I’m in Yakima, which is blowing me away. Beautiful landscape, lovely people, fantastic food and wine…. What’s the most surprising place you’ve ever visited?
San Sebastián. One of the few places that surpassed the hype big time. Beautiful, great people and amazing food from the cheap hole in the wall place to starred restaurants.
Oaxaca Mexico, for the open markets and mole, and the Arbutus Lodge in Cork, Ireland for the Arbutus Tree on the grounds and the lobster. Still memorable 20 years later....
I went there with my family in the summer and we donned wetsuits and floated down the river with the salmon - my son got whacked in the head by a huge one!
Llubljana. It was then Yugoslavia and I was traveling with my grandmother. When we left Italy I was fully mystified by all of it, and imaged the place we were headed to be dark, dismal, and babushaka'd. It was glorious, colorful, festive, and the food was all new to me - entirely delicious.
Loved it there too! Also drove there from Italy and it felt like a mini Paris. The architecture and the River all so lovely and we could get delicious fresh sauerkraut in the market for €1 per KILO!
I truly second that. We were there three years ago for 4 days and I couldn't have imagined it would be a great place to visit. Great food, farmer's market. Would love to go back.
My mom is from Wapato- just through the gap from Yakima. She is 87. They were "homesteaders" moving there after the New Deal build the irrigation from the Columbia River. They planted an orchard in the last farm in what was called Parker Heights. Things were very different then. No wineries for sure just orchards (apples, peaches, hops). The best food in Wapato was often found at the middle school where my grandmother was the head cook. She would have breakfast ready for the teachers and then hot from scratch lunches ready. Home cooking but done to perfection and her pies were heavenly. I use her flat bottom serving spoon all the time. (it was flat so you could scrape up food). Enjoy your trip to an neat corner of the country.
I love Yakima! It's so underrated. I live in Spokane (which is also fantastic) and go to Yakima regularly to hike, taste wine, etc. There's also a great beer scene there, and hops are grown in the area.
If you're still in Yakima try the top notch tamales (take out) from Eat Hot Tamales in nearby Kennewick. One can arrange to get these frozen or refrigerated to take home if one is traveling. The endeavor has a great back story too. I haven't been to Yakima since Feb 2000 and while I've enjoyed great wine in the area, great food was harder to find. Will be fun to learn of your recent discoveries.
I am from Selah, one of the little towns outside of Yakima, so it was quite surprising to see in my inbox where you are! I do love driving around those rolling hills especially when the cherry blossoms are out.
Melbourne, Australia. I went there on a business trip for two weeks in 1993 expecting a riff on bad British cooking and was floored by the cornucopia of great food there.
I'm not sure that any place is on its own is the most overall surprising; each has expected elements and transitory surprises (the Roman forum at dusk, say). I think for me the real surprise was how different travel is with children. When you're an adult and traveling, you're free to move around exactly as you like (within limits). Then with a child, it's all about (ages 1-6) finding a playground, making sure there is edible food from a child's perspective, and so forth. So some of the surprises have been the discoveries of the familiar, that that biggest draw of the Met. Museum with a kid was not the European galleries but the Egyptian and the Arms & Armor exhibits. Or the train museum in Baltimore, MD. Or, well, we were nuts to take the kid on Dad's business trip to China a while back, but one of the rewards was the chance to interact with so many people who were eager to see and photograph the American child. Or to teach him how to use chopsticks, or how to dunk the food in his hotpot. Or share in his glee when he realized that the ONLY drink for sale in that little lunch place in Xian was orange soda. I guess that's less one particular place than a repeated experience here and there over the years.
London - my former partner took us there for my 50th birthday. I had expected the food to be nothing but boiled beef, fish&chips, and maybe the stray kebab stand. What we found was an amazing level of food diversity - genuine (not Westernized) Chinese food, Middle Eastern, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Korean. We also found a city that looked beautiful, not dingy like London is often presented to be....
We had ONE pub lunch with what I think of as "English food" (I had, yes, fish&chips), and our breakfasts were either Full Irish or "Half-Irish" (the same except with half as many items). Never did find that kebab stand, though....
Print Edward Island. It’s been almost 25 years and one day we’ll go back. It’s like stepping back in time, except for Charlottetown. Breathtaking beauty, kind, nice people and some of the best food ever encountered.
