Will travel for food!
Fish and chips in Lerwick, Shetland Islands. Photo by Lindsey Nair l The Roanoke Times
In today’s Front Burner column, I write about some of my favorite vacation food memories, as well as some of my experiences during a recent trip to the British Isles and Iceland. As I wrote in the column, it isn’t all about the quality of the foods. It’s about the experience, and how food ties into the culture and identity of a particular place and time. To read the column, click here.
When I came in this morning, I had a couple of great emails from readers. One woman wrote to tell me she was on the same boat as me! It is indeed a small world. Another woman wrote to tell me that the article brought back fond memories of her time living in Scotland years ago. I’d like to share an excerpt from her note:
“We spent 4 days on the Shetland Islands and I have only wonderful memories of the food and the lambs being herded through the middle of the street in front of our hotel early one morning. In Edinburgh I remember so well the birth of Prince William (his birthday was just a few days ago) as a friend visiting from New Orleans and I were on walking down Princess Street about 2PM when one of the Queen’s BEEFEATERS with a LARGE brass bell ringing and shouting out “A PRINCE HAS BEEN BORN” over and over again.
Sorry your haggis wasn’t the best. We’ve had the best at a New Year’s party at the St. George Hotel and there was in those days one of the best Chinese restaurants I’ve ever been in on the high road up to the castle on the hill. Edinburgh was only 2-1/2 hrs. by train. I went at least once a month for shopping … I’m always amazed when I hear Americans say that the British have terrible food. NOT IF ONE KNOWS WHERE TO FIND THE GOOD EATS. At one castle the waiters wore tux and white gloves. Believe me I’ll never forget the stone crab soup at one particular village near the North Sea. Thanks for the memories.”
I would love to hear about some of your favorite vacation food memories. What have you eaten during your travels that you will never forget?
June 29, 2011 - 10:18 AM
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Lindsey, I read your column today. Wow! You have written a lot of good stuff, but this is one of your best.
I agree about the lack of spice (in both senses) in traditional English fare. Occasionally you’ll get a bit of mint or sage, but that’s about it.
However, not all of their common cuisine is so bland. For instance, the Chicken Tikka Masala you were longing for actually originated in England (just as General Tso’s Chicken originated in the US). In fact, it’s so popular there that many consider it England’s true national dish!
Two of my favorite vacation food memories:
Two years ago my fiance and I traveled up to Canada for our vacation. We spent the last few days of our trip in Quebec City (which overall had great food!) and one of those days we drove around the Ile d’Orleans. We drove out there to check out the wineries and just to have a scenic ride in the country. As we were driving around the island we saw strawberry fields everywhere. We stopped at a stand set up on the side of the road right next to one of the fields and bought a pint of the reddest, juiciest, sweetest strawberries I’ve ever had. We also go some of this maple sugar/butter mixture to go with them and it was definitely the best thing I had that entire week. I even have a picture of those strawberries hanging up at my desk just because they were so pretty.
My second favorite food memory was eating beignets at Hueys on the River last summer in Savannah. We started off breakfast with delicious omlettes that were as big as the plate and grits that actually made me like grits! But there was no way I was leaving that restaurant without having the beignets and I’m glad I did. They were like little pillows of happiness and made the hour plus wait we had entirely worth it. I’ll never go to Savannah again without having beignets from Hueys.
I had to go looking for some fried fish after reading your column. I got fried flounder at Horizon Grill, but it came with mixed greeens instead of chips. Still good.
David, you just made my day. Thank you for those kind words.
Mark, you are right about the chicken dish! Nice point!
Bailey, those are fantastic travel stories. See, that’s exactly what I was talking about when I said it’s about the food and the place. I want to go to Savannah.
Debbie, maybe greens are more healthy than chips… but the way we cook ‘em down South, I’m not so sure
They were mixed salad greens, Lindsey. Not collards, kale, etc.
BTW your pictures were great!
OH, well there ya go! Healthier.
I’m glad you like the pics. I have 700 pictures!!
My travels have mainly been in the US, with just a couple quick trips to Canada and one to Europe a few years ago with my mother in law. But my absolute most favorite food place in the whole world is New Orleans. There’s just something about the city, even around Mardi Gras, that produces magical food.
