(MONEY Magazine) – Every experienced business traveler knows the feeling. Sometime during three straight days of meetings, you have a few hours to yourself. What do you do? If you were in Paris, say, you could just wander out and have a wonderful meal at some random bistro. But let's face it: Most business trips take us to cities that are a little less, well, celebrated. And your business associates have already taken you to several places overbilled as "the best in town." So you hunker down in your hotel, remote control in one hand, room-service menu in the other.

This is a shame. After all, every city is bound to offer at least one or two restaurants or other diversions that are truly worthwhile. The problem is finding them. That kind of legwork is the last thing a weary business traveler is up for, so we made some calls on your behalf. We zeroed in on some frequent business destinations where a first-time visitor might find it especially tempting to stay at the hotel; then we talked to a range of longtime residents and local chefs, who could get beyond the guidebooks and recommend spots that insiders love.

Silicon Valley. Maybe it sounds glamorous, but it's basically a sprawling San Francisco suburb where the brain trust seems content to fuel itself on junk food. (No wonder so many people there reverse commute.) But there are some good local choices for the visitor who doesn't have time to drive north. One local with a taste for the eclectic pointed us to Draeger's Marketplace (222 E. Fourth Ave.; 650-685-3700). Located in San Mateo, this two-story, 60,000-square-foot megasupermarket-cum-gourmet shop also houses an outstanding upscale restaurant called Viognier; it's run by Gary Danko, who was named the best chef in California by the James Beard Foundation in 1995. Want to see a local power spot? Try Buck's, a diner where a menagerie of kitschy relics hangs from the walls and ceilings (3062 Woodside Rd. in Woodside, Calif.; 650-851-8010).

Houston. A surprising number of people still think of Houston in terms of oil wells and gunslingers--or maybe barbecue and Tex-Mex. Forget those cliches and check out a spot that's too new to be in most guides: Mark's American Cuisine (1658 Westheimer Rd.; 713-523-3800), run by Mark Cox, who used to cook at the chic local institution Tony's. Mark's isn't nearly as pricey and offers quite a different atmosphere. The dining room is the high-ceilinged chapel of a former church in the Montrose, a funky downtown neighborhood. Try the snapper.

Outsiders may also be unfamiliar with Houston's huge Asian population and its culinary influence. Cox highly recommends Patu, a small, unpretentious and relatively unknown pan-Asian restaurant (2420 Rice Blvd.; 713-528-6998).

St. Louis. This one is a bit of a cheat, since it's a famous spot locally, but check out Ted Drewes Frozen Custard (6726 Chippewa; 314-481-2652). The specialty is "concrete," a milkshake-like concoction that comes in scores of flavors. The employee at the window (you don't go inside; customers sit on the hood of their cars in the parking lot) thrusts a long spoon into your concrete and turns it upside down to prove how thick it is. It tastes good too.

And if you're more of a golfer than a gourmand, you might consider the Forest Park Golf Course (314-367-1337): It falls in the category of things most locals take so much for granted that they would never recommend them to visitors. But St. Louis native, novelist and amateur golfer Jonathan Franzen notes that what makes the 18-hole public golf course special (don't play the less interesting nine-hole one) is that it's not only a great way to see the park, but its fourth hole--a blind par five--plays across the sloping front lawn of the St. Louis Art Museum.

Cleveland. Yeah, we know it's no longer the officially sanctioned butt of all geographical jokes. It's got the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, right? Hmm. We decided to check in with chef Michael Symon, whose restaurant, Lola (900 Literary Rd.; 216-771-5652), has been pretty busy since he was named one of the best new chefs in the U.S. by Food & Wine magazine in July. He talked up the Brazilian restaurant Sergio's (1903 Ford Dr.; 216-231-1234), where you can eat on the festive patio; and a hole-in-the-wall Mexican place, Luchita's, which he says looks run-down only from the outside (3456 W. 117th St.; 216-252-1169).

Detroit. Southwestern suburb Dearborn is home to the Ford Motor Co. More significantly for us, it's the epicenter of metropolitan Detroit's very large Middle Eastern community--and thus has some fine Middle Eastern food. Perhaps the best is at La Shish, located in a strip of solid competitors a 10-minute drive from downtown Detroit (12918 Michigan Ave.; 313-584-4477). With a little more time on your hands, head west to Ann Arbor (it's about a 45-minute drive). Here you'll find Zingerman's, an astonishing food emporium that mixes a world-class Jewish delicatessen with one of the finest gourmet food selections in the Midwest (422 Detroit St.; 734-663-3354).