Out-of-the Way Restaurants That Are Worth the Long Trip
By Tobias Carroll
Certain restaurants are worth the trip. Whether it’s via a long drive, a sprawling trip via train, or a flight to an unfamiliar airport, there’s a small group of restaurants that merit heading away from home for a couple of days. Some of these restaurants might offer a stunning dining experience outside of the expected culinary centers of North America. Others focus on a very specific variety of food — the kind of expansion of your palette that might demand a trip across time zones.
Northern Waters Smokehaus
Duluth, Minn.
(Photo: Northern Waters Smokehaus)
Duluth’s Northern Waters Smokehaus does a brisk mail-order business in smoked fish and meat, along with salumi. But a host of sandwiches are also available to order if you stop by, which include reinterpretations of classics and unlikely blends of ingredients ranging from gravlax to bison.
Belly
Eugene, Ore.
(Photo: Krista / Flickr)
That Oregon has noteworthy dining options isn’t exactly news. But if you head 90 minutes south of Portland, you’ll find yourself in Eugene, which has plenty of delicious dining options to offer as well.
Belly offers sumptuous entrees, including sausages that are made in-house; as the name and logo might suggest, pork is at the heart of much of the menu.
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Rouge
Calgary, Alberta
(Photo: Mack Male/Flickr)
Located near the Bow River in Calgary, inside a historic house built late in the 19th century, Rouge has earned acclaim for its wide-ranging menu. Diners can take in several options built around duck; there is also a fascinating-looking array of seafood entrees available.
Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Pocantico Hills, N.Y.
(Photo: Charles16e / Flickr)
Located north of New York City, Blue Hill at Stone Barns has earned a reputation as one of the best restaurants in the area. The restaurant is located on the grounds of a working farm, which in turn produces the ingredients that go into the food made each night — a constantly shifting array of quality dining.
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The Kimball House
Decatur, Ga.
(Courtesy: Kimball House)
With a shifting menu featuring creative uses of vegetables along with savory staples like pork and seafood, Dectaur’s The Kimball House also features a highly acclaimed oyster selection. And if cocktails are of interest, the range of drinks available (including a Pecan Old Fashioned) should serve as an additional draw.
The Willows Inn
Lummi Island, Wash.
(Courtesy: The Willows Inn)
Getting to Washington’s Lummi Island isn’t necessarily easy: You’ll need to get there via ferry, and the trip from Seattle takes about two hours. Once you’re there, though, you can dine on an extensive tasting menu using local ingredients from one of the region’s most acclaimed chefs: Chef Blaine Wetzel was the recipient of a 2014 James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year Award.
Brooklyn Warehouse
Halifax, Nova Scotia
(Photo: Kelly Neilown)
Don’t let the name confuse you: Though both are located near the Atlantic, Halifax’s Brooklyn Warehouse is nowhere near any of New York City’s five boroughs. Their shifting menu has a focus on local ingredients, and Mondays bring with them a night featuring a prix-fixe tasting menu. The fare is hearty, with intriguing uses of rabbit and pork at dinner, and an array of delicious-looking sandwiches at lunch.
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The Black Sheep
Buffalo, N.Y.
(Courtesy: The Black Sheep)
A recent addition to the restaurant scene in Buffalo is The Black Sheep. Its dinner menu offers a number of skillfully prepared meats, along with a host of small plates ranging from pork nuggets to a unique take on deviled eggs to the delicious-sounding pork confit pierogi.
Chef & the Farmer
Kinston, N.C.
(Courtesy: Chef & the Farmer)
North Carolina’s Chef & the Farmer, which opened in 2006, has a focus on the local cuisine of the eastern half of North Carolina. That translates into menu items like collards, a risotto made with boiled peanuts, and rabbit sausage — an appealing blend of the familiar with the unpredictable.
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Suomi Home Bakery and Restaurant
Houghton, Mich.
(Photo: DebMomOf3 / Flickr)
Getting to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula from much of the country isn’t the easiest route. But once you’re there, there are some fascinating dining options available to you. Located near the water in one of the northernmost points in Michigan, this bakery
offers an array of Finnish food, and has earned particular praise for its pancakes.
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