This City Is Delicious

Dubai might be famous for doing everything bigger, taller and shinier, but some of the city’s most delicious stories are happening far away from all that sparkle.

In this episode of This City Is Delicious, Kevin and CJ dig into two very different sides of Dubai: the neighbourhood restaurants, immigrant communities and old-school food traditions of Old Dubai, and the ambitious chefs, spectacular dining rooms and serious culinary swagger that have helped turn the city into one of the world’s great international food destinations.

Joining us is Arva Ahmed, co-founder of Frying Pan Adventures, one of the pioneers of Dubai’s food tour scene. Arva takes us beyond the skyscrapers to talk about the incredible mix of cultures shaping the city, what travellers should actually be eating, why Emirati food deserves more attention and the bittersweet decision to wrap up Frying Pan Adventures after 13 years.

And then there’s the meal.

Kevin has eaten through more than 40 countries and experienced over 150 food tours and culinary experiences around the world, but one dinner in Dubai still stands above all the others: Trésind Studio. Not one of the best restaurant meals he’s ever had. The best.

We’re talking:
🍫 The story behind FIX Dessert Chocolatier + the Dubai chocolate phenomenon
🌍 Why Dubai’s food culture is about communities, not a “melting pot”
🔥 Karnataka prawns, Palestinian flavours + Arva’s current food obsessions
🇦🇪 The Emirati seafood restaurant Arva sends travellers to
⭐ Michelin stars + Dubai’s rise as a global dining destination
🌙 Why Trésind Studio remains Kevin’s favourite restaurant meal ever
🫖 Afternoon tea 442 metres above Dubai
🔥 Persian kebabs + a very well-travelled Toronto Blue Jays cap
🛍️ Old Dubai, the souks + Al Rigga
🧳 Dubai chocolate, dates + camel milk chocolate to bring home
📬 Listener questions about markets, restaurant research + overrated food experiences

If you plan your travel around meals, not museums… this one’s for you.

🎧 Follow on @spotify @apple @amazonmusic or listen where ever you find your favourite podcasts.

⁉️ Have a question for Kevin + CJ? DM us a voice note on Instagram @thiscityisdelicious, or email [email protected].

Travel hungry.
This City Is Delicious™

CHAPTERS

00:26 – Welcome to Dubai
Old Dubai, new Dubai, one legendary meal and the global flavour phenomenon that escaped the city.

03:26 – Dubai: A Global Food City
Immigration, Emirati traditions, four food tours and Kevin’s first experience with a self-guided culinary adventure.

05:01 – The Dubai Chocolate Phenomenon
FIX Dessert Chocolatier, pistachio, knafeh and how one flavour combination conquered the world.

09:24 – GAME TIME: Name That City
Buffalo wings, Dijon mustard, Basque cheesecake and CJ’s increasingly questionable geography skills.

13:55 – Meet Arva Ahmed
The founder of Frying Pan Adventures joins us to talk food, culture and the other side of Dubai.

15:31 – The Final Season of Frying Pan Adventures
After 13 years, Arva explains why one of Dubai’s pioneering food tour companies is coming to an end.

17:13 – The Communities That Feed Dubai
Why Arva rejects the idea of Dubai as a melting pot and celebrates the cultures that remain proudly distinct.

19:56 – Old Dubai vs. the City of Luxury
How skyscrapers, fine dining and imported glamour actually created space for Dubai’s alternative food story.

24:01 – Arva’s Dubai Food Obsessions
Karnataka-style prawns ghee roast, Palestinian za’atar, fatayer and a pomegranate-lentil dish you need to know.

27:07 – Michelin Comes to Dubai
Fine dining, global recognition and why every side of a city’s food scene deserves room to exist.

29:10 – Is Dubai Chocolate Actually Good?
Arva gives Kevin the spicy answer he probably didn’t want to hear.

34:44 – The One Dubai Restaurant Arva Recommends
Massive platters of rice, grilled fish, prawns and the bounty of Emirati seafood.

35:54 – The Legacy of Frying Pan Adventures
Kevin and CJ reflect on the people, creativity and work behind great food tours.

37:37 – The Best Restaurant Meal Ever?
Kevin takes us inside Trésind Studio and the Michelin-starred dinner he still hasn’t stopped thinking about.

42:49 – Dubai’s Big Culinary WOWs
Sky-high afternoon tea at the Burj Khalifa, Orfali Bros and another side of Dubai’s dining scene.

44:04 – Persian Kebabs + Kevin’s Blue Jays Cap
Al Ustad Special Kebab, family history, charcoal-grilled meats and a little piece of Toronto left behind in Dubai.

45:36 – Old Dubai, the Souks + Al Rigga
Spices, textiles, gold, culinary alleys and one of the city’s most interesting eating neighbourhoods.

47:45 – What to Bring Home from Dubai
The real FIX chocolate, premium dates and camel milk chocolate worth making room for in your suitcase.

49:22 – LISTENER QUESTIONS
CJ attempts to stump Kevin with three food-travel dilemmas.

49:54 – Food Tour, Market or Restaurant?
If you only have one food day in a city, where should you spend it?

51:13 – How Kevin Finds Great Restaurants
The three things Kevin checks before choosing somewhere to eat near a major tourist attraction.

54:00 – The Most Overrated “Must-Eat” Experience
Monster croissants, giant milanesas and why bigger doesn’t always mean better.

56:37 – Next Stop: London 🇬🇧
Brixton, migration, neighbourhood stories, very good eating and a little insider help.

Before we take a big bite into this delicious episode, I wanted to acknowledge the moment we are in. 

At the time of this recording, there's conflict and uncertainty across the region. 

This episode isn't going to ignore that reality, but rather honouring the resilient people, the cultures, the kitchens and community that exist alongside.

If you enjoyed traveling and eating with us, make sure to follow the show so you never miss our next stop. And if you have a second, a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review goes a long way in helping more food-obsessed travelers like you find us.

If you’re still hungry, join us on Instagram @ThisCityIsDelicious for extra bites from the road, behind-the-scenes food finds, and a few tasty surprises that didn’t make it into the episode.

And if you know someone who plans their trips around meals not museums, share this episode with them - we’re saving them a seat at the table.

Until our next bite together… travel well, be kind, and eat something you can’t pronounce.

Because remember, This City Is Delicious™.

Melbourne is a city where coffee is practically a competitive sport, laneways lead to your next great bite, and one wildly multicultural food scene meets Indigenous Australian flavours, native ingredients and generations of delicious immigration.

In this episode of This City Is Delicious, Kevin eats his way through Melbourne with Mandy Kennedy, the Free-Ranging Foodie and Tour Guide at the legendary Queen Victoria Market.

Mandy takes us inside one of Kevin’s favourite markets in the world, from hot jam donuts and Australian cheese to sustainability projects, food rescue and the stories behind the traders. Then Kevin dishes out the Melbourne meals, markets, coffee, bakeries and edible souvenirs still living rent-free in his appetite.

