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Food Festivals Around the World

2012-05-27T01:50:00.002-07:00

No celebration is complete without good food and drink, but sometimes the food or drink itself is the reason for a party. It may be to welcome the coming of spring or harvest time; to rejoice in the arrival of seasonal produce; to pay tribute to a traditional local skill; or simply to celebrate a feast day handed down through the generations. Whatever the reason, the next eight pages give just a taster of the tens of thousands of food festivals that take place each year around the world – the best, the oldest, the most rustic, and the quirkiest. To take part in any one of them is to get a real sense of the place and the people, and is an opportunity not to be missed.

JANUARY
EUROPE
St-Antoni Abat, Andorra
Perched high in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, Andorra keeps out the cold on St. Anthony’s Day with huge vats of its national dish, escudilla, a meaty stew cooked on an open fire and served in the terra-cotta dish of the same name.
Everyone is welcome to join in the feast.
St-Vincent Tournante, Burgundy, France
At the end of January, when the vines are bare and snow is often on the ground, the villages of the Burgundy region take turns lauding the patron saint of winemakers with colorful processions, solemn ceremony, and a great deal of conviviality and fine wine. www.st-vincent-tournante.fr
Burns Night, Scotland
The birthday of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, on January 25 is enthusiastically celebrated across the country with readings of his verse, dishes of haggis (see pp22–3), “neeps and tatties” (mashed rutabaga and potato), and, most importantly, a few drams of fine Scottish whiskey.
www.robertburns.org/suppers
ASIA AND AUSTRALASIA
Auckland Seafood Festival, New Zealand
Auckland honors its fishing heritage with the biggest seafood festival in New Zealand. After a ceremonial blessing of the fleet, the harbor becomes a licensed market where visitors can sample the freshest seafood, matched with local wines and beers. www.aucklandseafoodfestival.co.nz
Blues, Brews and BBQs, Mount Maunganui, Hastings, and Blenheim, New Zealand
Celebrate the Kiwi summer in style at this community-oriented festival, held over three Saturdays in different towns. Top New Zealand blues bands entertain the ear, locally brewed beers, ciders, and wines amuse the palate, and gourmet chefs prepare barbecue to satisfy every taste. www.bluesbrews.co.nz
NORTH AMERICA
Niagara Icewine Festival, Canada
Over three weekends in January, Canada’s vine-growing region celebrates its famous Ontario Icewine (produced from grapes left to freeze on the vine) with vineyard tours, tastings at alfresco ice bars, warming chestnut roasts, and Cellar Room dinners that pair award-winning wines with mouthwatering dishes and fine local cheeses. www.niagarawinefestival.com

Cayman Cookout, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Not as rustic as it sounds, this festival of food and wine in the idyllic setting of the Cayman Islands is an exercise in contrasts – for example, when a “beach barbecue” is hosted by a world-renowned chef. A once-in-a-lifetime experience – heavenly cuisine in a tropical paradise. www.caymanislands.ky
Mendocino County Crab & Wine Days, California, USA
It’s the height of the Dungeness crab season on Mendocino County’s coastline, and these seven seafood-filled days feature everything from an all-you-can-eat Crab Feed to a Crab Cake Cookoff, with tastings to help match local wines to the food.
www.mendocino.com
SOUTH AMERICA
Fiesta Nacional de Chivo, Mendoza, Argentina
The Feast of the Goat is Argentina’s biggest food festival.
Over 1,000 kid goats are roasted asado-style over open fires in a week-long extravaganza of meat, fire, and folk music. At daily gaucho shows, Argentinian cowboys display remarkable feats of horsemanship.
Costumbrista Chilote, Chiloé, Chile
On this misty, magical archipelago, legend and ceremony come together in the traditional dish curanto, and never more so than during Chiloé’s annual celebration of island life and culture. The earth-oven-baked meat and fish sustained islanders against the lure of mermaids and trolls – folklore performances recount the tales.
FEBRUARY
EUROPE
Fête du Citron, Menton, France
After the Carnival of Nice, the biggest event on the Riviera is the spectacular Menton Citrus Festival. Over 150 tons of lemons, limes, and oranges are displayed as magnificent creations – from smiling Buddhas to marauding dinosaurs – on parades of gargantuan floats. www.feteducitron.com
Rye Bay Scallop Week, East Sussex, UK
The Cinque Port of Rye yields some of the finest scallops in the country, and this festival combines award-winning wines with music and eight days of events, from scallop-cutting, preparing, cooking, and tasting to the wheelbarrow-pushing “What a Load of Scallops” race. www.ryebayscallops.co.uk
Fiera del Cioccolato, Florence, Italy
The premier artisan chocolatiers of Tuscany come together once a year in Florence’s historic and beautiful Piazza della Croce to display their skills and their wares. Visitors can watch these masters of their art at work and, of course, sample some of the finest chocolate creations in the world.
Brez’n Angeln, Oberammergau, Germany
Oberammergau is famed for spiritual sustenance in its Passion Play, but for food of a more earthly kind, it goes “Pretzel Fishing.” Townsfolk in traditional dress, accompanied by a marching band, tour the town in a horse-drawn cart from which fresh-baked pretzels are dangled on rod and line.
Everyone has to jump like fish to snatch a savory treat.
THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
Prickly Pear Festival, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Strangely, on South Africa’s famous Garden Route, they make a big fuss about a little fruit once considered an “alien undesirable.” So much so that 16 tons of prickly pears are processed for the festival – into preserves, chutneys, candy, and witblits, a fiery spirit that is only legally distilled right here.
ASIA AND AUSTRALASIA
Setsubun, Japan
On the last day of winter, people flock to Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines to throw roasted soybeans and chant “Demons out, happiness in.” It’s considered lucky to catch and eat as many beans as your age. These events are supported by entertainers, celebrities, and sumo wrestlers.
Marlborough Wine Festival, New Zealand
The lovely Marlborough wine region of South Island is the largest in New Zealand, and was pivotal in introducing New World Sauvignon Blanc to a grateful Old World. Enjoy tastings and tutorials amid the vines of beautiful Brancott Estate.
www.wine-marlborough-festival.co.nz
NORTH AMERICA
Feria del Alegría y el Olivo, Santiago Tulyehualco, Mexico City, Mexico
The sacred Aztec amaranth grain and the Spanish-introduced olive sit side by side in a festival that blends ancient culture with modern ideas. Visitors flock to this historic quarter of the city to taste olives and their oils, munch amaranth cakes and cookies, and watch displays of traditional dance and music.
Portland Seafood and Wine Festival, Oregon, USA
The finest Oregon seafood can be found at this family-oriented event, including lobster, crayfish, and the famous Dungeness crab. There’s also an Oyster Shuck & Swallow Contest, a Celebrity Crab Cracking Contest, cooking demonstrations, and live music. Adults can sample from 50 local wines while the kids enjoy puppet shows and building sandcastles.
www.pdxseafoodandwinefestival.com
SOUTH AMERICA
Pisco Sour Day, Lima, Peru
Some say that the pisco sour is as Peruvian as Machu Picchu.
Those inclined to agree will lift a glass in Lima on the first Saturday in February and join in the celebrations for this pisco brandy, lime, egg white, and sugar cocktail, with bartender contests, music, and feasts of traditional Peruvian cuisine.
MARCH
EUROPE
Carnevale di Ivrea, Piedmont, Italy
Imagine thousands of brightly costumed combatants pelting each other with oranges, some in horse-drawn carts, others milling around them in the streets, up to their shins in citrus pulp. Or go to Ivrea on Shrove Tuesday and join in the fun.
Huge pots of beans and sausages, cod, and polenta are all served free. Magnificent.
Beer Day, Reykjavík, Iceland
Prohibition in the US lasted 13 years; in Hungary it was only 133 days; but in Iceland beer was banned for 74 years, until March 1, 1989. Not surprisingly, that day became National Beer Day and is celebrated in style in pubs, clubs, and restaurants across the party town of Reykjavík.
Maslenitsa, Russia
Maslenitsa is a lively week-long festival that blends the pagan farewell to winter with the Orthodox preparation for Lent. The focus of the feast is the blini, a Russian pancake, round and golden like the sun, topped with sour cream, smoked salmon, honey, or caviar and washed down with vodka.
THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
Lamberts Bay Kreeffees, South Africa
Kreeffees is Afrikaans for “crayfish feast,” and crayfish are in abundance at this festival in beautiful Lamberts Bay in the Western Cape. Match your tastings with a glass of Graça, South Africa’s best-selling seafood wine, while watching stunning aerial displays and listening to live music. For the more energetic there is bungee-jumping and even a half-marathon. www.kreeffees.com
ASIA AND AUSTRALASIA
Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, Australia Possibly the largest extravaganza of its kind, this event boasts more than 250 gastronomic and wine events over ten days, including “The World’s Longest Lunch” and masterclasses from international chefs with more Michelin stars than you can shake a stick at. www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au
Wildfoods Festival, Hokitika, New Zealand
Judging by the crowds that flock here every year, it seems that everyone wants to try such delicacies as wasp larvae ice cream, huhu grubs, and beer-battered beetles. There’s whitebait, venison sausages, and the like for the less adventurous, and a wide range of entertainment. Costumes are positively encouraged. www.wildfoods.co.nz
NORTH AMERICA
Vermont Maple Open House, Vermont, USA
“Sugar-on-Snow” – the pouring of boiling maple syrup onto a fresh snowfall to make taffy – is just the icing on the cake of this special weekend, when the region’s “sugarhouses” open their doors for demonstrations, events, and tastings.
www.vermontmaple.org/events.php
Yuma Lettuce Days, Arizona, USA
Yuma is the “Winter Lettuce Capital of the World,” so it’s no surprise that folks here make a bit of a song and dance about all things green and good, with culinary classes, food tastings, microbrew beers, and local wines, and fun events such as icecarving and hayrides. www.yumalettucedays.com
SOUTH AMERICA
Fiesta de la Vendimia, Mendoza, Argentina
As befits the wine capital of Argentina, Mendoza hosts the biggest and most spectacular grape-harvest festival in the land, drawing tens of thousands to the party. They come for horseback gaucho parades, music-and-light shows, fireworks displays, and, of course, delicious, robust local red wine.
From left to right Piping in the haggis at a Burns Night dinner in Edinburgh, Scotland; children throwing beans during Setsubun in Tokyo, Japan; an impressive reconstruction of the Taj Mahal using citrus fruits at the Fête du Citron, Menton, France; the “World’s Longest Lunch” at the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
APRIL
EUROPE
Eel Day, Ely, UK
Ellie the Eel, a giant replica of the slippery fish that gave this Fenland city its name, leads a colorful procession from the 7th-century cathedral to the Jubilee Gardens, where everyone joins in the eel-tasting, beer-swilling, hog-roasting, and medieval jollity. There’s even an eel-throwing contest – though these days they use socks!
Fiestas del Bollo, Avilés, Spain
On Easter Monday, Avilés’ historic downtown pulsates with traditional music, decorated floats, folk dancers, and throngs of people in vivid costumes. Rows of tables, hundreds of place-settings long, are covered with a communal feast of mouthwatering Asturian dishes, the focus of which is the bollo, a multi-tiered, star-shaped extravaganza of an iced bun.
Fête de la Coquille, Côtes d’Armor, France
Three ancient fishing ports on the Côtes d’Armor take turns to host this celebration of the scallop. Up to 80,000 seafoodlovers come to see the boats unload their day’s catch, watch the waterside auctions, and sample Brittany’s legendary coquilles St-Jacques against a background of Celtic music.
THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
Ikeji, Arondizuogu, Nigeria
Ikeji isn’t just a yam festival, it’s a centuries-old veneration of the Aro tribal culture. The yam isn’t just a vegetable, either: it is revered as the very essence of the Aro economy and way of life. As revelers enjoy a sumptuous feast, masked gods dance among them, dispelling evil spirits to the delirious rhythms of traditional drums, bells, and flutes.
Prince Albert Olive Festival, South Africa
High in the Swartbergs in the Western Cape, on the edge of the Great Karoo, the climate is perfect for growing olives.
Village farms offer tastings of fresh and marinated olives and their oils, Karoo lamb stews, award-winning cheeses, and delicious local wines. Fire-dancers, folk music, fun runs, stargazing, ghost walks, and even a pit-spitting contest make this a great family experience. www.patourism.co.za
ASIA AND AUSTRALASIA
Hanshi, Xiamen, China
This festival dates to 2,500 years ago, when, once a year, cooking fires were extinguished and allowed to rest before relighting with new-season firewood. The custom is honored with cold food feasts of rice porridge, pickled vegetables, fish paste, bamboo shoots, tofu, date cakes, and preserved eggs.
World Gourmet Summit, Singapore
Singapore is always a gastronomic paradise, but never more so than in April, when some of the world’s most renowned chefs come together to share their secrets with eager gourmets. Events include culinary masterclasses, intimate Chef’s Table dinners, tutored tastings, and in-depth workshops.
Every serious foodie should make the pilgrimage at least once.
www.worldgourmetsummit.com
NORTH AMERICA
World Grits Festival, St. George, South Carolina, USA
It’s over 25 years since St. George discovered it was the world’s biggest consumer of grits – a dish made of coarsely ground corn – and the town hasn’t stopped celebrating yet.
Tens of thousands join in the fun and games – tossing corn cobs, rolling in vats of gooey grits, and chowing down in an all-you-can-eat contest.
Oistins Fish Festival, Barbados
Beautiful Barbados honors its fishermen and celebrates the spectacular harvest of its waters at this Easter event. Visitors can choose from a vast array of seafood and dine in the sunshine or under the stars to a calypso beat. If that’s too laid-back, games and competitions include a fish-boning challenge and even a greasy pole contest.
Le Pince d’Or, Grand’Rivière, near Fort-de- France, Martinique
The tiny fishing village of Grand’Rivière brings together the island’s French and Caribbean flavors in its Pince d’Or (Golden Pincer) competition, held each Easter Sunday. The aim is to cook the best matoutou, a rich crab stew flavored with lime, cinnamon, chili pepper, and garlic. Join the locals along the palm-fringed riverside for a day of feasting and music.
MAY
EUROPE
Spargelfest, Schwetzingen, Germany
Historic Schwetzingen is Europe’s white asparagus capital. At the spring harvest festival, this “Royal Vegetable” is sold in the castle square, fresh or cooked in many different recipes.
A favorite is with hollandaise sauce and smoked ham, but there’s even asparagus ice cream. There are colorful parades, banquets, and the triumphant crowning of the festival’s Asparagus King or Queen.
Fête des Fromages, Rocamadour, France
One of the most beautiful villages in France hosts the largest cheese festival in the south. It begins with a blessing of the herds of sheep and goats, which are then paraded through the streets, and continues with an outdoor festive lunch, a farmers’ market, and performances of traditional regional music. Be sure to try Rocamadour’s own esteemed Cabécou goat cheese. http://fromages.rocamadour.free.fr
Watercress Festival, Alresford, UK
Mineral-rich spring water is the secret behind Alresford’s success as the UK’s largest producer of this versatile and delectable superfood. The Watercress King and Queen lead a parade of jazz bands and morris dancers, handing out the new season’s watercress to thousands of revelers. There’s a huge street market, cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs, and the World Watercress Eating Championship.
www.watercressfestival.org
European Beer Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark
The best beer festival in the world? Who knows, but brewing giant Carlsberg opens its historic cellars and stables to host this intoxicating extravaganza that offers visitors the opportunity to taste hundreds of Danish and international beers, ales, and lagers. The festival is hosted in various venues across the city. Book events early to avoid disappointment.

THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
South African Cheese Festival, Stellenbosch
This is South Africa’s biggest cheese festival, with over 200 palate-tingling varieties and a veritable cornucopia of accompaniments. Meander through the story of milk from the udder to the plate while the kids try their hand at milking, then relax by the waterfront with a tasting plate and unforgettable views of a Table Mountain sunset. www.cheesefestival.co.za
Taam Hair (A Taste of Tel Aviv), Israel
Indulge all of your senses at this explosion of sounds, sights, smells, and superb samplings from top Israeli chefs and vintners. Tour the culinary booths and take your pick of the tastes, eat while strolling through Hayarkon Park or sitting on the grass, or simply dance with thousands of party-goers.
ASIA AND AUSTRALASIA
Cheung Chau Bun Festival, Hong Kong
In one of the world’s most exciting festivals, residents of Cheung Chau dress in colorful costumes and parade through the streets to commemorate the sea god Pak Tai. At midnight on the last day, teams race up 60-ft (18-m) towers to collect buns, which are then handed out to revelers.
NORTH AMERICA
Castroville Artichoke Festival, Monterey County, California, USA
In 1948, Marilyn Monroe was crowned Castroville’s first Artichoke Queen – what finer pedigree could a festival have than that? Try this delicious edible bud fried, pickled, marinated, sautéed, griddled, or creamed, and sip silky California wines, all in this quaint little town at the heart of artichoke country. www.artichoke-festival.org
Maui Onion Festival, Lahaina, Hawaii, USA
Sweet, juicy Maui onions are prized by chefs and they’re the star of the show here at Whaler’s Village in a full day and evening of events, including chef demonstrations, a Best Onion Recipe contest, a Raw Onion Eating challenge, island music, and fine dining. www.whalersvillage.com/onionfestival.htm

Toledo Cacao-Fest, Belize
True chocoholics should make a pilgrimage to the land where cocoa ripens in the tropical sun, to see it being grown, harvested, and processed the traditional, handmade way into the food of the (Mayan) gods. It’s all possible in this idyllic reef-and-rain forest setting, along with a gourmet Wine and Chocolate dinner, cultural events, and a spectacular festival finale of music and fireworks.
JUNE
EUROPE
Vlaggetjesdag, Scheveningen, Netherlands
“Flag Day” is named for the bright pennants that flutter from the rigging of the herring boats as they race the first of the new season’s catch back to Scheveningen to be auctioned.
Thousands line the quay to watch them arrive, listen to sea shanties, and, most importantly, eat herring – pickled, smoked, or even raw. www.vlaggetjesdag.com
La Grande Bufala, Eboli, Italy
Everyone agrees that buffalo-milk mozzarella is the best, and Eboli believes its Mozzarella di Bufala Campagna is the best of all. Leafy Piazza della Repubblica is the showcase for everything to do with this unctuously soft and milky cheese, offering tastings, workshops, and other events lauding all things deliciously Mediterranean.
Batalla del Vino, Haro, Spain
Every June 29, the normally sedate town of Haro, in La Rioja, goes wine-crazy. Revelers armed with buckets, bottles, and even water pistols full of wine launch into pitched battles during which everyone ends up soaking wet and purple from head to toe. It’s all good-natured and ends with uproarious feasting and a lot more wine – quaffed, rather than thrown.
THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
V&A Waterfront Wine Affair, Cape Town, South Africa
Over 70 of the Western Cape’s top wineries come together in this gorgeous water’s-edge setting. Gourmet food is on hand as well, so visitors can match the perfect Pinotage to charcuterie or grilled ostrich fillet, or sip Sauvignon Blanc with ocean-fresh oysters. No need to fret over which wine route to drive – you can tour them all here in one place.
Feria Oramena, Taolagnaro, Madagascar Beautiful Fort-Dauphin Bay is the backdrop to this culinary carnival in honor of the delicious and abundant seafood of Madagascar – notably the spiny lobster (oramena), which is the heart of the banquet. Enjoy the best of the fun down on the Esplanade by the Town Hall.
Fête des Goyaviers, La Plaine des Palmistes, Réunion
Perched high on Réunion’s lush slopes, La Plaine des Palmistes may be the smallest community but it has the biggest presence during this island-wide celebration of the fragrant and versatile guava. It’s a lively time of tastings, music, dance, and stories, and it’s almost impossible to come away without at least one jar of delicious guava jam.

ASIA AND AUSTRALASIA
Chanthaburi Fruit Festival, Thailand
An exotic and mouthwatering celebration of “the fruit bowl of Thailand.” Pluck rambutan, mangosteen, and longan fresh from the trees. Taste the ripest mangos, zalaccas, and custard apples and savor the “king of fruits,” the soft and creamy durian. Parades of multicolored fruit floats, regional music, and beauty pageants are all part of the experience.
A Taste of Manly, Sydney, Australia
Manly was once described as “seven miles from Sydney and a thousand miles from care.” With stands serving high-quality Australian, Indian, Malaysian, Thai, African, and Mediterranean cuisine, supported by popular New South Wales wines, this seaside festival attracts over 30,000 visitors, with world music, jazz, street performers, and beach games for the whole family.
NORTH AMERICA
Taste of Chicago, Illinois, USA
Lovely lakeside Grant Park is the venue for the “World’s Biggest Food Festival,” a ten-day event that takes place in the run-up to Independence Day. All the city’s top restaurants are represented, offering “taster” plates so that the 3-million-plus visitors can try as many dishes as possible, from classic Chicago deep-pan pizza to iconic Eli’s cheesecake.
Arcata Main Street Oyster Festival, California, USA
Arcata Bay, a stunning, almost landlocked circle of blue water in northern California, provides 70 percent of the state’s oysters. The citizens of Arcata are proud of their tasty mollusks and love to show them off at this friendly festival, when local chefs serve them every which way, from raw to barbecued, and fearless gourmets compete in the “Shuck and Swallow” contest. www.oysterfestival.net
From left to right Crowds armed with “wine-pistols” at La Batalla del Vino in Haro, Spain; contestants scramble for buns up a 60-ft (18-m) tower at the Cheung Chau Bun Festival in Hong Kong; sidewalks are taken over by hundreds of food stands at the Taste of Chicago food festival; bunting decorates stands preparing and selling herring during Vlaggetjesdag in the Netherlands.
JULY
EUROPE
Rapujuhlat, Finland
From late July for the next two months, Finland is simply smitten with the crayfish. Festivals and parties involve special plates, table linen, cutlery, bibs, lanterns, and even songs – and mounds of crayfish, of course. The feast is best enjoyed outdoors on a long summer evening, during which noisy, messy eating is actively encouraged.
Whitstable Oyster Festival, Kent, UK
Every aspect of Whitstable shouts tradition, and none more so than the oysters at the center of this exciting week-long festival. Entertainment abounds, with shanty singers, crab-catching, kite-flying, seashore safaris, and a very muddy tug-of-war. Don’t miss the oyster-eating competition and the masked parade finale. www.whitstableoysterfestival.com
Pichelsteinerfest, Regen, Germany
This colorful festival is an encounter with all things Bavarian.
Celebrating the delicious Pichelsteiner (a local stew of beef, pork, lamb, and vegetables in gravy), the whole town enjoys six days of marching bands, flag parades, music, dancing, giant fountains, fireworks, and lantern-lit boats on the Regen River.
Fête des Fruits Rouges, Noyon, France
Noyon’s soft fruit has been renowned for 1,000 years and, for one day every July, the lovely cathedral square is filled with a mouthwatering aroma, as market stands are loaded with ripe, juicy currants, berries, and cherries. After a blessing of the harvest, the festivities begin, with cooking demonstrations and tastings, medieval games, and a huge communal feast.
THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
Knysna Oyster Festival, South Africa
They call it “the 10 best days of your winter” and, if you love oysters, they’re probably right. Not even the South African Navy can stay away, sailing their huge minesweepers into Knysna’s beautiful bay for the event. There are countless oyster stylings to sample, perfect with local microbrewery Mitchell’s Raven Stout. www.oysterfestival.co.za
ASIA AND AUSTRALASIA
Singapore Food Festival
It’s all about the delicious diversity of local cuisine at this month-long festival, which sees events all around the island, from tasting cruises and hands-on masterclasses to the lively Singapore River market. Best of all, Clarke Quay is transformed into Food Street, where street food and fine dining come together. http://singaporefoodfestival.com.sg
NORTH AMERICA
National Cherry Festival, Traverse City, Michigan, USA
For eight packed days in the heart of “Cherry Country” on the shores of Grand Traverse Bay, over half a million cherry-lovers gather for pie-eating, pit-spitting, road-racing, beach volleyball, and even Cherryopoly contests. And, if you can win the hole-in-one competition, the real cherry is the million-dollar prize! http://visit.cherryfestival.org
Copper River Wild! Salmon Festival, Cordova, Alaska, USA
Copper River salmon are prized the world over as simply the best you can eat. The unique flavor comes from extra oils they need to survive the freezing glacial waters of their spawning grounds. So it’s worth the effort to seek out remote Cordova in Prince William Sound and join in the festivities with music, art fairs, road races, and plenty of tasty salmon.
Bagelfest, Mattoon, Illinois, USA
Americans love bagels so much that they have two national bagel days. The best way to celebrate this scrumptious twice-cooked Polish bread is in Mattoon, Illinois, where they bake a billion bagels a year. A giant Bagel Parade opens the festival, with a street market, pageants, dancing, a rock concert, and, best of all, free bagels. www.mattoonbagelfest.com
AUGUST
EUROPE
La Tomatina, Buñol, Spain
This is probably the most famous food festival of them all, and yet it’s not about eating so much as painting the town red with tomatoes – around 100 tons of them. The battle only lasts an hour, but by the end, the 30,000 or so participants are soaked in scarlet juice and slipping and squelching in a sea of tomato pulp. www.tomatina.net

