Eating in local restaurants in your own home town is a great way to get the taste of travel without a long flight. Trying a great new local pizza joint can feel like a trip to Italy. And there are plenty of wonderful neighborhood restaurants in towns big and small that can’t wait to help you eat like a tourist in your own town. Or you can even become your own local restaurant for a night!
Maybe the word tourist turns you off. You think long lines, so-so food, and screaming kids. Guess what? We’re not a fan of those things either. With a little planning and research, you can find exciting new bits and the flavors of the world close to home in no time.
Lotus Root
Try New Local Restaurants
Stop looking enviously at all the food porn out there and try some new neighborhood restaurants. Even if you live in a small town, there are probably some local restaurants you haven’t yet tried. Maybe there’s a spot you’ve driven by a zillion times and haven’t stopped in. Never had Peruvian food? There’s no time like the present. Get in there and try it. You may be pleasantly surprised. Even if you just go to the same place you often go, order something different next time. You might find a new favorite!
Homemade tapas
Neighborhood Restaurant For A Night
Bring the food culture of a favorite destination home by creating one of your own ethnic local restaurants for a night. Try a new recipe or use new ingredients to give an old favorite a new twist. Afraid of branching out by yourself? Invite a few friends over and have a collaborative dinner party. Assign a course or ingredient to each of your invited guests. Together you can whip up something delicious. You can even create some special cocktails or add some wine, beer, or spirits from the region. Add a little music to enhance the mood and you’re all set.
Try One Of These Ideas
Here are just a few ideas. Create a tapas restaurant for the evening. It’s very easy and incredibly fun. Make a few simple tapas dishes or have each friend bring one for pot luck. You can buy Jamon Iberico and slice some Manchego cheese for an easy show stopper. Mix up some sangria and you’ll beat the competition of neighborhood restaurants for a fun and cost-effective evening of Spanish flavors.
If you don’t feel like cooking, you can easily order local pizza from a few different neighborhood restaurants. Be sure to get different types like thin crust, deep dish, hand-tossed, and Neopolitan so you can compare and contrast. Mix up the ingredients too so you’ll be able to try a variety of flavors and tastes. You can even add a ballot and have everyone vote for their favorite.
Best Croque Monsieur in Town.
Crawl Your Neighborhood Restaurants
Is your town know for some special drink or food? Plan an evening or day exploring the different versions of your favorite. If you can get a few folks to join you, make a list of everyone’s favorite local restaurants and order items you can share so you don’t have to worry about getting full too early. If you’re doing your own burger crawl and split the burgers in quarters just think how many little gems you’ll be able to try. Or do a local pizza crawl and try different styles and types of pizzas. For example, Chicago Pizza Tours are a fabulous way to taste local pizza from various neighborhood restaurants, great for visitors and locals alike!
Make it a game and rate the places you try. Being a food critic for a day will make it that much more fun. If you’re tasting cocktails make sure you have a designated driver or cab plans at the end of your journey. Don’t know where to begin? Many cities have food or beverage tours already going strong. We’ve enjoyed a lot of food or beverage tours like Rhode Island RED Food Tours in Providence, Rhode Island, Indulge Boise in Boise, Idaho, and the Brew Bus in St. Petersburg, Florida. Google for the tours available in your town and find one that sounds interesting to you.
Outdoor Music Festival
Be A Tour Guide To Local Restaurants
Got a spare room or empty couch? Invite a friend to visit. You can rediscover great neighborhood restaurants in your town by showing someone else around. It’s a great excuse to try local restaurants you’ve never tried or to get something new at one of your favorites. You can show off all the highlights of your town when you look at it through the eyes of a visitor. Not only can you find new treats to eat but also new places to go and things to do. Sometimes it takes us getting out of our routine in our own town to look at it with fresh eyes.
Take some time to check the calendar for events and festivals. Local restaurants, clubs, and attractions often post what’s coming up on a city page like Choose Chicago or Destination Madison. Other general sites like Eventbrite and even Facebook Events will give you some great ideas on what’s happening when. If there’s a festival or special event in town that’s a great reason to invite someone to share the fun and really make the most of their visit.
Plan To Eat Like A Tourist
Give yourself a goal. If you try just one new neighborhood restaurant every month it will be like taking 12 mini-vacations. You can plan your budget and decide whether you really want to splurge or if you just want to try something new, exotic, or tasty. Some towns have the best food coming from food trucks, stands, food carts, and little holes-in-the-wall.
Wall Eye At the Statehouse
Try takeout from that amazing Cuban stand that everyone’s talking about. Try the latest food truck that always has a line in front of it. Visit one of the local restaurants in the ethnic neighborhood you pass through while you’re on your way to somewhere else. Have fun! Talk with the servers, ask for their recommendation or what is popular with their customers. Make it special by ordering something you’ve never tried and explore new flavors.
What’s Happening In Your Neighborhood Restaurants?
Some of the best resources available to help you discover the many tasty options in your town are your friends and neighbors. They may know about the best Vietnamese restaurant, tastiest Chinese takeout, or new Laotian spot that’s really a hidden gem. Spend some time asking those around you for some ideas about their local restaurants.
Even if you don’t know too many people in your neighborhood, it’s an easy conversation to start and just about everyone loves to chat about food! Maybe you’ll even find a new dining companion. You can each pick a place that you enjoy and share a meal there together then give your opinions. Then you’ll be able to share those ideas with others. The important thing is to take the time to get out there and give something new a try. It will give you lots of ideas for friends and family when they come to visit from out of town too.
Try Local Restaurants At Neighboring Towns Too
When we lived in Chicago so we were really spoiled. It’s a huge city with whole neighborhoods of authentic ethnic cuisines. Tastes from Chinatown,Greektown and Little India around Devon Avenue just to name a few. If you live in a large city you may also find an incredible number of choices for local restaurants offering the taste of travel once you start looking around.
Gino’s East Chicago style Deep Dish Pizza
But even if you live in a smaller town, you’ll likely be able to find authentic cuisine carefully prepared by those who know it best. In Madison, Wisconsin, is a town with about 250,000, which is much fewer than the millions in Chicago. But that doesn’t limit the many options for delicious flavors of the world to experience when we want to eat like a tourist in our own town.
There are Nepalese-Himalayan, Laotian, Greek, Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mexican, Venezuelan, Korean, Japanese, Ethiopian, Jamaican, German, Indian, Middle Eastern, Indonesian and many more ethnic local restaurants, trucks, and carts in Madison.
Mr. Kimchi Madison WI
If you live in an even smaller town, whether you have a lot of choices of neighborhood restaurants or not, you can always scoot over to visit neighboring towns. Chances are within a pretty small radius, you’ll open up your options for tastes of the world only a few miles down the road. Even though Madison offers us a wonderful array of options, we sometimes pop over to surrounding towns of Verona, Middleton, Fitchburg, Waunakee, Sun Prairie, or Stoughton. For example, Stoughton is a town with a strong Norwegian heritage. We can enjoy the distinct flavors of Norway and get some delicious Norwegian specialties from the Fosdal Home Bakery. And we’d never want to miss the German flavors and Dachshund Dash in nearby Waunakee at Wauktoberfest each year.
Let Your Imagination Soar
So as you can see, it’s pretty easy to explore local restaurants and eat like a tourist in your own town. With a little creativity and planning, you can taste the flavors of the world in your neighborhood or branch out to neighborhood restaurants nearby. From new local pizza to exotic Ethiopian, you’ll be amazed how fun and easy it is to discover a world of tasty treats and maybe even some new favorites.
Pin to your favorite food travel board on Pinterest
Santorini Tomato Keftedes are a famous delicacy on the beautiful Greek island. Keftedes are known as a form of Greek meatball. I learned to make keftedes with my father, who loves to put things together in the kitchen. But keftedes can also be made with vegetables. In this form, the keftedes become veggie fritters made with tomatoes or other vegetables. The tomato version of these treats is popular on Santorini and all around the Aegean islands.
What Is A Santorini Tomato?
When most of the Orthodox Churches in Russia closed after the 1917 Revolution, the Greek Orthodox monks on Santorini lost the biggest market for their wine. So looking at what they could sell instead, they settled on their wonderful local cherry tomatoes, uniquely sweet and delicious from the perfect weather and volcanic soil.
As a result, the Santorini tomato has become famous. Its sweet flesh is perfect for mashing into a delightful tomato paste, which was an extremely popular export for many years that brought financial stability to Santorini. A terrible earthquake in 1956 destroyed much of the island, and the canning business never really recovered. Now people mostly enjoy their tomatoes fresh, sun-dried, or used in tomato fritters known as domatokeftedes. The Santorini tomato is a great treat however it finds its way into a meal.
Of course, you can use plum, cherry, grape, tomatoes on the vine or any other fresh type of tomato you like. We’ve used Roma tomatoes and they came out perfectly.
Easy To Make, Plant-Based
These tomato keftedes are quick and easy to make. Our Santorini tomato keftedes recipe is suitable for vegetarians or anyone trying to add more plant-based foods. Better yet, they’re totally delicious and satisfying. If you’re looking for ways to get more vegetables into a picky eater or kid’s diet, then give these a try. They’re a real crowd-pleaser for a party, too.
You can add your own twists using different spices if you like. And if you love the idea of veggie fritters, you can make zucchini fritters, potato fritters, or whatever suits your fancy using the same process. They’re best served hot and crispy, so if you want to serve them with a side salad or slaw, go ahead and make that while you chill the dough for a few minutes in the refrigerator. Chilling is not necessary, but it seems to give the keftedes a bit more crunch.
So here’s our recipe for you. Give it a try and let us know what you think!
Tomato keftedes
Santorini Tomato Keftedes
Ingredients
4-5 plum, Roma, or regular tomatoes or 8 oz. of cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped into fine pieces
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried marjoram or thyme (thyme has a stronger flavor so be sure you like it, marjoram is a milder alternative)1 large garlic clove, minced
1 to 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (start with one cup, then add if needed)
1/2 tsp baking powder
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Mix 1 cup of flour and baking powder in a small bowl.
Combine chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley, and spices in a large bowl.