We’re talking:
🛒 Queen Victoria Market, its traders + why taking the market’s own food tour surprised Kevin
♻️ Food waste, sustainability, the Moving Feast Kitchen + Melbourne Food Rescue Network
🍩 American Doughnut Kitchen’s legendary hot jam donuts
☕ Melbourne Magic coffee, masala chai + the city’s serious caffeine culture
🥖 Why Mandy thinks bánh mì has become quintessentially Melbourne
🍝 Roma Restaurante, Aru + Mandy’s picks for a delicious Melbourne night out
🏎️ MasterChef Australia, F1 + Kevin’s lunch with 1,700 fellow food lovers
🍊 Tiger Bomb orange coffee, Lamingtons, mochi, Lune + more of Kevin’s must-eats
🧳 Tim Tams, Yarra Valley bubbles, Indigenous Australian spices + cookbooks worth packing
💬 Travel clichés, what “eat like a local” really means + Kevin’s 0.75 restaurant-reservation rule

Plus, Mandy confesses she doesn’t really like chocolate, Kevin questions whether their friendship can survive, and an Australian cheese showdown seems inevitable.

🎧 Follow on @spotify @apple @amazonmusic or listen where ever you find your favourite podcasts.

⁉️ Have a question for Kevin + CJ? DM us a voice note on Instagram @thiscityisdelicious or email [email protected].

Travel hungry.
This City Is Delicious™

CHAPTERS
00:00 – Cold Open
Hot jam donuts, infomercial fears + one potentially friendship-ending confession.

00:44 – Welcome to Melbourne
Coffee culture, multicultural flavours, Indigenous Australian ingredients + what’s ahead.

03:07 – Melbourne: Toronto of the Southern Hemisphere?
Kevin + CJ talk diversity, immigration and Melbourne’s enormous food personality.

05:49 – MasterChef Australia, F1 + Lunch with 1,700 People
Kevin’s culinary crush, Grand Prix energy + Melbourne Food & Wine Festival’s epic Longest Lunch.

08:11 – Meet Mandy Kennedy, the Free-Ranging Foodie
From cheesemonger and gin slinger to guiding hungry travellers through Queen Victoria Market.

09:28 – Inside Queen Victoria Market
How Mandy landed the job, the Big Cheese negotiations + why Queen Vic matters.

11:58 – Sustainability + the Future of Queen Vic
Underground cold storage, food waste, Moving Feast Kitchen + Melbourne Food Rescue Network.

16:40 – Chai, Diversity + Hot Jam Donuts
Original Chai Co., Melbourne’s multicultural food scene + the American Donut Kitchen institution.

20:09 – Why Queen Vic’s Food Tours Work
Market-led storytelling, welcoming other operators + keeping tours small and personal.

25:08 – Mandy’s Perfect Melbourne Food Day
A Magic coffee, Asian-European pastries, bánh mì, vermouth + a few places worth booking.

29:22 – Restaurants, Bagels + Bakeries
Roma Restaurante, Aru, Melbourne’s Montreal bagels, Lune + the pastry queues worth considering.

34:30 – Fast Food Quiz
Bubble tea, Dim Sims, Fitzroy, Tim Tams, sake festivals + Mandy’s favourite Australian cheese.

37:44 – Mandy Wrap-Up + More Queen Vic Love
Kevin + CJ unpack why the market, its traders and its guides make such an impression.

38:50 – Kevin’s Melbourne Markets, Must-Eats + Souvenirs
Prahran Market, St Albans, orange coffee, Lamingtons, mochi, pastries, Maha, hoppers, Tim Tams, Indigenous Australian spices + more.

47:49 – Listener Questions
Which travel clichés should disappear, what does “eat like a local” actually mean + how many restaurant reservations are too many?

54:21 – Close + Dubai Tease
Next stop: Dubai, where Kevin had what he still considers his favourite restaurant meal ever.

One thing I particularly like here is that Queen Vic is clearly the episode’s anchor, but the description still signals MasterChef, F1, the Longest Lunch, Tim Tams and the broader Melbourne eating guide, so it doesn’t accidentally read as a 55-minute market episode.

If you enjoyed traveling and eating with us, make sure to follow the show so you never miss our next stop. And if you have a second, a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review goes a long way in helping more food-obsessed travelers like you find us.

If you’re still hungry, join us on Instagram @ThisCityIsDelicious for extra bites from the road, behind-the-scenes food finds, and a few tasty surprises that didn’t make it into the episode.

And if you know someone who plans their trips around meals not museums, share this episode with them - we’re saving them a seat at the table.

Until our next bite together… travel well, be kind, and eat something you can’t pronounce.

Because remember, This City Is Delicious™.

Lima, Peru is home to brilliant ceviche, bustling markets and some of the most celebrated restaurants on the planet. Kevin taste-tests five Lima food tours, eats at Maido and Central, and asks one deceptively tricky question: when everyone claims to be the best, what’s actually worth your appetite and travel dollars?

In this episode of This City Is Delicious, we’re doing things a little differently. No guest. No polite little restaurant roundup. Instead, Kevin pulls back the curtain on how he actually judges a food tour after taste-testing more than 150 culinary experiences around the world.

Using five very different Lima food tours as his delicious laboratory, Kevin shares the eight things that can make or break an experience, from booking and guides to storytelling, access, flow and the tiny details known around here as Napkin Patrol.

Then we trade food tours for tasting menus. Lima is home to some of the most celebrated restaurants on the planet, but does “the best” always mean the most memorable? We get into Maido, Central, Mérito, eye-watering price tags, World’s 50 Best hype and whether a bowl of sopa criolla can stay with you longer than a meal costing hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars.

Plus, Kevin dishes out the Lima spots he’d return to, the markets worth getting lost in, one tourist market he’d actually skip, and the Peruvian treats worth squeezing into your suitcase.

We’re talking:
🍋‍🟩 Five very different Lima food tours + which one took Kevin’s top spot
📝 Kevin’s 8-part food tour test: booking, guide, food, storytelling, flow, access, Napkin Patrol + personal connection
🏆 Maido, Central + the enormous pressure of being called “the world’s best”
💸 When dinner costs four figures, what are you actually paying for?
🥣 Siete Sopas + the casual Lima bites that proved hype isn’t everything
☕ Cortados, tropical-fruit gelato + one unapologetic carnivore detour
🛒 Mercado Central, Santa Cruz, Santa Anita + one market Kevin says to skip
🧳 Aguamanto jam, crunchy Peruvian corn, quinoa + pisco worth bringing home
💌 Listener questions about classics, “hidden gems,” great guides + whether Kevin can ever take a food tour just for fun

🎧 Follow on @spotify @apple @amazonmusic or listen where ever you find your favourite podcasts.

⁉️ Have a question about this episode, or a tasty story from one of your favourite food cities? DM us a voice note on Instagram @thiscityisdelicious, or email [email protected].

Travel hungry.
This City Is Delicious™

CHAPTERS

00:26 – Cold Open
The first warning shot at hype, restaurant rankings and food that doesn’t quite match the expectation.

00:44 – Welcome to Lima
Five food tours, five celebrated restaurants and one city with some very serious culinary swagger.

