Recent Episodes

 

Dwight Furrow, the author of American Foodie: Taste, Art, and the Cultural Revolution, talks about the philosophy of food. We discuss everything the impact of everything from automobile to Alice Waters to the Slow Food movement have shaped the way Americans think about food.
 
 
 
 

 

Inbal Baum, the Founder of Delicious Israel, joins us to talk about where foodies should eat when they travel to her country.

• Shakshouka is a popular dish in Israel
• Israeli Breakfast is a distinct and important meal
• The modern cherry tomato has roots in Israel
• Tel Aviv and Jerusalem top the list of cities you should visit
• Beach season runs from April to October
• Rosh Hashana is a great time to visit Israel
• When you visit Tel Aviv, go to the Carmel Market, the Levinsky Market
• Try the date syrup, Silan

 

 

Food for Thought

• Q: After pita bread, what is the most common food used to “wipe” humus?
• A: Raw onion.

 
 

Out of the Frying Pan

• Favorite Spot for Outdoor Dining: Milgo & Milbar
• Favorite Place to Buy Spices: Cafe Arma in Levinsky Market
• Herbs to Try: Za’atar and Hawaij (in Yemenite Coffee)
• Favorite Winery: Sphera
• Favorite Place for Dessert: The Malabia
• Favorite Food Experience for Kids: Max Brenner
• Chef to Watch: Eyal Shani
• Dish to Try at Different Places: Shakshouka and sabich

Bennet Jacobstein, author of The Joy of Ballpark Food: From Hot Dogs to Haute Cuisine, talks to us about what foodies can find at different baseball stadiums around the country.

• Hot dogs and sausages are not the same thing.
• The quality of ballpark food was elevated in the 90s as new stadiums were built and food television shows took off.
• Stadiums have highlighted regional foods.
• Gordon Biersch‘s founder Dan Gordon introduced garlic fries at Candlestick Park in 1994.
• The song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was written in 1908.
• The Yankees replaced Cracker Jacks at one point, but brought it back after a public outcry.
• 

  San Francisco Giant Gordon Biersch Garlic Fries

  Veggie Happy spearheaded the movement to get veggie dogs sold at ballpark stadiums.

• Andrew Zimmern has a stand in the Minnesota ballpark.
• Rocky Mountain Oysters are bull testicles.
• “The Big Six” are the food companies that service the major ballparks.
• As you go from ballpark to ballpark, try the hot dogs at each to see how they’re done differently.
• Proceeds from Bennett’s book go to Second Harvest Food Bank.

 

Food for Thought

• Q: In what year were Cracker Jacks first served at a baseball game?
• A: 1896 in Atlantic City.

 

Out of the Frying Pan

Here’s what Bennet recommends you try at each ballpark:

• Yankees Stadium in New York City: Chicken and Waffles.
• Fenway Park in Boston: Lobster Roll and a cuban sandwich.
• Wrigley Field in Chicago: Chicago-style hot dog with Vienna beef.
• Turner Field in Atlanta: Boiled peanuts.
• Marlins Park in Miami: Cuban dishes.
• Safeco Field in Seattle: The Ivar’s hot dog (with fish) and cream cheese hot dog.
• Nationals Park in Washington D.C.: A cauliflower hot dog and presidential cupcakes.
• 

  Chicago White Sox Chicago-Style Hot Dog

  Busch Stadium in St. Louis: The BBQ.

• Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles: Tommy Lasorda Spumoni ice cream.
• AT&T Park in San Francisco: Crab salad, lamb sausages, and Gordon Biersch garlic fries.

Try a Food Tour

Top 5 Lists

Boston is a proud city and that sentiment doesn’t stop at its food and drink. In an urban hub with lots going on, it’s hard to navigate what you’re really looking for. These five restaurants, bars, and bowling alleys (!!) have been carefully selected to give you a taste of the variety Boston has to offer. From upscale craft cocktails near Fenway park to live jazz in the South End, to the neighborhood bowling alley that serves organic pizza across the Charles River, these places have one thing in common: they’re known for their serious attitude for providing the best in cocktails, local beer, and great food as well. These spots have been Zagat noticed and locally praised, but they’re not where someone visiting Boston might normally find themselves. Spread throughout different neighborhoods of Boston, if a fantastic drink, tasty food, and experiencing Boston’s life outside the usual downtown spots interests you, I invite you to venture into the deliciously local scene.
 