Add the flour mixture to the tomato mixture and blend well until thoroughly combined. The mixture should resemble a thick batter. If it is not very thick, add more flour a little at a time until it becomes thick.
Add salt and pepper to taste
Refrigerate for 15 minutes (You can use this time to prepare a side salad if you like. You don’t have to refrigerate, but we think it makes the keftedes a bit crisper)
Place enough olive oil into a large skillet to cover the bottom with about 1/4 inch of oil and heat on medium-high until a drop of water in it sizzles
Take batter from the fridge and make patties about 2 tablespoons in size. You can use an ice cream scooper and then flatten the scoops if you like.
Place the patties in the oil and drop the heat to medium. Fry until the edges of the fritter bottoms turn golden brown, usually about 5-7 minutes. Then flip and cook the other side until the keftedes area cooked through and golden brown all over.
Place cooked tomato keftedes on paper towels to drain and serve immediately, with a side salad if you like.
Enjoy Santorini Tomato Keftedes At Home
We love learning about specialty dishes all over the world and sharing them with you so that you can enjoy them at home. These veggie fritters make it easy to enjoy a delicious plant-based dish with plenty of history and flavors of the Greek isles right from your own kitchen.
While they’re at their peak of freshness right out of the pan, they can be refrigerated or frozen. Thaw, if frozen, and reheat them using a conventional or toaster oven rather than a microwave to revive some of the wonderful crispness and be sure not to cook too long or they will dry out.
We hope you enjoy this little taste of Santorini tomato keftedes and that you give them a try yourself.
Let’s face it. Few things in this world are as universally loved as chocolate. And the wonderful world of famous chocolate knows no boundaries. We’re going to take you on a little jaunt around the globe to explore some of the most wonderful ways in which chocolate is served and celebrated.
Wonderful World of Famous Chocolate
Belgium
From world-famous chocolate brands such as Godiva to the local shops like Chocolate Line, Belgium stakes its claim to some of the best chocolate in the world. It is served up in truffles and bars from such delicious makers as Jean-Philippe Darcis, Zaabar, Leonidas, Neuhaus, and Guylian. Drinking chocolate comes on sticks that are dunked and swirled into hot milk.
And, let’s not forget the perfect drippy chocolate sauce that adorns a fully-loaded Lieges waffle sold through a window and eaten right on the street in Brussels.
Belgium Waffles in Brussels
Switzerland
Swiss chocolate is as much art as it is a taste sensation. We marvel at the curious triangular bar with bits of nougat that is Toblerone. We love every bite of those little spheres of Lindt chocolate wrapped in various colored foils, each a little chocolate gem containing something magical inside. Those Milka bars in their distinctive purple packaging never fail to catch our attention wherever they appear. And Nestlé began in Vevy, Switzerland, named after its founder Henri Nestlé. We’re not above saying that one time when visiting Switzerland we gathered up just about every different brand we found, laid them out on the bed and did a glorious tasting of them all!
France
When it comes to food and drink, the French always make the list. Chocolate is no exception. We love the crunchy outside and smooth creamy inside of those golden wrapped nuggets of Ferrero Rocher. The decadent ganaches, truffles, and pralines of the famous La Maison du Chocolate. If you’re looking for the exceptional elegance of truly great gourmet chocolate, you just won’t be able to pass up Valrhona. And, if we’re going from elegant to decadent, why not just mention the chocolate crepe. There we said it!
Spain
Though perhaps not as well known for chocolate as some other European countries, Spain holds its own quite well. In Barcelona, there is a chocolate museum, that explores the development and use of chocolate in the country. And anyone who has had a wonderful taste of churros con chocolate knows there’s a little magic that comes with the dish. The custom of drinking chocolate socially, known as chocolatadas, also popular in Peru as a charitable act around the holidays, originally came from Spain.
Museu de la Xocolata in Barcelona
Germany
True famous chocolate lovers won’t want to miss the Chocolate Christmas market in Tubingen, Germany. Christmas markets are a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday season. But a chocolate Christmas market? That is really something special. They gather chocolate from around the world in every shape and form.
Chocolate at the Tubingen ChocoART Christmas Market
Italy
There are wonderful tastes all over Italy, and chocolate is no exception. The lovely Perugina chocolate known as Baci (“kisses”) comes with a little hazelnut filling inside the chocolate shell. It symbolizes falling in love in Italy, an idea furthered by the romantic quotes written inside of the packaging. Bicerin is a favorite drink of Italian chocolate, milk and coffee that you will find in many of Piedmont’s cafes. And, if you’re crazy about chocolate, you can get a Chocopass when you visit Turin. This is a passport to sample Italian chocolate all along your tour for tasty treats wherever you go. Of course, Nutella comes from Italy as well. Need we say more?
Turkey
What better combination than chocolate and pistachio? The name Damak means “great taste” in Turkish so you know you’re in for a treat. Loaded with antioxidants, fiber and vitamins it’s hard to argue that this famous chocolate bar from Turkey isn’t good for you. One of the top chocolate brands in the world Damak has an 80-year history. The pistachios are sourced from Turkey. Now Nestlé brought it to the United States so more people can enjoy this delicious taste of Turkey.
Nestle Damak Dark Chocolate with Pistachios
Latin American Favorites
There are some truly unique chocolate tastes that come from this part of the world. Jet chocolate bars are well-known to Columbians. Dona Pepa bars containing vanilla cookies with a chocolate coating and sprinkles make most Peruvians happy. Brazilians love their chocolate fudge balls called Brigadeiros. Chocolates El Rey from Venezuela won the Americas Gold Medal at the most recent International Chocolate Awards. And Pure Nacional originally discovered in Ecuador in the 1600s is now the world’s rarest chocolate.
Ecuadorian Chocolate at Tubingen Choco’ART Christmas Market
Mexico
Mexican chocolate is unique because it is prepared with a variety of spices. Traditional Mexican dishes like mole take advantage of this special flavor. And, if you’ve ever tasted Mexican hot chocolate, with just that touch of cinnamon in sweet delicate cocoa, you think the Aztecs must have created it especially for you. We can recognize that delightful red and yellow package anywhere we find it.
Chocolate Jalapenos
The United States
While we know that the world is full of delicious and delightful chocolates in just about every corner, we can’t skip out on our home country’s contributions. Anyone who’s tasted a colorful M&M or taken a deep bite out of a Snickers or Milky Way Bar knows that we Americans have a long and wonderful history with the chocolatey stuff. And in addition to the stalwarts like Hershey (whose namesake town is in Pennsylvania), Whitman’s and Mars, we have developed many world-class “upscale” brands such as Vosges Haut Chocolate in Chicago, Ghirardelli in San Francisco, Ethel’s in Nevada, NOKA in Dallas. Besides, where else can you go for an evening of Chocolate Decadence besides the Peninsula in Chicago?
Chocolate at the Peninsula , Chicago
Midwest Favorite
I can’t close this article without adding one of my personal favorites. I grew up in Chicago and from the time I can remember our famous chocolate was from Fannie May. Once made in the North Side of Chicago that factory is now long gone, along with most of the other candy factories that once thrived in the windy city. But as luck would have it the company was saved along with their most popular recipes. My dark chocolate buttercreams are still available online and in some retail stores throughout the midwest.
There are so many wonderful famous chocolates in the world, we’d love to taste them all. This is just a little excursion into the wonderful world of chocolate. Please tell us about the favorites you’ve found on your journeys too!
Travel, weather, treatments, blow-drying, color, hormones, diets, and so many other things affect the health of our hair. Trust us, we know. There are times when the frizz wins hands down. So we were intrigued by the idea of Sauce Beauty haircare products. They’re hair food with ingredients inspired by kitchen recipes. The idea that your hair needs nutrition the same way your body does sounds sensible to us. We also know that traveling can create its own challenges when trying to look your best, whether for meetings with clients, taking those selfies for social media, or just wanting not to feel like a troll after many days in foreign lands.
Disclosure: This article was sponsored Sauce Beauty. All opinions expressed are our own, based on our experience with the products.
The Secret’s In The Sauce
The idea behind the Sauce comes from founder Andy Rah’s dual passions: haircare and food. He’s been a pro in the beauty industry for years but in his time off, he loves to cook for his family and friends. Knowing that many of the great ingredients that go into a healthy dish are also beneficial for our hair and scalp, so he decided to create a line of haircare products that embrace these benefits. Sauce contains the kind of ingredients we like to cook with, like avocado, basil oil, Greek yogurt, mint, olive oil, buttermilk, mint…well, you get the idea. While the sauce isn’t stomach food, it certainly is hair food. And that’s the secret. It’s really good for your hair.
Island Marinade Moisturizing Shampoo. Photo courtesy of Sauce Beauty.
Products To Make You Love Your Hair
When we saw the products, we couldn’t help laughing at the names. Guacamole Whip, Coconut Cream, Island Marinade, Creamy House Dressing, and Hot Sauce, just for a few. We also realized that our hair gets as hungry as we do for good nutrients, so Sauce started to make a lot of sense. We’re all trying to use products with more natural ingredients in our kitchens, so why not do the same when it comes to our hair? The Sauce line includes a range of products that can suit most hair needs. In addition to shampoos and conditioners, there’s a leave-in conditioner and detangler called Tzatziki Taming Spray. If that doesn’t sound perfect for our wild Greek with the fluffy head, we don’t know what does. The intense repair shampoo and intense repair conditioner also sound promising.
Tzatziki Taming Spray. Photo courtesy of Sauce Beauty.
So, What Do We Think?
We couldn’t wait to give some of these products a try. We’re always fighting humidity and frizz we started with the Island Marinade moisturizing shampoo and Creamy House Dressing Moisturizing Conditioner. To say they are creamy is an understatement. There’s nothing gritty or gooey in these products. They are velvety smooth and, well, super creamy. We loved the way our hair felt after we washed and conditioned with them. And they are color-safe, so no worry that your highlights will go away. They’re safe and sound with Sauce.
Creamy House Dressing Moisturizing Conditioner. Photo courtesy of Sauce Beauty.
