Food-related travel is growing because there are so many more options beyond dining.
“Now you can learn to make blue corn tortillas at someone’s home in Tulum, Mexico, or shop at a farmers market in Florence, Italy, with a real chef,” Rachel Ng, food editor for Westways, said. “These hands-on experiences are being offered by both large travel agencies as well as small, entrepreneurial mom-and-pop businesses. Eating is one of those few activities that engages your five senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, and even sound. And people bond over sharing a meal and exchanging stories.”
Ng shared that one of her favorite things to do when visiting a new place is to go to a grocery store. There you can learn what the locals eat, plus you can find inexpensive souvenirs that you may not find elsewhere.
Every year Ng tries to travel home to Singapore.
“My main agenda is to see family and cram in as many delicious meals as possible. On one trip, in order to maximize our short time there my sister and I made a spreadsheet of all the restaurants we needed to dine at,” Ng said.
Ng also likes visiting Japan where food preparation is an art and “a bowl of ramen can cure all travel fatigue.” When she goes, she makes a trip to Kappabashi (Kitchen Town), where many restaurants purchase their kitchen supplies.
Closer to home, Ng’s top outing is the Central Coast.
“It’s an easy drive and you can hit a number of really charming spots: Solvang, Los Olivos, Morro Bay, and Cambria. I always make sure I stop by a small little town called Cayucos and pick up their salty-sweet browned butter cookies,” Ng said.
Ng shared her current list of the top five food destinations in California.
Koreatown: A 1930s train station-themed food hall called Platform 35 is coming to Koreatown. Until then, foodies will just have to be satiated by the hundreds of other options from all-you-can-eat Korean barbecues to artisanal ramen shops to fun dessert spots like a cereal bar called Milk Tavern Dessert Lounge.
North Park San Diego: It’s a very walkable neighborhood with a great old-timey drinks supplies shop called Collins and Coup, a really fun Belgian waffle place, Atypical Waffle, hidden behind a laundromat, and a coffee shop called Communal Coffee, which shares retail space with Native Poppy floral shop.
Palm Springs: The Palm Springs food scene is really hot right now. Many interesting restaurants revolve around a hotel, such as 4 Saints at the Kimpton Rowan, Counter Reformation at the Parker Hotel, and The Pink Cabana at The Sands. The popular Wexler’s Deli in Los Angeles will open its fourth location at Palm Springs’ Arrive hotel.
Santa Barbara: Along the Funk Zone in Santa Barbara, you’ll find an eclectic mix of artisan shops, art galleries and studios, eateries, wine-tasting rooms, and microbreweries. You will have an excellent meal at any of ACME Hospitality’s properties, including The Lark, Lucky Penny, Loquita, Les Marchands Restaurant & Wine Merchant, and Helena Avenue Bakery
Santa Ana: Downtown Santa Ana has always been the go-to place for authentic Mexican food. Now it has two food halls: The 4th Street Market and a smaller one called McFadden Public Market. 4th Street Market features 15 food vendors, including Electric City Butcher, Portola Coffee Lab, and Alta Baja Market. Guests can burn off some calories playing ping pong after they’ve indulged in a generously portioned lobster roll on buttery toast at Supernatural Sandwich or a gooey ice cream sandwich at Craft Ice Cream Sammiches. Opened last spring, McFadden has an ’80s arcade, a Nashville-style hot fried chicken spot, and live music.
