A Different Kind of Food Tourism

On your next trip, consider searching for food in places other than marketplaces and restaurants—starting with these food-relalted art exhibits and historic destinations. In the mid-70s, American artist Judy Chicago built an enormous table, 48 feet long on each side, to host a figurative dinner party. Instead of serving any food or inviting guests, she dedicated each of the 39 place settings to a powerful female figure in history, and set the table with beautiful ceramic dishes and embroidered tapestries.

Although the plates themselves are unquestionably “feminine” (as in, they allude to female anatomy), the concept as a whole turns the traditionally marginalizing concepts of domesticity and food preparation into an empowering occasion. Brooklyn Museum 200 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, New York 11238 (718) 638-5000 Turn French fries into an Educational Exercise Bruges, Belgium Yes, this is a museum dedicated to French fries, Belgium’s most famous potato invention.

The exhibit begins on the ground floor with Peru, the origin of the domesticated potato plant, and a showcase of potato varieties and cutters. Frietmuseum Vlamingstraat 33 8000 Bruges, Belgium +32 50 34 01 50 Visit the Quirky Back Room of Poilâne Bakery Paris, France Everyone knows the legendary Poilâne bakery—it’s arguably the most famous traditional bakery in Paris. Hanging on the wall are paintings of bread from dozens of artists, all allegedly donated in exchange for a Poilâne miche.

They as well have a black and white photograph of an art installation commissioned by Salvador Dali in 1971: Lionel Poilâne created an entire bedroom furniture set out of Poilâne bread for Dali, who was a long admirer of the baker’s bread sculptures. To this day, a chandelier made out of bread hangs from the ceiling as a tribute to Poilâne and Dali’s friendship.

Poilâne 8 rue du Cherche-Midi Paris, France 75006 +33 (0) 1 45-48-42-59 Step into Julia Child’s Kitchen at the Smithsonian Museum of American History Washington, DC Explore the pots, pans, and adorable plastic-covered Marimekko print tablecloths of Julia Child’s Cambridge home kitchen, where she hosted her last three cookery shows. It’s not a replica—the Smithsonian actually deconstructed Julia’s entire kitchen when she moved to California in 2001 and shipped it to the National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Museum 1000 Jefferson Dr., SW Washington, D.C. (202) 633-1000 Get Inspired by Design at Sunday’s Grocery Hong Kong For those seeking the best in interior design and environmental typography, take a trip to Sunday’s Grocery in Hong Kong’s Kennedy Town.

Famed for their chicken yakitori joint Yardbird, which is located in Hong Kong’s Central district, Canadian duo Matt Abergel and Lindsay Jang began trading this venture in the spring of 2014. The design—from the storefront to the sandwich-and-beer bento-box-style takeout—is beautifully modern and quirky.

Sunday’s Grocery 66-68 Catchick Street Kennedy Town, Hong Kong +852 2628 6001 Eat an Imaginary Meal with the Dutch Masters at the Louvre Paris, France If you’re into food history (that is, if you’re like me and you find entire books on the global evolution of black pepper fascinating), make sure not to miss the 17th and 18th century Dutch still life paintings the next time you’re at the Louvre. From dead geese and game hens to oranges newly imported from the New World to half-bodies of fleshy tuna, the edible evidence found in these still lifes is fascinating. The paintings are both beautiful and a bit haunting, and serve to document how Europeans ate during the 17th and 18th century.

Musée du Louvre 75058 Paris, France +33 (0)1 40 20 53 17 Ogle the Silver Dinnerware of Famous Augsburg Master Silversmiths at Maximillian Museum Augsburg, Germany Augsburg, a town northwest of Munich, was an important gold-and silver-smith hub of Central Europe up until the 1800s. This museum has a beautiful collection of dining sets, plates, drinking vessels, and servingware—all crafted out of pure silver by the Augsburg silversmith masters.