FOOD ALONG THE EAST COAST

How food tastes, where and how it is served, and by whom, reflects a culture and often is an important part of a traveler's itinerary. On my trip to the East coast, I experienced exotic new foods as well as familiar ones.

Familiar dishes were served in private homes in Palm Beach,FL and Bethesda,MD. Greek and Italian foods were served in a quiet, upstairs restaurant and in a small, street level one in Manhattan. Seafood was eaten in a bay side restaurant overlooking the Tappan Zee Bridge. Barbecue was served on a private, screened-in porch on Fire Island. Bagels, and coffee cakes were served in a small card room of a large suburban apartment complex. Chocolate mouse completed lunch at The Water Works below Philadelphia's Art Museum. Ale was tried in a Public House in Alexandria,VA. Potage bon fam eaten on a private,outside terrace in the shadow of The Capital in Washington, D.C. concluded my trip.

But for me, what feed my soul was not the food but the company I shared it with.