Travel + Foods-Are You a Risk-Taker?

strawberry shortcake

red and white conch chowder

cheeseburger in paradise

Cuban sandwich

crab cake with an edible orchid

Once upon a time, there was a boy who grew up in Maine, USA and was raised on a standard of meat and potatoes. Meals were solid, wholesome, and without a lot of variety in terms of how they were presented, even in terms of herbs and spices that were used. When that Maine boy grew into a man, two of the things that he discovered were his love of travel and his taste buds. Since then, he has enjoyed traveling to places he'd never been before and trying the foods that he found there.

When it comes right down to it, part of my travel philosophy is that if you aren't willing to try new foods you might as well eat at home. Food finds aren't my primary reason for travel, but they are an essential part of the whole experience. When you go to a small, out of the way cafe or bar where many of the people are not tourists, you develop a more authentic flavor for the total culture of the place, in addition to that of the food. In such a place you see how people really interact with each other, how they dress when they are "on their own time" and yes, what they eat and drink. One of my memories of southern Spain was the late night restaurant scene with grandparents, parents, and children all enjoying each other's company dining out on a weekday night, regardless of the hour.

The photos in this post were taken in a variety of settings in Florida. The strawberry shortcake (deliciously decadent) was found at a roadside produce market and freshly individually hand-crafted. The chowder that had the meat of both red and white conch was from a dock-side restaurant outside Marathon on the Keys. The cheeseburger in paradise was the result of a visit to Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville in Key West (yes, there were probably more tourists than locals there..but it was fun, especially with the specialty margarita that I had with it). The Cuban sandwich was in Tampa's Ybor City (a section where cigars were rolled by hand) served and a dining room with crystal chandeliers by waiters in formal evening dress while customers wore shorts, sandals, and T-shirts. The crab cake, a meal in itself, accompanied by an edible orchid was served to us at a dock-side bar that was associated with a restaurant a short distance for the place where we stayed in Apollo Beach. I can honestly say that I enjoyed each and every taste experience.

When you try an off of the beaten path eating experience, there are always "risks". There will be times when either nothing on the menu i s appealing (read any menus posted outside before entering), or the atmosphere inside is uncomfortable to you. During my Florida trip I enjoyed everything I tried-the fresh sea food, the Cuban sandwiches, even the exotic gator stew (alligator) and the conch fritters (a sea snail). In most places, I also felt welcome. The one exception to a stretch of comfort level was a bar/restaurant in Marathon along the Florida Keys, where it was made obvious to us that local customers were preferred. Still, one experience out of a month's visit was not discouraging, and did not prevent us from risking other places. Travel is an adventure, and can not truly be enjoyed without taking a few well-thought out "risks" to stretch your horizons a bit. If you're not willing to do that to some degree or other , you will find that a McDonald's is a McDonald's, is a McDonald's wherever you go (or you can substitute Starbuck's, if you like) .

Thank you for visiting, please feel free to stop by again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry