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Eating Around

A  column devoted to food and travel.

 

Bite by bite, whether it be with spoons, forks, chopsticks, skewers, or fingers, Eating Around gives readers a taste of the world's most delicious and intriguing ingredients, markets, restaurants, and cafes.  And without the calories!

 

You'll get information on where to eat off the beaten track and meet chefs without P.R. flak.  You'll also discover the meaning of the words: Prahok, Galangal, Umami, and Terroir.

 

Eat well, eat often.

 

Napa Valley, California

by Scott Haas

Napa Valley California Mountains

Burritos in Burgundy?

Let Me Start with Mexico

The closest California comes to Burgundy, where the overriding French sensibility towards wine and food permeates the consciousness of just about everyone, is Napa Valley.  How ironic then that this famed wine producing region with its exquisite Cabernets and world-class restaurants is also home to dozens of great Mexican taquerias. Touted as “America’s Burgundy” with numerous French restaurants, bistros, and cafes, Napa’s lifeblood and true passion is informed by Mexicans.  No Mexicans, no Napa.  Rising in the ranks over the past quarter-century, some are highly skilled Mexican-Americans who run the crews and have opened their own independent enterprises.  The real heart and soul of the region is Latin, from the days of the monks who planted the vines over a century ago to today when Mexicans labor to make the Napa dream a reality.  It’s nice to pretend that Napa is our Burgundy but in fact it’s our Mexico.

Vietnam

by Scott Haas

Weasel Coffee and Bowls of Pho

I landed in Saigon a few minutes past midnight exhausted and wired but excited to be in Vietnam, a country that had occupied my imagination for decades.  I’d had just enough time at Narita airport to pick up a liter of Yamazaki Single Malt 12 year old Japanese whiskey, my safety net for a good night’s sleep.  I wanted to get to my hotel right away before I passed out on the curb.  Disoriented, I managed to navigate through the small crowd of taxi drivers to a desk where a manager showed me how to get a cab.  “Buy a voucher from the desk clerk for the posted price and don't give the driver any money.” The ride into town was eerie, through empty streets past dozens of little cafes and restaurants, everything closed.  In a few hours crowds would be milling but for now it was as if the city was abandoned. 
Alessi S.P.A. US