Travel Bites

Going on vacation is supposed to be relaxing and fun. But there is always so much to worry about before you leave — and even while you’re away! You need to check your luggage to make sure you packed everything you meant to. Then when you’re actually on vacation, you are worrying about your house and your pets, hoping that they are being good for the sitter. And how many times have you stressed about turning the stove off before you left the house? Did you turn it off?

The Lone Star State possesses the perfect environment for gas-station innovation. With 675,580 total road miles, it leads the nation in black top (California ranks a distant second with a paltry 394,608), providing a captive audience willing to support exit-ramp excellence. Its humongous size cultivates a cramped-averse population who possess a skewed sense of proportion (read: we expect a lot of space, and all our beverages arrive super-sized).

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the greatest day of my life was the day that Wendy’s introduced its four for $4 meal, which includes my favorites — a junior bacon cheeseburger, chicken nuggets, a small order of fries, and a small drink. (The four for $4 is also my longest, most successful relationship).

The Parmesan cheese I grew up sprinkling on my spaghetti came straight from a green tube labeled “Kraft.” This was before anyone worried whether those jars of Prego sauce were authentic, before we wondered if we should be eating fresh pasta instead of dried, and long before the green tube of “Parmesan” was discovered to contain wood pulp. Wood pulp or no, I maintain a nostalgic love for the pebbled cheese of my youth and would happily toss it on my noodles.

2018 is right around the corner and the question on my mind is: Where will I go on vacation next year? I have my eye on Puglia (you have to see these photos) for an off-the-grid spot that’s still easy on my wallet. If I’m feeling more adventurous, I’m thinking Mexico City — and specifically this one neighborhood — but according to Lonely Planet, there’s another destination that should be on my radar. Can you guess what it is?

We’re all familiar with this scenario: You bought the cheapest ticket at the very last minute and when you go to choose your seat, there aren’t any left. It will be assigned at the gate, they say. This is code for: You’re sitting in the last row in the middle seat. I’m pretty sure there is no one who would actually choose this seat. But what happens when you do get to choose? Do you choose the window or the aisle? In my experience, people tend to have strong opinions.

As an avid traveler and eater, I’m always on the lookout for the next great food destination, big or small, domestic or international. Will Bloomington, Indiana be the next Austin, Texas? Is Madrid poised to steal the culinary crown from Barcelona? Toronto has been on my radar for some time now. Vogue called the Canadian city the world’s next culinary hotspot, and one of Montreal’s top chef’s said he thinks Toronto has the best food in Canada.

Travel is exciting and adventurous, but let’s be honest — it can also be exhausting. Even worse is when you catch a cold after a long flight and have to battle a snotty nose in addition to that backlog of emails. You might think the guy with the wicked cough three seats down is to blame, or just sharing air with a couple hundred other humans for hours, but the real reason you get sick may surprise you.

One of the (admittedly strange) perks of being an Airbnb host is discovering what objects my guests have left behind. As I ready my rental kitchen for the next temporary inhabitants, I get to conduct an exercise that’s part anthropological analysis of the eating and drinking habits of travelers of the world, part Easter egg hunt. In addition to the standard-issue leave-behinds like phone chargers (and, um, some unmentionables), here are 10 of the most common things I find.

Living in Budapest, I am just a 75-minute flight away from Montenegro. I know little about this Balkan nation once part of the former Yugoslavia other than its purported beauty. Come, the articles tempt, to savor the Adriatic Sea from the beaches of medieval Budva, wander the cobbled lanes of the UNESCO-designated Kotor, and succumb to nature at Lake Skadar and Lovcen National Park.

If you’ve ever been forced to endure a flight seated next to someone who decided to bring a tuna salad sandwich as their carry-on item, then congratulations — you’re fully prepared to be Martha Stewart’s seatmate. The OG lifestyle guru recently told the New York Times what her travel essentials are, and for the most part they’ll make you hope you never have to share an armrest with her.

If there’s one city in the world to blow the bank on food, it’s Paris. It’s easy to imagine raiding your savings account halfway through the trip; all it takes is a tap, tap, swipe on your banking app to move some funds from that rainy day account. Who needs savings when you’re alive and hungry in Paris? But it doesn’t have to be that way. Even on the slimmest of budgets, Paris is still deliriously delicious.

Imagine this sweet little street scene: There are bustling markets, sidewalk cafes where stylish patrons linger over coffee, shops spilling flowers out the front, fragrant bakeries with tempting pastries, and a glorious frommagerie. The Amelie theme song is the soundtrack, and you — you’re pedaling along, sporting a cute little navy striped top, while treasures from your stop at the market peek out of your basket.

