Editor’s note: We asked Viator’s founder, Rod Cuthbert, to pick some of his favorite travel experiences in 2007; in this edition he makes us all very hungry with a review of his top meals in 2007. Also check out Rod’s Top 5 Travel Destinations for 2008.

Pasta with Lobster Sauce, Venice

I arrived at Venice’s Marco Polo airport late on a low cost carrier flight that made it clear why they’re called low-cost carriers… but forgot all that with a water taxi ride into the very heart of Venice. It’s after 11pm and the town is quiet, but the hotel manager calls a little restaurant around the corner and yes, they will take us if we come now. OK, we’ll unpack later, let’s go. We arrive, there are still a few people eating, and it feels warm and inviting. Red wine appears before we ask for it, as well as bread, and there’s no need for menus because there’s just one dish on offer: pasta with lobster sauce and “it’s bellissimo, you will like it.”

OK, we’ll take it. And our waiter was right, but maybe only half right because really this might be the finest pasta meal either of us have ever had, without exception. Fifteen minute later the meal is over, but we don’t want to move. There’s no rush to unpack, and just looking at our empty bowls is somehow satisfying. I just wish I could remember the name of this place, it’s somewhere near the Palazzo Vitturi Hotel…

Dinner at The Lido Cabaret, Paris

Either my memory is failing me or I’m just giving the Lido a plug, right? How could a meal served to 800 others at the same time as mine possibly be any good? Cabaret food has to be rubber chicken, doesn’t it? Well, that’s what I thought, and I had to keep checking with my fellow diners to ensure I wasn’t hallucinating… but the fact remains that of all the meals I had in Paris that week, the Lido’s three-course banquet stood out. It helps that Michelin-starred Paul Bocuse has consulted on the new menu, and that the Champagne was outstanding, but it was still a pleasant shock to encounter quality food in a “volume” environment.

House of Nanking, San Francisco

There’s a reason why a line forms outside House of Nanking every night of the year, no matter how thick the fog. It’s not the service, which is workmanlike at best; or the ambiance, which is minimalist to say the least; or the fact that most of the guide books list Nanking so that visitors just follow the advice blindly. No, it’s the food.

Everything on the menu is good, and of course it tastes even better if you have been standing outside in the fog and cold for 40 minutes. I’ve been to Hong Kong and China enough times to say with at least some confidence that you’ll go a long way to find better Chinese food than this. Just don’t go on the nights I go, OK? The lines are long enough already…

Breakfast at Bills, Sydney

I’m a great believer in a good breakfast to get your day started right. In Sydney, Australia, breakfast at some restaurants has become as famous as dinner at others, and Bills (in Surry Hills or Darlinghurst) is at the top of the pile. Once you’ve had Bills’ scrambled eggs you will give up making them yourself, unless you buy his cookbook in which case you will probably make them so often you’ll tire of it altogether, which would be an awful pity. Once again, I’m moved to say that words are not the right tools with which to describe Bills’ most famous dish: you need to go there and try it for yourself.

Roast Lamb Sandwich, Jet Blue flight, SFO to NYC

Really, when everyone around you is eating airplane food and you’re tucking into a home made organic lamb sandwich with roast vegetables and chutney… well, you get the great taste plus the satisfaction of knowing that for once, your forward planning worked. Leftovers always taste great, but they taste five times better at 36,000 feet!

–Rod Cuthbert

What was your most memorable meal in 2007? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Sad but true, most days the internet bores me. Too many dull sites, too much spam, too little good writing.

But then sometimes, out of nowhere, the web gives you a one-two knockout punch of happiness. Today is such a day.

The reason? Here’s the long-story-short version. My wife likes to cook as much as possible for our 20-month-old son. And she found a blog dedicated to some very cool food for toddlers, called lunchinabox.

The pictures of homemade bento boxes are little packets of happy-happy food joy to me. Each one makes me feel at peace with the world. Knowing that “Biggie” is home making such carefully crafted lunches for her three-year-old preschooler, well, like I said, it makes me feel at peace with the world, my troubles and problems and deadlines be damned!

