Save Room for Dessert

On our “Corona’s Culinary Specials” walk in Queens, we make our way along Roosevelt Avenue, ducking into markets and stopping by vendors representing Mexico, Ecuador, and Argentina (among others). On such spot is an Ecuadorian bakery, where the glass cases are filled with a myriad of sweet treats and pastries.

Barcelona’s Urban Wine Route

In Barcelona, a bodega is more than a corner store or bar – it is the beating heart of the neighborhood. Wine barrels, chalk marked with their content’s region of origin, line the walls. Neighbors come in and fill a jug to take it home, pausing for a game of cards, a drink and a bite to eat and some banter. We trace this urban wine route on our Barcelona Bodega walk.

A Soupy Start to the Day in Istanbul

While Turkish breakfast is a showstopper, many in Istanbul begin their day with slightly more humble (although no less divine) fare: soup. On our “Culinary Secrets of the Old City” walk, we go beyond the major monuments of Istanbul’s Old City and bypass all the restaurants aimed at tourists, instead visiting those time-honored spots where all of the serious eating – like soup for breakfast – is done.

Pick Your Pickle in Istanbul

Our Born on the Bosphorus walk in Istanbul pays a visit to one of the city’s many shops that sells exclusively pickled goods with incredible variety. What will it be? Pickled garlic, sour green plums, okra or one of the many other options?

The Eel Deal in Tokyo

The thought of eating unagi (freshwater eel) can be off-putting, yet the super-fragrant, umami-tasting, velvety-textured delicacy is one of Japan’s prized foods. In Tokyo the eels are split from the stomach side for cleaning and then steamed before being grilled over charcoal and lavished with a finishing sauce, gleaming and sequestered in a covered lacquer box or ceramic bowl.

Breakfast on the Go in Athens

Greeks are not a nation of breakfast eaters, so koulouri, a plain, circular bread topped with sesame seeds, tends to be the morning fare of choice for most people. There is something seriously sweet and fresh about these bread rings, which are sold on most street corners in downtown Athens and are a guaranteed encounter on our walks.

A Game of Chicken in Tbilisi

A customer haggles with a vendor selling freshly plucked village chickens and turkeys in Tbilisi’s Dezerter’s Bazaar. This raw, disorganized, 2,000-square-meter warren of unprocessed agrarian goods is the city’s largest open-air market and the focal point of our culinary walk in the city.