Budapest. A friend and I booked ten days on a whim, wondering how we would fill the time. On the plane home we were already talking about returning and were busy making a list of everything we didn’t have time to do the first time. The history is incredible, the people are wonderful and there are Michelin-starred restaurants. I’ve visited at least nine times now.
The most surprising food place I’ve ever visited is Yerevan, Armenia. They have one of the oldest wine cultures in the world with many delicious wines I’d never heard of. Food is extraordinary too and it’s easy to find a good meal without spending too much money. The culture is fascinating and the countryside has a stark beauty and interesting monasteries to visit.
Lake Como is obviously revered but I was STILL absolutely floored when we arrived. Food, wine, landcape - all untouchable. And the people were actually relaxed and happy, like they understood they'd won life's lottery to live there. Pure magic. Rockridge in Oakland and Montreal for honorable mentions.
I’m in Post Falls and all of this discussion on Yakima is so exciting! I went as a child when relatives lived there! Any suggestions for good eats and orchards in June?
Favorite wineries include Gilbert Cellars, Owen Roe and Fortuity. Trevari for award-winning sparkling wines. For fantastic food, try chef-driven Crafted. Cowiche Canyon Kitchen for upscale American. EZ Tiger’s Asian-inspired food and their fantastic cocktails are also always great. Beer? We grow all the hops, and our favorite local breweries are Single Hill (right downtown) and Bale Breaker if you want to sip an IPA in the middle of a hop field. Lots of great food trucks (Yakima Food Guy is a fave) hang out at both. And if you like burgers and beer and sports, hit up Bill’s Tavern. 😉
Yes! And I completely forgot two neighborhood favorites: the new and amazing RamenYa - simply delicious with so many interesting wines and a creative menu; and Antojitos Mexicanos and Mercedes and Family - locals basically argue over which is their go-to Mexican food. Both delicious but very different. 😉
I'd love to hear your recommendations for Yakima. It has been on my list to visit for work for years, but I'm always putting it off because there are always places that sound more appealing. Could use some inspiration. Missoula Montana was the most surprising place for food I've visited in the United States.
I second the Missoula shout out. Great bread at Le Petit Outer, exceptional pizza at Bigga Pizza, and great sushi, thai, mexican. A wonderful independent grocery store called Good Food, local cheeses, local meats.....
The Alpaca Inn - Lava Hot Springs, ID ..go on a non-weekend, soak in the lovely hot springs right down the street behind the old hotel next to the river. You may need to bring your own wine and snacks, but the vibe is intoxicating since it’s all nestled down under the mountains. There’s just something about the place that makes you feel at home, and at peace with this tiny world we call earth 💗
Thailand beyond a doubt. The food, the people, the culture were fantastic. Wonderful in every regard but nothing made a greater impression than the relentless heat and humidity. I had heard stories about the weather but what a surprise. Yikes......
Yakima? Oh, you mean the "Palm Springs of Washington"?? If you don't mind massive racism, crime, housing inequities, lack of supportive services, wage abuse, the exploitation of brown people, and the subjugation of Native Americans, hey, Yakima is a fabulous place! For a white person. Enjoy your visit.
Last summer we visited two amazing spots. Samothraki Greece. The food was amazing!!! Especially the goat! And the waterfalls and swimming holes were awesome! The second place was the Great Lakes in Michigan. It exceeded all our expectations!! The water color was beautiful and painted rocks were breathtaking! Fantastic swimming! Food though was only average
SAN FRANCISCO OF TENNESSEE! Say what? Let me explain. It begins before the 1980's but is accelerated mightily by Whittle Communications, a high-flying alternative national media company that went on tear hiring journalists, art directors, photographers, illustrators, and MBA's from every corner of the U.S. Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams had already been around since 1947, no doubt contributing to the custom of cooking everything imaginable with lard, no doubt boosted by the hogs and cattle that came through Lay Packing Co., a fixture there since the 1920s. Counted among the cultural luminaries who did time in Knoxville were James Agee and Beauford Delaney. Whittle's creatives, numbered around 900+ at their peak, with Anderson Cooper & Lisa Ling being among them. Founder Chris Whittle himself married into the Italian Fiat Company family, lived in New York's The Dakota of John Lennon fame and in the Hamptons between visits to the culturally exploding Knoxville. It now sports James Beard Award winning chefs, the internationally acclaimed Blackberry Farm, WDVX FM bluegrass radio, a claim to being the underwear capital of the world at one point, Dolly Parton, The Everly Brothers, Kenny Chesney, Mary Costa, Alex Haley, Jack Hannah, Peyton Manning, Mountain Dew, Adolph Ochs, and Quentin Tarantino. The most surprising of all is Benton's Bacon which is a supplier to some of NYC's top restaurants.
