Three pieces of hot news for the hungry traveller
The journey: Ride the chew, chew
The renowned food and wine of Northern Spain has become a bit more accessible thanks to a unique new travel experience. The El Expreso de la Robla rides the rails from Gijon to Ribadeo, and is modelled after trains used by 19th-century coal barons (the private jet of its day) to transport them in style. The train overnights at its destination so you can sample some of the local tapas over a glass or three of tempranillo before returning to your wood-panelled sleeping car at night. Salud!
The dish: Head games
Robert Seitsma, writing in The Village Voice, has declared animal heads to be the next food fad, up there with ramen, cupcakes and sea urchin. In addition to his local favourites, such as the barbecued hog's head at Fatty 'Cue in Brooklyn and the fried headcheese at The Breslin, Seitsma also cites Montreal's Au Pied de Cochon as a pioneer for its crispy pig-head salad.
The table: No need to eat alone
A social networking site in Melbourne, Australia, eatwithme.net, encourages strangers to share the pleasures of the table. The premise is simple: Host a potluck, picnic or sushi-making class and invite other random members to join you. Alternatively, you can search out an event and request an invitation. Presumably, the name stuffyourfacebook.com was already taken.
Special to The Globe and Mail