The Traveling Picnic

Adam Richman eats food for a living. Lots of it. As the intrepid host of the Travel Channel's Man v. Food, Richman takes on feats of consumption—the country's hottest curry, a 72-ounce steak, a 10-pound super-stuffed pizza—in cities around the nation. It's both an exercise in indulgence and a showcase for the foods that separate Charleston, S.C., from Columbus, Ohio, and Austin from Atlanta. But Richman isn't just into volume: For the past decade, the 36-year-old New Yorker has cultivated strategies and techniques for nosing out authentic fare anywhere he goes. You've just landed in an unfamiliar city. How do you zero in on the best food? First, I'll do some recon before I leave. I'll send out an open question on Twitter and then check out Yelp, because I feel like you're getting "the people's" opinion that way. Once I get there, I avoid advice from concierges and cabbies, because they may have an ulterior motive to send you someplace. Instead, I go to the service-industry workers: the bellhops, the cleaning ladies, the guys who work in the parking garage. So what's the last great recommendation you got from a bellhop? I was in Baltimore for the show, and we were planning to eat crab at Obrycki's, a place everyone knows. I got into a conversation at my hotel with two bellmen and a housekeeper, and they told me about G&M, out in a suburb called Linthicum Heights. The crab cakes were a revelation; they had a texture similar to quiche (gandmcrabcakes.com, from $17). The waitresses were chill and friendly—not like at a tourist trap, where they just want to turn tables. It was Baltimore at its most real. What's the most interesting food city in America? It's a three-way tie. Austin, because it's a center of Tejano culture and Tex-Mex cuisine, as well as an amazing barbecue town. Portland, Ore., because of the fresh produce and seafood, the Saturday Market, which is the best food market in the country, and Voodoo Doughnut, where you can get a Bacon Maple Bar (a maple-syrup-glazed doughnut topped with bacon). And last, Charleston, S.C., because of the Gullah Low Country cuisine, which weaves seafood into classic Southern food better than anywhere else. All travelers overeat once in a while—and pay for it later. How do you handle "the burn?" Zantac. I'm one with the mighty Z. "My Last Meal" I would start with a couple of stone crab claws from Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant in Miami Beach, Fla. (joesstonecrab.com); then some slow-roasted pork from Brasa in Minneapolis (brasa.us); and one link of Bahama Mama sausage from Schmidt's in Columbus, Ohio (schmidthaus.com). Man, this is tough...then some king crab from Alaska, like from Humpy's Great Alaskan Alehouse in Anchorage (humpys.com); the guacamole from Austin's Juan In A Million (juaninamillion.com); half of an Al's Italian beef sandwich in Chicago (alsbeef.com); and a taco from Lucha Libre in San Diego (tacosmackdown.com). Look, if it's my last meal, trust me, I will put all my eating challenges to shame. I'll eat for a week. Man v. Food airs on the Travel Channel Wednesdays at 10 p.m. Follow Richman at twitter.com/adamrichman.

