Sharing my Spanish culinary experiences through words and images is mostly adequate, but I thought it would be even better to give one lucky gas•tron•o•my reader the tools to whip up some authentic paella in his or her own home. The Paella Starter Kit includes a sturdy pan, threads of locally-grown saffron, and a kilogram of locally-grown rice. All items were procured at Valencia’s Central Market. Not everyone can be whisked away to Spain for a holiday, but with the right materials, the flavors of Spain can come to you!
To qualify for the Paella Starter Kit giveaway, please leave a comment with your name and email address in the appropriate fields, and your answer to the following question: What’s the tastiest city in the world and why. I will read through each entry and choose the one that most suits my fancy. [Extra points for bold declarations and creativity.] The contest is open to domestic and international residents. Only one entry per person, please. All entries must be received by Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at midnight PST. Good luck!
I’m prejudiced towards San Francisco. Everytime I see the red arches of the Golden Gate, I can imagine the smell of the cool salty sea air mingled with the seafood and sourdough bread. I don’t know of any other city that can recreate that San Francisco sourdough. Give me a warm loaf of that bread with real butter and you’ll never get rid of me.
Baozi + Jiaozi + lamb on a stick = Beijing
Imagine you and the Astronomer, and two more of your athletic, food-loving friends are at the starting line. You decided to run the start, but first, you have to eat a burger. You then pass off to your swimming teammate, who must eat four tacos. After they finish, your biking teammate must finish a salad made from local greens and fruit and a slice of pizza before running off to his bike. Finally, the Astronomer, the anchor, must scarf down some NC barbecue and start his run. As he approaches the finish line, the team must finish frozen yogurt and local popsicles before holding hands and running to the finish line. Sounds awesome, right? You can do it all at the Doughman competition (which raises money for local charities) and more here in Durham. There’s so much to eat and try and everyone is so nice it almost makes me sick. Durham is definitely a place that’s coming into its own food-wise and it’s so exciting to be right in the middle of it.
giving back on your honeymoon…that’s unheard of! tastiest city is the city you are currently dining in where ever you are!
My tastiest city in the world would have to be San Francisco. I would have picked Paris, but the exchange rate is not favorable, so I decided to stay local (or as local as a 5 hour plane ride can be). The reason I would choose SF is that not only do they have tons of amazing restaurants, but also the Ferry Building and the Farmers market there. Plus so many cool food spots near there like Pt. Reyes, Napa etc. It really is foodie mecca. Last time I visited, I brought home 2 loaves of sourdough bread, nearly 4 pounds of Cowgirl creamery cheese, raw olives, Meyer lemons, green garlic and herbed sugars from the market.
Sandwich, Illinois because everybody like a good sandwich. 🙂
The tastiest city? How can I pick just one? I love Florence for its farfalle alle zafferano and, oddly enough, a little Chinese place’s pollo e funghi. But does anything taste better than a cafe sua da when one needs a break in sweltering Saigon? Not to mention the pho bo. Then again, Hanoi has bun cha and cha ca la vong. In Madrid I first encountered percebes, and who knew that years later I’d still be haunted by taste-memories of those briny barnacles? I’m also haunted by a perfect meal at Taillevent in Paris. But if you’re really going to make me choose, I have to pick my hometown of New York City because I can get almost anything at anytime. Afghan eggplant at 2am? Kalbi at 7am? A medianoche sandwich at noon? Soup dumplings at midnight? All that and more. Speaking of which, I think it’s time for dinner….
I haven’t lived there in 40 years, grew up in Brooklyn, but New York City is the tastiest city in the world, mostly because it still qualifies as the melting pot of the world, and its people, and with them, their food.
mmm all cities are unique in their own respect but I’d have to say New York purely due to its diversity.
oops my “why” got cut off for some odd reason.
New York’s diversity is ASTOUNDING to say the least. I love being able to go from a hole-in-the-wall puerto rican place with killer grub to a posh, intricate tapas bar with the most complex/gourment cuisine. While some ethnic foods are better than others, New York seems to offer so many: Jewish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Italian, Polish, Craotian, Mediterranen, Phillipino, African (Ethiopian probably offers the most delish ‘wash cloths’ [injera] known to man), Mexican, Spanish, and, of course, good ole American.