Isle of Wight Garlic Festival, Newchurch, UK
England’s largest island, on the south coast, is perhaps more famous for its music festival held every June, but its annual celebration of “the stinking rose” draws equally enthusiastic crowds for garlic beer, garlic ice cream, and other fragrant delicacies. Non-garlic produce is also showcased. “Best of British” entertainment is on hand and visitors can be sure of a nice cup of (non-garlic) tea. www.garlic-festival.co.uk
La Pourcailhade, Trie-sur-Baïse, France
Trie-sur-Baïse is in France’s prime pork-producing region, so it should be no surprise that there is a Brotherhood of the Pig here. Competitions at their annual Pig Festival include piglet races, sausage-eating, best pig outfit, and the National Pig Squealing Competition (for people, not pigs). There is also music and dancing in the evening. www.pourcailhade.com
Skala Kalloni Sardine Festival, Lesvos, Greece
The stunning Gulf of Kalloni is almost an inland sea, and is famed for the quality of its sardines. The fishing port of Skala Kalloni gives thanks for its catch one weekend of the year with a feast of barbecued sardines and ouzo, along with traditional Greek music and dancing. It’s an utterly charming experience.
THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
Imouzzer Honey Festival, Morocco
Jimi Hendrix reputedly named the “Paradise Valley” where Imouzzer sits, in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Here the Berbers keep bees in hives made of reeds and clay, and harvest exquisite honey flavored with mountain herbs and flowers. The Honey Festival celebrates this taste of paradise.
ASIA AND AUSTRALASIA
Yugambeh Corroboree, Southport, Queensland, Australia
What could be more Australian than a bush tucker feast after a walkabout? OK, the four-day Drumley Walk is optional, but the Yugambeh Corroboree Festival welcomes the walkers with traditional bush food, Aboriginal songs, arts and crafts exhibitions, and plenty of activities for jarjums (kids). Yau yilnanbaugull – or “yes, please!” www.thedrumleywalk.com
Onam, Kerala, India
For Kerala’s Malayali people, and for this lovely state as a whole, the ten-day harvest festival of Onam is the most important event of the year. Featuring snake-boat races, traditional Kaikottikali story-dances, and intricate flower carpets, the festivities culminate with the Thiruonam feast of Onasadya, a nine-course banquet of exquisite vegetarian dishes, served on banana leaves. www.onamfestival.org
NORTH AMERICA
Howell Melon Festival, Michigan, USA
The delicious variety of cantaloupe melon found only in these parts was brought to Howell in seed form by a hobo during the Depression. His gift is honored every August with parades and parties, tastings of melon wine and ice cream, art exhibits and face painting (look like a melon!), and the sale of over 20,000 fine, ripe fruits. www.howellmelonfestival.com
Fête des Cuisinières, Point-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe
Where better for a festival of women cooks than this lovely French-Caribbean island? On the feast day of St-Laurent, the patron saint of chefs, over 200 cuisinières from all over the West Indies, in gorgeous Creole costumes, parade their dishes through the streets to the church to be blessed. The free five-hour gourmet banquet that follows is open to all.
Fête de la Poutine, Drummondville, Quebec, Canada
This lively weekend of music and family fun permits everyone to indulge in a little too much of the unofficial Quebecois national dish, poutine – a mushy but irresistible concoction of French fries, cheese curds, and rich brown gravy. Infinite varieties exist, many of which can be sampled here for as long as your appetite holds out. www.festivaldelapoutine.com
SOUTH AMERICA
Otro Sabor, Medellín, Colombia
In the beautiful setting of Medellín’s Botanical Gardens, chefs and gourmets from Colombia, Latin America, and the world come together for this celebration of food and flavors. From the simple cornbread arepa to the 13-element paisa platter (ranging from avocado to pork rind), there’s plenty to sample.
SEPTEMBER
EUROPE
Galway Oyster Fest, Ireland
Follow the colorful parade through the streets, then dig in to new-season oysters with smoked salmon, crab claws, seafood chowder, and chilled white wine. Not to mention the Guinness World Oyster Opening Championship finals, a gala ball, and the Saturday Oyster Trail, when 40 hostelries offer free oysters and live music. www.galwayoysterfest.com
Pizzafest, Naples, Italy
Naples’ tantalizing ten-day festival honors their most famous culinary creation. But even before you get your hands on a pizza, the teasing aroma of freshly-baked marinara, Margherita, calzone, and quattro stagioni, wafting from wood-fired ovens all over the city, will have your mouth watering. Events include music, theater, and workshops.
Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany
Biggest? Oldest? Best? Superlatives can’t describe this 200-year-old extravaganza, where over 6 million revelers consume 2 million gallons of beer. But don’t forget the roast meats, fish, dumplings, pretzels, and, of course, sauerkraut and sausages, all served by energetic waiting staff wearing those famous dirndls and lederhosen. www.oktoberfest.de
Brick Lane Curry Festival, London, UK
Every year, Brick Lane, London’s world-famous “Curry Mile,” explodes with color and aromas as Bangla Town’s fabulous feast inspires tens of thousands to savor every tongue-tingling spicy taste imaginable. Over 40 restaurants display their very best dishes to be tasted and enjoyed, to the vibrant sounds of the music festival. www.curryfestival.co/
THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
Soweto Wine Festival, Johannesburg, South Africa
What began in 2004 as a crazy dream around a braai in Pretoria has matured into South Africa’s most up-and-coming, trendsetting wine event. Three nights of tutored wine and food tastings, featuring over 800 wines, might sound like any other show, but this is Soweto-style, with spicy food and cool jazz.
www.sowetowinefestival.co.za
ASIA AND AUSTRALASIA
Mooncake Festival, China
Also called the Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival, this nationwide event is honored with music, dancing, and mooncakes. These beautifully decorated pastry pies are on sale in every bakery. They’re filled with a sweet bean or lotus seed paste, wrapped around a salted duck egg yolk representing the moon. Cut into small wedges, they’re eaten while watching the full moon rise.
NORTH AMERICA
Posen Potato Festival, Michigan, USA
On the first weekend after Labor Day, the tiny town of Posen goes back to its Polish roots with traditional costumes, crafts, music, polka dancing, and potatoes. Entrants to the Potato Cooking Competition have no chance of beating Beatrice Richard’s record – she notched up her 47th win with her Cheeseburger Soup recipe (secret ingredient: potatoes).
Feast of San Gennaro, New York City, USA
New York’s Little Italy may be a shadow of its former self, but not when New York’s biggest, oldest, and most revered festival bursts on to the streets. Processions, feasts, and festivities last 11 days, during which religious devotion and good eating go hand in hand. Don’t miss the statue of San Gennaro being paraded through the streets – or the Cannoli Eating Competition. www.sangennaro.org
SOUTH AMERICA
Mistura, Lima, Peru
Mistura is a showcase for 7,000 years of Peruvian cuisine and produce. Hand-picked representatives, from street vendors and country cooks to gourmet chefs, demonstrate and serve every style of cooking. Adventurous diners can even sample roast cuy (guinea pig). Traditional and modern Peruvian music and a lively market and bazaar add to the unique flavor of the event. www.mistura.pe

OCTOBER
EUROPE
Fiera del Tartufo, Alba, Italy
Historic Alba’s White Truffle Festival is an unforgettable experience for lovers of the “white diamond,” with its truffle fair, market, and (for top chefs and gourmet millionaires only) auction. Many of Alba’s restaurants have special menus, or will simply shave the truffle over risotto or pasta – perfect with a glass or two of delicious Barolo wine. www.fieradeltartufo.org
Fiesta de Exaltación del Marisco, O Grove, Spain
Over ten days of seafood heaven, the small fishing community of O Grove becomes an aromatic market teeming with mussels, oysters, scallops, crabs, clams, octopus, hake, sea bass, turbot, and sole. Sample them, fresh or cooked, with a glass of the local Rías Baixas wine, while enjoying Galician- Portuguese folk dancing and Celtic gaita bagpipes.
Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre, Paris, France
In 1933, the citizens of Montmartre resurrected a tiny vineyard only streets away from Sacré-Coeur. Ever since, they’ve rejoiced in the harvest and auctioned the wine off for charity.
The festival is now so popular that hundreds of thousands of celebrants fill the streets to revel in the vintners’ parades, live music, theater, and poetry, and buy wines from all over France.
Salone del Gusto, Turin, Italy
Showcase of the Slow Food Movement, the biennial Salon of Taste attracts exhibitors from around the world. Seasonality, locale, and quality are essential criteria for the cured meats, fish, vegetables, cheeses, fruits, and breads on display here.
www.salonedelgusto.it
THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
Fête des Dattes, Erfoud, Morocco
With nearly a million date palms to harvest, it’s not surprising that the people of Erfoud celebrate the year’s sweet, sticky harvest with such zeal. For three days they feast and dance to traditional music; then comes the climax, a thrilling camel race into the dunes of the Sahara.
ASIA AND AUSTRALASIA
Crave Sydney, Australia
With a whole month of over 600 diverse gastronomic events across the city, Sydney is the place to be in October, with gourmet dinners, night noodle markets, pop-up barbecues, and bush tucker experiences. But the showpiece is Breakfast on the Bridge, when the traffic stops and the Harbour Bridge is grassed over for a grand picnic. www.cravesydney.com
Phuket Vegetarian Festival, Thailand
In this extraordinary but energetic and colorful festival, participants abstain from meat and other stimulants to expunge evil spirits and bring good luck. Vegetarian dishes are eaten, but not everyone will have the stomach for the fire-walking and outlandish body piercing displays by entranced Ma Song devotees. www.phuketvegetarian.com
NORTH AMERICA
American Royal Barbecue, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Claiming to be the largest barbecue competition in the world, the American Royal attracts hundreds of tongs-bearing, apron-wearing, grill-firing teams from across the US. To the rhythms of live bands they cook brisket, pork ribs, pork, and chicken for the title, with a sauce competition as a bonus. Most important, though, it’s all tastable. www.arbbq.com
World Championship Gumbo Cook-Off, New Iberia, Louisiana, USA
On the banks of the Bayou Teche, picturesque Bouligny Plaza is filled with makeshift kitchens, and tantalizing aromas waft into the sultry air. Saturday begins with traditional jambalaya, étouffée, boudin, and fried fish; then, on Sunday, the great Cook-Off gets under way. Around 12,000 lb (5,500 kg) of chicken and sausage, seafood, game, and even alligator gumbo make this a truly jumbo event.
New York City Wine and Food Festival, USA
To get an idea of the pace, excitement, and ground covered in this crammed foodie weekend, think “New York Marathon meets Woodstock meets Iron Chef.” From meatballs to master chefs, fizzy drinks to finest New World wines, Blumenthal to Bourdain, there is something for everyone of every age. Book early. www.nycwineandfoodfestival.com
SOUTH AMERICA
Oktoberfest, Blumenau, Brazil
Founded in 1850 by Herman Otto Blumenau, his namesake city is a mini-Germany in the south of Brazil, but there’s nothing small about their Oktoberfest. Over two weeks, a million party-lovers crowd the streets for the brightly costumed parades, marching bands, folk dancing, authentic German cuisine, and, of course, the local brews.
NOVEMBER
EUROPE
Les Trois Glorieuses, Beaune, France
It’s been called “the greatest eating and drinking experience on the face of the planet,” and certainly the Three Glorious Days, centered on Burgundy’s famed charity wine auction, live up to their name. Tickets for Monday’s eight-hour lunch at Château Meursault are beyond the reach of most, but everyone can enjoy the open-house tastings and the festive atmosphere that pervades noble Beaune and its vineyard villages.
Olioliva, Imperia, Liguria, Italy
Liguria’s tiny purple Taggiasca olive is said to produce the finest olive oil in the world – mellow, woody, peppery, and utterly delicious. Imperia welcomes the new season’s oil with a huge street market, and visitors from all over northern Italy and nearby Provence come to sample and buy – not just oils but Liguria’s famed pesto, focaccia, and Cinque Terre wines too.
Ziebel Märit, Bern, Switzerland
Bern’s medieval Onion Market begins as you would expect. Hundreds of stands are laden with every kind of allium – braided, bouqueted, decorated, and turned into all sorts of tasty onion-flavored products – as well as lots of other hearty winter food. Later, though, the carnival kicks off, with jesters, singers, onion-costumed locals, and wild confetti battles long into the winter night.
ASIA AND AUSTRALASIA
Guangzhou International Food Festival, China
Guangzhou is rightly proud of being said to have the best food in all of China. People flock from nearby Hong Kong and Macau to dine here, and never more so than during this annual exhibition of its culinary prowess. Lots of different cuisines are on display, but don’t miss the Cantonese delicacies.
Nabanna, Dhaka, Bangladesh
The name Nabanna means “new food” and, in the Bangladeshi countryside, it’s one of the most important events of the year.
The rice harvest is celebrated with symbolic foods such as payesh (rice pudding) and pitha (rice flour cakes), as well as traditional music and dances, and offerings to the Hindu goddess of wealth, Lakshmi.
NORTH AMERICA
Kona Coffee Festival, Big Island, Hawaii, USA Wake up and smell the coffee at Hawaii’s oldest food festival. It’s the rich volcanic soil that’s said to give this pure arabica its rare depth of flavor and aroma, prized by connoisseurs the world over. No wonder the people of the Kona district choose to honor it with pageants, parades, competitions, cultural events, and plantation tastings. www.konacoffeefest.com
Chitlin’ Strut, Salley, South Carolina, USA
Some say that, for a true taste of the south, nothing quite beats a chitlin’. Others prefer the fried chicken or barbecued ribs to deep-fried pig’s intestines, but everyone’s in agreement that a great time is to be had at the Salley Chitlin’ Strut, with parades, a pancake breakfast, carnival rides, dancing, and the great Hawg Call competition. www.chitlinstrut.com
Festival Gourmet International, Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
Drawing culinary superstars from around the world to host events such as Chef’s Table and Winemaker’s Night dinners, Gourmet Safaris, and even a Chefs’ Hell Raising Party, it’s not difficult to see why this festival on Mexico’s Pacific Riviera has made its mark. www.festivalgourmet.com
Cornucopia, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
With snow already thick on the slopes, it’s hard to imagine anyone is in town for anything else. But now’s the time that serious foodies make a pilgrimage to Whistler for one of the most exciting and informative gastronomic events of the year – this is a wining and dining experience to beat any off-piste adventure. www.whistlercornucopia.com
DECEMBER
EUROPE
Les Glorieuses de Bresse, France
6 With its red comb, white body, and blue legs, the Bresse chicken is the tricouleur emblem of France – and rightly so, since it is often judged the finest poultry in the land. Four towns in this Burgundian region each host a day of this fête in its honor, with gourmet markets, tastings, culinary demonstrations, and dinners at which the coq is king. www.glorieusesdebresse.com
Sagra del Singhiale, Suvereto, Italy
The narrow streets, squares, and cloisters of this ancient Tuscan town take on a medieval flavor for the Wild Boar Festival. Pageants, archery, fencing, jesters, and even human chess games all contribute to the magical atmosphere. The focus of the feasting is, of course, roast wild boar, served with grilled polenta and wild mushrooms and plenty of local wine.
Christkindlesmarkt, Nuremberg, Germany
The Christmas Angel opens Nuremberg’s magical old-world market, when the city square sparkles and the air is filled with the delicious aromas of mulled wine, hot chestnuts, roast sausages, gingerbread, fruit loaves, and marzipan candies.
Hundreds of decorated stands form a “Little Town of Wood and Cloth.” www.christkindlesmarkt.de
Fiera dia Castagna, Bocognano, Corsica, France
Corsicans call the chestnut the “tree of life,” and its flour is used in bread, polenta, cakes, and even beer. Chestnut jelly, honey, and liqueurs are highly prized, as is charcuterie from the local boars that feed on the nuts. As the island’s most important crop it truly deserves this annual celebration, which involves competitions, demonstrations, and market stands piled high with chestnut products.
THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
Franschhoek Cap Classique and Champagne Festival, South Africa
With a French heritage going back over 300 years, Franschhoek is understandably proud of its reputation as the gourmet capital of South Africa. Set in “the most beautiful wine valley in the world,” it celebrates its good fortune, presenting its own Cap Classique bubbly alongside the great names of Champagne. Mouthwatering French delicacies are served to complement the wine. www.franschhoek.org.za
ASIA AND AUSTRALASIA
Taste Festival, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Charming Sullivan’s Cove, in Tasmania’s capital city, plays host to ten days of feasts and fun, culminating on New Year’s Eve with a grand fireworks display over the tranquil harbor waters.
Circus acts, buskers, stilt-walkers, and street theater entertain the kids, while the grown-ups can enjoy artisan beers, fine Tasmanian wines, and Tasting Tours of local gourmet cuisine.
NORTH AMERICA
Night of the Radishes, Oaxaca, Mexico
Leave radishes in the ground for months until they grow up to two feet long. Then dig them up and carve them into fantastic sculptures of Nativity scenes, dancers, warriors, folk heroes, trees, and buildings. Sounds crazy, but that’s what happens at this extraordinary one-of-a-kind Christmas festival in Oaxaca.
Inn-to-Inn Cookie and Candy Tour, White Mountains, New Hampshire, USA
What better way to get into the holiday spirit than to make a snowy tour around the quaint inns of New Hampshire, all decked out in their Christmas finery? Visitors are welcomed with handmade cookies, candy canes, and other festive treats, and can vote on stunning gingerbread sculptures, collect family recipes, and depart with visions of sugarplums to last a lifetime.
SOUTH AMERICA
Santuranticuy, Cusco, Peru
Plaza del Armas becomes a vast, illuminated Nativity scene in the days before Christmas Eve’s breathtaking Santuranticuy (“saints for sale”) market. Country people flock into town with ceramic manger figures to sell, including the Andean baby Jesus, El Niño Manuelito. There’s sweet rum punch, roast corn, and panetón cake for those who can afford it, while hot chocolate and fruited biscuits are given to the poor.

Feijoada in Rio de Janeiro

2012-05-27T00:51:00.001-07:00

There is nothing that the people of Rio de Janeiro enjoy more than the beach. Unless it’s a feijoada. Brazil’s national dish is not so much food as the center of social celebration. After a swim off Ipanema Beach, a walk through Tijuca National Park, or a bit of shopping, families get together on Sunday lunchtimes over this hearty bean-and-meat stew to catch up and chew the fat.

Ipanema is the most famous beach in Brazil. This stunning sweep of pearly sand is sandwiched between towering headlands that twinkle with lights in the lilac dusk. A towering statue of Christ watches over it all, perched high on the rocky, rain forest covered mountain of Corcovado. The Atlantic Ocean is bottlegreen and the weather eternally sunny.
Ipanema is also Rio’s most fashionable neighborhood, packed with chic shops, swish restaurants, and cafés, and frequented by Brazil’s beautiful people. Not far away, vast slum cities sprawl up the surrounding hillsides. The communities are a world apart, but united by the love of a few key things: samba, soccer, the beach, and the national dish, feijoada.

The statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooks Rio from the Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca National Park; it can be reached by cable car

Feijoada is a black bean, pork, and sausage stew that is simmered for hours in a clay pot and served with rice, spring greens, farofa (pan-fried manioc flour), slices of orange, and strong cachaça rum. The dish is almost as old as Brazil itself: legend has it that feijoada evolved from stews cooked by Brazilian and African slaves on the sugar plantations in northeastern Brazil, from leftovers given to them by the Portuguese and meager amounts of homegrown food. There was little time for preparation, but meat offcuts and beans could be quickly thrown in a pot to simmer over hot embers all day as the slaves worked the fields.
Like samba music, the dish spread from Brazil’s poor communities to the rest of the country over the centuries. In the 19th century, a French traveler to Brazil, Augustin Saint-Hilaire, noted that black bean stew was as common at a rich man’s table as it was in the wattle-and-daub houses of his slaves, and by 1833 a dish called feijoada à la Brazilian (beans Brazilianstyle) was being served in high-society restaurants.
By the 20th century, eating feijoada every Friday had become a countrywide ritual to mark the end of the work week. Nowadays most Brazilians, rich or poor, get together for a Sunday feijoada lunch with family and friends. Visitors can enjoy the dish in a similar way – in good company and over several lunch-time hours – at one of Rio’s traditional feijoada restaurants. The best (see facing page) sits just behind the beach in Ipanema, strategically positioned for diners to work up an appetite with a swim.

Best Places to Eat Feijoada

A Casa da Feijoada

This traditional restaurant, just a stroll away from the beach in Ipanema, has been serving feijoada to local families for decades. It’s best to come with a very empty stomach for a full feast, which begins with a little bowl of rose coco (borlotti) bean soup. This is followed by a steaming tureen of feijoada (with extra bowls of meat so relentless carnivores can add to the stew at whim), and traditional accompaniments of spring greens pan-fried in garlic, fried manioc, rice, farofa (toasted manioc flour), and slices of succulent orange. Portions are large enough for two. Unlike most Rio restaurants, this one serves feijoada every day. Crowds get large on a Sunday, so be sure to make reservations.
Prudente de Morais 10, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro; open noon–11 PM daily; +55 21 2247 2776

Traditionally made using pork offcuts, feijoada can encompass a range of different meats, from pork choriço to salted, cured beef

Also in Rio
The Casa da Feijoada vies with another fashionable alfresco restaurant and bar in nearby chic Leblon – Academia da Cachaça (+55 21 2529 2680; expensive). Like its rival, the Academia serves a traditional feijoada daily (with smaller portions for kids on request).
A meal here wouldn’t be complete without a glass or two of fine Minas Gerais cachaça rum, from the most extensive cachaça menu in Rio.
Also in Brazil
In a poll conducted by São Paulo’s prestigious Folha newspaper, Veloso (+55 11 5572 0254; moderate) was voted the best place in the city for feijoada. The lively bar and restaurant serves the classic stew with traditional trimmings. Drink it with a caipirinha cocktail (cachaça and plenty of lime) – barman Souza is said to serve one of the best in Brazil.
Around the World
The uber-trendy, arty Shoreditch bar and restaurant Favela Chic (www.favelachic. com; moderate) in London was inspired by the colorful bric-a-brac of a Rio favela slum and is famed for its exuberant atmosphere.
Its daytime menu includes feijoada and the bar serves caipirinha cocktails, cachaça rum, and Portuguese Sagres beer. There’s a branch of the restaurant in Paris too.
New Yorkers dine from a varied menu of Brazilian favorites at Ipanema (www. ipanemanyc.com; moderate), a mid–West Side restaurant in the heart of a cluster of streets that have become known collectively as “Little Brazil.” Prices are great for Manhattan, and the choice includes a huge feijoada big enough for at least two people.
A Day in Rio de Janeiro
With breathtaking views at every turn, mountains covered in rain forest, and a myriad marvelous beaches, Rio de Janeiro is resolutely an outdoor city. Cariocas, as the locals are called, meet, greet, and eat outdoors.
MORNING : Spend the morning on Ipanema beach – leave your valuables in the hotel and take nothing more than a kanga (shawl) and a tanga (bikini) or sunga (swimming briefs) with you to the beach. In the late morning, wander Ipanema’s streets in search of a café or juice bar for lunch.
AFTERNOON : Take a helicopter flight over the Christ at Corcovado for possibly the world’s most unforgettable urban views. Land on the summit of the Morro de Urca mountain and spend the day walking around the forests here and the neighboring Sugar Loaf mountain (reachable by cable car).
EVENING : Swing and sway to the samba beat in a bar, club, or just on the streets in Lapa, Rio’s liveliest nightlife neighborhood, which is packed with party crowds at the weekend. Or opt for a more elegant evening spent sipping a cocktail in the super-chic 1920s Copacabana Palace or the Philippe Starck Fasano hotel.

Rio’s Restaurant Street

Rua Dias Ferreira, a five-minute taxi ride from Ipanema, is one of South America’s top foodie destinations. This 550-yd (500-m) street is lined with restaurants on both sides – from swanky São Paulo fusion establishments to nouvelle cuisine sushi, Brazilian Thai, and, of course, the inevitable spit-roast meat restaurants. This is the place for a leisurely stroll on a balmy evening, when you’re in search of a restaurant. The most famous are Carlota (www.carlota.com.br), serving Brazilian food with an Asian and French twist; Zuka (www.zuka.com.br), with its fabulous beef; Sushi Leblon (www.sushileblon.com), where you can try slivers of fish with pâté de foie gras; and Sawasdee (www.sawasdee.com.br), with a Brazilian take on Southeast Asian cooking that is heavy on flavor and low on spice.

Rio’s Ipanema beach stretches for 2 miles (3 km); two mountains, the Dois Irmãos (“two brothers”), mark its western end

Getting to Rio de Janeiro
Domestic and international airlines fly into Rio’s Tom Jobim international airport. The city can be reached by bus from all over Brazil. The best way to get around Rio is by subway or taxi.
Where to stay in Rio de Janeiro
Cama e Café (inexpensive) offers bargain homestays and the chance of feijoada with a local family. www.camaecafe.com.br
Arpoador Inn (moderate) sits in a modest block in a superb location overlooking the Atlantic. www.arpoadorinn.com.br
Fasano (expensive) is the most luxurious hotel in the city, situated right on the beach in Ipanema. www.fasano.com.br
TOURIST INFORMATION
www.rioguiaoficial.com.br

Country Cooking in Colombia

2012-05-27T00:41:00.000-07:00

Butting up against the rugged peaks of Colombia’s Cordillera Central are rounded mountains in a dozen shades of green, their lush, forested slopes interspersed with wax palms, banana trees, and bamboo, and acre upon rolling acre of plantations. This is coffee country – perfect for touring, hiking, and all manner of outdoor recreation, with robust, rustic Andean cuisine to sustain you.