1. Highland Kitchen

 
Favorite drink: The Dorchester: vodka, triple sec, pink lemonade, cucumber ($7)
 
The wait might be long on Friday and Saturday nights as they don’t take reservations, but this popularity means the bar is lively every other day of the week too. A true neighborhood hangout, it’s family owned and known for its American style comfort food and welcoming feel. The food is also excellent, Zagat named it a ‘Best Restaurant in America‘ in 2008 and 2009. You must try the Buffalo Fried Brussel Sprouts $6.95 and Spicy goat stew $18.95. Am I catching anyone’s attention? If you’re driving, there’s a parking lot behind the restaurant off Central St. and street parking as well.
 

$$
150 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 625-1131
http://www.highlandkitchen.com/

 

 
 

2. jm Curley

 
Favorite Drink: Dark & Stormy: dark rum, lime, “ginger-brew”, sugar rim ($9)
 
Named after the city’s former Mayor, this place offers upscale bar food and acts as a regular hangout for people who work in the restaurant industry. It doesn’t take reservations either but between bar seats and other tables space opens quickly. Somewhat new to Boston’s foodie scene, it’s generated a lot of buzz for its Burger and late night menu with spiked ‘Concretes’ (Milkshakes). Other interesting food items from its always-themed chalkboard specials have included a Foie Gras Donut and bacon grease popcorn. The restaurant also offers fried pickles that are to die for. It’s perfect for sharing a few small plates and sipping on something delicious.
 
Fun fact: there’s an entrance to another, ‘Adults Only’ restaurant called Bogie’s Place through jm Curley that keeps to itself and doesn’t allow cell phone use inside. I don’t fully understand what experience is offered behind the door to this second spot, but if you’re adventurous it might be something to try as well. Parking is limited to garages or getting very lucky on the street. Public transit might be the best way to get there as it’s right by Park St. Station and the Boston Common.
 

$$
21 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111
(617) 338-5333
http://jmcurleyboston.com/

 
 

 

3. Flatbread Co. & Sacco’s Bowl Haven

 
Favorite Drink: Seasonal Local Brews.
 
Take a break from the cocktails and venture to Davis Square (an easy shot on the Red Line T from downtown) to Flatbread Co. at Sacco’s Bowl Haven. This joint cooks up fantastic flatbread pizzas using only organic and locally sourced ingredients, serves beer, and offers bowling lanes all in one. Come with the kids to bowl and chow, or with friends to sit at the long bar and watch the bowling balls fly down the alley. It’s a great place to try unique local beers from MA, ME, NH, VT and more. A pizza necessity is Jimmy’s Free-Range Chicken Pizza with black beans, cilantro, tomato, roasted corn, sour cream and jalepeños, $12.50 small, $19.75 large. If you do drive, there’s meter parking throughout Davis Square.
 

$$
45 Day St., Somerville, MA 02144
(617) 776-0552
http://www.flatbreadcompany.com/FlatbreadSacco2010.html

 

 

4. The Beehive

 
Favorite Drink: Sangria: Red wine, muddled fruit, brandy ($8.50)
 
There are endless reasons the Beehive should be a must see stop on your agenda. Chef Marc Orfaly incorporates Middle Eastern and European influences with American style and locally sourced ingredients to serve her contemporary cuisine in an art-infused setting that provides live jazz music during weekend brunch. Still not convinced? It’s been named a ‘Must See’ not only by me but by Travel & Leisure Magazine, Zagat, and The New York Times, and named one of the Top 100 Jazz Clubs in the country by Downbeat Magazine. It so happens the cocktails are fantastic as well, with an extensive bar program. I’d recommend going for the brunch, and, as we’re crossing our fingers for spring’s arrival, scouting out a warm day to sit on the patio and observe the goings on of Boston’s classy South End. You can walk to this area from the Copley area and Back Bay Station. There is some sparse street parking.
 

$$
541 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02120
(617) 423-0069
http://www.beehiveboston.com/

 

 

RELATED: How well do you know the Boston food scene? Take our quiz and find out.

 

5. Eastern Standard

 
Favorite Drink: Nouvelle Fleur: St. germain, tequila, citrus, aperol ($12)
 
Eastern Standard is another place with lots to offer. Steps from Fenway Park, it’s famed for its extensive craft cocktail list, sophisticated late night bar menu, and for, my favorite part, its Butterscotch Bread Pudding with praline ice cream and salted caramel $8. Its experience in the Boston restaurant scene has allowed it to adapt to and please different types of people, creating different types of experiences. I’ve celebrated a family Mother’s Day in the classy yet buzzing dining room, I’ve cheers-ed tequila-infused sangria with girlfriends on the patio, and I’ve shared high-end potato chips and french onion dip with a group after a Red Sox game when desiring a quiet reprieve not offered by other bars in the area. You can take your chances with street parking and tempt the wrath of our meter maids, or you can take public transit. Eastern Standard is right above Kenmore Station on the Green Line T.
 

$$$
528 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215
(617) 532-9100
http://easternstandardboston.com/

 

 
What are some other stellar places for an interesting drink in Boston that I didn’t mention?
 