The story could end here, but it doesn’t. See, not only are these bento boxes incredibly smart ideas for toddlers, they are also a brilliant idea for TRAVELERS! You heard me, travelers.

The next time I fly, I will follow one of these simple recipes and make myself a DIY in-flight bento box meal. Chicken or fish? No way, give me an English Muffin bento box every time! Or a spinach tamagoyaki bento box. This will revolutionize my in-flight dining experiences.

And my seat-mates are going to be incredibly jealous when they catch a glimpse of my travel bento box. Doubly so if that seat-mate is my 20-month-old son…

–Scott McNeely

The charms of Melbourne are subtle. It’s sophisticated, a little hidden and very different from sunny, brash Sydney. All those jokes about Melbourne having ‘four seasons in one day’ may be true, but the rainy weather lends itself to a stylish layered wardrobe. And the need to find diversions inside has created a rich cultural scene. And let’s not forget all those atmospheric cafes and bars. Here’s a short list of my favourites.

Flinders Station clock, a Melbourne icon

Mario’s on Brunswick St

Mario’s is one of the first places I ever visited in Melbourne; it became a second home for Friday night dinners and lazy conversation-filled evenings. The staff is great with witty banter, although you have to follow their system and sometimes wait for a table. Jerry Seinfeld famously had someone call to book a table for six, with a parking space reserved outside, and the response of the manager – “he can wait like everyone else” - says it all.

My recommendations: Start with a “Baryshnikov” (vodka, coffee, lemon, sugar). The meals are good-value Italian classics, fresh, beautifully presented and delicious. Drop in next door to the Brunswick St Bookstore to browse through a fabulous collection of magazines, novels, art and specialty books.

Breakfast & Swim

If you like to stay fit while traveling, there are some great local pools in Melbourne. I had my stroke corrected at Fitzroy Pool, where you can also drop in for a yoga class, or relax in the spa after your swim before taking coffee and brunch at one of the cafes on Brunswick Street. My personal pick: Babka Bakery Café at number 358, for their freshly baked bread, mouth-watering borscht, blintzes and to-die for lemon tart. If you want to stick to the back streets, head straight from the pool to ICI, at 359 Napier St, for a leisurely brunch of French toast with winter berries and mascarpone, or scrambled tofu with Thai mint.

Live Music in Melbourne

One of the many venues for live music in this city, the Rob Roy Hotel on the corner of Brunswick and Gertrude Streets has atmosphere and great range of music, from Sunday afternoon alternative folk to hardcore Friday rock ‘n’ roll. Others live music options include: The Empress Hotel in North Fitzroy, The Corner Hotel in Richmond, Cherry Bar and the Ding Dong Lounge in the city, and The Esplanade in St Kilda (which comes with a gorgeous view of the bay).

Salubrious Gertrude Street

When I first moved to Melbourne, Gertrude Street was far less salubrious than it is now. My favorite bar there has changed names, although the half-enclosed beer garden remains the same: the old Yelza had a wonderful fountain in the dining room, and flocked red velvet wallpaper, but I will be happy to hear reports on the new ‘Sentido Funf’ in its place. Alia, upstairs on the corner of Smith St, has a young, trendy crowd and is good for dancing.

Gertrude Street also offers a choice of seven art galleries, from small artist-run spaces (try seventh gallery) to commercial and contemporary, the largest of which — 200 Gertrude — has a program of international and local artists. The antique shop next door will test your baggage allowance, with a very enticing range of industrial retro.

If you go all the way down Johnston St you will reach the Collingwood Children’s Farm and ‘slow food farmers market’ on the 4th Saturday of every month. Visit the goats, buy some local produce, and experience a piece of the country in the inner city. There is a rambling path along the river that leads you past cows, horses and gorgeous old buildings. The neighboring Abbotsford Convent was recently refurbished into an arts centre with studios, performance spaces and cafes.

Carlton

Heading across the other side of Brunswick St will take you to Carlton, home of Melbourne University, Lygon Street and a large Italian community. One of the best cake shops in Melbourne is the original Brunetti on Faraday St, which I have been known to visit straight from the airport. The selection of biscuits, sweets and desserts is truly magnificent, with everything from lobster tails to thick, dark hot chocolate.

If you need to rest after all that indulgence, duck into the nearby Cinema Nova for the latest art house and independent releases. The charms of Jimmy Watson can also lure you to while away a few pleasant hours over the very fine wines, before filling up on a traditional Italian meal at Tiamo, which is always bustling with locals and students. Walking through the Exhibition Gardens and back into the city gives you the juxtaposition of old and new architecture, from the opulent domed Royal Exhibition Building (1880) to the concrete modernity of Melbourne Museum, which has permanent exhibitions including famous racehorse Phar Lap, a blue whale, and a set from Neighbours (long-running soap opera).

Melbourne’s CBD (Central Business District)

Once you’re in the city – anywhere from Spring St to Spencer St – there is a cornucopia of bars, cafes and shopping. The best way to discover them is just to wander, lose yourself in the cobbled lanes and stumble across unexpected treasures. The top end of Swanston St (near RMIT) offers cheap and cheerful Tofu Curry at Don-Don to more up market Thai treats upstairs at Cookie, and if you wander down Little Bourke St into Chinatown there is a veritable surfeit of restaurants, from the ritzy Flower Drum to the tiny tucked away family-run Yamato, with fabulous gyoza and green tea ice cream.

Continuing along to the Yarra, the many establishments at Federation Square offer something for every palette, my taste buds are always satisfied by the bibimbup at Chocolate Buddha, accompanied by a sake cocktail and great view of the city. Wander down the stairs directly behind the restaurant for a glimpse of the latest and most cutting edge art and technology at ACMI.

If you find yourself on Flinders Lane, the Journal Café (No. 253) next to the city library is a dark moody establishment with communal tables and great atmosphere. Perfect for sustaining your energy before a walk across the river to visit the National Art Gallery and experience the floating sensation created by drifting through glass walkways amongst the art. Down the road behind the Victorian College of the Arts is the new ACCA – that big rusty spaceship of a building, which has a cutting-edge contemporary art.

South Melbourne

Bypass the casino after you’ve watched the fire clock incinerate pigeons, and head straight to South Melbourne to The Butterfly Club Cocktail Lounge and Cabaret Salon, one of the strangest and most wonderful bars in the city. Wander through the high kitsch salons to the bar in the kitchen for a butterfly martini, there’s a tiny courtyard in the back, and upcoming shows include such gems as ‘The Butterfly Glee Club’, ‘The Girl from Wodonga’, and ‘Don’t hate us because we’re good’. I have great memories of a decadent evening ensconced in the plush armchairs of the cosy living room, feeling like a very special guest at a decadent private party. Definitely not to be missed.

–Jodi Rose

Planning a trip? Browse all of Viator’s tours and things to do in Melbourne, from Colonial Tramcar dinners to Yarra Valley Wine Tasting and dozens more.

Life’s too short. It takes time to discover all the quartiers that make up the 20 arrondissements of Paris. When you do find an excellent new restaurant tucked away somewhere, or a bar with a great atmosphere, you pass the information on like a precious gift. So here are a few of the gems I’ve found in the last four years, well off the beaten track for tourists.

Bistrot du Peintre, Paris

The Bistrot du Peintre, 116 Avenue Ledru Rollin, is all graceful Art Nouveau curves and original early 20th-century decor. No one I know has ever been disappointed by a meal here and as a main course is 15 to 20 euros it doesn’t break the bank. Their Cuisse de Canard Confite is enough to make a vegetarian crack. A great place to indulge in that great French past time, sharing the enjoyment of delicious food with good company.

The Bistrot du Peintre is at the heart of what was the old furntiture-makers’ district east of Bastille. The noisy workshops and machine saws of 20 years ago have vanished along with the aroma of rare woods, but the area has turned into one of the best places to live and go out in Paris. It’s not as expensive and pretty as the Marais (west of Bastille), though that’s close by if you want to go there and window shop in the boutiques on a Sunday or stroll round the place des Vosges and listen to the buskers. Neither is it as poor as Belleville. But it’s very lively. And it’s changing rapidly.