Colombia’s Coffee Triangle, the Zona Cafetera, lies west of the capital Bogotá and south of Medellín.
Apart from its spectacular natural beauty, it is a fascinating region to explore. Scenic roads between the three main cities – Pereira, Armenia, and Manizales – are lined with coffee fields and with flowers, from swaths of carnations grown for export to exotic heliconias. Bustling small towns such as Salento, which overlooks the beautiful Cocora Valley, offer glimpses of local life, from women cooking arepas (a kind of corn tortilla) on sidewalk grills to corner stands piled high with fruits and coconuts. National parks, hot springs, and nature preserves offer a variety of ways to enjoy the magnificent scenery, and adventure sports are popular here too: you can go riding, rafting, or “canopying” through the treetops on aerial cables.
But the coffee plantations themselves have the greatest appeal. Not only can you tour the farms and watch workers in broad-brimmed straw hats harvesting coffee beans by hand; many also offer simple but charming guest rooms in the brightly painted old haciendas and fincas (farmhouses), filled with antique furnishings and ringed with balconies on which to enjoy the views.
This is also the best place to eat a traditional bandeja paisa, the typical dish of Colombia’s Andean region. Paisa is the name for the people of this region, while bandeja is the Spanish word for “platter” – and it takes an oversized plate to hold all 13 components of the dish. It includes minced beef, fried pork belly, spicy chorizo with lemon, and red kidney beans cooked with pork in an aromatic soup, as well as black pudding and a fried egg. Balancing the dish with color and texture are white rice, avocado, and crispy fried plantain. Last but not least are large, flat arepas, topped with hogao, a spicy sauce made with onions, tomatoes, and garlic.
Bandeja paisa is essentially a peasant dish, with enough protein and calories to keep the workers going through long days in the fields and treks over the mountains. An authentic paisa platter is hearty, tasty, sizzling South American fried food that has spread from the family kitchens of Colombia’s coffee country to restaurant tables across the country.

Coffee bushes blanket the slopes of the rolling Zona Cafetera

Best Places to Eat Bandeja Paisa

Mama Flor
Ask someone in the coffee region where to eat bandeja paisa and the first answer is always an enthusiastic one – Mama Flor! Located in a high-class residential area in one of Pereira’s oldest neighborhoods, the restaurant is surrounded by green zones and has fine views of the city from its small balcony. It was founded by two local businessmen and named after one of the partners’ mothers.
Built in the typical style of the coffee region from wood and guadua (the native bamboo), the restaurant has an airy, open dining room and rustic decor, which attracts international tourists as well as locals who come for the delicious grilled meats and traditional dishes. You can get a great bandeja paisa, known here as “bandeja Mama Flor.” Other special dishes to try include Mama Flor pork (the haunch tip), chunchurria (pork belly), and Mama Flor soup, a traditional plantain recipe.
The restaurant also offers some fish dishes, such as trout and sea bass.
Calle 11 No. 15–12, Los Alpes, Pereira; open noon–11 PM Mon–Sat, noon–5 PM Sun; +57 6 325 1713

Colombia’s unofficial national dish, bandeja paisa is part mixed grill, part tortilla, and extremely filling

Also in the Zona Cafetera
Another place in Pereira to try bandeja paisa is La Piazzolla, on Av. 30 de Agosto (+57 6 326 5433; inexpensive). In Armenia, La Fogata (+57 6 749 5980; moderate) is a popular restaurant serving steaks and pork chops as well as typical paisa dishes.
Also in Colombia
In Medellín, Hato Viejo (+57 4 268 6811; expensive) is a beautiful hacienda with a flower-filled courtyard and fine views of the city.
The Plato Montañero is their bandeja paisa; those with smaller appetites can order a half-portion. Another Medellín favorite is El Rancherito (www.elrancherito.com.co; moderate), with a large airy dining room and open grill. In Bogotá, enjoy the best of traditional Colombian cuisine at El Portal de La Antigua (www.portaldelaantigua.com; expensive), a classy restaurant with live music.
Around the World
In the US, Houston, Texas, has several Colombian restaurants; one of the best for bandeja paisa is Gran Colombia (www.grancolombiarestaurante.com; inexpensive). The favorite place for London’s Colombian community to enjoy bandeja paisa is La Bodeguita (www. labodeguita.co.uk; inexpensive), tucked away in the hulking Elephant and Castle shopping center on the south side of the Thames River.
What Else to Eat
Colombia has many other delicious regional dishes. In Bogotá and the surrounding Andean region, the most famous dish is ajiaco, a thick, tasty soup made with three kinds of potatoes, chicken, corn, and guasca, a fragrant local herb. It’s served with dishes of cream, capers, and avocado, which you add to taste.
On the north coast, another traditional soup is sancocho, made with various meats to which yucca, plantain, corn, potatoes, and spices are added. Tolimenses are a kind of corn tamale from the Tolima region, made with lechona (roast pig stuffed with rice and vegetables) wrapped in plantain leaves and boiled for several hours. Ternera llanera, a dish from the eastern Llanos cattle ranchlands, is veal spit-roasted over an open fire.
Three Days in Coffee Country
Good roads connect the cities with the smaller towns and rural attractions beyond. Though earthquakes have destroyed many historic areas and left the rebuilt cities with a modern face, you can still find old colonial buildings and cathedrals in this area.
DAY ONE : Spend the day on a coffee farm such as Villa Nora (see Where to Stay), touring the fields and processing sites and enjoying the beautiful rural scenery.
DAY TWO : Visit the Parque Nacional del Café (National Coffee Park), just west of Armenia, offering a coffee museum, guided walks, cultural shows, a children’s theme park, and an aerial cableway. Or visit Panaca in Quimbaya, an agricultural family attraction with farm animals, horseback riding, and an impressive stunt-riding show.
DAY THREE : From the charming town of Salento, with its traditional central plaza, hike into the Cocora Valley with its lush vegetation and towering wax palms, or visit the Acaime Natural Reserve beyond.
Getting There
There are daily flights to Pereira’s Matecaña Airport from Bogotá and other cities. Taxis are inexpensive and you can use them to tour the region if you don’t want to rent a car.
WHERE TO STAY
Villa Nora (inexpensive) in Quimbaya has simple rooms and beautiful views on a working coffee farm. +57 6 321 4424
El Eden Country Inn (moderate), just outside Armenia, has spacious, well-furnished rooms with a pool, restaurant, and bar. +57 6 749 5531
El Delirio (expensive), near the National Coffee Park, has eight lovely rooms in a beautifully restored finca. +57 6 745 0405
TOURIST INFORMATION
www.turismocafeyquindio.com

Chicharrones in Caracas Venezuela

2012-05-27T00:15:00.001-07:00

Venezuela is a dream road-trip destination. Drivers navigate against a dramatic backdrop of snow-capped Andean peaks and white-sand Caribbean beaches as they cruise through the lush Orinoco Basin, the skyscrapers of Caracas or the grassy savannas of Los Llanos. The savanna roads are lined with gaily painted food stands selling chicharrones, the nation’s favorite travel snack.

Venezuela so inspired an awestruck Christopher Columbus during his third New World voyage that he described it as “paradise on earth.” Today, its Angel Falls – the world’s highest waterfall – still inspires plenty of hyperbole among travelers, as do the mighty Orinoco River and vast Lake Maracaibo. Elegant colonial towns steeped in whimsical nostalgia, such as the mountain settlement of Colonia Tovar, are easily reached by car from the valley-capital of Caracas via the rolling forests of the Cordillera de la Costa. Scenic shore-side roads reveal a palm-scattered, semitropical coast; the warm sands of the western coast roll out before emerald rain forest and resplendent cloud-topped mountain peaks.
Venezuela’s maximum speed limit restricts every driver to a genteel 55 mph (80 km/h), so even hotheads settle into a relaxed, steady pace on the road. The highways have well-maintained surfaces that stretch out like asphalt tentacles to bird-filled rain forests, flooded meadows, and rustic mud-and-thatch villages, extending farther into ragged rural roadways, from dusty gravel to dirt tracks with potholes the size of minivans. Drivers need to keep their wits about them – all manner of farm animals and some extraordinary wildlife are prone to exploring Venezuelan roads too.

Angel Falls – the highest waterfall in the world – cascades over Mount Auyantepui in the Parque Nacional Canaima

No road trip is complete without chicharrones, crunchy, deep-fried chunks of seasoned pork rind.
Believed to have originated in Spain, they are plied by buhoneros (vendors) at virtually every street corner and highway rest stop of Venezuela’s provinces and its capital, Caracas. Some rinds are heavily salted, slightly greasy, and slow-cooked to melt away the fat; others are peppered, fatty, and chewy. Cooked to a deep russet red, many still have bristles poking through the golden rind. Some are spicy and crinkled; others are shiny, dry, and smooth. All are frazzled until the rind puffs up into irregular curls and squiggles, some in great slabs, others in tiny popcorn-sized nibbles. There are dozens of chicharrón sellers in the capital’s tree-lined Parque Central, each touting their own style of chicharrones, roasted to a recipe handed down through the generations that invariably still tastes good today.

Best Places to Eat Chicharrones

Sabana Grande Boulevard
Outdoor cooking on an open fire using the hottest fat helps to give chicharrones their salty, baconlike flavor and irresistible crunch.
The best places to savor the flavors of Caracas’s ultra-crunchy style of pork are the side streets of Sabana Grande Boulevard, where you can enjoy them sitting between groups of elderly chess and domino players hunched over wooden tables, amid the food and clothesstrewn market stands. Though different parts of the pig can be used, the skin of the belly strip is commonly the basis of Venezuelan pork rinds sold by sidewalk food stands in Caracas. Often touted by the owners of the carts that sell arepas (fried cornbread patties), chicharrones are offered as an alternative to the normal patty stuffings, such as carne mechada (shredded beef), caraotas negras (black beans), pollo guisado (stewed chicken), and queso rallado (grated cheese).
Sabana Grande Boulevard, Caracas; hours vary (stands operate virtually 24 hours a day, daily)

Chicharrones, roasted pork-skin snacks, are often eaten with coffee or aged rum

Also in Caracas
Both Sabana Grande Boulevard and Parque Central can be hectic; for a change of pace, venture into the city’s atmospheric Spanish quarter of La Candelaria to find chicharrón sellers among its old cobblestone alleyways and handsome colonial plazas.
Also in Venezuela
You’ll also find chicharrones along the road that crosses the Andes from Mérida to Barinas at the western edge of the Los Llanos region. At these welcome pit-stops, rosy-cheeked women in colorful aprons cut belly pork into ribbons on jagged rocks, chickens pecking greedily on the scraps, while black cauldrons of fat spit and pop.
Car-weary travelers satisfy their rumbling stomachs, dipping into paper cones for chunks of the salt-encrusted crackling, washed down by fizzy drinks hawked by the local children.
Around the World
In New York, richly flavored homemade Venezuelan dishes are served up with considerable pride at the Cocotero Restaurant (www.cocotero-restaurant.com; inexpensive) on West 18th Street in Chelsea. An imaginative menu proves to New York gastronomes that Venezuelan fare extends well beyond griddle-cooked arepas without foregoing authentic simple recipes and homegrown produce. Yet it is the hole-in-the-wall joint La Reina del Chicharron (212 304 1070; inexpensive) that is the food temple in which fried pork scratchings are truly worshipped.
Chef Elsa’s chicharrones are crispy, crunchy, and served in a bag solo or in a dish of mashed plantains. It’s strictly cash only.
What Else to Eat
In Venezuela’s cool, crisp mountain region, age-old Andean cuisine dates back to ancient pre-Hispanic cultures when warming, high-protein foods were cooked over glowing embers. Dishes were filling and calorific, using root vegetables, grains, nuts, and plants with meat from guinea pigs (cuy) and llamas. Several types of edible clay, such as pasa, were used as a gloopy sauce. Quinoa remains an all-important Andean food staple in stews and soups. Meat and fish are still preserved by drying and salting.
In Los Llanos, culinary traditions center on the region’s grass-reared herds of cattle, with numerous recipes that celebrate a simple slab of beef. Steaks are man-sized, cut generously thick and hung over a smoky open fire for several hours. In Cowboy Country, very few green vegetables are consumed.
Three Days in and around Caracas
The road from Caracas to Mérida in the Andean Mountains weaves between two mountain chains. To reach the grassy savannas of Los Llanos, you’ll journey along roads hemmed by knots of ferns, palms, and vines before delving into the domain of the Venezuelan cowboy.
DAY ONE : Take a city tour of Caracas’s challenging contemporary architecture, handsome ranchos, historic houses, and extensive slums of tin huts and cardboard boxes, all overlooked by Mount Avila, which rises from the beautiful Parque Nacional El Avila.
DAY TWO : Explore the sparsely populated Los Llanos countryside by driving across its picturesque rolling plains, punctuated by cattle farms and thousand-strong beef herds. Cook around an open fire on the banks of the Orinoco, South America’s second-longest river.
DAY THREE : Trek the scenic, leafy trails that loop the Andean town of Mérida, nestled in a verdant valley close to the Mucuy National Park and its crystal-clear rivers. Mérida also boasts the longest cable-car ride in the world, to the top of Bolívar Mountain.
Getting to Caracas
Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetia is 13 miles (20 km) from downtown Caracas. There are car rentals at the airport.
Where to stay in Caracas
El Fundo de Pedernales (inexpensive) is a friendly lodge in the stunning Los Llanos plains offering guided tours. +58 256 514 5070
Hotel Plaza Mérida (moderate) is a charming 46-room hotel nestled in the mountain foothills that’s packed with local art and crafts.www.hotelplazamerida.com
Embassy Suites by Hilton (expensive), in the business district of El Rosal, Caracas, has an outdoor swimming pool, gym, and business suites. http://embassysuites1.hilton.com
TOURIST INFORMATION
www.inatur.gob.ve

Curanto in Southern Chiloe Chile

2012-05-26T02:20:00.001-07:00

An enchanted island archipelago, Chiloé is a bewitching place of silent forests and craggy peaks that tumble down to fishing villages and mist-shrouded bays. Once believed to be a place of demonic and benevolent spirits, its fishermen still look out for a beautiful mermaid, La Pincoya, who is said to ensure a bountiful catch – and fresh ingredients for curanto, an ancient feast.

Separated from mainland Chile by the narrow Chacao Channel, the Chiloé archipelago comprises one large island, Isla Grande, and several smaller ones. A magical, mystical world of emerald woods and silent fjords, its indigenous people, the Mapuche, lived here undiscovered for millennia until Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 1500s.
Spain steered Chiloé on a historical course quite distinct from the mainland: the archipelago evolved its own culture, a unique cuisine, and a distinctive mythology rooted in Spanish Catholicism and Mapuche legend, with mythological figures like La Pincoya. In the 1600s, Jesuit missionaries built wooden churches across Chiloé to evangelize the Mapuche, and colorful towns grew around them.
On Isla Grande, Chiloé’s capital city, Castro, is the archipelago’s cultural heart. A small city of hilly lanes and fishermen’s houses built on wooden stilts on the waters of the Castro Fjord, it was the beachhead for attempts to conquer the Mapuche. Nowadays, it is a springboard for inspirational road and ferry trips that travel through haunting waters, forest-cloaked mountains, and spooky fishermen’s villages full of ghostly churches and tales of witchcraft.
Traditional customs still abound, and the steamy feast known as curanto seems to have sprung from the old fishermen’s habit of adding fresh fish to long-life foods such as cured meats, which they kept on board in case the weather forced them to stay at sea for weeks at a time. Curanto still blends shellfish and fish with meats such as pork and chicken in a kind of ancient “clambake” that’s unique to this southern archipelago.
Traditionally, islanders cook curanto by digging a wide pit in the ground in which they build a fire beneath smooth, round stones. Once these are hot, the flames are doused, and a blanketing layer of the huge native nalca leaves is spread over the stones. Layers of food are then piled on – fresh seafood, including baby mussels, clams, and fish, then meat and vegetables, including pork, chicken, potatoes, dumpling-like chapaleles, and milacos, a mix of fried raw potatoes, butter, and crackling. The food is covered with more nalca leaves, and then stones or chunks of sod to trap the heat, and the food is left to cook slowly over several hours. Today, restaurants prepare curanto “a la olla” – in huge cauldron-like pots, from which they serve small mountains of its many meats and vegetables. It’s a magical concoction that’s strangely perfect in these mystical islands.

Best Places to Eat Curanto

Restaurant Octavio
The setting for this restaurant is an old fisherman’s house overlooking the glassy waters of the Castro Fjord. Built from native island wood, the house stands on tall stilts in the fjord’s frigid waters and has an exterior painted in bright primary colors. On the inside, it is total rusticity and warmth. A wooden entrance door creaks inward, floorboards groan underfoot and, at the heart of the restaurant floor, an open fire crackles and roars. Choose a window table for its magical views across the Castro Fjord to mist-shrouded, forest-swathed mountains on the opposite shore.
The menu at Octavio brims with Chiloé specialties. Choose the cochayuyo (seaweed) soup appetizer and curanto main course.
Prepared a la olla, in a cauldron, your curanto arrives steaming with clams and mussels plucked from the ocean at daybreak, and piled high with sausages and more. Servings are huge – you’ll probably only need one portion to feed two. Round off your meal with Octavio’s celestial papaya-fruit-and-cream dessert.
Avenida Pedro Montt 261, Castro; open noon–midnight daily; +56 65 632 855

A heaped bowl of curanto, demonstrating what a feast this is – slow-baked seafoods, meats, vegetables, and dumplings are piled high

Also in Chiloé
In Ancud, Restaurant Kuranton (+56 65 623 090; moderate) faces the sea and serves an inspired curanto. It has a snug ambience, with low ceilings and tangerine walls that are hung with carvings and aged artwork. All across the archipelago, colorful, family-run restaurants at fishermen’s markets serve first-rate, and very cheap, curanto. Ballena Sur (+56 99 414 354; inexpensive), over the waterfront and inside the market at Chonchi, is one of the very best, with beautiful views of Chonchi Bay. In Curaco de Vélez, on Isla de Quichao, Restaurant Los Troncos (no telephone; inexpensive) is a delight. A rustic garden restaurant with ocean vistas, it serves curanto, fresh salmon, and the house specialty: salty oysters, eaten raw with a hunk of lemon.
Also in Chile
On the mainland, Chiloé’s gateway city, Puerto Montt, shares the curanto tradition. At its raucous Angelmó Fish Market, climb wooden stairs to La Estrella de Angelmó (no telephone; inexpensive), which serves the dish amid a mind-boggling variety of ultra-fresh seafood specials, from stewed crabs to sea urchins. In the capital city, Santiago, Restaurant El Galeón (www.elgaleon.cl; moderate) is a seafood restaurant located within the capital’s atmospheric Mercado Central (Central Market).
It has dished up a fantastic curanto since 1935.
Festival Costumbrista
The Festival Costumbrista Chilote is Chiloé’s biggest annual festival and a vibrant celebration of its island culture. It takes place at locations across the archipelago in January and February. Festival-goers take part in island activities including cooking curanto in traditional earthen pits (visitors take a hand in creating the pit and its food), as well as weaving, sheep-shearing, driving oxen, and making jelly. Food stands serve curanto and archipelago staples such as shellfish empanadas (savory pastry turnovers), licor de oro (a fermented cowmilk liqueur), and ulmo honey – a sweet honey made from the native ulmo tree.
Three Days on Chiloé
Frequent bus and ferry services connect the islands in the archipelago, but you’ll need to rent a car to really explore the back-country roads and village life.
DAY ONE : Visit Castro, Chiloé’s capital. Tour Iglesia San Francisco, a UNESCOprotected Jesuit church; then descend hilly lanes to the Castro Fjord. Stroll along the waterfront, past the stilted, wooden fishermen’s homes in the water. Go to the Museo de Arte Moderno Chiloé, where modern art examines Chiloé’s island identity.
DAY TWO : Rent a car and explore Isla Grande. Head north to Ancud, a historic fort settlement; then drive south to Chonchi, a village built into a vertiginous cliff overlooking a scenic bay. Visit Iglesia de Chonchi, a Jesuit church whose vanilla-andpowder- blue facade hides a vaulted interior painted with a thousand tiny white stars.
DAY THREE : Hop on a ferry to small Isla de Quinchao, to walk the beaches and the gravel streets of old fishing village Curaco de Vélez. Back in Castro, round out your stay with a visit to a waterside restaurant for a dinner of steamy curanto.
Getting to Chiloe Chile
Fly to Santiago international airport, then take a domestic flight to the southern mainland city, Puerto Montt, where ferries cross to Chiloé.
Where to stay in Chiloe Chile
Hotel Huildin (inexpensive) has garden cabins and rooms in Chonchi. www.hotelhuildin.cl
Hotel Unicornio Azul (moderate) is a restored 1910 building set on the Castro waterfront.
www.hotelgaleonazul.cl
Hostería Ancud (expensive) overlooks the ocean and Ancud’s historic fort. +56 65 622 340
TOURIST INFORMATION
www.visit-chile.org

Moqueca in Espirito Santo and Bahia

2012-05-26T02:08:00.000-07:00

Moqueca on the Brazilian Coast The coastline of the Espírito Santo and Bahia states is dotted with tiny fishing villages and glorious bays, where turtles nest in warm white sands and whales calf around the coral islands offshore. It was here that Europeans first set foot in Brazil, 500 years ago, and were doubtless offered a form of moqueca, a creamy seafood stew that is still the regional dish today.

Like Columbus before him, the Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral was on his way to India in search of spices when he stumbled on Brazil on Easter Day in 1500. His coxswain sighted the spectacular verdant peak of Monte Pascoal, shrouded in rain forest and fringed with coral sand beaches. Instead of spices, Cabral found tantalizing tropical fruits and brilliantly colored berries, both of which were used in the rich cooking of the local Tupi-speaking peoples. The first Portuguese person to write about Tupi cooking was Padre Luís de Grã, who commented on the delicious way the locals prepared meat and fish – carne and peixe – as a moquecada, where the meat or fish is wrapped in a leaf or placed in a clay pot with Brazilian herbs, chili peppers, and root vegetables, then cooked over red-hot embers.
The dish was transformed by the Portuguese, who added European fruits and spices to the pot and served the dish with rice and green vegetables. Renamed moqueca, it quickly became one of the most popular dishes in the country. But in the 20th century it sparked a bitter rivalry between the two coastline states of Bahia and Espírito Santo, first sighted by Cabral – as both claimed the dish as their own.
The Bahian moqueca is certainly the most Brazilian, though it is a blend of Portuguese, Tupi, and African influences – the shrimp are cooked in dendê palm oil and creamy coconut (both introduced to Brazil from Africa). The people of Espírito Santo curl their lip; their moqueca – known as moqueca capixaba – is, they insist, far closer to the original. It is also preferred by cooking connoisseurs. Juicy shrimp or snookfish are marinated in lime juice and then pan-fried in olive oil in a clay pot. The chef then adds tomatoes, cilantro, and the blood-red juice of urucum (annatto) berries, before leaving it to simmer for an hour or so. The dish is served piping hot with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

A view over the Abrolhos Marine National Park Bahia

Regardless of who’s right, it’s hard to quarrel in such a peaceful region. The tiny, tranquil villages, forested mountains, and wildly beautiful coastline induce feelings of both awe and contentment, surely echoing Cabral’s first impressions, 500 years ago.

The Best Places to Eat Moqueca

Restaurante Céu-Mar
This brightly painted little restaurant overlooking the lush banks of the Itaúnas River has been a favorite with visiting Brazilians in the know for well over a decade. They come for the delicious seafood, which is as fresh as it gets – the restaurant’s chef plucks the choicest catches of the day from local boats every evening.
The menu is broad but the highlight is the seafood moquecas capixabas, served bubbling with bright red urucum berry juice in traditional clay pots. Portions are big enough for two and come with white rice and a green salad.
Av Bento Daher, Itaúnas, Espírito Santo; open 11:30 AM–midnight; +55 27 3762 5081

The creamy fish stew of moqueca includes tangy lime-marinated fish and fresh tomatoes

Also on the Coast
Maresia’s (+55 73 3293 2471; inexpensive) is a modest, family-run restaurant on Avenida Atlântica, overlooking Alcobaça’s beautiful beach. This is where the local Bahian people come for a great moqueca. The shrimp and snookfish are so fresh they are almost wriggling, and the huge Bahian moquecas, cooked in coconut and dendê palm oil, come in a simmering earthenware pot. Be sure to wash them down with a glass of tangy mangaba juice, made with fruits plucked from the trees that grow along the nearby river.
Also in Brazil
Bahian chef Neide Santos has created a mini-Bahia in Rio at Yoruba (+55 21 2541 9387; moderate), a colorful little restaurant on Rua Arnaldo Quintela, near the Sugar Loaf mountain. The dining room is decorated with brightly colored Bahian ribbons and drapes and the menu consists almost entirely of Bahian dishes, including huge fish or shrimp moquecas big enough for two.
Around the World
Made in Brasil (www.made-in-brasil-bar. co.uk; moderate) in Camden, London, aims to re-create the relaxed feeling of a Brazilian beach café with its tables of unfinished driftwood, shuttered windows, and Latin American music.
Its Brazilian chefs produce several types of moqueca, including the classic Bahian moqueca de peixe, as well as other Brazilian dishes such as feijoada (see pp320–21) and bobo de camarao (tiger shrimp in a creamy cassava and palm oil sauce).
In Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Brazilian-owned and run Muqueca Restaurant (www.muquecarestaurant.com; moderate) serves seven types of moqueca, including a plantain and tofu version for vegetarians.
Dishes come accompanied by a range of uniquely Brazilian super-fruit juices, including açai (see p303), tart Amazonian cupuaçú, and acerola, a vitamin-C super-fruit.
Three Days in Espírito Santo and Bahia
The pretty, unspoiled towns and villages of these regions sit against a backdrop of Atlantic coastal rain forests and border some of the finest beaches in Brazil.
DAY ONE :Visit the rain forests of the Monte Pascoal National Park, which shroud the peak first sighted by the Portuguese and hide jaguars among the trees. Continue to Alcobaça, the region’s festival capital, whose streets are lined with crumbling 19th-century houses.
DAY TWO : Take a boat trip from Caravelas to whale-watch and snorkel in the Abrolhos Archipelago. These waters are home to some of the most extensive coral reefs in the South Atlantic and are one of the best places in the world to see humpback whales, who calf here between July and December. Stay the night in Caravelas.
DAY THREE : Drive south to the relaxing little fishing resort of Itaúnas, which sits nestled in dunes behind a string of magnificent beaches visited by three species of marine turtles.

