The best part about travel is….everything!  Well almost everything.  Food is the one thing that can elevate or destroy any travel experience.  With sites like TripIt, Trip Advisor, Yelp, Urbanspoon, and all the apps that go along with them, travel has never been better.  Whether you’re out of town for pleasure or on business, you can use any of your favorite apps. If we do say so ourselves, FoodieBytes is a great tool to find and post photos of your best dishes, make reservations and get some of the best discounts on meals (taken off right on the bill) so whether you are on Route 66 or a road less traveled.

The Food Tube
 Although not as “instant” as some of the websites and apps, you might find time to watch a few episodes on the plane or train.  Food television is a great way to preview some must try spots or hidden gems wherever you travel.  There are shows like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives from Guy Fieri, that spiky haired blond guy on overdrive whose first foray on the Food Network was as a contest and later winner of The Next Food Network Star.  Then there are shows like Unique Eats and Unique Sweets, which focus on a theme, for a perfect way to satisfy any particular craving.  If you want to bring back a little gift for someone or take a treat to your hotel then Foodcrafters is a fun way to get to know a little more about food artisans in the area.  If those shows are a little too precious for your taste then there is always Anthony Bourdain’s The Layover or Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods.

Photo courtesy of The Layover (The Travel Channel)

Better Get Some Apps
There are so many great apps for travel and food reviews.  Some are better for when you are at home ogling food porn but there are others that are just perfect when you have settled into your hotel and you want to find out what’s nearby.  Travel and Leisure has their list of best apps.  The daily meal have a list of apps for the hungry traveler.  Ask your friends and colleagues what works best for them.

The Road Less Traveled
Other times, you don’t actually have to leave home to “travel”.  You can find some pretty unique eats in your own neighborhood.  Famed chef Tony Maws of Craigie on Main is back with his Road Less Traveled dinner (March 13th), which is an experience of a life time (like a culinary wonder of the world).  Chef Maws creates an incredible meal that one might argue outdoes his impeccable “every day” menu.  The difference for this one, is that Chef Maws is using cock’s combs, pig brains, sea cucumber, pig ears, cod milt, duck testicles, Tonka beans, fish tails, crosnes, monkfish liver and duck tongues.

Another way to experience travel without leaving home is to indulge in a new part of the world through their food.  Have never had Brazilian BBQ, Mongolian Hot Pot, Persian stews, authentic dim sum?  Take a culinary vacation by picking a local restaurant at random or read the blogs, reviews, and peruse photos online to see what piques your interest. If you can’t afford the airfare, indulge in the cooking that the nonnas, mader bozorg, or 奶奶 Nǎinai have brought over to your town from their motherland.