Thew 24-hour aspect of many these places also makes it the tastiest because let’s face it: any food at 2 a.m. will taste better than no food in all!
As I mentioned above, one of the defining characteristics of New York for me is Ethiopian. While I can find it at home, the variety is incredible in New York. I live on the opposite coast but, with flights to cheap, I’ve been tempted to fly their just to scoop up the scerumptious little plops of lentils with a nice, sour piece of injera. If you haven’t tried this, it’s a MUST.
I should probably stop blabbering now (or, rather, salivating over all the amazing food!) 🙂
–Lexi
P.S. New York also has Fluffy’s cafe, which is undoubtedly the most amazing 24/7 quick-stop shop a girl could ever want. Just go, and you will see. Trust me.
For diversity, authenticity, affordability — my proclivity these days tends to cheap eats — I would say NYC.
Middletown, PA. Because it’s where my mom lives. She bakes the most amazing things, and she inspired my love of cooking. Everything in our home is cooked from scratch, and mostly full of butter 🙂 Seriously, picture it: fresh biscuits with a hint of cheese, chewy chocolate chip cookies, dense brownies, homemade macaroni and cheese, fluffy welsh cookies, creamy twice-baked potatoes, beautiful blueberry pie, apple pie, strawberry pie, chicken pot pie, any kind of pie! And watching my mom roll out a perfect pie crust, in her neon cat apron, with flour up to her elbows, is one of my favorite, most constant memories.
To me a tasty city must have street food. I’m going with Bangkok. I still dream about the som tum and grilled squid on a stick with chili and lime…
Hands down Vancouver for the best Chinese food that rivals top restaurants in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing 😉
While I have traveled a bit and eaten some tasty things around the globe, I have to say the tastiest city in the world is Montreal my home town, because I can get a good French baguette and croissant, or a local delicacy called poutine or any international cuisine you can think of and I can still go home to my mommy for some excellent home-made Viet food!
Oh man…. I live in Boston….. BUT the tastiest place I’ve been is a tie:
1. Paris… the best croissants EVER
2. Wellington, NZ…. the BEST fish ever!
In Buenos Aires you do not eat the cow, the cow eats you. And you delight in every minute of it.
Tastiest city? Hmmm, in my humble opinion it would have to be New York City. It’s were artisan immigrants from all over the world come and present the best of his or her own culture for the rest of the world to enjoy. From the cheapest banh mi to world class Michelin star cuisine, New York has everything to suit everyone’s fancy and it’s done well.
The tastiest city in the world is Los Angeles CA. We have a melting pot of cultures here!!! We rock! 🙂
The most tastiest city in the whole entire world, to me at least is named Gia Kiem, a town that is about 1 1/2 – 2 hrs away from Saigon depending on traffic or how reckless your taxi driver wants to be that day. Its packed away from the hustle and bustle, the glitz and glam of Q1 Saigon. It variety of food is incredibly limited to that of Saigon and only offers the Most BASIC street fare. But the thing about it is its that same exact place my parents grew up. Its that place where I drank rice wine from the same pot that my dad used to make it out of 30 years ago. Its the same place where you would drive down the street and smell the wiff of lemon grass chicken grilling over charcoal. Its that place where I went fishing for the first time and caught my first fish, and 5 mins later it was steamed with tomatoes and mushrooms to eat with banh trang. Its where the standard bun oc, bun moc, or bun thit nuong can be amazing. It’s where I wake up to the smell of cha chien my aunt is making for the day’s sell. It’s the place where the most basic of all basic vietnamese food is transformed into something incredible because it’s the place with all my family and friends, it’s what makes this place tasty.
