Traditional Vietnamese Food: 15 Dishes to Try in Vietnam

There are so many things to be excited about when traveling to Vietnam, but one of the things we were really looking forward to was trying Vietnamese cuisine.  We were traveling with Viking River Cruises on their Magnificent Mekong river cruise trip, so we weren’t sure how many opportunities we would have to eat traditional Vietnamese food.  We actually had a number of occasions to try Vietnamese dishes, but one of the best decisions we made was to spend some time taking two street food tours in Hanoi with Duc Ivan, owner of Hanoi Street Food Tours. 

5 Great Edinburgh Restaurants On or Near the Royal Mile

When we traveled to Edinburgh, we were on the lookout for great restaurants, but also restaurants that were close to where we were staying on the Royal Mile.  We discovered five delicious Edinburgh restaurants on or near the Royal Mile, some through research and some just by happenstance.  They ran the gamut from fine-dining, Michelin-rated restaurants to casual eateries.  All had fantastic food and are worth a visit.

10 Things To Eat and Drink at European Christmas Markets

The holidays are meant for eating, aren’t they?  When we visited the European Christmas markets of the Danube River we kept our eyes open for special European Christmas market foods.  From sausages to glühwein, we’ve got you covered for finding some of the best European Christmas market eats.

A Guide to 3 Great Restaurants in El Paso Texas

We enjoyed a Texas weekend getaway to El Paso with the intent to find fun things to do.  While there we also found some great El Paso restaurants which fit any traveler’s food desires, whether they want to enjoy border Mexican food, Texas steak and barbeque, or a more eclectic mix of foods of the world.  Here is our guide to some of the great restaurants in El Paso, Texas.

Eating Healthy (And Good!) at the Restaurants of Conejo Valley

Southern California, especially the Los Angeles area, has a reputation for eating healthy.  People in other parts of the country are sure we eat avocados and alfalfa sprouts all day.  Vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, paleo, gluten-free, and every other health choice can be found here.  Vacation is the most difficult time to stick to a special diet as it is sometimes hard to find items that fit within a diet when eating out.  During our weekend getaway to Conejo Valley, we were struck by how easy it was to eat well and eat healthy.  No matter your dietary restrictions or choices, you’ll be able to find a meal that fits your needs and tastes delicious at the restaurants of Conejo Valley. 

5 Iconic Chicago Foods You Must Try

Chicago is a food city.  Chicago has famous chefs.  Chicago has famous restaurants.  Chicago has famous foods.  Wondering what food Chicago is known for?  During our girls’ weekend in Chicago, we made sure to try some of Chicago’s most famous dishes.  Here are five iconic Chicago foods you must try on a trip to Chicago.

Great Tbilisi Restaurants for a Taste of Georgia

We’ve previously shared that our first and foremost reason for wanting to travel to Georgia was for the food.  (Be sure to check out our article about Georgian cuisine.)  We got our first taste of real Georgian food at a mix of Tbilisi restaurants ranging from casual to upscale.  Here are six of our favorite Tbilisi restaurants from our trip to Georgia.

Georgian Cuisine: 30 Traditional Foods to Try in Georgia

While Travel the World isn’t a food blog per se, food is a very important part of our travels, so we write about it – a lot.  Sometimes food is even the reason we travel.  For instance, we have a restaurant in San Diego called Pomegranate that serves Russian and Georgian cuisine.  I was so taken by the Georgian dishes I tried, those alone made me decide that I had to go visit the country that makes such delicious food.  So travel to Georgia we did.  Georgian cuisine is different from any other I’ve experienced.  There are so many traditional Georgian foods and dishes unique to Georgia, and you have to order them all while traveling through Georgia because odds are you aren’t going to be able to get them at home.

Three of the Best Mexican Restaurants in Yuma Arizona

As residents of San Diego, when we hear someone say they “ate at the best Mexican restaurant” in some state in the middle of the country, or even in the middle of California, we nod and smile, but we sometimes have our doubts about how good that Mexican food could have really been.  With our close proximity to the Mexican border, we know what good Mexican food tastes like.  We’ve also learned from our travels that while indeed there are some really good Mexican restaurants around the country, Mexican food is one of those ethnic foods that somehow loses its traditional and authentic flavors the farther away it is made from its homeland, and therefore there are a lot of bad Mexican restaurants.  On a recent weekend trip to Yuma, a city also close to the Mexican-American border, we decided to take on the challenge of finding the best Mexican restaurants in Yuma.  We ate at four and, while all were good, three of them made our list.  These three Yuma Mexican restaurants are completely different from each other and special in their own ways.

Essigbrätlein: Nuremberg’s Two Michelin Star Restaurant

We love a good Michelin-starred restaurant.  We’re starting to tick Michelin-starred restaurants off our list like some do countries, UNESCO sites, and national parks.  I promise we’re not complete food snobs who only eat at expensive restaurants, and we enjoyed our fair share of sausages and langos from the European Christmas Markets before eating lunch at Nuremberg’s two Michelin star restaurant Essigbrätlein.  But after dining at Michelin-starred restaurants in Copenhagen, Denmark and Gothenburg in Sweden, we’ve really developed a taste for being culinarily spoiled by the world’s top chefs, and we were excited to have the opportunity to dine at Essigbrätlein, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Germany and the only restaurant with two Michelin stars in Nuremberg.

