Part of the excitement of travel for me is planning how I’ll eat my way through a city. I look for restaurant districts close to galleries, breakfast spots near monuments, and I schedule visits to museums that also have wonderful cafés, like the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, or Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City. Whether I’m traveling for business or going home to see family, I find time to visit a new coffee shop, a farm, or the spot that an area expert has been raving about.
Often my ultimate destination is a restaurant, like on my recent trip to The Lodge at Blue Sky near Park City, Utah. In this case the journey was not without its complications. A friend and I took a treacherous climb in a rideshare up the wrong side of a mountain during a winter storm and eventually got stuck in a snowbank. Thankfully, we were rescued by Jake Smolik, the lodge rancher, who got us to dinner in one piece. When we finally arrived we were treated to an omakase-style feast guest-hosted by Kyle and Katina Connaughton, owners of Single Thread Farm, the acclaimed inn and restaurant in Napa Valley. Kyle prepared some of his signature dishes—including his Santa Barbara abalone—along with others inspired by Gracie’s Farm, Blue Sky’s on-property horse rescue and sustainable farm that supplies vegetables to nearby restaurants. I later visited Gracie’s and learned about the challenges director Lynsey Gammon faces cultivating crops more than 6,000 feet above sea level; the growing season, for instance, is only two months long. The trip left me with a deeper appreciation for the region beyond its scenic beauty.
This issue is full of food experiences worth planning a trip around. Contributor Belle Cushing makes the case for setting aside an afternoon of your vacation for the long multi-course lunch served at Prudencia in Bogotá. Kayla Stewart takes us to Houston for the multicultural barbecue flavors that set the city’s smoked-meat scene apart. And, to ease your reentry when you return, we have a suite of nourishing recipes you can make as soon as you drop your bags at the door.
More Culinary Destinations
Detroit
After lingering over Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry Murals and the American Art galleries at the Detroit Institute of Arts, head down to the museum’s café for small bites and a glass of wine.
Houston
Lyric Market is one of the city’s newer food halls, located in the vibrant downtown theater district. The city-block-size venue features everything from sushi to waffles, plus late-night entertainment.
Bogotá
90 minutes from Bogotá, offers an immersive farming experience that teaches coffee history and Arabica bean production, from flower to cup.