Travel Food

A fun little tidbit about me you may or may not know is that I love to travel. There's something very exciting about being somewhere that's not the same old and visiting people you can't see on a daily basis. Something about planes and trains that can lull me into a much needed sleep, or at the very least, much needed relaxation. And yes, something about getting out of claustrophobic NYC just immediately brightens my perspective on life.

And this month I'll be traveling quite a bit. Houston to catch up with one of my closest friends and to get some much needed Tex-Mex. Washington D.C. for a visit with my sister in her new digs and to celebrate some job related ventures for me (and be the 3rd wheel for her Valentines) at one of my favorite Old Town restaurants. And this weekend a quick little trip to Philadelphia. Yes, again. Draw your own conclusions on that one. But hopefully this trip won't involve the 2am Pat's cheesesteak that somehow ended up mostly all over my coat.

For fellow readers who also travel, I'm sure we can all agree one of the most frustrating things about it can be the food. Yes, security lines and delays and unnecessarily long layovers are worse, but on an empty stomach that only serves to exacerbate the problem. Especially coming back from a trip, the post vacation depression setting in, possibly a little hungover. It doesn't help the mood. And I've definitely been there, sitting at the airport gate munching disenchantedly on some greasy pizza or half melted quesadilla. No thanks.

Not interested in that stale pastry or bagel?

But here's a slideshow guide to good airport food that got me thinking about some good airport bites I've had myself. 

• Vino Volo- Great wine bar. Especially good for women traveling alone who do not want to be hit on. Perfectly acceptable to read a book or lightly flirt with the bartender and the food is pretty darn good too. They also try to showcase a few regional wines from the area they're located in (i.e. Texas wines at the Texas airports, etc). For evening flights I make a point to get to the airport early, so I can have a glass or 2 with some tasty snacks to take the edge off.
• Las Palapas- San Antonio, TX airport. It may not be the best of the Tex-Mex drive-thru places, but the airport location delivers consistently, plus their breakfast tacos are great for the early am flights. Possibly my favorite flour tortillas also, after Central Market's.
• Grand Central Oyster Bar- Newark Airport. For when you feel like oysters, seafood, or just a nice crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
• Boston Beer Works- Logan Airport, Boston. 2 words. Blueberry Beer. Yes it's good. Yes it's better right before a game at the Fenway location but in case you get stuck in the airport during a game or just want to relive the feeling this is as good as it can get.

And plenty on the slideshow list are great too: Amy's Ice Cream, Wolfgang Puck Express, and yes, I've even rented a car to drive from LAX to In-N-Out and it's so worth it.