Culinary Tours

Exquisite French Pastry & the Top Chefs Who Create It

Exquisite French pastry in Paris; photo by Zhu.

A party without cake is just a meeting. ~ Julia Child

When you mention France, most people think of Paris, the capital city. This is both a blessing and a curse.

A curse because the portion of France located outside of the capital city is gorgeous, too. It has delicious nooks and crannies worth exploring but few people think to look.

And a blessing because even though France does so many culinary things well, Paris deserves to be top of mind when it comes to pastry because it does them especially well.

So the equation goes like this (and it’s okay that it does):

France = Paris. And Paris + food, almost always = exquisite pastry.

Ergo, France = exquisite pastry.

In recognition of French pastry as the nation’s most iconic food, the chefs featured today are all French-born and trained professionals known for creating exquisite pastries.

Their views on the art they create for a living will help you shape your plans for France travel.

SÉBASTIEN ROUXEL

You know you’ve “made it” when Thomas Keller calls you “one of the best pastry chefs in America.”

Rouxel became a chef’s apprentice at 15, then worked with master pâtissiers at prestigious addresses in Paris, including the Elysées Palace, the official residence of the French president.

Today he works in the world’s restaurant capital, New York City, yet retains truly sweet memories of growing up in France.

In France, kids don’t go to school on Wednesdays. And while I loved not having to go to school, the best part was the morning, when my brothers and sister and I would open the kitchen shutters to find beside the flowerpots wonderful viennoiserie, fresh from the bakery, waiting for us to devour with a cup of hot chocolate.

Hot drink with exquisite French pastry: croissants with chocolate cream & hot cocoa, photo by ehaurylik.

SÉBASTIEN GAUDARD

The pastry chef who would bring chic to the most traditional French pastries was born the son of a baker in Lorraine, a region in northeast France.

Now, over 40 years later, Chef Gaudard is a confirmed Parisian with two successful shops in the French capital. They are the destination of choice for hungry people seeking classics like the baba au rhum, St. Honoré, and the cream-sandwiched tire-shaped confection called the Paris-Brest.

Eating sweets brings us back to a time in our lives when we had no worries, the carefree time of childhood . . . My wish is to render the past marvelously present.

Paris-Brest, (a classic) French dessert (and exquisite French pastry), photo by uckyo.

PIERRE HERMÉ

Pierre Hermé, like Chef Gaudard, grew up in a family of bakers in northeast France. After apprenticing in Paris, he opened his first shop in Tokyo rather than the French capital, reaching for something different . . . a sign of things to come.

Creating new flavors and combinations of flavors is what he likes to do most.

Whether you buy one of Hermé’s chocolates, cakes, or celebrated macarons, you will never taste anything that is same-old-same-old.

That’s how you end up desiring a lemon and strawberry flavored cake named Désire. And eating macarons like Mosaïc, flavored with pistachio, Ceylon cinnamon, and Morello cherries.

With dozens of knock-out flavors, it’s hard to choose a favorite ~ but why try? Hermé doesn’t.

I don’t have any favorites. I love them all because when I created them, I thought about them a lot. . . . guess my favorite macaron is the next one that I’m going to create.

These Sadaharu Aoki et Pierre Hermé (macarons) by Canon S3 IS in Paris, France are colorful examples of exquisite French pastry..

Want more sweet France travel? Take this French pastry tour.

PHOTO CREDITS

Featured image, French Pastries in Paris by Zhu; Fresh Baked Croissants with Chocolate Cream & Hot Cocoa on Woo by ehaurylik; Paris-Brest, French Dessert by uckyo; and Sadaharu Aoki et Pierre Hermé by Canon S3 IS in Paris, France.

SOURCE OF QUOTES for Sébastien Rouxel, Sébastien Gaudard, and Pierre Hermé.

Superstars of Northern Italian Cuisine: A Regional Tour

Risotto alla milanese, this one decorated with red saffron threads, is one of the most colorful superstars of Northern Italian cuisine; image is "Italian saffron risotto" by kuvona.

Italian food really reflects the people. It reflects like a prism that fragments into regions. ~ Lidia Bastianich

If you’ve grown up believing fabulous plates of pasta, pizza, and bread were the greatest pleasures Italian cooking had to offer, hold on to your hats, dear foodie explorer, there’s MORE.