Vietnam, especially Hanoi, HaLong Bay, Hue, and Hoi An. At the time, Thai restaurants were abundant in the US, but not Vietnamese restaurants, so I had no expectations. The food was amazing, the people friendly, and the scenery gorgeous. They eat herbs in huge piles, like salad, so I’ve upped my usage of herbs since then. Can’t wait to go back!
DaLat, Vietnam! This city is so very beautiful as it is filled with fabulous coffee, tropical fruit, fragrant pepper corns, flowers are everywhere! It is in the highlands and reminded us of San Francisco! Everyone is oh so nice and we ate everything in sight!
Glasgow. Known for its deep-fried everything/anything (pizza, candy bars -- really!) and Scotch eggs, I had so many gorgeous and memorable meals there, not least because of how atmospheric the city is and most of all the lively company.
Las Cruces, New Mexico. I was driving cross country with my then 3 year old and it was one of the best and most magical nights I've ever had. Ate somewhere amazing, the architecture was so beautiful, had lovely coffee. It felt so full of peace and richness. I've been aching to go back ever since!
I guess it was Burma (before changing to Myanmar) back in the early 80's. We were 2 of only 15 tourists in the country at the time. You could only get a 1 week visa and had to enter from Bangkok. We arrived each with a knockoff pair of wrangler blue jeans and a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red, and sold them upon exiting the airport. The immigration agents wanted to buy them, but we knew to hold out till you exit to get a better price. The market value of those items basically paid for our stay, rooms,meals etc.for the week. The food was over the top fresh as there were very little imports into the communist controlled country at the time. The fiery hot chillies permiated most dishes and helped to cool you down. People were extremely friendly and most opened their homes to us as outsiders.(most spoke English, an old colony). We passed several evenings smoking homemade cigars on someone's porch trying to drink the local brew, a type of coconut moonshine. Great memories and surprising friendly people.
Lhasa, Tibet. Extraordinary sky and lovely people. The food was unremarkable, but the incense burners in the street, the Yak butter candles in the monasteries, and the many people prostrating themselves as they made their devotional tours around the Potala Palace were highlights.
San Sebastián. One of the few places that surpassed the hype big time. Beautiful, great people and amazing food from the cheap hole in the wall place to starred restaurants.
Might be the food capital of the world. Lyon got nothing on San Sebastián!
Glad to hear it. Heading there in 2 weeks.
Yes!
Portland Maine, always. A great farmer's market and a foodies delight.
Started my “career” in restaurants and wine there long ago, great place
Oh! I agree. I went for a work project and never wanted to leave. Visually stunning and yes - fabulous food.
Oaxaca Mexico, for the open markets and mole, and the Arbutus Lodge in Cork, Ireland for the Arbutus Tree on the grounds and the lobster. Still memorable 20 years later....
Tofino, BC is the most surprising. Went during "storm watching" season. People surfing in December when it's 30 degrees!
I went there with my family in the summer and we donned wetsuits and floated down the river with the salmon - my son got whacked in the head by a huge one!
Llubljana. It was then Yugoslavia and I was traveling with my grandmother. When we left Italy I was fully mystified by all of it, and imaged the place we were headed to be dark, dismal, and babushaka'd. It was glorious, colorful, festive, and the food was all new to me - entirely delicious.
Loved it there too! Also drove there from Italy and it felt like a mini Paris. The architecture and the River all so lovely and we could get delicious fresh sauerkraut in the market for €1 per KILO!
I truly second that. We were there three years ago for 4 days and I couldn't have imagined it would be a great place to visit. Great food, farmer's market. Would love to go back.