03:37 – Why Lima Gets a Different Kind of Episode
No guest this time. Kevin turns his own food-tour obsession, experience and seven-page audit into a resource for hungry travellers.

04:32 – Bourdain, Tony + a Toronto Detour
A sneak peek at A24’s Tony, Anthony Bourdain’s complicated charm and retracing some of his Toronto footsteps.

05:46 – Lima, Expectations + “The Best”
World’s 50 Best rankings, fancy tasting menus and the enormous expectations waiting at the table before the first bite even arrives.

11:10 – Five Lima Food Tours
Barranco, Central Lima, tuk-tuks, markets, hands-on ceviche and five very different ways to eat your way across the city.

19:22 – The 8 Things Kevin Looks For in a Food Tour
Booking. Guides. Food. Storytelling. Flow. Access. Napkin Patrol. Personal connection. Here’s what separates good from genuinely great.

31:45 – Five of the World’s Most Celebrated Restaurants
Kevin compares Lima’s heavy hitters and reveals which meal actually became his favourite of the bunch.

34:30 – What Is “The Best” Actually Worth?
Four-figure dinners, reputation, technique, theatre, service and the uncomfortable question of whether expensive always means memorable.

39:53 – Lima Beyond the Rankings
Sopa criolla, seafood rice, cortados, Vietnamese-Peruvian flavours, dry-aged beef and the smaller spots Kevin would happily return to.

43:36 – Gelato + Market Madness
Aguamanto and blueberry gelato lead us into Mercado Central, Santa Cruz, the enormous Santa Anita wholesale market and some serious produce envy.

48:08 – Edible Souvenirs from Peru
Aguamanto jam, crunchy Peruvian corn, quinoa and, naturally, a bottle or two of pisco.

51:29 – Listener Questions
Do first-time visitors need the classics? Are “hidden gems” dead? Can a brilliant guide rescue average food? And can Kevin ever stop auditing and simply eat?

57:57 – Next Stop: Melbourne 🇦🇺
Coffee as a competitive sport, multicultural laneways, markets, doughnuts, flat whites, Tim Tams and plenty more reasons to arrive hungry.

If you enjoyed traveling and eating with us, make sure to follow the show so you never miss our next stop. And if you have a second, a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review goes a long way in helping more food-obsessed travelers like you find us.

If you’re still hungry, join us on Instagram @ThisCityIsDelicious for extra bites from the road, behind-the-scenes food finds, and a few tasty surprises that didn’t make it into the episode.

And if you know someone who plans their trips around meals not museums, share this episode with them - we’re saving them a seat at the table.

Until our next bite together… travel well, be kind, and eat something you can’t pronounce.

Because remember, This City Is Delicious™.

What really belongs in a Greek salad? Why are Athenians lining up longer for sourdough than the Acropolis? And what might Socrates and Plato have eaten while debating in the ancient Agora?

In this episode of This City Is Delicious, Kevin heads to ATHENS, to explore the Greek capital through ancient appetites, neighbourhood markets, family recipes and plenty of feta.

Kevin is joined by Vivian Pelopida, a proudly Greek licensed travel guide born in Thessaloniki, briefly raised in Toronto and now calling Athens home. For more than 30 years, she has guided travellers across Greece, bringing its history, archaeology, food and traditions deliciously to life.

Together, they dig into the simplicity of Greek cooking, the foods tourists overlook, the great horiatiki versus dakos debate, the problem with bad moussaka and why some of Athens’ most memorable meals are found far beyond the obvious tourist hits.

Plus, Kevin shares the Athens bites and places he still dreams about, from impossibly thick Greek yogurt dripping with honey at Stani to loukoumades, neighbourhood laiki markets, legendary grilled meats and one cheekily named bakery where sourdough has become the hottest ticket in town.

We’re talking:
🥗 Why a real Greek salad does NOT need lettuce
🍅 Horiatiki vs. dakos and the delicious Greek salad identity crisis
🫘 Why legumes might be one of Greece’s most underrated culinary treasures
🍆 The secret to great moussaka and why not every version deserves your order
🍊 Portokalopita, phyllo pies + the desserts Kevin couldn’t stop eating
🥖 Jesus Crust, Athens’ micro-bakery boom + sourdough worth skipping the Acropolis for
🏛️ What Socrates, Plato + ancient Athenians might have eaten at the Agora
🐟 Seafood tavernas, neighbourhood dining + where Athenians actually eat
🛒 Athens Central Market + the laiki street markets that bring everyday Greek food culture to life
🍯 Stani’s legendary Greek yogurt with honey
🍖 Kevin’s favourite kebabs, falafel, markets + delicious Athens discoveries
🫒 Olive oil, feta + spoon sweets worth making room for in your suitcase

Plus, listener questions, edible souvenirs and Kevin’s favourite Athens recommendations to make your next visit to the Greek capital even more delicious.

🎧 Follow This City Is Delicious wherever you find your favourite podcasts.

📍 Find even more recommendations, food finds + behind-the-scenes bites on Instagram @thiscityisdelicious.

⁉️ Have a question about this episode, or a tasty story from one of your favourite food cities? DM us a voice note on Instagram or email [email protected].

Travel hungry.
This City Is Delicious™

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Cold Open
Greek salad debates, tourist traps + why sourdough might be Athens’ hottest ticket.

00:38 – Welcome to Athens
Kevin introduces a city of ancient appetites, neighbourhood markets, Greek hospitality + food worth planning a trip around.

03:27 – Gorgeous, Delicious + Chill
Why living in Athens for nearly five months changed Kevin’s relationship with the city, plus loukoumades, Greek coffee + old-school local rituals.

06:47 – Meet Vivian
Licensed travel guide Vivian shares her proudly Greek story, from Thessaloniki and Toronto to more than 30 years guiding travellers across Greece.

08:52 – Why Greek Food Works
Mediterranean eating, sustainability, regional influences + the remarkable simplicity behind Greek cuisine.

12:03 – Beyond the Greek Classics
Why legumes deserve more attention, from fava to giant beans, plus the complicated truth about restaurant moussaka.

13:50 – The Great Greek Salad Debate
Horiatiki, the unwanted tourist known as lettuce + why the Greek salad outside Greece became something very different.

15:42 – Horiatiki vs. Dakos
Cretan rusks, juicy tomatoes, feta + a delicious rivalry between two beloved salads.

17:01 – Where Locals Eat
Pagrati, Petralona, Piraeus + neighbourhoods worth exploring beyond Athens’ historic centre.

18:20 – The Dish Vivian Won’t Share
Gemista, memories of her grandmother + a tiny restaurant near the Acropolis making its own phyllo.

19:37 – Phyllo + Portokalopita
The syrup-soaked orange cake Kevin practically ate every day and the practical history behind Greece’s tray-baked sweets.

21:15 – Jesus Crust + Athens’ Bakery Boom
The cheeky sourdough bakery Kevin loves, the rise of Athens micro-bakeries + why bread lines can rival the Acropolis.

22:24 – Eating with Socrates + Plato
Breakfast in ancient Athens, the Agora, Mediterranean delicacies, symposium culture + what food tells us about Greek history.

