In her book Enchanted Islands: Travels Through Myth and Magic, Love & Loss, author Laura Coffey charts a real-life journey she took inspired by one of the most epic travel stories ever told: The Odyssey. Women Who Travel host Lale catches up with Coffey to find out how the famous poem informed where she went, the unforgettable meals she ate, and the cast of characters she met along the way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Honoring his family’s legacy while pushing boundaries to innovate New Orleans cuisine for the next generation is the 21-year-old patron chef of Emeril’s in New Orleans and son of renowned chef Emeril Lagasse, E.J. Lagasse who joins Bruce on this season four finale. E.J. takes us on a journey through his culinary evolution, starting with his early—very early—experiences as a young teenager working in legendary kitchens like Daniel Boulud’s and Eric Ripert’s. E.J. also shares stories from his...

A new approach to food, drink, and culinary experiences at sea, that's what host Bruce sits down with Andrea Tonet, the VP of Product Strategy at Silversea, to chat about in this episode of Travel That Matters. Hear how those experiences bring a true local taste to each destination, no matter where in the world you are. Andrea takes us around the world, starting with the Dolomites (Italy) where Andrea grew up, and through the concept of Silversea’s SALT program, in which local ingredients,...

Could you, would you, on a train? We would eat chef Jean Imbert's cuisine on a train, by the sea, in a city... we would eat Jean Imbert's cuisine anywhere! Dr. Seuss jokes aside, Jean Imbert is the culinary mastermind behind some of the most iconic restaurants in the world, including those in Paris, Cannes, French Polynesia, St. Barth’s, and even the legendary Orient Express, and he's this episode's guest on Travel That Matters. Jean talks to Bruce about realizing his dream of running the...

Come along for a culinary thrill as Foods That Matter transports the epicures, the foodies, and the gastronauts to different corners of the world through stories of adventure with food archeologist John Robert Sutton, also known as 'The Indiana Jones of Food.' John has invited us to continue unlocking the secrets to the globe's most extraordinary cuisines, as he's been doing throughout his travel in over 120 countries. While he pushes on enriching top grocery stores and Michelin-starred...

What do trombones, surfers, and Paris have in common? They're all part of Jonathan Waxman's inspiring success story that took him from cleaning bathrooms to an iconic career as a chef, restaurateur, and tv personality. A true pioneer of California cuisine, Chef Jonathan Waxman shares his extraordinary journey, including his unforgettable experiences like traveling on a shoestring budget to Michelin three-star restaurants across France in his 20s which ended up changing the course of his...

One of the most influential figures in American cuisine, Charlie Palmer, and a world-renowned pastry chef, Antonio Bachour, dive into their most inspiring travel experiences and recommendations. Charlie Palmer talks about how his culinary expertise and love for the outdoors have influenced his new hotel company, Appellation, with its first locations in Healdsburg and Sun Valley of the United States. Charlie shares insights on his vision for these hotels, deeply rooted in food and beverage...

Katie Chin escaped what she jokingly describes as "dumpling prison" only to be so influenced by her heritage and Asian cuisines that she left her SVP role at FOX to start her career as a chef and author. It was her mom's inspiring success story that eventually led Katie to a life of cooking, writing cookbooks, appearing on TV shows like Iron Chef and The Today Show, and creating a one-woman show called Holy Shitake: A Wok Star is Born. Prepare to be entertained and inspired by the story of...

The art of stress-free travel is not lost on Nancy Silverton thanks to her adventurous parents, and now she shares her travel philosophy with her kids, grandkids—and listeners of Travel That Matters in this episode. When this American chef, baker, restaurateur, and author is not serving food to people at the Palace of Versailles, she's "putzing" around her house in Umbria or traveling to Mexico, London, Spain, and other incredible places around the world. (Marseilles and Mexico City left the...

Here to explain how travel helped turn a kid from St. Louis into the leading restaurateur behind both Union Square Café and Shake Shack is the one-and-only Danny Meyer. The son of a travel entrepreneur, Danny takes us back to the vivid childhood travel memories he has, reminiscing about everything from the lake water and fresh baguettes in France to the roadside burger in California that might have been the initial spark for his now-famous restaurant chain. He leads us on his adventures as a...

Wolfgang Puck, the Austrian-American culinary legend, takes host Bruce on a journey through his favorite food and travel spots, full of laughter and unexpected tips. Wolfgang shares the serendipitous creation of his signature dish, shares his first memories of getting the travel bug, and describes his initial impressions of the United States. He relives the opening night jitters of Spago (Beverly Hills), defines what he calls "California cuisine," and tells us how to cook 120 pounds of camel...

The 2023 Master Chef series was such a success that we decided to keep it going for another season! Prepare your palate for adventure, because Travel That Matters is about to take off (again) with the top tastemakers on a culinary journey around the globe, including Nancy Silverton, Wolfgang Puck, Charlie Palmer, Danny Meyer, Jonathan Waxman, and many more incredible chefs and restaurateurs.  In anticipation, listen (or relisten) to season 3 of Travel That Matters, the first iteration of...

