Reflections: On Culinary Taste
Food: Now, I think that is something we can all get behind! And this edition On Taste is our (and some of our members') favorite spots across the planet in which to indulge: The places we crave. The bites we yearn for once again. Moments with food that somehow left an indelible impression on our traveling psyche and palettes.
But, when a travel authority starts talking about great cuisine, it ultimately ends up about overly fancy or ornate places that are meant for once-in-a-lifetime occasions. (And once-in-a-lifetime budgets.) Granted, we have our fair share of stars and “top” places in this edition. The majority of these pontifications, however, are anything but. Sometimes, an ordinary place takes us by surprise. It could be a little-visited café, a simple bakery, or even a food cart that just resonates.
I’m writing from Portugal, and as I look up some of my favorite eats to make reservations for an upcoming friend’s visit, I’ve noticed that many of these spots are rather poorly Google-rated! Au contraire! I’ve had some of my very best meals at these 2.5-starred haunts. What we have learned in recent years is that reviews aren’t everything … and certainly not over-hyped star ratings or some guru’s ranking. I still remember a cheese sandwich that I had at a food stall in Prague on midnight of 9/11/01. Or the one-Euro fresh-pressed fruit juices on sale at Barcelona’s most famous market. Or learning how to make ‘brik au thon’ in the kitchen of an Arabic-speaking mother in Tunisia. Erin reminds us that despite all of the Michelin stars in Japan, a 7-11 convenience store is still one of her favorite places to sample Japanese culture as it's emblematic of their sweet tooth that is so prevalent when walking around.
Often, food is all about the experience associated with taste, opulent or not. It is a combination of sensory experiences - of the sound, of the environs, of the plot and story associated with what is happening around you when you take that very delicious bite of something you’ll forever cherish. That experience or place you associate with a taste and memory is as good as gold in our book. That’s ultimately why travel is so wedded to food.
In this edition, we’ve shared a scattering of our favorite places all around the world, wherever you might be going – the places at which we are definitely visiting for a bite. We've even included a map so when you're traveling the world, you can reference it to see if you're nearby any of our favorite places. Plus, we discuss our singular most memorable restaurant experiences both that we’ve personally loved. And another favorite – the very best Hollywood dining scenes that we most enjoy from our cinemas. Restaurants are unfortunately a perishable entity, and only grace us with their delights for so long. Accordingly, we share a culinary obituary from a cherished establishment that recently closed because of Hurricane Helene. Such closures shock and hurt – for the places that have repeatedly nourished our bellies and our souls connect with us in profound ways that we often underestimate. Rest in peace, our culinary emissary.
Photo Credit: Syllogi