Humpbacks and other species can be seen on whale-watching trips off the Bahia coast from July to October

Getting to Espirito Santo and Bahia
The state’s main international hub is Salvador- Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães airport; domestic airlines fly into the smaller Porto Seguro airport; both have car rental facilities.
Where to stay in Espirito Santo and Bahia
Vila Morena (inexpensive) in Itaúnas offers colorful and friendly bargain accommodations a stroll from the sea. www.vilamorena.com.br
Brisa dos Abrolhos (moderate) in Alcobaça is great for families. +55 73 3293 2022
Marina Porto Abrolhos (expensive) in Caravelas is the best hotel in the region, right on the beach.
www.marinaportoabrolhos.com.br
TOURIST INFORMATION
Bahia: www.bahiatursa.ba.gov.br; Espírito Santo: www.setur.es.gov.br

Steak Around the World

2012-05-26T01:53:00.000-07:00

Buenos Aires leads the world in the preparation of succulent, tender beefsteaks. But global travelers can enjoy great steaks at several other cities that lie close to lush, free-grazing grasslands and pride themselves on their beef-eating cultures.

BUENOS AIRES
Manolo

Bolivar 1299, San Telmo; www.restaurantmanolo.com.ar
Local Argentinians love this old-fashioned, cafeteriastyle parrilla (restaurant serving grilled meats) for its delicious delicacies, which are incredible bargains.
Chitterlings and sweetbreads, textured like melted butter and sprinkled with lemon juice, precede tender grilled steaks. Service is fast, the ambience loud, and walls feature soccer-themed memorabilia.
El Obrero
Agustín R. Caffarena 64, La Boca; +54 11 4362 9912 U2’s Bono, Francis Ford Coppola, and Robert Duvall are three celebrities that have been drawn to dine at this atmospheric steakhouse in the colorful La Boca portside district. It opened in 1954 and continues to serve some of the best, and biggest, steaks in town.
Choose from the parrilla specials on the chalkboard and aim to arrive before the busiest time of 9:00 PM.
La Cabrera
Cabrera 5099, Palermo Viejo; www.parrillalacabrera.com.ar
A romantic steakhouse in one of the city’s prettiest districts, La Cabrera comprises twin dining salons of mosaic flooring, timber furnishings, and strippedbare walls. Its beefsteaks are huge and first-rate, and they come with around 12 side dishes, from Béarnaise sauce to roasted artichokes and mashed squash with raisins. Tables are candlelit; outdoor tables overlook a cobbled street.
Cabaña Las Lilas
Alicia Moreau de Justo 516; www.laslilas.com
Situated on the waterfront in the Puerto Madero docklands district, this exclusive parrilla serves steaks from its own ranches. Ask for the superior rib-eye cut and accompany it with one of the 700 premium Argentinian wines offered.
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
At restaurants in Argentina’s wine capital, Mendoza, world-class red wines accompany Argentinian beefsteaks. Choose a downtown parrilla or dine at a wine estate, where vistas of vineyards and the snow-capped Andes form the backdrop to premium wines and prime beef.
Don Mario
25 de Mayo 1324, Dorrego; www.donmario.com.ar
At this basic parrilla, Don Mario allows his cooking to do the talking. The sweetbreads are outstanding and the sirloin and tenderloin steaks are fit for gauchos.
The mixed grill option of combined delicacies and beef cuts is excellent and economical.
Ocho Cepas moderate
Peru 1192; www.ochocepas.com
Ocho Cepas is a wine-and-gourmet-grill experience set within a beautifully refurbished colonial house, run by Argentine chef Max Casa. Choose alfresco dining beneath the Mendoza stars or opt for an intimate interior table amid colonial arches. Meat and wine options are both outstanding.
Cavas Wine Lodge
Costaflores S/N; www.cavaswinelodge.com
This romantic restaurant is set in a luxury wine lodge and spa, situated within a 35-acre (14-hectare) vineyard. It emphasizes regional Mendoza cuisine, from appetizers such as goat cheese terrine with “wine caviar” to rib-eye steak with chimichurri – the spicy pesto-like sauce of choice for asados.

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY
Uruguay has the highest number of meateaters per capita in the world, outshining even its close neighbor, Argentina. Steakhouses in its capital city, Montevideo, overlook the Atlantic Ocean and serve classic beef cuts oozing with juices and flavors.
La Casa Violeta
Rambla Armenia 3667; www.lacasavioleta.com
Choose a terrace table at gorgeous Violeta, which faces one of Montevideo’s prettiest harbors.
There are seven kinds of steak, from rib-eye and porterhouse to the restaurant’s rib-chop specialty, and the fantastic meats are whisked to tables on long skewers in the local style.
Los Leños
San Jose; +598 2900 2285
A big rack of meat always roasts over the open fire at the casually chic parrilla of Los Leños. Start with a succulent seafood appetizer and follow with the signature tenderloin steak – filet de lomo – accompanied by mustard or the more exotic Roquefort or black-pepper sauces.
NEW YORK, NY
New York City is famously home of the tasty and tender New York strip steak (also known as Kansas City strip steak or strip loin steak).
Eat it like the locals: rare, doused in sauces, and accompanied by a serving of truffle mac (macaroni) and cheese.
Angelo & Maxie’s Steakhouse
Park Avenue South at 19th Street; www.angelo-maxies.com
This inexpensive steakhouse serves juicy, oversized steaks (and some great fish dishes) in a splendid 1930s, Art Deco-style setting. Start with a seafood appetizer and order some onion rings or green salad to accompany your steaks. It’s a romantic dining spot and has a great bar too.
Ottomanelli New York Grill
1325 Fifth Avenue; www.nycotto.com
Savvy New Yorkers make a beeline to this grill, which has been run by the Ottomanelli family since 1900.
Its specialty is enormous sirloin-steak burgers. Strip and hanger steaks, marinated in red wine and fresh herbs, are grilled to perfection as well.
Peter Luger Steakhouse

178 Broadway, Brooklyn; www.peterluger.com
Open for over a century, Peter Luger is the Big Apple’s finest traditional steakhouse, with luxurious wooden decor and chandeliers. It’s a family business, and uses only the best US short-loin beef. Try its signature porterhouse steak, which the waiter cuts into filet and sirloin at the table, and douses with a superb wasabiflavored or Merlot-based sauce.
Quality Meats
57 W. 58th St.; www.qualitymeatsnyc.com
This upmarket steakhouse sizzles with sex appeal.
Its industrial-chic decor features light installations fashioned from butchers’ hooks and walls made from wine bottles. Its New American cuisine produces classic steaks marinated in inventive sauces. The clientele is young and hip.
TEXAS
Texas rivals Argentina for the crown of world’s greatest steak-eating destination. The giant southern state is synonymous with grasslands, thundering cattle herds, and the iconic American cowboy. Houston, its biggest city, serves some of its most memorable beef.
Taste of Texas Restaurant
10505 Katy Freeway, Houston; www.tasteoftexas.com Having the air of an old-style cowboy joint, “T-O-T,” as it is known, is a down-to-earth Texas steakhouse that emphasizes old-fashioned friendliness and uncomplicated dining, led by huge, juicy beefsteaks.
Order the prime rib and you will exit smiling.
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
5839 Westheimer Rd., Houston; www.pappasbros.com
One of Houston’s finest steakhouses, Pappas Bros. has an aged interior of red leather and polished wood furnishings. Its dry-aged steaks – from the filet mignon and rib-eye to a huge porterhouse – draw meat-lovers from across Texas. Its seafood starters are wonderful.
FLORENCE, ITALY
Florentines harvest their beef from the white Chianina cattle that graze the grasses of Tuscany’s valleys. In Florentine kitchens, the tender, flavorful Chianina meat becomes the bistecca alla fiorentina – the Renaissance city’s emblematic beefsteak.
Trattoria Mario inexpensive
Via Rosina 2R; www.trattoria-mario.com
Family-run Mario’s has served the workers of Florence’s Central Market since 1953. Diners share tables and the day’s menu is attached to the wall with tape. Florentine steaks arrive big, bloody, and with hunks of bread on the side.
Ristorante Paoli moderate
Via de’ Tavolini 12R; www.casatrattoria.com
A vaulted 14th-century ceiling painted with frescoes from the 1800s overlooks the tables at Paoli. It’s an inspired setting, and the cuisine here is equally divine. Order succulent Florentine steak.
Buca Lapi expensive
Via del Trebbio 1R; www.bucalapi.com
Opened in 1880 in the cellars of Palazzo Antinori, this is an intimate trattoria set beneath vaulted, frescoed ceilings. Its bistecca chianina (Florentine porterhouse) steak is masterful, cooked over a charcoal grill and sprinkled with olive oil.

Beefsteaks in Buenos Aires Argentina

2012-05-26T01:22:00.001-07:00

Adorned with colorful plazas, belle époque palaces, and grand boulevards, Buenos Aires is the Paris of South America. Its hinterlands are lush alfalfa grasslands that roll out toward the Andes mountains, providing rich grazing for Argentina’s prized beef cattle. Steak has long been the succulent staple of the gaucho and the centerpiece of the asado, an Argentinian barbecue feast.

From its location at the mouth of the Plate River, Buenos Aires rose to prominence at the end of the 19th century, when it became an important commercial capital and one of the world’s richest cities. It embarked on a decadent Golden Age, modeling itself on Europe’s great capitals, erecting palaces and monuments that recalled the splendors of Paris. Today, Buenos Aires is synonymous with the passions of tango and a thrilling restaurant scene, led by the city’s fantastic steakhouses.
Echoes of Europe abound in Argentina’s great capital. Walking south from Plaza de Mayo, its central plaza, visitors soon reach the city’s romantic old quarters, where Spanish churches, sepia cafés, and colonial facades front cobbled lanes. North of the plaza, the glories of the belle époque unfold along broad, French-style avenues decorated with patriotic statuary and Parisian mansions adorned with cupolas and lavishly latticed balconies.
Visitors to Buenos Aires in the 21st century will discover these vintage architectural glories, but a new sense of style as well. The modern city buzzes with tourists and locals – Porteños – busily walking, talking, shopping, and café-hopping. At night, visitors to the city are in search of two things: the tango and the eating ritual known as the asado. An ongoing barbecue of incredible meats, it is said to have developed from the rough-and-ready eating habits of the legendary gaucho, the Argentinian cowboy, who first roamed the pampas in the 17th century and is said to have slaughtered landowners’ cows before roasting their carcasses over open fires.
In celebration of the gaucho, steakhouses today perform their own versions of this centuries-old ritual.
Great slabs of red meat are thrown onto charcoal grills or hung from cross-poles over glowing pits of burning embers on the restaurant floor. Juicy beef cuts – sirloin, rib-eye, tenderloin, and more – are left to sizzle and smoke for hours until, beautifully tender, they are carved by an asador using long, glistening knives.
A spectacle of dancing fires, bloody red meat, and razor-sharp blades, the Argentinian asado is a ritual steeped in masculinity and atavism. Delicious delicacies – tongue, sweetbreads, intestines, and blood sausages – wash the palate in rich, fatty flavors before the huge steaks arrive at table. The eating of every part of the animal is homage to the heroic gaucho, who left nothing of his kill for the vultures.

Tending the barbecue for an asado – an astonishing and seemingly never-ending array of tender grilled meats

A Day in Buenos Aires
This city’s historic central square, the Plaza de Mayo, is dominated by the Casa Rosada (Pink House), from whose balcony Eva Perón regaled the masses. This is the perfect place to start: belle époque wonders lie to the north, and colonial charms to the south.
MORNING : From the Plaza de Mayo, go down Avenida de Mayo and have coffee at glorious Café Tortoni, the city’s oldest café. Turn on to Avenida 9 de Julio, the city’s greatest, patriotic thoroughfare, and admire the Obelisco and the Teatro Colón opera house. Take a taxi to the Recoleta Cemetery, where Eva Perón lies buried.
AFTERNOON : Head back to Plaza de Mayo and walk south, into the old quarter.
Stroll cobbled streets with colonial facades in San Telmo; enjoy an alfresco lunch in cobbled Plaza Dorrego; and go to La Boca, the colorful port district. Visit La Bombonera, the iconic stadium of Boca Juniors, Argentina’s greatest soccer team.
EVENING : Return to San Telmo for sizzling beefsteaks and a tango show at El Viejo Almacén, one of the oldest buildings in the city.

Street dancers perform the tango in La Boca, the colorful port district that is the birthplace of the famous dance

Getting to Buenos Aires
International flights land at Ezeiza Airport, 35 miles (22 km) from downtown; use the official taxi service or a shuttle bus.
Where to stay in Buenos Aires
Abode Buenos Aires (inexpensive) is a modern B&B in Palermo. www.abodebuenosaires.com
Home Hotel (moderate) offers boutique rooms and apartments with spa, garden, and pool facilities. www.homebuenosaires.com
Sofitel Buenos Aires (expensive) is pure luxury in a 1929 Art Deco building. www.sofitel.com
TOURIST INFORMATION
www.turismo.gov.ar

Spicy Ceviche in the City of Kings - Lima Peru

2012-05-25T13:30:00.001-07:00

Lima may not have the immediate allure of other Latin American cities, but this coastal capital isn’t lacking in culture or cuisine. It boasts pre-Inca sites and colonial mansions, and some real gastronomic delights. An amazing assortment of ingredients alights in Lima from the Andes and the Amazon, but it’s the fresh Pacific fish that everyone wants, transformed into ceviche.

More than 100 years ago, culinary revolutionary Auguste Escoffier ranked Peruvian cuisine third-best in the world, behind only French and Chinese. Some might scoff at the claim, but Peru has a rich cooking tradition, and the proof is in the pudding – or in this case, the fish.
Ask a Peruvian what their national dish is and more often than not the answer will be ceviche, small pieces of raw fish marinated, or “cooked,” in lime juice mingled with sliced hot chili peppers (ají limo) and red onions.
It’s served up as soon as the fish has become firm and opaque on the outside (about five minutes), with a wedge of cooked sweet potato, a chunk of fresh-cooked corn cob, and a frill of lettuce. The spicy juice from the ceviche marinade, called leche de tigre (tiger’s milk), is, locals say, the best hangover cure around.
The secret to a good ceviche is the combination of Peruvian lime, which has an unusually high acid content, with the freshest of fish. Limeños (the inhabitants of the city) insist, in fact, that ceviche be eaten only at lunchtime, when the fish is guaranteed to have come straight off the morning’s boats.
There is a long tradition of eating marinated fish in Peru. The Incas were fond of fish steeped in homemade corn beer and fruit juices, and cultures before them marinated fish with a fruit known as “tumbo,” a type of passion fruit. Later, the Spanish brought limes, lemons, and onions to the table, and Japanese immigrants introduced the sashimi sensibility. And it all comes together on the plate in Lima, the coastal city created by conquistadors in 1535.
Lima was the capital of the Spanish dominion in Latin America for almost 200 years. Remnants of this cultural boom-time remain in the centuries-old streets and buildings downtown, especially around Plaza Mayor, where it is obvious in the lavish carvings of enclosed wooden balconies, the ornate doorways, and the tranquil inner courtyards of the city’s mansions.
Farther afield, buzzing Barranco is dotted with the vacation villas of wealthy 19th-century Europeans, who flocked to the beaches here in summer. Peruvians have long had a love affair with the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and tourists can witness this both in the friezes of antique ruins and in the restaurants, where ceviche still reigns supreme.

The Cathedral commands the view over Plaza Mayor, where the city was founded in 1535, and down the pedestrian-friendly Passage Santa Rosa

Best Places to Eat Ceviche

La Mar
Part of the expanding empire of restaurants run by Peru’s culinary ambassador and cordon-bleu-trained chef Gastón Acurio, La Mar is a lunch-only, seafood-focused destination, a cebicheria peruano (Peruvian ceviche restaurant). The restaurant doesn’t take reservations and the best way to secure a table is to arrive around noon, otherwise you’re likely to have a lengthy wait at the bar. Not that this is a bad thing, as they produce a great version of the pisco sour cocktail – fluffy, icy, and just a little bit addictive – as well as tempting snacks while you wait. There’s a whole list of ceviche on the menu, from clásico with hot chili pepper, tiger’s milk, and fresh fish, to tumbes – black scallops from the north of Peru, with octopus, mussels, calamari, and clams. Try the degustación: a selection of five ceviche to share, including clásico, tumbes, nikei (tuna), elegante (mixed fish), and mistura (shellfish, salmon, and fiercely hot green rocoto chili). There’s also tiradito, which is like a cross between carpaccio and sashimi: paper-fine slices of raw fish dressed with lime and chili pepper.
Avenida La Mar 770, Miraflores, Lima; open noon–5 PM Mon–Thu, noon–5:30 PM Fri, 11:45 AM–5:30 PM Sat–Sun; www.lamarcebicheria.com

The fresh white fish meat of ceviche is “cooked” by being steeped briefly in a marinade of lime juice and chili peppers

Also in Lima
Just down the road from La Mar, Pescados Capitales (www.pescadoscapitales.com; moderate) is another lunch-only seafood destination. The name is a pun on pescados (fish) and pecados (sins) and the menu plays up the “deadly fins” theme: ceviche comes under the heading pecado original (original sin), while main courses carry names such as “vanity,” “envy,” and “infidelity.” Ceviche at the restaurant features lenguado (sole), octopus, mixed fish and shellfish, and deep-sea cachema fish.
Also in Peru
The improbably named Big Ben (www. bigbenhuanchaco.com; inexpensive) is the oldest restaurant in the beach resort-fishing village of Huanchaco on Peru’s northern coast.
Pick a table on the umbrella-covered terrace upstairs with a view over the ocean and order a fresh-off-the-boat ceviche.
Around the World
Not content with conquering Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Panama, Colombia, and Peru, chef Gastón Acurio has opened a La Mar (www. lamarcebicheria.com; expensive) in San Francisco. Located at the Embarcadero waterfront, it serves up ceviche with a local flavor: mahi-mahi, calamari, and octopus with cilantro and yellow chili pepper marinade; Californian halibut in a classic marinade; and ahi tuna with Japanese cucumber, daikon, and avocado in tamarind-flavored tiger’s milk.
A Day in Lima
Lima is a cosmopolitan city that has embraced its varied past with gusto. Andean and Spanish influences abound in city neighborhoods, peppered with traces of Africa and Asia, all united by an unmistakable Peruvian vibe.
MORNING : Take a jaunt around the city’s colonial center, visiting San Francisco Monastery with its religious art collection and bone-packed crypt. Loiter in front of the Presidential Palace around 11:45 AM to see the changing of the guard, then walk down Jirón de la Unión to French-influenced Plaza Saint Martín.
AFTERNOON : Hightail it to Miraflores to walk the clifftop parks, past the blackand- white lighthouse to the Parque del Amor (“Love Park”), which has sinuous mosaic walls inlaid with love adages and a colossal sculpture of a couple kissing.
Finish up in smart-bohemian Barranco at the showy Museo Pedro de Osma.
EVENING : Catch a taxi down to Cala, the beachfront lounge bar-restaurant below the Barranco cliffs, and order a pisco sour – a cocktail of Peruvian brandy, lemon juice, egg white, and sugar syrup – and a ceviche scallop roll, then sit back and watch the Pacific waves ebb and flow.

The Parque del Amor in Miraflores is lined with long,undulating mosaic benches covered in quotes from Peruvian poets

Getting to Lima - Peru
Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport lies 10 miles (16 km) northwest of the city. Take an official, registered taxi from the airport to the city.

Where to stay in Peru

Hostal El Patio (inexpensive) is a basic but comfortable hotel in central Miraflores with a cool, leafy courtyard. www.hostalelpatio.net
Second Home Peru (moderate) is the Barranco home of Peruvian sculptor Victor Delfin, and now a stylish guesthouse with sea views and five airy bedrooms. www.secondhomeperu.com
Hotel Country Club (expensive) in upmarket San Isidro is a deluxe 1920s hacienda-style hotel. www.hotelcountry.com
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.peru.info
What Else to Eat
Lima’s cuisine and restaurants are gaining a worldwide reputation for freshness and creativity, embracing Chinese, Italian, Japanese, African, and Andean influences. This is especially evident in lomo saltado, a stir-fry with a distinct Peruvian twist: alongside strips of beef, onion, tomatoes, chili peppers, and garlic come fried potatoes and rice. Try it at José Antonio (www.joseantonio.com. pe). Another favorite is causa: cool, yellow mashed potato mixed with lime juice and chili paste and layered with avocado, mayonnaise, and tuna; Astrid & Gaston (www.astridygaston.com) makes a good one. Papas rellenas, potato croquettes stuffed with minced meat, hard-boiled egg, and olives are a Creole favorite. Brujas de Cachiche (www.brujasdecachiche.com.pe) serves them with a tangy, lime-infused salsa criolla.

Locro de Papa in Quito Ecuador

2012-05-25T12:44:00.001-07:00

Hearty Soup High in the Andes
Beneath towering snow-capped mountains, the highland Ecuadorians, living at some 10,000 ft (3,000 m) above sea level, have long cherished the restorative powers of their native crop, the potato. Amid the lower fertile valleys, herds of grazing cows provide fresh cheese and milk for the rich, creamy dish locro de papa, guaranteed to get you up and over the next hilltop.

The Ecuadorian Andes favor early risers. As the day warms, moisture condenses and gathers in the air, and by afternoon, more often than not, clouds have obscured the peaks of the world’s longest mountain chain. But at dawn, the full glory of what 19th-century Prussian explorer Alexander von Humboldt named the “Avenue of the Volcanoes” is revealed, glacier-topped peaks puncturing the lush green, mountainous landscape.
The Andes run longitudinally through Ecuador, dividing the country into three separate realms. The rivers to the west feed the sweltering seaboard of the Pacific Ocean; those to the east forge their way to the great headwaters of the Amazon River, some 2,000 miles (3,200 km) distant. Down the center, the mountain chain is like a Titan’s stepladder laid flat north to south, with the higher ground as the ladder’s rungs and the populated valleys as the spaces in between.
These valleys and their surrounding hillsides are painstakingly cultivated by Andean families on their farmsteads, maintaining their close bond with their land and with Pachamama, the Earth Mother. Rising at dawn, they till and toil beneath the piercing rays of the equatorial sun and the constant gaze of their apus, local mountains personified as deities. Days are long.
At lunch, there’s no better dish to restore their energy than locro de papa, a thick, creamy soup made with the Andes’ most important bequest to the world, the potato, combined with milk and fresh, crumbly white cheese and usually topped with slices of avocado.
The Incas, who came as conquerors from Peru and occupied these lands for around 50 years, were particularly fond of potatoes. They even used the time it took a certain variety to cook as a measurement of time – rather like a boiled egg. They were right to sing its praises: we now know that this tuber supplies every vital nutrient except calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D.
It grows fast, on very little land, almost anywhere.
And there are lots of varieties: wander through an Ecuadorian highland market and the color, shape, and size of the potatoes on sale is astonishing. In fact, the variety of all market produce here is amazing.
Ecuador’s varying altitudes and its position, right on the equator, allow it to produce just about every crop imaginable. On any one stand, you’ll find blackberries next to bananas, avocados atop tree tomatoes, and corn cobs tumbling over sacks of rice. This cornucopia, crowned by the precious potato, is one of the delights of discovering this engaging, hardworking country.

