Podcast Summary: "Where to Travel for Good Food This Summer"

All Of It on WNYC – May 30, 2024
Host: Koosha Navadar (in for Alison Stewart)
Guest: Hunter Lewis, Editor in Chief, Food & Wine

Overview

This episode dives into the irresistible world of summer food travel, exploring where and how to plan your next culinary adventure. Host Koosha Navadar is joined by Food & Wine Editor in Chief Hunter Lewis to discuss the best destinations for food road trips, strategies for planning, and the magic of stumbling on memorable meals. Listeners chime in with their experiences, recommendations, and opinions—from New England lobster rolls to globetrotting bug-tasting in Cambodia.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Opening & Framing the Conversation

• Koosha introduces the theme: With summer upon us, where can food lovers road-trip to eat exceptional food? The show aims to inspire local and drivable getaways, as well as highlight bucket-list international experiences.

  "So we got to thinking this summer, where else would we like to travel to where the food is the big draw?" (02:59)

Hunter Lewis: Expert Strategies for Planning Food Trips

Timestamps: 03:15 – 05:55

• Plan in Advance:

  • Research early, using trusted sources like Food & Wine, social media, and Google Maps.
  • Identify anchor points—a key neighborhood, must-visit restaurant, or market—and build an experience outward from there.
  • Reservations are crucial for sought-after spots.

  "Don't fly by the seat of your pants. Plan early and do your research... Build a Google map. This is something my wife and I do wherever we go." (03:55)

• Using Instagram for Research:

  • Instagram can help, but beware of “Instagram bait”—places that prioritize aesthetics over substance.
  • Vet a place by who follows it and who it follows, especially among reputable chefs and farmers.

  "Anything that looks like a coffee drink or a pastry or an ice cream cone...that is like, just like so ridiculously Instagram friendly...we stay away." (05:17) "You can kind of suss out the places that feel legitimate. And...ask around...check and see who that restaurant follows, who their farmers are, are there other legitimate food people that follow them too?" (05:26)

Notable Caller & Listener Insights

Julian, Northville, NJ:

• Great food memories are as much about the company as the food itself.

  "I've never had a memorable meal with people where I did not enjoy the company." (07:31)

Alan, Montclair, NJ:

• You don’t always have to leave NYC for amazing pizza.
  • Highlights Pizza Suprema (NYC), Holiday Snack Bar (Long Beach Island, NJ), Camden, Maine for lobster.

  "Pizza Suprema...in the shadow of Madison Square Garden...has the best, in my view, slices I've ever had." (09:28) "Camden, Maine, for any roadside lobster stand." (10:04)

Chris, Manhattan:

• Acadia National Park trip notable not just for camping but for phenomenal lobster rolls.

  "The camping there was great, but the lobster rolls were phenomenal." (10:31)

Price and Quality in Food

Timestamps: 08:05 – 09:15

• Hunter’s Take:
  • Price does not automatically equal quality—excellence exists in all price points.
  • Embrace a high-medium-low approach: sample everything from street food to fine dining.

  "There's a disconnect between price equal and quality. There are great pizza spots and slice joints in the city where you're not going to be paying more than $15 for a full meal." (08:17) "If you're going to be in a town for more than a couple nights, check out the tacos, check out the pizza spots...but also do schedule a reservation and think about fine dining or fine casual as part of that journey, too." (08:57)

Regional Food Destination Highlights

Blue Crabs in Maryland
Timestamps: 11:04 – 12:19

• Maryland blue crab is iconic, and while overfishing has led to changes in sourcing, gems remain.
• Bill’s Terrace Inn in Essex, MD, recommended.
• The debate over “the best” place is half the fun.

  "The Maryland area used to be just completely a bounty of blue crab...We love Bill's Terrace Inn in Essex, which is about a 20 minute drive from downtown Baltimore. Perfectly steamed crabs, very well seasoned." (11:04) "The debate over the food is, is the best part about it." (11:57)

• Best eaten with your hands, on a picnic table, with beer and friends.

  "Best way to eat it is with a cold beer with your friends and family outside...getting your hands and your mouth dirty." (12:09)

State Fair Eats
Timestamps: 13:16 – 13:37

• State fairs offer "stunt food," great for people-watching if not always for culinary excellence.

  "State fair food as stunt food. You know, it's the fried butter, it's the…Renaissance fair turkey leg. Not my favorite place to go for food, but for people watching. Absolutely." (13:16)

Discovering Hidden Food Gems Timestamps: 14:49 – 16:56

• Avoid getting overwhelmed by digital lists and FOMO; keep your "antenna up" and stay curious.
• Hunter suggests: Visit farmer's markets, talk to farmers/vendors, and ask locals (servers, bartenders, chefs) for personal favorites.

