Food is important to most people when they are on vacation and they, generally, look forward to trying dishes from the local cuisine. However, for a foodie, vacation affords them the opportunity to experience a city and a culture through the food. While most foodies can find some interesting culinary experiences regardless of where they go, there are some cities in the United States that can be considered destinations in and of themselves and “must visit” places for the die-hard foodie.
New Orleans, LA – Cajun and Creole flavors combine in the Crescent City and serve as the basis for the taste of New Orleans. There aren’t a lot of places outside of New Orleans in the US where turtle soup and alligator regularly appear on the menu. Whether you are look for five-star French cuisine or a po’boy in the middle of a crowded street, you will find it in New Orleans. Seafood plays a large part in NOLA cuisine and it is most usually fresh so you will be sure to get good shellfish and other seafood while in New Orleans. In addition to the Cajun and Creole tastes, you will also find French and Italian influences in the food of New Orleans. For the dishes that call New Orleans home, such as Brennan’s Bananas Foster, they simply must be tasted in their home town, if only for the sense of history that surrounds eating a meal where it was created.
Napa Valley, CA – Between the wineries and the restaurants, Napa might be the closest things to paradise foodies have on Earth. Great local wines are paired uniquely with foods that generally aren’t service with wine, such as cheeseburgers. The accommodations, from spas to bed and breakfasts, also cater to the culinary traveler by offering original creations from young, cutting-edge chefs coupled with local wines to create a variety of memorable meals for the visiting foodie. Napa food is fresh as it boasts several farm markets as well as fresh seafood and meat stalls in order to provide chefs and restaurant patrons the freshest food possible so that the taste of Napa is always associated with clean, clear tastes that both accent and support the flavors of the local wines.
New York, NY – New York City, for the sheer number of different cultures represented in the city, allows the food lover to experience many different types of cuisines in the same city. New York was the birthplace of so many different dishes and foods that it would take a long time to eat your way through the history of this city. However, it goes without saying that trying a few of these hometown favorites, such as New York pizza or a Nathan’s hot dog, should be near the top of the list for any food lover in this city. Foodies who are visiting New York might want to consider spending a day in different cultural areas in order to experience a taste of the food of that area. New York City affords the foodie the opportunity to mix food culture experiences all in one day – lox and bagels for breakfast, pad thai for lunch, and Italian cuisine for dinner, just for example.
Boulder, CO – Home of the most available choices in organic food, Boulder offers the foodie the freshest food that is presented in everything from contemporary American style to traditional French cuisine. Boulder has not only made organic accessible, but it has also made it gourmet. Much of the focus in the Boulder food scene focuses on healthy eating, both in the choices made in how the food is raised as well as in the types of food consumed. However, the reason Boulder is a foodie paradise is because the population truly loves to eat and loves to eat well. Chefs are local celebrities and people are always willing to give a new restaurant a try. But, the new restaurants have some touch competition going up against the established restaurants so for a new restaurant to survive, it has to be top-notch. Any foodie who decides to take their vacation in Boulder won’t be disappointed by the choices offered or the food they find there.
Las Vegas, NV – Home of the all-night buffet and sandwiches between poker games, Las Vegas has a great deal of variety and excitement to offer the vacationing foodie. Some of the world’s most famous chefs, including Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse, own and operate restaurants in Las Vegas. The sheer choice of restaurants and environments is one of the things that makes Las Vegas a great food town. It is possible to find any type of food you want almost at any hour. In Las Vegas, as in most major cities, it is a good idea to ask the locals where the good restaurants are and which are the most unique. In this way, you can try the local cuisine along with that which the celebrity chefs are offering up. While there isn’t a specific taste that is Las Vegas, the food offerings in their scope and breadth mirror the fast-paced vibe of the city.
Food-centered vacations can be a great way to experience a location through one of the hallmarks of culture. If you understand the food of a place, you understand the people and the location better than if you don’t try something different than what you can get at home. Food is an international language and a means of bringing cultures together to foster better understanding. For the traveling foodie, this is what really makes their vacation memorable.
Allie Henning is a professional blogger that enjoys sharing her favorite recipes and dishes. She writes for RecipeChart.com, where you can find a large selection of delicious recipes for food enthusiasts like yourself.
