folsom, 916-984-8988, thaiparadisefolsom.com; 4361 Town Center Boulevard, Suite 110, El Dorado Hills, 916-939-0389, thaiparadiseedh.com

•    Keep an eye on the schedule of events at the Harris Center, which is currently closed due to the pandemic but typically presents a variety of performances celebrating everything from Chinese New Year to music from around the world. 10 College Parkway, Folsom, 916-608-6888, harriscenter.net

•    You can't go wrong with a delicious (and affordable) dinner from Lotus 8, especially if one person in your group wants General Tso's while the other wants a chicken clay pot (popular in Malaysia.) And even if you don’t like soup, you’ll love the pho—a sometimes-spicy Vietnamese noodle, meat, and vegetable dish—at Pho Mimi. 199 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 100, Folsom, 916-351-9278, lotus8.com; 25004 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 121, Folsom, 916-542-7913, phomimi.com