Monday, July 17, 2023

The Local Cuisine

 One of the biggest question any vacationer has is where do the locals eat  and even shop for food? It's impoirtant to go to decent eateries and shops where you know you'll get good food. However where do you begin? The locals.

Check out the your destination for all sorts of a good places to eat and drink. what helps is Googling the town or city and then typing in the best restaurants. Forget their websites . TRy the Yelp and even Facebook fan pages. Diners are brutally honest on these. Yelp reviewers even post pictures of their favorite dishes and desserts too. what happens if the dish is too expensive? Go for the eatery's cheaper dishes. They're probably just as good as what's posted.what if it's a big city like Paris or New York? Again Yelp reviews help but also restaurant guides and with New York , The New York Times always has excellent and pretty honest reviews. Check out reviewers' Sam Sifton and Pete Wells along with Ligaya Mishan. All three also cover the boroughs too and sometimes restaurants, on Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut. Another way is ask the locals themselves. Don t be afraid to quiz at the gas station or even at the local drugstore. If it's a small town like a Jersey shore one, you'll get a whole slew of answers just by standing on line.

This also applies ot local farmers markets and grocery stores. Many are heading to shore towns, like in New Jersey. Most motel rooms have kitchenettes where you can cook a quick meal. You'll also need dishwashing soap and if you haven't packed them, shampoo and sunscreen too. Local groceries stock these too. How do you know of the local grocery store is a good one? Check out the parking lot. If it's relatively full then you kniow its a popular store. Again some grocery stores will have their deli sections reviewed  and list what it good to buy. Also local groceries usually get their produce from nearby farms so you know the fruits and veggies you;re buying are going to be tasty and fresh. Locals also buy from these farms too so check them out. They may also have great sovenirs and gifts, like homemade jam or honey along with homemad e ice cream and ices. Rememember to check out the local fish stores too if you want to make lobster or filets.

Alsways trust the locals when you go on vacation. They have the best advice when it comes to where to eat and shop. Heed them for a better holiday experience.