24:39 – Athens Central Market
Why the market is essential to understanding the city and the foods, shops + restaurants radiating around it.

26:03 – A Hidden Athens Classic
The story of Diporto, its two unassuming doors, more than a century of history + troubling news about its future.

28:58 – Kevin’s Stani Obsession
Thick Greek yogurt, golden honey + one old-school Athens dairy Kevin desperately needed to know was still there.

30:18 – Athens Fast Food
Moussaka or fava? Souvlaki or gyro? Dakos or horiatiki? Vivian faces Kevin’s rapid-fire Greek food showdown.

32:25 – CJ Enters the Salad Debate
Horiatiki gets another vote, lettuce gets evicted + Kevin proposes some questionable new podcast merchandise.

33:49 – The Best Fig Kevin Ever Ate
A spontaneous food-tour discovery in Piraeus becomes one of Kevin’s favourite seasonal bites in Greece.

35:16 – Seven Greek Food Tours Later
What Kevin learned after taking multiple food tours across Greece and why travellers deserve more than repeated classics.

37:38 – Shop Like an Athenian
Laiki street markets, stunning produce + why Athens’ everyday neighbourhood markets belong on your itinerary.

39:59 – Kevin’s Athens Favourites
Jesus Crust, Stani, legendary kebabs + some of the places Kevin still has pinned on his Athens food map.

42:27 – A Hotel Built for Food Lovers
Inside Ergon House, where boutique rooms sit above restaurants, gourmet shops, a butcher, fishmonger + cooking experiences.

43:52 – An Unexpected Taste of Damascus
Syrian falafel with an extra-crunchy twist + one tiny restaurant Kevin says deserves a place on your Athens eating itinerary.

45:11 – What to Bring Home from Greece
Olive oil, olives, feta + colourful jars of syrupy spoon sweets worth squeezing into your luggage.

48:14 – Listener Questions
A Greek drink Kevin probably wouldn’t order twice + the city he found easiest to explore without restaurant reservations.

53:02 – Next Stop: Lima
Kevin thanks Vivian and teases ceviche, anticuchos + what it’s really like to eat at Maido, named the number one restaurant in the world.

If you enjoyed traveling and eating with us, make sure to follow the show so you never miss our next stop. And if you have a second, a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review goes a long way in helping more food-obsessed travelers like you find us.

If you’re still hungry, join us on Instagram @ThisCityIsDelicious for extra bites from the road, behind-the-scenes food finds, and a few tasty surprises that didn’t make it into the episode.

And if you know someone who plans their trips around meals not museums, share this episode with them - we’re saving them a seat at the table.

Until our next bite together… travel well, be kind, and eat something you can’t pronounce.

Because remember, This City Is Delicious™.

Eight cities. Countless bites. A few spicy opinions. 

And apparently enough bloopers to prove that launching a podcast is not always as smooth as the perfect custard.

In this special episode of This City Is Delicious, Kevin and CJ are taking a delicious little victory lap through the first eight cities of the podcast.

We’re revisiting the bites that stayed with us, serving up extra recommendations that did not make it into the original episodes, and answering listener questions about food tours, unfamiliar dishes and travelling internationally with cheese.

Kevin also sits down with Amanda Kenner, a food-tour guest he met in Porto, to explore what travellers should expect from a great culinary experience, what makes a tour feel authentic and what happens when a so-called progressive dinner feels a little too random.

Then, it is straight to the cutting-room floor for a blooper reel filled with pronunciation problems, recording-room chaos, tipsy introductions and undeniable proof that Kevin is, indeed, a professional.

Plus, we reveal the next eight delicious cities we are packing our appetites for.

We’re talking:

🍴 Extra recommendations from Cape Town, Barcelona, Singapore, Amman, Buenos Aires, Toronto, Porto + Madrid
🍋 A Madrid pastry so delicious Kevin would book a flight just to eat it again
🌮 Michelin-level tacos hiding in the heart of Barcelona
🥯 Choripán, labneh, chicken rice + some dangerously delicious Toronto sweets
🧳 How to choose a food tour when the options feel overwhelming
🍽️ What separates a great food tour from four random places serving food
🐑 How to handle unfamiliar dishes without offending your guide or host
🧀 Ash-covered cheese, international cheese travel + Kevin’s suitcase strategies
🎙️ Listener questions from Australia, Chicago, Toronto + Nashville
😂 Flubs, fumbles, pronunciation disasters + one unexpectedly musical Alexa

Plus, Kevin shares where the team is headed next - and what cities you need to get hungry for.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Arabic Coffee Has Entered the Chat
Kevin’s tongue takes an early detour before the special episode officially begins

00:15 – Welcome to BEST WE ATE
Eight cities, extra bites, listener questions, food-tour stories + a few recording-room casualties

01:34 – Passports Down, Appetites Up
Kevin and CJ look back at the first eight episodes and the connections created through food

03:47 – The Recommendations We Couldn’t Fit
A rapid-fire second helping of delicious discoveries from around the world

04:03 – Cape Town’s Edible Wonderland
Babylonstoren brings together gardens, vineyards, farm shops + seasonal bites

05:11 – Michelin-Level Tacos in Barcelona
An unexpected Mexican meal proves delicious cities always contain another delicious city

06:08 – Move Into Maxwell Food Centre
Hainanese chicken rice, people-watching + the beautiful buzz of Singapore

06:50 – Kevin’s Labneh Love Affair
Amman serves up creamy, tangy cheese-frosting energy

07:38 – Buenos Aires Between the Bread
Why choripán deserves space beside the empanadas and asado

08:55 – Toronto’s Sweet Side
Nanaimo bars, Eccles cakes, raisins + two desserts worth crossing the city for

11:58 – The Madrid Pastry Emergency
A lemon-curd mascarpone creation inspires immediate flight-booking thoughts

13:34 – Meet Food-Tour Guest Amanda
Kevin introduces the Barcelona-based traveller he met on her first-ever food tour in Porto

14:13 – Booking a Food Tour Without the Jank
Amanda explains what she looked for when choosing a tour as a solo traveller

15:14 – Why Booking Direct Matters
Websites, third-party platforms + the value of knowing who is actually running your experience

16:40 – Strangers, Snacks + Travel Friendships
How solo travel and food tours make it easier to connect around the table

17:13 – Was the Porto Tour Actually Good?
Kevin and Amanda revisit the experience with a more critical culinary lens

18:57 – A Progressive Dinner That Didn’t Progress
Four stops do not necessarily create a thoughtfully coursed evening

19:57 – Remembering the Food
Chicken sausage, craft drinks, bifanas + the bites that survived the memory test

22:27 – Porto Recommendations Redeemed
A favourite pork sandwich and pastel de nata earn their moment

23:47 – Kevin May Have Ruined Amanda
CJ considers whether Amanda will ever be able to take an innocent food tour again

25:18 – Listener Questions Are Served
CJ opens the inbox and Kevin prepares to dish out advice

25:37 – How Do You Find a Great Food Tour?
Fresh websites, meaningful reviews + local recognition help separate the gems from the gimmicks

27:25 – What If You Don’t Like the Food?
Dietary restrictions, unfamiliar flavours + why curiosity is part of the adventure

29:26 – Ashley’s Ash-Covered Cheese Question
Kevin explains the history, flavour and Toronto options behind this dramatic cheese style

31:28 – Can Cheese Travel Internationally?
Hard cheeses, vacuum packs, airport shops + the importance of checking customs regulations

34:20 – Keep the Questions Coming
How listeners can send food-city questions, voice notes + spicy opinions to the show

34:43 – Delicious Bloopers
Arabic coffee, microphone apologies, tipsy introductions + names that refuse to be pronounced

38:00 – The Next Eight We’ll Eat
Melbourne, Taipei, Lima, London, Dubai, Athens, New York + Tokyo are officially on the menu

If you enjoyed traveling and eating with us, make sure to follow the show so you never miss our next stop. And if you have a second, a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review goes a long way in helping more food-obsessed travelers like you find us.

