Subject: eat
Normally I detest all things performance and food, but this fun little video made me smile. Not only because the vendor relentlessly teased the tourist, but had some superb theatrical skills, to boot. And who doesn't love ice cream?
Image: _cheryl.
Can't believe it's been a year since we visited Austin, Texas. But it's SXSW time again, and if you're looking for some good eats, be sure to plan some time in for food exploration. The Torchy's Tacos and its neighbors in the South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery are definitely worth the walk.
If you're planning on visiting Austin, but haven't figured eating into your schedule, it's time to change your plans. Austin has no shortage of exceptional food, and you don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy it. Below you'll find some places the check out, and pig out at, when you go.
Image: qousqous.
Vancouver. Host of the 2010 Olympics and host to an abundance of reasons for a traveler to visit. But, if you're a traveling foodie, you simply can't find a reasonable excuse not to be planning a trip in the near future. It's home to both vibrant immigrant communities (with their food culture in tow) and a burgeoning foodie culture, which means that there are like-minded folks, out finding the best of the best. This includes the best of the cheap. Check out what I've found, so that the next time you find yourself in Vancouver, you won't ever go hungry.
Image: kelly.
The woman behind the counter pauses when my friend Francesco asked the question, "do you have a local olive oil for sale in this supermarket?" She shakes her head in disgust and replies, "no, there's no good olive oil here." She then turns to her colleague, who's helping an elderly woman choose some cheese and asks "where can you find good olive oil nearby?" And, almost in unison, they exclaim an unintelligible name (later I'll find out it's Frantoio Feliziani) and they begin to rattle off complicated driving directions in unison. "Go to the roundabout, turn right, then go to the end of the street...do you need us to write that down for you?" Francesco shakes his head and says no, and I just hope he was paying attention. And off we went in the car in search of a nameless frantoio. What's a frantoio, you ask? Don't worry, you'll quickly learn (as I did) that this is the place where olive oil dreams are made.
Roasting Chestnuts, Padova, Italia (90 sec.)
Image: kelly.
Going local is all the rage right now, from eating only locally grown food to supporting local businesses. When you travel, you might fear it's more difficult to live a locavore lifestyle. Perhaps you don't know the culture well enough, or don't have time to be diligent in knowing where your food comes from. For me, traveling is about discovering what is unique to an area and that includes food, so I'm always on the look out for what's local be it the current season's produce or a locally roasted coffee. However, a recent trip to the islands off the coast of Vancouver, BC proved to me that you can go locavore without even trying.
Image: Golosi di Natura.
Well I haven't tried all the gelato in Italy to make this decision, but I've had my fair share. Honestly, if I could only eat gelato from one place again for the rest of my life, well I might need to move to a tiny town named Gazzo in the shadows of Padova. It's just that good.
Image: Phil Dragash.
What do you think about when you hear Croatia? Do you think of the beautiful Adriatic coast? Or, do you think of the lush, green mountains and valleys? Many travelers, unfortunately, have avoided this area, as ghosts of the Balkan wars of the 1990s still haunt our collective memories. Luckily, though, this area has come a long way in healing from its tortured past and is a perfect place to visit, explore, and of course, devour.
On my recent, but all too short, visit to Croatia, I got hooked on the exceptionally fresh and maddeningly tasty cuisine. I realized that all you need to enjoy Croatia's food is one simple rule. Eat what's fresh. If you see the restaurant cooking a lamb over the fire, stop thinking and get lamb. If you're near the water, get some whole fish, some calamari, or whatever else the locals are eating. Stick with this rule, and you won't go wrong ( or hungry!)
Image: HenryFigueroa.
As the smell of freshly cut onions filled the kitchen, her face contorted in disgust. She didn't like onions, she said. As an ambassador for American fried food, I had my work cut out for me.
Over the past weeks, Francesco and Faby had not only been hosting us, but had been cooking their hearts out for us. We ate only Italian food every night; they wanted to show us the best they had to offer. When it was pizza night, I tried to learn how to make dough the Italian way. Other nights I would just watch and try to pick up bits and pieces to take home with me. After a while, I got restless. I wasn't satisfied with being a passive consumer, I wanted to repay my friends in kind and show them a little bit of my own cuisine (and give them a night off from cooking.)
Image: su-lin.
Ever wondered how those Italians eat SO much? The truth is, they don't. They don't always order every course (a myth I'm convinced is perpetuated by industrious restauranteurs.) We were at dinner and you wouldn't guess what they ordered...
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