Food and wine had been the basis of their courtship. Marriage put an end to these quiet but exciting times. She has said little over the years as he’s gone off with friends on golf and corporate outings while she’s stayed home. The conscious of her always treated her with spa visits and club memberships to make it up to her. Now, she wanted something just for the two of them. Twenty-five years together deserved a celebration.
I was looking for a place close enough to allow them more time for each other and less time to travel. They needed to find a way to enjoy what they both loved while rediscovering their mutual passions for life and for each other. One loved the outdoors and gardening. The other was looking for a more urban relaxation. Their mutual love was preparing and eating good food. This is how a great culinary adventure is born.
Culinary tours allow visitors to truly experience the cultural roots of a region. It’s a bit of history, a bit of entertainment, and a bit of education. However, it can also be an assault on the senses. What better way to engage all five senses?
7 Delicious Ways to Design Your Culinary Adventure
1. Celebrity Chefs/Masters
Dining out has long been one of society’s favorite activities. Master chefs have left culinary schools for world-class restaurants, honed their skills, and are returning en masse to their home communities to be a part of regional tourism and hospitality. The James Beard Foundation is dedicated to celebrating and preserving the cultural diversity and traditions of the United States. These master chefs are usually members of this foundation.
Many are, in fact, recipients of James Beard honors. You can usually get great ideas for where to dine by looking up press releases from this organization. Even better, there are categories to join as a food and wine enthusiast. Of course, some of these master chefs deserve celebrity status. Be sure to make reservations in advance to get the most out of your visit.
Cleveland’s entertainment district is home to some of the city’s most popular restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Master chefs and celebrity chef, Michael Symon, have their signature restaurants here. This is a microcosm of Cleveland, and indeed America’s diverse cuisine. It’s a great way to get into the culinary scene and branch out into the neighborhood that centers around your favorite taste. Cleveland’s ethnic neighborhoods are known for their great dining options.
2. Schools – Wine and Culinary / Master Classes
We’ve come a long way from Julia Child to the Food Network and beyond. The important thing today is that food is recognized as essential for a healthy life. Perhaps most importantly, healthy food preparation can be the foundation for reducing stress for busy professionals and providing contact points for family and friends to come together.
Luxury resorts and hotels have provided culinary excursions and master classes for generations. These are gaining popularity again. Cleveland has cooking schools and a wine school. These schools provide busy locals with the skills to take their culinary appreciation to the next level. They can also bring great added value to a culinary tour of the region. Additionally, the nearby Culinary Vegetable Institute brings master chefs from across the United States as artist-in-residence for classes and private dinners on its campus.
3. Luxury Hotel Culinary Packages
Essential to any great vacation is the need to recharge and revitalize. Some may choose a Bed and Breakfast, but for those who see this basic need as a time to indulge in something more than ordinary, choose a luxury hotel or resort. These hotels and resorts are staffed by highly qualified 5-star staff looking for ways to delight guests. Culinary tours are as varied as hotels, but can provide a great base for any regional food and wine tour.
The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Cleveland features a culinary tour that includes face-to-face meetings with executive chefs, special dinners, tours of the West Side Market and the city. The concierge staff is ready to provide directions and reservations for other restaurants and attractions that add to the dining experience.
4. Farmers markets
America’s cities are known for the public markets that support the cities and restaurants. Seattle has its Public Market, San Francisco has its Fisherman’s Wharf, and Cleveland has its West Side Market. These are popular tourist destinations. There are ample opportunities to talk to local vendors, sample the many delicacies, and enjoy some leisurely people-watching.
Cleveland’s venerable West Side Market has been stocking the tables of families and restaurants since 1912. As one of the oldest enclosed markets in the United States, it sets the standard for the many farmers’ markets set up in both urban squares and neighborhoods. rural areas surrounding Cleveland. This market offers fruits, vegetables and a wide variety of regional meats that make Cleveland so popular with foodies.
A drive through any area of Northeast Ohio on a Saturday will provide a family with healthy, locally grown fruits and vegetables for a week. Concessions provide ample opportunity to sample the best of the regions. You can also visit Farmers Union markets in town squares and malls throughout Northeast Ohio on weekdays during the summer months.
5. Wineries/Microbreweries
US interest in locally produced wines and beers is growing. Wine regions are gaining popularity as destinations. California’s Sonoma and Napa Valley regions, Oregon’s Columbia Valley, New York’s Finger Lakes, and the Niagara region come easily to mind. Microbreweries are the next rage to attract regional visitors. Craft beer tastings, as well as wine tasting, are easily found in wine regions. In fact, you can find wineries developing complementary microbreweries on their properties.
Northeast Ohio is home to Vintage Ohio, an event that draws thousands of people to sample the growing wine industry in the state. Home to several wineries and vineyards along Lake Erie, Northeast Ohio offers ample ways to enjoy the atmosphere of relaxing in a picturesque vineyard with friends with a drink in hand. You can enjoy a country lunch or opt for a more formal dinner in the elegance of the winery.
6.Visits to the farm
Heritage farm tours along the Ohio and Erie Canal are committed to capturing the farming techniques of regional founders for posterity. Many Amish farms welcome visitors to tour their farms upon request. In fact, you’ll find produce stands along the country lanes leading to their farms selling the vegetables and fruits currently harvested from their fields and baked goods, cheeses, and sausages processed on their farms.
The Culinary Vegetable Institute in nearby Milan, Ohio, brings organic and traditional vegetables and microgreens to the kitchens of some of the best chefs and restaurants in the country. Farmer Lee Jones, the spokesman for the family business, is gaining national recognition as a celebrity guest at many culinary events.
7. Community Gardens
Urban gardens are becoming vital parts of neighborhoods as families realize the advantages of homegrown produce. However, they are not new to many communities. When a visitor is lucky enough to find an urban garden gem that has been established for quite some time, that visitor gets a glimpse of the neighborhood’s heritage and spends pleasant afternoons talking with the gardeners who share the space.
The Brooklyn Heights Community Garden in Cleveland is now celebrating 100 years. Its grounds are well-maintained by co-op members and classes for all ages are held in the on-campus greenhouse and garden center.
Remember that anniversary couple? They spent a relaxing week in an area not far from home but a world away in new experiences. They hit the back roads in the convertible, picnicked under the stars at a lakeside vineyard, joined other couples for an elegant and exclusive private wine dinner and shared an evening at the theater. There was even time for a tour of the Botanical Gardens, a bit of shopping, and just the two of us to play a few holes of golf. Of course, that led to the couple’s massage at the luxury hotel where they stayed. The rest of the time is private.
You can find more about regional destinations and culinary tours on my blog. Be sure to check out my review on Mr. Symons B Spot restaurant in Woodmere.