If you’re still hungry, join us on Instagram @ThisCityIsDelicious for extra bites from the road, behind-the-scenes food finds, and a few tasty surprises that didn’t make it into the episode.

And if you know someone who plans their trips around meals not museums, share this episode with them - we’re saving them a seat at the table.

Until our next bite together… travel well, be kind, and eat something you can’t pronounce.

Because remember, This City Is Delicious™.

Madrid doesn’t just serve tapas. It turns eating into a daily ritual, where market counters become meeting places, lunch stretches into the afternoon, and one innocent plate of potatoes can ignite a company-wide culinary feud.

In this episode of This City Is Delicious, Kevin Durkee heads to Spain’s vibrant capital for a delicious debate-filled bite of Madrid with Margit Sperling, Co-Director and Chief Food Officer of Walk and Eat.

Margit has lived in Madrid for nearly 20 years and founded Walk and Eat Food Tours to connect travellers with the neighbourhood markets, family-run businesses, traditional taverns and modern food stories that make the city so special.

Kevin and Margit talk about what makes a great food tour guest, why travellers should book directly with independent operators, and how Madrid’s food culture is being reshaped by immigration, creativity and a new generation of bakers, chefs and culinary entrepreneurs.

They also tackle the important questions.

• Is Botín really worth the hype?
• Does the colour label on jamón matter?
• Should patatas bravas be removed from food tours entirely?
• And is a vinegar-marinated anchovy served on a potato chip one of the greatest one-handed snacks ever invented?
• Spoiler: Kevin and Margit may have formed an anti-bravas alliance.

We’re talking:
🥔 Patatas bravas, personal preferences + one raging company debate
🍫 Freshly fried churros, thick chocolate + how to spot the good stuff
🐖 Botín, roast suckling pig + whether the world’s oldest restaurant is worth the hype
🧀 Spanish cow, sheep + goat cheeses beyond Manchego
🐟 Fried calamari, boquerones en vinagre + the tapas Olympic event
🍖 Jamón serrano, jamón ibérico + what those coloured labels actually mean
🍲 Menú del día, spoon food + the joy of a proper Madrid lunch
🌍 Immigration, global flavours + Madrid’s evolving food story
🛒 Mercado Barceló, Mercado de San Antón + which famous market may be worth only a quick look

Plus, Kevin shares his Madrid market picks, must-pack flavours and why every food traveller should leave one afternoon completely unplanned.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – A Controversial Madrid Take
Patatas bravas, Botín + a taste of the debate ahead

00:25 – Welcome to Madrid
Kevin introduces Spain’s vibrant capital and today’s delicious itinerary

02:09 – Barcelona, Madrid or Sevilla?
CJ asks Kevin to choose his favourite Spanish food city

03:17 – Meet Margit Sperling
The story behind Walk and Eat Spain and Madrid’s neighbourhood food tours

04:50 – An Outsider Becomes an Insider
Margit reflects on nearly 20 years of eating and living in Madrid

06:33 – A City of Barrios
Why the best Madrid food stories live inside its neighbourhoods

07:05 – How to Be a Better Food Tour Guest
Try something new, listen closely and book directly

08:57 – The Churro Rule
Why your churro should be fried in the churrería where you buy it

10:09 – Is Botín Worth the Hype?
Roast suckling pig, Hemingway history + Margit’s booking advice

13:09 – Madrid’s Changing Food Story
Immigration, global flavours + the cuisines reshaping the capital

15:34 – The Three Kingdoms of Spanish Cheese
Cow, sheep, goat + her favourite three cheeses that are not Manchego

18:40 – Markets, Parks + Slowing Down
Kevin makes the case for an unplanned picnic day

19:36 – The Great Patatas Bravas Debate
Margit explains why she refuses to eat Madrid’s famous potatoes

21:19 – Calamari, Russian Salad + Better Fried Things
The dishes Margit would order instead

22:46 – The Olive of the Sea
Boquerones en vinagre meet the perfect salty potato chip

24:20 – Jamón Labels Explained
Serrano, ibérico, pata negra + why quality takes years

26:50 – Margit’s Perfect Madrid Food Day
Tomato toast, bakery treats, menú del día + wine with sparkling water

30:10 – Does Madrid Have Street Food?
Why afternoon snacks belong inside cafés and bars

30:47 – Cheese, Wine + Margit’s Favourite Restaurants
La Carbonera, Bodegas Rivas + ordering everything on the menu

31:27 – The Fast Food Quiz
Churros, olives, brisket, cheese + a dream trip to San Sebastián

33:00 – CJ Defends the Potato
A carb-loving response to Margit and Kevin’s anti-bravas alliance

33:32 – Kevin’s Favourite Madrid Markets
Mercado Barceló, Mercado de San Antón + the truth about San Miguel

35:30 – Madrid’s Must-Pack Eats
Jamón, boquerones, saffron, sea salt + flavours for the suitcase

37:00 – Our Bite of Madrid
A final thank-you to Margit and Walk and Eat Spain

37:40 – Next Up: Best 8 We Ate
Eight cities, bonus bites, guest opinions + listener questions

39:00 – Travel Hungry
The plates are cleared, but the appetite continues

If you enjoyed traveling and eating with us, make sure to follow the show so you never miss our next stop. And if you have a second, a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review goes a long way in helping more food-obsessed travelers like you find us.

If you’re still hungry, join us on Instagram @ThisCityIsDelicious for extra bites from the road, behind-the-scenes food finds, and a few tasty surprises that didn’t make it into the episode.

And if you know someone who plans their trips around meals not museums, share this episode with them - we’re saving them a seat at the table.

Until our next bite together… travel well, be kind, and eat something you can’t pronounce.

Because remember, This City Is Delicious™.

This time, the tables are turned.

In this episode of This City Is Delicious, we’re staying home in Toronto, and our host Kevin Durkee is no longer the one asking all the questions.

Because when the city is Toronto, Kevin is the culinary insider.

So CJ, his Taste Bud + Producer, along with Dan, his Audio Engineer, surprise Kevin and put him in the hot seat for a very special home-grown episode.