The world is filled with tasty cities and I must say every city I’ve visited has had something wonderful to enjoy. I have beautiful memories of the time I spent in Italy, strolling around Bologna and eating the succulent pastas, going to outdoor markets, speaking Italian, and loving the life. As a New Yorker, each spring I looked so forward to the signs in the Chinese restaurants on Columbus Avenue. Hastily scrawled, they’d say ‘soft shell crabs’ and often mention what sauces they offered. I wanted them all. Here in Los Angeles, life is all about pleasure, amazing since most of the women weigh 62 pounds, but food is the focus and what everyone talks about. You can’t get a better salad anywhere, and of course I love the dim sum. But tastiest of all are the guys. Beefcake, now that’s a dish worth trying.
Singapore, for sure! No one else can pack so much deliciousness in so small a space! There are the fancy fine dining places, but the true gems of course lie inside the hawker centers. Laksa, bak kut teh, hainan chicken rice, po piah, kaya toast, … mmm!
Tastiest city for me is my childhood hometown, Tianjin CHINA! The food is so good! What I miss most is a breakfast crepe wrap called Jian bing guozi – it’s like this green bean flour and egg crepe with fried dough and sauce and other goodies inside. And street foods and snacks are off the hook! There’s candied hawthorn berries and sugar roasted chestnuts in winter and mahua all year round. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! If you’re just there to visit, Goubuli steamed baos are a must! so good!
My vote goes to the city of Seoul, where you can get some of the most fascinating seafood, street food, and down-home Korean cooking. There’s a bbq joint (pork, mostly) on every block with its charcoal and meat aromas flowing into the sidewalks; boiling bowls of fish-stew, tofu-stew, kimchi-stew (I think Koreans have perfected the art of the stew); countless stalls of handcut noodles, freshly ground mungbean pancakes on huge whirling mills; amazing rice-based confections that span every bright color. There are fine dining temples that have incredible views of the city and Han river (hey, Pierre Gagnaire doesn’t pick cities randomly). But the true beauty of Seoul is the restless 24/7 pace, where “soul”-ful food is available on every corner.
Strange as it sounds, the tastiest city is Wichita, KS. 🙂 My big fat Vietnamese family lives there…and when I say big fat family, I mean all 30 members living within a five mile radius of each other. Living far away now, o how I miss how my grandfather would raise chickens to make xoi ga and other specialties, how he would grow all his own herbs and veggies, and how he would go fishing at least once a week so that we can have fresh fish for ca kho, ca hap, and plain o ca chien. At least one person in my family would always have a pot of pho, bun bo, bun rieu, or bun mang vit simmering away on the stove. Today when I visit, I get to have daily feasts of bun thit nuong, banh cuon (made from my aunt who’s a 3rd generation maker), banh bao, and anything that my little heart desires. Forget the lengthy trip to Vietnam, I get a little piece of Vietname right smack dab in the middle of the US, in Wichita KS 🙂 Maybe I should advertise for tourists 🙂
I’m biased but the tastiest city for me is Honolulu. Of course I wouldn’t have said this 20 years ago, maybe even 15 but it sure has come a long way in the last decade. It’s not only a melting pot of all various cuisines but the attitude is purely Aloha when it comes to food and eating. They take the good from all various cuisines to make some of the best meals I’ve ever had. And sometimes attitude will reflect on the taste.
Lafayette, Louisiana …the heart of All Things Cajun! Seafood to die for, fresh from the Gulf. Generations of culinary traditions handed down from mom. Spices and seasonings to make your mouth water. And …joie de vive to accompany you as you dine!
I’d have to say LA. You can buy almost anything there.
I’ve had this opinion before Michelin broke the news, but for me Tokyo is the tastiest city in the world. Even all the high-class and foreign cuisine establishments aside, it has my favorite “street food” of any city in the world. Nothing like a bowl of Kumamoto Ramen and a cold Japanese lager.
the tastiest city was hong kong. nothing tops grilled squid or roasted chestnuts as i bumbled around the city getting lost. damn it was good eating back then…..
The most delicious and tastiest city is Perugia, Italy. They are at the heart of Italy for fresh, colorful, seasonal produce, olives, unbelievable wines, and small town charm. The love oozes from everything you eat.