We also used the Hot Sauce thermal protectant spray. One of the constants in our lives is the need to blow dry our hair. That really brings the frizz up at times. It’s an ongoing battle to get rid of the frizz without becoming flat and greasy. We loved the Hot Sauce, which felt super light and clean. Our hair was easy to style, smooth, and fluffy, not flat. The Chimichurri Mint Tingle intense repair shampoo did tingle. It felt like we were literally having our hair treated to a therapy session. And the Coconut Cream intense repair conditioner felt creamy and dreamy. The products all felt super clean, the highlights stayed highlighted, and our hair was silky, shiny, and soft. And, we loved the scents!
Hot Sauce Thermal Protectant. Photo courtesy of Sauce Beauty.
Sauce On The Go
Because we’re always looking for ways to pack smartly but still look our best when we travel, we love the idea of taking our haircare products with us when we can. Travel can be a killer on your hair and we don’t like to rely on the products provided in hotels, which are not always the best.
EVOO Intense Repair Oil Treatment. Photo courtesy of Sauce Beauty.
CEO & Founder Andy Rah agrees. “Sauce Beauty is great for travelers for a number of reasons. There are no aerosols, so you can easily transfer the products into travel bottles to carry on the plane without having to check them. The Guacamole Whip Mask and EVOO Oil both already come in travel-friendly sizes, so they’re great to pack and use for moisturizing and smoothing hair whether you’re in a hot, humid or cold, dry climate! If you can’t be without your Sauce Beauty products but don’t have room in your suitcase, all of the products are available via Amazon Prime, so ship them ahead to your hotel anywhere in the US.”
Guacamole Whip Deep Moisture Mask. Photo courtesy of Sauce Beauty.
Recipe For Success
We really like the way Sauce products treat our hair and that they contain the kind of healthy ingredients we use in our kitchen. We know that we’re hard on our hair and sometimes it shows. The products we tried make us feel that with regular use, we could combat the challenges of travel, blow-drying, color treatments, and other activities that are not so great for the health of our hair. The products made our hair feel and smell great. And, we love the fact that botanicals and extracts create the type of products that will help repair the problems we may have, not create more of them.
Photo courtesy of Sauce Beauty.
All in all, we’re planning to take the Sauce products in our bags with us on our next trip. We’re much happier knowing that what we’re putting on our hair is nutritious hair food, not junky hair food. So if you want to love your hair with some healthy products that make your hair smell and feel great, you might want to check out Sauce too. We think they’ve got a recipe for success and are glad our heads got a taste of these yummy products.
Grandmas cherry pie recipes bring joy to kitchens around the world. My Grandma Martha was one of the best bakers anywhere. And one of her most beloved baked treats was pie. Her incredibly light and flaky oil pie crust is unlike any you will find in a store. Instead of using butter, as many do, Grandma Martha made her pie crust with oil. The crust only has four ingredients! And the cherry pie recipe itself is super flexible and forgiving. You can pretty much use whatever cherries you like. Frozen cherries of any kind, frozen tart cherries or frozen sour cherries work well. If you have canned tart cherries, those are good too, and she has slightly different directions to ensure success. Of course, fresh sour cherries are wonderful when they are available. Any of these will work. No wonder she called it her perfect cherry pie recipe!
Grandma Martha was always cooking for a crowd, so this recipe makes enough filling for two nine-inch pies. You can save it for later, make two pies and eat one and save one, eat two pies, or eat one and give one to a friend. The possibilities are endless!
The Family That Bakes Together…
As luck would have it, my Dad is also quite a baker. He loves baking bread, rolls, and of course, pies. Having grown up in Ann Arbor Michigan, cherry pie is his absolute favorite. When I was visiting one year over the holidays, he wanted to have a pie baking competition. He used his recipe from his side of the family. And I used this one from my mom’s mom. It was a Grandmas cherry pie bake-off. Although they were both delicious, in the end, Grandma Martha’s recipe prevailed. We had fun and lots of cherry pie to enjoy over the holiday while we were there.
Grandmas cherry pie recipes often use all the tricks for foolproof baking, and this one is no different. For instance, pre-baking the crust a bit will keep the oil pie crust flaky (not soggy). You can either make a full double crust or, as I did, make a lattice crust on the top. Either way, I hope Grandmas cherry pie recipes like this one fill your own recipe book for generations to come.
Perfect Cherry Pie
Ingredients
Cherry Pie Filling
3 cups pitted fresh sour cherries or frozen cherries (frozen tart cherries, frozen sour cherries are best) thawed
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar (depending upon how sweet you want it and the type of cherries you use)
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (for thickening)
2 Tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
If you use CANNED TART CHERRIES:
2 cups well-drained pitted canned tart cherries PLUS 3 Tablespoons of the juice, just to moisten
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (for thickening)
1/2 to 1 cup sugar (less sweetening usually required than for fresh or frozen cherries)
Directions For Filling
Cut butter into small pieces. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Oil Pie Crust
Ingredients for One Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsaturated oil neutral flavor (like canola or vegetable)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 Tablespoons cold water
Directions For Crust
Mix flour with salt.
Mix in oil using fingers until the mixture is crumbly.
Work in cold water with fingers until dough forms a ball.
Divide dough in half.
Place each divided ball of dough between two sheets of wax paper and roll out to fit a nine-inch pie plate. If you want a lattice crust, slice one of the rolled out crusts into one-inch strips.
Directions For Assembling And Baking
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure the oven is fully up to temperature. Place bottom oil pie crust into the pie plate, making sure that the edges come up over the side of the plate. You can crimp them if you like. If using fresh or frozen cherries, bake crust at 450 for 10 minutes. If using canned tart cherries, bake crust at 450 for 15 minutes.
Remove prebaked bottom pie crust from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add cherry mixture to fill. You can bake the pie without a top crust if you choose.
To use a solid top crust, lay the dough on top of cherry mixture and crimp sides together with pre-baked bottom crust all around to seal. Prick top crust several times with a fork. You can create designs with a knife, making slicing guides or decoration. Just be sure there are plenty of holes for the steam to escape while baking.
To use a lattice crust, select the appropriate size strips and lay down on top of the mixture, alternating the weave, one up then the next down until you have covered the entire pie. Seal the edge strips together with the bottom crust. You can use a little water to moisten and stick together if necessary.
Place pie in 350 oven. For fresh or frozen cherries, bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the crust turns golden. For canned cherries bake for 15 minutes at 350 or until golden. Remember that ovens have varying temperatures, so be sure to keep your eye on the pie as it bakes. Your oven may require more or less time. When ready, the pie crust should be golden and cooked through.
Baking is Fun
If you enjoy baking, give this recipe for homemade bread a try. I was afraid at first, but it turned out to be easier than I though. And there’s just nothing quite like fresh bread right out of the oven.
Madison WI surprises a lot of visitors. The capital city of Wisconsin has so much to see and do. It is an isthmus town, sitting on a small hill surrounded by two beautiful lakes. There’s a lively college scene, which means there are a lot of great places to eat in Madison with really good prices. And, of course, it’s in Wisconsin where the craft beer is flowing and world-famous cheesemakers need to have a license. That’s serious stuff – seriously good! Whether you want to visit for a few days or move here to live (like we did!) Mad City has much to offer and we want to show you the best things to see and do.
Madison WI Overview Of The Capitol
If you read our earlier article about a visit to Marvelous Madison WIyou’ll know that we had fun in this diverse town. This time we’ll give you some more ideas to help you plan your visit.
Here’s a fresh look at what to see and do in Madison WI.
Many thanks to the Graduate Madison for hosting us on a stay at their hotel. The opinions expressed are our own and reflect our experience. We were not financially compensated.
Concerts In Madison
Madison WI is a cultural nirvana. Like many college towns, there are lots of spots to enjoy live music. Many of the bars and places to eat in Madison feature local musicians just about any day of the week to enjoy along with your meal.
Orpheum Theater
The Orpheum Theater is a gorgeous venue on the National Register of Historic Places that’s Art Deco on the outside with a French Renaissance interior. Seating nearly 2000 people, the Orpheum has hosted great music in Madison from such entertainers as Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Melissa Etheridge, Toto, Lyle Lovett, and Elvis Costello. It currently hosts concerts, standup comedy, and special events.
Overture Center For The Arts
The Overture Center is a hub of music and theatrical entertainment. It’s the resident home of the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Opera, Madison Ballet, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and numerous dance and theatrical groups. Concerts, Broadway plays, and many other performances and events throughout the year make the Overture a busy place. Even so, just like a lot about Madison, it’s friendly and easy to navigate. Check what’s going on before your visit. You might be surprised!
Holiday Concert At The Overture Center For The Arts
Free Madison Concerts
If you love music but want to save your pennies for other pursuits, there are lots of free outdoor concerts in Madison WI. Starting around May, you’ll find free spring concerts at Olin Park Pavilion and concerts on the rooftop begin at Monona Terrace, running through summer. Summer brings even more free Madison concerts like the Isthmus Jazz Festival, Live On King Street, Opera In The Park, Concerts On The Square, and the Capitol City Band. There’s something different for whatever your musical tastes. And if dancing is your thing, you’ll enjoy Dane Dances later in the summer where you can shake your bootie on Monona Terrace with the lake as your backdrop. You can find out what’s happening when at local calendars like this one from Isthmus.
Free Madison Zoo
We love to “no money fun” so one of our favorite treats is the free Madison zoo. Officially named Henry Vilas Zoo, this local favorite is open 365 days a year. We love their focus on education and their participation in highlighting local Wisconsin animals and heritage. Their exhibit highlighting Wisconsin’s mining history featuring American badgers and sandhill cranes is unique and fun. Visitors of every age can see everything from aardvarks to zebras, with over a hundred species including primates, big cats, camels, bison, polar bears, alligators, and more. The zoo focuses on its own sustainable practices and offers education and programs about conservation and endangered species. Kids of all sizes also love the Conservation Carousel and feeding ever-hungry goats in the Children’s Zoo area.
Conservation Carousel at the Henry Vila Zoo Madison WI
Madison Shopping
After saving some cash with free concerts and the zoo, you might be interested in a little Madison shopping. There are plenty of places with fun items to buy.
Bibliophiles like us will love A Room Of One’s Own bookstore with 6,000 square feet of new and used books. They host lots of author-speaking events too. And UW Badger fans or fans-to-be can find plenty of fun apparel and merchandise bearing the beloved mascot Bucky Badger at the University Bookstore.
