In Sicily, Palermo’s Ballaro street market is a feast for the senses. (Photo: Getty) By Whitney Shindelar, as told to Karla Walsh Over the last 10 years as a travel advisor, I’ve learned that some travelers insist on at least one day at the beach. Some ask for a dose of history. For others, a vacation must conclude with a trip to a spa. For George Formaro (pictured), a chef and partner with Orchestrate Hospitality and its eateries (Centro, Gateway Market and South Union Bread Cafe, among others), it all boils down to one detail. “Food drives my home life, my work and my life overall,” he said. “If a trip doesn’t have a culinary hook, I’m automatically less interested.” The food doesn’t need to be fancy, he said as started to brainstorm locations for his dream journey — the latest in our dsm travel series that kicked off with Sara Hopkins and Liz Lidgett. Given the choice between fine dining and street food, Formaro would gladly choose the latter. As he put it, “The best way to get to know people is through their food, especially when you take it from their hand to yours.” He also likes to visit cookbook shops so he can add to his impressive food-history library. In the past, Formaro and his tastebuds have explored Egypt, Mexico and many parts of Italy. He’s open to feasting his way through other corners of Europe and wouldn’t be mad about revisiting Italy, either. “There’s this deep connection when you see people who look exactly like your mother everywhere,” he said. But he likes the United States, too. “I haven’t seen nearly enough of our own country, so I’m open to domestic travel,” he said. “I’ve never been to New Orleans, believe it or not.” After our initial conversation, I went back to my office to draft a menu of three possibilities so he could “place his order” for his dream vacation. Of course, there’s zero pressure for him to actually take it, although I’ll be keeping these agendas warm for him (and you) in case they sound appetizing down the road. Option One: Palermo, Sicily The food scene in Palermo is unlike anywhere else in the world. Sicily has been conquered by just about everyone in history (see: the Greeks, the Arabs, the Normans, the Spanish) and each culture introduced something new. So what you’ll eat at a market stall in Palermo isn’t just lunch; it’s a 2,000-year-old potluck on a plate. Spend your mornings at the Ballarò and Capo markets listening to panelle frying in oil, tasting grilled stigghiola fresh off the grates and watching fishermen set out their morning’s catch. It’s loud and chaotic and completely alive, and the food you eat there — standing up, in an alley, handed to you by someone whose family has been making this exact thing for generations — is some of the most memorable you’ll have anywhere. As the day unfolds, you move from the street-food scene into something slower. Step inside a restaurant tucked inside an unmarked doorway. The menu here is built around the same items you spotted at the morning market. How about some squid pasta? Evenings here feel the way evenings in Sicily should: unhurried, generous and very well fed. Option Two: London and Scotland London’s bustling Borough Market (Photo: Getty) British food is often underestimated, but that works in its favor. Many of the culinary traditions that have survived here are largely undocumented and still very much alive. Your day begins at London’s Borough Market, early enough to beat the crowds. Then head to Notting Hill’s iconic cookbook shop, one of the best in the world. For lunch, visit a Victorian-era pie and mash shop, like M. Manze on Tower Bridge Road, which has been serving the same secret family recipes since 1902. Later on, head north into Scotland. Glasgow’s dining scene has flourished over the last few years with chefs drawing directly from the Scottish larder: native oysters, Highland venison and aged beef from farms that have raised the same breeds for generations. Speaking of time-tested details, many Edinburgh bakers make their Scottish morning rolls using sourdough starters that are older than the bakers. This is the trip for someone who loves the research as much as the meal itself. Option Three: Copenhagen and the Danish countryside Danish smorrebrod. (Photo: Getty) Scandinavia still doesn’t get enough credit as a food destination, and Copenhagen has a lot more going on beneath the headline restaurants, like Noma, that put it on the map. Here, the food culture here is built on fermentation, preservation and a real commitment to high-quality ingredients. Exhibit A: smørrebrød, an open-faced sandwich on rye, topped with cured herring, pickled vegetables and house-smoked fish — a lunch Danes have been eating for centuries. All of this is assembled with a kind of quiet intentionality that tells you a lot about how this culture relates to food. Copenhagen’s Torvehallerne market is a great anchor point. Visit with wild mushroom foragers, small-batch cheesemakers and fishermen selling their daily catch. Then venture into the countryside to visit dairy farms whose butter and aged cheeses barely leave the region. The seafood along the coastline, including langoustines, oysters and cold-smoked herring, is exceptional. It’s also deeply tied to how this part of the world has eaten for more than a thousand years. So which itinerary is Formaro’s favorite? Answer: Palermo, Sicily. Someday, we’ll look forward to following his social-media posts from his mom’s homeland. (Buon viaggio, George!) If you’d like to feast your way through another corner of the world, travel advisor Whitney Shindelar suggests contacting her six to eight months before you’d like to travel. She’ll ask you about the purpose for your trip, as well as your interests, timeframe and budget, and then she’ll take it from there. Planning fees typically range from $750 to $1,200 for a one- to two-week trip. Visit undiscoveredsunsets.com to get started. ...read more read less