On the Road Again! 5 Fun Ideas for Your Next Foodie Adventure

Create your own foodie adventure with these 5 fun ideas. Whether you are traveling or having a staycation, explore new foods and experiences.

We don’t know about you, but when we travel, there’s one thing we always look forward to most: FOOD!!!

Whether we’re traveling for business or vacation, our whole family loves researching the best food our destinations have to offer. Sarah and her dad are especially thorough, spending hours on Yelp and food blogs and occasionally making spreadsheets. It sounds intense, but it pays off!

It turns out we’re far from alone- in fact, there are travelers who plan their ENTIRE trips around food! Honestly, we can’t believe we haven’t taken a trip like this yet, but it’s definitely in our future. If you’re a fellow foodie with a sense of adventure, here are a few ideas to help you start planning your itinerary.

**Please abide by all health and safety regulations in your destination, including any mask-wearing and/or social distancing requirements. Be a good guest!

Bookstores – The Perfect Place to Start Your Foodie Adventure

Did you know there are entire bookstores devoted to all things food and cooking? We just found this out a few years ago, and it blew our minds.

So far, I (Sarah) have only made it to one culinary bookstore: Kitchen Arts & Letters in New York City. They carry a little bit of everything, from actual cookbooks to food memoirs, essays, and history. Since the shop opened in 1983, customers have included some of the biggest names in food, including James Beard and Julia Child (Sarah’s favorite!).

There are other culinary bookstores scattered across the US and the world, and we definitely see the potential for a few road trips. Here are a few routes we’d like to try:

• West Coast/Pacific Northwest: Now Serving (Los Angeles), Omnivore Books (San Francisco), and Book Larder (Seattle). Bonus: stop at Powell’s Books (Portland) and see if you can score a great deal on a unique used cookbook!
• Northeast/New England: Kitchen Arts & Letters (New York City), Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks (New York City), BEM books & more (New York City), Stir (Boston), Rabelais- Fine Books on Food & Drink (Biddeford, ME).
• United Kingdom/Europe: Librarie Gourmande (Paris), Books for Cooks (London), Cookbookbake (Brighton & Hove)

Museums To Include On Your Foodie Adventure

We love museums, especially when there’s food involved! The National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., has an excellent exhibit on how food and eating have changed in the US since World War II. At the center is Julia Child’s home kitchen- a highlight for cooking show buffs like us!

There are also a couple of museums (to our knowledge) that are exclusively devoted to food. The Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans is dedicated to- you guessed it- all things Southern food and drink. They offer cooking classes and kids’ programs, and they even have a culinary library! Meanwhile, in New York City, the Museum of Food and Drink presents rotating exhibitions about food, history, and culture. Their current exhibition celebrates the many contributions of African Americans to our nation’s culinary identity, and they also offer robust online programming.

• 

• 

We also want to give a special mention to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York City. It’s not exclusively a food museum, but they do have a Foods of the Lower East Side walking tour! Jane Ziegelman, director of the museum’s culinary program, has also written an excellent book, 97 Orchard, which traces the Lower East Side’s culinary history through the stories of five immigrant families.

Food Tours and Trails – The Ultimate Foodie Adventure

There are so many different ways to experience a food tour or trail. Whether you book a guided tour or plan your own road trip, you’ll have a blast exploring new places and enjoying different types of foods. This list from Frommer’s is a great starting point for inspiration. We may be a little biased, but we think the North Carolina Barbecue Society Historic Barbecue Trail sounds like a delicious adventure!

Of course, you don’t have to limit yourself to one type of food. If you’re headed to a destination with lots of iconic dishes, come up with a plan to try as many as you can. Review sites like Yelp and Tripadvisor, and even social media sites like Instagram, can help you fine-tune your itinerary.

Staycation – Get Adventurous In Your Hometown!

Short on time? Opt for a staycation and eat your way around your hometown in your own foodie adventure. Go check out those restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, and breweries you’ve been meaning to try for ages. You just might find a new favorite spot or two!

I (Sarah) love playing tourist in Knoxville on the weekends. When I was in grad school, I didn’t do too much exploring since I didn’t have a lot of extra time or money. Now that I have a little bit of both, I’m discovering lots of local gems! I’ve made it my personal mission to check out every local coffee shop in town.

• 

• 

• 

Heritage Travel – Explore the Foods of Your Ancestors

Time travel may not be a reality [unless you are Doctor Who!], but heritage travel is the next best thing. Follow your roots, stand where your ancestors stood, and eat as they might have eaten.

Heritage travel is definitely at the top of our bucket lists! Until we can visit eastern Europe (Sarah) and the UK (both of us) and enjoy authentic cuisine, we’re planning to attempt a few dishes in our own kitchens. Mmmmm… borscht and shepherd’s pie, anyone?

So many trips, so little time! Which type of foodie adventure is calling your name?