Best Places to Eat Locro de Papa

Hacienda San Agustín de Callo
There’s no better place to enjoy smooth, delicious, warming locro de papa than in the Inca-walled dining room of Hacienda San Agustín, in the shadow of the picture-postcard Cotopaxi volcano. The hacienda’s walls are thought to have been part of an Incan temple, but even without them, this would be a fine place to dine. Its style is country-home-turnedinn, with individually painted rooms with quirky touches ringing a flower-filled central courtyard and fireplaces keeping the chill at bay at night.
Service is personalized and, if you’re staying here too, the living room with its comfy sofas and books soon feels like it could be your own.
The locro is rich and cheesy, topped with perfectly ripe avocados and with fresh, piquant ají sauce on the side for those who like a little zip in their soup. Also on the menu are quinoa soup and croquettes, llapingachos (potato cakes) with guacamole, and fritada of fried pork in cumin, and all the vegetables are harvested from its own gardens. Desserts are a treat too – guaranteed to have you waddling off to a nearby sofa or hammock for a well-deserved siesta.
Lasso, Cotopaxi Province; open 1–3 PM daily (reservations advisable); www.incahacienda.com

Above : Locro de papa – literally, “potato stew” – may be served smooth or with potato chunks. Achiote (annatto) seeds impart a golden glow

Above : A vendor dishes up fried potatoes at the Thursday Saquisili market in Cotopaxi, south of Quito, one of the largest and busiest in Ecuador

In Quito
The list of establishments serving locro is as long as the list of its variants, but in Quito, La Choza in the La Floresta neighborhood (www.lachozaec.com; moderate) is regarded by many as the best. It serves lots more fine traditional Ecuadorian dishes as well, such as hornado roast pork (see What Else to Eat, left), goat stew, soups, and ceviche.
Also in the Ecuadorian Andes
In the north, Hacienda Zuleta (www.zuleta. com; expensive) serves delicious soups made from organic ingredients; Hacienda Cusín (see Where to Stay) and historic Hacienda Pinsaquí (www.haciendapinsaqui.com; expensive) near Otavalo are also good options. South of Quito, Estrella de Chimborazo (www.expedicionesandinas. com; inexpensive) is a high-altitude mountain lodge with a spectacular setting beneath the Chimborazo volcano, while Hostería Abraspungo near Riobamba (www. haciendaabraspungo.com; moderate) has a nice rustic feel. In the southern highlands, try the Posada Ingapirca (www.grupo-santaana.net; moderate) close to the Inca ruins of the same name. In Ecuador’s third-largest city, pretty Cuenca, Hotel Santa Lucía (www. santaluciahotel.com; expensive), Mansión Alcázar (www.mansionalcazar.com; expensive) and the cheerful Raymipampa (+593 7 283 4159; inexpensive) shouldn’t disappoint.
What Else to Eat
A revelation for many, hornado might well change the way you regard roast pork.
Slow-cooked, succulent, and tender, served with ají hot sauce or chopped red onions, potato patties, and fried corn, it’s a must. The Plaza Grande Hotel in Quito serves a superb suckling pig version. A meal is not a meal in the highlands without a soup appetizer. Look for one with quinoa, another Andean wonder-ingredient. Hacienda Zuleta (www.zuleta.com) serves delicious soups made from organic ingredients. To warm the cockles on a cold Andean night, a swig of canelazo hits the spot. It’s a hot toddy, usually made with naranjilla fruit and local liquor and spiced with cinnamon. Three Days in the Ecuadorian Highlands
The Ecuadorian highlands around the capital, Quito, are a tale of winding highways between valleys and mountains, rewarding the traveler with breathtaking scenery.
DAY ONE : Head to Quito’s Old Town, regarded as the largest, least-altered, and best-restored in the Americas. A World Heritage site since 1978, its colonial grid of streets is dominated by churches, chapels, convents, and monasteries, with enough museums and curiosities to keep inquiring minds happy for days.
DAY TWO : Travel north to Imbabura Province, famed for flower-growing, haciendasturned- inns, strong indigenous culture, and a daily craft market in Otavalo, which on Saturdays also features early-morning livestock trading and a fruit-and-veggie market.
DAY THREE : Hop on the restored railway from Quito to chug south to Cotopaxi Province, overshadowed by the Cotopaxi volcano and a host of other craggy peaks.
This is dairy and cowboy country par excellence, with comfortable haciendas making fine bases for hiking, mountain biking, or horseback riding.

Getting to Quito

Quito airport has fair international connections.Due to the state of the roads and erratic driving, it’s best to hire a guide and driver for touring.
Where to stay in Quito
Volcanoland (inexpensive) is well-located by the Cotopaxi volcano. www.volcanoland.com
Hacienda Cusín (moderate) north of Quito has airy, pretty rooms. www.haciendacusin.com
Casona de San Miguel (expensive) is a converted colonial mansion in Quito.www.casonasanmiguel.com
TOURIST INFORMATION
Quito Visitors’ Bureau; www.quito.com.ec

Crispy Acarajé in Salvador Brazil

2012-05-25T12:15:00.001-07:00

Salvador’s steep, sun-baked streets are lined with glorious Baroque churches and brightly painted 18th-century mansions. Music bursts from every other doorway, and in the coconut-palm-shaded squares, African Brazilians spin and swirl to the beats and claps of capoeira, a musical form of martial art. At street stands, women dressed in flowing white cook acarajé, a piquant patty.

Salvador feels like a rich slice of tropical Africa cut from a coconut coast and transposed to Brazil. It is a city of pearly beaches, lush tropical trees, and deep yellow light; of cobbled colonial streets lined with magnificent UNESCO heritage buildings, vibrant with rhythm and ritual. Pounding drum orchestras that parade at carnival troop through the narrow, Baroque-buildinglined streets of the old center once a week. Terreiros – sacred temple grounds devoted to African-Brazilian Yoruba deities – dot the city, from the fervid favelas (shanty towns) to the affluent apartment blocks on the caramel-colored cliffs above the aquamarine Atlantic.
Under the European slave trade, more Africans were transported to Salvador and its state, Bahia, than to any other location in the Americas. They were mainly from the Yoruba nation (now Nigeria and the Republic of Benin) and, against all the odds, they largely kept their homeland culture – and its cooking. Comida bahiana, the food of Bahia, is celebrated throughout Brazil today for its full flavors, spiciness, and sauces.
The most famous dish is acarajé, a spicy, stuffed falafel-like fritter that has been sacred for centuries.
West African Yoruba legend has it that the warrior goddess Iansã (also known as Oya) journeyed to find a potion that would enable her to spit fire; she is the goddess of lightning, winds, fire, and magic.
Historically, the Yoruba people remembered her story through a fire-eating ritual in which they swallowed flaming balls of cotton soaked in dendê palm oil, which were called àkàrà. Acarajé means “to eat àkàrà” in Yoruba, and the food – also covered in dendê oil – is still strongly associated with the ritual.
The best acarajé is prepared by baianas, local women dressed in ritual white robes who can be found all over the city, but in the greatest numbers in Rio Vermelho, a neighborhood of higgledy-piggledy streets near the ocean. The baianas carefully mash black-eyed beans and green onions, sprinkle the mix with salt and chili pepper, and deep-fry it in a pan of sizzling dendê palm oil. The resulting patty is split and stuffed with salad and vatapá, a chili-pepper-laden shrimp, ginger, and peanut sauce. Truly the food of the gods.

The main square in Pelourinho, the 16th-century heart of Salvador

Best Places to Eat Acarajé

Casa da Dinha
The legendary Dinha has been making glorious Bahian food for over 20 years from what was originally her home kitchen in the bohemian district of Rio Vermelho. Her simple restaurant seats around 50 people over two floors, and serves the acarajé for which she became famous. They’re rich and full of flavor, served with sumptuous vatapá and a host of other sauces (including caruru, made from okra and shrimp paste). The restaurant also offers a full menu of traditional Bahian dishes, a huge variety of delicious moquecas , and the best fruit juices in Salvador. Be sure to try Dinha’s suco de pitanga (cherry juice), whose tangy flavor perfectly complements acarajé.
Rua João Gomes 25, Largo de Santana, Salvador; open noon–4 PM & 6 PM–midnight Tue–Sat; www.casadadinhadoacaraje.com.br

Also in Salvador
Visitors have to clamber up steep stairs from the cobbled street of Rua João de Deus to find the delightful airy dining room of Axego (+55 71 3242 7481; moderate) in the heart of the historical center, Pelourinho. The acarajé is possibly the best in any establishment in central Salvador, but the restaurant is equally famous for its huge moquecas – such as moqueca de peixe (Bahian fish and coconut stew) – which serve at least two people.
Acarajé on the Street
Baianas sell acarajé throughout the city of Salvador. The most reliable stands are on and around the wide plaza of the Terreiro de Jesus in the old center of Pelourinho (which has good crafts fairs on weekends, too), on the waterfront in Rio Vermelho, and around the Mercado Vermelho, the market in Largo da Mariquita in Rio Vermelho.
Also in Brazil
Chef Ana Luisa Trajano spent several years traveling throughout Brazil, from the backwaters of the Amazon to the hinterlands of the northeastern desert, collecting recipes from local people. When she returned to São Paulo, she opened Brasil A Gosto (www. brasilagosto.com.br; expensive), a cozy, bright restaurant on a quiet, leafy street in the upmarket neighborhood of Jardins. It serves gourmet versions of authentic, traditional Brazilian dishes, including excellent acarajé.
In Rio de Janeiro’s bohemian neighborhood of Santa Teresa, Bahian emigré Teresa Cristina Machado has been selling the city’s finest acarajé for so long that she’s become an institution. Try her perfect fritters at Nega Teresa (www.negateresa.com; inexpensive); visit early, before the crowds get huge.
What to Drink
You’ll need to wash down your spicy acarajé with plenty of liquid, and there’s no need for canned fizzy drinks in Salvador. The city has a wealth of tropical juices (sucos), most of which are completely unknown outside Brazil and are brought to Bahia from all over the country – from the temperate south to the rain forests of the Amazon. Choose any fresh juice – you won’t be disappointed. For something energy-inducing opt for purple açaí, which packs a powerful pick-up punch. For a healthy option buy a camu-camu – a 16-oz (half-liter) glass has almost a gram of vitamin C. For simple thirst-quenching, you can’t beat umbu, made from the milky pulp of a medicinal semidesert fruit. Caja, a small fruit that tastes like a mixture of mango and peach, grows in Bahia and contains an amazing number of nutrients, including iron.
A Day in Salvador
Salvador offers so much in a relatively small space – vibrant culture, fascinating history, and a string of lovely ocean and bay beaches.
MORNING : Begin a wander through Salvador history on the Terreiro de Jesus, a square in the heart of the old city surrounded by a cluster of the best Baroque buildings in Brazil. These include the Igreja e Convento do Sao Francisco, whose interior is covered in almost a ton of gold. Afterward pay a visit to MAfro, the African museum also on the square, then have lunch in Axego.
AFTERNOON : Wander downhill from Axego past the pastel-painted houses to Pelourinho for the best pictures of the colonial center. Visit the old African church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos at the foot of the main square, built by slaves in their precious free time during the late 18th century. Then take a taxi to the Mercado Modelo, a big open market crammed with souvenirs.
EVENING : Take a taxi along the beaches, stopping off at Barra for a juice and finishing in Rio Vermelho for acarajé and local nightlife.

A baiana de acarajé in traditional white clothing, with a necklace in the colors of her personal orixa (deity)

Getting to Salvador Brazil
Domestic and international airlines fly into Bahia’s Salvador airport; there are buses and taxis to the historic center.
Where to stay in Brazil
Albergue Hostel São Jorge (inexpensive) has backpacker bargain rooms in the heart of the historic center. www.saojorgehostel.com
Pousada do Boqueirão (moderate) offers boutique comfort in a renovated colonial building with wonderful views over the Bay of All Saints. www.pousadaboqueirao.com.br
Pestana Convento do Carmo (expensive) is Salvador’s grandest hotel, housed in a converted Baroque convent in the picturesque district of Pelourinho. www.pestana.com
TOURIST INFORMATION
www.bahiatursa.ba.gov.br

Flavors of South America

2012-05-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

Few continents have been blessed with as varied a culinary heritage as South America, and this heritage is gaining wider international acclaim as more travelers start exploring the many different aspects of these nations. Rich stews and soups dominate the cooler mountain regions, while the long coastlines offer up fresh fish cured and cooked in unusual ways. Simply delicious beef is on the menu almost everywhere, but nowhere better than from the pampas of Argentina.

The indigenous peoples of South America, the conquering Spaniards and Portuguese, and a large influx of African slaves have all contributed their distinct cooking traditions and ingredients to the culinary mix in the continent. And as if these weren’t enough, Chinese, Japanese, Jewish, Indian, Lebanese, German, French, Italian, and British gastronomical influences have followed in their wake, making South America a true foodie melting pot.

The gastronomical centers of Lima, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro now boast world-class restaurants.

Many of the most popular foods enjoyed worldwide – potatoes, chili and sweet peppers, peanuts, corn, and the one with the highest “yummy factor” of all: chocolate – hail from South America.
In an unofficial exchange, Europeans introduced chicken, pork, beef (along with dairy products), wheat, sugar, citrus trees, onions, and garlic, as well as certain herbs and spices such as oregano, parsley, and cloves, to South America, and also passed on their winemaking techniques, all of which changed the food culture forever.

A fruit vendor adds the finishing touches to his mouthwatering display in the Municipal Market, São Paolo, Brazil

Today’s cuisine has come a long way from its humble beginnings of often corn-based dishes, and the gastronomical centers of Lima, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro now boast world-class restaurants. Food festivals, such as Lima’s Mistura and Medellín’s Otro Sabor, also attract visitors from near and far.
What’s influenced South American cuisine more than any other feature is also what has inspired many a traveler – its wonderful variety of landscapes: desolate high plateaus, deeply cut ravines, snow-capped cordilleras (mountain ranges), endless rolling pasturelands, and the sheer immensity of the Amazon basin.

Coast-to-Coast Cuisines

In South America, food is often regional, rather than national, in character: warming stews and soups in the Andean region, good fish and seafood along the lengthy coastlines and mighty rivers, and superb beef in the cattle and farming areas. Peru’s famous ceviche (lime-cured seafood with salt and perhaps a sprinkling of chili pepper) is popular along many parts of the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. In Colombia and Venezuela, as well as northern Brazil, the African influence remains strong, particularly in coastal communities. The Brazilian state of Bahia specializes in seafood dishes of African origin, such as acarajé. Brazil is blessed with a wide variety of culinary trends, and with a coastline of some 4,660 miles (7,500 km), it’s no wonder fish and seafood feature heavily. The moqueca capixaba, a hearty fish stew flavored with annatto seeds, hot peppers, and cilantro looks as well as tastes fantastic, the annatto coloring the dish a bright orange.
South American Feasting
From the crashing waves of the vast Atlantic, it’s a short hop to the evergreen, huge grassy plains of the Argentinian pampas, home of the gauchos, Argentina’s own cowboys. These hardy souls, most often found on horseback, have the enviable responsibility of taking care of the country’s most prized asset – its cattle.
Argentinian meat is legendary, and there is nothing quite like a parrillada – a meat feast where all the best cuts, masterfully grilled and lightly seasoned, are served until diners can eat no more, all washed down with a fine local red wine.
In neighboring Chile, on the island of Chiloé, slow food is taken to dizzying heights in curanto, another form of feast, but one that’s traditionally left to steam-cook in a hole in the ground. This far south in the Andean region, food goes with the climate and tends to be not just heart-warming, but body-warming as well.
Ecuador’s locro de papa takes full advantage of the local ingredient par excellence – the potato. With 3,000 varieties found in the Andean countries alone, there’s no shortage of choice, and the humble potato has rarely tasted better than in this creamy soup, with nothing but a sliver of garlic, some chopped onion, and a slice of bright green avocado to top it off.

One of the many vibrant street markets in Cusco, Peru

The Andes climb farther north into Colombia and Venezuela, where they have devised different ways of keeping warm and well-nourished, choosing the one meat that is otherwise somewhat underrepresented elsewhere in South America – the humble pig. In Colombia, the bandeja paisa, originally from the center of the country but now found everywhere, is a celebration of all things porky. Ground pork, sausages, cracklings, and pork cuts all jostle for space in this dish, colorfully accompanied by rice, beans, salad, avocado, and fried potatoes, and topped off with a fried egg. Not for the cholesterol-conscious.

Harvesting coffee at a plantation near Cuidad Bolívar, Colombia

Venezuela’s chicharrónes, or pork cracklings, seem positively restrained by comparison. All across the continent there are vastly varied culinary adventures waiting to be enjoyed, with a mix of influences as unique as the continent itself.

With 3,000 varieties found in the Andean countries alone… the humble potato has rarely tasted better.

Cheesecake in Philadelphia

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the leafy grounds of Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park, visitors admire some of the most venerable buildings in America. Shoppers fill the bustling Market Street shopping district, while culture-seekers browse the city’s fine art museums. When they need to recharge their batteries, only one thing will do: a cup of coffee and a slice of creamy Philadelphia cheesecake.

Philadelphia is one of the oldest cities in the United States. Its Quaker founder William Penn named it after a Greek word meaning “brotherly love,” and from 1682 it became a refuge for those seeking religious and political freedom. Less than a century later, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence here.
From Chinatown to Little Italy, Philadelphia’s neighborhood enclaves have given America some of its favorite foods, but creamy, dreamy Philadelphia cheesecake is the dish most likely to induce a feeling of brotherly love. Like the city’s name, cheesecake has Greek origins, and it was baked for athletes at the first Olympic Games in 776 BC. Centuries later, Europeans brought their recipes to America, and it was here that cream cheese first became a key ingredient.
William Lawrence, a dairyman in New York’s Hudson Valley, developed the process for making cream cheese by accident in 1872 while trying to make Neufchâtel, a soft French cheese. As his new cheese grew in popularity, he started selling it under the name of “Philadelphia,” trading on the city’s reputation for quality food. He later sold it to a larger company, and the cheese became a global phenomenon.
Philadelphia-style cheesecake has a rich, creamy texture but is lighter than other variations. More cheese than cake, its basic ingredients are simple – cream cheese, sugar, and eggs – but from there the sky’s the limit. Chefs may add sweet almonds, tangy key lime, luscious chocolate, or syrupy liqueurs to the batter, which is poured over a crunchy crust made of vanilla wafers or gingersnaps, possibly mixed with nuts. A simple cheesecake is heavenly on its own, but a topping of fat juicy cherries, fresh blueberries, or other seasonal fruits turns it into a work of art.

One of the largest museums in the US, the Philadelphia Museum of Art (foreground) sits beside the Schuylkill River

Fortunately, Philadelphia is a perfect city to build up your appetite for cheesecake. Its historic neighborhoods are packed with attractions – from the Liberty Bell to the renowned Philadelphia Museum of Art – and refreshed by sweeping green spaces. There’s much to admire in the home of the Declaration that so famously stated a person’s inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The Liberty Bell, cast in 1751, is a traditional symbol of US freedom - PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA USA

The Best Places to Eat Cheesecake

Darling’s Café and Famous Cheesecakes
Darling’s Café is the home of the original Philly cheesecake and makes the best cheesecakes in the city. It now has two branches, and both are unpretentious, charming little cafés with candles on the tables and some courtyard seating. They serve simple but hearty breakfasts such as bagels, oatmeal, or French toast, and lunches including a range of salads and Philadelphia sandwiches. But it’s the cheesecakes, of course, that keep people coming back for more, and there’s a range of tasty choices.
There are usually about ten cheesecakes available at any one time, at a modest few dollars a slice. You might want to start with the Philly Classic before going on to indulgences like the Perfect Pumpkin, the Peanut Butter Silk, the Key Lime Pie, the wicked Belgium Chocolate, or even a Grand Marnier Cheesecake.
2100 Spring Street and 404 South 20th; open 7 AM–7 PM Mon–Fri, 8 AM–7 PM Sat, 9 AM–5 PM Sun; www.darlingscheesecake.com

Cheesecake straddles the line between dessert and cheese, especially when topped with a heap of fruit in syrup

Also in Philadelphia
You might not think of going to a Mexican restaurant to sample Philly cheesecake, but local aficionados rate the pecan cheesecake at Lolita (www.lolitabyob.com; expensive) as one of the best desserts in the city. It’s served with a goat-milk caramel sauce and has a crust of dark chocolate with a hint of ancho chili, adding some decidedly different flavors.
Also in the US
New York takes its own cheesecakes every bit as seriously as Philadelphia, and a recent panel of food experts voted the cheesecakes at the Mona Lisa Pastry Shoppe and Café (www.monalisabakery.com; inexpensive) in Brooklyn the best in the city. Their “marble swirl” cheesecake, using chocolate imported from Switzerland, is especially heavenly. You can dine at sidewalk tables or get a slice of cheesecake to go, and even order online if you live in the US.
Around the World
A Dublin café run by two sisters who trained as pastry chefs in New York has received all kinds of accolades, from the Dubliner magazine to the New York Times. The Queen of Tarts (www.queenoftarts.ie; inexpensive) has an old-world charm and serves a delicious New York-style cheesecake along with other exceptional desserts, Irish treats, and pastries such as chocolate scones.
New York Cheesecake
Thick, smooth New York cheesecake is one of the most popular styles of cheesecake in the United States. While it is also made with cream cheese, it is denser and richer due to the addition of egg yolks in the recipe, and sometimes lemon or cottage cheese is used to give it a sharper taste.
New York cheesecake is baked in a pan standing 5–6 inches (13–15 cm) high, so its slices stand impressively tall. Although some chefs dribble a dash of strawberry or chocolate sauce into the batter, New York cheesecake is traditionally served plain without any toppings. Arnold Reuben, a German immigrant and creator of the Reuben sandwich (a delicious mix of cheese, beef, and sauerkraut on rye), is also credited with developing the first New York cheesecake in 1929. He served it at his Turf Restaurant on Broadway, where it became an instant hit.
A Day in Philadelphia
Philadelphia is an easy city to navigate. To get your bearings, remember that the enormous City Hall sits on a square at the intersection of the two main thoroughfares, Market Street and Broad Street.
MORNING : Explore the cobbled alleys of Independence National Historical Park. Don’t miss the Liberty Bell on Market Street, or Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed. There are some fascinating exhibits in Franklin Court, a museum devoted to Benjamin Franklin. Nearby is elegant Christ Church and tiny Elfreth’s Alley with its early colonial houses.
AFTERNOON : Grab a snack at Reading Terminal Market. Then immerse yourself in the impressive collections at the Philadelphia Museum of Art or the Rodin Museum, which holds the largest collection of the sculptor’s work outside France.
EVENING : Catch a Broadway show or a performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Company, or the Pennsylvania Ballet at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
Getting to Philadelphia
The Airport Rail Line is the quickest and cheapest way to get downtown from Philadelphia International Airport. There are subways, trains, and buses in the city.
Where to stay in Philadelphia
The Gables (inexpensive) is an award-winning B&B in an 1889 mansion; it has comfortable rooms in Victorian decor. www.gablesbb.com
Penn’s View Hotel (moderate) is a traditional hotel in the Old City, close to most main attractions. www.pennsviewhotel.com
Four Seasons Philadelphia (expensive) is an award-winning 5-star hotel whose Fountain Restaurant is one of the city’s best.
www.fourseasons.com/philadelphia
TOURIST INFORMATION
6th and Market Streets; www.visitphilly.com

Fiery Jerk Chicken in Jamaica

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Jamaica is renowned for its vivid colors, from the alabaster beaches and indigo-hued mountain peaks to rain forests filled with tropical blooms. Old traditions are upheld with pride in the fishing villages and colonial-era towns, from bygone culinary secrets to riotous folkloric festivals and rhythmic dance. But reggae and food – Bob Marley and jerk chicken – remain Jamaica’s lifeblood.

From swanky coastal resorts and handsome colonial towns to neon-lit nightlife, Jamaica offers a variety of historic and cultural attractions.
Lively Negril and Montego Bay, Jamaica’s two main tourist areas, boast a mix of plush bars and rustic reggae-and-rum shacks together with long stretches of soft sands, popular restaurants, and world-class golf. Montego Bay, known colloquially as Mo’ Bay, upholds its reputation as a party town with great gusto with after-dark haunts that run from funky lounge bars and pumping discos to steel-pan gigs on the beach. Sleepy villages hug the 620 miles (1,000 km) of coastline, offering the quieter natural attractions of scenic Treasure Beach, Port Antonio, and Oracabessa.
Fertile farmlands and meadows form a colorful patchwork between mountainous ridges and forested ravines in a setting of palm-flanked azure seas, where fishing boats drag their nets ashore and sell their haul at tables on the sand.
In historic central Kingston, the hypnotic, pulsating rhythm of languid reggae is a laid-back beat in Jamaica’s otherwise fast-paced metropolis. Snack vendors vie for attention over tooting horns, blaring car stereos, and the cries of street hawkers; housewives swap gossip over plates of ackee and saltfish as the aromas of slow-cooked seafood stews, seasoned chicken, and fire-roasted meats hang in the air. No local snack is more commonly sought out than the full-flavored “jerk,” a uniquely Jamaican way of preserving and cooking meats and poultry. Believed to have derived from the ancient hot-stone cooking practices of the indigenous Arawak people, jerk fuses smoky Jamaican pimento with the fiery-hot, blood-red chili peppers originally brought here from South American shores by 16th-century mariners. Salt is added as part of the marinade, and then the meat is roasted much as it was in times gone by, when escaped slaves, known as maroons, spent years living in the Blue Mountains battling attempts at recapture by the British troops. Today, the deep, intense and complex jerk flavor is synonymous with Jamaican kitchens and a true test of culinary prowess. Every home has its own “secret” recipe, handed down through generations.
Pride runs high among jerk cooks in Jamaica – each of whom considers “their” jerk the best.