Together, they dig into the delicious layers of Toronto: from St. Lawrence Market and handmade dim sum to Canadian cheese, Jamaican beef patties, Kensington Market, neighbourhood food stories, and the global flavours that make this city one of the most exciting places to eat in the world.

Kevin shares the food memories that shaped him, the story behind CHEESEWERKS and Culinary Adventure Co., the Canadian cheeses worth chasing, and the Toronto bites he sends hungry travellers to first.

Then, Kevin welcomes Krista Faist and Katie Bridges from Foodism Toronto, the magazine helping shape and tell the city’s food stories for more than a decade. They talk restaurant openings, iconic dishes, underrated gems, neighbourhoods worth exploring, Michelin, Toronto’s international food scene, and why this city deserves a much bigger seat at the global culinary table.

We’re talking:

🧀 Canadian cheese, CHEESEWERKS + the making of The Big Cheese
🥟 Handmade dim sum, Rol San + Kevin’s ultimate Toronto benchmark
🥓 Peameal bacon sandwiches, St. Lawrence Market + Portuguese custard tarts
☕ Vietnamese coffee, bánh mì + one little café Kevin has been gatekeeping
🥙 Greek bites, Middle Eastern street food + eating Toronto by subway
🍔 Michelin stars, Mexican fire cooking + Toronto’s serious restaurant scene
🍸 Foodism Toronto, perfect cocktails + the dishes worth ordering next
🌏 Immigration, neighbourhoods + why Toronto has the world in one bite
🛒 Local markets, food shops, must-pack eats + Kevin’s favourite food finds

Plus, as always, we share favourite local markets and shops, must-pack eats, and delicious memories to take home.

Because Toronto doesn’t have one signature dish.

It has hundreds of cultures, thousands of stories, and every neighbourhood serves a different passport on a plate.

🎧 Listen now to the Toronto episode of This City Is Delicious.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Cold Open
Kevin gets a taste of his own hot-seat medicine

00:23 – Dan + CJ Take Over
The team reveals Toronto is getting a surprise twist

00:46 – Welcome to Toronto
CJ introduces Kevin’s home city and the episode ahead

03:28 – Kevin Gets Suspicious
A hometown episode starts to feel a little too personal

04:42 – Behind The Big Cheese
Kevin shares the story of his mom, CHEESEWERKS and Culinary Adventure Co.

07:25 – Cheese Talk Incoming
Kevin takes us on a coast-to-coast Canadian cheese journey

12:19 – Eating Toronto In One Day
CJ asks Kevin where to send hungry travellers for a first taste

13:03 – Toronto By Subway
Greek bites, Middle Eastern street food, patties, coffee and ice cream

17:09 – Dim Sum, Markets + Dinner Plans
Rol San, St. Lawrence Market, Quetzal and Danico enter the chat

20:29 – Kevin’s Fast Food Hot Seat
Cortado, patties, tacos, falafel and a very difficult shrimp-and-grits decision

22:04 – Come Taste Toronto
Kevin shares how listeners can join a Culinary Adventure Co. food tour

22:52 – Meet Foodism Toronto
Kevin welcomes Krista Faist and Katie Bridges to the episode

24:30 – Ten Years Of Foodism
Krista and Katie reflect on the magazine’s evolution and Toronto’s food stories

27:10 – Beyond Viral Bites
Why long-form food storytelling still matters in a TikTok world

28:14 – Must-Try Dishes + Drinks
Alouette, Bar Prima, Civil Works, 416 Snack Bar and Bar Pompette

31:15 – Describing Toronto’s Food Scene
International, innovative and much more delicious than its branding

32:14 – Michelin Comes To Toronto
The team talks stars, recognition and Toronto’s place on the global food map

34:49 – Overrated Toronto Trends
Viral croissants, “hidden gems” and dishes that maybe need a little time-out

36:40 – Underrated Toronto Bites
Tacos, burgers, seafood spots and neighbourhood favourites worth seeking out

38:27 – Neighbourhoods To Explore
Little India, College Street, Vietnamese food, Thai food and east-end energy

41:26 – The World In One Bite
Kevin reflects on immigration, memory and the place of taste

43:29 – Wrapping With Foodism
Kevin, Krista and Katie close out the conversation

44:35 – Toronto Markets + Food Shops
St. Lawrence Market, ARZ, The Mercantile, Cumbrae’s, Sanagan’s and Cheese Boutique

47:00 – Must-Pack Eats
Maple syrup, icewine, cookbooks and a copy of Foodism for the road

50:14 – Next Stop: Madrid
A little tease of the next delicious city

If you enjoyed traveling and eating with us, make sure to follow the show so you never miss our next stop. And if you have a second, a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review goes a long way in helping more food-obsessed travelers like you find us.

If you’re still hungry, join us on Instagram @ThisCityIsDelicious for extra bites from the road, behind-the-scenes food finds, and a few tasty surprises that didn’t make it into the episode.

And if you know someone who plans their trips around meals not museums, share this episode with them - we’re saving them a seat at the table.

Until our next bite together… travel well, be kind, and eat something you can’t pronounce.

Because remember, This City Is Delicious™.

Buenos Aires doesn’t just feed you… it pulls up a chair, pours the wine, and keeps you out far too late.

In this episode of This City Is Delicious, Kevin Durkee heads to Argentina’s capital for a big, beautiful bite of Buenos Aires with Lucía Silva of Sherpa Food Tours, a porteña born and raised in the city, and one of the most passionate culinary guides Kevin has ever followed through a neighbourhood.

From glossy medialunas and late-afternoon cortados to sizzling parrillas, handmade pasta, perfect empanadas, and the kind of dulce de leche that should probably come with a warning label, this episode digs into the flavours, traditions, and stories that make Buenos Aires unforgettable.

Kevin and Lucía talk about what it really means to eat in Argentina, why Buenos Aires is so much more than steak, the city’s Italian and immigrant influences, vegetarian life in a meat-loving culture, and the little pink corner in Palermo where Kevin nearly, basically, sort of had dinner with Dua Lipa.

Plus, Kevin shares his own favourite Buenos Aires bites, including one of the best contemporary Jewish meals he’s ever eaten, the empanadas worth crossing town for, and the edible souvenirs to bring home.

