How to Always Find An Awesome Restaurant

My secret weapon for finding the best restaurants when traveling. 

I love food.

When I travel, I could pretty much skip any museum or landmark and just hit up restaurants. And coffee shops. And dive bars. And ice cream places. 

I think good food makes or breaks a vacation, a birthday, a celebration, or just a meal away from home. It bums me out when people come to my city and eat at an Olive Garden instead of Matt's Bar or Hola Arepa. Come on, you work hard for the money, so why not spend it on delicious food you can't get anywhere else?

Outside of this blog, I'm primarily a food and travel writer. I get peppered with emails and texts from people seeking restaurant recs all the time. While I'm well-versed in many U.S. city's greatest hits, I often find myself double-checking my work. 

There is a place I can almost always depend on for good restaurant advice. 

It's certainly not Yelp. (Who even knows who's writing those reviews?!)

It's not TripAdvisor. (Ick.)

It's not a New York Times review from 1996. 

When I'm traveling, I turn to Eater.

If you're not familiar, Eater is website all about food, restaurant and chef news. They do have a national site, but also city-themed micro sites that get updated daily. The best part? They actually rely on local writers who know things and are passionate about their city's food scene, not just average joes who want to bitch about a restaurant experience online.

Eater is great for travelers looking to find awesome restaurants.

You can pretty much get an overview of the an entire city's food scene through their Eater 38 lists (aka the best 38 restaurants in a particular city), Heat Maps (lists of what's hot right now; not always winners, but definitely the buzziest!), plus roundups of best places to cocktail, brunch, grab a coffee (<<< I actually wrote this Minneapolis one for them, NBD) and more. Each listing is short and sweet, perfect for getting the vibe of a place without having to dig through 2,000 word reviews from the local monthly magazine. Plus, they feature hoity-toity spots next to down and dirty dives, so trust me: there's something on Eater for everyone, not just people swimming in money. 

If the city you're visiting doesn't have a dedicated Eater site yet, use their search function to see if they've written about wherever you're going. For example, Madison, Wisconsin doesn't have one, but I searched "Wisconsin" and found this super-helpful list, which prompted my husband and I to grab a drink at Graft & dinner at Estrellon. Both were great. If you're traveling internationally, try there search function-- they do offer some, but not tons, of global recommendations. 

So, if you're traveling in the near future and want to impress your friends or coworkers with your restaurant expertise, check out my secret weapon. You won't be sorry. 

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What's your favorite way to find places to eat, sleep and hang out when you travel? Share in the comments. PS Here's where I ate while in Nashville. Guess where I got many of those recommendations... 

How I always find amazing restaurants when I travel. 

How I Quit My Fear of Flying

Are you afraid of flying? Read this. 

Jasmin Charlotte is a blogger who focuses on technology, adventure and travel. That last part is rather notable, given that she has a serious flying phobia. However, she wasn't about to let a little hysterical crying, sweaty palms and pre-trip nausea keep her from seeing the world. She decided to actively work on overcoming her fear, and for the most part she's succeeded. 
 

Here's how Jasmin quit her fear of flying.

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Do you remember when your fear of flying began?

I definitely didn't have it when I was younger, I slept blissfully! I think it started when I was a teenager and I had quite a big gap in between when I had been on planes. This led to me building it up in my mind and eventually the fear starting. My mum has always had a really bad fear of flying which I think contributed to it as well!

What did the fear feel/look like in the days leading up to the flight? What about on the flight?

It would consume me for the days before hand and it was all I would think about, slowly getting worse and worse as I thought of more scenarios. It would wiggle its way into my dreams and it was guaranteed I wouldn't sleep the night before. I actually made myself sick from it once! On the flight, it was even worse, usually crying, lots of nervous jumping and grabbing onto seat arms at the slight move of turbulence. Not fun!

Despite the fact that flying terrifies you, what was it that made you decide the prospect of travel was worth all the scary stuff?

As I was living in New Zealand, I didn't have much choice - if I wanted to leave the country I had to fly!! My family moved away to Aus and the UK as well. I really love travel, it is something that means so much to me and I made a pact to myself very early on that despite how horrible the flying was, I would never let it stop me from exploring the world and doing the things I love.

