Gastronomic Decisions

Let’s Eat!

You have selected a new city to explore.  You’ve booked a flight, chosen a hotel, NOW, where are you going to eat? Choosing restaurants can be a little overwhelming.....or disappointing if you don’t have a plan. 

Magazines

We have subscribed to two magazines that help us make great restaurant choices.  Seattle Magazine is one of our very favorites for dining choices in the Seattle area.  Most big cities have a similar type magazine.  These are easily accessible on-line.  We travel to Salt Lake City frequently and instead of having a subscription to that magazine as well, we just look at it on-line.  These magazines always have a dining guide which offers descriptions, prices, and locations.  

Sunset magazine is the other publication to which we have a subscription.  We read it voraciously looking for that next place to visit in the the Pacific Northwest, the West, and British Columbia.  We have made many dining and acommodation selections based upon this magazine.

Facebook

One of the best suggestions that we can make is to find out where the locals eat.  Start asking questions.  When we have booked our hotel, I go to Facebook.  (Doug doesn’t do FB, but I do!)  I “like” the hotel and send a message to them.  I let them know that we are coming to stay with them.  I then ask what special events will be taking place while we are there.  Someone will always get back with me and tell me what is happening in the hotel or the city.  I’m so pleased with the responses I get from the Hotel staff.  I have found out about Restaurant Week, specials that the restaurant in the hotel is having, and many restaurant suggestions from the people who live and work in the city I’m going to visit.  From there, I go to the restaurant FB page and I am able to see what specials they have coming up.  I usually contact them via FB and go from there.

Concierge

You don’t need to wait until you check into the hotel to contact the concierge.  We like to call the concierge at the hotel prior to our arrival.  We tell them what we are looking for, i.e:  the food we like, the price range, and proximity to the hotel.  The concierge will either send us a list of restaurants before we arrive or will have the list waiting for us upon our arrival.  It is so slick and easy and an especially good idea if your chosen restaurant might have a long wait to get a reservation.  This is one of the reasons that we tip well.

A year and a half ago, I spent a week in Baltimore at a Music Educator’s Conference, staying at the Marriot Inner Harbor at Camden Yards Hotel. 

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bwiih-baltimore-marriott-inner-harbor-at-camden-yards/

One of my dear friends was working in the near area and came up to Baltimore to spend time with me and with our high school choir director.  I told my friend, Mark, that I would make arrangements for a lovely dinner.  I went down to the concierge to discuss dining options.  I told him that we would need transportation to and from the restaurant.  I also told him that my friend and I would love to have a very nice dinner with excellent wine options.  He recommended Kali’s Court.  I perused the menu and agreed that it was an excellent choice.  When Mark and I met in the lobby for our ride to the restaurant, we were surprised and amazed that our ride was a white stretch limo, compliments of the hotel concierge and the restaurant.  Too bad Mark’s wife, Terri, and Doug weren’t with us.  Kali’s Court was 

perfect.  The food was divine and the wine list was expansive.  In fact, It has received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every year since 2002.  

http://www.kaliscourt.com/home.php 

The concierge hit the mark with this suggestion!  (Pun intended!)

Farmer's Market

Check and see if the city has a Farmer’s Market.  This is a great way to eat.  If the city is like Seattle, the Farmer’s Market exists year round.  When you visit Seattle, Pike Place Market is one of the most fun ways to eat and is entertaining as well. Not only will you get to experience the fish tossing, but there is incredible produce and the most beautiful flowers around.  When Doug and I renewed our wedding vows for our 25th anniversary, we bought all of our flowers at Pike Place Market.  The 

bouquets range from $5.00 to $15.00.  We did all of the floral decorations for less than $100.00

While staying in San Francisco last March, we had the best lunch at the Farmer’s Market down on the wharf.  We ate at the Hog Island Oyster Bar in the Ferry Building! 

http://hogislandoysters.com/bars/san-francisco

Oh my heavens!  Fresh oysters on the half shell, huge prawns and ebullient  champagne!  This was a gastronomic dream come true.  Afterward, we went to the Frog Hollow stand and got incredibly fresh fruit to take back to our room. 

http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/frog_hollow_farm.php

Farmer’s Markets are the rage in most cities.  You can eat quite inexpensively and enjoy the freshest cuisine that the city has to offer.  Our little town of Port Angeles has a year round Farmer's Market.

We hope you found some of these suggestions to be helpful in choosing where you will dine as you travel.  Our next blog will have even more suggestions including dining with celebrity chefs.  

Our music pairing today comes from Diana Krall:  Frim Fram Sauce

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS_6vtAGTE0

Don't miss the next blog:  Celebrity Chefs!!!!