Hillary Weller

Travel Eats documents my food adventures while traveling.

I’ve been staying extra busy the past few months (apologies, blog readers!) with a new role at work, and that role took me to our Bay Area offices for a week. While it was a pretty packed schedule, I still fit in some quality meals.

The night I arrived in San Francisco, I made a beeline for the Mission, a neighborhood that I knew from experience was great for dining. Foreign Cinema stood out for its sleek open-air dining space with string lights and a movie projected on the back wall. The food was also excellent – from a Catalonian noodle dish, brimming with four kinds of seafood and a buttery cumin sauce, to smoky, mole-slathered calamari with lime and tortilla chips.

Dottie’s True Blue Cafe is a comfort food classic that had come highly recommended by friends, so I made sure to stop for brunch. I arrived just before it opened, and a line had already formed, as is typical, but the short wait was worth it. I went for the frittata special, a mammoth plate of eggs stuffed with some of my favorite ingredients (avocado, corn, feta), plus a side of crispy cornbread with pepper jelly. While I was far too full to try any of the bakery offerings during my visit, I managed to bring a small loaf of Dottie’s signature coffee cake back to Chicago (and was very glad I did).

Another landmark I finally tried this trip was Mission Chinese Food, chef Danny Bowien’s trail-blazing take on Chinese cuisine that opened in the Mission nearly ten years ago, and now has locations elsewhere. Of the dishes I tried, the Westlake lamb dumplings stood out for their balance of tangy sauce, crispy wonton wrapper, and lots of fresh dill.

One unexpected dining success came at Hogwash, a craft-beer-and-sausage spot in Union Square. While I first chose the Burnin’ Brock sausage sandwich almost solely for its fried avocado, the rest of the spicy, crunchy flavors came together exceptionally well for one of the most satisfying bites of the trip.

And I did still fit in a few sweet indulgences, starting with Tartine Manufactory, the recent restaurant offshoot of legendary Tartine Bakery. I went with a fairly simple sundae – strawberry and vanilla swirl soft-serve, colorful sprinkles, and candied almonds – but it was elevated just enough to feel special.

Bi-Rite, another favorite from past trips, has both a market and an ice cream shop on the same block. Rather than waiting in the long ice cream line, I picked up an ice cream sandwich (and a few other edible souvenirs) from the market. After a ride home to thaw, the rich coffee ice cream melted into the crumbly brown sugar cookies to the point that it might as well have been fresh from the shop.

Speaking of coffee, there are a wealth of great roasters in San Francisco, but one of the stalwarts is Blue Bottle, so I felt very fortunate to have a shop within walking distance of my hotel. Their latte really is worth savoring.

The details: Foreign Cinema, 2534 Mission St.; Dottie’s True Blue Cafe, 28 6th St.; Mission Chinese Food, 2234 Mission St.; Hogwash, 582 Sutter; Tartine Manufactory, 595 Alabama St.; Bi-Rite Market, 3639 18th St.; Blue Bottle Coffee, 66 Mint St.; all San Francisco, California.

Travel Eats documents my food adventures while traveling.

In the fall, I spent a long weekend in Nashville with a girlfriend. We were there to celebrate another friend’s wedding – which had incredible culinary offerings of its own, I might add – but also managed to sample a lot of other local offerings.

I have to begin with Butcher & Bee, where their brunch menu was possibly the most enticing and creative one I saw all year. I absolutely couldn’t get over the whipped feta appetizer, with a pool of fermented honey and a healthy dusting of black pepper. It was deceptively simple at first glance, but the feta spread was so outrageously good with the blistered pita bread that I’m sure I’ll be recalling it for years to come.

I was also impressed by the most beautiful presentation of delicata squash I’ve seen at any meal, much less brunch. From the lacy fried egg to nutty farro to juicy pomegranate seeds, it was a lovely, still-light dish. For balance, the breakfast sandwich biscuit put us back into richer territory. A fluffy biscuit was slathered with more whipped feta (!), plus egg and maple-sage sausage. It was a classic done very well.

And because I had loved Husk so much while visiting Charleston four years ago, I knew I had to check out the Nashville location. I first made sure we ordered the pimento cheese in some form, as chef Sean Brock is known for it. Here, it was hidden underneath a tunnel of seedy crackers, but still as good as I’d remembered.

My favorite dish, though, turned out to be the crab rice. Amidst so many different textures, the buttery crab flavor still shone through in the best way.

Another highlight was the duck confit and its ash-buried beets (it sounds strange, but worked). And for dessert, we had the most adorable popsicle, almost like a Creamsicle but with melon and a hint of crunch.