We’re talking:

🥩 Argentine beef, parrilla culture + the joy of eating together
🥟 The best empanadas in Buenos Aires and which flavours to order
🍝 Gnocchi Day, pasta bars + Italian influence
🧀 Provoleta, choripán + vegetarian asado survival
🍨 Gelato, dulce de leche + Buenos Aires’ serious sweet tooth
🍷 Torrontés, Malbec + wine tucked safely between the socks
🎶 Dua Lipa, milanesa + one very famous pink corner
🛒 San Telmo Market, must-pack eats + Kevin’s favourite food finds

If you plan your travel around meals, not museums … this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now where ever you find your favourite podcasts
📍Buenos Aires is a city that eats late, talks loudly, pours generously, and makes every table feel like an invitation.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Cold Open
A little Dua Lipa obsession to start

00:16 – Welcome to Buenos Aires
Kevin introduces the city, the episode, and the appetite

02:35 – Meat Talk Incoming
CJ prepares for Argentina’s beefy reputation

03:04 – Diversity Is Always Delicious
Kevin sets up the deeper food story of Buenos Aires

03:49 – Meet Lucía (Lucy) Silva
A porteña, a food guide, and your next local friend

05:22 – Sherpa Food Tours
How Lucy became a culinary guide in Buenos Aires

06:33 – The Dua Lipa Ticket Rescue
When a food tour guide becomes a concert concierge

07:35 – The Little Pink Corner
El Preferido, milanesa, and a very famous pop star

09:57 – Buenos Aires Beyond Steak
Lucy explains the city’s immigrant food influences

10:31 – Gnocchi Day
Why Argentinians eat gnocchi on the 29th

11:18 – The Potato Appreciation Society
Pastel de papa, tortilla de papa, and comfort on a plate

12:15 – Being Vegetarian in Beef Country
Lucy talks asado, veggies, and guiding meat lovers

14:42 – Locro Makes a Comeback
Argentina’s traditional stew gets new life

16:07 – Chacarita, Colegiales + Palermo
The new neighbourhood energy of Buenos Aires

16:23 – What Makes a Porteño
Lucy explains city identity, the port, and Buenos Aires pride

17:41 – A Day in Lucía’s Buenos Aires
Medialunas, mate, bodegón lunches, and slow mornings

18:47 – La Merienda
The beautiful third meal between lunch and dinner

19:19 – Wine, Vinyl + Ice Cream
Dinner, tapeo, Torrontés, and a sweet finish

20:53 – World Cup Energy
Football, Fernet, and millions at the Obelisk

21:37 – Buenos Aires vs. Lima
Food capitals, friendly rivalry, and South American pride

24:02 – Kevin’s Favourite Argentine Flavour
Nino Gordo, fusion, and why Buenos Aires surprised him

25:54 – The Flan Controversy
Lucy's spicy dessert take

27:11 – Fast Food Quiz
Torrontés, San Telmo, choripán, provoleta, markets, and gelato

28:57 – Thank You, Lucía
How to find Sherpa Food Tours and taste Buenos Aires with Lucy

30:08 – CJ Falls for Buenos Aires
Why Lucía’s passion makes the city feel irresistible

30:47 – Great Guides Make Great Tours
Kevin talks food tour magic and meaningful connections

32:28 – Dinner with Dua?
Kevin and CJ invite a pop star to the table

34:17 – Mashuguna
One of Kevin’s best contemporary Jewish meals

38:16 – Empanadas at El Horno
Mondongo, humita, and San Telmo Market glory

39:58 – Merci + Mercado de San Telmo
A French café, buttery quiche, and market wandering

40:41 – Gelato at Rapanui
Buenos Aires’ sweet tooth shows up strong

41:20 – Must-Pack Eats: Mate
A bitter classic worth bringing home

42:08 – Must-Pack Eats: Chimichurri
The suitcase-safe spice blend strategy

43:12 – Must-Pack Eats: Argentine Wine
Malbec, altitude, and bottles between the socks

44:05 – Must-Pack Eats: Dulce de Leche
Sticky, sweet, creamy, and deeply Argentine

45:25 – Next Stop: Toronto
Chinese dumplings, peameal bacon, and a city full of passport flavours

46:00 – Closing Bite
Follow, share, and eat something you can’t pronounce

If you enjoyed traveling and eating with us, make sure to follow the show so you never miss our next stop. And if you have a second, a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review goes a long way in helping more food-obsessed travelers like you find us.

If you’re still hungry, join us on Instagram @ThisCityIsDelicious for extra bites from the road, behind-the-scenes food finds, and a few tasty surprises that didn’t make it into the episode.

And if you know someone who plans their trips around meals not museums, share this episode with them - we’re saving them a seat at the table.

Until our next bite together… travel well, be kind, and eat something you can’t pronounce.

Because remember, This City Is Delicious™.

Porto doesn’t just pour rich fortified wines … it stacks saucy sandwiches, crisps the hot dog, ages the cheese, and charges Kevin one euro for 8g of butter.

In this episode of This City Is Delicious, Kevin Durkee heads to Porto, where the blue tiles shimmer above the Douro, port cellars line the river, bakeries turn out warm eggy confections, and every bite feels steeped in tradition.

Kevin is joined by two voices from Taste Porto: André Apolinário, Co-Founder + CEO, and Paulo Da Rocha Nunes, the guide who led Kevin through the city one unforgettable bite at a time. It’s the boss who builds the tour and the guide who brings it to life. Delicious? Yes. Slightly dangerous? Also yes.

Together, they dig into Porto’s food tour scene, what makes a truly great guest, why curiosity matters, and how meeting Anthony Bourdain made a dream come true, family memories, and human connection can make centuries-old dishes feel brand new.

In this episode:

🧈 Buttergate: Kevin’s most expensive butter ever
🍷 Why Porto is more than port, but also absolutely port
🥪 Francesinha, cachorrinho + the joy of saucy sandwiches
🧀 Portuguese cheese worth building a table around
🔥 Why innards deserve more love
🥐 The case against pastel de nata as Portugal’s only sweet icon
🍽️ Where to eat after the tour, from Gruta to Emotivo
🛒 Bolhão Market, fine food shops + edible souvenirs
🐟 Sardines, white port, olive oil + suitcase snacks

Kevin also shares one of his favourite Porto food tour discoveries, a crunchy, spicy, buttery cachorrinho at Gazella, plus the markets, shops, bottles, tins, and bites worth packing into your own Porto itinerary.

Because Porto doesn’t just feed you … it pours another glass and dares you to stay for one more bite.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Cold Open
Awkward questions + big dreams