If you’re looking for foodie treats check out Fromagination cheese shop or Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier for world-class treats. And if you’re around from spring through fall, you really have to see the Madison farmers market to believe it. The Dane County Farmer’s Market wraps around the entire capitol square. It’s the largest producer-only farmers market in America.
Destination Madison offers shopping itinerary ideas for shopping experiences. Whether you enjoy bargain-hunting, unique local finds, or just window shopping till you drop Madison shopping has many ways to make you happy.
Places To Eat In Madison
Our previous post showed off a few of our favorite restaurants in Madison. As with any great food town, there are many more great places to eat in Madison than you could possibly visit during a single trip. To keep you happily eating and drinking on your many visits to Madison (we know you’ll be back again – soon!) here are few more places to eat in Madison that we think you’ll want to try.
Asian Cuisine
Asian food is one of our favorite global cuisines and several restaurants in Madison have delicious eats. Mr. Kimchi offers modern Korean with style. New Seoul’s traditional family recipes shine in Korean classics like galbi, beef bulgogi, and bokum dishes. You’ll even find Korean drinks here like corn, ginger, and ginseng teas. It’s a tiny little storefront shop but the food is absolutely delicious. Ramen lovers will get their fill at Morris Ramen, Ramen Station, and others. If you’re into dumplings you’ll want to try Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar, Chen’s Dumpling House, or our winner for best name, Dumpling Haus. For a real treat, try the authentic Laotian food at family-owned Lao Laan-Xang. There are many other spots with incredible food from other Asian cuisines, you’re bound to find whatever flavors you crave.
Mr. Kimchi Madison WI
European And Mediterranean
Restaurants in Madison also showcase great European and Mediterranean fare. Essen House is a fun German restaurant that makes every day feel like a party. Where else can you order a giant glass boot filled with beer?
2 Liter Beer Boot At Essen House
Try La Kitchenette for fun homestyle French. Estrellon gives Spanish a spin and Lombardino’s serves fantastic Italian with tasty pasta, satisfying entrees, and brick oven pizza that’s as good as it gets. For Mediterranean, there are lots of options too. A Pig In A Fur Coat , Oliva, Otto’s and Parthenon Gyros are just the start. There are lots of Latin American flavors, unique Himalayan restaurants, and fusion spots too.
American Fare
We could go on forever about the great global cuisines you’ll find in Madison. But you can also get delicious American eats. Modern diners like Monty’s Blue Plate Diner, hearty burgers at DLUX, steak, and seafood at Tornado Steakhouse, and of course, fresh farm-to-table at Harvest and Pasture & Plenty make it easy for everyone to get what they want.
Breakfast And Bakeries
Breakfasts are king at Short Stack Eatery, Marigold Kitchen, and Mickies Dairy Bar. Even the laid back Madison locals will get up early to start their day with amazing dishes from these and other favorite spots. And amazing bakeries like Batch Bakehouse and Greenbush are too numerous to mention. And if you love donuts (and, really, who doesn’t?) you’ll want to make a visit to Hurts Donut Company just to see what wonderful, whimsical, wacky flavors they have that day.
Elmo Donut at Hurts Donuts
Madison Food Carts
Madison food carts are a fun and unique part of Madison’s downtown dining scene. During the warmer months, the city center is filled with dozens of mobile food vendors selling everything edible you can imagine. Arepas, grilled cheese, bbq, burritos, tacos, waffles, loco moco, empanadas, and fabulous fusion foods are all available so you can get a quick tasty meal without skipping a beat in your sightseeing day. They’re fun and colorful, and the vendors and your fellow eaters are super friendly. Be sure to ask them about their favorites!
Buzzy’s Lake House Food Cart Madison WI
Taste Of Madison
In addition to all of the regular Madison food carts, the city has a huge food festival every summer called Taste of Madison. Here you’ll find all kinds of tastes to try from some 80 different restaurants and mobile food vendors. More than 25 beverage stands help keep the 250,000 or so visitors well hydrated too. There are several stages where live music plays, and the proceeds from the Taste go to fund local charities.
Global Flavors At Taste Of Madison
Breweries In Madison
Craft beer is about as popular in Madison WI as deep-fried cheese curds.
Deep-Fried Cheese Curds
As a matter of fact, these two tastes go great together. Madison has plenty of breweries to visit, each with its own unique personality and style of brewing. We’ve visited a few of these spots and can say that whatever your preference, there are probably several breweries in Madison that will make you smile.
Madison is also blessed with some great museums. The Wisconsin Historical Museum and Veterans Museum are favorites of visitors and locals alike. The Chazen Museum of Art and Madison Museum of Contemporary hold world-class collections. Science loves will want to check out the Wisconsin Science Museum, L.R. Ingersol Physics Museum, and UW-Madison Geology Museum. And the Madison Children’s Museum rated one of the 10 Best Children’s Museums in America by Reader’s Digest among its numerous awards offers family fun in a creative, interactive, fun and educational environment.
State Historical Museum In Madison WI
Madison Loves Sports
Whether you like to watch or love to play, sports are available in Madison year-round. The UW Badgers have raving fans no matter the season. The enthusiastic crowds cheer on their beloved Badgers and the outstanding facilities for team sports keep the fans coming back for more.
UW Madison Badgers Basketball at Kohl Center
You can play golf when the weather’s good. Or go fishing, hiking, kayaking, disc golf, jogging, biking, or anything else you can think of to do outdoors. Madison has hundreds of miles of trails that make getting a little activity outside easy and fun.
Beautiful Places To Get Outdoors In Madison WI
Madison is a birdwatcher’s and wildlife lover’s paradise. There are so many lovely places to relax and unwind in nature. We often go walking in Elver Park on the far west side of the city. It’s not surprising when we get to see furry or feathered friends like these Canada geese just enjoying an afternoon float.
Geese In Elver Park
In winter you can go sledding, ice skating, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and more. You might even pick up a hockey game at one of the parks.
Madison WI Winter Sports Like Cross Country Skiing
Downtown Madison Hotels
We shared our thoughts about the beautiful Edgewater hotel in our previous post and if you love the water, it’s the perfect spot to stay. But one of the great things about visiting a college town is, well, the collegiate atmosphere. The Graduate Madison is literally a block from the University of Wisconsin, Madison campus. It’s one of the most fun downtown Madison hotels if you want to be in the middle of the action.
The Graduate
Inside, you’ll find every imaginable comfort that will make you wish you were in school again. Whether you’re visiting for pleasure, to check out the school, or visit with your own favorite student the location steps away from campus just can’t be beaten. The lobby has a fun retro feel created by the art, hanging canoe, and cheery colors, and even plaids. Did you know that the official bird of Madison WI is the plastic pink flamingo? Well, you do now. Look for it in artwork around the hotel.
The lobby of the Graduate Madison WI
Room For Fun
The rooms are fun and continue to highlight the “Graduate” theme in every detail. Comfy and with lots of amenities, the rooms come in various sizes from a single queen for one or two all the way up to the vintage-inspired Camp Wandawega Suite that is great for parents and kids. Just hanging out in the hotel and the room makes you feel like you’re off on a vacation retreat.
Room at the Graduate Hotel Madison
Among our favorite amenities were the complimentary Wi-Fi and the Malin + Goetz products in the bathroom. We had a view right out to the action on the street, but the room was quiet as can be, earning the Graduate super-high marks for one of the most important features, in our opinion. It’s hard to believe you can be in a hotel downtown with all the activity and not be bothered by noise. But the Graduate has done it giving us a fun time watching the goings-on without being disturbed by undesired noise.
Each room comes with its own special touches. If you look on the wall in our room here you’ll see the photo of Rodney Dangerfield performing the Triple Lindy in his film Back To School. It’s these kinds of touches that keep you looking at all the details the Graduate sets out for you to discover making every chance discovery a little bit more fun.
Old Fashioned at the Graduate Madison WI
Camp Tripalindee
Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, upstairs at the Graduate, Camp Trippalindee (get the reference?) offers a fun retro sleepaway camp atmosphere with tasty campy food like burgers and brats, take a hike nachos, fried pickles, and cheese curds. Quaff some craft beers, mellow wines, specialty camper drinks, or our favorite cocktail the Wisconsin Old Fashioned. Go ahead and relax with a lovely view of downtown and Lake Mendota. For a little fun when the weather’s cool, snuggle up with one of their comfy blankies, and roast marshmallows or make s’mores over the fire pits, if you’re in the mood. There’s also an indoor seating area that’s fun, campy, and suitably decorated with more crazy camp memorabilia. You’re bound to have a good taste and a good time.
Love The Lobby
The lobby of the Graduate seamlessly flows into a totally chill cafe that doubles as a study area for locals wanting to have some incredibly tasty Nitro cold brew coffee, yummy snacks, and hang out somewhere fun. In addition to some cozy tables around the side, there’s a long community table in the middle with lamps that, we kid you not, have model RVs as their bases. The lights above are set in canoe oars.
Graduate Lobby Celebrates Camp Theme
So really, how can you not smile in a place like this? Impossible. Fun. Totally memorable. And, close to everything. The Graduate in Madison WI is a great choice among downtown Madison hotels.
Madison WI At Night
If you’re a night owl, there’s a lot to do in Madison well into the wee hours. There are music and comedy clubs, bars, and special events. Madison has some famous Wisconsin supper clubs like Avenue Club And Bubble Up Bar and Toby’s. And don’t forget that “Fish Fry” Fridays are still in full force in Madison WI!
Supper Clubs Are Fun
Watching a sunset in Madison is its own kind of special treat any season.
Madison Winter Sunset
And a nighttime view of the capitol gives some perspective on just how regal the state capitol is.
Madison Capitol Building At Night
We hope we’ve shown you that there’s a lot to see and do in Madison Wisconsin. So next time you have the inclination for a great time, head on over and have some mad fun.
If you’d like more information about visiting Madison check out VisitMadison.com for lots of planning and travel tips.
312 Chicago is a great find among restaurants near Chicago Theater. With so many downtown Chicago Italian restaurants, it’s sometimes hard to choose. But we’re always happy when we find a winner and 312 Chicago restaurant definitely earns high marks. Here’s what we found during our tasty visit for delicious dining.