 
Correction: An earlier version of this post stated that Chef Rebecca Newell was at The Beehive; Rebecca moved over to the sister restaurant Beat Hotel in the fall of 2013.
 

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Isara is a native Bostonian who loves writing, photography, and all things food. Naturally, this lead to her dining out blog, Alone with a Cupcake, which offers foodie insights regarding the best restaurants in Boston and her recently new location, San Francisco.
 

The core of any successful food tour is a great route of top-notch tastings, excellent tour guides, and well-thought-out narration that features fascinating historical and cultural information. But there are also tons of details that will really take a tour to the next level. As America’s top ticketing solution and customer service team for food tour operators, we at Zerve have worked closely with entrepreneurs who are learning the ropes, and we’ve spent a lot of time on the phones with customers, hearing about what they like and dislike. Based on all that accumulated knowledge, here are five tips for anyone who is an aspiring food tour guide.
 

1. Have your tour end where it starts

 
If you’re located in a city with good public transit, it might be okay to have different start and end points. Otherwise, it’s asking for trouble. People will be annoyed to have to walk back to their cars, will not be familiar enough with the area to find their way back, and will experience all sorts of minor confusions that result in complaints and negative reviews. There are some successful food tours that don’t circle back to Point A, but if you insist on going that route, it is absolutely essential to publicize the fact clearly and loudly before the customer commits to spending money on a ticket.
 

2. Have alternative options for vegetarians and those with food allergies

 
Obviously, you have to be upfront about the kinds of foods your group will be sampling so that people will know whether the fare will be unacceptable or even dangerous to them. With that in mind, it’s important to offer alternatives, because every potential customer with a reason not to eat the food on your tour is a customer who doesn’t book a ticket.
 

RELATED: What is food tourism?

 

3. Make sure you include a bathroom break and time to sit down

 
In general, a well-planned walking food tour will take around three hours and cover one to one-and-a-half miles total. You might be planning to visit establishments where there’s not always room for a full tour group to sit down, but that’s a lot of time and distance to cover without taking a rest, so make sure you build in a failsafe spot to sit and munch — and a place to use the restroom — around the halfway mark. This is especially important for older customers and those who simply aren’t in top physical form. If you lead them on a grueling march, expect negative reviews!
 

 4. Hand out bottles of water at the beginning of the tour

 
Also in order to keep your customers healthy and happy during your journey, make sure they have some water to sustain them along the way. They’ll stay hydrated during the walk, and the water also functions as a palate cleanser between tastings. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to build goodwill — customers might be annoyed at having to spend more of their money on drinks during the tour.
 

RELATED: What is a food tour?

 

5. Give a map to the tourgoers after the tour, so they can head back to shop

 

You may be leading tourists to interesting areas that they’ll want to explore further, but your tight schedule might not allow it. So create and distribute an information-packed map of the stops afterward. Customers will be able to revisit the areas they loved, and they’ll know the exact names and locations (and phone numbers, and websites…) of the businesses you visited — so it’s not only convenient for them, but also an excellent way to build professional relationships. You can even offer to print coupons on the maps!
 
Have you been on a food tour? What was your favorite part of the experience?
 

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Ian Wright is the Blog Manager for Zerve. Zerve is the live customer service team and software solution that powers thousands of high-quality activities throughout the United States. You can book tickets quickly, securely and easily at www.zerve.com and keep up with their travel tips at blog.zerve.com

One of the meanest things that has ever happened in the last forty years of people writing about regional food was somebody, somewhere, up and decided that Atlanta, Georgia was not a barbecue city. Since then, scores of misinformed food writers have made the poor decision to give the Peach State short shrift and focus on barbecue in other places. Make no mistake, I bow to nobody in my admiration of the awesome barbecue traditions of Texas, Memphis, North Carolina, and all points in between. But this nonsense that Atlanta’s not a barbecue town, that Georgia’s not a barbecue state, has gone on long enough.
 
