These Charlotte chefs share tips for finding the best places to eat when traveling

Whether globetrotting halfway around the world or jumping in the car for a weekend getaway, one of the best, but often most overwhelming, parts of traveling is figuring out where to eat.

Do you buy into the hype of the buzz-worthy new restaurant? Stick to the tried and true classic? Venture out on your own and see what happens? According to the handful of Charlotte chefs we spoke with the answer is — all of the above.

With so many choices and no shortage of opinions (thank you, Internet) it can seem daunting to travel to a new city and risk missing out on a great meal.

Just ask Shai Fargian, executive chef and partner at Yafo Kitchen, who once took an extreme approach to trying as much food as possible when traveling with his business partners to refine the menu at Calle Sol Latin Cafe.

“We landed in Tampa at 10 a.m. and went to seven places for lunch before heading back to the hotel. Jumped on the treadmill for an hour and a half, showered and went to dinner. The next day we cut it down to three lunches,” he said.

“When you go with a goal in mind, you’re really looking to try as much as you can and figure out what’s interesting,” Fargian said.

If you’re simply looking to eat one breakfast, one lunch and one dinner, your list will need to be a bit more selective. Several Charlotte chefs shared their approach to making the most of their time eating in any new city.

Have some ‘improv days’

Sam Diminich, chef and owner of Your Farms Your Table and Restaurant Constance, sets up a game plan when he travels that includes a mixture of restaurant reservations and what he calls “improv days.”

“My girlfriend, Natalie, and I recently went to LA and stayed in Venice Beach. We picked two Michelin status-type restaurants that we reserved for our nights out, and then we left the rest for what we call improv days,” Diminch said.

“We hit the Farmer’s Market in Santa Monica one day. Hanging out there, listening and having conversations directed us to restaurants we wouldn’t have known about off the beaten path. My advice is to leave part of the trip unscripted — walk around, talk to people, buy some local ingredients and cook,” Diminich said.

This mixture of planned and spontaneous is the method behind the food adventures Diminich leads with various food tour groups. His Instagram reveals that he has upcoming trips scheduled to Cuba and Peru, and last year ventured through Italy, Croatia and Slovenia, where he said for 25% of the trip he opened the door to embracing the unknown.

“I honestly don’t remember anything I ate in Ljubljana (Slovenia), but I remember the people and the hospitality and the open arms. There is something about the moments between the moments where you wander and see what you can see, being completely improvisational and embracing the culture. There is a difference between tourists and travelers,” Diminich said.

Connect with a local food guru

“The first thing I do when going to a new city is contact someone local. Who is a big chef? Or food personality? I try to connect with them and get them to take us around. It costs money, but it gets you a better and more authentic experience,” Fargian said.

He recounted a trip to Greece for Yafo where he linked up with chef Diane Kochilas, host of the My Greek Table cooking show, author of several cookbooks and owner of a local cooking school.

“We got to Athens and spent two-three days with Diane — went on a market tour, she took us to her favorite restaurants and we even went to her house and cooked with her,” Fargian said.

You don’t have to be a renowned chef to benefit from the insights of food gurus. Many food personalities can be contacted through social media and are able to recommend restaurants or food tours, or even offer their own — like Kochilas.

Each spring and fall she opens up her family home on the island of Ikaria to guests. On this island the The New York Times dubbed the place “where people forget to die”, Kochilas hosts a weeklong cooking and village life immersion retreat.

Follow the smells

Chef Lisa Brooks had one of the best arepas (maize dough stuffed with filling) she’s ever eaten by simply following where her nose took her when traveling in South America.

“When I travel, I typically travel for language, culture and food. I’m in search of the soul of that city. So, when I travel abroad, I definitely make no plans and eat by wandering around and following the smells,” Brooks said.

That is how she discovered a quaint street vendor in Colombia outside the gates of the old walled city of Getsemani who made the unforgettable arepas.

Technology is your friend

As a vegan, chef Adjoa Courtney (aka Chef Joya), is always on the hunt for vegan food that isn’t lacking in flavor or quality — and she uses technology to help. First is the mobile app and website Happy Cow, which lists vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants from all around the world, and second is TikTok.

“Last year I took a trip to Vegas, and I honestly used good old TikTok. Forget all the write-ups and articles you can find, I want to see everyday people doing everyday reviews. And TikTok is full of them,” Courtney said.

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Sam Hart, chef at Counter-, Maneki and Spaghett, has been fortunate enough to eat at more than 50 Michelin starred restaurants over the past four years. They has a tried-and-true methodology using various online resources to come up with their target list.

“There are three things that I look at when I travel for food. And, yes, the only reason I travel is for food,” Hart said. “The first is the San Pellegrino Top 50 restaurants in the world. Based on this, I find one or two restaurants that have a direct flight from Charlotte or another American Airlines hub and book the trip around the restaurant.

“Next, I look at the Michelin Guide app and go through all of the restaurants with a star in that city and book a couple more reservations for dinner,” they said.

“The best food-focused app I have ever seen is Beli. It lets you store all of the restaurants you have been to and rank them based on your personal experience. After ranking a few, Beli will then recommend places based on your profile and other members’ experiences. This has led to the best discoveries.”

When in doubt, ask

In the words of Gandhi, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.” Fargian learned this while traveling to Israel with Frank Scibelli, founder of FS Food Group, to refine the menu at Yafo.

While visiting the renowned Dr. Shakshuka restaurant in Tel Aviv, they spotted the famous “doctor” himself, chef Bino Gabso. After approaching him to explain why they were visiting, Gabso offered to teach them how he makes his famous shakshuka.

“He looked at Frank and said, tell him to come back tomorrow and he’s going to have the best Shakshuka in his life. He’s going to cry about all of the shakshuka he’s had that wasn’t mine,” Fargian said.

The following day the two returned, and a section of the restaurant had been blocked off for them.

“He wouldn’t let us pay. He fed us, he taught us so much and I was able to translate and really connect with him,” Fargian said.

Ultimately it’s this connection with people, culture, traditions and food that makes travel so impactful — a sentiment chef Anthony Bourdain captured with one of his many famous quotes:

“Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonald’s? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria’s mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head?”