As an Airbnb host, I am fully in the Airbnb camp. It’s my favorite way to travel and a fantastic way to immerse myself in a neighborhood, learn about local culture, and get insider tips on favorite spots. (My last host steered me to some of the best places I’ve eaten in Paris; even cooler, we’ve stayed in touch and had lunch together when I had a stopover there last spring.

The best thing I brought home from Portugal wasn't a port, sardines, or an egg custard tart.

You already know that October is a really, really good time to go to Europe, partly because no one else is doing it, but also because fall food is the best food —roasted chestnuts, truffles, and cider cakes! — and you can walk around without immediately sweating because it’s not 90°F. Also, it’s affordable, especially if you are a family with pre-teen kids, and you’re considering Scandinavia (which you should because Fika and toast and hygge and IKEA!).

Airbnb just quietly rolled out a new feature, and it could be a game-changer. If you’re a traveler who uses the platform, you’re gonna wanna know about this. For years, hosts like me have assigned star ratings to guests in three categories: cleanliness, communication, and observance of house rules; this is in addition to their overall rating, and of course the review itself. But those star ratings weren’t public — until now.

Cruises are known for being really good deals. Unless, of course, you decide to upgrade your stateroom. Or go for that top-tier alcohol option. Or add on a cooking class in Tuscany. Yes, cruising can get very expensive indeed. It is possible to avoid sticker shock if you take advantage of what’s included in your base package. This includes, of course, the cruise buffet — that smorgasbord of culinary delights, from bountiful baked goods to sliced-to-order filets.

Have you ever considered booking a flight but then stopped, your cursor hovering over the “Confirm Reservation” button, as you realized that the airline probably caters to, like, people who are older than 24? Maybe you’ve thought, “I’d love to go to one of four European destinations, but I’m terrified that I won’t be able to buy organic food mid-flight!

On the last Friday of September — this year, the 29th — the town of Binissalem completely shuts down for a yearly feast known as “Sopar a la Fresca.” It means dine outside and that’s exactly what the residents of this tiny Mallorcan village do. They take to the streets, set up simple wooden or plastic tables, and sup on noodles and lamb.

With multiple sailings on several cruise lines under my belt, I now feel like I've mastered the art of the shipboard smorgasbord.

New Orleans is many things: It is the place you go if you want to fill your belly with jambalaya, étoufée, and gumbo, and then wake up and do it all over again (starting with fried dough topped with a mountain of powdered sugar and washed down with sweet-and-bitter chicory-laced cafe au lait). It is the destination of choice if you’re looking to shake your groove thing into the wee hours, fueled by Hurricane after Hurricane.

I’m no stranger to testing the TSA’s boundaries when traveling with food. You’re talking to the girl who figured out how to pack hard-boiled eggs on ice to eat at the gate. I thought I took the title for Over-the-Top Airport Food Packer … until I was at a party and someone mentioned bringing a salad kit on board for dinner. She said she’d pour the dressing right into the bag and eat it in her seat — just like a Frito Pie. Wait, how had I not thought of that?

It’s not hard to find good food in Seattle. In 2016 alone, 160 new restaurants, bars that serve food, or little corner shops opened in this rainy city where food is a comfort and entertainment both. Southern-inspired brunch spot? Wings and waffles? Ethiopian food? Wood-fired Latin American dishes? Sustainable poke places? They’re all here now.

According to the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants List, the best restaurant in the world is in New York: It’s Eleven Madison Park and, if you’re lucky enough to have $295 for dinner — per person, gratuity included, wine pairings not included — I’m pretty sure you would be in for the meal of your life. If, however, you do not have a collective grand to spend for a lavish tasting menu for two, with wine pairings, I have an alternate contender to propose.

Americans aren’t good at vacations. Isn’t that what all the reports say? We can’t put our phones away, we check our work email and take work calls from the beach, and that’s if we even take our vacation days to begin with. According to career site Glassdoor.com, the average U.S. employee only takes 54 percent of their vacation days. In other words, we’re all leaving half our PTO on the table. Well, maybe not all of us.

Americans aren’t good at vacations. Isn’t that what all the reports say? We can’t put our phones away, we check our work email and take work calls from the beach, and that’s if we even take our vacation days to begin with. According to career site Glassdoor.com, the average U.S. employee only takes 54 percent of their vacation days. In other words, we’re all leaving half our PTO on the table. Well, maybe not all of us.

I live on a rural island, a 15-minute ferry ride west of Seattle. Even people who have lived in this area for decades might never have ventured to Vashon. It seems far away and dreamy, a small town set in green forests and rocky beaches.

