food roadtrip!!!

[shoezoo]

I made a 2 night trip to Mpls to visit family and took a friend. I think she was amazed at my shopping in the city. We visited Costco, Whole Foods , Byerly's and a wine sale. Also had a few nice dinners out. If anyone lives in the Mpls. area Byerly's has some wonderful mexican mangos this week. Num. I wondered who else goes out of there way to buy food. We also went to Ikea-bought food there too.

[swquilts]

Whenever we travel we love to go to any food stores/groceries to see what they have in stock. I've found some neat sauces, jams and jellies that way.

The town where we're going to stay on vacation this July has a cheese factory there!! Oh myyyyy.....Bandon, Oregon here we come!

[Bawstinn]

I most certainly do. I got spoiled growing up in Boston and living in Phoenix. When I go visit family and such I always hit the grocery store for the items I can't ever find here. Also, if there is a Trader Joe's in the area, I am there!

I have to admit, in the last few years I have been here, "odd" ingredients are popping up the grocery stores. But really, $6 for a bottle of hoisin sauce?!??

[Bawstinn]

Originally posted by swquilts

The town where we're going to stay on vacation this July has a cheese factory there!! Oh myyyyy.....Bandon, Oregon here we come!

Wouldn't happen to be Tillamok, would it? My mom lives out in Oregon and I have been there a few times. Yum.

[tperes]

I also like to go to grocery stores and food co-ops in new towns when traveling. I recently went to the Emigrant Market in Salt Lake City, and it was really fun.

I especially love food shopping in foreign countries, and I even bought vanilla and honey from a road-side stand in Mexico, and both purchases have been put to good use (I was surprised my honey made it thru customs).

My all-time favorite store to shop in when I go home (FL) is PUBLIX! I am addicted to that store (I grew up shopping there) and most non-Floridians just think I am crazy to be so crazy over a grocery store (my sister is, too).

[dreamer]

I also love food-related jaunts during traveling. Eating out, or going to shops that sell the local specialties...I always visit Wilson Farm (the giant "farmstand") whenever I'm in Lexington MA (where I have family). I really want to go on a food factory tour sometime (I have fond memories of touring a Gouda cheese maker's facility when I was in Holland as a kid!) Someday I would love to tour the Russell Stover factory ("America's largest hand-dipper of chocolates!!!)in Kansas City. I talked to a couple once (in one of their outlets) who said it was fascinating. And ever since I read an article in USA Today about Belgium and how they have chocolatiers on every streetcorner practically I would love to go there! But I wonder, even if you stayed 7 days, just how much chocolate could you eat?!?! Okay, I guess you smell, taste, and ship home!!:p

[swquilts]

Actually it's the Bandon Cheese company in Bandon.

I have been to the Tillamook factory further up north. OMG, I thought I had died and gone to cheese heaven! :D

[shscharles]

I feel so much better about DH and me! We ALWAYS

[shscharles]

Well, rats! I hit the wrong button!

We always find a local supermarket...even in countries where "supermarket" has a very different meaning...

When you leave your hotel and find where the locals shop for food, you really find the essence of where you are. We've had amazing, funny, warm and wonderful experiences in many, many places...there's always good bread, cheese, meat and usually local wine.

And in the USA, we always travel with an ice chest...the better to stock up! Actually DH is more compulsive about grocery holidays...he has forgotten that the kids left home and we wind up with loads of new items for the larder!

Right now I have 3 jars of Vidalia onion jelly from Georgia, Maple syrup from Vermont, a case of Amish Apple Butter, a whole Smithfield ham, oh my, oh my, that's just one shelf! Someone once looked into our pantry and asked, "Are you two Mormon?"

[scout1222]

I was just in Oregon (Brookings) and had to drive to the Medford airport to get back home. I saw a sign for a cheese factory that gave tours. Man, if only I'd had the time....

I also like to go to local stores when I travel. Last year I went to Chattanooga, and hit up a grocery store. It was fun to see all the different products and brands. It's silly, but I find that fun.

[AndreaU]

Originally posted by dreamer
And ever since I read an article in USA Today about Belgium and how they have chocolatiers on every streetcorner practically I would love to go there! But I wonder, even if you stayed 7 days, just how much chocolate could you eat?!?! Okay, I guess you smell, taste, and ship home!!:p

Not meaning to hijack this thread, but... we were there for 7 days around Easter and the answer is: A LOT MORE THAN YOU THINK!! Not just chocolate candy, but chocolate on waffles, in crepes, etc. We didn't even bother shipping- that's what the carry-ons are for! (See my "Back from Belgium" thread on the Other Stuff board for the best chocolatiers)

[Kay Henderson]

Like others who have posted, I very much enjoy grocery shopping in new places. It's not so much that I am looking for amazing new foods/experiences, but I am just interested in what is the norm in the community in which I have landed. I find that, even for a national grocery store such as Safeway, it differs quite a bit.

Kay

[dreamer]

Originally posted by AndreaU


Not meaning to hijack this thread, but... we were there for 7 days around Easter and the answer is: A LOT MORE THAN YOU THINK!! Not just chocolate candy, but chocolate on waffles, in crepes, etc. We didn't even bother shipping- that's what the carry-ons are for! (See my "Back from Belgium" thread on the Other Stuff board for the best chocolatiers)

Andrea, it was fun to read this post of yours- we don't have plans to get to Belgium soon, but you might have bumped it a bit higher on my wish list. It's good to know that it would be worth my while to go! Sounds DREAMY.:p

[HUNGRY!]

Oh yeah. In fact, we've been know to make a road trip just for the food! I agree with the other poster- we always bring a cooler.

My co-workers think its funny that my DH and I will spend summer weekends in search of the perfect sweetcorn, or drive 2 hours to pick our own white peaches from a peach farm. We also love to visit grocery stores (mostly because we find the ones in the DC area very lacking and we like to drool over large well lit grocery stores). One time we drove all the way to Pittburgh just to visit Penzeys and Giant Eagle! My boss has started calling me Martha Stewart because of all the food trips. Now whenever he asks me for a report or something I don't have done yet I tell him I am still working on the color scheme or that I sent it to the calligrapher to have it hand-written on ancient parchment.

In fact, I am really looking forward to our summer road trip out west because I read in one of my guide books that Colorado has excellent peaches and cherries!