Any Tips on Finding the Best Restaurants?
Jun 8th, 2019, 02:47 PM
#21
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,858
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
that's okay, don't worry about how you word things.
I think you do need to have some idea where you are going to stay to pick out restaurants. Because otherwise, it's a waste of time to find some great restaurants if they aren't convenient. But if you read about some fantastic restaurant you wanted to try, on the other hand,you might change your itinerary to go there. Sort of the chicken and egg approach.
Food bloggers are a good idea, the only ones I know are generally specific to a city, though. I've never read one that did anything relevant to a road trip. This may be old fashioned, but one way to start is to read a guidebook, that's my opinion. One you trust, of course. Any remotely decent guidebook is going to have short descriptions of some restaurants in cities that are not going to be so far off that it would be worse than fast food joints. I think Fodors does a good job, actually. Now there is one series of fantastic guidebooks that are out of print, but was published by Fodors, I think. It is called Coastal California and was a Compass Guidebook? Anyway, Moon has a guidebook for coast california, also, I think, and if you really are into restaurants, Michelin has a guide for California, the don't usually recommend any duds. So that would be something to peruse.
Locally, I find that the restaurant critic of the local paper is a good choice, at least in larger cities. But you see, doing that would take a lot of time versus a guidebook.
I don't ever use Tripadvisor for restaurant advice myself, but I guess why not, I do use it for hotel advice, making judgement calls on the reviews. Better than nothing, I"m sure. I don't really plan restaurants much, it isn't that important to me, so mainly go by looks and menu myself, when I'm in a new town.
I think you do need to have some idea where you are going to stay to pick out restaurants. Because otherwise, it's a waste of time to find some great restaurants if they aren't convenient. But if you read about some fantastic restaurant you wanted to try, on the other hand,you might change your itinerary to go there. Sort of the chicken and egg approach.
Food bloggers are a good idea, the only ones I know are generally specific to a city, though. I've never read one that did anything relevant to a road trip. This may be old fashioned, but one way to start is to read a guidebook, that's my opinion. One you trust, of course. Any remotely decent guidebook is going to have short descriptions of some restaurants in cities that are not going to be so far off that it would be worse than fast food joints. I think Fodors does a good job, actually. Now there is one series of fantastic guidebooks that are out of print, but was published by Fodors, I think. It is called Coastal California and was a Compass Guidebook? Anyway, Moon has a guidebook for coast california, also, I think, and if you really are into restaurants, Michelin has a guide for California, the don't usually recommend any duds. So that would be something to peruse.
Locally, I find that the restaurant critic of the local paper is a good choice, at least in larger cities. But you see, doing that would take a lot of time versus a guidebook.
I don't ever use Tripadvisor for restaurant advice myself, but I guess why not, I do use it for hotel advice, making judgement calls on the reviews. Better than nothing, I"m sure. I don't really plan restaurants much, it isn't that important to me, so mainly go by looks and menu myself, when I'm in a new town.
Jun 9th, 2019, 09:26 AM
#22
Trying to ensure you eat at all the “gems” is just going to be frustrating. It’s an impossible task.
Plan your itinerary, and eat at convenient locations. Look at the menus, read reviews, observe the number of diners, etc.
Planning a vacation day around a meal seems like a waste of time.
Plan your itinerary, and eat at convenient locations. Look at the menus, read reviews, observe the number of diners, etc.
Planning a vacation day around a meal seems like a waste of time.
Jun 9th, 2019, 11:22 AM
#23
I kind of agree, MoBro, but then I'm not what I guess is referred to in the current vernacular as a foodie. My preference is for simple, fresh, local down market meals most often found when I happen to walk by. But I know, too, that there are those for whom food is like a hobby, or a reason to live, an attraction that may surpass the attractions, or even an addiction. So I don't expect those people to treat the experience casually. But as I said above, the best places I've eaten are those suggested by the people at my accommodations, usually ones I wouldn't have found or not considered for 1 reason or another. But it seems to me organizing an itinerary around what one eats is as legitimate as other criteria.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
curious
Europe
29
Aug 12th, 2002 07:41 PM
