When I used to travel Europe for business, I’d find a place to eat by wandering my neighborhood around my hotel and finding a place filled with people speaking the local language.
I was never disappointed.
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Nice technique. Language. I like to venture, and not many neighborhoods scare me. I look for a place that’s, like you said, busy with locals; but I travel for it. I’ll zig zag through streets , away from the “strip of restaurants” to find that one spot. That way I get to know a neighborhood, besides the tourist neighborhood. If people look at you weird, you’re in the right place. Never got murdered for lookin’ weird.
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The method of asking or seeking out places where locals convene is a good one-- if reliable predominantly to know what is favoured in a place. But I find it interesting that these are the signs of excellence whilst travelling, and yet boards like this developed so we could also navigate our own homes, where we are locals, where we speak the language, and where we might distrust our fellow locals in their ability to determine what’s best. How many times do we wonder why a mediocre place is so popular?
Again, I’m not dismissing the asking method or the one of seeking out stuff off the beaten path, I’m just thinking about where and when our trust in local popularity becomes our guide and when it doesn’t.
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Ethical awareness through food culture is sometimes difficult–but always worth while–far away–or just down the street.
Yeah, I wish it was a fool-proof deal, and ironclad. Sure isn’t. I also notice that, in heavily touristed destinations, the locals aren’t always happy to see you in the places they frequent. Probably for good reason. Still, I’ve had great luck walking into a small divey pub, chat with bartender, then a local or two, then ask about food to bartender and locals, and let the pissin’ match ensue amongst ‘em. If there’s a pissin’ match, the food has to be good at any place they defended. Been my experience anyway. But, that also means, you speak the language. Big bennie.
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The McDonald’s near my house does a very brisk business.
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Yah, which is where the whole “ask a local” kinda falls apart. Berlin has an amazing array of really great restaurants on all levels, yet there are many places popular with the hipster crowd … bc it’s The Place To Be. Doesn’t mean the food or drinks are great, it’s just where the hype currently is.
Also, we talk about (foreign) locals as if they somehow possess special magic taste buds. I know plenty of people who have absolutely shite taste in food, and would never go near some of the places they favor.
Having said that, stumbling into a place in a hood that looks inviting, where the menu interests me, and it’s not completely empty has often rendered fab results.
It’s a crap shoot, for the most part. Hey, keeps things interesting 
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This thread is meandering nicely into new thoughts… How best to pick restaurants? There isn’t a fool proof method unfortunately.
Yes, checking out local neighbourhoods see where the locals eat is a great idea, but how about going on business to large global cities? I’m in London for work a lot and it’s difficult to see who the locals are, as everyone speaks English. And most of the city is gentrified to the extent that even local restaurants can be tourist traps.
I’ve actually had some great advice from concierges in 4-5 star hotels, directing me to terrific upscale restaurants where people - locals and tourists alike - go for great food. This is how I came to know about Al Moro and Tullio in Rome for example.
But I also remember checking out a local street food restaurant in Hoi An (Vietnam), next to our hotel, where they were roasting ducks outside. The hotel owner thought I was crazy for eating there… 
Best food in the city!
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In many parts of the world these days, the ask a local approach doesn’t work if you want something regional, traditional or independent, since many locals may be enjoying Subway, All You Can Eat Sushi, etc. When visitors visit me, I take them for regional specialties, and usually avoid chains- unless a visitor really wants a chain. I know when I last went to Cleveland, I sought out a somewhat upscale farm to table restaurant downtown, while most locals probably are happy enough with chains I didn’t bother trying.
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Right. The assumption that A Local - i.e. really just some rando who happens to live where others vacation - would also happen to be someone who cares about food as much as a tourist is downright silly.
In fact, asking a tourist who is also very much into food & has been to the place in question seems like a much better way to go.