The foods of Naples and other cities in Southern Italy, from where the majority of Italian families in the U.S. hail, are just the tip of the iceberg.

Or, rather, the tip of the Italian boot.

Outline of Italy, including the Italian "boot," Sardinia, and Sicily, showing the location of the cities of Aosta (Valle d'Aosta), Otranto (Puglia) and Ragusa (Sicily). From the city of Aosta at the top of the Italian boot to Otranto in its heel tip is a distance of over 780 miles. From Otranto to Ragusa on the island of Sicily you’d have to drive another 450 miles.

As you can imagine, there is a world of difference in climate, landscape, and therefore, cuisine, as you travel from south to north.

Just when you think you’ve gotten a handle on how a “typical” Italian meal is put together ~ with olive oil, pasta, and tangy but meatless marinara at the heart ~ you drive up the road a bit and it all changes.

It is WAY up that road, in the eight regions that comprise Northern Italy, that you’ll find a rich and diverse cuisine where rice, potatoes, and cream sauces play the starring roles.

Northern Italian cuisine with its emphasis on local products including dairy, corn, rice ~ Italy is Europe’s largest rice producer ~ will surprise you.

So make it a point to sample some Northern Italian cooking at your next opportunity.

For now, whet your appetite with a look at the specialty dishes of each of Northern Italy’s eight regions (listed in clockwise order, starting with Valle d’Aosta in the far northwest):

Valle d’Aosta

Eight of Italy’s 20 regions lay in the area known as “Northern Italy.” Northern Italy ranges from Valle d’Aosta, an alpine valley that borders France and Switzerland to the southernmost portion of Emilia-Romagna, a large region that nearly spans the width of the Italian peninsula, from the Mediterranean to the Adriatic.
Piemonte
Lombardia
Trentino-Alto Adige
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Veneto
Emilia-Romagna
Liguria

I expect you’ll find a new favorite of your own among them because every single one of these regional specialties is de-licious. And, by the way, you won’t see a single plate of spaghetti among them.

Fonduta con Crostini

Fonduta con crostini is an example of Northern Italian cuisine from Aosta in Valle d'Aosta. It's a fondue made with Fontina, a regional cheese, and milk, butter, and egg yolks; perfect for dipping toasted bread.

From Aosta in Valle d’Aosta. Dip toasted bread into this fondue made with Fontina, a cheese exclusive to the region. The mild taste and fragrant aroma of Fontina cheese have been thrilling Italians and others who appreciate good eating for more than seven centuries.

Grissini

Grissini or Italian breadsticks are, perhaps, the most widely eaten creations of Northern Italian cuisine from Torino (Turin) in Piemonte.

From Torino (Turin) in Piemonte. The story of the long, thin breadsticks known as grissini goes like this: Back in the 17th century, the Duke of Savoy, had a tough time digesting regular bread. So a local baker created an especially thin and crunchy breadstick as a cure.

Apparently, those breadsticks did the trick since the duke lived long enough to become King of both Sicily and Sardinia. And within a century’s time, grissini had become popular enough throughout Western Europe for Napoleon Bonaparte to have become a big fan.

Today, you’ll find them around the globe, with a variety of coverings. These include caramelized onions, fresh herbs, and sesame seeds ~ like the grissini pictured here.

Risotto alla Milanese

From the stylish Northern Italian city of Milano in Lombardia (Lombardy) comes this risotto alla milanese seasoned with saffron; image is "Italian saffron risotto" by kuvona.

From Milano (Milan) in Lombardia. Rich and flavorful risottos are legend in Lombardy, which is arguably the leading rice-producing area in Europe. The most popular is this risotto alla milanese seasoned with saffron, the fragrant and fire-colored spice that Mediterranean cooks have prized since the time of ancient Romans.

Knödel con lo Speck

Knödel con lo speck or dumplings with speck, a lightly-smoked ham. This superstar of Northern Italian cuisine hails from Trentino-Alto Adige. Image: Knodel con lo speck by comugnero silvana

From Trento in Trentino-Alto Adige. Look no further if you’ve been seeking a new dish that’s both filling and economical. Knödel con lo speck, also called canederli con lo speck is a dish of bread dumplings laced with bits of lightly-smoked ham called speck. This dish is a delicious way to stretch a dollar and put your stale bread to good use.

Frico

Frico is an example of Northern Italian cuisine from Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Here you see it done crispy (as cheese crisps) and soft (as a secondo piatto or second course dish, with potato.) Image: Frico by comugnero silvana.