Tastiest city in the world goes to Warner Robins, Georgia. Wait, where? Get out your atlas, head down south, smack in the middle of the state (or as the folks here say, in the “heart of the state”) is the small city of Warner Robins. My mother, born and raised on the island of Puerto Rico, has made her home in Warner Robins for the last twenty years. You may be in the middle of the south, but once you walk into her kitchen your senses are invigorated with the smells of garlic, sofrito, arroz con pollo, onions, and sweet red peppers. I have often said if I were forced to pick, my last meal would surely come from my mother’s kitchen – comfort food with Spanish flavors and a Caribbean flair. But what makes Warner Robins even more so unique? These past twenty years, while my mother has lovingly cooked and shared her “comida criolla” with locals who have become friends and family, she has adopted their kitchen favorites as well, and incorporated a southern flare into her culinary repertoire. Where else could you possibly indulge in fried plantains and fried chicken?
As a brazilian person I could say something about any city of my country as they have quite a mix cousine heritage of many different countries that colonized it.
But i have to say that the tastiest city in the world is where you’re with your heart. Im mean that because nothing could tast better that the memories shared with someone you love. Could be a simple cup of tea in London or a grilled cheese in New York. Or even though a fancy meal in Paris Doesnt matter. Because what makes this taste the best is “whom” you shared it with.
XXX
Patricia
The first night I arrived in Singapore, as three-year-old, I remember walking from the airport to the taxi stand, holding my mother’s hand, and breathing in the tropical air, heavy with floral perfume different than anything I’d ever smelled. In the cab, my father’s secretary had thought to bring along a snack for us, knowing we’d be hungry after the long flight. The sugared pineapple chunks were acidic and sweet on my tongue, chewy with a grit of sugar between my teeth. They were the first in a cavalcade of exotic food that I would come to know and love: thick curries, heavy with spice and chunks of meat that fell apart at the touch of a spoon, bubbly roti, glistening with oil, but crispy in the mouth, satay full of the taste of coriander and lemongrass, bought from a hawker stall where it was cooked over rain gutters full of charcoal, cow tongue cooked to perfect tenderness at Movenpick, the Dutch place under the Dynasty hotel, beef shortrib hot pot served steaming from an iron kettle at the Huz Tzu, a Chinese place on the roof of a shopping complex, nasi goreng, Kashmiri fish curry, beef rendang, and even the fine, thin crepes covered in cheese and sweet red sauce from Pete’s Place…it just goes on and on and on.
Nowhere is more delicious and exotic and amazing than Singapore.
I believe the tastiest city is….all of them! Each city in the world has something unique to offer the palette, a dish that is shaped by the people, the lifestyle, the environment and that you won’t find anywhere else. When you bite into it, you get more than just a mesh of ingredients; you get a true taste of the town.
This for me came down to Bangkok and Saigon. With Saigon winning a close one. On my most receient trip to Vietnam with my future wife we visited Saigon where we met more family that we have never met before. Saigon to me has lots of Tasty food places to eat, but for me the best places of all are the sidewalk vendors. From getting fresh seafood grilled over a coal stove(I mean come on the shrimp are still swimming in the aquarium.. How can it get fresher than that?). To dried grilled cuttle fish with tamarind sauce. But for me sitting on tiny plastic stools on a sidewalk eating a snack/dinner while enjoying the company of my future family and watching the world go by on their motor scooters. Everything together makes the city Tastey. How can it get any Tastier?