Nashville is also known for the classic meat-and-three (a meat main course with three side dishes). For that, we went straight to Arnold’s, the top recommendation from a coworker who grew up in the area. We arrived right at opening, to avoid the long lunchtime lines, and weren’t disappointed by the extra-fresh-and-crispy fried chicken, creamy mac-n-cheese, and vinegary greens. And I couldn’t pass up a comforting slice of strawberry pie with a mile-high blanket of whipped cream on top.

Since we were staying in East Nashville, it was convenient to explore the up-and-coming food scene there. We happened upon Five Daughters Bakery, and saw that their version of a cronut (croissant-donut hybrid) claimed to have 100 layers. I didn’t count them, but did conclude that putting a smear of cookie dough on top of any donut is a brilliant idea. In that same category of hybrid indulgences was the waffle grilled cheese at The Terminal Café (I’m hopeful that Chicago will catch up to this idea soon).

I was excited to briefly check out Pinewood Social, an airy all-day venue with novelties such as bowling lines and a pool. While we didn’t stay for those activities, it was still worth it to sip this cocktail, a julep variation with added depth from amaro and ginger.

It was warm enough to still crave caffeine over ice, so I found two delicious versions: the iced bourbon vanilla latte at Barista Parlor, a gorgeous converted garage space; and the salted maple pecan cold brew at The Trailer Perk, an adorable mobile shop parked inside the Nashville Farmers Market.

One last trend worth mentioning was turmeric – the golden-hued powder is becoming increasingly popular for its health benefits, so it kept popping up everywhere we went. I tried it in a latte with other warm spices at Ugly Mugs, then in a cooler at Café Roze; both were flavorful and somehow cleansing. I have to say, too, that having that vibrant cooler alongside (really good) avocado toast, all on top of a millennial pink table, felt like the most Instagram-worthy moment of 2017.

The details: Butcher & Bee, 902 Main St.; Husk Nashville, 37 Rutledge St.; The Terminal Cafe, 733 Porter Rd.; Five Daughters Bakery, 1900 Eastland Ave.; Pinewood Social, 33 Peabody St.; Barista Parlor, 519B Gallatin Ave.; Ugly Mugs, 1886 Eastland Ave.; The Trailer Perk at Nashville Farmers’ Market, 900 Rosa L. Parks Blvd.; Arnold’s Country Kitchen, 605 8th Ave S.; Cafe Roze.

Travel Eats documents my food adventures while traveling.

In the midst of a week of celebratory Las Vegas dining, I knew that I wanted dinner on my actual birthday to feel extra special. I’d always heard about Le Cirque’s legacy in New York over the decades, and it just felt right to go classic French for this milestone birthday.

I’m happy to report that from the moment we walked into the restaurant, our party was treated in a way that befit such a special occasion. The whimsical and strikingly colorful “circus tent” ceiling set an appropriately celebratory tone, and the window beside our table afforded a view of the famous Bellagio fountains, making the whole thing just a bit more magical.

The whimsy continued with the amuse-bouche: a hollowed-out egg was refilled with lemon mousse and a dollop of carrot mousse, both tinted and shaped to resemble the egg’s original contents. It was a delightful way to start the meal.

I ordered the escargots as my appetizer, and was pleased to see that Le Cirque’s version went far beyond the typical garlic butter bath. The bowl was filled with so many textures: tomato confit, crispy croutons, tender greens; and, of course, lots of snails and butter for a hearty and aromatic dish.

Thankfully, a dining companion ordered the foie gras starter instead, so I was more than happy to sample a few bites of one of my favorite foods. The crunchy texture of puffed rice and grains on top, together with the sweet floral sauce pooled underneath, made this version really stand out.

For my entrée, I stayed classic with roast chicken, mushrooms, potatoes, and asparagus. Everything was expertly executed – especially the near-silky chicken – and the foie gras sauce gave it another touch of luxury.

When it came time for dessert, I was given an option: either the chocolate ball that the rest of the table had ordered, or an off-menu soufflé. I couldn’t pass up the quintessential demonstration of culinary technique that is the soufflé, so I chose that. However, due to a mix-up in the kitchen, I ended up with both desserts! For the chocolate ball, melted chocolate was heated to a precise temperature and poured over the ice cream-filled ball, causing it to gradually crack in a way was completely mesmerizing. The hot-and-cold contrast with a bit of praline crunch was absolute chocolate paradise.

Then, the sky-high chocolate soufflé arrived, and again I was transfixed by the skill of the pastry chefs. There are so many things that can go wrong with a soufflé, and even the best ones can still fall quickly, so tasting its airy, chocolate-y magic bite after bite left a lasting impression.

We were each sent on our way with a red leather box that had a housemade truffle tucked inside each of its two drawers. Weeks later, one glance at the box and my mind is right back to re-living this extraordinary meal.

The details: Le Cirque at Bellagio, 3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas.