My Favorite Food Experiences Around the World

In my twenty-five years of travel, I’ve been able to have some truly incredible food and drink experiences around the world. Not only do they connect me to some of my fondest memories both at home and abroad, they’ve allowed me to get to know places and people around the world on a whole new level. Here are just some of my favorites.

Check out our International Food Special – Part II below

Unique Food & Drink Experiences Around the World

Trying Everything Cherry in Traverse City, Michigan

If you never thought about cherries in Michigan, don’t worry. Neither did I until I visited Traverse City. Turns out Michigan is actually responsible for something like 70% of the country’s tart cherries and Traverse City in particularly is known as the “Cherry Capital of the World”! If you only stop at one place to see all things cherries, make it Cherry Republic. It’s home to nearly 300 cherry products including my favorite, cherry ice cream!

Finding Hidden Gems in Strip Malls Across America

This has to be one of my favorite travel tips for anyone traveling around the United States. Look to strip malls for some truly fantastic and authentic restaurants. In between all the franchises, you can usually find one or two restaurants owned by first or second generation Americans who specialize in home cooking. For nearly 30 years, G’s Country Kitchen has been serving up soul food in Huntsville, AL all based on founder Greta Russell’s family heirloom recipes. And over in Naples, FL, Grouper and Chips is known for its fried grouper sandwich. All fish is delivered fresh and this unassuming spot is often named the #1 spot for fried grouper sandwiches in southwest Florida. 

Tasting the Sweetest Pineapples in Costa Rica

Fun fact: 75% of the world’s pineapples comes from Costa Rica! When you visit be sure to visit Finca Paraíso Orgánico in particular. It’s a family-owned business that focuses on organic production and grows some of the sweetest pineapples I’ve ever tasted.

Indulging in a Pineapple Tarte in Wiesbaden, Germany

Speaking of pineapples, another pineapple treat you’ll want to experience is halfway across the world in a German town called Wiesbaden. There you’ll find Confiserie Kunder, a chocolateria that has been around for over 125 years. They’ve been making their delectable pineapple tarts the same way since the shop’s founder first developed the recipe!

Enjoying Salmon in Ireland…

There are a few places around the world where salmon comes from, and the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland is one of them. Head to The Roadside Tavern near Limerick for some delicious organic salmon dishes. The Curtin family has owned this tavern for over 150 years and smoke their salmon in their very own smokehouse.

… and Salmon in Alaska

Another place known for salmon? Alaska. It’s its signature dish, after all! When you plan a visit to the Inside Passage, be sure to book an all you can eat salmon bake with Alaska Travel Adventures.

Getting Breakfast in Shanghai, China

When it comes to eating well in Shanghai, some of the best places are open only for breakfast! Join a morning Street Eats Tour to visit a local market and sample dishes from different vendors. I loved trying jianbing.

Slowing Down with Grannies in Vienna, Austria

Want to feel like you’re hanging out in your cheerful grandma’s living room? Visit one of the many Vollpension locations in Vienna, Austria. These cafes were started by students who were missing that homey feeling living in a big city. They want to help the elderly fight old-age poverty while bringing two different generations together over cozy drinks and treats. Half the staff at Vollpension are made of grandparents who even bake their own recipes. Phones and technology are discouraged so that every visitor has time to slow down and chat with whoever is working.

Getting Covered in Powered Sugar from Beignets in New Orleans

I could probably fill up this post with food-related places from New Orleans alone. This is a city that people visit just to eat, so narrowing it down to just one experience was tough! However, if there’s one I’d choose, it has to be the iconic beignet from Cafe du Monde. These sweet treats are practically a symbol of the city, and luckily, they have multiple locations so you don’t have to worry about standing in line at their French Market location. Just know, you will end up covered in powdered sugar!

Enjoying All the Side Dishes in Seoul, South Korea

When it comes to a good restaurant in Seoul and anywhere in Korea, expect a lot of banchan. These are side dishes that come complimentary with your main meal. Often you’ll wind up eating more banchan than anything else! Expect your table to fill up with these little circular dishes. It’s best to not try and identify every ingredient or dish. Instead just dive in and start eating. 

Trying Everything Key Lime in the Florida Keys

If you visit the Florida Keys and don’t run into anything key lime, are you sure you visited the Florida Keys?! The classic way to enjoy this tart fruit is in the form of pie, and one of the best places to do it is at the Blonde Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory. Founder, Tania Beguinati, used her grandmother’s Brazilian recipe to win Key West’s Key Lime Pie Contest in 1999 and is still winning awards today. If pie isn’t your thing, don’t worry – they sell over 170 different key lime products.

Experiencing a Cowboy Dinner in the Black Hills of South Dakota

There’s a lot to love about the Black Hills of South Dakota and one of them is the Chuck Wagon Dinner offered by Palmer Gulch in the summers. Everything is cooked over a fire, and when I say everything I’m talking about fried potatoes, cowboy beans, steaks, hot dogs, and black cowboy coffee! And, of course, don’t forget the peach cobbler for dessert.

Eating the Very Hot Dogs I Served at My Wedding in Coastal Maine

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Surely the thing I have to do in Coastal Maine is try anything lobster-related. Yes, and I loved getting my family together for a giant lobster meal at Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier. However, if there is one place I’ll truly never skip when visiting Maine, it’s Flo’s Hot Dogs. I’ve been going for over forty years and, yes, I even had their pigs in a blanket served at my wedding. Get the Flo’s Special and thank me later.