From Trieste in Friuli-Venezia Giulia comes frico. You’ll find it in two versions, “crispy” and “soft,” and the key ingredient in both is well-aged Montasio cheese.

Imagine the crunchiest cheesy snack you could put in a bowl for watching your favorite TV show and you’ve got “crispy” frico. These are cheese crisps you can make by frying Montasio in hot oil. (That’s right. Hit the road, Cheese Doodles.)

No less delicious is “soft” frico. Slow-cook this pancake of cheese melded with potato, butter, and aromatic herbs for a feel-good food guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Zalèti

A dish of zaleti with your morning hot beverage can be a delicately sweet introduction to Northern Italian cuisine.

From Venezia (Venice) in Veneto. These cornflour and raisin cookies get their name from their warm golden color: the word giallo is Italian for yellow and gialleti or “little yellow ones” when spoken in Venetian dialect sounds like zalèti. (The “z” is soft, like a hiss.)

Now then, as to how to enjoy these delicately sweet cookies at home, let me count the ways… for breakfast instead of muffins or toast, as a special treat with tea, or, if you like to dip, try dipping warm zalèti into your hot milk in the morning, your hot tea at midday and, if you drink wine at the end of your evening meal, you can dip them it that, too. It’s all good.

Tagliatelle con Ragù Bolognese

From Bologna in Emilia-Romagna. Enjoy tagliatelle, an egg pasta typical of Northern Italy, covered with a slow-cooked meat sauce, or ragù. The traditional Bologna-style ragù includes ground beef, tomato purée, vegetables as well as white wine, whole milk and butter (or extra virgin olive oil.)

Ragù Bolognese, the essence of Northern Italian comfort food, is wonderful stuff. So much so that it reigns as the national dish of Italy. (And in a land that has gifted the world with ravioli, lasagna, and pizza, that’s saying something.)

Linguine al Pesto

From Genoa in Liguria ~ comes a country-style cuisine where herbs and vegetables are major, as in this dish of linguine with pesto, potatoes, and peas. The image, "Linguine with pesto, potatoes and peas," is by Shariel.

From Genova (Genoa) in Liguria. Maybe it’s no surprise that the Mediterranean port city of Genoa, the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, is known for its freshest of fresh seafood. Wherever you go in the region is less than two hours away from the sea.

But did you know that aromatic herbs and country-style vegetables are major in Ligurian cuisine as well? Linguine tossed with potatoes, peas, and pesto ~ a basil sauce original to Liguria now savored throughout the world ~ is an excellent example of this flavorful fact.

Now then, you have before you a world of choices that are beyond tasty. Fresh seafood, rich risottos, satisfying desserts …! So here’s a question that may be hard for you to answer (but there’s no way you can go wrong):

In which region would you begin your Northern Italian cuisine tour? Leave a comment below.

PHOTO CREDITS

Fonduta con crostini by alexandra; Grissini ai semi di sesamo by Alessio Orrù; Italian saffron risotto by kuvona; Knodel con lo speck by comugnero silvana; Frico by comugnero silvana; Tagliatelle with ragù bolognese by uckyo; Linguine with pesto potatoes and peas by Shariel.

Japan Travel Notes from the World’s Top Chefs

Table setting for Japanese food with copper-rimmed white dinner plate and hashi (chopsticks) atop a maki placemat.

An adventure with Japanese food not only has the power to influence your individual cooking style but, more than that, …

What keeps me motivated is not the food itself but all the bonds and memories the food represents. ~ Michael Chiarello

Have you ever noticed how the familiar taste or aroma of certain foods can transport us to the places we first experienced them?

It’s like what happens whenever I bring fresh corn tortillas home from the store. I always sniff them ~ can’t resist it and don’t want to ~ and as soon as I catch that hint of lime…

… I’m back in central Mexico, a high school student having a meal with her homestay family.

Maybe it’s the same with you.

So, you get to wondering . . . if the mere contact with a favorite food can inspire us to want to wander, how much more inspiring might the memories of professional chefs be?

After all, they work with food day in and day out.

Turns out, a variety of culinary aces have had memorable food experiences in countries far from their own. And I’ve chosen some of their most delicious stories to share with you.

