Thanks to decades of influence from traditional favorites, local ingredients, imported flavors, fine dining and fast casual sensibilities, cities from New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between are now food destinations. These five American cities offer delicious fare worth booking a flight for.
For Modern Comfort Food: Nashville, Tennessee
Southern specialties are served on every corner in Nashville. From diners to fine dining, there are biscuits and banana pudding on menus across the city and sprawling into nearby suburbs. You can also find delicious twists on classics like fried chicken and mac and cheese that make this city a food destination.
For Street Food: Honolulu, Hawaii
Gorgeous weather and a melting pot of cultures has made Honolulu a mecca for street food. Food trucks roam the city serving everything from shrimp to ramen. Poke bowls, shaved ice and mochi are also plentiful and fresh.
For a Little Bit of Everything: San Diego, California
San Diego has attracted tourists for years with long stretches of beach, grassy parks, beautiful cliffs and storied history. Now, it’s also one of the best American food destinations. Everything from authentic Mexican cuisine to microbreweries can be found here. Farm-to-table menus, delicious brunch and fresh seafood are also plentiful.
For Fresh Seafood: Portland, Maine
The seafood in Portland is second to none, no matter if you eat it at an oceanfront shack or accompanied by cloth napkins and top shelf cocktails. Freshly caught oysters, classic lobster rolls and homemade chowder are all available in seemingly infinite quantities in this food destination.
For Tex-Mex Specialties: Austin, Texas
There are lots of cities throughout the US worth visiting for their Mexican restaurants. Austin offers foodies Tex-Mex in dozens of varieties from street food to sit down. Breakfast tacos on homemade tortillas, endless bowls of queso, bottomless sides of refried beans and tender fajitas can all be found in this food destination and its surrounding suburbs.