As you can tell, I am a big advocate of eating locally and traveling for food.
America is amazing because down the street you can often find any kind of food you want. That being said, salsa from down the street is not the same as eating homemade salsa in Mexico City, schnitzel from your neighborhood restaurant isn't quite the same as trying it along the Rhine River in Germany, and pasta from Rome is better than anything you can make in your kitchen.
In addition, eating is one of the best ways to get to know local culture. Sitting around a table and sharing a meal, or taste-testing street food as you explore the night streets, is an experience not to be missed. So, how do you plan a food filled trip? How do you plan what and where to eat?
Below is my planning process and a few tips...
1. What Are You in the Mood to Eat?
Any restrictions? Anyone you know? Any opportunity?
First, where do you want to travel to? Viennese cafes? Bazaars in Turkey? Hawker stalls in Singapore? It is good to know how much you want to explore and go out of our comfort zone. Do you want to try crickets on the street corner? Or delicious wine in an intimate French restaurant? This will help you determine what kind of trip you are interested in planning.
In addition, think about what you are willing to spend and if you have any food intolerances. For example - if you're gluten free, you might have a more difficult time eating through the countryside of Italy. Another example - you can easily eat your way through delicious places in Southeast Asia without breaking the bank. Make sure you do your research on price points and keep in mind how much you’ll enjoy an area.
For the purpose of this article, I am going to take you on a fake Florence-filled itinerary.
I love Italian food, wines, and coffee. Let’s see what we can plan!
2. Research Foods
Pinterest, articles
Next, I start exploring some basic sites. Pinterest is a dreamland for this. Plenty of food and travel bloggers thrive on Pinterest. You can find some great lists, weekend itineraries, and more here. It may seem like I am promoting competition (please feel free to look at all the eating itineraries this site has to offer!) but I love the idea of supporting other blogs and their knowledge of different areas. Use these articles and lists to create a list of your own. What are some foods you want to try?
Searching Pinterest I found some excellent articles by looking up things like:
3. Research Restaurants
Condé Nast, Michelin
Next, WHERE should you try these excellent dishes? Florence, Italy is actually a perfect example of where this can go wrong. The travel industry absolutely knows that you want to try some Italian food, no matter the quality. Sometimes, in Italy, it’s all about the location. So, next to a popular museum and plaza, you will absolutely find an influx of restaurants with a million pictures of food and deals, with people standing outside trying to draw you in. I, personally, try to avoid this. The food will likely be both low quality AND expensive. No, no.
The only caveat I’ll mention is to consider the view and location. If a restaurant seems like a tourist trap, but has the best view in the city, sure, even I will grab a coffee or glass of wine there. Maybe even a snack. But, before you stop in, know what you're getting yourself into.
So, how do you avoid this?
Again, restaurant research. There will be some great recommendations that you can find (not on TripAdvisor or Yelp) through a basic Google search. My forever go-to is Condé Nast. I love Condé Nast. I know what I like when it comes to aesthetic and quality, and Condé Nast always pulls through. In addition, the Michelin guide to specific cities will give you wonderful options for both food and sites (don’t worry, you can find plenty of non-Michelin-starred restaurants in these guides too).
Some reliable sources I found by Googling “Florence, Italy restaurants:”
Conde Nast Traveler: "21 Best Restaurants in Florence"
4. Reach Out to Locals
Instagram, plan food tours,
talk to friends from there or who have lived there
Next, it’s time to reach out to some more local resources. One thing I adore about food is how it truly brings people together. Everyone has a favorite restaurant, a favorite dish, a sentimental mealtime ritual. Why not use that resource? I have found that by simply reaching out to people who have lived there, you can truly find the best food and restaurants in a city. Sure, everyone has their own taste, but some of my favorite food experiences have been recommended by friends.
In addition, Instagram is a great resource for this. Follow some food pages from that location, scroll through and see what catches your eye. Post a “Where should I eat?” question on your story. You will be shocked by some answers you will get!
For my Florence trip, I might reach out to editor Anna McCarthy, who spent a semester of undergrad studying there. As someone who lived locally, she might know the best cafes to avoid the influx of tourists, the freshest bread shops, and the hidden gems!
5. Make Your List
What foods can you share to prevent food waste?
What dishes can you buy together and try each other’s?
After I have my list of recommendations, it is time to make sure I plan out my days with restaurants that hit my list of foods! I search restaurant menus and make sure I can find some dishes from each place, being mindful of how full I might get.
This is an important point: planning a ton of heavy foods into one day can be overwhelming. It can often leave you sluggish and lead to food waste. One major tip I have is to be conscious of the amount you are planning on eating, and to take time considering what dishes you can share. There are some market-style places where you can spend the afternoon, trying a small taste of a variety of dishes, instead of buying a whole plate at a sit-down restaurant. In addition, when I am traveling with someone, I plan accordingly. Often, I will order one “must-try” dish and my partner will order the other. That way, we can try two things on our list, but knock it off during one mealtime. Most restaurants have their full menu online, although some won't.
Plan accordingly and responsibly!
6. Plan Reservations for Select Days
OpenTable, Resy, local websites, and apps
OpenTable, Resy, restaurant sites - I always check to see if a place will take a reservation. Almost all of the most famous restaurants require it (sometimes months in advance). This will guarantee you have a set plan, without scouring the streets for a so-so option with no fallback. If the time comes, and you find a walk-in that is even better, no problem! But being left with nowhere to go is always a downer. You definitely don't want to be wandering around a foreign city with nowhere to eat dinner due to wait times and being fully booked. If you want to visit an amazing restaurant that doesn't take reservations, I completely support that. Just make sure you have a backup plan!
PS. most cities have local apps as well. There have been apps that I have downloaded JUST for a specific city or country, like South Africa or New Zealand. Make sure you check to see if there is a country-wide app that people use.
For my Florence trip, I simply Googled “Italian Food Apps” and found this article:
So easy!
7. Remember it’s Fun, Don’t be Hellbent on Anything
(missing something gives you a reason to come back)
This is always tough for me, but extremely important to remember. Don't be so hellbent on trying everything on your list that you forget to enjoy the museums and city streets of the location you are traveling to. As someone who loves traveling, I often tell myself, “if I don't try all the foods I want to, it gives me even more reason to come back with excitement.” For someone like me, food adventures are so fun. I love searching, finding, and taste-testing everything I put on my list as I travel. But don’t let it determine your happiness. There is always more food fun to come!
8. Keep Track and Go Off Track
Last but not least, keep track and go off track. I create a doc that lets me track every place we eat and everything we eat there. It is a fun food-diary tradition I have, like a travel diary I can look back and read for memories. This is especially important when you do my favorite thing: going off track. I cannot tell you how many times all my plans have gone out the window unexpectedly and I have had the best meals of my life. A ramen shop I stumbled into, a bakery that was hidden, a bar that we stayed at for hours. All of these unplanned places and people are what truly make a meal. Enjoy and don't forget to live spontaneously.
“I'm a big believer in winging it.
I'm a big believer that you're never going to find a perfect city travel experience or the perfect meal without a constant willingness to experience a bad one.
Letting the happy accident happen is what a lot of vacation itineraries miss, I think, and I'm always trying to push people to allow those things to happen
rather than stick to some rigid itinerary."
Anthony Bourdain
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