Today’s inspiring memories come courtesy of Japan and Japanese food:

ELIZABETH ANDOH, food/culture educator and author

The woman who would become the foremost interpreter of Japanese cuisine to English speakers arrived in Japan as a University of Michigan graduate student. Right away, she began studying Japanese and focused on food as a way of understanding the culture. More than five books and four decades later, Elizabeth Andoh still lives in Japan, teaching others how to appreciate and prepare the food of the country she has come to know and love.

Noodles have a special place in the hearts and bellies of the Japanese.

When the first steamy days of summer arrive, icy sōmen noodles appear on family tables throughout Japan.

(Excerpted from Andoh’s book, Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen.)

DAVID CHANG, chef and restauranteur

Once upon a time, Chang was teaching English in southern Honshu, puzzling out what he was going to do once his teaching gig was over. And then — BAM! — his noodle habit became an obsession. Chang’s spare time “research” in Japanese noodle shops would lead him to found the multi-national Momofuku restaurant group.

I lived a few train stops away from the school in a little town called Izumi-Tottori. There wasn’t much there: a maki roll place, a sushi place, a dumpling house, and a ramen shop. The ramen shop was near the train station, and it was always bustling . . . I’d sit there – first at this place, and later at any ramen or noodle shop I could get a seat in — by myself, shrouded in the sound of slurping noodles and the racket of the kitchen turning out bowl after bowl of soup, and just watch the place work.

(Excerpted from Chang’s book, Momofuku.)

RENÉ REDZEPI, chef and restauranteur

Many consider Redzepi’s Copenhagen-based restaurant, Noma, the best in the world. Still, with all his accomplishments, the chef was so taken with Japanese cuisine and dedication to craftsmanship, he temporarily relocated Noma and its staff from the Danish capital to Tokyo in 2015. There was yet, Redzepi thought, much to learn.

I’d dreamt of something like this for years, since I was a young cook without the money to travel . . . . . I sat for my first kaiseki meals, multi-course dinners steeped in history and more balanced than the long tasting menus some of us chefs are used to eating and cooking. Dishware and the design of the restaurant are adjusted to reflect the season. Time of year dictates everything. This ritual taught me so much about meticulousness, lightness, and what seasonality really means.

(Read more about René Redzepi in Japan here.)

No doubt about it, Japan is a one-of-a-kind place. And now we know that an adventure with Japanese food not only has the power to influence your individual cooking style; it can also change the course of your life.

PHOTO CREDITS

Feature image, Japanese Food Empty Dish, by ohsuriya; Hiyashi-somen (Chilled Japanese Noodles) by Julia Frost, and (Kaiseki) Dinner Spread by Alyson Hurt.

Unexpected Paris: Gardens, Art, & Tasty Edibles Galore

Nearly all the best things . . . have been unexpected, unplanned by me. ~ Carl Sandburg

The last gold rush began in 1896 when George Cormack went fishing for salmon but found gold nuggets instead. Or so the story goes.

Just like that prospector, you often come upon some of the best things when you’re looking for something else, especially while traveling.

Here are a few “gold nuggets” I stumbled upon in unexpected Paris you might like to find “on purpose:”

I was on my way to late-night at the Louvre and wanted a little dinner first. So I looked around for a restaurant where I was at the time, on the left bank. I spied this pastry shop across the street and knew “take out” was the way to go. I bought slices of quiche Lorraine and a cake with fruit filling, then hurried across the Seine to a bench in the Tuileries Garden to enjoy them. And at first, I did, taking one, two, then three bites of the most amazing quiche Lorraine I’d ever tasted.

The only problem is the birds caught on and began to gather, eyes fixed on my quiche. The Louvre would have to wait. I packed up my pastry and went home to the studio to eat in peace. That’s how I was able to take this photo of the dessert pastry and what remained of that exquisite quiche.

The gorgeous collection of Renoir paintings at the Musée de l’Orangerie bowled me over. Especially since I had gone, principally, to see Monet’s Water Lilies (Nymphéas). What do you think about this portrait of Gabrielle Renard and the artist’s infant son, Jean? It’s my favorite of the works on display.

If you like “quirky,” you’ll love this group of metal musicians in the city of Rueil-Malmaison. You’ll find them performing on the lawn in front of City Hall 24/7. I happened upon them while looking for where to catch the bus back to Paris after a full day of touring the Empress Josephine’s château.