Enter the food forum discussion boards for destination eats
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That is a good point, h. I use the “where the locals eat” when i am traveling and sometimes it works and sometimes it is a mistake. Especially when i was in China but also in Indonesia and Slovakia, the popular with locals spots were usually mediocre to really bad. I am pretty tolerant of regional cuisine differences and can find foods i like nearly everywhere. Heck, i enjoy the local type foods of England and Scotland, so i am not too picky.
I am not sure if it was a series of “luck of the draw” going against me in China, Indo and Slovakia, or if in those countries there was a shortage of affordable cafes or something else.
I’m laughing at this comment because my one and only foray into asking the front desk clerk led me to a table at something approximating a Golden Corral. It was dismal.
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I ate at a Golden Corral in Virginia around 2008, because I was looking for somewhere local. We were avoiding Applebee’s and multinational fast food chains.
We don’t have Golden Corral in Canada, so I didn’t know it was a chain, and I didn’t recognize the logo or sign.
So- for us- Golden Coral, with its sweet tea and a few Southern dishes at the buffet, and full of locals, was a local experience.
We don’t visit buffets much, as they aren’t popular and aren’t common in my region the way they were 30 years ago, apart from one chain of Chinese buffet restaurants, so Golden Corral was a novel experience for us on our way to the Outer Banks.
I still haven’t tried Waffle House, which is on my chain list.
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Waffle House is a different ballgame.
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Random thoughts on the “picking a good place to eat when traveling” topic:
-my mother was born in Brooklyn & lived here most of her life. If you asked her what her favorite place to eat was, she would say it was her local Applebee’s: "… “they have a good chef here”. I hope that food interested tourists didn’t stop to ask her. As linguafood said: “… we talk about (foreign) locals as if they somehow possess special magic taste buds. I know plenty of people who have absolutely shite taste in food, and would never go near some of the places they favor”.
-its been pointed out repeatedly on the Paris board that going to a place where the patrons speak French might have you believe that you’ve hit pay dirt, but put you in a joint for non-Paris tourists from other parts of France who are more mesmerized by big city dining than you are. In fact, we’ve spent a good deal of time at various restaurants in Paris, Rome & other large cities, explaining menus to folks who spoke the native language. And I do that here for other Americans who don’t speak Brooklynese & would otherwise wind up in the “local” red sauce Italian place, full of character, but light on food.
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On the “eating ethically” topic, a not so random thought:
I honestly appreciate that many people want to do this and that they do their best to sort out how to do so. But, I don’t think that there’s any reason for any of us to feel like we have the “answer” and impart our great wisdom on others in a way that implies we do. Lots of great suggestions on this thread for how to minimize one’s negative impact. Good food for thought. But, I cant help being cynical on the overall picture & think that there are a lot of tennis players who try their best to learn & apply, but still lose most matches, since its not all about them (regardless of all the coaches who tell them that it is). I believe that anyone who tries to tell me that individual ethics will solve the world’s problems might be missing the overall picture. And I’ll stop there, as the rest would be too political.
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A well run/properly staffed Waffle House can double as entertainment too.
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Our MO, ask in a wine shop, making sure you are clear about what you’re looking for.
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I don’t think I’ve ever been in a wine shop while traveling. Not even once. Unless I was visiting someone.
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I think the “doing your homework” piece is key. How you do your homework might vary. As a deeply unsocial introvert, I have no desire to get into conversations with anyone IRL, locals or otherwise. I am happy to read boards such as this and cross check as many other sources as I can prior to getting to a destination. It’s worked out so far, on those rare occasions that I travel now. “Ethically” is pretty broad and can mean a lot of things to different people. I mean, if I happened to be in France and had the opportunity to eat a local foie gras or veal, I would. For others, they might have a problem with the ethics of those products. For me, “ethically” I would be happy that I was supporting a local business.
Another thought/example - if I was in a very landlocked part of the United States (say, Minnesota or something) and there was an extremely well reviewed, mom and pop sushi place, what is more important ethically - supporting the local business or avoiding contributing to the carbon footprint that business has created by importing fish from Japan? That is for the individual consumer to determine personally.
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