What was the first step you took to conquering your fear?

I went on a mission to find more information and to get help for it. I visited the doctor, who really helped me in those early days to calm down. Then, I listened to podcasts and bought some free ebooks which ran through the fear itself and let me be able to rationalise it. It was a gradual process and I definitely do still get a bit of anxiety running up to the flight, but nowhere near as much as I did. I haven't shed a tear on a flight in years!

What do you do prior to the trip to deal with your anxiety?

It is all about not letting it snowball. If I sit and dwell on it, then I know I will continually worry. I try and keep busy all the way up until the trip and also try and book something nice the day before. I usually go for something like a massage as they are one of my favourite things. I know that if I have that booked, whenever I start thinking about flying I can distract myself with thoughts of my amazing massage. Doing a whole lot of holiday planning and researching is a great distraction too!

What do you do once you get to the airport?

It's key to make sure you don't get stressed here as then it puts you in the anxiety mindset. I always try and get to the airport early, leaving plenty of time for bags and security. There's nothing worse than getting stressed out and worked up right before the flight. This also leaves time for a bite to eat and to buy some bits and pieces to take on the plane. Again, keeping busy is key, need to keep the mind ticking over! Make sure you take an interesting book to bury your head in as well.

On the plane?

I have certain things on the plane which make me more anxious. I totally hate take off a lot more than the rest of flight. I always make sure that I either block my ears or have music on and am reading a book or magazine. I get more worked up when warm, so try and keep the fan on and where less clothing on this bit - I always get really sweaty palms!

I know that once the seatbelt signs are off and people are wandering about that I will start to feel a bit calmer. I also really recommend looking into some breathing techniques and yoga for the plane and that is essential at calming your bodies reaction.

When I was still very scared, I would also inform the flight attendant before the plane took off, this way they will usually come and check on you which always did a good job at calming me down! I still don't enjoy turbulence, mainly as it reminds me I'm in the air! But I have done more reading around it which has made me feel better, it's always described as a bumpy road, and we all know that the journey to the airport has a whole lot of bumpy roads, so it's bound to happen in the sky too!

Since you’ve deliberately decided to face your flying fears, have you noticed a big shift in your brain and body when it comes to flying? What do you think made the biggest difference?

Definitely! I'm no longer weeping from check in until my destination! I can fly and finally look like everyone else on the plane, calm and normal. I think it's really a combination of all of the tips above and really working on techniques to reduce anxiety. It's also been key to fly regularly and more often. My fear will build up if I leave it too long, so I always try and fly a couple times a year at least, which is a lot easier now with all the cheap flights in Europe!

Advice for someone who’s afraid to fly?

Do your research and find some good books on the topic, research anxiety and breathing techniques, pinpoint your key anxiety points and work on mitigating those, and always make sure you just get on that plane!!

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Big thanks to Jasmin for sharing her story. Learn more about her & her adventures at JasminCharlotte.com. She's also on Instagram, Twitter & Pinterest.

Are you afraid of flying (or have some other crippling fear)? How have you been able to overcome it? Share your tips in the comments!

PS Here's a fantastic interview about how my friend Beth overcame her fear of rollercoasters. 

A few practical tips for overcoming your fear of flying. 

This Week's Best Stuff on the Internet

This video is why I don't work in corporate America. 
 

If you had to choose, would you give up women's right to vote or La Croix? I'm thankful I'll never have to make such a decision. 

New York Mag (aka my favorite magazine) ate, drank and slept in the Twin Cities. Here's the places they loved. I couldn't agree more. 

Are you getting married in the near future? Here's the ultimate wedding playlist. I know you're going to read that and be all "but these are all so mainstream!" Yep. The thing is, what you think you'll want to hear at your wedding isn't not what you'll actually want hear at your wedding. Take it from a gal who's last song was "Don't Stop Believin." If our DJ had asked if that was cool, I would've said no way. In real life, it was perfect. 

24 things women over 30 should wear.

