I love travel, and the chance to discover the world’s rich gastronomic bounty. Here are a handful of highlights to add to your culinary bucket list if you find yourself across the pond or in one of these great U.S. cities.
London: Claridge’s
If you’ve never had the pleasure of indulging in a full afternoon English tea, you don’t know what you’re missing. There’s a good reason that the posh Downton Abbey types indulge. While being pampered outdoors in the Cotswolds on the lawn of a manor house is certainly memorable, given my surname it’s been a dream to take tea at one of the world’s greatest old hotels in London’s Mayfair. Claridge’s magnificent Art Deco foyer with an 800-piece Chihuly milky glass chandelier is truly a breathtaking setting for a magical experience. A dazzling array of perfect finger sandwiches, warm scones with Cornish clotted cream and Marco Polo gelée, and an absolutely captivating pastry quartet make this the world’s best. claridges.co.uk/london-mayfair-afternoon-tea
New York City: Le District
I hope you’ve all been down to the Sundial to visit the culinary playground that is Locale Market in St. Petersburg. But if you find yourself on the road visiting the new World Trade Center and breathtaking 9/11 memorial, be sure to wander west to Brookfield Place and visit Le District. It’s Locale on French steroids — 30,000 intoxicating square feet celebrating the genius of cuisine à la française. It’s a disorientingly seductive food hall in the style of La Grande Épicerie in Paris. ledistrict.com
Atlanta: Spice to Table and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
One of the country’s great new casual restaurants is a mashup of Indian spice and Southern charm. Chef Asha Gomez reinvents fried chicken and carrot cake that turn all your preconceived notions on their ear — dishes transformed by coconut oil, fresh mango sauce and roasted curry leaves, plus clove, cardamom and black peppercorns in unexpected places. And just around the corner is another must-visit gourmet dream, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. Don’t miss the brown butter almond brittle. spicetotable.com, jenis.com
Unless you’ve been playing ostrich, you know that craft cocktails are resurgent. In fact, CL has allocated plenty of ink to keep you on top of Tampa’s thriving spirits scene. But superstar Chicago chef Grant Achatz has upped the game. He’s giving cocktail service five-star attention to detail by training his bartenders as world-class chefs. All ingredients are obsessively sourced, and he’s pushing the state-of-the-art drinks kitchen to honor tradition while being the world’s most innovative, mind-blowing bar. If you’re in the Windy City, this is a must. theaviary.com
Asheville: The Admiral
Imagine a dive bar self-described as having the “elegance of a clipper ship in full sail with the practicality and economy of a cinderblock.” Chef Ivan Candido’s tiny open kitchen almost looks out of place amidst the dark wood inside the simple block building that houses this unprepossessing restaurant in west Asheville. The food, however, really rocks. It reminds me of Rooster & The Till’s casual vibe and invention. I went in skeptical and came out enthralled. Skip the beauty of the iconic historical Omni Grove Park Inn and head directly to the heady tastes of The Admiral. theadmiralnc.com
This article appears in Jun 4-10, 2015.