Head to a destination that is making waves in Irish fine-dining. Photograph: Courtesy Coya. Background: Getty Images.
Harold and Kumar eluded raccoons and rednecks on their late-night odyssey to White Castle.
Ponce de Leon trekked to Florida, of all places, in search of the perfect drink.
Like them, we believe the ultimate quest is the delicious kind. So why not plan a road trip this summer based around that most wonderful reward, food?
To give you a jump-start on this serious business, we’ve charted three different culinary pilgrimages. On these driving-based excursions, the point isn’t the destination or even the journey—it’s the eating.
Quest for lobster rolls not in Maine, but in Connecticut. Photograph: Alamy. Background: Getty Images.
Cruising Connecticut for Lobster Rolls
When it comes to lobster rolls—and what summer is complete without them?— Maine dominates the conversation. But some claim Connecticut served the first one, almost a century ago, at a place called Perry’s in Milford.
In the Constitution State, butter trumps mayo and sandwiches are typically served warm, almost always with water views. Here’s a hit list, with a route that starts in Norwalk and heads east toward Westerly.
Five spots along the Connecticut coast that’ll satisfy your lobster roll cravings. Map by Chris Philpot for Bloomberg Businessweek.
1. Knot Norm’s, Norwalk
This spot in Fairfield County has an upscale diner vibe and offers various rolls featuring fried Copp’s Island oysters or pork belly with soy ginger caramel sauce. The lobster-infused butter on the marquee roll (market price) intensifies the seafood’s sweetness.
2. Guilford Lobster Pound, Guilford
Picnic tables jammed with families extend down the pier to Guilford Harbor at this picturesque shack. Owner Bart Mansi personally catches the lobsters early each morning. By lunchtime, griddled buns are overflowing with a quarter pound of bright red tail and claw.
3. Lobster Landing, Clinton
Look for the red sign with an off-kilter “O” to find this white-shingled shack. It was opened by Italian-born Enea Bacci, which explains why the menu also features sausage and pepper subs. The glorious lobster-stuffed rolls have a quarter pound of buttery meat accented with lemon; order the double lobster to get yours heaped twice as high, starting at $56.
4.Lenny & Joe’s Fish Tale, Westbrook (and Madison)
Lenny & Joe’s also slings stacked plates of fried clam strips and fish tacos, but surely you want the lobster rolls, which are served hot or cold. Butter-sautéed chunks of meat come in a toasted hot-dog bun with coleslaw and fries for $26.
5. Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough, Noank
Get here before the clock runs out, literally: Abbott’s website counts down to the end of the lobster season, happily more than four months away. A 15-minute drive from New London, the grounds have picnic tables strewn across the grassy waterfront. The famous LOL roll has a pound of meat, with all the butter you want. If you want beer or wine, bring your own.
Head to a destination that is making waves in Irish fine-dining. Photograph: Courtesy Coya. Background: Getty Images.
A Two-Day Drive to Dinner in an Irish Castle
The scenic route down Ireland’s eastern coast traverses emerald hills and craggy shorelines—a great way to get from Dublin to Castlemartyr, a 300-year-old manor house with a buzzy restaurant.
But we suggest taking the inland route there: What it lacks in views it makes up for in flavor. Then hug the lovely cliffs on the ride back.
The first three stops on this Irish food tour are merely an appetizer for the main course at two-Michelin-starred Terre at Castlemartyr. Map by Chris Philpot for Bloomberg Businessweek.
1. The Club at Goffs, Kildare
Just a 40-minute drive from Dublin is this rural fantasy: 50 balconied hotel rooms in horse country, surrounded by grazing thoroughbreds, canals and walking trails leading to the charming town of Kildare. All-day dining is courtesy of chef Derry Clarke—Ireland’s Gordon Ramsay—who focuses here on Irish comforts like Dubliner cheddar-topped burgers, combined with inventions such as roast Feighcullen duck with beets and blood orange.
2. Cashel Palace Hotel, Tipperary
This former archbishops’ home—now a
Bridgerton-esque Relais & Châteaux hotel—is worth an overnight stop, so you can properly enjoy its ambitious restaurant, the Bishop’s Buttery. It faithfully lists several local producers for each dish, be it roast pheasant with Jerusalem artichokes, Roscoff onions and chanterelles, or Kilkeel crab with pear and finger lime.
3. Adare Manor, Limerick
This stone-walled castle is best known for golf—it will host the Ryder Cup in 2027—but a meal at its Oak Room restaurant is just as grand. Chef Mike Tweedie pulls out all the stops: Doonbeg crab with caviar, barbecue turbot with wild garlic and mussels, and a regal wooden trolley bearing Irish cheeses at dessert.
4. Castlemartyr Resort, Cork
The golf, spa and 200 forested acres at this opulent 108‑room resort all befit a fairy tale, where the ruins of a 13th century castle merge with a sprawling 18th century manor house and sleek modern additions. Yet all of it plays second fiddle to Castlemartyr’s two-Michelin-starred Terre restaurant—your goal destination—where Irish deer, for example, comes with foie gras, Japanese pepper and plum jus, all in a Versailles-like setting.
The south of Spain offers sun, sea, and excellent seafood. Photograph: Courtesy Coya. Background: Getty Images.
Ceviche and Cerveza on Spain’s Costa del Sol
Sure, you can join the masses for cacio e pepe in Rome and pasta al limone in Amalfi, but there’s no better summertime dining option in the Med than shrimp or cod bathed in lime and chased with a Cruzcampo beer. Unless, of course, you can add Andalusian cliffside views.
The coastal route on the A7 between Málaga and Marbella delivers all that and more.
Spanish seafood delicacies await at each of these five stops along the Costa del Sol. Map by Chris Philpot for Bloomberg Businessweek.
1. Mercado Central de Atarazanas, Málaga
Fly into seaside Málaga and start your journey here by loading up on road snacks (that is, lots of jamón) at this bustling food market in a 14th century Moorish building. Also don’t miss the local delicacy: crispy, fried-to-order cuttlefish with a squeeze of lemon.
2. Castillo Sohail, Fuengirola
Stretch your legs along the tranquil walking paths of this stone fortress, whose hodgepodge architecture spells out Andalusia’s history: built in the 10th century, destroyed by Christian conquests in the 15th, then reconstructed to fortify the city from smugglers in the 1700s.
3. Marbella Club, Marbella
This beachy town is growing increasingly sophisticated, thanks in part to the club and resort founded by Prince Alfonso in the 1950s. Hot-right-now brand
Loewe has a perfumery popping up in its greenhouse this summer, and its orange grove is being transformed into an al fresco bar. Chill there with oyster ceviche, tuna tartare and a cool Marbellini—a drink that blends pomegranate, sumac and Champagne.
4.Puente Romano Beach Resort, Marbella
Loewe there, Fendi here. The latter is taking over one of Puente Romano’s 23 restaurants, La Plaza, where the mille-feuille dessert is dusted with interlocking cocoa “F’s.” (Paella and yellowtail tiradito will be unbranded.) Prefer recipes from a big-name chef rather than a fashion house? Andalusian gastro-wizard Dani García and Nobu both have venues on-site.
5. Bakus, Nerja
You can make a whole trip out of a pilgrimage to this romantic seafood icon with its terrace that overlooks the sea. Classic salmon ceviche, turbot with saffron velouté and powder-white sand just steps away: check, check, check.