Two of the places I most remember are, for lack of a better phrase, tourist traps. Mother’s was the place for po’boys as well as red beans and rice. I introduced my husband to the concept of debris (the wonderful gravy and pan drippings from where the meat was roasted), and his view of meat and bread sandwiches was forever changed. I fell utterly in love with the grilled boudin at The Gumbo Shop down in the French Quarter. It was wonderfully spicy, grilled perfectly, and served with whole-seed mustard and crusty French bread baked on premises.
The food epiphany, though, came from a little hole in the wall wine bar on St. Charles. We’d heard that writer Poppy Z. Brite’s partner was the executive chef at the Delachaise Restaurant, and had read some wonderful reviews of his food. So we hopped a street car on a Monday night and had dinner. It was the first time I had ever had food in a restaurant that I could -taste- was fixed with love. Food was served tapas style in the old train-car restaurant that was 3/4 bar with a few small tables. My husband and I each ordered appetizers, entrees and desserts. My appetizer was the chef’s cheese plate which was served by the chef. Since it was a quiet night, he was able to come out and talk with us. He knew where each of the cheeses came from (down to the farm – and he even spoke fondly of the farmers) and explained what paired best with each. The cheeses (1 goat, 2 sheep’s milk, 1 cow) were served with fresh bread, homemade spiced walnuts and fresh organic fruits. My husband ordered the Wahini shrimp – prawns that seemed the size of a hand wrapped in phyllo nests, served with a Hawaiian dipping sauce. The husband loved them, but I’m not quite a fan of my food looking at me before I ate it.
The entrees were simply amazing – and amazing in their simplicity. I had the Father Pat’s Grilled Cheese – Irish whiskey cheese on Dakota bread with a rich pear butter spread. My husband had the fish and chips made with a Gulf fish (whose name I can’t remember and can’t find). Each bite simply melted on the tongue. The fries were cooked in peanut oil and seasoned with sea salt, very lightly. The chef came back out between entree and dessert to talk with us a bit more and decided to bring us a summer caprese salad he was getting ready to debut. Neither the husband or I like sliced tomatoes – but we ate every single bite of this salad. Fresh mozzarella sliced to the perfect thickness topped with thin slices of heirloom tomato and cherry tomato, with a little sun-dried tomato tapanade (sp?) and olive oil. Each bite was a little taste of heaven.
Dessert was, pardon the pun, simply the icing on the cake of an amazing meal. I had the mango creme’ brulee topped with green tea infused sugar. Have you ever eaten a dessert so slowly that it seemed as though each bite was akin to a religious experience? The husband got the dark chocolate and goat cheese stuffed french toast topped with a cane sugar syrup. Contrary to popular belief, it really wasn’t overly sweet at all and the flavors just melded together in what I can only describe as a symphony for the taste buds. It was actually a good thing that we took so long eating dessert. About halfway through, a parade just happened to wander through the restaurant. Yes. A Mardi Gras parade, complete with 4 piece brass section, wandered into the restaurant. The Krewe of Seven Mile is how they billed themselves, and they marched the Monday after the first big weekend of parades because they couldn’t get into the larger parades on the weekends. They started way up St. Charles, dressed in beautiful and hilarious costumes, then danced (and drank) their way down to the French Quarter, stopping at every alcohol-serving place in between. For about 30 minutes, we were part of the Mardi Gras experience. Forty or Fifty people packed themselves into this smallish bar, finding seats wherever they could (yes, we were joined by revelers who wanted to know all about who we were, where we came from, and who draped us with beads) while live music played from the doorway. It was, for us, the epitome of “Laissez les bon temps rouler,” or “Let the good times roll.”
The chef in question, Chris DeBarr, has since opened his own restaurant down in the Quarter, The Green Goddess (greengoddessnola.com). His focus is on the food, of course. We haven’t been, yet, but it’s on our “Must do” list. He’s one of the only chefs I’ve ever met who infuses every dish with his pure love of food.
An old friend of mine went to England a couple of years ago and she took about that many too.