The 312 Chicago Vibe
312 Chicago is one of the restaurants near Hotel Allegro Chicago. As a matter of fact, it’s located in the Kimpton Hotel Allegro Chicago. The location is ideal for downtown business lunches and pre-theater dining. It’s smack dab in the Theater District near the Cadillac Palace Theater and Chicago Theater.
The restaurant itself is very old-school Chicago Italian, or as we like to call it, classic Chicago. We’d describe it as swanky. You know, kinda cool, slightly retro but in a sophisticated modern way. The comfortable booths are nice and roomy. They give you enough space and privacy to provide a perfect spot for deal-making and private conversations. The modern bar adds a nice touch of social invitation too. We think it would be a fun place to enjoy an after-work cocktail or glass of wine with some friends, old or new.
We know that when you’re getting dinner before a show, you sometimes feel tense because you need to get out on time. But you want to enjoy your meal and don’t want to be rushed. The 312 Chicago restaurant staff is more than capable and provides friendly service that lets you relax and get through your meal without feeling hurried. Of course, you’ll want to make a reservation to give yourself enough time if heading to the theater next is on your agenda.
But we were there for a leisurely business lunch and loved the laid back and happy vibe. Because some of our dining companions had various food sensitivities, we asked a lot of questions about items on the menu. Our server answered all our questions thoroughly and with a smile. They were willing to accommodate just about any request we had, and we felt confident that all of the items we ordered would be carefully prepared.
The Chef
Executive Chef Luca Corrazina first learned his cooking skills from his mother, a professional chef in northern Padova, Italy. His family later moved to Chicago in 1986 in search of the American dream while sharing their delicious home recipes. Chef Corrazina spent time working at many popular Italian restaurants in Chicago and Florida before landing in his spot as Executive Chef at 312 Chicago. His recipes include soul-satisfying dishes prepared with Northern Italian style and flair. Chef Luca’s culinary philosophy is that “the best ingredients, treated with care, can result in perfection.”
The 312 Chicago menu features the freshest local ingredients in clean, elegant preparations that highlight the flavors of his robust cuisine. Those looking for one of the best downtown Chicago Italian restaurants will find it here.
Chef Luca Corrazina 312 Chicago. Photo courtesy of 312 Chicago.
The Food
Let’s face it everyone does Brussels sprouts these days. But not everyone does them well. At 312 Chicago they fry the sprouts with toasted pistachios, Granny Smith apples, and apple cider. The combination provides an irresistible blend of sweet, savory, and tangy punctuated by the pistachio crunch. Everyone at our table loved them. It’s fair to say that these little devils were gone as fast as some Chicago politicians. We can imagine looking for restaurants near Chicago Theater and stopping here just for a plate of these babies with a glass of wine and being good to go.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
If you’re looking for something slightly more substantial, the Caesar salad is a solid offering. You could have it for lunch, an appetizer, or a light dinner. For an additional charge, you can add chicken, shrimp, salmon, scallops, steak or tuna, which would amp it up into a filling Italian favorite. We loved the addition of fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top. This is one of those dishes that, when done right, is a real crowd-pleaser. Fortunately, 312 Chicago did it right.
Caesar Salad
We’ll never say no to a bread basket or a handcrafted cocktail. Both are delicious and worthy of a little splurge. The bread includes different varieties. Our favorite was the savory rosemary focaccia that tasted like it just came hot from the oven. They also have a full wine list and plenty of local beers on tap and in bottles.
312 Chicago Tasty Bread And Cocktails
Burrata Fans Rejoice
The lunch menu also includes some delicious paninis. Diana tried the Italiano Panini and it was bursting with burrata. Between two layers of that beautiful rosemary focaccia are Prosciutto Cotto, pistachio mortadella, and fresh lettuce, tomato, and olive oil along with the burrata. Because it was so big she only ate half and took the other half home and, gratefully, it was just as tasty the next day.
Italiano Panini
For The Seafood Lover
312 Chicago’s extensive lunch menu includes a variety of salads, starters, sandwiches, and full entrees. Among the standout choices on the menu are the housemade plates of pasta with creative sauces and fresh seafood. For the sake of thoroughness, we decided to try a few of these options. It’s research, after all, and we owe it to you to describer the most complete experience possible.
Fresh Fish
The fresh seafood is really outstanding. There are options for fish in various preparations, so depending on what you prefer, you’ll likely find something that will be just perfect. Even at lunchtime, the portions are generous too. We have to admit that we really love the texture and flavor of housemade pasta. It’s a difficult task so we know that when we find it we’re in for a treat. Pairing fresh pasta with housemade sauces just makes our tastebuds tingle. It’s also good to know that many of their pasta dishes are available in a gluten-free version. One of our lunch companions had the Linguine Nere, a black squid ink pasta made with gluten-free linguine. Everyone at the table took a taste and it was a huge hit. Those tiny bay scallops melt like butter in your mouth. What a wonderful dish.
312 Chicago Elegant Black Squid Ink Linguine
If you love octopus or have never tried it, the grilled braised baby octopus starter Polpetti was another smash hit. It was perfectly prepared with Spanish Chorizo, pickled red onion, fried potatoes, and saffron aioli. Octopus can be tricky because if it’s prepared properly it’s tender and mild. And this one was done to perfection. The chorizo and onions brightly complemented the mild octopus.
Grilled Baby Octopus
But Wait, There’s More!
No meal is complete without dessert, right? 312 Chicago has a sweet selection of Italian classics like tiramisu, biscotti cookies, and gelato. Their house specialty is a Torta di Noci. This sweet delight is a buttery tart crust loaded with crunchy pecans nestled on sweet and gooey caramel sauce and topped with butterscotch gelato. If you aren’t drooling over that description, take a look at the photo below. Are you with us now? Yay Torta di Noci! It’s not just indulgence, though. The beautiful plate also features lovely fresh berries and actually a great way to get your vitamins. That’s what we say anyway.
312 Chicago Gorgeous Pecan Tart
Chocoholics will have no choice but to try the Torta di Ciocolato. This flourless chocolate cake is super chocolatey, satisfyingly fudgy, and delightfully dense. It arrives seated beautifully on top of a mixed berry sauce and crowned with Chantilly creme and chocolate shavings. And because its “flourless,” those watching their intake of wheat or gluten will be able to indulge without guilt. Again, the fresh fruit adds color and nutrients. We’d almost go so far as to say this is actually a health food. Almost.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Breakfast At 312 Chicago
Although we were there for lunch, 312 Chicago also serves breakfast. They generally open at 7 am on weekdays, 8 am on weekends. The breakfast options look pretty tasty too. Dishes include everything from housemade granola and steel-cut oatmeal to buttermilk pancakes and brioche French toast. They have plenty of egg dishes too, including frittatas, omelets, short rib hash, steak and eggs, and a full American breakfast with the works. What caught our attention were the Italian spins on breakfast. The Caprese omelet uses egg whites, fresh diced tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. And the Italian breakfast includes Prosciutto di Parma, mortadella tomato, stracchino cheese, warm Italian bread. 312 Eggs Benedict can be made with Prosciutto Cotto, smoked salmon or baby organic spinach. And when we saw Parmesan potatoes as a side, we knew we’d have to come back for breakfast sometime soon.
312 Chicago For Great Dining Downtown
Add 312 Chicago to your list of downtown Chicago Italian restaurants to try on your next visit to Chicago. Its convenient location is near Chicago Theater, Cadillac Palace, and other attractions of Chicago’s Theater District. Located in the beautiful Kimpton Hotel Allegro, this stylish and tasty Italian spot offers a touch of class with a modern feel for downtown Chicago dining. Prices are moderate, with breakfast dishes and lunchtime paninis in the teens dollar range. Pasta dishes are around twenty dollars and entrees are mostly in the mid-twenties dollar range at both lunch and dinner. Whether you go for a yummy lunch as we did, or for dinner or a pre-theater experience, their satisfying food, easy location, and classic Chicago atmosphere add up to a highly enjoyable experience.
To see their complete menu and make a reservation check out their website 312chicago.com.
Thank you 312 Chicago for our complimentary lunch. We were not financially compensated for this review. All opinions we provide are our own and reflect our experiences. We pledge to provide our audience with truthful and honest reviews.
We love to travel. We love to eat. It’s why we write about food travel. And we know we’re not alone. According to the World Tourism Organization, over 88% of travelers consider gastronomy a defining element of a destination. And depending on the destination over a third of tourist spending is devoted to food. When you consider that most of us eat 3 meals a day while traveling, food travel on a budget becomes a challenge. Instead of skipping meals or missing out on local treasure you’ll need to be prepared to be sure you have the best food travel experience possible.
Luckily, we’ve got a lot of experience and some top tips to share that can make food travel on a budget as easy as…well, I have to say it, pie! And who doesn’t like pie.
Here are our top 5 tips for food travel on a budget in any part of the world.
Standing in line for ice cream in Cuba.
5. Look For The Lines
Locals who love food have their favorite spots and most of the time they go there often. This can lead to lines of diners waiting for a spot at one of the best deals in town. We once “discovered” a well-known steakhouse in Paris by walking down side streets and looking at restaurants. One had a huge line outside while the others, not so much. We got in line and it actually moved pretty quickly. Once inside we were treated to a green salad, 2 servings of ribeye steak with a delicious “secret sauce,” and unlimited frites for about 27 Euros. If you’d like to add wine and dessert each is around are 5 Euros.
We may not have known that Le Relais de l’Entrecote was perfect for food travel on a budget, but the line outside told us that the many others did. You’ll be interested to know that along with several locations in Paris and throughout France, they also have locations in New York, London, Vienna, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Kuwait.
Be sure to check out the hand posted menus and see if there are any specials of the day. You can score yourself a deal and a great meal where you’ll least expect it.