This white chocolate and macadamia nut cookie from Millie’s was SO good! I grabbed it with coffee at the Gare de Lyon metro station while rushing to catch an early morning train to Fontainebleau. And just when I thought I’d end up with no breakfast at all.

What surprising things have you come across in your travels while looking for something else?

5 (+1) Northern California Places & Plates for Your Road Trip

Golden Gate Bridge (viewed from Marin Headlands), one of several Northern California places you'll want to photograph again and again.

QUESTION: Is or isn’t California in the Southwest?

ANSWER: Yes.

Depends on who you talk to. According to the map alone, California is in the southwest.

Yet when you consider the characteristics California shares with states undeniably southwest such as Arizona and New Mexico ~ warm and dry climate, relatively sparse population ~ only the southeastern portion of the state qualifies.

Nevertheless, your Western road-trip could take you through Northern California, so YOU’VE GOT TO KNOW about the terrific food waiting for you there.

Friends I visit with there are champion foodies, so we tend to feast day and night, and I’m able to do a lot of . . . sampling.

But whether or not you know someone who lives in the Bay Area, here’s how you can do the same. With ideas on things to do before or after your fab meal, take a look at my

Top Five Northern California Places & Plates

MIMI’S CAFE, Roseville ~ Comfortable, elegant and COLORFUL French bistro-style restaurant, It’s the place to be for Saturday brunch, with conversation buzzing all around. Like seafood? Then order the moules-frites ~ mussels with fries ~ as I did; they will not disappoint. Such beautiful mussels and hand-cut, sea-salted fries. Terrific service ~ our server knew the menu, kept in touch with us just enough, and left us alone with friends to talk and talk some more . . . no one rushes here.

Moules-frites with crostini, Mimi's Cafe in Roseville near Sacramento, one of 5 (+1) Northern California places to visit.

SPECIAL BECAUSE . . . the place is “FRITES-CENTRAL.” The fries taste phenomenal on their own. Yet you can pair them up with a variety of meats besides mussels: beer-battered fish, grilled chicken, grilled salmon, and a New York strip for a classic steak-frites.

TO DO: See restored trains, learn history at the California State Railroad Museum ~ not at all as dry as it sounds.

WOODEN CHARCOAL KOREAN BARBECUE HOUSE, San Francisco ~ The banquet begins when you order your favorite combination of meats . . . we chose pork, rib-eye steak, and bacon. Then the server sets before you dish after dish of banchan, those little-of-everything plates of food that “make” a Korean meal. Then once she lights the coals and delivers the GENEROUS portions of meat, you barbecue them yourself. Cook, eat, drink, cook some more ~ so good. Service is quick, though not so attentive. There was that excessive smoke that had our friend, Karen, in tears before we got our cook-eat routine under control. But in the end, this was the MOST DELICIOUS Korean barbecue I’ve had in a long while.

Wooden Charcoal Korean Barbecue House in San Francisco, one of 5 (+1) Northern California places to visit.

SPECIAL BECAUSE . . . of the banchan, including fishcakes, kimchi, yum and naturally gluten-free shirataki noodles, radish, hot peppers . . . all full of flavor and, like the meat, in good quantity.

TO DO: Hang out with the Sea Lions at Pier 39 with fellow sea lion watchers from all over.

Watching Sea Lions at San Francisco's Pier 39, one of 5 (+1) Northern California places to go.

THAI SMILE, San Rafael ~ small, pretty restaurant in a small, pretty city north of San Francisco. What makes it special is the lady in charge knows how to cook. Don’t be shy when asking about specials. That’s how I got to enjoy a de-lish catfish and jasmine rice dish NOT on the menu. Meanwhile, hubby L. declared his pork chops the BEST he has EVER had. And, believe me, the man knows from pork chops.

Thai catfish (in a banana leaf wrap) with jasmine rice at Thai Smile in San Rafael, one of 5 (+1) Northern California places to visit.

Thai pork chops with jasmine rice at Thai Smile in San Rafael, one of 5 (+1) Northern California places to visit.

SPECIAL BECAUSE . . . the atmosphere feels cozy, unpretentious, and . . . relaxed. Thai Smile’s location is further north from San Francisco than say, Sausalito, so you’ll be dining in the company of locals rather than tourists. Good food, no crowds.

TO DO: Visit the Marin County Civic Center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Controversial for its blue roof and pink stucco walls, the Civic Center is a National Historic Landmark.