Rick’s Café sits beside a favorite jumping-off point, and its position on the West End Cliffs of Negril makes it a great place to enjoy sunsets with a cold beer

Best Places to Eat Jerk Chicken

The Pork Pit

You’ll find plenty of food options among the character-packed beach restaurants, bars, and rum-and-seafood shacks of Montego Bay.
But for those who seek the very best in jerk chicken, there is only one place to go – the Pork Pit, near Walter Fletcher Beach. A favorite haunt of beach-goers, who descend on its outdoor tables en masse at noon, the Pork Pit serves a large lunch of melt-in-the-mouth jerk meat (not just pork but poultry and seafood as well), corn cobs, and baked yams at shoestring prices.
Delightfully informal with a seemingly unlimited supply of bottled Red Stripe beer, the Pork Pit favors plastic cutlery and throwaway plates over fancy tableware and simply lets the food speak for itself. Marvel at the guys in neon-yellow Pork Pit T-shirts as they carve up the jerk with gusto onto old iron griddles amid considerable smoke and sizzle.
27 Gloucester Avenue, Montego Bay; open 11 AM–11 PM daily; (876) 940 3008

Jerk chicken is usually served with char-grilled corn or tostones (fried green plantains) and rice mixed with beans

In Kingston
Head to the Chelsea Jerk Centre (876 926 6322; inexpensive) on Kingston’s Chelsea Avenue for an urban take on this Jamaican food favorite. Jerk chicken, pork, and seafood come with old-style corn fritters. True jerk aficionados also rave about Our Place (876 927 7886; inexpensive) on Hope Road, where locals trade tales over a sweet-smelling jerk pit with an after-work beer. Unmarked and tucked away among the billboards of the commercial district, this secret hideaway boasts blissful anonymity away from the jostle of the fast-paced city.
Also in Jamaica
The most relaxed place to try piquant jerk ribs is Ocho Rios Jerk Centre (876 974 2549; inexpensive) on Da Costa Drive, Ocho Rios.
This delightfully rustic open-air jerk joint is one of Kingston’s finest. Daily specials are posted on a chalkboard menu. Beers are frosted, the rum is strong, and the exotic array of fresh fruit juices are thirst-quenchingly good.
Around the World
In the UK, British-Jamaican reggae musician, chef, entrepreneur, and record producer Levi Roots brings plenty of spicy passion to his restaurant Papine Jerk Centre (www.100acres.com/papinejerk; inexpensive) in Wandsworth, South London. Using lip-smacking, zingy marinades to spice up chicken, fish, and simple cuts of meat, Roots – the man behind “Reggae Reggae Sauce” – creates authentic mouthwatering West Indian cuisine. You can’t miss the restaurant – it’s decked out in the bright Jamaican colors of yellow, red, and green.
Drop in, swap gossip, and eat great-tasting jerk.

Some of the best jerk chicken in Jamaica comes from street sellers at the roadside or in “jerk shacks” around the island

Three Days in Jamaica
Jamaica’s extraordinary natural beauty runs through its mountain, beach, and rain forest regions. Its villages and colonial settlements have enthralling histories, and central Kingston has an irrepressibly vibrant nightlife.
DAY ONE : Stroll around the historic streets of Kingston’s Spanish Town in the relative cool of the morning to marvel at the magnificent homes, plaza, and monuments. After lunch, visit the city’s harbor museum, Port Royal, a memorial to the ancient capital city that was submerged following an earthquake in 1692. Then head to Hope Road to the Bob Marley Museum to revel in his writings.
DAY TWO : Pack a picnic to hike through the bird-filled vegetation and coffee plantations around the Blue Mountains, perpetually cloaked in blue-tinged mists.
DAY THREE : Spend a morning chilling out on ultra-hip Doctor’s Cave Beach in Montego Bay to enjoy beautiful white sands and sparkling spring-fed waters. After lunch, explore a rainbow of underwater gardens in Mo’ Bay’s outlying shallow spurs from a glass-bottomed tour boat, a snorkel boat, or in a group dive; an old anchor from a Spanish galleon begs discovery on the marine park’s western side.
Getting to Kingstom Montego Bay International Airport is 2 miles (3 km) north of Kingston and there are shuttle buses into town.

Where to stay in Kingston

Klem’s Homestay (inexpensive) is a charming place to experience typical Jamaican hospitality.
www.klemshomestay.hostel.com
Rockhouse Hotel (moderate) is an affordable boutique hotel set on secluded cliffs in Negril with an infinity pool. www.rockhousehotel.com
Ritz Carlton Rose Hall (expensive) offers beach-fronted luxury with a golf course, spa, and five restaurants. www.ritzcarlton.com
TOURIST INFORMATION
www.visitjamaica.com

Food Markets

Few experiences in Jamaica excite the senses quite like a stroll around the island’s many colorful food markets. Flower stands stacked with a rainbow of scented blooms sit among food stands selling Blue Mountain coffee, freshly cut coconut, and sugary cakes still warm to the touch.
Housewives haggle over breadfruit, pimentos, codfish, plantain, avocados, and callaloo, near red-hot grills that sizzle with skewers of seasoned pork, beef, and chicken wedged between juicy green peppers. Choose from rice and peas, jerk chicken, beef patties, or freshly cooked johnny cakes (fried dough biscuits) or banana fritters in Kingston’s chaotic Coronation Market, Linstead Market in charming St. Catherine, Brownstown Market in St. Anne, or the Savanna-la-mar Market in Westmoreland

New York’s Urban Fuel

2012-05-24T13:52:00.001-07:00

There’s good reason for the famous phrase “in a New York minute.” It’s another way of saying fast, and it sums up the furious pace of New York life, which has given rise to the city’s wildly popular “street food.” This urban fuel for a city on the go reflects all of New York’s diverse cultures, as food trucks offer everything from spicy Middle Eastern falafel or Jamaican jerk chicken to Belgian waffles.

Spend a day in New York, and you’ll understand why it’s one of the most popular destinations on Earth. The “city that never sleeps” features looming skyscrapers, elegant bridges, the vast Central Park, world-class museums, and intriguing bohemian neighborhoods lined with vintage boutiques. Equally diverse are New York’s international cultures – and attendant cuisines – which you can sample at street carts across the city.
New York has a long history of street food, perhaps best exemplified by the basic hot dog. In 1936, Oscar Mayer rolled out the first portable hot dog cart – called the Wienermobile – and hot dogs have been sold on the streets of New York ever since. You’ll spy vendors everywhere, from Battery Park to Times Square, and at a dollar and 50 cents for a hot dog heaped with condiments, it’s one of the best deals in New York. For a taste of old New York, track down Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs, which began as a nickel counter in Coney Island in 1916, and is still the best place to sample a dog slathered in sauerkraut and relish.
If America is a melting pot, New York’s culinary variety is one of its finest manifestations. You could find your way around New York on the scent from street carts alone, wafting the delicious smells of Italian pizza, Chinese crackling duck, Middle Eastern lamb kebabs, and freshly baked bagels smeared with cream cheese, first introduced by Jewish immigrants.
The street carts of Washington Square Park and nearby Bleecker Street specialize in spicy Asian fare, served up in a lively performance space jostling with buskers, chess players, and skateboarders. The historic neighborhood of SoHo offers the chance to see 19th-century architecture and quaintly cobblestoned streets, while eating from street carts selling everything from luscious chopped steak in corn tacos with salsa to brightly colored cupcakes. Midtown is the quintessential Manhattan neighborhood: skyscrapers glint in the noonday sun, spilling out office workers who continually appear to be in a mad dash. Not surprisingly, this area is a happy hunting ground for street carts, which cater to those on the hunt for a fast, hot lunch, whether they’re workers or tourists.

New York street food is an intriguing mix of fast foods from around the world, often all for sale in one place

The Best Places to Eat Street Food

Super Tacos
As the sun sets on weekdays, dinner rolls into town for the Upper West Side. Teetering stacks of corn tortillas are unwrapped, gas grills fired up, and the Super Tacos Sobre Ruedas (“On Wheels”) truck at 96th and Broadway slides open its windows for business. The tacos are a study in simplicity: grilled meats are heaped onto corn tortillas and sprinkled with chopped onions and cilantro. Eating them is simple too: the warm, foldable tacos are wolfed down at the dented, stainless steel bar that’s lit by a buzzing fluorescent light. The roast pork and barbacoa chicken tacos are the runaway winners, tender and juicy; and the supple slivers of boiled tongue are tenderly robust.
Southwest corner of 96th St. and Broadway, New York City; open 6 PM–2 AM Mon–Thu, 6 PM–3 AM Fri, noon–2 AM Sat–Sun; (917) 837 0866
Also in New York
NY Dosa (212 431 1733; inexpensive), on the southern edge of Washington Square Park, serves spicy South Indian vegan food. For tasty burritos, tacos, and creamy guacamole on the run, try SoHo’s Calexico (www.calexicocart. com; inexpensive). The company won the hard-contested Vendy Award (also known as “the street food Oscars”) in 2008. In 2010 the award was won by Middle Eastern food vendor King of Falafel & Shawarma (www. thekingfalafel.com; inexpensive), normally found parked up at 30th Street and Broadway serving unbeatable falafel and chicken rice platters. Jamaican Dutchy (www. thejamaicandutchy.net; inexpensive) specializes in juicy jerk chicken. Satisfy your sweet tooth with warm waffles at Wafels and Dinges (www.wafelsanddinges.com; inexpensive), a company with trucks at various locations around Manhattan, including a permanent one on Fulton and Front streets.
Also in the US
Los Angeles matches New York for superb food trucks. Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice features a range of street eats, including Slammin’ Sliders (www.slamminsliders.com; inexpensive), with juicy Kobe-Wagyu beef sliders (small burgers); and Che Che’s Argentinian Cuisine (twitter.com/chetruck; inexpensive), with tasty chicken empanadas.
Around the World
In the rest of the world, street carts offer one of the most memorable ways to sample local cuisine, from spicy soups in Southeast Asia to crepes in Paris. The pushcarts of Istanbul are outstanding, particularly those on the Galata Bridge waterfront on the European side of the Bosphorus. These are laden with treats including juicy kebabs, skewers of sausage, grilled corn on the cob, and silky pastries stuffed with feta.
Classic New York Bars
Munching on street food builds up a thirst, which is easily assuaged by turning to New York’s famous beer bars. Drink in history along with the beer at the oldest pub in New York City, McSorley’s Old Ale House (www.mcsorleysnewyork.com).
This landmark bar opened in 1854, and its clientele has included both President Lincoln and ex-Beatle John Lennon. It serves only one drink: its own ale, available in light or dark.
The bustling P.J. Clarke’s, in Midtown (www. pjclarkes.com), is one of the city’s most famous alehouses, with a superb lineup of international and domestic beers. Wrap up the night at the Ear Inn (www.earinn.com), a historic pub built in 1817 near the Hudson River that functioned as a speakeasy during Prohibition. It features a good mix of beers on tap and serves hearty American bar snacks.
Three Days in New York City
New York has it all: iconic skyscrapers, lush parks, world-class museums, dazzling Times Square, and glitzy Broadway shows.
DAY ONE : Go to the top of the Empire State Building for jaw-dropping 360° views, to get a better idea of the city you’ll be exploring. Spend the afternoon being wowed by art at the Museum of Modern Art.
DAY TWO : Head to Central Park in the morning, focusing your explorations on the area between 59th and 79th streets, where you can saunter along shaded paths from the wooded Ramble to the elegant Bethesda Terrace. Then up the cultural stakes by admiring the Picasso masterpieces and the Roman Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
DAY THREE : Start the day with a brisk walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, the largest suspension bridge in the world when it was built in 1883. Afterward, head to SoHo to shop in exquisite designer boutiques, and then cap off the day with a visit to neon-lit Times Square and a Broadway show in the nearby theater district.

The Empire State Building, Manhattan, has been a landmark since 1930

Getting to New York
New York City is served by three airports: JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark. All share one website: www.panynj.gov. Travel into town by subway, bus, or taxi.
Where to stay in New York
Off SoHo Suites Hotel (inexpensive) features simple but clean rooms. www.offsoho.com
Hotel Chelsea (moderate) has large, wellmaintained rooms, and sits in the middle of hip Chelsea. www.hotelchelsea.com
Enjoy Midtown luxury at the well-known Waldorf Astoria (expensive), with its sumptuous lobby and spacious rooms. www.waldorfnewyork.com
TOURIST INFORMATION
Times Square Visitor Center is the most central tourist office, at 1560 Broadway; (212) 768 1560; www.nyc.gov

Barbecue Around the World

2012-05-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

The first Southerners to barbecue were native Florida Indians, but as America developed, so did several regional styles of barbecue, using different cuts of meat, sauces, spices, and cooking methods. Other countries, such as South Africa, Kenya, and Brazil, have their own strong barbecue traditions.

MEMPHIS
Central BBQ inexpensive–moderate 2249 Central Ave.; www.cbqmemphis.comv Join the college students on the outdoor deck for award-winning pork plates, ribs, and hot wings, cooked up by two veterans of the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Contest.
Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous

52 South Second St.; www.hogsfly.com
Customers form a line down the alley to enter this basement rib joint, which has been serving up some of the city’s best barbecue since 1948.
Red-checked tables and Memphis memorabilia are arranged around the barbecue pit.
Corky’s
5259 Poplar Ave.; www.corkysmemphis.com
Old-fashioned, slow-cooked, hickory-smoked ribs and hand-pulled pork, the hits of the ’50s and ’60s, and the down-home decor of barn wood walls and cheery neon make this a Memphis favorite.
TEXAS
Barbecue means beef in Texas, where there are several regional styles. The East Texas (marinated in sweet tomato-based sauce) and Central Texas (dry-rubbed with spices and smoked over oak or pecan) barbecues are most popular.
Black’s Barbecue
215 N. Main St., Lockhart; www.blacksbbq.com
Black’s is the oldest family-run barbecue restaurant in Texas (since 1932), and still the best, according to its many fans. Their tender beef brisket and homemade sausage are made to secret family recipes.
Railhead Smokehousev
2900 Montgomery St., Fort Worth; www.railheadonline.com
This simple but lively Fort Worth barbecue joint is the place to go for the tenderest and tastiest beef brisket, ribs, pork tenderloin, and smoked sausage here in “Cow Town.”
Artz Rib House
2330 South Lamar, Austin; www.artzribhouse.com
Mesquite-smoked baby back ribs, country-style pork ribs, brisket, and sausage top the menu here, and you can order some of each. They’re served up with a nightly helping of country and bluegrass music.
NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA
Pulled pork is king in North Carolina, where either a whole hog or a choice shoulder of pork is slow-cooked until it pulls gently off the bone. South Carolina tops it with Carolina Gold, a unique yellow sauce made from mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, and spices.
Speedy’s Barbecue
1317 Winston Rd., Lexington, North Carolina; www.speedysbbqinc.com
Set in a former drive-in, Speedy’s still offers curbside service for those who can’t wait for their barbecue sandwiches, plates, and trays – all served in extra-large portions with their delicious special sauce.
Sweatman’s Bar-b-que
1313 Gemini Drive, Holly Hill, South Carolina; (803) 492 7543
In an old wooden house under a pecan tree, this weekend barbecue joint serves some of the most delicious, pit-cooked pulled pork and ribs you’ll find, served with authentic mustard sauce and “cracklins” (crispy pork crackling).
Wilber’s Barbecue
4172 Highway 70 E., Goldsboro, North Carolina; www.wilbersbarbecue.comv They cook the whole hog at Wilber’s. Presidents Clinton and George Bush Sr. have tucked into their pit-cooked, oakwood-flavored pork, chopped and served with potato salad, hush puppies (cornbread fritters), and coleslaw.
MISSOURI
Kansas City’s sweet, thick barbecue sauce, made from molasses and tomatoes, is in a class of its own. A variety of meats are rubbed with spices, smoked over hickory wood, and smothered with sauce at the table.
Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue
1727 Brooklyn Ave., Kansas City; www.arthurbryantsbbq.com
Rated the best barbecue in Kansas City (if not the world), Arthur Bryant’s simple restaurant near the ballpark has been praised by baseball players and presidents for its delicious sauce.
B.B.’s Lawnside Bar-B-Q
1205 E. 85th St., Kansas City; http://bbslawnsidebbq.com
The “B.B.” stands for blues and beer, and here you’ll have a big helping of the former, either from live bands or from the blues-loving owners’ enormous collection of recordings, along with delicious slow-smoked ribs, pulled pork, beef, sausage, and chicken from the 60-year-old-barbecue pit.
Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue
101 W. 22nd St., Kansas City; www.jackstackbbq.com
The high ceilings and see-through fireplace in a converted freight house in the Crossroads Arts District make a stunning setting for this top-rated barbecue, cooked in hickory-fired brick ovens.
BRAZIL
In Brazil’s ranching region, the gauchos (cowboys) created their own style of barbecue, called churrasco. Try it in barbecue houses (churrascaria rodízio) around the country, where tender cuts of beef and other meats are grilled on long skewers over an open fire and served at your table, all-you-can-eat style.
Marius
Av. Atlántica 290, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro; www.marius.com.br
A mouthwatering choice of some 30 grilled meats is accompanied here by an amazing salad bar with fresh seafood and side dishes, amid artifacts from antique ships and farms.
Barbacoa
Rua Dr. Renato Paes de Barros 65, Itaim, São Paulo; www.barbacoa.com.br
Serving over 20 scrumptious cuts of meats grilled without smoke over heated rocks, including wild boar and the prized hump of the zebu, or Brahma steer, this popular barbecue house is great for vegetarians too, who can fill up on the extensive salad buffet.
Fogo de Chão
Av. Moreira Guimarães 964, Moema, São Paulo; www.fogodechao.com
An extensive wine list complements the delicious grilled meats and superb salad bar here. Of the three locations in the city, this one has stylish, contemporary decor and a lively atmosphere.
KENYA
Barbecue is popular throughout Africa. In Kenya, nyama choma (Kiswahili for roasted meat) is usually beef, goat, or mutton; it’s often ordered by weight. Be prepared, however, for even more unusual meats on some upmarket menus.
Summit Resort
Lake Nakura National Park; +254 51 850 165 The open-air complex of lounge bars, dance floor, pool, and dining areas surrounding this friendly resort just outside the main entrance to the park includes a restaurant serving delicious nyama choma.
Carnivore
Langata Road, Nairobi; www.tamarind.co.ke
Ostrich and crocodile are among the huge skewers of meats cooked on an enormous barbecue in the center of Kenya’s most famous restaurant. It’s served at your table by waiters in zebra-striped aprons.
SOUTH AFRICA
A South African braai, or pit barbecue, is a great social event where friends feast on steaks, lamb cutlets, and spicy sausage.
The best restaurants serve up this relaxed, festive atmosphere along with good food.

Grilled fish features on South African menus, where “linefish” simply means any fish caught by line from the sea; herding cattle in Brazil, where beef is king

Mama Africa
178 Long Street, Cape Town; +27 21 424 8634 If you want to try roasted game meat, this is the place to find kudu, ostrich, springbok, and crocodile on the menu, with three African marimba bands providing a lively atmosphere.
Die Strandloper
Langebaan, West Coast; www.strandloper.com
The delicious ten-course fish and seafood braai is cooked right on the beach at this informal restaurant.
With the guitar music, the beach, and the endless stream of seafood, a meal lasts several hours.

Barbecue and Blues in Memphis

2012-05-23T12:41:00.002-07:00

The old cotton capital of Memphis, Tennessee, rises on a bluff overlooking a wide, lazy stretch of the Mississippi River. During the long, sultry summer afternoons, its residents lie low to escape the humid heat. But after dark, in the back-alley rib shacks and the blues clubs of Beale Street, the River City comes alive with what made it world-famous – music and barbecue.

Memphis is the home of the blues. From the 1920s onward, black musicians from the Mississippi Delta made a beeline for Beale Street, where W. C. Handy, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, and B. B. King jammed in its legendary “juke joints.” In 1954, Memphis became the birthplace of rock ’n’ roll when, in the tiny Sun Studio, local boy Elvis Presley recorded a blues number, “That’s All Right,” but with a daring new sound that set the world on fire.
Then, in the 1960s, the artists at Stax Records – including Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, and Sam & Dave – turned Memphis into “Soulsville USA.”
Memphis is also home to one of the oldest and most popular styles of Southern barbecue. This down-home food is a perfect complement to the raw, earthy music that sprang from the city’s streets. In Memphis, home of the World Champion Barbecue Contest each May, barbecue means baby-back pork ribs. They come “wet” – cooked and served with a tangy sauce made from tomato, vinegar, and spices – or “dry” – seasoned with a rub of dried spices, primarily paprika, which gives the meat a lusty red color. Dry ribs are lightly mopped with just enough spiced vinegar during cooking to keep them juicy.
What makes Memphis barbecue so delicious is the cooking. The ribs are smoked “low and slow” over a hickory wood fire, giving them plenty of time to absorb the smoky scent and coating them with a dark crispy crust while remaining succulent and tender inside, with all the flavor of the meat shining through. The result is hot, melting, and sweet – just like Memphis music.
A passion for music still pulsates through Memphis today, whether you come to tour its music museums, pay homage to the King, buried at his Graceland mansion, or soak up some electric blues or R&B, moody jazz, or a boogie beat in the neon-lit nightclubs on Beale Street. But there’s a more sober side to Memphis too: in 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated here, on the balcony of his room at the Lorraine Motel. The National Civil Rights Museum now located at this tragic spot is one of the most inspirational destinations in the US, and it surely has a fitting home in this city, where music brought all races and classes together.

Follow the “Brass Note Walk of Fame” on legendary Beale Street, home of the blues

A Day in Memphis
Most of the top sights in downtown Memphis are a short walk or taxi ride from Beale Street. Many can also be reached by bus or the vintage downtown trolley cars. Farther out are Soulsville: the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, and Graceland, Elvis Presley’s former home. The city has many non-music attractions too, from botanic gardens and riverboat rides to film festivals and galleries, but on a one-day itinerary, it’s almost inevitable that music-lovers are going to set the pace.
MORNING : Get an early start at Graceland to see Elvis’s sumptuous home and treasures, and pay your respects at his grave. Then head back downtown to the Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum for a fascinating look at the city’s music history.
AFTERNOON : Let your musical tastes decide whether to visit Sun Studio for an entertaining tour of the little studio that first recorded Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash, or head to the Stax Museum to hear the phenomenal story of the label that launched American soul music and ogle Isaac Hayes’s gold-trimmed blue Cadillac.
EVENING : After a monster meal of Memphis barbecue, lick your fingers and head for Beale Street and a night of Memphis blues.

Sizzling “wet” pork ribs are brushed with a sauce made from tomatoes, vinegar, and spices

Getting to Memphis

Memphis International Airport is only 15 minutes by taxi or shuttle from downtown.
A rental car is useful for visiting Graceland.

Where to stay in Memphis

Doubletree Hotel Memphis Downtown (inexpensive) has comfortable rooms just two blocks from Beale Street. www.doubletree.com
Memphis Marriott Downtown (moderate) is the city’s largest hotel, right on the trolley line. www.memphismarriottdowntown.com
The Peabody Hotel (expensive): the place to stay in Memphis. www.peabodymemphis.com
TOURIST INFORMATION
Memphis Visitor Center, 3205 Elvis Presley Boulevard; www.memphistravel.com

Creamy Chowder in Boston

2012-05-23T01:15:00.001-07:00

Bankers, brokers, and tourists bustle down the Boston streets once walked by British soldiers and colonial revolutionaries. In this vibrant modern city, preservation is the watchword for historic buildings and gastronomy alike. No one has truly experienced Boston without tasting its dearest culinary legacy: the rich, creamy, buttery broth known as New England clam chowder.

For all its modernity, Boston revels in its early history. Founded in 1630 as “a city on a hill,” Boston was the epicenter of American foment against British rule and the cradle of the American Revolution. On the Freedom Trail, the red-brick path that snakes 2½ miles (4 km) through the city linking its historic sites, 12 of the 16 buildings predate the Revolution and some stand cheek-by-jowl with glass skyscrapers. Visitors can enter the hall where patriots rallied for liberty and can even board the world’s most venerable active warship, USS Constitution, which bobs at anchor near the shipyard where it was constructed. In Boston’s theater district, new dramas unfold in the ornate interiors of some of America’s oldest active playhouses.
Although the first English settlers of New England dismissed clams as “the meanest of God’s blessings,” Left Sailboats add old-world charm to Boston’s modern waterfront by the 18th century clam chowder had become a mainstay of the region’s cuisine and a gastronomic benchmark for authentic Yankee cooking. Probably an offshoot of New England fish chowders – so named because they were made in large iron cauldrons, or chaudières, as French-speaking Newfoundland fishermen called them – clam chowder is a felicitous marriage of clams, onions, butter, and milk. Devotees disagree over whether the onion should be sautéed with salt pork or butter, and whether the chowder should be thickened with potato or ship’s crackers.

Even with such minor variations and controversies, creamy clam chowder is ubiquitous in Boston establishments, from hip new bistros to some of the oldest restaurants in the United States.
Clam chowder remains New England’s favorite comfort food – a savory, slightly salty, and perfectly silken antidote to a chill November day or a restorative pick-me-up after an afternoon cruising Boston Harbor.
In the perfect chowder, each little clam explodes with flavor against the rich backdrop of the broth.
Made from simple ingredients, it is one of the most democratic of luxuries. Historian Joseph C. Lincoln even deemed clam chowder “as American as the Stars and Stripes, as patriotic as the national anthem. It is ‘Yankee Doodle’ in a kettle.”

