One of the best aspects of travel is trying local delicacies. Many people choose to build their vacations around restaurants, making each one a destination on its own.
Mary Carolonza, from Pottersville, New Jersey, recommends the top travel destinations you should visit to get the best meals in the coming year.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas has been a popular culinary destination for many years. Dozens of world-class chefs like Tom Colicchio and Wolfgang Puck have opened restaurants in many of the casinos on the Strip. Many Vegas visitors who aren’t interested in gambling instead spend their time planning which restaurants to visit next.
Other little-known gems of Las Vegas can be found if you step off the Strip and visit the restaurants that the locals love. Some of these restaurants include Green Street Kitchen, Secret Pizza, and Level 1.5.
New York City
New York City is the ultimate global food destination. No matter what type of cuisine you are looking for, you can find it in New York nearly 24 hours a day. Flagship restaurants like Le Bernardin and the Gramercy Tavern provide excellent high-end food, and there are neighborhood spots and ethnic food superstars on every block.
Some little-known but excellent New York food spots include Flor de Mayo, a Cuban-Chinese fusion restaurant, and Jose Andres’ new Mercado Little Spain in Hudson Yards.
London
Great Britain suffers from an unfair reputation for boring and bland food. Over the past several years, London chefs have developed the city’s traditional cuisine into a delicious blend of high-end restaurants and cozy neighborhood gastropubs. Some of the top restaurants in London include Chishuru and Nest Restaurant Hackney. The city also features an excellent sampling of global cuisines, especially Indian restaurants like Gymkhana and Benares.
Mexico City
Many Americans limit their travel to Mexico to the beach, but the continent’s largest city has incredibly advanced cuisine. One of the best restaurants in Mexico City is Pujol, owned by Enrique Olvera. Olvera combines traditional Mexican ingredients with world-class cooking techniques. Some of his top dishes feature indigenous ingredients like ants and local honey.
Napa Valley
Napa Valley has long been one of the top destinations for food travel in the United States. Along with touring wineries and being outdoors in the beautiful California countryside, there are many excellent restaurants to choose from. Perhaps the best known is the French Laundry.
Some of the best wineries in the Napa Valley area include Domaine Carneros, Robert Craig Winery, and Alpha Omega. Visiting these wineries for a tour and tasting lets patrons view how their favorite wines are grown and created.
Tuscany
Tuscany is another stop on nearly every culinary fan’s . Guests have the opportunity to stay in gorgeous castles or agriturismos (bed and breakfasts) across the area while sampling excellent food and wine. For those looking for a city experience, Florence is a time-honored stop on the grand European tour.
Some of the best restaurants in Tuscany are Il Faconiere and three-Michelin-star Enoteca Pinchiorri. Notable wineries include Castello di Nipozzano, Antinori, and Capezzana.
Boston
Boston is full of historical sites and has a bustling but walkable downtown. The city also has a wide and growing variety of excellent restaurants. Boston visitors shouldn’t stop at seafood, though the city has an amazing supply year-round. Some of the top restaurants in Boston are Toro Boston, Neptune Oyster, and Sweet Cheeks Q, owned by Top Chef favorite Tiffany Faison.
Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina, is well-known as the home of refined Southern food. The historic downtown area provides a gracious backdrop to some of the best restaurants in the South. Gale Restaurant, Charleston Grill, and FIG are known as three of the city’s top food destinations.
Los Angeles
is a huge metropolis with a thriving food scene. It is possible to find some of the best ethnic food in the United States in the L.A. area, along with time-honored fine dining restaurants like Spago. Some of the best restaurants in Los Angeles include Bestia, Sqirl, and Nobu Malibu.
Planning your food journey
Fans of food and wine are becoming more sophisticated with each passing year, and restaurants upgrade their offerings for a more educated public. To find a great new city to tour, do some research and discover the restaurants you would like to visit.
Mary Carolonza and other travel enthusiasts hope to get out in the world once again as the threat of COVID-19 finally passes. The hospitality industry around the world is suffering, and these restaurants and hotels need to welcome a full house of patrons as soon as possible when it is safe to do so.
