Hi everyone,
I sometimes look back fondly at my pre-pandemic, pre-baby life, when I had the flexibility to travel much more freely, for a mixture of vacations, work trips, and weddings (so. many. weddings). While I wouldn’t give up my family for the world, this summer was the first in a while where I was able to get out a bit more — with massive thanks to my husband and mother for holding down the fort while I was away. Here’s a roundup of where I’ve been, and of course, what I ate.
Montreal
We kicked off the summer with a family trip to Montreal, which I wrote about for the Eater Travel newsletter. Despite having all our flights canceled (and spending way too much time on the phone rebooking), it was a fantastic destination for a trip with two toddlers — so much great food and pastries, a fully walkable city, and extremely family-friendly restaurants. I’m still thinking about St-Viateur bagels fresh from the oven and the mini schnitzel at Le Butterblume.
Chicago
If you’re going to visit Chicago, the biggest weekend for food is a pretty great time to go. I was in town with colleagues for the James Beard Awards, and between Chicago editor Ashok Selvam and the many food folks in town, I was swimming in recommendations. I made the massive mistake of thinking I could wander into Kasama for lunch (if you do the same, I wholeheartedly suggest making the 15-minute walk to Mano Modern Cafe for equally excellent Filipino fare). Luckily, my order-ahead attempt worked the next morning, so I still had a chance to try Kasama’s decadent pastries. Other places you don’t want to miss: Daisies for its impeccable pasta and the Indian-inspired baked goods at Swadesi Cafe.
The Catskills
For my birthday, I escaped the city for a quick trip to the Catskills, where a slew of chefs have opened destination-worthy restaurants. In 36 hours, we visited highly celebrated Mexican restaurant Casa Susanna; Matilda, a hotel restaurant from the Wildair team; Mel the Bakery’s new Hudson digs, and the always fantastic Cafe Mutton. I do not recommend this level of dining intensity: If you’ve got more time, the better option would be to spend a whole week in Hudson and take your time exploring the area and doing some shopping and hiking between meals.
|
Ribs, brisket, and chicken at Distant Relatives in Austin. | Stephanie Wu |
Austin
Okay, I admit Austin is not what most would consider a summer destination. I was there for a conference and made the most out of the heat (and frankly, New York had an unbearingly hot summer anyway so it didn’t feel all that different). With Austin editor Nadia Chaudhury as my guide, I went straight from the airport to Comadre Panadería for its stellar vanilla concha, had a special Korean pop-up menu at Birdie’s, and exquisite tacos at Con Todo. Before leaving, I made a stop at Distant Relatives for barbecue — I ordered way too much, but thankfully did not get any glares from my seatmates when I brought my leftovers as a carry-on.
Toronto
I had a chance to catch up with high school friends in Toronto, a city I haven’t been back to in way too long. We had so many standout meals, but most unforgettable was the tahini halloumi toast at Emmer and the roast chicken at Taverne Bernhardt’s. I’ll be back again soon, so look out for a much more in-depth guide down the line.
Follow me on Instagram at @bystephwu if you want to see where I’m headed next, or sign up for the Eater Travel newsletter for more ideas. Below, as always, you’ll find some of my favorite reads from the past two weeks. If you liked this email, please forward it to a friend or encourage them to sign up here.
|
|
|
If you aren’t subscribed to this newsletter,
you can sign up right here. |
|
|
If you buy something from an Eater link,
Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy. |
|
|
|
