Cross-country food vlogger 'The Rideshare Foodie' gets a taste of the Panama City area

Ebonee Burrell, The News Herald
·2 min read

PANAMA CITY — A Baltimore man who travels across America to try some of the best food in different cities recently visited the Panama City area and says he was provided with a memorable experience from two local establishments.

Five years ago, Kreskin J. Torres, or “The Rideshare Foodie,” started his journey as an Uber driver to meet new people and visit new cities. Instead of using Google to find places to eat, Torres wanted to get recommendations from locals in different cities through conversation. He then set a goal to explore America to experience each state and support local businesses as a foodie, influencer and blogger.

Torres visited Panama City last week to try meals from C-Level Bar and Grill and History Class Brewing Company. He chose those places based on recommendations from local community groups on Facebook.

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Kreskin J. Torres, "The Rideshare Foodie," center, stands with owners Chaz Nay and Rich Blackford of C-Level Bar and Grill on his visit to Bay County.
Kreskin J. Torres, "The Rideshare Foodie," center, stands with owners Chaz Nay and Rich Blackford of C-Level Bar and Grill on his visit to Bay County.

“He is definitely living his dream and it’s pretty impressive how self-driven he is. I always like to invite everyone that visits Panama City or lives in Bay County to come try out our restaurant,” said Chaz Nay, co-owner of C-Level.

Nay noticed Torres' Facebook post and invited Torres for one of Nay's popular dishes, blackened prime rib. Nay said their conversations led to them planning a foodie trip together overseas soon.

“It was such a phenomenal experience. I try to find places where it’s rare to find certain dishes, so it was my first time trying blackened prime rib and I’ve never seen it anywhere else,” said Torres about his visit to C-Level Bar and Grill.

Blackened prime rib and grilled shrimp with a side of grilled asparagus and saffron rice from C-Level Bar and Grill.
Blackened prime rib and grilled shrimp with a side of grilled asparagus and saffron rice from C-Level Bar and Grill.

Torres said he’s always been a foodie and wanted to travel, which led him to look for hole-in-the-wall restaurants across America. He’s inspired by the opportunity to meet new people while learning more about different cultures and styles in new areas and trying their foods.

So far, he’s traveled to 49 states with only Hawaii still on his bucket list because of travel restrictions. He hopes to visit Hawaii in 2022 to see what it has to offer. After Torres marks off the 50th state, he will start visiting places internationally.

A slice of key lime pie from C-Level Grill and Bar.
A slice of key lime pie from C-Level Grill and Bar.

“It’s more than just trying new foods. It’s about coming together to see our similarities and differences. Food is just our common ground and that’s been the bridge for me to be able to build so many relationships with people all over the country,” Torres said.

Torres is working on writing a book, creating a podcast, and launching a mobile app in the near future. He documents his journey through his social media accounts. To follow his journey, visit www.ridesharefoodie.com.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Florida area food sampled by 'The Rideshare Foodie'