7 Food Treks For Recent Grads
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Italy
Start in Milan and head to Princi for freshly baked focaccia and their 24-hour coffee and cappuccino bar. Visit Porta Ticinese for an aperitivo or just order a cocktail at Cheese and a buffet dinner comes free!
Make your way to Bologna to sample its eponymous sauce. The ragu at Drogheria della Rosa, a restaurant housed in an old pharmacy, is delicious and inexpensive. In Florence, find your must-have dinners at La Giostra and Sostanza/Il Troia. The best panini are at I Due Fratellini.
Next stop? Rome. Head to Giggetto, in the city's famed Jewish ghetto, to sit in the beautiful garden and enjoy their famous artichokes. In Napoli, don't miss Antica Pizzeria da Michele and Pizzeria Starita — both have perfected the ancient art of pizza making.
Don't miss: Zanarini in Bologna for pastries, Florence's Moyo for free Wifi and a a cool, slightly sweet "shakerato" — a coffee drink made in a martini shaker, and Alla Rampa's unforgettable salmon pasta under the Spanish Steps in Rome.
Paris and Rouen
Have a café crème with a tartine for breakfast at Merci, before perusing the shop inside. Not eating lunch at Robert et Louise would be a crime — 12 Euros buys you le plat principaux du jour and your choice of cheese or dessert and you get to watch the chefs working in the kitchen.
Stop for a midday coffee at La Caféotheque. Sink into a cozy armchair at this little café on the Seine and order a café gourmand. Make sure to book ahead at La Regalade Saint Honoré for a three-course, 33 Euro prix fixe dinner — it's just a few steps away from the Louvre and they do Parisian cuisine right, down to the cornichons and chicken liver pate. At Les Papilles, the no-choice four-course-tasting menu is a no-brainer. To accompany your feast, pick a bottle of wine right off the wall.
Make sure to stop in Rouen to taste the food that inspired Julia Child. Splurge on your meal at La Couronne and to really feel like Julia, order the sole meuniere.
New York
The city's markets provide an outlet for curious foodies to get their fix of exotic and artisanal fare. Places like Chelsea Market offer lobster salad (at The Lobster Place), focaccia raisin twists (at Amy's Bread), and pistachio gelato (at L'Arte del Gelato) all under one roof.
Summer is the best time to take advantage of New York's markets and food stalls — Madison Square Park is in a food truck frenzy with vendors like Eataly, Momofuku Milk Bar, and Bar Suzette, while the Brooklyn Flea has just added a new food market called Smorgasburg with over 100 food vendors in tow.
On Saturdays, line up at the Sigmund Pretzel Shop and Brooklyn Taco Company stands at the Hester Street Fair. Then subway over to Jackson Heights to dine on dosas at Delhi Palace and try some dim sum at Chinatown's Oriental Garden.
The Great American Burger Road Trip
It is time — time to compare the merits of the Double Double from In and Out with the Shack Burger at Shake Shack on the ultimate road trip to find the most mouth-watering flame grilled patties across the US. Stop for the Slayer at Kuma's Corner in Chicago, a half-pound burger topped with chili, cherry peppers, andouille, onions, jack cheese, fries, and a secret ingredient — anger.
Devour the rock-song themed burgers at Burger and Beer Joint in Miami and get your hands dirty with the Tostada Burger, covered with refried beans and tortilla chips, at Chris Madrid's in San Antonio. Save room for the juicy goodness at O'Connell's Pub in St. Louis and if you can stomach it, the Seven Napkin burger from Owl's Head General Store in Maine.
And make sure to check out George Motz's Hamburger America and his top 25 essential burgers.
Road Trip: Portland to Vancouver
Forget Route 66 and start at the Bite of Oregon Festival (August 12-14) for delectable cuisine on the cheap for your Portland to Vancouver road trip. Don't miss the famous Stumptown Coffee Roasters', who host free public tastings daily from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Hopworks, Portland's first eco-brewpub, also offers tours ($5 per person)every Saturday afternoon. Work up an appetite with Portland Walking Tours and sample the best local artisan items across town.
Stop in Centralia, Wash., for authentic Mexican roadside grub in the Pacific Northwest at La Tarasca. Visit Pike Place Market to explore the historic venue and, when night falls, get spirited away at Tavern Law, a cocktail-focused speakeasy. In Vancouver, go to Granville Island Market and people watch in the waterfront courtyard. For dinner, the Mediterranean-inspired tapas at Mis Trucos are a must-have.
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires may boast a rowdy party scene, but food lovers also flock to this cosmopolitan Latin American capital. Munch on medialunas at Las Cortaderas for breakfast. Keep your wallet full by grabbing lunch at a pop up food market or venture to the "No Name" Food Stall in Las Canitas for yummy choripan.
Casa Felix, a restaurant run by the eco-gastronomic Colectivo Felix, hosts a 5 course pescatarian tasting dinner for 150 Pesos (USD $38) on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights — with spaces available for only 15 guests, be sure to reserve ahead of time. Dine on ceviche and fried prawns with avocado at Mott or savor the empanadas at Bodega Vistalba on the Carlos Pulenta Winery. Go wine tasting at Anuva Wines at the Rendez Vous Hotel and sample each libation with a food pairing.
St. John and St. Croix
Start in St. John at the Donkey Diner, voted the 2011 Best Breakfast by The Virgin Islands Daily News. Visit The Waterfront Bistro for fresh tuna and crab and for traditional Caribbean style food, Miss Lucy's can't be beat — try her conch chowder or conch fritters.
Malaysian inspired cuisine from the island outpost of New York's Fatty Crab or the Mediterranean fare at La Tapa offer a break from Caribbean cooking. Taste local beers at The Tap Room, St. John's own microbrewery and pub.
Hop on the inter-island ferry to St. Croix for more island eats. Stop by Salud! Bistro crab cakes or Sale e Miele for a homemade Italian meal. Build your own benedicts or try pinã colada pancakes at Reggae brunch on Sundays at Eat@canebay and take a tour of the Cruzan Rum Distillery before leaving the island.