A girl’s gotta eat!
Long time, no blog. WELP. But I’m back now with a few new trips under my belt and several tried and true tips for locating the best food while traveling.
Word on the street is #BritBeEating GOOD and I want you to eat too!
Keep reading to learn how I manage to find the best spots to eat a good meal, enjoy a few tasty drinks and even make a few new friends along the way!
IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE AREA
I’ve learned that some of the best ways to track down delicious food go beyond a few TripAdvisor or Yelp review skims. You truly have to get around the city to see what they have to offer and one of the best ways to do so is to TAKE A TOUR!
Bear with me now. I know tours sound outdated, stuffy, and IDK, maybe even corny. But they don’t have to be! Find a tour that offers visits to at least 2-3 different neighborhoods and you’d be surprised how quickly you get a feel of the vibe and the culinary offerings. On a recent trip to San Diego, I found our best meal and experience of the trip while on a trolley tour! I googled from my seat and voila, a top-rated establishment led to some of the best dishes I’ve had all year and we even met the head chef! Can’t beat that.
Explore on foot. It’s very easy to drive or take an Uber/Lyft everywhere you go when traveling but you miss out on actually checking out the very place you are visiting. I try my hardest to book hotels or rental units in areas and neighborhoods that are in walkable areas and provide a few options to get out and about.
BE FRIENDLY. MAKE FRIENDS.
My unintentional favorite pastime is chatting up people I encounter on a daily basis and to little surprise to anyone else, I also do this while traveling. I’ve met some great people this way, and those great people have put me on to some great spots to check-out. Special shoutout to friends in different area codes ;-).
Now I also believe in SAFETY and not ending up on the latest episode of Dateline or 20/20. So here’s a quick hit list of people you can speak with that tend to have a good pulse on where to go and what to eat that isn’t tourist trap central.
Service staff at restaurants and bars
TRUST ME HERE. They know! And if you’re actually a nice table for them to wait on they will likely give you the true insider tips or invite you out. Please be a good human and tip well!
Tour guides and experience hosts
This works best when you’ve chosen a fun tour or experience. They tend to stray off the well-beaten path in many regards and will often tell you the places they go when they’re not working. Tipping is still appreciated.
Fellow travelers
This is a fun one because we’re all learning as we go! But you’ll surely get an idea of what people new to exploring are checking out. Not all touristy attractions are bad! A quarter of my friends’ lists on social media are buddies met while traveling. We’re all in this together :-).
WHERE HAVE I BEEN…
So now that you know HOW I find my drool-worthy meals and yummy drinks, how about we dive into a few fun places I’ve recently been! We’re absolutely still in a whole panini press so GET VACCINATED and WEAR YO MASK IN CLOSE-KNIT SPACES!
Los Angeles
MALIBU TOURS WILL MAKE YOUR TRIP. We did a daytime celebrity home and history trolley trek with Surf City Tours and it was educational and fun.
Met Him at a Bar: If you love delicious carbs like I do, this pasta restaurant is the place to go. It also has a sister restaurant, Met Her at a Bar that serves brunch and drinks!
San Diego
Nolita Hall: Friends… everything we tried was worth slapping your mama. I would not recommend doing so but again, it was JUST THAT GOOD. Little Italy is absolutely worth a visit!
Prohibition Lounge: I love a good speakeasy vibe with solid drinks and they give you live music. Get there early if you want a seat!
Nashville
Attaboy: Think of a speakeasy where you are given a craft cocktail based on a few details you give your server. SURPRISE YOURSELF.
Ainsworth: Very trendy but the staff is great and the drinks come in STRONG.
Nada: OMG… RUN HERE. The brunch menu is what late starts to the day are made for. GET THE BRUSSEL SPROUTS.
Cafe Roze: Crispy risotto. I could say more, but do I need to???
I hope this rundown was as great a read as it was a walk down memory lane for me. I wish good meals and fun times for you all! Drop a comment if you have additional suggestions or questions about my travels and eats! Don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter and tell a friend!