Chestnuts in Istanbul, Turkey
4. Street Food for Every Taste
Some travelers worry that street food is unsafe. Under certain conditions, of course, it can be. But if you can see the preparation and cooking you can tell for yourself. If not, just keep walking to the next street vendor. If you’re not an adventurous eater, there are still plenty of street eats for you. Hot roasted chestnuts cooked over a charcoal-filled barrel, sweet corn fresh off the grill, crunchy roasted nuts or crusty bread, there’s plenty of low-risk food to try. From pierogis to potstickers you can get a taste of local culture just about everywhere. Look to see which vendors have plenty of customers and you’re likely to find yummy bites that are safe as well as satisfying for food travel on a budget.
Busy day at the Athens Markets
If you’re adventurous you’ll find so many delectable items to try. While we were in Beijing visiting their legendary Donghuamen Night Market there were all kinds of things on sticks. Insects, snakes, animal parts as well as fruit and veggies that were much tamer. Don’t forget to try the sweet treats too. Candied apples or fried hand pies are always a tasty bet.
Still don’t feel confident enough to pick your own street food? Ask a local for some help. You’ll find that cab drivers are more than willing to share their favorites. When we were visiting New York City. We talked to our UBER driver from the airport to the hotel the entire ride about restaurants and food. The ride went so quick and we all had a ball talking about our own favorites. We became fast friends and he almost went out to lunch with us too! You just never know who is going to become your newest food traveler friend.
Roots Chicken Plano Texas Legacy Food Hall
3. Ethnic Areas, Food Fests, and Malls
Look for the ethnic areas if you’re in a larger city for great value bites. Argyle Street in Chicago is tops for Vietnamese while Devon Ave is the undisputed king of Indian eats. Paris has its diverse Latin Quarter with everything from fondue to gyros in a pita. There are also plenty of ethnic and holiday feasts where great food is abundant and prices are reasonable. We love the Oktoberfest and Christmas markets all over Germany. Remember too that shopping and value dining go together.
Check out the local shopping malls for food courts with surprisingly delicious and affordable tastes. But, opt for the local options rather than chains. Also, you can find specialized food halls such as the Hawkers centers in Singapore. They specialize in amazing and cheap local cuisines, perfect for food travel on a budget.
Many cities now have food halls and public markets too. That’s a wonderful way to experience the local food and really spend some quality time mingling with the locals. Another food and travel hot spot, Plano Texas, Legacy Food Hall has dozens of local restaurants to try as well as live entertainment to keep you busy. Montpelier, France has a similar food hall that has multiple types of dining to choose from as well as outdoor entertainment and shopping too. These types of foodie destinations make it easy to try a lot of the local cuisine and relax with small portions and group seating. Be sure to check the local websites for the calendar of events and food festivals too.
Night Market in Beijing
2. Markets and Mobile Food
Sometimes the best way to get a great meal is to pick one up on the way to somewhere else. Visit local markets and mobile food vendors for tasty treats that are easy on the wallet. Check out Grand Central Market in Los Angeles, La Boqueria in Barcelona, St. Lawrence Market in Toronto, Chandni Chowk in Dehli, and many others. Markets let you experience a slice of the destination. Food truck rallies and food cart pods offer a variety of value tastes in one spot. Robust food truck gatherings are found all over the U.S. in places like Wisconsin, Tampa, Scottsdale and more.
In fact, the Dane County Farmer’s Market in Madison, Wisconsin is the nation’s largest producer’s only farmers market in the country. Set in Capital Square it has become a destination market for the entire Midwest. It’s easy to spend all day wandering around the entire square, talking to farmers and picking up all your local favorites. It’s also a great place to pick up healthy road trip snacks of fresh fruit and fresh-made sandwiches or salads.
If you’re staying at a place with a kitchen, markets are also a great place to pick your ingredients to make your own locally-inspired meals. Using fresh produce, meat, fish or chicken you can create wonderful meals.
Amazing food trucks are outside the U.S. too in places from Amsterdam, Berlin, London’s famous Eat St. and now even in Hong Kong. These portable gems are where many notable chefs have gotten their start. You never know when you’re going to be tasting something that is being created by the next Instagram sensation.
1. Shop For The Food Travel Deals & Coupons!
The best way to ensure food travel on a budget is to plan in advance. Some countries offer fixed price menus, midday specials, happy hour discounts and other great deals. Search before you go to see what is available in the destination you’re visiting. Coupons, promos, and discounts are available from many online sources as well. If you’re a savvy shopper, you can find fun surprises like discounts on French restaurants in Sydney. You can find some of the best restaurant deals at Groupon. By planning in advance you can even add a high-end restaurant to your food travel on a budget.
When you are planning your food travels remember to make reservations and do your homework. If there is a special place you really want to experience check their website, call them, just be in touch so you won’t be disappointed. It’s the worst when you show up at a restaurant only to learn they are closed.
When in a destination be sure to stop in the local tourism office. Pick up the local destination guide for the latest information. You may also find that they offer coupons and deals for visitors. Be sure to ask the local representative for their best food travel tips, too. Ask them their go-to spots not the touristy ones. You’ll be surprised by the wonderful recommendations that you’ll receive.
These are just a few of our budget travel tips for having a tasty trip that’s full of fun, flavor, and value. Please let us know about your own best ideas for food travel on a budget. Bon Voyage and Bon Appétit!
Portugal has rocketed to the top of desirable destinations for travelers around the world. Beyond the mainland, Portugal has two autonomous regions, the Azores and Madeira. Madeira is an archipelago or group of islands. Madeira Island, the main destination, is about an hour and a half flight from Lisbon. If you’re like us and love going to places that are still a little under the radar, then you will want to add Madeira to your must-visit list. Wondering what to do in Madeira? You’re in the right place. Read on to discover our recommendations for the best things to do and see in Madeira, Portugal.
What To Do In Madeira
Old Town Funchal
Funchal is the largest city and capital of Madeira. Madeirans take pride in their history and culture and nowhere is that more evident than in the location of the first settlement, Old Town. You can wander down the cobblestone streets and get a sense of Madeira’s history. The interesting architecture, stately old homes, and classic churches mingle with lively new shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes. A vintage hat factory and boot factory continue producing quality items as they have for decades. Art lovers will enjoy the Painted Doors Project along Rua de Santa Maria. This creative public art project invited local and visiting artists to use the doors, and sometimes walls, windows, and other spots, as their canvas. The resulting artwork makes for a fun and colorful stroll down the long cobblestone road, adding even more character to the rich cultural scene in Old Town.
Painted Doors Project Funchal Madeira Portugal
Monte Village, Palace, And Gardens
To get a spectacular view of Funchal with its architecture and gardens as well as the beautiful blue Atlantic ocean, take a ride on the Funchal cable car. This gondola lift will take you up on a 15-minute ride to the hilltop village of Monte. In Monte, the lush Botanical Garden spans over 35,000 square meters filled with exotic plants, fruit and coffee trees, koi fish ponds, peacocks, and tropical flowers from around the world. The extensive grounds of Monte Palace include a central lake with ducks and swans. Monte Palace Museum is a multilevel exhibition space with more than 1000 contemporary sculpture works from Zimbabwe and hundreds of beautiful mineral specimens collected from around the world. The hundreds of unique artisanal tile panels that decorate the grounds and walkways represent an important collection of regional tiles produced as early as the 15th century.
Wicker Toboggan Ride
Back in the mid-1850s, people got from the top of the hill in Monte down to the city of Funchal by zooming down in a wicker basket attached to two wooden rails. The “sledge” or wicker toboggan was the main form of transport then but now remains as a fun attraction for visitors. A ride on the Monte Sledges built for two come with two attendants called carreiros. The carreiros wear white uniforms and straw hats. They stand on the back of the toboggan and steer riders downhill on the winding road. As you can imagine, the sledge ride can be bumpy but thrilling for those who like a good whoosh down a hill. Carreiros dos Monte has been called one of the world’s coolest commutes and one of the best things to do Madeira style that you won’t find anywhere else.
Sledge ride in Madeira. Photo courtesy of Visit Madeira.
Santana Traditional Houses
Santana is a darling town in the northeast of Madeira. It boasts an incredible number of gorgeous and unique flowers such as birds of paradise and trees full of Angel’s Trumpet flowers. Where else can you see literally hedges and hedges of hydrangeas? We don’t know. As much as we love the plants and flowers, most people come to Santana to see it’s fun and different traditional Santana houses. These homes are quite small, with a sort of A-frame triangular shape. The thatched roof is made from reeds, which used to be quite bountiful in the area and thus were commonly used for this purpose. These traditional houses were mostly found in rural areas built by local farmers when the town was settling in the early days. Today, over 100 of these cultural treasures have been preserved thanks to a cultural heritage initiative. Many of the houses are slowly being restored but you can see some great examples in the center of town where several of them are clustered. An office of tourism, postal service, local weaver, and various local artisan products for sale can be found inside the structures.
Santana Madeira
Santana Produce
We noticed a few stalls of a fruit market across the street so we took a stroll over there and chatted with friendly local vendors who enjoyed explaining what some of the unfamiliar fruits were and giving us tastes. Madeira is known for its unique bananas. They are much smaller than the typical bananas you see in your local grocery store. There is also a unique fruit known as a green banana or delicious fruit, which has oblong green skin but when opened has small sections that resemble corn. The taste is sweet and, well, delicious. We saw fruits that we were a little better acquainted with like the soursop and cherimoya. But the number of different colors and flavors of passion fruit was amazing. If you happen to be visiting the Santana houses downtown and the fruit stand is open, walk across the street and pay a visit. You’ll get a great education in Madeira’s local fruit and you might even make a friend or two with the locals, as we did. The more you get to know the friendly locals, the more you’ll understand the best things to do Madeira style.
Go For A Wander
Madeira has lots of peaceful meadows, deep verdant valleys, hillside vineyards, dramatic cliffs, and ocean views. It’s fun to see some of this diverse area on foot if you are able. Madeira’s many walking routes and trails are all over the island. Some walks are easy and great for short strolls. Others are challenging and can take up half a day or more. Waterfalls, plants, flowers, wildlife, and, of course, amazing views are ready to be discovered. Unique to Madeira are Levada trails that offer some insight into the workings of Madeira living. A Levada is a small aqueduct or channel that was originally used to bring water from the northern part of the island to the southern part, which is much drier. Today levadas are also used to provide hydroelectric power, which is one of Portugal’s chief strengths. Madeira offers many footpaths, trails, and walking routes that offer a great way to take in some of the area’s natural beauty.
