Gastro Traveling: 5 Foodie Vacations for the Epicurious

For you, food consumption is a form of art, and when you travel, you consider more than the weather, scenery, and amenities—you look for places that can offer a cultural experience rich with new culinary offerings and local fare. While most travelers want to visit museums and monuments, foodies look for Michelin stars, vegan menus, and dishes created from local sourcing and foraging.

Tips: Before you travel

As you prepare for your culinary adventures, make sure to take a few precautions:

• Find out about the drinking water situation where you plan to travel. In areas with poor sanitation, you may be advised to avoid drinking non-bottled water and asking for your drinks without ice. You don’t want to wind up sick in bed for a few days on the culinary adventure of a lifetime!
• Protect yourself from credit fraud and identity theft while you travel by following these tips. A breached bank account will turn your five-star meal into a sickening experience faster than you can say “check, please.”
• Do some research and make reservations at the best restaurants in the area. Don’t just wing it at walk-ins or you may miss great spots that aren’t on the main strip, find that the best spots are booked up, or be disappointed by the food quality.
• If you’re traveling overseas, stop by your local health food store (or Amazon.com) to get some travel probiotics and digestive enzymes to take with each meal. And, if you’re an especially adventurous eater, stop by your doctor before you leave and have him give you some medicine to bring. Hopefully, you won’t get food poisoning, but on the off-chance you do, you’ll be glad you have something to treat it.

Here are five great locations to plan your next gastro-trip around:

1. France

Ok, ok. I know you expected this one first. But I’m not talking about Paris. In fact, while Paris can be hit-or-miss, Lyon is known to be the gastronomic capital of the universe. With more than 1,500 eateries, more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than anywhere in the world, and organic food, bread and wine readily available, Lyon is packed with incredible places to eat.

Lyon is the foodie capital of the world.

So many famous chefs (think Paul Bocuse, Georges Blanc, Mathieu Viannay, Christian Têtedoie, Lacombe and Orsi) came out of Lyon’s culinary scene that it’d make your head spin thinking about all that Lyon’s top-notch culinary talents have contributed to the world. Lyon is the birthplace of nouvelle cuisine, and there’s a to-die-for-charming white-table-cloth restaurant with exposed stone and beams on nearly every corner. But, as is in true unpretentious Lyonnais fashion, some of my favorite memories are of grabbing fresh local food at the daily farmer’s markets and slurping oysters riverside.

Note: Although I’m otherwise vegan, I love oysters, scallops, and mussels because they’re absolutely packed with protein, B12, and iron, yet they don’t feel pain so I can devour them guilt-free.

2. Belgium

For those of us with a sweet tooth, Belgium is the place to go to get your fix. From Brussels to Namur, you can’t walk a block without stumbling into an incredible gourmet food shop serving up the world’s best chocolates, waffles, dessert pastries, colorful gourmet sweets and/or Belgium’s famously delicious Speculoos cookies. Not only that, but you can expect world-class restaurants with Michelin-star quality food to be nearby wherever you are in the country. Oh yeah, and the beer! I’m not even a fan of beer, but I love their fruit-flavored beer. #YUM!

Grab one of Belgium’s 180 brands of artisanal beer to try with your meal,

As the saying goes, in Paris the popular pastime is shopping. In Belgium the pastime is eating and drinking — gourmet, of course. They have a culture of enjoying good food, and it shows. Check out our Foodie Tour of Belgium.

3. Spain

From San Sebastian with its 16-Michelin star eateries, to Barcelona, with its 25 Michelin star restaurants, Spain is a must-visit-destination for the serious gourmand. Food channel personalities and celebrity chefs often debate whether Spain has usurped France as the number one foodie destination in Europe. Spain is known for tapas (aka. pintxos). Once considered simple bar food, these small plates have become innovative and experimental; a night on the town in Spain consists of sampling tapas at several different bars. Tapas culture provides a laid-back alternative to sitting down for a white linen dining experience.

Try lots of flavors in one sitting with vegan tapas.

When we visited Barcelona recently, we were super impressed with the food — especially the many incredible vegan options. In fact, the food was the most memorable part of our visit to Spain, and considering how beautiful Spain is, that’s saying a lot! To make me even more excited to return asap, last year Barcelona declared itself ‘veggie friendly city’ and initiated plan to help vegan and vegetarian tourists. #psyched!

4. Turks and Caicos, British West Indies

Your mind may wander to these Caribbean islands as you day-dream of a much-needed vacation, however it’s probably not what comes to mind when you’re craving a culinary adventure. Well, now you can have your beach and eat well too!

Seasoned tofu and veggies like this need to be arranged in advance at most places. Luckily, most resorts are happy to oblige.

There’s incredible food throughout the Caribbean, but the wealthy Turks and Caicos island of Providenciales stands out. Combining African, Spanish, Indian, and French flavors, West Indian cuisine is a complex fusion of spices and textures. The Turks and Caicos have everything from roadside stands to five-star restaurants (more about that here), but the most common ingredient is conch (which is basically a giant snail). When we went scuba diving (and you simply must, as the water is crystal clear and the diving companies are very professional), our captain took us to a deserted beach for lunch, and we dined on just-caught conch mixed into a salad.

5. Boston, Massachusetts

These days I stick to sustainable seafood like oysters and mussels, and don’t condone eating any type of fish (the oceans are way overfished and super toxic nowadays), but if the idea of lobster, mussels, oysters, fried clams, and fish and chips makes your mouth water, then a trip to Boston is order. Boston is one of the best seafood destinations in the US; and like the locals say, “that chowdah is wicked good.”

Despite being known for seafood, vegan foodie scene is growing in Boston.

With a trip to Boston, you’ll also get a crash course in American history. Places like Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall aren’t just historic landmarks; inside, you’ll also find a wide range of high-end and ethnic food vendors. No trip to Boston is complete without visiting Haymarket Square; people come from miles around to shop at the open-air farmers’ market. And while you’re there, you simply must eat at by Chloe and learn what Boston’s fast-growing vegan foodie scene is all about.

Tip: If time is on your side, rent a car and venture to Cape Cod. Wellfleet is known for having the best oysters on the East Coast.

What cities or countries do you think has the best food?