Category ArchiveEverywhere Once |

Mainstream Microbrews

by Brian on June 18, 2012 in Arizona, Food & Drink, Travel, United States

Sleepy Dog Brewery, Tempe, AZ

Over a year ago I repented and confessed my beer bigotry. When we left Manhattan I expected to find most of the country awash in “light and refreshingly boring” American pilsners. I’ve since reformed but am still continuously amazed at the quality and variety of beer we find virtually everywhere we go.

When we rode into Tucson, Arizona, I wasn’t really surprised to find nine different local breweries. We’ve come to expect that. But one in a huge shopping mall? That was indeed a first.

After catching a rare movie at the Foothills Mall, we wandered into Thunder Canyon Brewery. In ages past, such a place would likely have served a line-up of similarly tasteless beers with various amounts of added coloring. The “brewery” a simple marketing gimmick designed to lure adults away from the food court.

Some like it Hot

by Brian on June 11, 2012 in Food & Drink

While it’s not necessarily the best economic development, it is fantastic news for those of us who think the domestic palate needs radical de-sissification. For too long we’ve lived in a desert of blandness where food is prepared to coddle the most sensitive tongues. So I have to admit I was delighted to see hot sauce production rank as the 8th fastest growing U.S. industry in a recent IBIS World Special Report.

During our travels we’ve noticed the changes too. From the growing number of hot sauce bars, like Peppers of Key West, to spicy menu options that actually have some spice, our nation’s taste for heat is definitely on an upward trend.

That trend is easily explained by the glorious proliferation of ethnic cuisine making its way through the U.S. along with an expanding population of immigrants from spice loving regions. But what explains our taste for spicy food more generally?

Surprisingly, that question still confounds scientists. Spice isn’t a flavor like sweet or sour. It is pure pain, indistinguishable by the body from the kind caused by a physical burn.

Is regional cuisine still relevant?

by Brian on May 7, 2012 in Food & Drink, Texas, Travel, United States

Ever since the dawn of the spice trade, the work of traveling merchants has helped homogenize world cuisine. Migrants, too, bring along traditional recipes and infuse their new homes with tastes from the old country. The effect is a wonderful variety of constantly improving food, but at the expense of regional and national distinctiveness. In America, where people move freely and trade aggressively, the forces of homogenization are stronger then we often realize.

When we set out on our Great American Road Trip, we expected to be wowed by “authentic” regional cuisine. We thought, for example, we’d find the best chicken and dumplings in the Deep South, and the best Mexican cuisine along the Mexican border and throughout the South West. When we rolled into Texas, we felt like we entered the home turf of America’s all-star barbeque team, and had expectations to match.

A Slice of Home

by Brian on May 3, 2012 in Food & Drink, Travel

This article by Travel and Beyond on Lombardi’s in New York City reminds me of one of the things I miss about home – some of the best pizza anywhere. In a city of great pies, Lombardi’s ranks supreme; according to me at least.

The genius of this pizza starts with the crust, which is black and crispy on the underside (with pleasant, slightly bitter overtones), but gives way to a wonderfully soft, yeasty interior. Signature toppings like pepperoni and home-made meatballs, along with the restaurant’s famous clam pie, keep locals and tourists alike coming back. ~ Lombardi’s Pizza

Unable to sink my teeth in to a nostalgic meatball pie from Lombardi’s, I’ll have to satisfy myself with a new upstart and contender for the crown. Not a small mom-and-pop traditional pizzeria, but a chain. Mellow Mushroom’s non-traditional pies, particularly its Magical Mystery Tour, give a whole new meaning to the word pizza. It’s not even like the same food. So when we stop in this Saturday for some Mellow Mushroom, we won’t really be cheating on our favorite from home.

Relive our first taste of the Mellow here: Don’t Judge a Pizzeria by its Drug Culture Cred

The Flavor of Culture

by Brian on March 30, 2012 in Central America, Food & Drink, Guatemala, Travel

el Frijol Feliz, Cooking Class, Antigua, Guatemala

Chef "Gaby" looks disaprovingly at Brian's cooking technique

For the adventuresome, food is the most accessible part of any culture – and the most enjoyable too. History and language tell us many things, but nothing else lets us participate in the daily lives of a people the way their cuisine does.

As travelers we usually find ourselves as outsiders looking in. Eating a local meal and drinking the local drink brings us inside the tent. In food, there is no language barrier to separate us. Our experiences: the flavors, aromas, and textures are identical. Understanding is immediate. In those brief moments, we are locals.