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'Food & Wine' Out With Top Five Destinations For Good Eats and Drinks

Aired May 31, 2002 - 11:25   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well some of us travel and were led by our stomachs. Get ready to eat, drink and be merry. If your idea of a summer vacation is terrific food and wine, watch and learn. "Food & Wine" magazine is out with its top five destinations for good eats and drinks, and Aspen is at the head of the class, as always.

Chefs from all over the world show up to prepare incredible culinary masterpieces, and Aspen offers 200 wine-tasting seminars. Make your reservations fast. The Aspen Food and Wine Fest starts June 14th. Other venues to consider in food and wine top five destinations is Memphis, New York City, with a special emphasis on Brooklyn, London, and finally, Rome.

Our focus today on food and wine destinations is part of our ongoing summer travel series. And Kate Sekules is travel editor for "Food & Wine" magazine. She's also the author of the new book, "The Boxer's Heart." Thanks for joining us.

KATE SEKULES, "FOOD & WINE" MAGAZINE: Hi.

WHITFIELD: So, Kate, you're in New York, but what do you look for as you scout around for the top five destinations? What has to be part of the criteria?

SEKULES: Well, I mean, everyone wants to eat well when they travel. So for me, it's been an incredibly important part of the whole travel experience to have amazing restaurants.

So Aspen, in two weeks' time, is a special case, because we have the "Food & Wine" classic. And this series is extra special because it's the 20th anniversary. And this is not just restaurants, although they're incredible restaurants in Aspen. But for this weekend only there are 300 wine makers, more than 300.

You see Emeril (ph) here. There are other really famous chefs. We've got Wolfgang Puck, we've got Jack Pepin, Daniel Buno (ph), anyone you can think of just about turns up for this because it's an important event in the food calendar.

WHITFIELD: So this isn't the kind of vacation where you go to relax and kind of kick back. This is where, you know, you really are scouting out the best in food and wine. And some of us -- I'm just as guilty as you are -- are really led by our stomachs when we vacation. I look for those vacation spots where I know I'm going to get good food.

SEKULES: Right. Yes, well, Aspen is a good place to go at any time. But you've got to go in two weeks' time. Unfortunately, this, I have to confess, is sold out this year. So if you want to book for next year, you can go on food&wine.com (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and you can book for next year. It sells out very early.

WHITFIELD: OK, we'll start planning ahead now. Now Memphis, I can see barbecue and music being the real appeal there, but wine, too?

SEKULES: Oh, sure. But, I mean, really, of course, next week, all the worlds' eyes are going to be on Memphis because of the infamous Tyson-Bruno bout.

WHITFIELD: Yeah.

SEKULES: I mean, they haven't had so much attention since Elvis. But it's not all about barbecue. In the current issue of "Food &Wine," in the June issue, we have where to go next. And Memphis is something we do every month and we have a different place. This month it's Memphis.

And we pick out, I think it's eight brand new restaurants. So they're really worth the trip. But actually only one of them is local food. The other has a Taiwan; there's a Pan-Asian Pacific Rim restaurant; there's Christopher's, which is fine dining; and Emeril Lagasse's (ph) former sidekick on his TV show. In fact, she's just opened one there.

WHITFIELD: Oh wow.

SEKULES: A surprising thing.

WHITFIELD: So New York is no surprise, but Brooklyn might be for some of us. What is the appeal in Brooklyn?

SEKULES: Well, there are several different neighborhoods in Brooklyn that have really good restaurants. But the one that I think is the most easily accessible to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is Borham Hill (ph); and specifically, Smith Street (ph).

And (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and you're in the middle of this incredibly vibrant neighborhood where the street, which has two dozen really good neighborhood restaurants, some of them are actually better than neighborhood restaurants. But a lot of them -- especially for summer, a lot of them have outside dining, they have gardens.

And you've got everything from French bistro -- there's quite a few of those -- to Thai, to Japanese, Pan-Asian again. There's a great a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) pizza place, which is actually (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And Middle East -- I mean, you've got everything. And it's really great, and people are coming from Manhattan to Brooklyn to dine for the evening. And that's just unprecedented.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And, of course, the top -- or the number five in your top five is Rome. So Rome, London, New York City, Memphis, Aspen, all good food spots for this summer vacation planning.

Thanks very much, Kate Secules, of "Food & Wine" magazine. Thanks for joining us.

SEKULES: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Now I'm hungry.

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