Essentially what you need to know is that the Right Bank is the new Left Bank. All the new galleries and interesting bars that are opening stretch in an arc from Bastille north up through Belleville and Menilmontant, then west towards the slopes of Monmartre. This is where it’s happening, because gentrification has priced out the young from the Left Bank, Sartre’s 5th and 6th arrondissments, turning them into a playground for the rich and tourists looking for a long-vanished Paris.

In Bastille, nightlife centres on rue de Lappe, a cobbled street that contains the old Balajo club where Edith Piaf used to sing. This short street is lined with bars and restaurants, including the beautiful but pricey Bistrot les Sans Culottes at number 27.

For my money, though, the best bar is the Bastide halfway down the street, a scruffy and unpretentious place that hasn’t changed in 20 years. The walls are lined with faded posters – Marlon Brando in Un Tramway nommé Desire; a police mugshot of the notoriously ugly singer Serge Gainsbourg. It keeps irregular hours but gets crowded, which is good as it forces the French to overcome their innate reticence and start talking to strangers. And all ages come here – from 25-year-olds to 60-year-old veterans of the 1960s and ’70s.

Pause Cafe, photo by Ben Ford

An important side of Parisian social life is people watching. Set yourself up at a table in a café like Pause Café, 41 rue de Charonne, and check out the people checking each other out. This café enjoyed minor fame for its role in the film Chacun cherche son Chat (Everyone’s Looking for Their Cat) about daily life in the quartier Bastille. The barman is still Ariskey, who you can see in the film, who likes to pass a dry joke with the regulars. Dry humour is known as humour froid in French, and as in England, is something of an art form. When the sun comes out the tables get packed with people posing and looking out for minor bo-bo celebrities. Bo-bo, or bourgoise-boheme refers to people with middle class or professional jobs who pose as Bohemian artist types. But there are real people there, too, and if you want to meet them rather than pose, the basic rule in a French cafe is to sit at the bar. Espressos are half price at the bar, too!

Parisian cafés all have tiny round tables outside, just big enough for two people. It’s a city geared to intimate encounters between two people, whether you’re meeting your friend, your lover or your mum. It lends itself to the revealing of confidences and to storytelling. Parisians are forever arranging meetings at cafés where they drink very slowly and hang out for hours. Breakfast in a café – coffee and a croissant – is the best way to meet the habitués, the locals. Parisians are more relaxed then and less concerned with competitive posing.

But the best kept secret in the area is Le Fanfaron at 6, rue de la Main d’Or, a bar that keeps itself exclusive by not even having its name painted on the outside. Everything in it is retro, from the ’50s style bar to the Hammer Horror and Barbarella movie posters and the ’60s music. Xavier, the quiffed barman and a huge Rolling Stones fan, cuts up sausages for the clientel in between changing the vinyl records, alternating rock’n’roll with later bands like Iggy Pop or Patti Smith. Watch your change though as he’s apt to forget how many drinks you’ve had, just keeps a rather inaccurate paper tally. Regulars coast in on their Vespa scooters in all their Mod gear. It’s the antithesis of bo-bo cool, a much grungier subculture style.

Leaving Bastille behind, the other main drag for bars and night life on the Right Bank is on the two parallel streets rue Oberkampf and rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, accessible from Metro Parmentier. Oberkampf stretches up the hill towards Menilmontant and Belleville and on Saturday night glitters with light from the bars. Walking up from the metro, stop in first at Café Charbon, 109 rue Oberkampf, with its high ceiling and mirrored walls, get a Mojito or something to eat and then set out to explore the surrounding streets and bars.

Le Chat Noir, 76 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, puts on gigs in the cellar, often folk or French chanson, a style that is closest to cabaret, somewhere between traditional songs, folk and pop and which usually involves accordions. Look out for a free pocket sized listings magazine called Lylo that is distributed in bars and also the music shop fnac (at Bastille), as this contains details for all the music and concerts and clubs across Paris.

If you want to get away from the beer and the noise, for something calmer and more intellectual, move down the street to the Ogre à Plumes at 49, rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud. Yves, Virginie and Sophie, three actors, run this restaurant and café litteraire, hosting readings by French authors and putting on pieces de theatre in the basement.

