O, The Places I Will Go!

I am cold.  I actually have my hood on right now.  I should just suck it up and deal.  I know.  But I have warmer climates to look forward to, sort of.  

The holiday season is here, which means a break from work is right around the corner.  I have two trips coming up - one is to Northern California, in Stockton and San Francisco, just for two days each.  Probably won't be above 60 degrees, but it will certainly be different from the threats of NYC snow.  The other - Aruba, my January destination of choice, the place I have been to the past four January's, with Mom.  

A friend once said "That's all vacation is.  Eating in other places."  I mean, I guess you could go see the sites and culture.  But food is part of the culture, and I think his witty saying warrants some merit.  First of all, a lot of people license themselves to eat whatever they want, and however much they want, on vacation.  It's vacation!  So you are going into the experience ready for food.  The restaurants are all new to you, or maybe you are at a lakehouse and you have access to a grill (which me and 8 other NYC friends did this summer, as we do not have much access to grills beyond Mr. Foreman), and you get to try the local flavors.  Eating is a great part of vacation.  

I hope to provide you with some interesting posts on California and Aruba restaurants, regardless of whether or not you will travel to these places.  Why?  Dining somewhere beyond your home base teaches you what you like and dislike about your usual dining haunts and how your city manages food.  I was on a vacation once and I noticed that I was waiting almost 10 minutes for a table, and there were at least 4 tables free.  When you live in NYC, you watch servers turn around tables in seconds (a generalization, yes, and not applicable at all restaurants).  They want as many people to eat at that restaurant as possible.  Actually, not only do the tables get turned over quickly, but in some restaurants, like the hip pre-Broadway scene at Joe Allens, that tables are actually so close together that your neighbor probably would not notice if you reached for one of their french fries (O I dare you).  

Going to a lot of different NYC restaurants gives you a basis for comparison - how does one NYC restaurant compare to another?  But eating outside of the city, anywhere else in the world, provides you with another great measure to learn what you like about dining in this city, and what you wish was different.  

While I am on my trips, I hope to be more aware of the similarities and differences in how these restaurants operate, what menu items they serve, the decor, and prices, and to see what locals enjoy.  

Here's to eating elsewhere... in just a few weeks.

Have a delicious day!

NYCMenuGirl