Atlanta is more than just a cultural melting pot, where the barbecue traditions of every other region come to life. It’s a vibrant and wonderfully diverse city where new traditions carve out their own niche. If you’ve got a weekend, come to the ATL and try these five places for five very, very different takes on wonderful barbecue.

 

1. Big Shanty Smokehouse

Chic Dillard had been working as a consultant in the restaurant biz for something like thirty years before opening his own place about two miles west of I-75 in this northern suburb in 2007. Since then, he’s received awards and acclaim for some of the best pork in town, offering “inside pulled” or “outside chopped” meat that smokes over hickory for twelve hours overnight. So richly seasoned that the meat is a dark red and brown, it genuinely doesn’t need a drop of sauce, although a pretty good tomato-vinegar blend is available on the side, along with some killer potato salad and heavenly banana pudding.
 

3393 Cherokee St NW
Kennesaw, GA 30144
(770) 499-7444
 

 

 

2. Heirloom Market Bar-B-Que

If you’ll pardon me mixing my metaphors, Cody Taylor and Jiyeon Lee have been the new 800-pound gorillas on the block in Atlanta since they opened Heirloom Market in the too-small space next to a convenience store in 2010. They’ve been waging war with county officials for having too many cars parked up and down the roads ever since. Those who brave the very long lines for takeout here – in an uncomfortable compromise, they have been limiting dine-in customers for several months – will find some amazing pulled pork given a sparkling, Korean flair, with novel, constantly changing sides like their kimchi cole slaw, several great sauces, and arguably the best beef brisket in town.
 

2243 Akers Mill Rd
Atlanta, GA 30339
(770) 850-1008
 

 

3. Hudson’s Hickory House

 

Buford Hudson opened this popular family restaurant in 1971, and created a style only found in the city’s western suburbs. His hickory-smoked chopped pork is served completely drowned in a thin, blood-red vinegar / Worcestershire / pepper sauce that nobody anywhere outside of this region replicates. Hudson-style sauce can be found at nine or ten other restaurants in the area, like Wallace in Austell, Johnny’s in Powder Springs, and J & W near Carrollton, all of whom accompany it with a bottle of magma-hot mustard and cayenne. Absolutely unique and utterly unforgettable.
 

6874 Bankhead Hwy
Douglasville, GA 30134
(770) 942-4828

 

 

4. Miss Betty’s House of Ribs

Betty Patterson set up shop in this old trailer in 2006. Various family members tend to the pit in a screened building out back, and inside, she’s greeting old friends and new with the sweetest charm of the south, and one of the most curious sauces. Arguments have been started over the ingredients in the Boss Sauce: is it soy sauce and Caro syrup? Honey with Worcestershire? Whichever, a thin drizzle over these thick, peppery ribs is a fabulous treat. The ribs, incidentally, never taste quite the same, owing to differences in wood and preparation time, but they always taste perfectly fresh. Sometimes, you’ll have to wait a few minutes while the smoke is making your ribs just right.
 

1281 Bouldercrest Dr
Atlanta, GA 30316
(404) 243-8484
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5. Wyatt’s Country Bar-B-Que

 

The intown neighborhood of Kirkwood is home to a ramshackle green and yellow building so garish that it looks like the Bugaloos have fallen on hard times. You’ll thread your way through a very narrow corridor to place an order to go, and possibly carry it to an adjacent screened porch to kick back and consider what you’ve selected. Pig’s ears and oxtails are popular here among the older customers. The chopped pork is smoked and then steamed, and you’ll definitely want to order it with the sauce on the side. It’s never technically dry, as it’s been marinating in its own gravy, with a texture similar to pot roast. The Kansas City-style sauce is a very good accompaniment, and, in a really neat magic trick, changes the flavor of the meat completely. I like to alternate tastes, one bite with sauce and one without. They taste not a darn thing alike, but boy, do they taste good.
 

1674 Memorial Dr SE
Atlanta, GA 30317
(404) 371-0311
 

 
That claim can be made about Atlanta barbecue in general rather than one single, fun, restaurant. With so many restaurants here that are so radically different from each other, I’d argue that one reason we’re overlooked is that we represent too great a challenge. There is no flavor that can honestly be called “Atlanta barbecue.” We’re too broad, too wild, and too tasty to be shoved under a single umbrella. Don’t overlook us on your way to more storied temples of smoked meat. Pull up a chair and stay a while.
 
What’s your favorite barbecue joint?
 

 

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Grant Goggans has co-written, edited, and taken woeful photographs for the blog Marie, Let’s Eat! since February 2010. When he is not eating barbecue, he is eating something else.