Tastiest City in the World. In the whole world? That’s nearly impossible – Tokyo, NYC, Saigon, San Fran, Sydney, Singapore, Miami, etc. Impossible to choose, impossible, but if I must toot one city’s horn, I’m going to go out on a limb and say PORTLAND, OREGON. That’s right good ol’ Northwest Portland, Oregon! Why? Let’s start with local products that can be obtained within miles of the city center -fresh seafood such as salmon, blood tuna, shrimp, and local crabs. Then there’s berries, berries and berries, from huckleberries to salmonberries to the local strawberries used in Haagen Dazs’ famous strawberry ice cream to the uniquely NW Marion Berries! The fertile volcanic soil provides one of the world’s largest varieties of apples and pears as well as the sweetest/tartest cherries around. Oh and 90% of the US’s hazelnuts are grown right here in the Pacific NW! Portland is also home to the world’s first sustainable sushi restaurants – Bamboo Sushi where Tuna is rarely seen on the menu, but the sushi is ranked tops in the US. There’s also Apizza Scholls where the dough is handmix and declared by Anthony Bourdain as the best pizza he has ever had! A New Yorker said this folks in his No Reservations Pacific Northwest episode. Other local independent award that makes Portland a standout city to experience great food would be Pix Patisseries’ Amelie, an orange vanilla creme brulee that sits on top of a glazed chocolate mousse with carmalized hazelnuts, praline crisp and cointreau genoise which won top honors at the Patis France Chocolate Competition in France. What about manufactured food awards, such as Beaver Brands’ mustards who walked away with gold, silver and bronze awards at the World-wide Mustard Competition in Napa Valley. Other local winners included favorite Inglehoffer and Willametter Valley Mustards. Not to mention local manufacturers Bob’s Red Mill, Kettle Chips, Tillamook Cheeses and the largest selction of microbreweries in a single city location anywhere in the world! We are home to the famous cascade hops! Our Pinot Noir wines aren’t anything to scoff at either. Besides the large collection of local food traditions in the city of Portland, the city is also ranked as one of the top transportation cities which allow visitors to come and try all the city has to offer without paying high prices for taxis and transportation. The daily farmer’s markets scattered all over the city allow people to get a taste of what is locally available and without having to venture into difficult to reach parts of town and actually give the average tourist a glimpse of life in the local neighborhoods. Local government has also given rise to the largest food cart scene in the country, ousting NYC last year! Innovative, independent and locally-driven cuisine, that’s what makes Portland the tastiest city in the world!
Tastiest city= Chicago! It is the gateway to food in this country. More adventurous than LA more approachable that NYC and everywhere you turn chefs are opening restaurants to celebrate their favorite tastes and regions of the world. Chicago gets over looked in the food world- I assume because it is in the mid-west, but don’t be fooled by the pleasantry- this city offers the best of everything. Celebrations of simplicity like the hot dog and Italian beef pair with deconstructed menus and fine dining to provide the diner with more amazing options than you will ever have time to try. And don’t get me started on Alinea and the soon to be opened Next- AMAZING!
the tastiest city in the world is Florence, Italy. No where else in the world can you find the myriad of fresh produce and locally grown delicacies like you can in Florence. No matter where you are, a delicious thin crust pizza awaits you. Not to mention some of the BEST pasta in the world. You haven’t really had Italian food until you’ve eaten in Florence.
For me, it’s a no-brainer: Manila, Philippines. Maybe it’s because my palate is distinctly Filipino, but it’s truly just about as diverse as NYC, but seasoned in a way that pleases my Southeast Asian tongue. Paella with squid ink is as accessible as a burger or bowl of congee, and no one eats on a schedule. Any time is the right time for a meal or snack, so you rarely have to worry about restaurants closing in the middle of the afternoon between lunch or dinner service. I can hardly remember ever having a bad meal there.
Lol, you might as well hand over the Paella starter kit because New York City is hands down the tastiest city of them all. Everyone from cabbies to hedge fund managers clamor for some of the best street foods around ranging from infamous slices of New York Pizza, the Halal Cart at 53rd and 6th, The Dosa Man, The Desert Truck, freshly roasted nuts permeating the air. These are only a few of New York’s wide array of street foods. That aside New York has more restaurants per capita than any other U.S. city. There’s the classics ranging from Katz’s Deli, Russ and Daughters, to Lombardi’s (the first pizzeria in America) and Peter Luger’s (the best steak on the planet). There’s fine dining Daniel, Per Se, Le Cirque, Le Bernardin, Jean Georges. The city is a cultural kaleidoscope in one city you’ll find French, Ethiopian, Thai, German, Vietnamese, Italian, Chinese, Australian, Indian, Korean and everything in between. It’s also a foodie haven you’ve got the Doughnut Plant (Creme Brulee doughnut recently named number one doughnut in the country), Di Paolo’s, Shake Shack. Do I really need to say anymore? It’s were people are struggling and striving and trying to become, because that’s where the action is. That’s where you find life.