We're dying to go there...and to do some fly-fishing for marble trout on the Soča!
Well, that sounds like great fun!
Yes! We’ve read about the fly fishing and would love to give it a try!
My mom is from Wapato- just through the gap from Yakima. She is 87. They were "homesteaders" moving there after the New Deal build the irrigation from the Columbia River. They planted an orchard in the last farm in what was called Parker Heights. Things were very different then. No wineries for sure just orchards (apples, peaches, hops). The best food in Wapato was often found at the middle school where my grandmother was the head cook. She would have breakfast ready for the teachers and then hot from scratch lunches ready. Home cooking but done to perfection and her pies were heavenly. I use her flat bottom serving spoon all the time. (it was flat so you could scrape up food). Enjoy your trip to an neat corner of the country.
So wonderful to meet you in person after following your work for so many years! I'm so happy you came to Yakima!
I love Yakima! It's so underrated. I live in Spokane (which is also fantastic) and go to Yakima regularly to hike, taste wine, etc. There's also a great beer scene there, and hops are grown in the area.
If you're still in Yakima try the top notch tamales (take out) from Eat Hot Tamales in nearby Kennewick. One can arrange to get these frozen or refrigerated to take home if one is traveling. The endeavor has a great back story too. I haven't been to Yakima since Feb 2000 and while I've enjoyed great wine in the area, great food was harder to find. Will be fun to learn of your recent discoveries.
Walla Walla is nearby. Wineries, Whitman College, Blue Mountains foothills, charming small town.
Yes Walla Walla!
I am from Selah, one of the little towns outside of Yakima, so it was quite surprising to see in my inbox where you are! I do love driving around those rolling hills especially when the cherry blossoms are out.
welcome to my hometown! let me know if i can help with any recommendations :)
Istanbul. Just amazing.
Second that.
Would love to hear more about Yakima...
Melbourne, Australia. I went there on a business trip for two weeks in 1993 expecting a riff on bad British cooking and was floored by the cornucopia of great food there.
I'm not sure that any place is on its own is the most overall surprising; each has expected elements and transitory surprises (the Roman forum at dusk, say). I think for me the real surprise was how different travel is with children. When you're an adult and traveling, you're free to move around exactly as you like (within limits). Then with a child, it's all about (ages 1-6) finding a playground, making sure there is edible food from a child's perspective, and so forth. So some of the surprises have been the discoveries of the familiar, that that biggest draw of the Met. Museum with a kid was not the European galleries but the Egyptian and the Arms & Armor exhibits. Or the train museum in Baltimore, MD. Or, well, we were nuts to take the kid on Dad's business trip to China a while back, but one of the rewards was the chance to interact with so many people who were eager to see and photograph the American child. Or to teach him how to use chopsticks, or how to dunk the food in his hotpot. Or share in his glee when he realized that the ONLY drink for sale in that little lunch place in Xian was orange soda. I guess that's less one particular place than a repeated experience here and there over the years.
Thank you for mentioning the train museum in Baltimore!
If you have time stop by the WSU Wine Science Center in Richland WA https://wine.wsu.edu/centers/wine-center/
McMinnville, Oregon - great town in the heart of Oregon Wine Country - visitmcminnville.com
Georgia, the country. Beautiful, interesting food and they even like Americans-can you imagine that?!
Best tamales ever in Yakima!
Berkeley : ) Stair hiking, Farmers Market, Monterey Market and The Bowl. Any ingredient you need is there, plus an amazing variety of restaurants.
London - my former partner took us there for my 50th birthday. I had expected the food to be nothing but boiled beef, fish&chips, and maybe the stray kebab stand. What we found was an amazing level of food diversity - genuine (not Westernized) Chinese food, Middle Eastern, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Korean. We also found a city that looked beautiful, not dingy like London is often presented to be....
We had ONE pub lunch with what I think of as "English food" (I had, yes, fish&chips), and our breakfasts were either Full Irish or "Half-Irish" (the same except with half as many items). Never did find that kebab stand, though....
Print Edward Island. It’s been almost 25 years and one day we’ll go back. It’s like stepping back in time, except for Charlottetown. Breathtaking beauty, kind, nice people and some of the best food ever encountered.