Path to the Levadas in Madeira Portugal
More Things To Do In Madeira
Active Tourism
There are plenty of other active tourism opportunities on Madeira. On the more adventurous side, you can go rock climbing, rappelling, sliding, and canyoning. The hills, cliffs, and waterfalls provide great challenges in beautiful surroundings. 4×4 vehicles offer excursions and here are plenty of places for trail running, mountain biking, horseback riding, orienteering, and geocaching adventures in the forest and other areas. For those who want to go up in the air, Madeira offers places for hang gliding and paragliding with unforgettable views. Less strenuous but equally thrilling are options for birdwatching, golfing, and various tours from rickshaws and Segways to coaches, electric bubble cars, taxis, and more. Sea lovers can enjoy surfing, sailing, diving, bodyboarding, SUP, jet skiing, sport fishing, and windsurfing. And, for the ultimate sea life experience, boat trips for whale and dolphin watching can be done any time of year. There are plenty of tour and rental companies that can help you find the perfect ways for you to enjoy your visit to Madeira. Check out some of the active tourism opportunities in Madeira here.
Many lush paths and to follow in Madeira
What Is The Most Beautiful Part of Madeira?
Mountain Top Sunrise
At nearly 6,000 feet high, Pico do Areeiro is one of the tallest mountain peaks in Madeira. It’s also the perfect place to watch the sun come up over this island paradise. If you’re willing to get up before the sun, you can take a scenic 45-minute drive from Funchal, passing valleys, hills, meadows, and more until you reach the top. Various tour operators provide different packages and island tours. We took a jeep tour with Discovery Island Madeira tour that included a trip up for the sunrise with a portable breakfast. The views from the mountain top were amazing, and to watch the character of the landscape change with the lighting made the photographers who endured the trek smile. Depending on your tour, you’ll probably also make some scenic stops on the way back. It is cold at the summit so bring a good coat and wear sturdy shoes as you’ll need to walk a little on a rocky path to get to a great spot on the mountain to see the sunrise.
Sunrise in Madeira Portugal
Food Glorious Food
No matter where you are in Portugal, you will find some of the best food in your life. Madeira is no exception, and it even adds a few new treats to the gastronomic scene. Madeirans are able to enjoy the freshest delights from the ocean as well as plentiful produce. But don’t worry if you’re not a seafood lover. There are plenty of amazing meat as well as plant-based options to keep every diner completely stuffed and happy for the duration of your visit – no matter how long you stay.
Prawns in Madeira
Some of the most delicious dishes are also unexpected. Limpets or lapas as they are known by Madeirans are a kind of mollusk that thrives along the rocky shore. They become a favorite snack or appetizer for locals and visitors alike. Sauteed in a pan in garlic butter and often served with a squeeze of fresh lemon. The perfect partner for lapas (and anything else if you ask us) is a sort of flat round bread made with flour and mashed sweet potato called Bolo do Caco. Caco is the flat stone on which the bread is baked. Often served with delicious garlic butter, the bolo is something special on its own, but is also used for sandwiches with beef steak, grilled pork or tuna, and even ham and cheese.
Platter of Limpets in Madeira
A Very Special Place
A fantastic place to try lapas and fresh seafood is Fajã dos Padres. This is a spot that you will want to spend some time at, so plan for several hours to visit. Fajã is a combination rustic resort, beachside café, Madeira wine cellar, vineyard, and gardens all rolled into one. The property was once a place where Jesuits enjoyed the summer, the scenery, and the excellent terroir. The main features of the property are down by the beach so you get there by taking a brief cable car down the mountain. During the ride, which lasts only a couple of minutes, riders will see beautiful beaches, dramatic cliffs, lush gardens, and vineyards. Once you arrive at the bottom, you can really explore what this amazing property has to offer.
The cable car ride to Faja dos Padres
There is a small wine cellar, where the proprietor makes delicious Madeira wine. The gardens and vineyards are all intertwined, so a walk down the cobblestone lane offers views not only of grapevines but avocado and fig trees, squash vines, pomegranate trees, and many other fruits and vegetables as well. While walking, you’ll pass by some of the villas that are available to rent. The cozy and charming cottages would make for a perfect seaside getaway if you really want to escape the hubbub of the city. At the bottom of the walk, you will find the wonderful outdoor restaurant overlooking the seashore. Dishes include lapas, fresh fish, salads, and many traditional Madeiran specialties like picadinho, cubed beef in a savory sauce served with plenty of French fries. The food goes perfect with some great local wine. Bring an appetite and some friends because portions are quite hearty here.
Lush grounds at Faja dos Padres MadeiraLunch at Fajã dos Padres
Dine On A Veranda
Another wonderful place to dine is Quinta do Furao in Santana. This peaceful spot has an inn as well as the restaurant, set among the picturesque scenery of hills, valleys, and its very own organic vineyards. Tools used to make the wine, including a huge old-style press, are around the grounds for viewing anytime. The flowers and plants around the property are gorgeous. We saw several different colors of bougainvillea, including orange ones, which we had never seen before. Take a stroll before or after eating to enjoy the scenery.
Fresh Tuna at Quinta do Furao
The restaurant serves exceptional traditional Madeiran cuisine. You’ll find limpets, octopus, grilled tuna, pork, beef, and vegetarian dishes, prepared thoughtfully with the freshest seasonal ingredients. Don’t forget to try the house-made sweet potato bread served with garlic butter. Just limit yourself because it is so good you might fill up before your meal.
Delicious house-made sweet potato bread with a view at Quita do Furao
If you like the vibe, the view, and the food, there’s an inn with views of the mountains and sea from its cozy rooms and cottages. Relax in nature and enjoy a truly memorable stay.
Quench Your Thirst
Madeira has a lot of delicious beverages for before, during, and after any meal so be sure to explore them.
Madeira Wine
The most famous drink, of course, is Madeira wine. This term refers to a wide variety of fortified wines that are produced in Madeira but enjoyed throughout the world. Madeira wines range from dry to sweet. Many different grapes are used to make Madeira wine, both red and white. The most common red grape is the Tinta Negra. The most popular white grapes are Sercial, Verdelho, Terrantez, Bual, and Malvasia. Malvasia grapes, also known as Malmsey, are often used to make the sweetest of Madeira wines.
Madeira Wine
There are lots of wonderful spots to try Madeira. Blandy’s is a well-known brand around the world and they offer tastings and tours. For a total experience, you can rent one of their four lovely apartments located next door. Enjoy some Madeira wines and bites at a nice wine bar like Paixão do Vinho or immerse yourself in a Madeira wine tour.
Poncha
Another local favorite drink is Poncha. Poncha is a strong fruity punch style drink made with cane sugar alcohol known as aguardente. The alcohol is mixed with honey, sugar, and citrus juices like lemon and orange. There are many variations, as each place has its own preferred recipe. You can find even Poncha bottled in stores to take home as a souvenir. Some of the best spots for Poncha are Madeira Rum House, Casa da Poncha , and Rei da Poncha.
Cortadinho
Madeirans love good coffee. And what is better than coffee with a little extra. In this case, the extra in the coffee is a little Madeira or port wine. Top it off with a twist of lemon peel and you have a Madeiran tummy warmer called a Cortadinho or sometimes Cortado for short. But don’t confuse this with the Spanish cortado, which is expresso with a splash of milk. On our way back down from our mountaintop sunrise, we stopped at a small local restaurant-bar called Abrigo Do Poiso on the way back down. We sampled their cortado and warmed up right away.
Brisa
Brisa is a nonalcoholic drink popular with Madeirans. This sparkling fruit soft drink comes in flavors such as orange, lemonade, and apple. However, the flavor that the locals love best is passion fruit.
Shoppers Delight
Shopping in Madeira is fun, too. There are lots of small shops to explore for local treasures and fun items to take home.
Farmer’s Market
The Mercado Dos Lavradores (Farmers’ Market) in Old Town Funchal was one of our favorites There are a lot of vendors on different floors in this beautiful building. You’ll find flowers and plants, and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Vendors freely offer tastes in hopes that you’ll agree theirs is the best. Just remember that you can’t take fresh produce with you out of the country so be sure that if you buy something you’ll have time to enjoy it before you leave. The lower level has a fresh fish market where you’ll see the different local fish, including the scary-looking black scabbardfish, which is quite popular. You’ll see plenty of the beautiful “azulejos” tiles and panels that portray various regional themes.
Mercado Dos Lavradores Funchal Madeira
Shopping Malls
If you like to see a lot of stores in one fell swoop, Madeira has you covered. Three major malls cover pretty much all the bases. Forum Madeira, La Vie Shopping Center, and Madeira Shopping have retail stores, restaurants, and entertainment all in one place. You can shop till you drop, or until they close, whichever comes first.
Nini Design Centre Madeira
For a different type of collection, visit Nini Design Centre. Renowned designer Nini Andrade Silva has created a unique and multi-faceted space where you can explore the museum-gallery with interesting exhibitions providing insight into her work. There’s also a small shop where you can purchase merchandise. Or hang out in the cafe lounge and have lunch or a drink in the afternoon. The restaurant DC Atelier is expensive but well-liked. If you’d like to dine, be sure to make a reservation in advance. There’s also a room for private and group events.
Stay Somewhere Beautiful
Accommodations in Madeira provide options for whatever suits your mood. Faja dos Padres and Quinto do Furao offer lovely private getaways. For a fully opulent stay, try a luxury visit to The Cliff Bay, a stunning five-star resort that offers beautiful grounds and every amenity you could want. Perched above the Atlantic ocean, this top-notch spot offers the best of amenities. Enjoy a spectacular meal at two Michelin-star restaurant Il Gallo d’ Oro. Relax at multiple bars and bistros, swimming pools, and a full spa. Or work off some tension at their tennis court or gym. To push it over the top, stay at Les Suites at The Cliff Bay, a new expansion with 23 luxurious suites. The Suites has its own infinity pool, first-rate restaurant, gym, and wellness facilities. Suites guests also have access to all Cliff Bay amenities and both hotels offer direct access to the sea.