I think the tastiest city in the world (and trust me this is hard to narrow down b/c I also love Florence, Italy) is Tokyo, Japan. No sushi in the world can rival the freshness and flavor that you find in Tokyo. All the dishes resemble little pieces of art – each representing the patience that goes into their food and the pride in their culture. Everything is fresh and the flavors are clean – from the fresh ramen, takoyaki & croquette stands, mochis and senbeis being made streetside, to the curry houses, okonomiyaki & tonkatsu restaurants. Even the vending machines are amazing – hot & cold drinks at your fingertips at every block. The convenient stores are a mecca for fast and easy food on the go. I love this city and the food and experience that it offers. I love that it keeps up with international culinary trends – such as sweet French crepes and Belgium waffles. But then again – this is a place that is always thinking a couple step ahead on everything. The food in Tokyo will not disappoint. YUM!
I think the tastiest ‘city’ in the world is Vancouver. City is in quotes because really whenever people refer to Vancouver they’re usually referring to Vancouver and the cities around it, like Richmond, Surrey, Burnaby, even Whistler and Victoria even though they’re quite a ways from the city proper. Now, I might be a little biased because I live here, but there’s so much food here and so much variety that it’d take more than a lifetime to sift through it. The tastiest meals, of course, are the ones I’ve had in my momma’s kitchen. 😀 But I’ve had some pretty good food in the city too. Sushi, French, Chinese (this especially, oh my the dim sum), English high tea, Punjab, everywhere you turn there’s bound to be a restaurant lurking nearby. Of course there’s hits and misses and it can be cheap or super expensive, but I think that a lot of people in this city love food and love to eat. It all combines into an awesome soup pot of people and atmosphere and food that I think you just can’t find anywhere else. That’s delicious.
PS. I like Tri’s answer. That’s awesome.
An Ode to Seoul Food:
Let me preface my bold declaration by saying that I am Korean. This will explain my love for Seoul- the ‘Soul’ of Asia, with its meltingly soft tofu hotpots, its perfectly spicy kimchi with the wonderful melding of flavors and textures, its warming beef or seafood soups (freshly caught! freshly prepared!), and best of all, the myriad plates of fresh banchan: crunchy sprouts marinaded in soy and vinegar, sweet-salty tiny fish, crispy kimchi, tender potatoes. Seoul truly is the tastiest city in the world.
I’m partial to Miami. It’s constantly growing and changing, but you always have your staples like Joe’s Stone Crab and the best Cuban food in the world (I’ve been told by Cubans that it’s even better than Cuba). Michael’s Genuine and Michy’s are off the Beach, but making a name for themselves in areas people used to avoid. Even Asian food in Miami is becoming more and more popular – my favorite being Hiro’s Yakko-San (amazing Japanese tapas) and I’ve heard amazing things about Naoe. Sure, you could always go to Nobu or Emeril’s or any other trendy, well know place, but why would you?
I would probably answer Chicago. I live her and have been to many other areas of the country and a few out of the country in my life but I would still say Chicago. There are all sorts of ethnicities and yet they all have a distinct flavor and taste to each “region” of the the world–Chicagoland. There are Italian, Greek, Chinese, Polish, Irish, German etc and many more that would make anyone’s mouth water.
I’m going to have to go with Saigon (HCM) in Vietnam!
It’s something about the smell of a hot bowl of mi intertwined with the humidity, plus a smidgen (who am I kidding, a lot) of the pollution that makes the food in Saigon ah-mazing!
It’s true what people say: everything tastes better when you have someone to share it with – and being able to share tasty eats with my extended family in Vietnam, is pretty fabulous!
Although its an unlikely location I would have to name Asheville, North Carolina as the tastiest city in the world! Often called “the hole in the Bible Belt”, Asheville’s eclectic, artistic, and environmentally conscious citizens have the pleasure of regularly indulging in an incredible variety of cuisines, most of which are made from organic and locally sourced ingredients.
My most memorable meals have been in Asheville. The first one, eaten in the height of summer ripeness consisted of a simple salad picked only one hours time before eating, from the restaurant’s own garden. Perfect tomatoes, shining like garnets adorned the dish, tasting of the Southern Heat. Following the salad was beautiful vibrant yellow cocoanut curry brimming with farmers market vegetables and locally made tofu. The simplicity of the preparation was at once elegant and breathtaking.