Getting people to think differently when deciding where to travel next is a specialty of the travel journalist Andrew Nelson, a writer for two decades with National Geographic Travel and a two-time Lowell Thomas prize winner. Andrew joins Bruce on the podcast to discuss places in his new National Geographic book, Here Not There, revealing 100 alternative travel destinations to the ones we've probably all heard about 1,000 times. Andrew tells us about the places that are overlooked and why...

Embark on an adventure through South Africa with Liam Tomlin (Cape Town chef), Deborah Calmeyer (ROAR Africa founder), and Tiago Sarmento (managing director of Belmond in Southern Africa), whose stories and insider tips on crafting the ultimate travel experience will have you hooked on this something-for-everybody destination. On his recent trip to Cape Town and Tswalu Kalahari reserve in South Africa, Bruce caught up with Tomlin and Sarmento to talk about Cape Town’s culinary delights,...

This week, we're recommending a Pushkin podcast, A Slight Change of Plans, where Maya Shankar blends compassionate storytelling with the science of human behavior to help us understand who we are and who we become in the face of a big change. In this episode, Dr. Richard "Harry" Harris is an anesthesiologist and expert cave diver who was tasked with a seemingly impossible mission: to rescue a boys' soccer team trapped 2.5 miles deep within a flooded cave in Thailand. He talks with Maya about...

Divia Thani is an incredible and inspiring source of information on how best to explore the many different regions of India, from the Himalayas in the north to Chettinad in the south. In this episode of Travel That Matters, Bruce speaks with Divia, the Global Editorial Director of Condé Nast Traveler, about her home country of India, inclusive of the bustling scene in Goa, the best time of year to visit, where to find the best jewelry, and the thrills of a tiger safari (and how it’s...

Follow Travel That Matters and get ready for a new episode about India with Condé Nast Traveler's Global Editorial Director Divia Thani coming next week, Tuesday, January 9, 2024. If you've been enjoying Travel That Matters, please leave the podcast a 5-star rating. --- Travel That Matters is a CurtCo Media production. Host: Bruce Wallin Producer: AJ Moseley Marketing: Catrin Skaperdas Music: Joey Salvia See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our love of travel and food converge in spectacular fashion in this exploration of Mexico and its many regional cuisines with chef and TV host Pati Jinich. As the host of the 3x James Beard Award-winning PBS television series “Pati’s Mexican Table,” resident chef at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C., and a cookbook author, Pati is the perfect person to lead us on a culinary adventure through the country, diving into its regional specialties, under-the-radar restaurants,...

This week, we're recommending a podcast for Scotland-lovers by award-winning travel blogger Kathi Kamleitner. This clip is of her conversation with Mark Williams, a forager and foraging tutor with over 30 years of experience. Originally from the Isle of Arran, Mark lives in Galloway these days and runs foraging classes and workshops all over Scotland. In the episode, Kathi and Mark cover...      •     How Mark became a full-time forager      •     His favorite plants, mushrooms and seaweeds...

Dr. Tara Stoinski, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund President, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer, joins Bruce to discuss the fascinating scientific and conservation work the organization does in the mountains of Rwanda, as well as the fund’s brand-new Ellen DeGeneres Campus—a facility that will not only change how we study and protect mountain gorillas but also enhance what is already one of the world’s epic travel experiences. Continuing the work of the legendary Fossey—who was murdered in Rwanda in...

John Robert Sutton didn't always know he wanted to travel through 124 countries and be the best exotic food trader, but we're glad he did! This episode is packed with the most interesting stories, like where vanilla is really from and how it grows in its natural state, what the most potent and natural antioxidant on the face of the earth is, what volcanoes have to do with the best culinary destinations in the world, what herb is the secret ingredient to staying active over the age of 100 and...

“From a hidden region of Colombia to a high-profile hotel debut in London, this episode is for adventurers, foodies, escapists, and big-city lovers—basically anyone who cherishes travel and is interested in exploring new places,” Bruce says. Throughout the episode, you will hear the insights and advice of luxury travel leaders whom Bruce Wallin, Travel That Matters host and award-winning travel writer and editor, surveyed at the annual Virtuoso Travel Week, the world’s leading luxury travel...

"I came to Thailand when I was just a teenager and chose never to leave," said guest Bill Heinecke, collector car enthusiast, experiential traveler, and billionaire founder and chairman of Minor International PCL, which owns and operates hotel brands including Anantara and Tivoli. Host and award-winning travel writer and editor Bruce Wallin guides Bill through his stories of the incredible aspects of different corners of the globe, starting with Thailand. From the bustling streets of Bangkok...

In this episode, host Bruce Wallin explores the transformative power of travel with guest Esme Benjamin, a wellness and travel journalist and host of the podcast The Trip That Changed Me. They start by talking about wellness programs in Italy (The Ranch) and Cuba (Mhai Yoga). We learn why Fiuggi water has been celebrated for its healing powers and why Cubans are gathering in public spaces dancing nearly every evening. Then we learn about the trip that changed Esme, a year-in-the-making...