The Window Seat: LSBF '07 Archives

Breakfast at Tartine in San Francisco’s Mission District is a journey--its flaky pastries and café au lait transport you to Paris the instant they touch your lips. On a foggy morning, I met there over the most beautiful and butterscotch-ey bread pudding to be regaled by travel tales and discuss this winter’s hottest food trends with Jen Catto, Travel Director of Gourmet Magazine.

Jen had recently returned from a trip to France in which she tried something she never had before. On the beaches of Brittany at this time of year, large amounts of algae wash up onto shore. It used to be that this algae was only used for bath salts, but local restaurants in St. Malo made the algae into a butter and then used this butter to prepare fish. The aromatic and briney taste that resulted is something that could only come from that particular region, anchoring the dining experience firmly and wonderfully in France at that season and place.

Photo courtesy of Jen Catto.

Before I travel, I look up the delicacies of the region I’m going to visit. I’ve eaten a Hot Brown in Kentucky, enjoyed escargot in France, and noshed on poutine in Montreal. But there are certain delicacies I just can’t stomach. I call them mind-block foods, and the list includes insects, certain organs, and animals considered members of the family in America. Beyond that, I try to keep an open mind. After all, I recently treated my coworkers to my dad’s famous boiled peanuts, and they’re not exactly an appealing-looking food.

Photo courtesy of Rachel Berg.

Through the windows of Ottawa’s Parliament building, senators are likely to see something that you wouldn’t expect on Parliament Hill: a Cobra; a Cat; and a Downward Facing Dog.

If you’re a follower of the ancient tradition of yoga, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Keep in mind, I am no yoga expert, but you don’t have to be an Ashtanga master to know there’s something special about Yoga on Parliament Hill, one of Travelocity.ca's Local Secrets, Big Finds. This free yoga class, sponsored by Lululemon Athletica, lures locals to the lawn of Parliament Hill, just along the banks of the beautiful Ottawa River.

Unless you’re an all-all-inclusive traveler (or one of those people who considers a twirl around Epcot Center to be a shot of culture), you’ve probably uncovered a hidden gem or two during your travels. And chances are, it wasn’t simply the fortuitousness of your find that made it so satisfying: it was the prospect of all those bragging rights. The nominators of 2007’s Local Secrets, Big Finds can vouch for that…along with every IgoUgo member who has written a travel review since the community’s inception in 2000. Travelers’ love of bragging rights, in fact, is precisely what makes the IgoUgo community such an excellent resource for travel planning and inspiration (if we do say so ourselves). As an IgoUgo editor, I’ve been reading about our members’ picks and pans for the past 3 years, and trust me—these are travelers who know the what, where, and how of finding little-known treasures all over the world (and talking them up freely upon their returns). The best part? You can see who’s doing the bragging.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member UCLArocks

“Think Global, Act Local.” I can’t think of a better example of a company that embodies this ideal than Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor. Even if Zingerman’s hadn’t been named as a Travelocity Local Secret, Big Find for Michigan, it would’ve still been at the top of my list of places to visit during the 24 hours I had in town. You see, back in the ‘90s, I was introduced to Zingerman’s as a U of M freshman, and it’s been true love ever since.

This Monday, I moseyed in at high noon to a practically drooling sandwich line that snaked past olives, salami, fresh-baked breads and magic brownies—and was greeted by a cheese wizard named Marshall who, if he hadn’t already had me at hello, sealed the deal when he asked, “would you like to try some of our homemade creamery cheeses”?

It was with the anticipation of a giddy fan that I was then introduced to Head Chef, Rodger Bowser, who took time out of his very busy schedule to chat with me about Zingerman’s considerable connection to the local community.

When I say that I’m from Dallas, Texas, I get one of two responses. Some begin to serenade me with the theme song from that ubiquitous 1970s TV show. Others produce a scowl on the face, implying pity and dismay. Then they proceed to tell me about “this one time they went to Dallas in July…” The stories almost always make me laugh, and I find myself defending my hometown, touting its hidden secrets and promising that “it’s not always that hot.”

Of all the places I’ve been, I admit that Dallas is among the most spread out and difficult to navigate. Visitors are often overwhelmed with the sprawl, and they simply don’t know where to start. My advice: get recommendations from the locals. No doubt, your travels will be richer and more rewarding, and you’ll certainly see a side of Big D that would have otherwise been missed.

Photo courtesy of Bishop Arts District, Dallas, Texas.

The year was 2005. The place was Charleston, South Carolina. The temperature was pushing 80 and I was hot, sweaty, in a rush, and--worst of all--insanely hungry. I needed something to eat. I needed something delicious to eat. I needed something delicious to eat fast. Tall order? Well, it could have been. Until I remembered that a place called Ted's Butcherblock had just opened on the street I was driving down. I pulled over. I parked. I ordered. I swooned.

When I discovered two years later that Ted's had been nominated as one of our Local Secrets, Big Finds in the great state of South Carolina, I was hardly surprised. The place is a foodie's dream, with huge deli-style sandwiches (chicken, pancetta, and avocado? What is this, heaven?), to-die-for gourmet sides, an excellent wine selection, and walls and walls of fancy treats that gastronomes may well have a fainting fit over. (Well, I know I did. What can I say? Cheese has that effect on me.) Every month, the eponymous Ted chooses a region--June, for example, is the Caribbean--and offers featured dishes inspired by its culinary traditions. And as you'd expect from a place named Ted's Butcherblock, the piece de resistance is a full-scale, old-school butcher counter boasting an impressive array of all-natural beef, pork, lamb, veal, poultry game, smoked sausages, salami, bacon, and cold cuts. You don't have to be a carnivore to love Ted's, but it helps.

Just what is Local Secrets, Big FInds? It's a special project that we do every two years at Travelocity -- a project that is more than just a project -- but a huge labor of love. As we sift through thousands of nominations that you, our favorite fellow travelers, tell us are terrific places that you won't find in any other guidebook. These are spots where the locals frequent and they're found all across america. So if you're looking for that something unique to do on your summer travels, your road trip, or just this weekend Local Secrets, Big Finds is full of ideas.

In this, our third issue of Local Secrets, Big Finds – we teamed up with IgoUgo and culled down over 10,000 entries to select our 295 winners. I always have to hand it to our phenomenal editorial team for doing this work – it is truly the biggest project we do! Jenn, Holly, Rachel – you are amazing! This year they've taken citizen journalism to new heights.

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