Anyone who's ever bought fresh steamed crab from a Bangkok canal boat or sampled hot, crisp frites on a Brussels sidewalk knows that not all stellar meals are served in courses—or even come with silverware. In fact, certain cities around the globe have cult followings built entirely around their street-food cultures. Below, a definitive guide to seeking out the best bites in the world's most bountiful (and greasy-fingered) destinations. 1. Portland, Ore. With more than 400 carts selling everything from Korean tacos to Carolina-style barbecue, Portland is a microcosm of mobile meals. Lunchtime crowds gather near SW 10th Avenue and SW Alder Street; later on, night owls head across the river to SE 12th Avenue and SE Hawthorne Boulevard for deep-fried cherry pies and savory crepes, served until 2 a.m. 2. Los Angeles Talk about a turf war. Near L.A.'s MacArthur Park (at South Park View Street between Wilshire Boulevard and West 7th Street), old-school vendors trade in Salvadoran pupusas plump with cheese and edible loroco flowers while a new wave of roving trucks tweet their daily locations and dole out custom ice cream sandwiches (@coolhaus) and buttery grilled cheese (@grlldcheesetruk). 3. Ensenada, Mexico It's a rare city in Mexico that doesn't have great street food, but the tacos de pescado in the Baja port town of Ensenada, demand a special pilgrimage. Join the masses at the city's fish market for corn tortillas piled high with battered fried halibut, shredded cabbage, pickled onions, avocado, jalapeños, and sweet-tangy crema-mayonnaise sauce. Street Smarts: Look for the long lines. Certain vendors are more popular than others for a reason, and a few extra minutes of waiting will almost always be worth it. 4. Philadelphia The nation's first capital is also home to some of its oldest and most beloved portable fare: soft pretzels, Italian ices, and, of course, cheesesteaks, now being reimagined in Vietnamese and Mexican versions. Locals get theirs at the century-old, seven-block-long Philadelphia's 9th Street Italian Market, open daily (italianmarketphilly.org). Street Smarts: When local water quality is in question, opt for hot drinks, and watch the preparation closely (did that tea boil for a full five minutes?). 5. Puerto Rico The food stands along Piñones Road about 30 miles east of San Juan make some of the island's best frituras, or fried snacks: coconut arepas, piononos (plantains stuffed with beef), and bacalaítos, a mixture of pancake dough and salted cod. If you hit the strip around sunset, you might even catch an impromptu salsa-thon. 6. Rio de Janeiro Health-conscious Cariocas, as locals are known, hit up Ipanema's Sunday market in Praça General Osório square, open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., for grilled-shrimp skewers and the occasional dessert splurge: churros stuffed with dulce de leche. The less guilt-inducing alternative: a fresh coconut drink or an açaí shake from one of the stands along Copacabana Beach. 7. Marrakech In the city's rambling medina, grilled-meat hawkers will cook to order any cut you bring from one of the many nearby butchers. In the evening, head to the night market at Jemaa el-Fna and settle in at the communal tables for chickpea stew, boiled snails, and strong mint tea poured the traditional way: from a pot held perilously high above the glass. 8. Brussels Art nouveau architecture, the European Union headquarters: Who cares? Brussels is all about the frites (which, we assume, account for the bulk of the nearly 250 pounds of potatoes a typical Belgian consumes annually). At the city's standard-bearer, the Maison Antoine kiosk in Place Jourdan, the secret to success is in the sauces: pineapple ketchup, beer-flavored carbonnade, and mayonnaise so it's almost a dish unto itself. 9. Vienna Stroll the city center and you'll encounter numerous Imbisses, stands selling sausages and sliced Leberkäse (a baked loaf of ground beef and pork) topped with mustard and folded into Semmel rolls. And to try the local caffeine fix of choice, head to the cafés of the 18th-century riverside Naschmarkt for a Wiener Melange, an espresso drink with steamed milk and whipped cream. 10. Istanbul Happily for all the travelers who make their base in the Sultanahmet district (home to the Hagia Sophia), the stalls beside the nearby Grand Bazaar can compete with any in this food-rich city. Have your pick of mussel skewers in garlic sauce, grilled corn, roasted chestnuts, and permutations of kebab too plentiful to count. (Feeling adventurous? Try the kokoreç, chopped lamb intestines seasoned with hot pepper and oregano.) Street Smarts: Bring your own plates and utensils. Illness is often spread through improper washing; this is one way to cut the risk. If you see locals doing the same, consider it a must. 11. Tel Aviv Mouthwatering falafel abounds throughout the Middle East, but this waterfront city is also home to a unique treasure: the Iraqi Jewish specialty of sabich, a pita sandwich stuffed with fried eggplant, chopped hard-boiled egg, and pickled cabbage and beets. To get right to the source, head to the stands of neighboring Ramat Gan, where the dish was invented. 12. Bangkok For centuries, Thai food sellers operated out of boats along the canals that formed the city's main transportation system. In recent years, roadside cafés have all but supplanted the custom, but at Taling Chan floating market on the western edge of the city, vendors still grill fish and steam crabs directly on their boats every weekend from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Street Smarts: Fruits and vegetables with edible skins are only as safe as the water they've been washed in, so stick to the ones that you can peel yourself (like bananas). 13. Hanoi The narrow alleyways of the city's Old Quarter yield a treasure trove of breakfast delicacies for the jet-lagged traveler. Street vendors set up as early as 5:30 a.m. to prepare sweet green rice wrapped in banana leaves, sesame- and coconut-filled dumplings in ginger syrup, and rich coffee poured over sweetened condensed milk (but watch the ice). 14. Singapore In its many hawker centres (or food courts), such as Chinatown's Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore delivers a civilized street-food experience—complete with table service. Patrons can usually ditch their belongings at one of the marked tables, browse the offerings (ranging from Chinese fish ball soup to spicy Malaysian pork-rib prawn noodles), and give their table number at the counter.