Budapest. A friend and I booked ten days on a whim, wondering how we would fill the time. On the plane home we were already talking about returning and were busy making a list of everything we didn’t have time to do the first time. The history is incredible, the people are wonderful and there are Michelin-starred restaurants. I’ve visited at least nine times now.
So thrilled to see you at the Capitol theater todY
Tavira Portugal - amazing seafood, and locals singing Fado in a local cafe every weekend. Divine.
We love having you in Yakima, WA Ruth!
The most surprising food place I’ve ever visited is Yerevan, Armenia. They have one of the oldest wine cultures in the world with many delicious wines I’d never heard of. Food is extraordinary too and it’s easy to find a good meal without spending too much money. The culture is fascinating and the countryside has a stark beauty and interesting monasteries to visit.
Lake Como is obviously revered but I was STILL absolutely floored when we arrived. Food, wine, landcape - all untouchable. And the people were actually relaxed and happy, like they understood they'd won life's lottery to live there. Pure magic. Rockridge in Oakland and Montreal for honorable mentions.
I’m in Spokane, super close to Yakima! I’d love to hear what you’re living there as I go somewhat often. Fun to know you’re on my side of the country!
I’m in Post Falls and all of this discussion on Yakima is so exciting! I went as a child when relatives lived there! Any suggestions for good eats and orchards in June?
Also in Yakima we love WaterFire, Hop Town Pizza is great casual place. The WhiteHouse Cafe for breakfast.
Thanks Beth! We are going in June.
Favorite wineries include Gilbert Cellars, Owen Roe and Fortuity. Trevari for award-winning sparkling wines. For fantastic food, try chef-driven Crafted. Cowiche Canyon Kitchen for upscale American. EZ Tiger’s Asian-inspired food and their fantastic cocktails are also always great. Beer? We grow all the hops, and our favorite local breweries are Single Hill (right downtown) and Bale Breaker if you want to sip an IPA in the middle of a hop field. Lots of great food trucks (Yakima Food Guy is a fave) hang out at both. And if you like burgers and beer and sports, hit up Bill’s Tavern. 😉
This is a great list. It sounds like these places use local ingredients.
Yes! And I completely forgot two neighborhood favorites: the new and amazing RamenYa - simply delicious with so many interesting wines and a creative menu; and Antojitos Mexicanos and Mercedes and Family - locals basically argue over which is their go-to Mexican food. Both delicious but very different. 😉
OMG! Since we moved from San Jose, we have been searching for authentic Mexican food. This is so exciting. Thanks so much.
I'd love to hear your recommendations for Yakima. It has been on my list to visit for work for years, but I'm always putting it off because there are always places that sound more appealing. Could use some inspiration. Missoula Montana was the most surprising place for food I've visited in the United States.
I second the Missoula shout out. Great bread at Le Petit Outer, exceptional pizza at Bigga Pizza, and great sushi, thai, mexican. A wonderful independent grocery store called Good Food, local cheeses, local meats.....
Highly Recommend a pintxos food tour.
Mimi is great: https://mimo.eus/
Mimo
San Miguel De Allende MX, beautiful colonial city, lots of great art, culture, restaurants, people.
The Alpaca Inn - Lava Hot Springs, ID ..go on a non-weekend, soak in the lovely hot springs right down the street behind the old hotel next to the river. You may need to bring your own wine and snacks, but the vibe is intoxicating since it’s all nestled down under the mountains. There’s just something about the place that makes you feel at home, and at peace with this tiny world we call earth 💗
Shouldn't be surprising, but Vietnam exceeded high expectations. Fresh wonderful food everywhere
Iowa City! Great restaurants and Prairie Lights Books, of course!
Thailand beyond a doubt. The food, the people, the culture were fantastic. Wonderful in every regard but nothing made a greater impression than the relentless heat and humidity. I had heard stories about the weather but what a surprise. Yikes......
Yakima? Oh, you mean the "Palm Springs of Washington"?? If you don't mind massive racism, crime, housing inequities, lack of supportive services, wage abuse, the exploitation of brown people, and the subjugation of Native Americans, hey, Yakima is a fabulous place! For a white person. Enjoy your visit.
So it’s good?