Best Places to Eat Clam Chowder

Union Oyster House

Opening in 1826 as Atwood and Bacon Oyster House, this venerable establishment is the oldest restaurant in Boston and the oldest eatery in continuous operation in the United States. Its semicircular oyster bar on the ground floor has been a favorite of Boston society since the days when famed orator and politician Daniel Webster (1782–1852) daily drank a brandy-and-water with every half-dozen raw oysters (he usually ate six plates). John F. Kennedy’s favorite wooden booth on the upper level is marked with a commemorative plaque.
Although the Union Oyster House is most celebrated for its raw seafood bar of clams and oysters, the chefs make a meaty clam chowder dotted with small, juicy cherrystone clams – a young hard-shell clam indigenous to the Massachusetts coast – in a perfect broth, neither too thick nor too thin. A frequent winner of various chowder contests, it is served as both an appetizer and a main dish. Departing from tradition, the restaurant serves its chowder with corncakes instead of crackers.
41 Union Street, Boston; open 11 AM–9:30 PM Sun–Thu, 11 AM–10 PM Fri & Sat; www.unionoysterhouse.com

Clam chowder, which is thought to have developed from a 16th-century French fish stew, la chaudrée

Also in Boston
Diners still eat at communal tables at Durgin- Park (www.arkrestaurants.com; moderate), in the Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which opened to feed the hungry traders of the 19th-century Quincy Market. Its clam chowder is a bastion of Yankee taste. More modern but equal as a Boston gastronomic icon, Legal Sea Foods (www.legalseafoods.com; moderate) evolved from a fishmonger into a celebrated chain of restaurants. Its several Boston branches include one located near the Aquarium on State Street.
Also in New England
Captain Parker’s Pub in West Yarmouth, Massachusetts (www.captainparkers.com; moderate) is famed for making Cape Cod’s finest clam chowder. Set in Rhode Island’s fishing port of Galilee, Champlin’s Seafood Restaurant (www.champlins.com; moderate) makes both creamy New England chowder and the clear-broth Rhode Island variant. In South Norwalk, Connecticut, Sono Seaport Seafood (www.sonoseaportseafood.com; moderate) is, like Champlin’s, both a fishmonger and a restaurant, and offers creamy New England and tomato-based Manhattan clam chowders.
Around the US
Bistro Boudin (415 351 5561; moderate), a restaurant on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, CA, merges two culinary icons by serving New England clam chowder in a loaf “bowl” of San Francisco sourdough bread.
Chowder Variants
In Boston, even the trendiest chef knows better than to mess with New England clam chowder, perhaps daring only to add a sprig of chervil or parsley to provide a spot of color in the milky sea of the bowl. But there are certain variants that appear in southern New England and elsewhere in the US. The rarest is the clear Rhode Island clam chowder – little more than clams and their steaming juices, butter, onion, and celery. The soup that most offends purists, however, is Manhattan clam chowder, a tomato-based vegetable soup to which clams are added, often served with cream to make a thick pink slurry.
Scoffed one New England travel writer in 1940: “Tomatoes and clams have no more affinity than ice cream and horseradish.”
A Day in Boston
Boston often seems more European than American, perhaps because it is a compact, walkable city where the streets meander pleasingly and buildings are mostly at human scale.
MORNING : Begin a spin through Boston history at Faneuil Hall, the 18th-century meeting house where brewer and political agitator Samuel Adams demanded independence from Great Britain. Adjacent are the long granite buildings of Quincy Market, built in the 1820s and now a lively center of shops and restaurants. Head to the waterfront to visit the fish, penguins, and seals of the New England Aquarium.
AFTERNOON : Book a harbor cruise at Long Wharf to admire Boston from its seaward side. Disembark in Charlestown to visit the world’s oldest commissioned warship, the 1797 wooden frigate USS Constitutionfa day, known affectionately as “Old Ironsides.”
EVENING : Check listings for a drama or comedy in the restored early-20th-century playhouses of the lively Theater District.

Getting There
Domestic and international airlines fly into Boston’s Logan International Airport. Boston is also served by Amtrak train from New York. The city has a combined public transport system of subway, trolleys, and buses known as the “T.”
Where can I stay ?
Constitution Inn (inexpensive) offers bargain accommodations near “Old Ironsides” at Charlestown. www.constitutioninn.org
Harborside Inn (moderate) occupies a former spice warehouse, just steps from Faneuil Hall marketplace. www.harborsideinnboston.com
Boston Harbor Hotel (expensive) is a showpiece of the revived waterfront. www.bhh.com
TOURIST INFORMATION
148 Tremont Street; www.bostonusa.com

Tackling the Taco in Mexico City

2012-05-23T01:05:00.000-07:00

Informal, exuberant, fast, yet satisfying, tacos are perfectly in tune with Mexico City. It was the powerhouse of pre-Hispanic America and still burns brightly today, mixing ancient traditions with high-tech, urban sophistication. Whether you’re in arty Roma, the centro histórico or well-heeled Polanco, pick your taquería and enjoy a taco or two alongside the 25 million locals.

Without setting foot outside the massive metropolis of Mexico City, travelers can experience cultures nearly 700 years apart, all in the midst of teeming humanity, streaming traffic, and – more often than not – the unmistakable sound of an approaching mariachi band. Mexico’s vast capital city is full of urban energy. Made up of a series of neighborhoods, each has a very distinct character, and many warrant exploration. It’s almost impossible to miss the historic downtown, which includes the huge Zócalo (the central square) and the ruins of the Aztec Templo Mayor (the Great Temple). The best hotels are found in the elegant Polanco district, which sits alongside the vast green space of Chapultepec Park, near the renowned Anthropology Museum. Just outside the city, the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon rise up in ancient Teotihuacán.
In such heady surroundings, the tasty, speedy taco could have been invented with the regular and robust refueling of Mexico City’s overwhelmed visitors in mind. In fact, however, its origins may well date back as far as the Mayans and Aztecs. It makes use of that most traditional of Mexican foodstuffs – the corn tortilla – and the ubiquitous taco is a mainstay of the national diet. The name “taco” is a generic way to describe some kind of filling wrapped inside a tortilla, so it’s essentially a Mexican-style sandwich. Many of the country’s indigenous crops feature as fillings, such as chili peppers, tomatoes, avocados, and beans, usually accompanied by some type of meat or fish.

Colorful trajineras (gondolas) offer a unique way to tour Xochimilco, an Aztec site just outside Mexico City

Most common at lunch time, tacos make ideal late-night snacks too, with recipes and ingredients varying according to family traditions and regional influences. The taco al pastor, or shepherd-style taco, is a favorite; this usually contains pork, sliced directly and showily from the rotisserie into the tortilla, although it can also be made with chicken or shredded steak. Fishy versions commonly consist of grilled or fried fish or shrimp along with lettuce or cabbage. The trick is to pile two or three of your choice onto a gaudy plastic plate, then retire to the condiments counter for lime, onion, cilantro, and guacamole, topped off with fiery salsa. Roll, fold, and devour – no cutlery required.

A taquería (taco restaurant) often has a maestro taquero, a master-taco maker

Best Places to Eat Tacos

El Califa
There are four El Califa taquerías in Mexico City, but the Condesa branch is the easiest to find, and it buzzes with a healthy mix of visitors and locals. This canteen-style restaurant is sufficiently stark and industrial to feel “authentic,” but the quality of its food and hygiene make it a perfect entry to the world of the taquería – start here, and head for the street stalls when you and your palate are ready! Vegetarians will struggle here, but carnivores can choose from various cuts of beef steak, rib, or chop, and chicken or pork. El Califa’s specialty is to serve the meat griddle-roasted and in whole pieces, rather than minced. Tortillas come to you fresh from the oven, liberally laden with melted Oaxaca cheese, golden from the grill.
Choose an al pastor (pork in guajillo chili salsa and grilled pineapple) and your marinated meat will be shaved off the spit in front of you. The gaonera (a slice of tender beef fillet with raw tomatillo sauce in a thick, handmade tortilla) is delicious. Take care when ordering from the salsa menu – they’re all hot, despite what the menu might say.
Altata 22, Condesa; open from 1 PM “until the early hours”; www.elcalifa.com.mx/califa.html

Soft tacos – tortillas stuffed with spicy meat, beans, fresh vegetables, and jalapeño peppers – make a great picnic on the run

Also in Mexico City
El Borrego Viudo (“the widowed sheep”) (Avenida Revolución Tacubaya; inexpensive) is certainly authentic and well worth a late-night pilgrimage to this less-than-glamorous spot alongside the viaduct. Armies of servers clad in chef’s whites bustle around the cavernous feeding house, taking tacos out to drive-through clients in the huge parking lot. Open 24 hours a day, it specializes in tacos al pastor.
Also in Mexico
Around six hours’ drive southeast of Mexico City, Oaxaca is one of Mexico’s most beautiful colonial cities. Follow the billowing smoke from Mercado 20 de Noviembre, an atmospheric and inexpensive food market, to find sizzling tacos. The stands are mostly frequented by local people, and best at lunch time; pick the stand with the longest line.
Around the World
Serving from a small gazebo with the menu propped up against it on a blackboard, Buen Provecho (inexpensive) is a one-man band consisting of Arturo Ortega Rodriguez, who serves up what must surely be London’s most authentic Mexican food. He’s in Waterloo (Lower Marsh) lunchtime market during the week and Elephant and Castle market on Sundays. Tacos come with a choice of marinated meat fillings, and the salsa is for sale, should you want to reproduce the experience at home.
What Else to Eat
European and North American chain restaurants churning out “Mexican” dishes do no justice to a varied and imaginative national cuisine that makes full use of fresh indigenous produce.
When you’ve had all the tacos you can take, be sure to try tamales, tasty and inexpensive snacks often sold from baskets by street sellers and once eaten by pre-Colombians. A tamal is a steamed parcel of corn dough with a sweet or savory filling, wrapped within a corn husk or banana leaf. Alternatively, seek out a torta (sandwich) or tortilla containing nopal: chopped, de-spined prickly pear cactus “paddles,” or leaf pads, which look and taste a little like avocado.
Although Mexico City is inland, the fish dishes are superb; tuck into shrimp in tangy sauces from Veracruz or whole fish fresh from the market, accompanied by hot, fresh salsa.
A Day in Mexico City
One day is precious little time in a city as large and interesting as Mexico City, but with careful planning and taco-fueled stamina, it’s surprising how much can be enjoyed and achieved.
MORNING : Start the day in the cultural heart of the Centro Historico. In the huge main square (the Zócalo), take a guided tour of the ruined Aztec Templo Mayor and then drop into the National Palace to admire the Diego Rivera murals of revolutionary scenes.
AFTERNOON :Take Line 2 of the metro as far south as it goes and change on to a Tren Ligero (light train) to explore the floating gardens of Xochimilco. It’s best on a Sunday, when it’s usually thronged with families and gaudily decorated barges. Join a punting trip and drift past lamb barbecues, mariachi musicians, and endless stalls.
EVENING : Begin with alfresco drinks in Plaza Garibaldi. Then choose between a top-flight restaurant or a simple eatery, before hopping into a taxi to Zona Rosa for late-night clubbing; or head for home, stopping off for churros and chocolate on the way.
Getting to Mexico City
Benito Juarez International Airport is 10 miles (16 km) east of the city, around 30 minutes by authorized taxi or the metro (Line 5). Get around the city on the excellent metro or use the iconic VW Beetle “bug” taxis.
Where to stay in Mexico City
Casa de la Condesa (inexpensive) is a modern, clean, and comfortable hotel in Roma Norte. All rooms have kitchens. www.casadelacondesa.netv
Hotel Casa Vieja (moderate) is a boutique gem in Polanco that offers luxurious suites and roof-terrace dining. www.casavieja.comv
Condesa DF (expensive): minimalist design hotel in upmarket Condesa with a noted Japanesefusion restaurant. www.condesadf.com
TOURIST INFORMATION
Above Soft tacos – tortillas stuffed with spicy meat, beans, fresh www.visitmexico.com

Jambalaya in the Big Easy - New Orleans Louisiana USA

2012-05-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

The mellow notes of a saxophone drift on the warm Gulf breeze through New Orleans’ French Quarter, past elaborate wrought-iron balconies toward the jazz bars of Bourbon Street, mingling with the spicy scent of jambalaya wafting from restaurant windows. Welcome to the Big Easy – an extraordinary cultural and culinary melting pot where the good times roll.

New Orleans – nicknamed the Big Easy – is a sultry city that drawls its way through the daytime heat but snaps into life after dark, when the laughter, liquor, and music flow in the bars of the French Quarter. Set along the Mississippi River, it is also a vibrant port, known around the world for its music and its exuberant Mardi Gras festival.
New Orleans is a city of districts, each with its own character. Uptown – home to two universities – has a young vibe, while the Warehouse District offers art lovers the Contemporary Arts Center and Ogden Museum of Southern Art. The Garden District, with its grand antebellum houses, was created by Americans after the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. Its sobriety is a stark contrast to the frenetic French Quarter, where you can see the city’s historic Creole townhouses decked with ornate wrought iron, visit antique shops, and enjoy plentiful entertainment.
At night, it’s time to explore the city’s musical heritage: New Orleans is the home of Dixieland jazz, but you’ll also hear big band, jazz fusion, Delta blues, zydeco, funk, and rock music bursting through the doorways on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter.
Jambalaya is the dish that perfectly embodies the city’s history. Founded by the French in 1718, New Orleans remained culturally French through subsequent years of Spanish rule, and long after it became an American territory in 1803. The descendants of the French and Spanish settlers – the Creoles – lived alongside African slaves and Haitian refugees, as well as Cajuns, Frenchspeaking exiles from Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia).
Acquiring its name from the Provençal word for “mixture,” jambalaya was born in the French Quarter when Spanish settlers tried to recreate their favorite rice dish, paella, using ripe tomatoes instead of saffron. Caribbean spices such as cayenne enhanced the trinity of peppers, onions, and celery cooked with chicken, peppery andouille sausage, and fresh seafood.
The result was Creole, or red, jambalaya. Cajun-style brown jambalaya is an earthier version of the dish that gains its color from meat drippings browned in a cast-iron pot. It can contain such wild game foods as crawfish, alligator, duck, or venison. But whether juicy red or smoky brown, the best jambalaya is simmered slowly for an hour or more, allowing the rice to absorb the pungent blend of meat, seafood, and spices that makes it so delicious. The result is a dish both hearty and exotic, much like New Orleans itself.
A Day in New Orleans
With its many museums, plentiful live music, Audubon Zoo, and Aquarium, New Orleans has plenty to offer visiting families, but it is best known as a party city, with festivals throughout the year. The partying reaches frenetic levels during Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday” – a season of carnivals, parades, and masked balls centered around the day before Ash Wednesday.
MORNING : See the highlights of the French Quarter, including the Presbytère and Cabildo, St. Louis Cathedral, the French Market, and Madame John’s Legacy.
There are quirkier attractions, too, such as Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop and the Historic Voodoo Museum.
AFTERNOON : Head to the riverfront in the Warehouse District for Blaire Kern’s Mardi Gras World at Kern Studios. It’s the next-best way to experience New Orleans’ biggest street party if you can’t be there in person.
EVENING : Return to the French Quarter and party the night away on Bourbon Street.
Getting to New Orleans
Major airlines operate from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, 15 miles (24 km) west of the city.
Where to stay in New Orleans
Bon Maison Guest House (inexpensive) is a good budget choice at the quiet end of Bourbon Street. www.bonmaison.com
Claiborne Mansion (moderate) has an air of elegance. www.claibornemansion.com
Hotel Monteleone (expensive) is the pick of the French Quarter. www.hotelmonteleone.com
TOURIST INFORMATION
2020 St. Charles Avenue; (800) 672 6124

New Orleans hosts a renowned spring jazz festival, but live music energizes the city throughout the year

Best Places to Eat Jambalaya

K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen

Chef Paul Prudhomme is a Louisiana legend, the first chef to make New Orleans food respectable to the modern gourmet diner. His Louisiana Kitchen is now a city landmark, and though the atmosphere is casual café-style, the food is upmarket, the quality superb, and reservations essential. The restaurant building dates from 1834, with dining rooms on both floors, and alfresco tables in the atmospheric courtyard or on the balcony in season. Prudhomme uses only fresh ingredients, so the menu changes daily.
Appetizers might include a cup of his chicken and andouille gumbo, made with his own andouille sausages; turtle soup; or his own inimitable version of Cajun jambalaya, simmered for hours in a rich stock with just the right amount of rice.
The main-course temptations might feature another classic, crawfish étouffée – a stew simmered with the lid on, or “smothered” – or an eggplant pirogue (the name for a Cajun canoe) deep-fried and filled with Bay scallops, Louisiana shrimp, and crawfish.
416 Chartres Street, French Quarter, New Orleans; open 11 AM–2 PM Thu–Sat, 5:30 PM–10 PM Mon–Sat; www.kpauls.com

Like its name, which fuses French and African influences, jambalaya brings together ingredients as diverse as seafood and game

Also in New Orleans
You can sample the Creole version of jambalaya at Mr. B’s Bistro (www.mrbsbistro.com; expensive), where dishes like gumbo ya-ya, seafood gumbo, and Gulf shrimp with grits offer more tastes of the Creole south. Come for the Sunday Jazz Brunch, when a jazz trio lends a festive air. The Gumbo Shop (www. gumboshop.com; inexpensive) offers an atmospheric taste of old New Orleans, from its faded decor to the long menu of Creole and Cajun favorites.
Also in the US
For authentic New Orleans food and atmosphere in southern Florida, head to Jambalaya Jeb’s (http://jambalayajebs.com; inexpensive) in Bonita Springs. This simple place in the Flamingo Island Flea Market is run by a family from Louisiana. They love the home cooking they grew up with and make their jambalaya, gumbo, and other dishes fresh each day and serve tasty New Orleans-style beignets.
Around the World
In the southern hemisphere, South Restaurant (www.south-restaurant.com; moderate) brings Creole cuisine to Sydney, Australia.
Dishes include Creole jambalaya, gumbo, crawfish étouffée, and the traditional New Orleans muffaletta sandwich – a round loaf filled with salami, cheese, ham, and garlic, topped with an olive salad – which owes its origins to Sicilian immigrants to New Orleans.
What Else to Eat
Gumbo is the Creole answer to bouillabaisse and may be seasoned with file, a Native American spice made from dried, ground sassafras leaves, and served over white rice.
Etouffée is a thicker stew typically made of crawfish, though shrimp, crab, or chicken can also be used, cooked in a roux with vegetables and spices. Red beans and rice is a typical New Orleans dish that may be served with grilled fish “blackened” with a coating of spices. Po’boy sandwiches of fried seafood or meat on foot-long baguettes are classic New Orleans street food, as are beignets, square doughnuts covered in powdered sugar.

Fiery Chili Peppers in Santa Fe

2012-05-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

In the soft, clear light of a Santa Fe morning, Native American artisans spread their jewelry-laden blankets before the Palace of the Governors, built by Spanish settlers 400 years ago, while Anglo-American tourists stroll in the plaza below. This mix of cultures has given the city some wondrous arts and architecture, and a cuisine that calls on over 100 varieties of chili pepper.

Set high against the backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico, the oldest state capital in North America, established when Spanish conquistadors from Mexico founded a colony here in 1610. Its mix of cultural history and contemporary Southwestern style offers plenty for everyone to explore. At its heart lies the Plaza, lined on three sides by storefronts – a shopper’s delight for Southwestern clothes, jewelry, arts, and crafts. The surrounding streets are as likely to lead to the earthy curves of old adobe houses as they are to hotels and public buildings sporting Spanish Colonial or Pueblo Revival styles, their soft pink and beige facades gleaming against a brilliant blue sky.
Old mission churches, sanctuaries, and a magnificent cathedral evoke the city’s colonial roots.
There are excellent museums highlighting Native American traditions, culture, and contemporary arts, and a wealth of fine art galleries and museums.
Artists have long come to northern New Mexico for its clear light and spectacular hues. But in the restaurants of Santa Fe, only two colors matter: red and green, the colors of piquant chili peppers.
The local foods of the Native Americans have always used corn, beans, and above all, chili peppers, and these form the basis of the cuisine of New Mexico.
It’s the hot peppers that set these dishes apart from Mexican cuisine found elsewhere in the US. Instead of the standard tomato-based salsas, here you’ll find fresh sauces of puréed green or ground dried red chili peppers, lightly seasoned with garlic, salt, or herbs to let the smoky, pungent flavors of the peppers shine through. Great with burritos or enchiladas; try both the red and green salsas by asking for “Christmas.”
As well as forming the base for the zesty sauces of burritos, enchiladas, and meat entrées, peppers are used in mouthwatering dishes such as crispy deep-fried chiles rellenos (stuffed peppers) and carne adovada (marinated pork). Other exotic local ingredients, such as blue corn, nopales (prickly pear cactus), and chayote (vegetable pear), also tickle the taste buds; Southwestern cuisine offers plenty for everyone to explore.

Luminarias light up the 300-year-old adobe buildings in Santa Fe

A Day in Santa Fe
Santa Fe is brimming with art and history, and its world-class galleries form the second-largest art market in the country (after New York). It has a feast of striking architecture and several fascinating museums.
MORNING : Start at the Plaza to browse the Indian Market outside the Palace of the Governors, then step inside to visit the New Mexico History Museum. For more art, choose from the nearby Fine Arts Museum and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, then stroll along the Old Santa Fe Trail to see the miraculous staircase in Loretto Chapel and the 17th-century San Miguel mission chapel.
AFTERNOON : Go gallery-hopping along Canyon Road, or head to Museum Hill to visit the outstanding Museum of International Folk Art and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.
EVENING : Return to the Plaza for souvenir shopping and admire the facade of St. Francis Cathedral glowing in the setting sun. Take a patio table at one of the lively restaurant bars and relax with a margarita before dinner, soaking up the Southwestern atmosphere.
Getting to Santa Fe
There is limited commercial service to Santa Fe Municipal Airport, so most visitors fly to Albuquerque International Sunport and make the hour’s drive to Santa Fe by rental car or shuttle service.
Where to stay in Santa Fe
Santa Fe Sage Inn (inexpensive) has small but comfortable rooms in an adobe motel near downtown. www.santafesageinn.com
Hotel Santa Fe (moderate) is Native American– owned and features beautiful artworks.
www.hotelsantafe.com
Inn on the Alameda (expensive) has stylish adobe buildings and casitas (little houses).
www.innonthealameda.com
TOURIST INFORMATION
201 W. Marcy Street; www.santafe.org

An adobe building decorated Southwestern style with a turquoise-mosaic steer skull and ristras – bunches of dried peppers

Best Places to Eat New Mexico Cuisine
The Shed
Some of the best New Mexico cuisine in Santa Fe comes with loads of atmosphere at The Shed. Just east of the Plaza, a wooden gateway leads to a sunny, flower-filled patio and the old adobe hacienda, which dates from 1692. Its nine cozy, adjoining rooms are charmingly decorated with folk art, its niches and doorways are brightly painted, and there is alfresco dining on the patio in summer.
Family-owned for three generations, The Shed’s menu features time-tested recipes such as the smoky-flavored green chili pepper chicken enchiladas, and red chili pepper enchiladas topped with a fried egg, a local favorite. All of The Shed’s chili peppers are grown to order on local farms and ground daily in their own mill, making the food some of the freshest and tastiest around. It’s also very spicy. Traditional entrées are served with blue corn tortillas, and may be accompanied by posole (a hominy stew), calabacitas (a squash dish), and pinto beans. Reservations are advised for dinner. The always-busy lunchtime operates on a first-come, first-served basis.
113¹/² East Palace Avenue, Santa Fe; open 11 AM–2:30 PM & 5:30–9 PM Mon–Sat; www.sfshed.com

Fiery red salsa is often served with blue corn tortilla chips,made from a variety of corn that is unique to New Mexico

Also in Santa Fe
Several Santa Fe restaurants deserve a place on the “must try” list. La Choza (505 982 0909; inexpensive), The Shed’s little sister, near Railyard Park, is less busy but serves the same great food. Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen (www.marias-santafe.com;
moderate) is famous for its margaritas, but the menu is fantastic too; carne adovada (marinated pork) is a specialty. Tomasita’s (505 983 5721; moderate) is another local favorite, with delicious chiles rellenos.
Also in New Mexico
New Mexican food tends to be low to moderately priced, though dishes often feature in pricier Southwestern restaurants such as Doc Martin’s in the historic Taos Inn (www. taosinn.com; expensive), Taos. Orlando’s New Mexican Cafe (http://orlandostaos.com; inexpensive), also in Taos, serves superb dishes in hearty portions. In Albuquerque, head for the Church Street Cafe (www.churchstreetcafe.
com; moderate) in the Old Town.
Around the World
It’s hard to find authentic New Mexican cuisine outside the state of New Mexico, but Little Anita’s (www.littleanitas.com; moderate) has several locations in Denver, CO. In Seattle, head for Santa Fe Cafe (www.santafecafeseattle.com; moderate) for blue corn tacos and chili eppers sourced from Hatch, New Mexico.
Cooking Classes
Whether you want to roast a chili pepper or stuff one for a chile relleno, the Santa Fe School of Cooking (www.santafeschoolofcooking.com) is the best place to learn the secrets of New Mexican cuisine. Courses at this internationally renowned culinary academy are taught by some of the city’s best chefs, but are geared toward recreational cooks as well as budding professionals. Courses range from morning or afternoon classes on a single topic or dish to the three-day Southwest Culinary Boot Camp, which covers everything from the history of the region’s foods to in-depth cooking techniques.
Demonstration and hands-on classes are offered. There are also classes on New Mexican cheeses and wines, as well as restaurant walking tours. Participants can stock up on regional ingredients at the adjoining market.