Does your favorite dad like soccer? Is he stylish? Here's the perfect Father's Day gift. 
 

Looking for a new podcast to listen to? Here's tons of awesome options. 

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33 More Podcasts You Should Be Listening To

Looking for podcast suggestions? Keep on reading, friend. 

To me, summer is all about road trips.

And road trip are all about beef jerky, Twizzlers, fun playlists and podcasts. 

The biggest hurdle with podcasts is finding one to listen to in the first place. There's a gazillion out there, so how do you narrow it down?

I posed this question to a bunch of smartypants friends and got so many suggestions that I decided to split up the recs into two separate posts (here's the last podcast suggestion post). Here's a bunch more to add to your podcast repertoire. 

*And a note on podcast etiquette*
Take the time to rate and review the podcasts that you really enjoy. That's what boosts them in the rankings and helps interested people discover new shows.

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Love, Life, Relationships, Emotions

Dear Sugar
Writers Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond answer listener's questions about love, heartbreak, and how to handle complicated interpersonal relationship questions. I've been meaning to listen to this one for awhile, and then I did, and now I've basically listened to every single episode. It's like Dear Abby for 2016. But better.

Monocycle
Familiar with Man Repeller? If not, that's cool, you can click on this link and learn all about it. If you know and like it, founder Leandra now has a 10-minutes podcast full of thoughts on style, fashion and life thoughts. My friend Rebecca is a huge fan, calling this show "raw and honest and everything."

Crybabies
Who doesn't love a good, public cry sesh? These guys talk about the viral videos, commercials, movies and more than make us tear up. But in a fun way.
 

Mainstream Greatness

Invisibilia
.... is back! Or almost back (June 17, 2016). If you're not familiar with this stellar podcast, here's the gist: Invisibilia explores the invisible forces that shape human behavior – thoughts, emotions, assumptions, expectations. Season One offered six episodes, each one better than the next. Excited to see what these ladies unravel in season two. 

Love + Radio
This one is a little polarizing for people, even from episode to episode. Things my friends have said about this show: "Probably my favorite podcast," "Raw," "Spooky," "Uncomfortable," "mesmerizing," and "I like Love and Radio, sometimes." Regardless, everyone (myself included) can agree that the Choir Boy episode will blown your damn mind.

Freakonomics
One of my all-time faves. Stephen Dubner examines the hidden side of everything as viewed through an economist's lens. 
 

If You Liked the Serial Podcast...

Life of the Law
How do you even begin to talk about law if you don’t know the legalease or the court processes? In 2012, Life of the Law is a bi-weekly investigative report on law in America that everyone can understand. After all, doesn’t law belong to everyone?

Criminal
Criminal is a podcast about crime. Stories of people who've done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle.

Detective
Detective is a hit podcast from Investigation Discovery. Check out their new season, featuring Detective Garry McFadden, a 27-year veteran of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Breakdown
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, aka the largest newsroom in the southeast, delivers investigations and true crime cases that you cannot find anywhere else.

Missing Maura Murray
At 7:35pm, on February 9th, 2004, New Hampshire State Police are called to scene of a single car accident. A U-Mass Amherst student named Maura Murray vanished after she apparently lost control of her vehicle. When authorities arrived not ten minutes later, Maura was gone. There has been no credible sighting of her since, and now there's a podcast all about it.
 

Dinner Party Fodder

Lore
Lore is an award-winning, critically-acclaimed podcast about true life scary stories. Each episode examines a new dark tale from history, and presents it in a style that's been compared to a campfire experience. 

Note to Self
Is your phone watching you? Can wexting make you smarter? Are your kids real? These and other essential quandaries for anyone trying to preserve their humanity in the digital age. Join host Manoush Zomorodi for your weekly reminder to question everything.
 

Niche Sports!

Enormocast
Interviews about outdoors, rock climbing, and mountaineering. My friend Blaine says, "Even if you have zero interest in rock climbing, the host Chris Kalous is a Terry Gross-level interviewer and many of the shows end up being extremely fascinating or funny."  His favorite episodes are Frank Sanders and James Lucas.