Robert Niles spent five summers working on rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Tom Sawyer Island at Walt Disney World. He currently edits the site Theme Park Insider. Excuse me, young man, are you pregnant?What's more terrifying than the 38-foot drop on Disney's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad? Having to ask women in line if they're pregnant. It's for their own safety, but forget a woman scorned—hell hath no fury like a woman who's been mistaken for being pregnant. Once, when I was in training, I watched a coworker approach a larger female park visitor and ask, "Excuse me, ma'am, but are you pregnant?" "Pregnant!?!" the woman screamed, her voice turning heads at the happiest place on earth. "No! What are you saying? Do I look fat to you?!" She turned to her friend and screamed some more: "They think I look fat. Let's get out of here!" I was so traumatized by that incident I crafted a plan to avoid offending anyone. Whenever I spotted a "suspect," I asked everybody in the vicinity—including teenage boys and women in their 70s—if they were with child. If the woman I suspected was actually pregnant, she left the ride quickly. If she wasn't, she just thought I was working a gag. I sure am Randy todayDisney made the "first name" name tag famous, but the tag doesn't always match the person wearing it. One day, as I was steering the raft to Tom Sawyer Island, my name tag dropped into the river, forcing me to get a new one. There wasn't a single "Robert" left, so until a replacement could be made, I pretended to be "Randy," a name that amused visitors from the U.K. to no end. Elderly English ladies lined up to have their picture taken with me. One screamed when she saw me, grabbed her friend, and yelled, "Is that really your name?" Being a good Disney cast member, I lied and said yes. The friend said, "You know, we love a good randy man back home." But lady, even I'm not that good a cast member. To get onstage, dress the partA few attractions choose audience volunteers to be part of the show, but the selection process is far from random. Typically, you need to be a certain gender, size, and age for each of the different roles. You might even need to be wearing a specific item of clothing. On my off days from work, I used to go over to Universal Studios, and I would get picked all the time to play "Mother" in the old Alfred Hitchcock show. They needed a guy my height and weight who happened to be wearing the same type of plain white tennis shoes I always wore. Also helpful for getting picked: cuteness and enthusiasm. Curious kids who ask nicely and look excited often get extra attention, along with thrilling perks like riding up front and introducing shows. Stroller relocation programDisney's a family place, but the people who work there come to loathe strollers. It's part of a cast member's job to keep strollers in nice, orderly lines and to make sure they're only left in designated areas. But park visitors keep their strollers in an appalling condition, loaded up with dirty diapers, rotting bottles of milk, and half-eaten PB&J sandwiches. Others see no problem with parking their strollers right in front of an attraction's exit or entrance. Sometimes thoughtless individuals like this incur the wrath of the stroller police, and their precious Bugaboos and Maclarens are intentionally relocated to a place "far, far away"—at the very back of the area cordoned off for strollers. Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of (confiscated) rumOn special Grad Nites, when Disney hosts loads of freshly graduated high school kids, the park puts extra staffers inside Pirates of the Caribbean and other rides as lookouts to monitor less-than-legal activities. Our focus was mostly on what the kids were consuming. Booze, cigarettes—you name it, and a Disney cast member has confiscated it from a 17-year-old at one time or another. One clever kid, forced to hand over his bottle, noted the irony of getting busted in the middle of a ride that celebrates a drunken pirate orgy. "Hey, don't the pirates have enough?" he asked. "They need mine, too?" Please keep your happiness to yourselfThis attraction has been camera monitored for your safety. That's the spiel Disney broadcasts over its loudspeakers for many rides. But the cameras are also meant to protect you from yourself. One night, while most parkgoers were watching the fireworks display, a couple strolled over to Pirates of the Caribbean, where I was working. They not only had a boat to themselves, but empty boats all around them. The real fireworks display, it turned out, was visible on the security cameras to all of us working that night. Let's just say the show the couple put on wasn't exactly G-rated.