Sunset from The Cliff Bay
We had a delicious dinner at Les Suites restaurant Avista. The diverse menu offered Maderian specialties along with incredible Asian cuisine including fresh-made sushi and sashimi. We tried some of everything, including perfectly portioned little dessert bites. Along with some fabulous Madeira wine, the food made for a delicious and memorable evening. Avista also offers afternoon tea for a delightful repast in a most beautiful environment.
Fish course at Avista Madeira
Desserts at Avista Madeira
A Little Madeira
Is Madeira Worth Visiting?
We love Portugal. There are so many beautiful, cultural, historical, and delicious ways to explore this incredible country. It can be tempting to spend all your time on the mainland. But the hidden gem of Madeira makes venturing a little off the beaten path well worthwhile. From mountain-top sunrises to oceanview sunsets, the scenery is breathtaking. The cuisine is unique and delicious. You can spend time in Madeira enjoying art, culture, shopping, and tons of activities both indoors and out. For a place that gives you the joy of discovery without huge crowds and long lines, give Madeira a try. It might just provide you with the vacation of your dreams.
View from Les Suites at The Cliff Bay Madeira Portugal
Our visit to Madeira was sponsored by Visit Madeira and TAP Airlines. As always, our opinions are our own and reflect our experiences.
Looking for the best things to see and do in Plano, Texas? You’re in the right place! We had a blast on our visit to the Lonestar state. Plano, Texas is just a hop, skip, and jump away from it’s huge nearby neighbor Dallas. Those of us who love to draw outside the lines also enjoy going a little bit off the beaten path. It’s great to get away from the traffic, crowds, and queues that shorten the time we have to spend on fun. If that sounds good to you, then check out Plano where it’s busy but not a burden to do all the fun things they have waiting for you.
If you haven’t already read our articles about our fabulous accommodations or all the amazing food we tried, you’ll want to read those after you see all the best things to see and do in Plano, Texas. Here are eight of our favorite ways to spend your time in this fun and frisky town.
Disclaimer: Our visit to Plano, Texas was hosted by Visit Plano. The opinions expressed are strictly our own based on our experiences.
1. Shop Till You Drop
There’s no denying that Plano is a shopper’s dream. Shopping areas are so thoughtfully laid out that you can park once and literally spend all day browsing, sampling, playing, and investigating an incredible array of items in every category. Two of our very favorite shop stops are Shops At Legacy and Legacy West. They’re both large collections of stores with enough variety to keep you busy for the better part of a day if shopping is your jam.
The Shops at Legacy
Shops At Legacy
In the Shops At Legacy, you’ll find clothing, jewelry and accessories, gifts and specialty items, home items and furnishings, and sporting goods. Many of the shops are local boutiques selling distinctive and unique items that will reflect your tastes and personal style. There are also plenty of well-known brands as well as places to pick up those special gifts for friends and family back home. Don’t miss popping into the one-off-a-kind shop Another Time & Place for handmade items like lanterns, Turkish rugs, and jewelry to feel like you’re strolling through the Grand Bazaar.
Legacy West
Legacy West is home to some of the world’s best-known premier brands. There are not many places you can shop for a Tesla, diamonds, luxury watches, and distinctive lingerie all together and without having to drive around. But you can do that Legacy West. It’s pretty clear to us that shopping is definitely one of the best things to see and do in Plano, Texas.
2. Explore The Historic Downtown Arts District
Lots of Plano is sparkling and shiny brand new for sure. That’s why we love getting the best of both worlds by spending time exploring the charms of the Historic Downtown Arts District too. This gem of a neighborhood offers a chance to enjoy architecturally interesting historical buildings, many of which remain from the late 1800s and early 1900s as a testament to the enduring grandeur of this multifaceted community core. History buffs and architecture fans will find plenty of reasons to ooh and ahh when surveying the many beautiful structures. Everyone can enjoy the many different places to eat and drink. There’s plenty of shopping to be found here too.
Street Art in Historic Plano Arts District
Different things to do like an Art & Wine Walk, Mistletoe Market, Scavenger Hunts, and more give everyone a chance to have fun and experience the area all at the same time. Be sure to put the Historic Downtown on your list of best things to see and do in Plano, Texas.
3. Get Artsy
Art lovers will find plenty to keep them busy in Plano. There’s lots of street and public art. We followed the sculptures of longhorns in our own sort of cowpoke trail, which was a fun way to see all the different pieces. You can also see artworks at galleries downtown and around town. Holman Pottery, and Skypony Gallery offer just the tip of the iceberg.
Longhorn sculptures in Plano, Texas
If you’d rather get your inner artist working yourself, check out the classes and workshops available at Pipe & Palette. Recent topics have covered flow painting, hand lettering, pain your pet and urban watercolor. There’s also plenty of neat art and creative works to see in their shop, so have fun exploring even if you’re not ready to create your own masterpiece just yet.
Performing arts also get their due in Plano. There are various venues for dance, music, theater and all kinds of live performances. North Texas Performing Arts – Plano is just one spot that offers family-friendly live performances.
4. Go To The Plano Balloon Festival/Oak Point Nature Preserve
We love a day in nature and the Oak Point Nature Preserve is a great spot to get your dose of the great outdoors in Plano. With 800 acres of park including 13 miles of nature trails and a creek, Oak Point is Plano’s largest park. There are plenty of great views to enjoy if you like to walk and explore. If you’re into other activities like canoeing, kayaking, or SUP, they have you covered.
Balloons preparing for evening festivities at the Plano Balloon Festival
But for the ultimate in outdoor activities, you’ll want to check out the amazing Plano Balloon Festival that takes place every fall. Along with a half-marathon, 10K, 5K and 1K Run/Walk events, the grounds are filled with live bands, food and vendor booths, and plenty of balloon-focused activities. There’s the Balloon Launch, Balloon Fly-In Competition, and awesome Balloon Glow that fills the night air with the glow of huge floating air balloons illuminated by their burners. Texans from all over and visitors alike look forward to this stunning event every year.
5. Enjoy Food And Fun at Legacy Hall/The Box Garden
Legacy Hall (aka Legacy Food Hall) is one of those amazing collections of food, drinks, and fun that have been popping up all over the world. Inside this feast-worthy marketplace are some 25 eateries and craft bars, filled with delights from cultures around the world. And while we love to munch a bunch, what’s different about this gathering place is that it also incorporates a great entertainment venue, The Box Garden, putting it on our list of best things to see and do in Plano, Texas.
Box Garden at Legacy Hall
This multipurpose outdoor space has a large stage to host live music, concerts, festivals, movie and sports screenings, culinary events, and more. The Box keeps a pretty full calendar of events. The Box Garden is a great place to grab a brew and watch a big game on a huge screen or go with friends to listen to live music or dance to the late-night DJ spinning top tunes. Check out their calendar of upcoming events to see just how packed your entertainment schedule could be.
6. Go All Aboard at the Interurban Railway Museum
We love free museums and Plano’s free Interurban Railway Museum provides a great glimpse into the past. Located in Historic Downtown Plano, this unique museum is a must for transportation buffs. It’s also fun if you like to get mail – like we do! The first part of the museum is an actual interurban train car of the Texas Electric Railway. Car 360 was used as a railway post office, delivering mail and people along the way from Denison to Dallas. You can step inside to see how the mail was stored, sorted, and delivered as well as what it might have been like to ride as a passenger back in the day.
Interurban Railway Museum
The other part is the museum includes permanent, temporary, and mini exhibits covering all aspects of electricity, transportation, history, and culture around the Railway. Fun for adults as well as kids of all ages, the Interurban Railway Museum encourages discovery and exploration with lots of hands-on activities and interesting stories. This unique transportation museum with free admission is one of the best things to see and do in Plano, Texas.
7. Stroll Along the Boardwalk
Sometimes you just feel like taking a little stroll outside, especially when the weather is good. Adding a pretty boardwalk, and a nice stretch of waterfront viewing makes it all that much better. Throw in a few prime places to eat, drink, and play, and we think it’s a home run. That’s why the Boardwalk at Granite Park is a hit with locals and visitors alike. We enjoyed a leisurely walk along the water, taking in the pretty views on a warm and welcoming day.
Boardwalk Plano Texas
The Boardwalk at Granite Park is like a beautiful oasis nestled among office buildings, retail shops, hotels, and restaurants. The dining options here are plentiful. Try the best breakfast biscuits in town at The Biscuit Bar. Or settle in for brews and food at Union Bear, a lively hangout for dinner and late-night fun. There are many different places to suit your mood. You can hang out and read your paper over a great cup of coffee. Or treat yourself to High Tea at a beautiful French bistro. Strolling the Boardwalk at Granite Park is one of the best things to see and do in Plano, Texas.
8. Dabble in Trivia, Karaoke, Craft Beer at Unlawful Brewing
The last, but not least, item on our list of 8 best things to see and do in Plano, Texas is to let your hair down and play some games at Unlawful Assembly Brewing Taproom. The first thing you’ll want to do is get yourself one of their tasty craft brews. If you’re like us and can’t decide, go for a flight to see what you like first. Then you can enjoy your favorites for the rest of your visit. The taproom on the third floor of Legacy Hall gives you a bird’s eye view of all the action. Grab a bite at one of the Hall’s food stalls and bring it up to have with your beer.
Unlawful Assembly Brewery Taproom
That’s just where the fun begins. The good times are amplified by the many events hosted at the taproom on a regular basis. Every Monday is karaoke night. You can sing until your heart’s content. Or join in “Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night.” Match wits with others while having a heck of a good time. Unlawful Assembly also offers brewery tours on Saturday afternoons. The brewery uses trained comedian brewery tour guides. Tickle your funny bone while you learn the brewing process. And, enjoy the great tastes as part of your tour admission.
Best Things To See And Do In Plano, Texas
We’ve only scratched the surface of the best things to see and do in Plano, Texas. There are so many great opportunities to shop, sightsee, get active, and have fun. We simply wanted to point you in the direction of some of the things we enjoy. While you may also love the hustle and bustle of nearby Big D, Dallas, don’t forget Plano. It’s a diverse, historic, and scenic town. Plano rewards visitors who explore its many offerings with a fabulous trip and wonderful lasting memories.
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Nestle Damak Dark Chocolate with Pistachios