Trying Some Truly Australian Cuisine in Melbourne, Australia

When it comes to Australian cuisine, Chef Nornie Berro is determined to use native ingredients to create the kind of dishes that are Aussie through and through. Her restaurant, Big Esso in Melbourne even offers a tailored presentation to take you through each new ingredient and how they’re incorporated into the menu.

Eating Christmas in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Here’s the thing about New Mexican cuisine – it isn’t new nor is it Mexican, it’s New Mexican. And when it comes to these dishes, everything is smothered in sauces made from either red or green chiles. And if you want both red and green chiles? Why, that’s Christmas, baby! A waitress at Tia Sophia’s coined the phrase back in the 80s, and now it’s a key part of New Mexican cuisine. One of the best places to try it is at Tomasita’s. Order their legendary enchiladas to see what Christmas in Santa Fe is all about.

Enjoying a Shrimp Boil at Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

When it comes to North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, you’re going to be spoiled for choice when it comes to seafood dining. One place I absolutely loved was  Oceanana Pier House for its shrimp boil. This spot has been here since 1959 and is as fresh as it gets! Chef Kevin Davis uses five beers to make his shrimp boil and, yes, it’s a delicious as it sounds!

Chocolate Making in Interlaken, Switzerland

Imagine getting to make chocolate in an idyllic Swiss alpine village. Funky Chocolate Club offers just this in Interlaken. You’ll learn how to taste chocolate like a professional, make it from scratch, and put together your own dessert. The key part to their workshops? It’s all you can eat.

Finding BBQ Down in the Southern US

If there’s one thing I look forward to when I know I’m traveling to a southern state, it’s the chance to check out the best local barbeque spot I can find. In Charleston, that’s Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ, home to the only pitmaster to win a James Beard award. In Dallas, it’s gotta be the family-owned Pecan Lodge where the line can start at 10:30 AM. Meanwhile, in Houston, Blood Bros BBQ are masters at the holy trinity of barbecue – brisket, ribs, and sausage – and they incorporate Asian influences into the menu. 

Trying Alsatian Cuisine in Alsace, France

When it comes to the fairytale region of France known as Alsace, everything is a little bit French and a little bit German. It’s a melding of two cultures into something uniquely Alsatian and that extends to its cuisine. Head to Porcus in Strasbourg – it’s a nice, no fuss spot to try some dishes like choucroute – Alsace’s take on sauerkraut.  

Joining a Supper Club in Madison, Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, supper clubs are the working class answer to country clubs. Like the name suggests, they’re independently-owned establishments that open for dinner and create a space to come, enjoy a hot meal, and meet other people. There are over 250 of them all around the state, and I went to Tornado Steak House in Madison. While you’re there, order an Old Fashioned to see Wisconsin’s take on the classic drink.  

Enjoying a Pint and Some Live Music in Ireland

There’s nothing quite like ending a day in Ireland at any pub with a pint and some live music. If you visit County Donegal, head to Tabhairne Leo. It is the place to go for live music in the North West of Ireland. And if you’re in Belfast, Northern Ireland, check out the Belfast Traditional Music Trail. You’ll follow two Irish musicians to different pubs where you can enjoy the music and learn more about the instruments they use.

Eating All the Pizza in NYC, NY

Pizza as most Americans know it (sold in large pies with thick, triangle slices) originated right in NYC, so when you come, you’ve got to try at least a handful of places around the city. If you’re looking for the very first pizzeria, head to Lombardi’s in NoLita. If you want something easy and cheap, Joe’s Pizza has locations all over and will be near a lot of major landmarks. I personally like John’s of Bleecker and Roberta’s, which has a few locations in Brooklyn.

Tasting a Classic Childhood Dessert in Hong Kong

What’s a childhood dessert you always think about with fondness? For kids in Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po neighborhood, it’s the tofu pudding at Kung Wo Beancurd Factory. They make their own tofu and have all sorts of tofu products. But the pudding is a must-try.

Trying Greenshell Mussels in South Island, New Zealand

You’d think as a New Englander, I’d have seen every type of seafood by now! However, even I was surprised by the greenshell mussels in South Island, New Zealand. It almost looks like someone’s painted them around the edges, that’s how vibrant the color can get. The best place to get them is at Mills Bay Mussels in Marlborough. Their mussels are harvested mere steps from their packhouse, and you can get them prepared all sorts of ways right in their tasting room and eatery. 

Trying Cozy Dogs along Route 66 in Illinois

Move aside corn dogs, cozy dogs were here first! An iconic drive-in spot along Route 66, Cozy Dog Drive In has been serving up their delicious creations for decades. Unlike that frozen, pre-made stuff, cozy dogs are made with fresh batter and have developed a cult following all over the world. (Seriously – we met some people from the Netherlands while here!)

Getting an Onion Burger in Oklahoma

Another Route 66 classic? Onion burgers in Oklahoma! During the Great Depression, meat was expensive but onions were cheap. Burger joints invented the onion burger, and it’s as delicious as it sounds. I got mine at Sid’s Diner in El Reno!

What are some of your favorite food and drink experiences? Let me know below!