Other favorite outdoorsy podcasts include The Dirtbag Diaries (similar content to the Enormocast, but in a more This American Life style), and Out There (a well-produced show about various topics related to the outdoors).

The Art of Wrestling with Colt Cabana
Cabana is an independently booked professional wrestler who travels the world. My cousin Josh says, "I like this podcast for non-wrestling fans because it talks about the sacrifices that these men and women make to follow their dreams. Independent wrestling is a combination of the life of a comedian, indy rock star and truck driver. It's all about the stories and miles."

GymCastic
The definitive gymnastics podcast. My friend Diana says, "These people have a wonderful way of getting the juicy dirt, but still understanding that they have kids listening. They cover everything from abuse in kids' sports and how to deal with it to the Italian MTV reality following the Italian national team. If you want to know what's going on during the Olympics this year, listen to a few of these this summer."

Let's Talk About Race, Baby 

Our National Conversation About Conversations About Race
A lively multiracial, interracial conversation about the ways we can’t talk, don’t talk, would rather not talk, but intermittently, fitfully, embarrassingly do talk about culture, identity, politics, power, and privilege in our pre-post-yet-still-very-racial America. This show is "About Race."

My cousin Josh says, "I got into this podcast because I needed to learn about all this racial turmoil from a safe place without judgement. It's an interesting podcast that I would advise against bingeing because the topics are heavy at times."

Denzel Washington is the Greatest Actor of All Time Period
If that last one sounds too heavy, maybe check out this really funny but also full of insights on race in America. Or do both! 
 

Business, Business, Business. Money, Money, Money.

The Dave Ramsey Show
Dave Ramsey teaches you to manage and budget your money, get out of debt, build wealth, and live in financial peace. My friend Ulf is a fan, and says, "Yes it's personal finance show and not everyone views things this way, but every time you hear someone scream "I'm debt free!" it makes you keep going toward any goal you're pursing in life." He also recommends the Ramsey-produced Entreleadership, featuring good advice for leaders, business owners, entrepreneurs and more. 
 

Politics! Religion!

Uncommon Knowledge
Oh hey conservatives (or the conservative-curious)! Peter Robinson was a speech writer for Reagan (Tear down this wall!) and he pretty much interviews intellectual conservatives. This one comes from my friend Ulf again: "The Peter Thiel episode was a good one. Maybe I just like this because I like smart conservatives? Call that an oxymoron if you'd like."

The RobCast
Rob Bell talks about spirituality. My friend Katie says, "This podcast feels like going to Church, if church is me running outside while listening to really compelling versions of the bible. It’s not as religious as you might think. It’s thought provoking and comforting at the same time."

Intelligence Squared
Today's top political & ethical topics tackled in an Oxford-style debate. The show encourages audiences to “think twice,” fostering intelligent discussion grounded in facts. One of my personal faves.

Health n Wellness n Stuff

Nom Nom Paleo Podcast
Each week, the Tam family gathers around the dining room table to dive into delicious recipes, food trends, and our culinary (and non-culinary) adventures. Great for paleo enthusiasts or the paleo-curious. 

Bulletproof Radio
Bulletproof Executive Radio was born out of a fifteen-year single-minded crusade to upgrade the human being using every available technology. It distills the knowledge of world-class MDs, biochemists, Olympic nutritionists, meditation experts, and more than $250,000 spent on personal self-experiments. Think of it as the Cliffs notes for self-help and wellness.

Get Smarter

Lightspeed Spanish
It's Spanish English teachers chatting in Español! My friend Diana says, "It's great for brushing up in reasonable doses. They even have a handy episode on Spanish swear words. I studied in Spain, so I particularly love that they have those lispy castillian accents. It makes me happy."

The Memory Palace
Short, surprising stories of the past, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hysterical, always super-great. For history buffs, fans of public radio shows like This American Life & Radio Lab.

Hardcore History
The perfect companion for looooong drives. Dan Carlin's hours-long shows delve way deep into all sorts of world history. Like, waaaaay deep. It's fantastic. 

