One of the things that we do whenever we travel, whether in state or to another country, is to have appetizers at a couple of different restaurants every night that we’re there.  We’re not big eaters to begin with, so sitting down and finishing a large meal most likely means leftovers that will end up being thrown away.  So, instead we have several small appetizers, basically tapas style that we can both share, which allows us to try several different dishes.  This is especially true when we’re travelling to a place where the food is so diverse or exotic, like when we were in India.  Because we don’t want to take up a table, we’ll usually sit at the bar or in the lounge.  We tend to feel that we get better service when sitting at the bar because you get a chance to actually talk to the bartender and get to know them a little.  If we find a place that we really like, we might visit them several times while we’re travelling, but still going to at least one different place in the same night or day.

We tend to walk as much as possible when we’re visiting someplace new.  This allows us to really get a feel for the city, but also allows us to stop at a variety of places to eat or find places that we’ll want to come back later and grab a bite.  Walking also has the added benefit of working up an appetite or burning off the food we’ve just consumed.  Because we don’t tend to keep ourselves on a tight agenda, this allows us to just pop into a place that looks interesting and give them a try.

If you really want to savor more flavors of a country, city, or region, try going to several restaurants, pubs, or eateries and sampling a few small plates at each one.  Or, better yet, wander through the city, stopping every now and then to experience something a little different everywhere you go.  You will get to meet more locals, savor more food, and enjoy more of what the city has to offer.