BARREL HOUSE, Sausalito ~ Cool, contemporary yet cozy is the vibe at this waterfront eatery serving American food with a touch of French to make things interesting. I chose roast chicken atop mashed potatoes seasoned with bacon and dijon mustard. Oh yeah. The chicken, with the tasty appetizers that came before, would have been enough. But then the people in charge did something that put Barrel House on my list of “absolute fave restaurants” when they offered us complimentary desserts because they had been late with one dish, so not all of us received our plates at the exact same time. What, among other goodies, did we choose? Why, strawberry cheesecake, of course!

Roast chicken dish, Barrel House, in Sausalito ~ one of 5 (+1) Northern California places for great meal.

Cheesecake, The Barrel House, Sausalito ~ sweet surprise from one of 5 (+1)Northern California places to eat GOOD food.

SPECIAL BECAUSE . . . the waterfront location makes Barrel House THE place to enjoy great food and San Francisco Bay views at the same time. You can see from the city of Oakland across the bay to San Francisco, connected by the Bay Bridge ~one of the longest suspension bridges in the U.S. In between the two cities you also see Angel Island ~ “the Ellis Island of the West” ~ Treasure Island, Alcatraz Island, and San Francisco’s northeast shore. Then it’s time for shopping in Sausalito.

San Francisco Bay, with Alcatraz Island at center, as viewed from in front of Barrel House, Sausalito, one of 5 (+1) Northern California places to fine dine.

The waterfront in Sausalito, one of 5 (+1) Northern California places where you'll find great food.

TO DO: See Alcatraz Island up close. You may already know the island is the site of a (now-closed) maximum-security prison that once housed the likes of Depression Era bad guys Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. (The prison tour, is hands-on and great fun, by the way.) But did you know Alcatraz is also a seabird sanctuary? Alcatraz Island is super popular so to reserve your place, buy your cruise ticket at least a day IN ADVANCE. And take care to dress for the day with layers of warm clothing AND a jacket because it is C-O-L-D out there. (Hard to have fun when you can’t stop shivering.)

THE COUNTER, Corte Madera ~ One in a chain of upbeat and stylish burger joints where you create your own customized gourmet burger. They use the term “gourmet” because the ingredients are quality ~ the beef is grass-fed, for instance. Also because many of those ingredients are unusual additions to a burger, like the smoked gouda I chose to top my burger. What a delicious surprise! To build your meal, you choose from a generous list of burgers ~ which includes “lamburger” ~ sauces, cheeses, toppings, sides, and buns. Actually, if you choose to have your burger on a bed of salad greens as I did, your choice of “bun” need not be a bun at all. One visit here and you may not ever go back to simple cheddar ~ or just ketchup ~again.

Gourmet burger, The Counter in Corte Madera, one of 5 (+1) Northern California places for good eats.

SPECIAL BECAUSE . . . it has a gluten-free menu offering hundreds of delicious burger combinations.

And if you’re after a super-special experience in Corte Madera and time is NOT of the essence, head to this bonus plate location. . .

BURMATOWN, Corte Madera ~ The numbers of people outside this restaurant at dinnertime, all waiting for a table, might give you the idea they’re serving something inside worth waiting for. And you’d be right. Once inside, you’ll be enjoying some of the tastiest Burmese food in the Bay Area with fresher than fresh ingredients. Plate after plate. And almost as intriguing as the flavors in these Asian fusion dishes is the way the servers prepare it for you at tableside. Before ever lifting a bite to your mouth, you’ve tasted it with your eyes. Order Burmatown’s tea leaf salad, one of the house specialties, and you’ll see what I mean. For a “taste” right now, see the video below.

SPECIAL BECAUSE . . . . the atmosphere is lively, abuzz with people talking excitedly about the food as much as anything else. And at least half of the menu options, including the tea leaf salad, are available gluten-free.

TO DO: Head for Marin Headlands on the Pacific coast. Birdwatch, picnic, and take your fill of photographs of the Golden Gate Bridge from one of the best vantage points on the Bay. (Just as I did for this article’s featured image.)

So there you have five sets of Northern California places and plates for an all-around sweet travel experience.

Both Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area offer all kinds of activities to help you work up an appetite. And whatever kind of food you have an appetite for, whether French-inspired, Korean, Thai, American, or anything-but-basic burgers ~ they’ve got that, too.