Dutch Pie in Lancaster County

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A visit to Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County is a step back in time. Bearded men in wide-brimmed black hats drive horse-drawn buggies through the streets, while women in plain 19th-century dresses and bonnets sell quilts and jellies in the farmers’ markets. And drifting from the bakeries and kitchen windowsills is the sweet, heavenly smell of home-baked Pennsylvania Dutch pie.

The quaint towns and neat family farms of Pennsylvania Dutch country are a world away from the urban buzz of Philadelphia.
Head off the beaten tourist track onto the quiet rural roads here and you’ll enter a landscape of rolling green hills and woodlands, dotted with large whitewashed farmhouses, covered “kissing bridges,” windmills, and sturdy old barns built to last a century or two. In winter the farmers plow the fields using horses, not tractors, and in summer they bale hay with pitchforks onto wooden wagons.
The term Pennsylvania “Dutch” is a corruption of the word “Deutsch,” the name for the Germanspeaking settlers who came here in the early 1700s.
It includes the Amish communities, who live a simple life based on family and religious values, eschewing all things modern, such as cars and electricity. An otherwise closed community, the Amish open up to the outside world most readily through their crafts and food. They are known for hearty, home-cooked meals, served at communal tables in Amish restaurants, and their most famous dish is their pie – a pie so delicious that local people often eat it for breakfast. The combination of traditional German recipes and a natural bounty of fruit and nut trees and lush berry patches makes these the finest fruit pies in the world.
From juicy apple and ripe peach to sour cherry, tangy rhubarb, plump raisin, sticky pecan, or wild huckleberry, Pennsylvania Dutch pies have the perfect blend of tart and sweet flavors, oozing through a flaky lattice crust or hiding under a crunchy crumb topping.
There are special pies, too, that are rarely found elsewhere. Like the famous schnitz pie – normally made with dried apple slices, this uses green tomatoes in late fall when the apples run low. Or the syrupy, cakelike shoo-fly pie, made with molasses and brown sugar, which comes in thick, gooey “wet-bottom” or thin “dry-bottom” varieties. Its whimsical name came from the need to shoo the flies away as the pies cooled.
The popular whoopie pies are not really pies at all, but more like huge cookies, consisting of a sandwich of two small, thin rounds of chocolate cake filled with icing. A Pennsylvania Dutch table is always laden with wonderful home-cooked dishes, but it’s the scrumptious desserts that keep everyone coming back for more.

Horse-drawn travel is a sign of the Amish commitment to tradition and the virtue of living in a simple, unhurried, natural way

Best Places to Eat Pennsylvania Dutch Pie
Good ’N Plenty Restaurant
Good ’N Plenty is housed in a two-story farmhouse built in 1871; the large “Dutch room” (main restaurant area) was added a century later to accommodate the customers lined up out the door for Christ and Dolly Lapp’s delicious home-cooked Pennsylvania Dutch dinners. They still run the restaurant with their children and grandchildren. Dining is family-style, with tables seating 10 to 12 people. Once the tables are full, the platters start coming, laden with such favorites as crispy fried chicken, baked country ham, roast beef, mashed potatoes, baked country sausage, pork and sauerkraut, noodles, chow chow (a traditional relish), pepper cabbage, homemade bread, and more, followed by shoo-fly pie and other scrumptious desserts.
No wonder it’s been rated one of the best down-home dining spots in the country. And there’s plenty more in the Bake Shop and Store, where you can buy freshly baked pies, cakes, and breads, and jars of apple butter or homemade chow chow to take home.
150 Eastbrook Road, Smoketown; open 11:30 AM–8 PM Mon–Sat; closed Christmas, Jan and early Feb; www.goodnplenty.com

Right : The dark, sticky filling of shoo-fly, made from rich sorghum molasses and brown sugar, makes this pie a local favorite

Left :Amish quilts are renowned worldwide for their quality and distinctive patterns, often contrasting bright colors with black

Also in Lancaster County
You won’t find a setting much more authentic than Stoltzfus Farm Restaurant (www. stoltzfusfarmrestaurant.com; moderate) in Gordonville for a Pennsylvania Dutch country meal. It’s served in the Amish farmhouse where Amos Stoltzfus grew up. The family-style menu includes homemade hamloaf and homemade sausage, made in their own butcher’s shop right on the farm, accompanied by candied sweet potatoes, brown buttered noodles, and many other country favorites, along with shoo-fly, cherry, and apple pies.
Also in the US
There are Amish communities scattered across 22 states of the US. Two of the largest are in northern Indiana and southeast Iowa. At Das Dutchman Essenhaus Restaurant and Bakery (www.essenhaus.com; inexpensive) in Middlebury, Indiana, large tables fill the rustic wood-paneled dining room, where family-style dining features old Amish recipes passed down through generations. The restaurant serves 30 kinds of pie; if you can’t choose, take some home from the bakery next door. In Amana, Iowa, the family-run Ox Yoke Inn (www. oxyokeinn.com; moderate) has been a local favorite since 1940. It serves traditional old-world recipes, family-style or à la carte, using produce from neighboring farms and smokehouses. A tray of fresh-baked desserts is presented at the end of your meal.
Three Days in Lancaster County
There’s lots to enjoy, apart from the food. You can explore the Amish way of life from old-fashioned horse-and-carriage rides to tours of Amish homesteads. There are historic mansions and museums, and dozens of art galleries. Shop for antiques, hand-stitched quilts, and other crafts, or expertly fashioned Amish furniture.
DAY ONE : Immerse yourself in the Amish life with a visit to the Amish Country Homestead at Bird-in-Hand, or the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum in Lancaster. Admire antique quilts at the People’s Place Quilt Museum in Intercourse. Take an afternoon horse-and-buggy ride through the countryside.
DAY TWO : Take a foodie tour of Lancaster County. Watch Pennsylvania Dutch cooks making pies and putting up canned jams, preserves, and more at the Jam and Relish Kitchen in Intercourse. Try your hand at twisting pretzels at the Intercourse Pretzel Factory or Sturgis Pretzel Bakery in Lititz. Nearby, watch candy-makers at the Wilbur Chocolates Candy Americana Museum.
DAY THREE : Follow a scenic driving – or cycling – route and discover some of the region’s covered bridges. The tourist office has several itineraries.

Getting to Lancaster Country

There is an international airport in Philadelphia; Lancaster has a small airport that connects to BWI (Baltimore Washington International). Trains and buses run to Lancaster County from Philadelphia.
A rental car is essential for touring.

Where to stay in Lancaster Country

Stone Haus Farm B&B (inexpensive) is a 200-yearold working farm. www.stonehausfarmbnb.com
After Eight Bed and Breakfast (moderate) is an antique-fillled 1818 colonial home in Paradise, Pennsylvania. www.aftereightbnb.com
The Inn at Twin Linden (expensive) is an elegant retreat in the heart of Amish country.
www.innattwinlinden.com
TOURIST INFORMATION
501 Greenfield Rd.; www.padutchcountry.com

Amish Markets
One of the delights of visiting Lancaster County is visiting the food markets. Lancaster City’s Central Market is the oldest farmers’ market in the US, and a good place to buy cheeses and fresh-baked desserts. Columbia Market sells lots of local produce, and is housed in a historic structure with a dungeon beneath (there are guided tours). In Bird-in-Hand, the Farmers’ Market has fresh produce and local crafts, while Kauffman’s Fruit Farm and Market has delicious homemade sweet apple cider, apple dumplings, and deli items. In Ephrata, the Green Dragon Farmers’ Market & Auction sells baked goods and Amish-made items, and the Village Farm Market has a wonderful selection of fresh-baked pies and specialty bakery items. Markets have different opening days and hours, so check locally.

Soul Food in Macon Georgia USA

2012-05-20T01:15:00.001-07:00

America’s Deep South is known for soul music and soul food, and Macon, Georgia, is the place to get a taste of both. Famous in spring for the blossoms on the 300,000 cherry trees that line its streets, it’s also a city rich in southern and, in particular, African-American heritage. It’s a pretty town to explore, and full of places to enjoy old-fashioned home-cooking and hospitality.

While the term “soul food” denotes a heartwarming style of down-home African- American cooking, it has its roots in sadder days of slavery on southern plantations. African staples such as rice, sorghum, black-eyed peas, and okra were brought across the Atlantic on slave ships. Slaves supplemented their meager diet with greens disdained by their masters: collards, kale, and turnip tops. They adopted corn, an ancient staple crop of southern Native Americans, to make sweet cornbread and grits, a coarse porridge. Poor households made do with the cheapest cuts of meat, and nothing was wasted.
The term “soul food” came into use in the 1960s, by southerners both black and white who had migrated north and missed the regional cooking they grew up with. It has evolved into more nourishing, tastier menus of tender baked ham, fried chicken and pork chops, beef stew and barbecue ribs, side dishes of okra, collards, squash, or black-eyed peas, and desserts such as sweet bread pudding or potato pie. Greens are cooked with smoked or salted meats, diced onions, vinegar, and seasonings in tasty broths, and even lowly grits have made it on to fashionable menus today, often mixed with cheese in the manner of Italian polenta.
Deep in the heart of Georgia, Macon is a good place to discover both soul food and southern culture. Its roots go back thousands of years to the ancient Native Americans who built ceremonial mounds here. The city was founded in 1823 and prospered as a market hub for surrounding farms and cotton plantations.
Handsome antebellum mansions and Victorian homes grace its historic neighborhoods. Sites like the Tubman Museum and Douglass Theatre pay tribute to Macon’s strong African-American heritage.
Macon has a great music legacy as a cradle of soul and southern rock. The Georgia Music Hall of Fame pays tribute to local boys Little Richard and Otis Redding, and others who launched their careers here.
Later, Mama Louise’s soul food (see panel, right) kept the Allman Brothers Band going when they were still struggling musicians. In Macon, a little soul food and music is all the southern comfort you need.

The thousands of Yoshino cherry trees that line Macon’s streets are a froth of white blossoms in March

Best Places to Eat Soul Food

H & H Restaurant

Soul food and music go hand in hand at H & H Restaurant in downtown Macon. It was founded in 1959 by the late Inez Hill and her goddaughter and cousin, Louise Hudson, and “Mama Louise” is still cooking up a storm and welcoming customers with her warm smile. The restaurant is situated in an unassuming red-brick building with a small sign. Inside are simple tables with red-checked tablecloths, and walls covered with autographed photos of the Allman Brothers.
Mama Louise fed the penniless band in their early days in Macon, and when they became famous, they took her on tour with them.
Otis Redding and other Macon musicians also feature on the jukebox.
The “meat-and-three” menu, which changes daily, offers main dishes such as fried chicken, roast beef, fried fish, or baked ham, accompanied by collard greens, okra, black-eyed peas, corn, and green beans. Leave room for the potato pie and other desserts. Breakfast is also served, with grits, of course, and homemade biscuits.
807 Forsyth St., Macon; open 6:30 AM–4 PM Mon–Sat; http://mamalouise.com

Crispy southern-fried chicken uses crushed crackers or even cornflakes for the crunchy coating

Also in Macon
Jeneane’s at Pinebrook (www.jeneanes.com; inexpensive) is another Macon restaurant where you can choose from a daily menu of tasty meats, fish, and soul-food side dishes: greens and creamed corn, rutabagas, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cheese grits. The pecan and chocolate pies are highly rated.
Also in the South
Mama Dip’s Kitchen in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (www.mamadips.com; inexpensive), features traditional country cooking in a pleasant, airy dining room with a wrap-around porch. House specialties include chicken-fried steak, pan-fried pork chops smothered in gravy, and chicken and dumplings. Swett’s (www. swettsrestaurant.com; inexpensive) in Nashville, Tennessee, is for anyone who loves southern cooking. Family-owned since 1954, it may feature pig’s feet or pork shoulder alongside such daily favorites as fried chicken, meatloaf, turnip greens, and fried cornbread.
In New York
Located in New York’s Harlem, Sylvia’s (www.sylviasrestaurant.com; moderate) is one of the most famous soul food restaurants in America, run by fabled southern matriarch Sylvia Woods and her family. Main dishes include Southern classics like smothered chicken and pork chops, oxtail, gumbo, chitterlings, fried catfish, and short beef ribs. The Sunday Gospel lunch with live music is legendary. Macon Festivals Macon hosts several lively festivals throughout the year. Among the highlights are: International Cherry Blossom Festival The town is painted pink for this 10-day festival, held in mid-March when the blossoms are at their peak. It features concerts, events, exhibitions, food fairs, parades, and hot-air balloons. Tubman Pan Africa Festival African music and dancers, Caribbean steel bands, masquerades, and cultural demonstrations foster peace, love, hope, and unity at this April celebration. Georgia State Fair Also in April, the oldest state fair in the Southeast offers amusement park rides, agricultural exhibits, and entertainment. Ocmulgee Indian Celebration Indian nations of the Southeast gather at the Ocmulgee Monument in September to celebrate their heritage through storytelling, dancing, music, and art.

A Day in Macon

This moderately sized city is perfect for strolling, whether admiring the cherry blossoms, nibbling on peaches and pecans from the State Farmer’s Market, or building up an appetite for the next meal.
MORNING : Explore the ancient Indian mounds at the Ocmulgee National Monument, with structures and exhibits telling the story of 10,000 years of Southeastern Native American habitation and the distinctive Mississippian culture.
AFTERNOON : Visit the Tubman African American Museum with its art, artifacts, cultural exhibits, and a huge mural depicting the journey from Africa to America. Cross the road to the exhibits of music and memorabilia in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, then wander down to the river where a statue of Otis Redding gleams in the sun.
EVENING : Take the self-guided Lights on Macon walking tour of the Historic District to see grand antebellum houses, such as magnificent Hay House (“Palace of the South”), and the pretty Lee Alumni House, with its archetypal southern verandas, lit up in all their glory.
Getting to Macon
The closest international airport is Hartsfield- Jackson Atlanta, 80 miles (130 km) away. There are some commuter flights to Middle Georgia Regional Airport, 10 miles (16 km) from Macon. Renting a car is recommended.
Where to stay in Macon
Ramada Plaza (inexpensive) has a pool and is a short walk from the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. www.ramada.com
Marriott Macon City Center (moderate) is conveniently located for the downtown historic sites. www.marriott.com/mcnfs
1842 Inn (expensive) has romantic rooms in an antebellum mansion. www.1842inn.com
TOURIST INFORMATION
Downtown Visitors Center, 450 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd; www.maconga.org

Diners Around the World

2012-05-20T01:05:00.001-07:00

Many American diners had closed by the 1970s, victims of the onslaught of fast-food chains. But nostalgia for the simpler postwar lifestyle and a love of ’50s kitsch and Art Deco has sparked a new wave of retro-styled diners, in the US, Europe, and beyond.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
101 Cafe

631 South Coast Highway, Oceanside; www.101Cafe.net
Built in 1928, the 101 Cafe has gone from diner to drive-in and back again. Painted with bright murals and filled with Highway 101 memorabilia, it serves classic diner meals and sandwiches, from French toast or buttermilk pancakes with bacon to meatloaf or double cheeseburgers with fries. The peanut butter malt is to die for.
Mel’s Diner
8585 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood; www.melsdrive-in.com
The original Mel’s opened in 1947, and starred in the film American Graffiti, forming the backdrop for teenagers “cruising the strip” in California in 1962.
Unfortunately, it was demolished shortly after shooting, but this second-generation diner – opened by the original owner’s son – has recreated all the best parts, and has an outdoor patio where you can enjoy burgers and diner dinners under the neon lights.
The Nickel Diner
524 South Main St., Los Angeles; www.nickeldiner.com
Located in an old vaudeville theater in the newlygentrified area around Skid Row, the Nickel Diner plays with the classic diner repertoire to create some truly exceptional dishes: try the Big Time Cheddar, maple bacon doughnuts, and the red velvet cake.
Ruby’s Diner
1128 W Lincoln Ave., Anaheim; www.rubys.com
Nab one of the carhop spaces here and you’ll get your chili fries served on roller skates. Vintage decor and a great menu make it a blast from the past. Also at Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, and other locations around the US.
REST OF THE US
From homey neighborhood hangouts to slick retro-style restaurants, everyone in America has a favorite diner. Those listed below stand out for their history – some are original O’Mahony prewar models – and their decor, atmosphere, and authenticity, as well as their delicious diner fare.
66 Diner
1405 Central Ave. NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico; www.66diner.com
Located right on historic Route 66, this fabulous diner has turquoise booths and golden oldies playing on the jukebox, and serves deluxe plates, blue-plate specials, and thick, creamy milk shakes from behind its shiny chrome and tiled counter.
Mickey’s Dining Car
36 West 7th St, St. Paul, Minnesota; www.mickeysdiningcar.com
Fresh farm eggs, hand-shredded hash browns, spindle-blended milk shakes, and tasty family recipes have been served in this authentic O’Mahony diner since 1939. It’s now considered so precious that it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Summit Diner
1 Union Place, Summit, New Jersey; (908) 277 3256
Appropriately located opposite the train station, this 1938 Art Deco chrome beauty is another of the few remaining O’Mahony diners in the US. Enjoy Taylor ham (pork roll) and eggs with hash browns at the marble counter or in a red-leather booth.
Ed Debevic’s
640 N Wells St., Chicago, Illinois; www.eddebevics.com
Rude waitresses in beehive hairdos and hornrimmed glasses who dance on the counter to ’50s hits are all part of the experience at this fun, retro diner. Great shakes and burgers.
Rosie’s Diner
4500 14 Mile Rd. NE, Rockford, Michigan; www.rosiesdiner.com
A long menu of home-cooked favorites, from their signature slow-roasted beef and noodles to sloppy-joe sandwiches and blue-plate specials, are served in this authentic 1946 diner.
ENGLAND
It’s not surprising that London, with its fashionable restaurants and love of quirky style, embraced the retro diner craze, but now shiny silver American-style diners are springing up in the rest of the country too.
Ed’s Easy Diner

12 Moor St., London W1; www.edseasydiner.com
The all-day breakfast, juicy burgers, and creamy shakes are a hit at this colorful diner with a prime corner spot in Soho. Hot pepper addicts will love the “atomic” American fries and onion rings. Grab a red swivel chair at the shiny chrome counter.
Good Life Diner
128–130 Curtain Rd., Shoreditch, London EC2; www.goodlifediner.com
Leather booths, lots of neon, and a ’50s soundtrack form the backdrop to the burgers at this trendy American diner, which has four other London locations, in Camden, Islington, Soho, and Kensal Rise.
The 50s American Diner
John St., Church Gresley, Derbyshire; www.the50samericandiner.bravehost.com
Burgers, steaks, and hot diggity dogs are served in this authentic, gleaming steel O’Mahony diner, shipped over from Boston to the National Forest in Derbyshire and filled with ’50s memorabilia. Friendly waitresses wear vintage dresses to serve up food in four-seater booths and the jukebox plays rock ’n’ roll.
IRELAND
With their long connections to America, it’s no wonder that the fun-loving Irish have taken classic American burgers, shakes, and diner dishes along with 1950s nostalgia into their hearts, and opened some great diners.
Eddie Rocket’s
7 South Anne St., Dublin; www.eddierockets.ie
Fresh-ground burgers, foot-long hot dogs, red-basket specials, and hand-dipped Shake Shop malts come with a huge helping of ’50s attitude. There are 20 Eddie Rocket’s diners in greater Dublin and more around the country.
Springsteen’s Diner
633 Lisburn Rd., Belfast; www.springsteensdiner.com With its flashy neon jukebox, all-day breakfasts, Whitehouse burgers (named after US presidents), and big menu of American favorites, this characterful diner could have been born in the USA.
REST OF EUROPE
Retro diners have crossed over to the Continent too. Paris may be the preserve of French culture and cuisine, but even here the stylish appeal of old-style American diners flourishes on the Left Bank.
Breakfast in America
17 rue des Ecoles, Paris, France; www.breakfast-in-america.com
An ex-pat American filmmaker, longing for a stack of pancakes and a “bottomless mug o’ Joe,” opened this popular diner serving tasty all-day breakfasts, burgers, and blue plat du jour.
Happy Days Diner
25 rue Francisque Gay, Paris, France; www.happydaysdiner.com
Enjoy mega-burgers, Long Island bagels, milk shakes, and more along with rockabilly music and a ’50s ambience at this cheery diner sporting turquoise booths and pastel-pink countertops.
Flamme und Feuer
Klein Breitenbach 2, Mörlenbach, near Mannheim, Germany; www.flammeundfeuer.de
Flamme und Feuer (“Flame and Fire”) has a long American menu, but it’s the all-you-can-eat burger and spare-rib nights and breakfast buffets that draw the Harley- and classic car-loving crowds.
AUSTRALIA
American diners seem completely at home in the land of road trains and beach barbies, especially in the cities, where the 1950s memorabilia, rock ’n’ roll music, and diner fare add up to a really fun place to meet.
Big Rig Diner
231 Oxford St., Darlinghurst, New South Wales; + 61 2 9332 3197
Tasty burgers, homemade chili, and other American favorites come with a big dollop of ’50s style amid Elvis posters and great music on the jukebox. Check out the Houndstooth Bar at the back.
Misty’s Diner
103–105 High St., Prahran, Victoria; www.mistysdiner.com.au
Misty hails from Phoenix, Arizona, and her Aussie diner serves fare with a Southern flair, from deep-fried pickles and corn dogs to a bucket of pork ribs or “trailer-trash” fried steak. Misty’s motto: “Bring your appetite, it’s gonna get messy.”

Road Food in Southern California

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The surf’s up and the convertible top’s down on Highway 101, southern California’s famous coast road. Along with its cross-country counterpart, Route 66, it helped make the road trip a classic American experience. The endless miles soon became dotted with neon beacons, beckoning hungry, weary travelers into a pit stop that became a fast-food icon – the American diner.

Diners have their roots in the horse-drawn lunch wagons that set up on street corners in the late 1880s to feed hungry shift workers, newspapermen, and theater-goers, looking for food after the restaurants closed.
They evolved into rolling restaurants with a few seats inside, known as “dining cars” and then simply “diners.” By the late 1920s, companies – most famously O’Mahony’s of New Jersey – were manufacturing prefabricated diners built to look like railroad dining cars, in Art Deco designs, which were then shipped to their locations. By the 1930s they had acquired all their trademark characteristics: gleaming stainless-steel bodies, shiny chrome counters with swivel stools, tile floors, Formica tables in deep leather booths, and flashy jukeboxes full of dance records.
Today, as always, diners serve inexpensive homemade fare. Daily “blue-plate specials” might feature chicken and dumplings or Mom’s meatloaf, with a hearty helping of potatoes and vegetables.
All-day breakfasts range from sunny-side-up eggs and biscuits to whopper stacks of buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup. The soda fountain churns out thick, creamy chocolate malts and strawberry milk shakes to accompany juicy burgers, fries, and chili dogs hot off the grill. There’s hot fudge sundae or a fat slice of banana cream pie topped with a tower of whipped cream to finish, and all the coffee you can drink.
By the 1950s there were over 6,000 diners across the country, and car culture came into its own. In the balmy nights of southern California, teenagers cruised “the strip” looking for fun (or trouble) and diners became drive-ins, where you placed your order over a speakerphone and ponytailed carhops brought it to your car, often on roller skates. Though the cars and hairstyles have changed, the fascination with the California lifestyle continues. Highway 101 has it all: the surfing hotspots of Oceanside and Huntingdon Beach, the swanky yachts of Newport Beach, and the bright lights of Hollywood – and along the way, flashes of neon and gleaming steel that promise bottomless cups of coffee and homemade pie.

Large, comfortable cars and Art Deco–style diners are classic symbols of 1950s Americ

Three Days in Southern California
Southern California offers a great range of sights, activities, and environments.
You can go from big, bustling theme parks to quiet coves, or small, exotic cactus gardens to huge wetland bird preserves and even old mission churches to modern art galleries, all within a couple of hours’ drive of each other. December to March is whale-watching season, with excursion boats leaving from several locations. Whether you’re a surfer, a beachcomber, or a sunset-watcher, the coast is a highlight all year round.
DAY ONE : Spend the day at SeaWorld San Diego for a close encounter with dolphins, sharks, sea lions, penguins, and other aquatic creatures. The impressive shows feature performances with dolphins and orcas.
DAY TWO : Visit Mission San Luis Rey, the largest of California’s 18th-century Spanish missions, at Oceanside. Then head for Oceanside’s Buccaneer Beach to watch the surfers. In the afternoon, browse the art galleries at Laguna Beach, or admire the yachts at Newport Beach.
DAY THREE : Take a morning stroll along the pier at Huntington Beach, another top surf city. Then head into Los Angeles and don a pair of roller skates to watch the wilder characters on the boardwalk at Venice Beach.

Generous helpings of pancakes, syrup, and blueberries are a staple of California’s diners

Getting to California
Fly into an international airport at either San Diego or Los Angeles and rent a car – this is absolutely essential for exploring.
Where to stay in California
The Dana (inexpensive) in Mission Bay is a short walk from SeaWorld and the beach. www.thedana.com
Casa Laguna Inn (moderate) in Laguna Beach has charming rooms with ocean views in a mission-style inn.
www.casalaguna.com
Oceanside Marina Suites (expensive) has spacious rooms with balconies looking over the ocean or harbor. www.omihotel.com
TOURIST INFORMATION
California Welcome Center, 928 North Coast Highway, Oceanside; www.californiawelcomecenter.org