My second and equally treasured experience with Asheville dining was in a little taqueria tucked into the city’s South end. It was winter and given Asheville’s mountainous location, it was bitterly cold. Behind a rather inconspicuous counter stood a cheery woman who spoke no English but beckoned me in from the chill. I watched as she made my tortillas fresh to order and piled in a fragrant little bundle of perfectly marinated al pastor pork speckled with pineapple. A side table heavy with homemade sauces and cilantro were also offered. What really made the meal special had to be the complementary horchata, which simultaneously cooled the bite of the chiles and warmed me with its rich, cinnamon flavors. The simple taquerias around here simply cannot be topped in terms of authenticity and freshness!
Los Angeles is obviously and without question the most delectable, choice, delicious, luscious, scrumptious, piquant, tasty city in the world because the soil is sun-baked producing a perfect, crisp crust, with a diverse range of toppings, from locally grown avocado to imports like kimchi, xiao long bao, carnitas and pho. It’s the tastiest city because it’s served year round, feeding millions and comes with a side of snow capped mountains and bottomless salt water soda ocean. And although it’s often served with a smokey haze resting comfortably on top, there’s no tastier city in the world.
Hiya, I’m late to this party; and anyway I am Australian which kinda rules me out [I hope the rice is proper Valencia short-grain arborio though, being a paella / arroz con anything fan] . . . However my answer would definitely be San Sebastian and the offerings of all the pintxos bars there. Mucha enhorabuena en su unión [Many Congratulations On Your Marriage] to you guys and best wishes on this new chapter of your lives together [I have been following you and loving your posts since the early Vietnam days]. Wishing you much happiness, hugs & kisses from the Southern Hemisphere,
xoxoxox
WOW WOW WOW! So many brilliant answers. Thank you all very much for taking the time to write such lovely little vignettes! I have vacation destinations planned for the next two decades thanks to this list 🙂 If I knew the entries would be half this good I would’ve purchased more Spanish tokens! Alas, there can only be one winner.
Claire—you win the paella starter kit because you made me want to hop the first flight to Singapore out of LAX.
Buddha Bellies—your entry was a very close second. PDX sounds amazing. The Astronomer loves berries!
Kim in Wichita—Damn, your fam is cool!
Yeah, I agree, Claire made my salivary glands go amok…
New Orleans, La, anything Cajun, don’t forget the baguettes, they may be French, but they taste better there than anywhere else.
Fresh caught fish from Ocracoke Island, small fishing village 30 miles off the coast of North Carolina, fried, coleslaw, at the end of the summer. It is the simple things that count, and being on Ocracoke.
The tastiest city is Washington DC/NOVA! It has a diverse population of people and restaurants. You can sample authentic ceviche and grilled octopus at Oyamel & Ceiba as good as a beach bar in Costa Rica or a taco stand downtown Cabo. You can eat at the first certified organic restaurant in the U.S., Nora’s. You can try a 4 star steakhouse on almost any street corner, including Charlie Palmer’s or BLT’s. You can eat the most delicious Indian (and the best vegetarian dishes ever made- Palak Chaat) at Rasika, Vietnamese at Four Sisters or Lebanese at Zaytinya’s. The list goes on and on! Plus you are in the Nation’s Capital; the nucleus of our countries history and current government.
I give a heads up for Florence in Italy, heh because i’m Italian girl, but indeed food here is healthy, fresh and when you after eating drink some good domestic red wine….that’s the unbeatable feeling!
I agree with Chicago. You can get true, authentic, tasty food for any ethnic food desire you have. It is just a matter of what you are in the mood for when you are hungry.
My choice for the tastiest city would be Barcelona! Outstanding markets offering the world’s finest fruits, vegetables, meats, and seafood. Pastries that rival any found in France or Italy! And, I cannot submit Barcelona as the world’s tastiest city, and not praise the finest hams the world has to offer, and would be remiss not to applaud the extremely friendly people of this city.