Finally round off your night dancing to electro or funk at the Alimentation Generale at 64 rue Jean Pierre Timbaud, or the Nouveau Casino behind Café Charbon, or the OPA (always free to get in) back at 9 rue Biscornet just off Bastille. If salsa is your thing there’s Barrio Latino, 46 rue du faubourg Saint Antione, 2 minutes from Bastille. Or for jazz and blues sample the concerts in the cellar at the Caveau des Oubliettes, 52 rue Galande, in the 5th arrondissement, Metro St Michel. Entry free as long as you buy a drink.

–David Barnes

If you’re planning a trip to Paris, be sure to browse Viator’s list of Paris tours and things to see and do.

In case you haven’t seen it, Matt Gross (a.k.a. the Frugal Traveler columnist for the New York Times) has been traveling across the USA in search of the best places to eat and drink. Matt has uncovered a few gems, and whetted my appetite for a USA road trip of my own.

He’s also making me hungry. Very hungry. And in the spirit of sharing good places to eat and drink, I am nominating my own Top 3 USA Favorites. Choosing just three is not easy, but rather than worry too much about it, I’ve focused on three places that are simply too goo not to be on the list.

If you, too, feel like sharing, simply leave a comment below with one or two of your favorite places to eat or drink. Either in your hometown or in an exotic foreign location. It doesn’t matter. Quality eats are quality eats, no matter where they’re located. (Speaking of location, I’ve never been to the Sounds of Silence outdoor restaurant in Ayers Rock / Uluru, Australia, so I can’t add it to my list below. Maybe I need a new list of top 3 restaurants I’ve never been to… I’ll save that for a different day.) In the meantime, 3 of my top food favorites in the USA, in no particular order.

Scott’s Top 3 Food Favorites

• Curtis’ Barbecue in Putney, Vermont. Curtis barbecues his own pork, beef and chicken in the back of a converted school bus. No joke — there are some great photos on the website. We stopped here on the way to a friend’s wedding and, after my first slab of ribs and second ear of corn, I nearly cried when I had to get back in the car and drive away. I still have a sauce-stained postcard that proclaims Curtis’ as the “9th wonder of the world.” Not sure what #8 is, but I will not argue.
• Uglesich’s in New Orleans, Louisiana. I haven’t been since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. But I have friends who’ve told me that Uglesich’s is as good as it ever was. And “good” is an understatement. This place is always crowded with a mix of locals and tourists — it’s lunch only, so get here early for fresh oysters, fried oysters, Voodoo shrimp and shrimp creole.
• Shalimar in San Francisco, California. This is a hometown favorite. If you like Indian food you will love Shalimar, it’s as simple as that. This isn’t the cleanest or nicest or most fancy place in town. Far from it. But the food is authentic, spicy and cheap. If you can’t handle Shalimar’s perfection, there’s a close runner-up diagonally across the street called Pakwan.

What’s on your list of food favorites?

–Scott McNeely

Interior of the bar Murmur, Melbourne

Getting thirsty at Murmur, Melbourne

Bars. There are so many bars in Melbourne. Just 20 years ago, the central city area was a virtual wasteland; packed with suits from 9 to 5, and then empty.

I remember looking down Bourke St – one of the two main city thoroughfares – from the state Parliament building one Sunday afternoon in the mid-1980s and seeing no movement at all. No cars, no trams, no people. Back then, shops couldn’t open on Sundays. Back then, while there were lots of pubs in the city, none were especially safe to drink in. Back then, Melbourne had forgotten its laneways. Back then, there were no bars.

So much has changed. Shops are seemingly never closed. People now actually live in the city. Lots of them. And with them have come supermarkets, restaurants, more galleries, more diverse shopping and lots and lots of bars.

Each Friday night the decision is harder and harder: where will we go for a drink? Ten years back, you might go to the Lounge or you might join the too-cool-for-school set at Meyers Place, Spleen or Troika. They’re all still around (in fact, I knocked back a Melbourne Bitter long-neck at Meyers Place last Friday afternoon), but they’re now the old-timers in a seemingly endless parade of bar openings. Down every gritty laneway. Above every second shop. Up three flights of a rickety wooden staircase.

