Ukiyo in Savannah, Georgia | Marley Davis
The cities and towns hungry travelers should visit this year.
Here at Wildsam, we’re not physicists, but we know something about energy—how as it concentrates, it can change the elements of a place and make all parts greater as a whole. As we considered our Road Trip Awards this year, “energy” led us to think more in terms of food towns, rather than individual restaurants (though we do name names, too).
Tulsa, for example, is shimmering with energy right now around the centennial of Route 66, lighting up newly buzzing neon, roadside giants and restaurants that showcase tastes along the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. For America’s 250th, we’re thinking of Philadelphia, and its key role in the country’s founding. Its culinary scene rings the bell too, in ways that celebrate a melting pot of flavors. On each coast, we also have our eye on two smaller cities with thriving food scenes, due, in part, to creative, underdog moxy and proximity to rich agriculture traditions and flavors pulled from the seas.
So, no. We’re not physicists, unless we’re talking about the appreciation of synergy and alchemy of flavors on a plate—especially in the diners, sandwich shops and roadside cafes that tell a story of a place and its people. Let’s dig in.
Wowed by Philly's Worldly Food Scene
If you’re road-tripping to Philadelphia for America’s star-spangled 250th celebrations, you can count on authentic, often bombastic, displays of brotherly love and rampant main-character energy. (Please YouTube-search “Philly crossing guard ice cream car crash,” and get back to us.) This personality extends to the restaurant scene, where vivid flavors and confident cooking converge in dishes you’ll think about long after you’re back home. Philly local, Adam Erace, takes us on a food tour of his hometown and looks at how immigration—a pillar of American ethos—has shaped the Philadelphia food scene.
More Food Boom Towns on Our Radar
Savannah
Savannah is changing. Ironic for a place established in 1733—older than America itself—and nicknamed “Slow-vannah.” Surely, those who come for the architecture, the cobblestones, the ghost stories and shrimp and grits will still find those aplenty. But for those with an appetite beyond the traditional, change is certainly on the menu—even if it’s not always on the tourist map. 
Tulsa
Known as the “Capital City of Route” and home to oilman Cyrus Avery, the founder of Route 66, Tulsa has a deep connection to the Mother Road. The interest and plethora of events around the Mother Road’s centennial this year have no doubt contributed to the energy in town in all things culture, including food.
Ojai
Even with its longtime outpost status, tucked into the pink-hued sunset shade off the Topatopa Mountains, Ojai is far from a secret enclave these days. But when a town prides itself on the creative energy of its locals, along with a rich farming, ranching, citrus and wild fishery history, it’s bound to keep catching our attention in new ways.