A road trip along the Pacific Coast Highway is nearly as American as driving cross-country on Route 66. However, if your interests are culinarily minded (and let’s be specific here — we’re talking about folks who really, really love ice cream), we suggest you head north from San Francisco instead of south.

Airport food is tough. You’re often lucky to pick up an overpriced, pre-packaged salad or sandwich. The same goes for food souvenirs. They’re usually the most appreciated by friends at home, but when it comes to convenience, they’re not ideal — edibles are often hard to pack and even harder to get through security.

Earlier this year, the TSA released an updated list of foods that you can and can’t bring through airport security. Of course we all know that solid foods are okay, while anything that’s a liquid or gel needs to be 3.4 ounces or less. Anything bigger and it’ll have to go in your checked bag — or the garbage. The complete list of yays and nays was fairly predictable.

Earlier this year, the TSA released an updated list of foods that you can and can’t bring through airport security. Of course we all know that solid foods are okay, while anything that’s a liquid or gel needs to be 3.4 ounces or less. Anything bigger and it’ll have to go in your checked bag — or the garbage. The complete list of yays and nays was fairly predictable.

Picture this: It’s a sunny afternoon. You’re sitting outside at a picnic table, looking out at the water and waiting for your number to be called from the loudspeaker of a tiny seafood shack. Your order arrives on a colorful plastic tray: Alongside a bag of potato chips and maybe a pickle is a squishy hot dog bun filled with succulent lobster meat lightly dressed in a bit of mayonnaise. You smell the ocean breeze and take your first bite. It tastes like summer in Maine.

Choosing an Airbnb can be an arduous task — and I should know. I stayed in Airbnbs for an entire year. Along the way, I learned a lot about vacation rentals, but the most important thing I learned was this: The kitchen is the heart of any home, even when it’s not your permanent home. So, how can you make sure that you get not only the right vacation rental for you, but also one that has a great (or at least a viable) kitchen?

Coming back from vacation is the worst. Let’s just put that out there. Not only do you have to deal with getting back home, but you also have to change your mental status from Drinking Pina Coladas by the Pool to Available for Inane Questions and Last-Minute Requests. There’s the inevitable deluge of emails, a week of dinners to consider, and all that laundry. No fun! And it’s never going to be fun. But it can be just a little bit easier. Always plan a buffer day.

San Francisco is one of the most exciting food cities in the United States. If you’ve made the trip, chances are you’ve filled your belly with everything from clam chowder in a sourdough bowl and Zuni Cafe’s roast chicken to horchata bubble tea and toast slathered with homemade preserves at The Mill. Maybe you’ve even ventured across the Bay to Oakland, which is quietly gaining a reputation as a serious food destination. (Perhaps even better than San Francisco?

Confession: I have a donut obsession. Whenever I find myself in a new place, the first thing I do is find the donuts. I’ve donut-crawled my way through a bakers’ dozen cities over the years — at least. Here are six of my very favorite donut destinations, in no particular order. The windy city doesn’t mess around when it comes to donuts.

As I walked the streets of downtown Chicago, clutching three paper bags of half-eaten doughnuts from three different shops, I had to finally admit that my friends were right — I really did have a doughnut obsession. I could say it started when I moved to Portland, the day I walked into punk-souled Voodoo Doughnut and walked out with a bright-purple, Kool-Aid-dusted Grape Ape. But I know it started much earlier. For me, memory lane is paved with rainbow sprinkles.

A few months ago I found myself in the passenger seat of a rental car, winding through the steep, snow-capped Dolomites, a knife smeared with cheese and fig jam in my hand and breadcrumbs strewn across my lap. My boyfriend and I were road tripping from Vienna to Milan, and we had gone a bit overboard with the snacks. My love for road trips and snacks was inherited.

Growing up outside New York, I was sure I was eating the best bagels in the world. Then I visited a small bakery in South Portland, Maine.

I want to start out by saying that I hate — and I mean absolutely hate — driving in Los Angeles. All the noise, all the cars, all the green lights staring you in the face while you sit stagnant swiping left and refreshing your Instagram. And yet, I will willingly drive 80 miles for a smoothie. I know, I know — it seems a tad far to venture for a drink, but hear me out. I drive 80 miles for a smoothie called the Co-conut.

In my life, I have taken a lot of road trips. I have also eaten a lot of snacks. Along the way, I’ve learned that there’s a science to road trip snacks. Here are my five rules of road trip snacks. They should be simple, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be gourmet; they should be varied enough that you don’t get bored an hour into the drive; and, most importantly, they should have a local element. Experiment when you can’t read the labels.