The Best Restaurants for Local Food in Bishop California

When you first drive into Bishop, what stands out the most along the main drag are the signs for brand name hotels and chain restaurants.  Look a little closer and you’ll find there’s a lot more to Bishop, especially in the food department.  Amongst the Denny’s and the Carl’s Jr. there are some local gems that will make your trip to Bishop a culinary delight.  During our weekend getaway, we ate at some of the best restaurants in Bishop which we think are must-visits for any food lovers traveling to Bishop. 

10 Top Restaurants in New Orleans

An important part of travel to New Orleans is the food.  New Orleans has some of the best food in the entire United States.  New Orleans has stayed true to its roots with some of the oldest restaurants in the country and restaurants serving traditional New Orleans food.  However, New Orleans has also remained relevant with new restaurants serving modern cuisine which complement the classic restaurants of New Orleans.  During our one week visit to New Orleans, we dined at these top restaurants in New Orleans.

Finding the Best Restaurants in Stockholm with the White Guide

Sometimes it can feel like a game of Russian roulette when trying to find good restaurants at which to dine on vacation.  Guidebooks have limited restaurants which sometimes have gone out of business since printing.  Review websites like TripAdvisor, while normally incredibly useful, sometimes fall short when it comes to restaurants, especially when you run a search and find McDonalds listed as the number ten restaurant in the city.  For our trip to Stockholm I found a great resource, the White Guide, for finding the best restaurants in Stockholm. 

Travelers Guide to 33 Traditional Greek Foods

It really shouldn’t have surprised me, the Greek culture being one of the oldest in the world and all, but the Greeks have a ton of traditional foods!  What with the different alphabet and the difficult pronunciations, it’s hard to remember what everything is.  So here is a guide to some of the traditional Greek food you’ll be ordering and eating when you travel through Greece. 

An Athens Food Tour on Three Wheels

Greece has an abundance of food and dishes unique to the country and it can be overwhelming for a traveler to Greece who doesn’t have knowledge of Greek food beyond Greek salad and baklava.  A great introduction to traditional Greek food is with an Athens food tour.  Even better is an Athens food tour that also provides an overview of the layout and sites of Athens, all while riding around on three wheels.  Scooterise provides such a food tour of Athens.

Sweden’s Newest Michelin Starred Restaurants in Gothenburg

Stockholm may be the capital city of Sweden, but Gothenburg is Sweden’s food capital and was actually voted as such in 2012.  Gothenburg, Göteborg in Swedish, recently added to its culinary accolades by gaining two more Michelin stars.  Gothenburg already boasted four Michelin-starred restaurants: Bhoga, Restaurang 28+, Sjömagasinet, and Thörnströms Kök. On February 26, 2015, Michelin announced its 2015 stars for Scandinavia and added two more Michelin starred restaurants to Gothenburg’s list: SK Mat & Människor and KOKA.  

15 Traditional New Orleans Foods

Fried oyster po'boy at Parkway Bakery.

New Orleans is one of America’s food meccas.  The food isn’t just good, it’s historic.  Many of New Orleans’ recipes have been around for 100 years or more.  Travelers will want to eat the best and most traditional cuisine New Orleans has to offer.  We made it our mission to discover and taste the best of New Orleans’ food as part of our list of things to do in New Orleans.

A Date with Yuma’s Agritourism

Agritourism in the United States is a fairly new concept, so you might be wondering, what is agritourism?  According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of agritourism is “the practice of touring agricultural areas to see farms and often to participate in farm activities.”  In this age where we want to know exactly where our food is coming from, agritourism is the perfect addition to a vacation itinerary, and Yuma, a small agricultural town in Arizona, is the perfect travel destination for agritourism. 

10 Top Foods to Try When Traveling in China

Hairy crab in Xibao.

So you’re traveling to China.  You’re probably wondering, what do people eat in China?  They can’t possibly eat the same items I pick up from my neighborhood Chinese restaurant in those cute little take out boxes.  It is true that many of the foods in China are very different from what we are used to getting at home.  (Though surprisingly, orange chicken is actually an authentic Chinese dish, but so much better in China than that gooey sweet stuff we have at home.)  Through a lot of research, some great food tours in China, and a little bit of happenstance, we ate the following 10 top foods to try when traveling in China. 

Tasting Kauai’s Tropical Fruits and Island Cuisine on a Hawaiian Food Tour

Some familiar and some exotic fruits tasted on the Tasting Kauai food tour. 

I love food tours.  So far I've joined a Baja food tour, Beijing food tour, and Shanghai food tour.  But what would a Hawaiian food tour involve?  Loco moco, plate lunch, pineapples, spam?  I stumbled across Tasting Kauai on Twitter while researching our last minute trip to Kauai and was intrigued.  When I learned the Taste of Kilohana tour included riding a train, touring the Kilohana Plantation, snacking on exotic fruit, drinking a mai tai, and devouring a three-course island lunch, I was sold.  I sent Rome golfing at the Kauai Lagoons (he’s allergic to pineapple after all) and joined Tasting Kauai’s food tour.