 

Real Life Stories, Featuring Funny People

Now What Did We Learn
Thought-provoking but fun interviews and topics from comedian and YouTube guy Ross Everett. Now What Did We Learn explores the stories that made the people you love who they are today.

WILOSOPHY with Wil Anderson
Perhaps Australia's biggest comedian at the moment, Wil Anderson get really deep with other comics about personal life philosophies and what it means to balance ego with art.

Movie, Books, Pop Culture 

Netfreaks
In depth talk about whatever is trending on Netflix. The perfect antidote for for when you reach the end of a series and you're devastated that it's over.

The Thread
Kerri Miller's new podcast features all different types of folks talking about a book that influenced them.

The Read
Pop culture podcast from NYC transplants Kid Fury & Crissle who hold nothing back in their love or hate of anything music, movie, television, and the internet at large. 

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What are you listening to and loving? Share in the comments!

If you're into other recommendations, I have this one and this one alll about books. 
 

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33 awesome podcast suggestions to help you get through your next road trip, long run or whatever else you're up to.

Why I Nearly Had A Panic Attack at Prenatal Yoga

Prenatal yoga... clearly the most stressful of all group fitness classes.

I've stayed active during my pregnancy. 

Until 29 weeks, I was CrossFitting a few times a week. I still take long walks with my dog. Sometimes, I go to yoga. I even climbed the IDS tower in my second trimester. 50 floors, NBD. Just kidding, it was kind of terrible and I only made it to the eighth floor before needing to find a bathroom. Eventually, I did summit!

The one exercise I avoided is the one it made the most sense to try:

Prenatal yoga.
 

You know, yoga... but for pregnant ladies. 

I've been meaning to try out the Twin Cities' premiere "mom" gym. They do tons of classes for pregnant ladies, new moms, veteran moms, any kind of mom, really. You don't need to be a mom to go, but I mean... it's a gym built around motherhood, so.

I love that a place like this exists, but I wasn't sure it was for me.

I am excited for this kid, but I feel as though I'm momming out all over the place. My body is different, I'm confused about my career and my car is a station wagon (which I love...) with a high safety rating. I spend my free time researching strollers and sleep strategies. Pretty soon, I'll be getting the cut. 

When it comes to working out, do I have to be a mama? Can't I just be a person, at a gym, exercising?
 

Since my aversion to the mom gym was quite strong, I knew I needed to go. Jumping head-first into the uncomfortable is what Hey Eleanor is all about. So when my friend Nora invited me to a class, I figured what the hell. Let's do it.

The best part? She asked me to a barre, not prenatal yoga, class. Barre (basically, a muscle-screaming ballet class for non-ballerinas) seemed like as close to a regular workout as I would get at a mom gym. It felt like dipping my toe into the proverbial water birthing tub.

Do you like that this post leads you to believe I actually went to prenatal yoga? Ha! Prenatal yoga can wait! Anyhow...

On the big day, I arrived early, grabbing a spot near the back.

Because I had 15 minutes to kill, I did what any person would do: pretended like I had an elaborate stretching/warm-up routine. You know, pulling your arms across your chest, elongating the neck, giving the ol' hammies a stretchy poo. 

As I tried to come up with stretches I hadn't already done, the room filled up with other women. They were mostly in their 20s and 30s, nearly all of them placing their water bottle, purse and an infant on a mat in front of them.

Yes, an infant. 

I knew this was a baby-wearing barre class, where you have the option of bringing your actual baby to class. What I didn't expect were so many babies. Like 15 or the 18 people in the class came with their own tiny human.

I appreciate the concept (more on that later!), but as moms and babies started filling the space, I felt my heart and mind begin to race.

Everyone looked so... tired. 

One mom talked about having spent the morning cleaning up never-ending spray of puke.

Another bragged about how she and her husband were going to dinner for the first time in eight months.

Another stared off into space, eyes glazed over, smacking her gum ferociously as she rocked her crying baby.

Oh god. This is my future. I'm not ready!

How will I function on 20 minutes of sleep? What if my baby won't stop crying? What if I become one of those people who only speaks in baby-talk? Will Josh and I have to have literal "date nights" planned weeks in advance? The puke. My god, think of the puke!

