Tagged: FoodieBytes

We Love To Travel: Food Finds

The best part about travel is….everything!  Well almost everything.  Food is the one thing that can elevate or destroy any travel experience.  With sites like TripIt, Trip Advisor, Yelp, Urbanspoon, and all the apps that go along with them, travel has never been better.  Whether you’re out of town for pleasure or on business, you can use any of your favorite apps. If we do say so ourselves, FoodieBytes is a great tool to find and post photos of your best dishes, make reservations and get some of the best discounts on meals (taken off right on the bill) so whether you are on Route 66 or a road less traveled.

The Food Tube
 Although not as “instant” as some of the websites and apps, you might find time to watch a few episodes on the plane or train.  Food television is a great way to preview some must try spots or hidden gems wherever you travel.  There are shows like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives from Guy Fieri, that spiky haired blond guy on overdrive whose first foray on the Food Network was as a contest and later winner of The Next Food Network Star.  Then there are shows like Unique Eats and Unique Sweets, which focus on a theme, for a perfect way to satisfy any particular craving.  If you want to bring back a little gift for someone or take a treat to your hotel then Foodcrafters is a fun way to get to know a little more about food artisans in the area.  If those shows are a little too precious for your taste then there is always Anthony Bourdain’s The Layover or Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods.

Photo courtesy of The Layover (The Travel Channel)

Better Get Some Apps
There are so many great apps for travel and food reviews.  Some are better for when you are at home ogling food porn but there are others that are just perfect when you have settled into your hotel and you want to find out what’s nearby.  Travel and Leisure has their list of best apps.  The daily meal have a list of apps for the hungry traveler.  Ask your friends and colleagues what works best for them.

The Road Less Traveled
Other times, you don’t actually have to leave home to “travel”.  You can find some pretty unique eats in your own neighborhood.  Famed chef Tony Maws of Craigie on Main is back with his Road Less Traveled dinner (March 13th), which is an experience of a life time (like a culinary wonder of the world).  Chef Maws creates an incredible meal that one might argue outdoes his impeccable “every day” menu.  The difference for this one, is that Chef Maws is using cock’s combs, pig brains, sea cucumber, pig ears, cod milt, duck testicles, Tonka beans, fish tails, crosnes, monkfish liver and duck tongues.

Another way to experience travel without leaving home is to indulge in a new part of the world through their food.  Have never had Brazilian BBQ, Mongolian Hot Pot, Persian stews, authentic dim sum?  Take a culinary vacation by picking a local restaurant at random or read the blogs, reviews, and peruse photos online to see what piques your interest. If you can’t afford the airfare, indulge in the cooking that the nonnas, mader bozorg, or 奶奶 Nǎinai have brought over to your town from their motherland.

Monday’s Menu – Sweet Revenge Brunch

We’re starting a Monday’s Menu feature because sometimes you just need to start your week off with some reading material that is a little more uplifting than the newspaper.

To kick it off we’ve got New York City’s Sweet Revenge.  Since we’re waiting until everyone has thrown in their towel for New Year’s resolutions, we’ve jumped ahead to February with some Valentine’s Day (or perhaps anti-Valentine’s day) inspiration.  For those of you who have already kicked caution to the curb, go ahead, make a reservation!

The deets:

  • 62 Carmine St., New York, NY 10014
  • Subways 1 – Houston; ACE/BDFV – W. 4th
  • Phone (212) 242-2240
  • Mon – Thu 7am – 11pm, Fri 7am – 12:30am,
  • Sat 11am – 12:30am, Sun 11am – 10pm

Tuck into winter menus: The Hudson (Los Angeles)

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve there’s something appealing about warm winter soups, and seafood stews.  Los Angeles’ The Hudson launches their winter menu with plenty of tasty bites to keep you satiated all winter long.  After you snag a few photos of your favorite dishes off the new menu for FoodieBytes then you can head to the photo booth for some fun shots to remember this year by before stepping into 2012.

The Hudson, West Hollywood

On the menu are a winter risotto with butternut squash and wild mushrooms ($10), a wild salmon with tuscan white bean and Spanish chorizo ragu, and Manila clams ($19), a grilled Mahi served with asparagus, roasted potatoes in a white wine and brown sugar shallot reduction ($19), Cioppino (pictured above) made with market fish of the day, calamari, black mussels, Manila clams served with garlic crostini ($18), and last but certainly not least is the Gorgonzola burger served sith balsamic grilled onion arugula and a red wine Dijon mustard reduction.

Seasonal drinks include a Spellbound cocktail ($11) with Jasmine green tea infused Grey Goose, Ginjo Sake, fresh mint and orange juice and the Sattellite with Hudson’s bosc pear infused Rye Whiskey, Cocchi di Torino Vermouth, Laird’s apple brandy and bitters. ($11).

Cheers to winter!