  "You can get so hung up with your Google map...that you don't have your antenna up..." (15:39) "One of the things I love...is I like to go to the farmer's market...talk to those farmers and ask who's buying their produce and what restaurants they like to go to." (16:07) "Ask your bartender. They'd love to tell you. Everybody's got an opinion in New York City." (16:46)

Spotlight on DC and Other Food Cities

Timestamps: 17:39 – 19:30

• Washington DC's culinary scene is surging, thanks to its diverse immigrant communities and new energy post-pandemic.
• Hunter’s DC musts:
  • Ben’s Chili Bowl: Historic “half smoke” sausages, central to DC's culture and civil rights movement.

    "First stop in D.C. has got to be Ben's Chili Bowl." (18:19)

  • Oyster Oyster: Chef Rob Rubba’s sustainability-focused, vegetarian cuisine.
  • Pasquale: Isabel Koss’s new wood-fired Mexican spot; new Food & Wine Best New Chef.
• DC's up-and-coming chefs appreciate the relative ease of opening and operating compared to other major metros.

  "The level of cooking there right now is really, really high..." (19:18)

Caller Recommendations & International Adventures

• Olivia, Long Island:
  The Shed (American bistro, great calamari, burgers; comfortable, affordable)

• Jacob, East Harlem:
  Copenhagen as a ‘foodie’s dream’—standouts like Baja de Busc, a vegetarian tasting menu spot with hyperlocal, foraged ingredients.

  "Every restaurant there had a...tasting menu that, compared to New York, was very affordable, and they just...Everything was so fresh and local." (21:17)

• Nicole, Tarrytown:
  Chivitos in Uruguay—a massive steak and egg sandwich, discovered by asking a cab driver for the best local dish.

• Rayon, Manhattan:
  Cambodia—experiencing insect protein such as fried tarantulas, locusts, and frog legs.

  "It was just like, it was quite...intriguing. And I tried fried locust, which was very crispy and very delicious." (24:12)

Adventurous Eating: Bugs and Beyond

Timestamps: 24:52 – 25:24

• Hunter has tried crunchy bugs—locally, you can find everything from ants to cicadas at specialty spots in Queens and Brooklyn.

  "If you go to the right restaurants in the right markets, you're going to come across everything from crispy ants to...people are trying to figure out what to do with cicadas..." (25:04)

How to Start a Food Adventure

Timestamps: 25:45 – 26:24

• Pick a destination, anchor on a food market, and start your trip there.

  "Pick your place, you know, and I would personally start through that market. Figure out what the great markets of that place are...that's a great window into not just a neighborhood's food culture, but into a city's food culture." (25:52)

Memorable Quotes

• Hunter Lewis:

  • "Don't fly by the seat of your pants. Plan early and do your research." (03:55)
  • "Price does not equal quality." (08:05)
  • "You got to eat [blue crab] with your hands...best way is with a cold beer with your friends and family outside..." (12:09)
  • "You can get so hung up with your Google map...that you don't have your antenna up." (15:39)
  • "First stop in D.C. has got to be Ben's Chili Bowl." (18:19)

• Julian (caller):

  • "I've never had a memorable meal with people where I did not enjoy the company." (07:31)

• Jacob (caller):

  • "Copenhagen was a foodie's dream...everything was so fresh and local." (21:17)

Final Takeaways

• Strategize but leave room for serendipity—explore beyond curated lists.
• Consider all price points for authentic, memorable meals.
• Ask locals and vendors for recommendations; tap into the food culture by engaging with communities beyond the restaurant scene.
• Expand beyond the US: From Copenhagen to Cambodia, international trips offer unforgettable, eye-opening culinary experiences.
• Markets are gateways: Food markets are the anchor of any gastronomic exploration and provide a snapshot of regional culture.

Episode Segment Guide

• Planning Your Trip / Research Tips: 03:15 – 05:55
• Caller Insights & Favorite Spots: 07:04 – 14:49
• Debates on Price & Quality: 08:05 – 09:15
• Maryland Crab & Regional Specialties: 11:04 – 12:19
• State Fairs & "Stunt Food": 13:16 – 13:37
• Approaching Spontaneity & Local Advice: 14:49 – 16:56
• Spotlight on DC Dining: 17:39 – 19:30
• International Food Adventures: 21:12 – 25:24
• Getting Started on Food Travel: 25:45 – 26:24

For listeners who haven't heard the episode: This show is full of actionable advice, regional inspiration, and world-traveling enthusiasm—perfect for planning your next food-centric getaway or simply reigniting your culinary curiosity this summer.