I feel so inspired by this picture! It reminds me of this lavender mini donut from a food truck I bumped into in Belmar, Denver, CO. It was delicious and fluffy!! I explore a lot of different foods when I travel, and so why not explore at home too!

I hate to visit chain restaurants (i.e. Chili's or Panera Bread); not because they aren't good food and great service but I can get it anywhere. And if I'm someplace for a limited time, yoIu've got to learn more about the local flavors. You've got to see what "spicy" means to the town. Here are a few things I always try that are my favorite.

1. Pizza
• Duh. I mean, are they a city with pride in Chicago deep dish or New York thin crust type? Personally I like the thin crust fresh balled mozzarella ones, but you can never turn down pizza. Even when traveling with my gluten-free colleagues there are great options out there. Yum!
2. Wine
• I've traveled to some designated wine country spots (a favorite being Dry Creek in Sonoma, CA) but wine vines grow almost anywhere. I found dessert wines prevalent in a mid-west town. You can learn a lot just by walking the aisle and seeing what is available from local growers as to whether the climate is better for white or red. Interesting!
3. Sushi
• You can tell a difference if you are in an ocean bordered state, haha. This is more about supply chain than anything else. It also shows the diversity of the town whether Indian, Malaysian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and more lumped together as a generic Asian Fusion cuisine restaurant or not. Or it could be a "foodie" town with noticeable regional categories when you search on Yelp. Fun!