A quick search of the Yellow Pages gives me 107 bars and clubs in Melbourne’s compact CBD, but I can think of three or four not in the list – they open too quickly for anyone to keep track of! And they seemingly never go out of business. What’s this all about? Does Melbourne – as a city – have a drinking problem? Maybe, although I’m reminded of that great Tom Waits lyric “Don’t have a drinking problem / Except when I can’t get a drink.”

By that logic, no, Melbourne has no problem.

Top Bar Picks in Melbourne

So here I go, putting my reputation on the line and proving just how behind the times I am. Here are my favourite Melbourne bars. Some are years old, others are shiny and new, and each has something unique to recommend it. Have fun, try a good local beer from Mountain Goat, Little Creatures or Mildura Brewing, and keep yourself nice!

Murmur (17 Warburton Lane). Down a little street, around the corner into a nondescript dead-end lane, past the boxing gym and up a flight of wooden stairs. It’s a classic ‘hidden’ Melbourne bar, where just finding it is part of the experience. But once inside the mid-sized room, it’s time to relax amid the wrought-iron, floorboards and comfy couches. An impressive stock of imported beers sits alongside a neat stable of local brews. Music is cool and vibey – and not too loud – with DJs on some nights. Bar snacks are available and the martinis are a treat.

I was not kidding

MOO (basement, rear of 318 Little Bourke St). Once the postal service’s Mail Order Office (hence the name), MOO is a treat. Slightly overpriced lunches and dinners can be ignored in favour of the scrumptious tapas and unique cocktails in this intimate basement venue. Order an Escobar at the bar and watch the guys slavishly work over your drink, then nab a spot in one of the booths or on a Chesterfield and enjoy a quiet chat with friends. Forgot to pay last time I was there, and they chased us down the street. Fair enough.

Madame Brussels (Level 3, 59 Bourke Street). This one’s a bit strange. Named after one of Melbourne’s original brothel owners, MB’s is all English lawn tennis and fruity punch. Fake grass, little pathways, trellising and a hedged bar create a fun, foppish atmosphere. There’s a fabulous, large outdoor terrace, just perfect for summer (and if it’s cold, the staff will give you a blanket).

Cherry (ACDC Lane – seriously – behind Flinders Lane). Rock ‘n’ roll lives at this grungy late-night venue. Since it opened in 2000, it’s been all beer, bourbon and dancing in this high-volume some-time band venue and bar. It’s a great place to kick onto in the small hours. It’s always free, although it’s not uncommon to have to queue. Wear black. Wear flannelette. Whatever; but don’t wear a suit. And be ready to dance hard.

The laneway to Cherry

Syracuse (23 Bank Place). Not really a bar-bar, more a restaurant and wine bar, Syracuse is classy and classic. With a French bistro feel, wine is the main attraction, and their list is impressive (over 700 on offer!). The staff is famously knowledgeable and relaxed, and the atmosphere is casual in a semi-formal kind of way (know what I mean?). Their food – and especially the tapas – is top notch. This place is great for a light afternoon snack and a couple of glasses of red.

Melbourne Supper Club (Level 1, 161 Spring Street). Like Syracuse, but later at night and a bit more rowdy, the Supper Club is a Melbourne institution for the post-anything crowd. Queuing on the stairs is a right-of-passage, and well worth it. By the time you get settled on a leather couch and have your first-of-several European beers, you’ve been transported into another world. Sophisticated? Yes (the waiting staff will light your cigar if you’re that way inclined). But the Supper Club doesn’t take itself too seriously - you can order a cheap tray of piping-hot party pies (Australia’s favourite kids party snack). There’s an enormous window looking to the east, and when the sun starts to rise, you know it’s probably time to head home.

Croft Institute (Croft Alley). When it opened six or seven years ago, the Croft Institute was undeniably the coolest place I’d ever seen. Now a bit gimmicky (actually, it always was), this bizarre and slightly creepy place attracts an arty crowd all week long. Not just down a lane, but down a lane off a lane, this place is almost impossible to find. Nevertheless, the Croft Institute is worth a visit, even if just to see it for yourself. The ground floor has a 1950s science lab feel: brightly lit with medical instruments and beakers. Drinks are great. Next floor up is a ‘waiting area’ and the toilets (Department of Male and Female Hygiene), regarded by many as the strangest and most notable loos in Melbourne. Up one more flight of stairs and it’s old-school gymnasium décor and an always-pumping dance floor. The cover charge can sometimes be off-putting, but the Croft remains quite a place.

