Dale and I don’t have a big urge to travel. Not that we’ve seen everything, but we lived in Germany and Egypt, moved more than 20 times and vacationed in some pretty amazing places around the world. For the most part, we’re content to scoot around California in the car.
That said, COVID 19 has tested us. Before the pandemic, we rarely dined out. Most of the time we can make it better at home. It has been a year since we ate in a restaurant, and I find myself relishing in the memories of spectacular regional food.
- Steamed blue crabs in Maryland
- Pressed duck in France
- Weinerschnitzel in Germany
- Fried whole belly clams in Maine
- Paella in Spain
- Stacked enchiladas in New Mexico
- Barbequed brisket in Fort Worth
- Greek salad in Crete
- Grilled conch in Cozumel
- Fish and chips in Britain
- Steak in Ogallala
- Giant prawns in Phuket
We’ve learned to prepare many of the foods we miss, but some dishes are hard to replicate. I find myself thinking about an inn we stayed at in France, where they brought us a perfect croissant for breakfast and a big cup of dark coffee mixed with steamed milk. Or a monster bowl of phở at a strip mall café in Little Saigon. I can see myself sitting at the restaurant savoring every bite.
Both of us are starting to think about changes we’ll to make to our lives when this is over. I mean, we’re not going to hit the open road, but I do think we’ll travel a bit more. Eat some great food. Make more of an effort to enjoy time with friends. Create some new memories.
In the meantime, I leave you with this challenge. If you can go anywhere to eat anything when the pandemic is over, where would you go? What would you eat? It’s tough to decide, and it’s OK to keep changing your mind (indecision should make the game last longer and possibly get us to summer). Oh, and money is no object.
I would go to New Orleans and have a fried soft shell crab po’ boy. Per the rules, that’s my choice. But since I’m there anyway, I would have an oyster po’ boy and maybe a muffuletta. Some etouffee.
So, OK, break the rules. What’s on your list?
After drooling over the wonderful meals the two of you have created since last March, I’m coming to your house.
Oh, thank you! We do eat well.
Well I mean, I could (and have) eaten my way round the world (and it may show, lol). But in the immediate future I an a seafood person who cannot cook it myself, so a trip to the main coast and then down to the DC area Lobster and crabs are high on my list.
Most of my wish list is seafood as well. It’s hard for most of us to cook!
I’ve always wanted to go to Italy to eat..anything with cheese, pasta and tomato sauce. I haven’t been to a restaurant since the pandemic was announced. I’ll start the culinary travel with a trip to the Twisted Fork restaurant in a nearby town.
Italy would be high on the list. But you know, the Twisted Fork sounds pretty nice!
Gee, I have my chance to dream and I kinda go blank.
It may sound silly, but I miss the ridiculously huge European breakfast spreads I have had in Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, UK, etc. I just go nuts, all the incredible brotchen , fishes, muesli, yogurts, jams, breads, meats and cheeses. Holy moly. Every country is a bit unique but fantastic. We never needed to eat the rest of the day.
Funny — I started to include the big German breakfast with brotchen, meats, cheese, soft boiled egg. Great minds think alike!
Fried clams and lobster rolls…Wellfleet on the Cape
That sounds so good. There’s nothing like fried whole belly clams. We make great lobster rolls at home and occasionally even find the right kind of buns. Maybe some onion rings to go with?
Freshly fried potato chips at Taste of Chicago is what I dream about. Nothing fancy. I’m easy like that.
Geez, you had me at freshly fried potato chips. Perfect French fries are also a beautiful thing.
I’d go to Kauai and have any fish that starts with an “o”. And while there, I must also have a shave ice. I haven’t been there since 2008. 😢
I just saw an episode on the Food Channel about shaved ice. I’ve only been to Hawaii once and didn’t try it. An oversight that must be corrected.
I would go to Paris and have the perfect falafels at a tiny take-away in the Marais. We wandered a bit until we found a little pocket park where we ate them, positively moaning after every bite.
Also, crispy eggrolls in Thailand, ramen in Japan, sangria in Portugal, baklava in Turkey . . . you’re right, we could play this game for a looong time. 😃
Food memories are a hugh part of the pleasures of travel.
Crispy eggrolls in VIETNAM, oops! Substitute chicken curry for Thailand.
Those would be some pretty dandy choices. Thanks for sharing! Food is about the only reason I would travel anymore.
I love Tex/Mex and all manner of Mexican food, and Santa Fe offers not only dish upon dish of luscious heat, they have a cooking school where you can make your own too! (I enjoyed a few classes there over the years..) There is also an incredible African restaurant off the beaten path in Santa Fe which serves up fish,beef,chicken, and sides with sauces I could not ever dream of making—so exotic and tasty.
Then, there is SEAFOOD. My place to go is where I grew up: the Jersey Shore.Actually a town called Cherry Hill,about 40 minutes from the shore, brings you to a Greek restuarant called PONZIOS..where stuffed clams, stuffed shrimp, fried or broiled seafood combo, and seafood pasta is all on the menu EVERY DAY.Jersey is the “garden state” and the availablity of fresh vegetables and fruits,along with the ocean down the street,makes for an incredible food journey (don’t tell anyone this secret!!) Ponzios has an in house bakery and the cheesecake it New York style, rich,tangy,creamy.
New Orleans would also be on my list..beignets, muffaletta, oysters and dark coffee with chicory.Yum.
I am too Covid-fried to think about internaitonal travel, so my picks are in the USA.. I might actually GET BACK TO some of these palces. We’re not sure about internatinal travel in the future..we,too, have been a lot of wonderful places in our lifetime and travel is not the priority we thought it might be, in retirement.My own back patio and a barbecue grill next to the pool and waterfall make for some pretty happy times. No airfare!!
Your food fantasies are spectacular! I’m with you about staying in the USA for now.