Oliver's Chili Peppers

Oliver's Chili Peppers

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Dining Out- of Town

I love to eat. I love to travel. Put the two things together and there can be bliss. Not only do I research restaurants, cafes and hole-in-the-wall eateries ad nauseam, but I love to ask people about their favourite restaurants while I am away from home. Even if people are not foodies, watching them explain why they love a place is always exciting. 

I have been fortunate enough to do a little travel in my life, and most recently have visited the cities of Vancouver, Chicago and Phoenix. Each offered its own particular culinary adventure. 

Granville Island Cappuccinos 
In Vancouver, a health conscious mindset prevails, with people walking, hiking and biking all over the place. It was nice to find that in a lot of the more urban neighbourhoods, the value of a specialty provider was not lost; bakers, butchers, and wine shops abound. These were alongside large and smaller grocery stores, florists and clothing stores. It seems that more culinary respect is garnered by one-off restaurants that have the opportunity to create for a smaller, but keenly interested guest. 

Chicago Skating
In Chicago, we found the choices to be overwhelming. There are new concepts, world renowned chefs, vintage rooms, fixtures of American cuisine and more. I love every moment of it. We ended up eating in the park, with a skating rink out front. The most perfect moment with cityscape, snow falling and pinot noir...

Giant Salad in Phoenix
In Phoenix, it was go big, or go home! Out in the suburbs, I didn't have the opportunity to try some of the places that I've read or heard about. But there were Burgerthon worthy burger joints, giant portion sizes, and more selection than you could shake a cactus at. With a strong Mexican influence, there were many fresh flavours to choose from.

I am planning a surprise food feature in a few months to an exotic destination. I hope to bring you all of the culinary delights, secrets and specialties of that special place, on location!