As the baby stuff swirled around me, I sat on my mat, looking down at the floor, focusing on my breath, trying to ignore the slight tingle in my fingers. I know what that's is all about.

Panic attack.

I've had two, but not in a lot of years. When I get anxious and overwhelmed, I tend to turn inward. Tune out the world, fall mute, close my eyes, lightly scratch my arms and breathe. So fun.

Just before class started, Nora showed up (sans baby). I gave her a hug and whispered:

I think I'm going to have a panic attack.

What's wrong? she asked.

It's just that all the moms and babies are making me anxious.

Don't worry, she said. I'm not a "mom," either.

And somehow, those were the magic words. Because Nora is a mom.  

She's a mom of a three-year-old, which means she did go through this early mom stage. The operative word being through. It's not a place you're stuck forever, and ultimately, you can decide whether or not you want to be the kind of mom whose life revolves around her children, or one who sends the kids to daycare full-time and maybe even has some help on the weekends. Or somewhere in the middle.

Eventually, you get your life back.
 

Of course, I know this infant part is just a phase... but probably didn't need to see it just yet. 

Much like the time you accidentally watched Cujo as a first grader, or found your parents copy of The Joy of Sex, seeing certain things before you're ready really makes an impression on you. This rings true as an adult. There are plenty of people who like to research the crap out of stuff before they do it (say, I dunno, childbirth). I've learned that for me, it's best to not know too much beforehand. 

You might call this denial. 

I prefer pragmatic.

Once I've committed to something, let's use skydiving as an example, I can do one of two things: Either think about every little thing that could go wrong when jumping from a plane at 10,000 feet (puking! Explosive diarrhea! My body splattering in the middle of a cornfield!), or just show up and do it. 

I prefer the latter. 

I've found that whatever weird scenario I make up in my head is usually way worse or completely off-base from the real thing. When you're in the moment, you just do it. 

This is why I don't watch birthing videos, or offer to take other people's babies for the day "to practice." Precisely why I should've skipped a baby-wearing barre class. Because at this point, there are no backsies. I'm having this baby. She will be exiting my body one way or another, and when she arrives, we're just going to roll with it. Because we have to. 

At that point, baby-wearing barre will probably be the one thing that saves me from a panic attack.

It'll be an opportunity to get out of the house, bring the baby, and not have to stress out over whether or not she's making too big a fuss. The other moms will understand. 

So, apologies in advance to the lady who's seven months pregnant in the back corner. You're going to be fine, but you probably should've just gone to the prenatal yoga class. 

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Speaking of big life changes, here are 7 scary things I did before my wedding. Also, a whole big-ass list of things that freaked me out about having a baby, plus 28 things that will make your pregnancy better. 
 

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This Week's Best Stuff on the Internet

My friend Nora's amazing book came out last week, and I've been binge reading it between the 3rd trimester naps my body is forcing me to take. It's so honest, funny and poignant, just like the woman herself. Plus, her use of the word hidey-hole is spot on (wish I could tell you on what page, but I couldn't find it, so you're just going to have to read it for yourself). Do yourself a favor and get your mitts on a copy. 
 

Check out these stunning photos from a friend's recent trip to Cuba. I wanna go!

Beer for women! I couldn't hate this more. 

Ever wonder what it was like to be Prince's private chef? Of course not, but this woman was and boy oh boy does it sound weird!

Maybe it's just as we've all suspected: Is Gwyneth Paltrow wrong about everything?

What it's like to be a 13-year-old girl, right now. This made me all sad, but then I wondered if a 33-year-old woman reading about my 13-year-old life back in 1995 would've been sad for me, too.
 

How the American diet has changed in the last 40 years. Hint: less canned, more fresh. Less veal, waaaay more high fructose corn syrup.

How do you raise men who do housework? A very interesting conversation.

Hope you're having a fabulous holiday weekend. Here's what I did last year-- for sure the most patriotic thing I've ever done on Memorial Day. Not proud to admit that, but it's true. 

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