In Edinburgh the fish ‘n’ chips was, of course, excellent but the standout meal of each day was the “Scottish Fry Up” each morning at the Grosvenor Hilton. There, too we had a large cauldron of baked beans each morning but you had to get there early or it was cleaned out. There was also a “porridge” bar, with another large cauldron this time filled with oatmeal and the usual condiments for hot cereal; cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, raisins and whisky. Whisky (no “e” it’s Scottish)? Yep,, a liter of Famous Grouse to spice up the porridge. Haggis and blood sausage were present as well as rashers of bacon and smoked sausages. Eggs, scrambled, soft-boiled and cooked to order and a variety of excellent cheeses we offered daily. Lunch was often unnecessary.
I’ve since learned that haggis is also good with a splash of whisky and a very good version can be ordered from Caledonian Kitchens in Texas. Beef, Lamb and vegetarian are all sold by this company. Before thinking that haggis is weird, think of its American cousins, scrapple or, in the Carolinas, liver mush. I prefer mine splashed with single-malt rather than blended whisky.
Lyndsey, I too have had a really good fish and chips…in Australia! I remember the place well. It is located just above the ridge where the Olympics volleyball tournament was held. It is still the best I have had.
Secondly, Europe is my all time favorite for food! Last time I was there, we stayed in Rome,Italy, just north of the center. There, next to our hotel was a homemade past shop! Ate there every day and had some awesome tiramisu across the street. But of all the gelatos that I have had, the best is the store right by the trevi fountain. I have been to Italy twice now and still long to go back!
And if anyone gets the chance to go to Taiwan…do. There are night markets that I think everyone would love. There are all these food vendors and snacks and shopping. The best part, it goes on all night!
Again, thanks for sharing Lyndsey! Great work
I’ve been to many states in the US and several countries and the best food I have eaten by far was in Germany. This is going to sound very odd but the most awesome meal I had there was in a restaurant inside of a Best Western hotel in Cologne. The Germans are very fierce in their allegiance to the different regions in which they live. When we asked the waiter what beer he would recommend he responded “Colognais of course” with a air of “what kind of ridiculous question is that?”! He was, of course, correct in that it was the best beer I’d ever had. I kick myself for not finding out what specific kind it was but chances are I can’t get it here in the states anyway.
As for the food, I had a beef dish that reminded me of stroganoff although it wasn’t. It was something inherent to that region and it practically melted in my mouth and was served with the most delicious cooked red cabbage. I don’t really care for red cabbage but this stuff was the perfect combination of sweet and sour. I loved it so much I came home and searched the internet for a similar recipe. I found one but of course it wasn’t as good as the true German version! I will also never forget spending the night in a historic castle, waking up the next morning and eating breakfast while looking out the window at the German countryside. It was beautiful and reminded me of Virgina very much!
As for the US, my list would include creme sticks in the Ohio Amish community, Key Lime Pie on the deck of a Florida restaurant, homemade pasta at some tiny hole-in-the wall Italian restaurant in NYC and of course my favorite comfort foods made by my grandmother and my parents.
Next month I travel for the first time to New England and I am so excited to try the local cuisine. Lobster is certainly on the agenda as well as chowder, clams, berry pie and whatever else I can find! I’ll be sure to think of you Lindsey as I eat that lobster in Maine!
Wow! Such mouth-watering memories from everybody. It makes me even more certain that I need to be socking away as much $$ as possible so I can travel again very soon.
Thanks for sharing! And keep it coming, everybody.
Kim sent me this additional food memory and asked me to share it:
Oh gosh, I forgot to add one more excellent food experience to my previous post! I had the most wonderful lobster bisque at a tiny restaurant on a back street in Paris. I was with my Mom and Uncle and his friends when we walked past this restaurant with a handwritten green sign out front. It had Lobster Bisque on it and a few other things I don’t recall anymore. We decided to try it and I will forever be grateful that we did. The place was so small it probably only had seating for about 20 people and we were the only ones in there. The owner/chef was there and his wait staff consisted of his daughter who was probably all of 10 years old. He was so excited to have our group come in and his little girl was the cutest, most sweetest thing ever! I ordered the lobster bisque because I’d never had it before but figured it would be something I would like. Well, like is an understatement because I fell in love with that rich, decadent bowl of bisque! I had many wonderful foods and pastries in Paris but nothing could ever compare to that tiny restaurant, the pure passion the chef had for his food and service and that heavenly bowl of lobster bisque. I wish I was there right now…….