FIVE (5) U.S. FOODIE DESTINATIONS

As a traveling foodie, my goal is to eat my way around the world, so for the last 30 years that’s what I’ve been doing. While I have eaten delicious meals in many countries, I’ve also eaten many right here at home. Here are 5 of my favorite U.S. foodie cities:

NEW ORLEANS serves up a combination of Creole cuisine, Cajun cuisine, soul food and mouthwatering seafood; like po' boys, muffuletta sandwiches, oysters Rockefeller bananas Foster and scrumptious beignets, lightly dusted with powdered sugar. My favorite restaurants included Mahony’s Po-Boys & Seafood, Mother’s Restaurant, Willie Mae’s Scotch House and Café du Monde. It’s definitely a city for world-class eaters but be sure to go hungry - the portions are huge!

NAPA has long been known as one of California’s most famous wine regions. But it is also a culinary destination that serves up fresh local produce, top quality meats Italian food and fresh seafood - in fine dining and casual restaurants. After a day of wine tasting, you can choose from a variety of restaurants. Some of my favorites are Allegria (Italian food), Mustards Grill (contemporary farm to table), R+D Kitchen (classic American & sushi). I especially like the onsite deli at V Sattui Winery, where they make their own charcuterie which pairs with any of their 200 different cheeses, and fresh fruits. They also sell house-made desserts like Tiramisu, Crème Brûlée, seasonal Fruit Tarts, and Italian-style Gelato. It’s a great place to enjoy a picnic lunch on their beautiful grounds while admiring the surrounding Napa Valley scenery.

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