A woman told me the
other day that she had just come back from Oaxaca and had the worst food she's
ever eaten in Mexico. This was the first time I've heard that the food in Oaxaca
was anything but wonderful.
As you know by now, my
own Oaxaca experience was very different. In fact, it was nothing short of
transforming.
So what accounts for
the difference between a good experience and a bad one?
Preparation.
I spent weeks reading
about the food in Oaxaca. I knew exactly what to expect when I got there. I
used phone apps and read every internet article and guidebook I could get my
hands on.
More importantly, I
asked more than a few people where I should eat. Not people who had been to
Oaxaca ten years ago but people who were there in the past year.
I read food blogs
because the information is current and will steer you in the right direction
when it comes to finding great food. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a food
blogger with parallel tastes who covers the city extensively.
I email both chefs and
food bloggers with specific questions. I usually have a lot of them and they
almost always answer.
When I get to a city,
I follow the crowds, ask a million questions and read local papers and
magazines. I also read between the lines and always consider the source of my
information.
I am the first person
to admit that you can never have too much information when it comes to making a
food choice.
I have a meal plan
when I get to a city. Most menu's are online so I pretty much decide what I'm
going to eat ahead of time. In most cases, I've memorized the menu and am
familiar with the chef. I do remain flexible and always ask the waiter for
specific recommendations and specials. 80% of the time I go with what I
pre-selected.
I seldom order the
least or most expensive item on the menu unless a half a dozen or more people have
told me it can't be missed.
Half the fun of
traveling is exploring local markets and grocery stores. We ate a lot of our
meals on the balcony of our hotel in Paris because we found such good food and wine
buys in the local markets.
Don't forget to make
lunch your main meal. Most people in other countries do so you'll fit right in
with the locals.
I frequently ask for a
hotel room upgrade to the concierge level, where continental breakfast and
afternoon drinks are included. Even if I can't get an upgrade for free,
sometimes the cost differential is less than what you pay for the extra meals.
Remember, many bars
offer free food during happy hour. In Spain for instance, tapas are always served
whenever you order a drink.
If you do your
research before you go you'll always have great food experiences.
And, no matter what
you do on the road, don't forget to splurge. It's the one thing I always
do...at least once.
Buen Apetito!