Go to the airport every day for the best shot at open seatsWhen the ash cloud lifted, I was on one of the first flights out of London. How did I escape faster than most of the 40,000 other Americans stuck in Britain? And even more mysteriously, why did my London-to-Seattle flight have…lots of empty seats? (A lot of them?!) Here's what happened: The passengers holding tickets for those seats were stuck at other airports and had missed their connections. Americans stranded in London could have grabbed those empty seats had they been at the airport, willing to rebook onto an earlier flight at the last-minute. But they stayed at their hotels instead, or had already been re-ticketed on flights later in the week. The few Americans who did slip onto the early flight with me got on because they were waiting at the airport, waiting. The moral of the story: Chance favors travelers who hang around the airport hoping to take advantage of last-minute opportunities. Write down the names and addresses of everyone you meet while you're travelingI have zero friends in England. But my laptop happened to have the contact information for a British friend I had met when traveling in the Laotian city of Luang Prabang in 2003, and for another Briton I had met while touring Germany in 2007. When I contacted them, each offered me a place to stay, which, as hotel nightly rates reached about £400 (or roughly $600) per night, was a lifesaver. In the future, I'll jot down names and phone numbers as I go, storing them in my cell phone, computer, or in notebooks—just in case. Bring extra medicationsMost of the horror stories I heard were from Americans with major health issues who were out of medication. Many had brought a few spare pills but simply never imagined they'd be stuck for upward of 10 days. They spent many anxious hours trying to track down additional pills and then paid through the nose for prescriptions. It was a stressful ordeal, even for people whose health care policies will reimburse them for their purchases. And, yes, ladies, this applies to you: Bring an extra month of birth control pills, always. Have a backup plan…for your family and your petsThe people who were most panicked were those with children and pets at home—and no backup plan. My dog sitter was fantastic, but she also had the name of a friend of mine with keys to my home who is kind enough to take care of Mabel the poodle anytime. Keep an extra house sitter, dog sitter, and babysitter on standby, and make sure they have all of the relevant keys before you go. Join Skype and Pingo ahead of timeYes, everyone knows about the free Internet-based telephone service Skype. But old-fashioned discount calling cards, such as those sold by Pingo or Nobel, may be a better way to call internationally, because you don't need Wi-Fi access. I was particularly glad that I was already a member of Pingo (with $5 in my account) the moment the first airports closed. I just picked up any pay phone, dialed the toll-free local access number, and called my boss's cell phone to tell him the situation. As the week dragged on, I reached out to others on Skype, calling people's cell phones and office lines to update them on my predicament and sending text messages for free (because texts on my cell cost 35¢ a pop). Savvy travelers may want to set up Skype Mobile on their phones or iPod Touches before they go abroad to take advantage of free texting-whether there's a crisis or not. Consider rebooking a flight on an airline with the largest presence at your airportA travel meltdown in one corner of the globe can create a ripple effect worldwide as planes and flight crews end up scattered far from where they need to be. Airlines make every effort to get their planes back to their hub (or "main airport")—and to get back on schedule. I was booked on British Airways, which was lucky for me because the airline spent the no-fly week running passenger-free flights to get planes back into position at the hub in Heathrow. On the flip side, my boyfriend, who was stranded in JFK en route to London, wasn't so fortunate. He was on an Air France flight, and the airline was trying to get its planes back to its home base…in Paris. Six hours after the airports opened, I was boarding one of the dozens of empty planes at British Airways' hub in Heathrow. My boyfriend was delayed for days. So what's my advice? If you're stuck at an airport, ask an agent which airlines have a hub there. If your airline doesn't have major operations there, consider cashing in your ticket for a refund and rebooking a flight on an airline that has a lot more planes available.