--John Ryan

Planning a trip? Browse all of Viator’s tours and things to do in Melbourne. Fancy a Yarra Valley winery tour? Or maybe a day at an Aussie Rules footy match. Colonial Tramcar Restaurant? Yup, Viator has that, too.

According to a study commissioned by the Travel Industry Association, Gourmet magazine and the International Culinary Tourism Association, some 17% of American leisure travelers seek culinary and wine-related activities. During the past three years, that percentage accounted for some 27 million travelers. The top five destinations for food-related travel in the USA, according to the study, are California, Florida, New York, Texas and North Carolina.

Being an avid foodie and wine lover, every chance I get I want to explore the gastronomical delights in the places I travel. Food and wine provides sensory insight into a culture. Whether it is regional, country or continent based the senses of taste and smell tantalize and can definitely surprise even the most adventurous palate. In some cases I have found a new favorite food or wine varietal, in other cases my taste buds have frowned on my eagerness to experiment.

Food and Wine in Australia’s Hunter Valley

This Hunter Valley food and wine tour was hands-down one of the best food and wine tasting adventures I have had. The Hunter Valley was beautiful with its rolling hills and open space… a nice day trip outside of Sydney. A quick stop in Wollombi village introduced me to Dr. Jurd’s Jungle Juice. A sweet-tasting brew that was bottled up a bit like medicine. From there the adventure took us to three very different wineries that allowed for a range of experience…a large family-owned, a corporate-owned and a small boutique winery. I bought wine all around and had smiles throughout the private tastings at each place. The tastings included Semillon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet, and Dessert Wines to name a few.

The lunch was a class act with small plates of meat including kangaroo and emu, cheese and vegetables and yes, more wine (obvvviousslllyyy). We also had a delicious cheese tasting at Cooper, a boutique winery, paired perfectly with their wines. In fact I have served the Cooper gold dessert wine and pinot noir to guests at dinner parties since my trip and they are still talking about it. At the end of the ten hour day my belly was pleasantly full with the tastes of the day.

A “Restaurant” on Caye Caulker, Belize

A few years ago I had the opportunity to tour around Central America. A pal and I spent much of our time exploring the country of Belize. We went from the inland areas of the Mayan Empire out to the white sand and clear water of the Cayes. Caye Caulker is the island where we spend many days soaking in the sun, exploring the marine life and meeting new friends. On this island the signs say slow down and cars are not allowed. The inhabitants are an eclectic mix of mestizo, creole and garifuna cultures so you can image the food emphasized is seafood with sprinklings of latin and creole influences. To stay cool each day we indulged in sampling the two beers of the country Lighthouse Lager and Belikin Beer. There are about 25 restaurants on the island. The fare ranges from Italian, to Caribbean, to seafood, to your standard burger and fries.

Being the adventurous eater I wanted us to try a place I heard about called Wish Willy’s. The owner, Willy, is known for his tasty drinks, spicy sauces and fresh seafood dishes. His place is off an alley and the sign is worn and faded. Wish Willy’s was essentially a few wooden tables in Willy’s front yard. We felt as if we were at a friend’s barbecue. He only had rum with tropical juices available to drink and his pal had to run down to the market to buy beer for all the guests.

The menu was verbally provided by Willy and included lobster and snapper. Once we all ordered he left us for a bit and headed down to the dock to pick up the seafood. Upon his return more drinks were served and candles brought out after sundown. Willy headed to the kitchen to cook up our dinners but talking to us from inside the house the entire time. Our orders were served with a delicious spicy sauce, rice and vegetables. The seafood was simply amazing and our plates were completely cleared. Wish Willy’s had everything a unique ambience, good libations and amazing, fresh, home cooked food. If you ever get the chance to travel to Belize go to Caye Caulker and check out Wish Willy’s.

Happy Eating and Drinking!

–Liz Pagano