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If you base your travel decisions solely on your taste buds, be sure to include regional delicacies on your must-do list during vacation.
Americans today are savvier about what they eat and how they cook thanks to celebrity chefs and countless hours of cooking shows on the Food Network. Vacationers don't want to settle for a fast-food burger and fries. They want a culinary experience that they can savor. They want a memory to share with family and friends. Before heading off on your vacation, look for information on regional foods and restaurants that cater to foods from the area. Some cities, you will find, are known for a specific dish - Boston baked beans, for example, or Philly cheesesteak. If food is a city's calling card, you can bet it's going to be tasty. Even though it's a city with hundreds of restaurants, New York City boasts some of the best pizza and bagels in the country. The Finger Lakes area of New York is home to the first Annual Pro-Am Culinary Competition held at the New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua, New York in May. The competition teams up area chefs and amateurs who will be cooking with local ingredients. As you travel through farming areas, stop for some home-grown fruits and vegetables. As one of the top 10 fruit and vegetable producers in the country, New Jersey grows more than 100 different kinds of fruits and vegetables. You'll find lots of roadside stands where you can score everything from blueberries to tomatoes. If you're looking for all things chocolate, make your way to Hershey, Pennsylvania where the smell of chocolate is in the air. In Lancaster, Pennsylvania you'll find regional favorites such as chow-chow, chicken pot pie and shoofly pie. The area is filled with farmers' markets loaded with farm-fresh produce, sought-after desserts and artisan cheeses. For another sweet treat, indulge in a large slice of Maryland's sinfully-sweet Smith Island cake featuring 10 or more layers of alternating cake and frosting. If your vacation takes you to Chincoteague Island on Virginia's Eastern Shore, be sure to try some fresh, savory local Chincoteague oyster dishes prepared in a multitude of ways before heading out to see the famous wild ponies. As you travel the roads of North Carolina, check out the barbeque, slow-roasted, hickory-smoked pork dressed in a vinegar-based sauce or head to the coast to feast on lightly breaded Calabash seafood and hushpuppies. In South Carolina, get your fill of shrimp and grits, lowcountry style. And, don't forget to sample some of the state's peaches while you're there. |