The JQ List: Luxury Travel, Food & Style from Boston
October 2026
The Fall Edition
Travel · Taste · Style
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Cover Story
The Hotel Bar Dress Code: Smart Casual, Decoded
Read the cover story: The Hotel Bar Dress Code: Smart Casual, DecodedWhat “smart casual” really means at a good hotel bar or restaurant, and the easy formula that works almost everywhere.
The Latest
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The Best New Luxury Hotels of 2026 I Want to Visit Next
The new luxury hotels 2026 brought us, from Venice palazzos to a private Riviera island and a Nantucket favorite in…
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What to Wear to a Wine Tasting (and What Not To)
From vineyard visits to grand tastings: the practical rules for dressing at a wine tasting, and why perfume is the…
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The Spa Edit: Fall Spa Getaways Worth Traveling For
My edit of fall spa getaways worth the trip, from the Dior Spa at Splendido in Portofino to Canyon Ranch…
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Cashmere, Properly: Buying, Washing and Storing
How to judge cashmere quality, wash it at home, deal with pilling and store it so it lasts for years.
From the Editor
October is when travel gets interesting again. The summer crowds have gone home, New England turns, and the Riviera settles into its best season. This month’s issue follows that rhythm: my picks against the 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, a New England foliage route done properly, a walk through Boston inspired by my new book, Historic Maps of Boston, and the best fall weekends within easy reach of home.
JQ Louise
The Season
The Fall Edit
A guide to the season: foliage drives and cozy New England weekends, the Riviera after the crowds and the trips worth booking before the holidays.
At the Table
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Poires Belle Hélène: Escoffier’s Opera Dessert from Paris
Pears poached in vanilla syrup, cold ice cream and warm chocolate sauce: the Paris bistro dessert named for an operetta.
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Chestnut Soup: A Velvety Taste of the Ardèche in Autumn
Roasted chestnuts simmered with shallots and thyme and blended to velvet: the elegant autumn starter of France’s chestnut country.
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Pain d’Épices: Dijon’s Honey Spice Bread for Autumn Afternoons
A dense, fragrant loaf of honey, rye and warm spices that only improves after a few days: the gingerbread of…
Close to Home
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Nantucket After the Crowds: An Autumn Guide
A guide to Nantucket in the fall: cranberry season, the best year-round hotels, what stays open, fall events and why…
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The Off-Season Cape: Why October Is the Best Month on Cape Cod
Why Cape Cod in October is the best month of the year: quiet beaches, Wellfleet OysterFest, where to stay, what’s…
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The Best Fall Weekend Escapes from Boston for 2026
My ranked list of the best fall weekend escapes from Boston for 2026, all within three hours: the Berkshires, Newport,…
Editor’s Picks
- 6 Reasons Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Collection Is New England’s Ultimate Summer Escape
- Dinner at Le Jardin at Hotel de Russie: Rome’s Most Beautiful Secret Garden
- Why Kateka Is the South African Safari Escape to Book Before the End of the Year
- Insider’s Key: Hôtel Belles Rives, Cap d’Antibes
- A Luxury River & Rooftop Journey Through Rome
The Library
Historic Maps of Boston
JQ Louise’s new book explores how Boston became the city it is, told through the art of cartography.
The Newsletter
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