Last summer we visited two amazing spots. Samothraki Greece. The food was amazing!!! Especially the goat! And the waterfalls and swimming holes were awesome! The second place was the Great Lakes in Michigan. It exceeded all our expectations!! The water color was beautiful and painted rocks were breathtaking! Fantastic swimming! Food though was only average
SAN FRANCISCO OF TENNESSEE! Say what? Let me explain. It begins before the 1980's but is accelerated mightily by Whittle Communications, a high-flying alternative national media company that went on tear hiring journalists, art directors, photographers, illustrators, and MBA's from every corner of the U.S. Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams had already been around since 1947, no doubt contributing to the custom of cooking everything imaginable with lard, no doubt boosted by the hogs and cattle that came through Lay Packing Co., a fixture there since the 1920s. Counted among the cultural luminaries who did time in Knoxville were James Agee and Beauford Delaney. Whittle's creatives, numbered around 900+ at their peak, with Anderson Cooper & Lisa Ling being among them. Founder Chris Whittle himself married into the Italian Fiat Company family, lived in New York's The Dakota of John Lennon fame and in the Hamptons between visits to the culturally exploding Knoxville. It now sports James Beard Award winning chefs, the internationally acclaimed Blackberry Farm, WDVX FM bluegrass radio, a claim to being the underwear capital of the world at one point, Dolly Parton, The Everly Brothers, Kenny Chesney, Mary Costa, Alex Haley, Jack Hannah, Peyton Manning, Mountain Dew, Adolph Ochs, and Quentin Tarantino. The most surprising of all is Benton's Bacon which is a supplier to some of NYC's top restaurants.
In my way to visit my family there. A great place to appreciate the migrant families who care for snd harvest our food.
Vietnam, especially Hanoi, HaLong Bay, Hue, and Hoi An. At the time, Thai restaurants were abundant in the US, but not Vietnamese restaurants, so I had no expectations. The food was amazing, the people friendly, and the scenery gorgeous. They eat herbs in huge piles, like salad, so I’ve upped my usage of herbs since then. Can’t wait to go back!
Isle of Skye with all of its scenery and the Three Chimneys Restaurant!
Cuitadella, Menorca was amazing. We arrived on our boat. You meander along a narrow entrance to the harbour and city. Truly beautiful.
Oh, and Bonafacio, Corsica is stunning with a completely hidden entrance from the sea.
DaLat, Vietnam! This city is so very beautiful as it is filled with fabulous coffee, tropical fruit, fragrant pepper corns, flowers are everywhere! It is in the highlands and reminded us of San Francisco! Everyone is oh so nice and we ate everything in sight!
Glasgow. Known for its deep-fried everything/anything (pizza, candy bars -- really!) and Scotch eggs, I had so many gorgeous and memorable meals there, not least because of how atmospheric the city is and most of all the lively company.
Las Cruces, New Mexico. I was driving cross country with my then 3 year old and it was one of the best and most magical nights I've ever had. Ate somewhere amazing, the architecture was so beautiful, had lovely coffee. It felt so full of peace and richness. I've been aching to go back ever since!
I guess it was Burma (before changing to Myanmar) back in the early 80's. We were 2 of only 15 tourists in the country at the time. You could only get a 1 week visa and had to enter from Bangkok. We arrived each with a knockoff pair of wrangler blue jeans and a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red, and sold them upon exiting the airport. The immigration agents wanted to buy them, but we knew to hold out till you exit to get a better price. The market value of those items basically paid for our stay, rooms,meals etc.for the week. The food was over the top fresh as there were very little imports into the communist controlled country at the time. The fiery hot chillies permiated most dishes and helped to cool you down. People were extremely friendly and most opened their homes to us as outsiders.(most spoke English, an old colony). We passed several evenings smoking homemade cigars on someone's porch trying to drink the local brew, a type of coconut moonshine. Great memories and surprising friendly people.
Cradle mountain lodge in Tasmania incredible hiking if you really want to get away from it all.
Lhasa, Tibet. Extraordinary sky and lovely people. The food was unremarkable, but the incense burners in the street, the Yak butter candles in the monasteries, and the many people prostrating themselves as they made their devotional tours around the Potala Palace were highlights.