00:16 – Welcome to Porto
Kevin sets the table

02:06 – CJ Hasn’t Been North
Porto through Kevin’s eyes

02:17 – Buttergate Begins
The most-expensive butter ever

04:40 – A Hotel Breakfast Worth Remembering
Porto Vella magic

06:20 – Mention Butter
A very buttery CTA

07:03 – Meet Taste Porto
André + Paulo join

08:07 – Porto Then + Now
Tourism, food + change

08:39 – Stories That Stay
Human connection matters

09:41 – Great Food Tour Guests
Curiosity is everything

11:54 – Why Food Before Port
Wine needs something to eat

13:41 – Food Tour Expectations
What makes the experience work

14:56 – Building Better Tours
Research, planning + love

16:31 – Self-Guided Porto
Pandemic pivots + younger travellers

17:34 – The Mystery Ingredient
Why surprise matters

18:42 – Paulo’s Three Words
Curiosity, art + food

19:09 – Finding Great Guides
Personality over résumés

20:23 – Meeting Anthony Bourdain
A dream come true

21:45 – André’s Dream List
More Porto to discover

22:51 – Cheese, Please
Portuguese picks

25:10 – Overrated Porto
Duck rice gets roasted

26:11 – Pastel de Nata Debate
There’s more to sweets

27:38 – Underrated Innards
The good stuff

30:21 – Kevin’s Best Cod
Gruta gets remembered

31:23 – Elevated Porto Eats
Emotivo + wood fire

32:27 – Fast Food Quiz
Port, coffee + hidden gems

34:44 – CJ Needs Port
Post-interview pour

35:01 – Portuguese Kevin?
Taste Porto reflections

35:36 – Food Tour Snobbery
What Kevin looks for

38:10 – Culinary Backstreets
A Porto favourite

39:30 – Gazella Magic
The legendary cachorrinho

43:15 – Bolhão Market
Porto’s famous food hall

44:35 – A Pérola do Bolhão
A fine food shop gem

45:30 – Porto Souvenirs
Sardines, port + olive oil

46:20 – Sardine Strategy
Skip the tourist tins

47:25 – White Port
The bottle to discover

48:15 – Quinta do Vallado
Olive oil worth packing

49:30 – Next Stop: Buenos Aires
Steaks, Malbec + Dua Lipa

If you enjoyed traveling and eating with us, make sure to follow the show so you never miss our next stop. And if you have a second, a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review goes a long way in helping more food-obsessed travelers like you find us.

If you’re still hungry, join us on Instagram @ThisCityIsDelicious for extra bites from the road, behind-the-scenes food finds, and a few tasty surprises that didn’t make it into the episode.

And if you know someone who plans their trips around meals not museums, share this episode with them - we’re saving them a seat at the table.

Until our next bite together… travel well, be kind, and eat something you can’t pronounce.

Because remember, This City Is Delicious™.

Amman doesn’t just feed you … it welcomes you in.

In this episode of This City Is Delicious, Kevin Durkee heads to Amman and chats with Lindsay Nieminen, Co-Founder + Owner of Amman Food Tours, (and fellow Canadian) to explore Jordan’s capital through its local souks, falafel shops, cafés, family-run restaurants, and deep culture of kindness hospitality.

From why breakfast might be the most delicious way to understand Amman, to how dishes like fatteh, falafel, kofta, mansaf, and knafeh carry history, memory, and meaning, this episode is equal parts generous, delicious, and full of heart.

Expect a spicy-hot take on the rise of Western-style latte culture, underrated gems like fatteh, and a reminder that in Jordan, food is never just food. It’s welcome. It’s connection. It’s “sit down, eat more” before you’ve even finished the first plate.

Kevin digs into his own Amman favourites, from Rainbow Street and Souk Jara to the beautiful community restaurant Ezwitti, cardamom coffee, local spices, sticky date molasses, and edible souvenirs worth packing in your carry-on.

And while this episode celebrates the food and people of Jordan, we also recognize the challenges and heartbreak across the wider region. This conversation is rooted in respect, curiosity, and the belief that sharing stories around the table still matters.

In this episode:

• Why Amman deserves more than a quick stopover
• Lindsay’s deeply personal connection to Jordan
• How Amman Food Tours became women-led and purpose-driven
• Fatteh, falafel, kofta, mansaf, shawarma, knafeh, and more
• Overrated latte culture and underrated local breakfasts
• Female-led tourism, hospitality, and the meaning of being a guest
• Rainbow Street, Souk Jara, Ezwitti, and Kevin’s favourite Amman finds
• What edible souvenirs to bring home from Jordan

And, Kevin gets very honest about his Top Chef Middle East & North Africa (Season 3) man crush, why Amman needs more time on your itinerary, and how Jordanian hospitality might just feed your soul as much as your stomach.

Amman … come hungry, leave welcomed.

Chapters

00:00 – Cold Open
Tour-guide love, late-night chaos, and kabob energy

00:17 – Welcome to Amman
Kevin introduces the episode, Lindsay, and Jordan’s delicious capital

02:29 – Kevin + CJ Talk Middle Eastern Food
Favourite dishes, big flavours, and why Amman was so exciting

04:01 – Meet Lindsay Nieminen
Travel writer, Co-Founder of Amman Food Tours, and Jordan storyteller

05:40 – Lindsay’s Jordan Story
A trip, a love story, loss, resilience, and launching Amman Food Tours

07:56 – Women-Led Food Tours
Jumana, female guides, and why women’s voices matter in Jordanian tourism

10:29 – Hospitality + Ezwitti
Generosity, pay-it-forward meals, and what it means to be a guest in Jordan

12:29 – Bedouin Culture + Zarb
Desert traditions, pit barbecue, and food beyond Amman

13:49 – What Surprises Guests Most
Kofta with tahini sauce and the dishes people don’t expect to love

14:48 – Mansaf Matters
Jordan’s must-eat dish, lamb, tradition, and eating with your hands

16:58 – Lindsay’s First Bite Back
Fatteh, crispy bread, chickpeas, toppings, and breakfast obsession

17:48 – Amman’s Changing Food Scene
Local ingredients, young chefs, farm-to-table dining, and new flavours

19:02 – Chef Crushes
Chef Ali Ghzawi, Dara Dining by Sara Aquel, and women leading Jordan’s food scene

20:31 – Overrated vs Underrated
• Latte culture 👀
• Fatteh, the local bite more travellers need to try

23:14 – The Falafel Debate
Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, and why fresh falafel always wins

24:14 – A Perfect Food Day in Amman
Hashem, falafel, hummus, fatteh, fool, mint tea, and a very full table

25:35 – Lunch Outside the City
Carob House, Madaba, farm-to-table cooking, and a female chef

27:10 – Afternoon Snacks
Street shawarma, falafel sandwiches, and finding the local lineup

27:39 – Dinner in Amman
Dara Dining, Tawaheen Al Hawa, family-style mezze, and mixed grill

28:28 – Drinks with a View
Rainbow Street, rooftop bars, Jordanian wine, and the Citadel skyline

29:03 – Fast Food Quiz
Arabic coffee, hummus, tomatoes, knafeh, Bekdash, and tabbouleh

31:04 – Kevin + CJ Recap Amman
Food tours, love stories, women-led tourism, and feeding the soul

32:23 – Chef Ali Moment
Kevin’s Top Chef crush and why he needs to return to Amman

33:23 – Rainbow Street + Souk Jara
Nightlife, cafés, grills, markets, spices, dates, figs, and local energy

34:55 – Rumi Café + Middle Eastern Flavours
Rose cake, saffron, pistachios, cardamom, figs, and sweet café moments

36:45 – Ezwitti Deep Dive
The kindness wall, community meals, and food as support

38:30 – Take-Home Amman
Za’atar, sumac, date molasses, local honey, and cardamom coffee

41:51 – Final Bite + What’s Next
Next stop: Porto

Before we take a big bite into this delicious episode, I wanted to acknowledge the moment we are in. 

At the time of this recording, there's conflict and uncertainty across the region. 

This episode isn't going to ignore that reality, but rather honouring the resilient people, the cultures, the kitchens and community that exist alongside.

If you enjoyed traveling and eating with us, make sure to follow the show so you never miss our next stop. And if you have a second, a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review goes a long way in helping more food-obsessed travelers like you find us.

If you’re still hungry, join us on Instagram @ThisCityIsDelicious for extra bites from the road, behind-the-scenes food finds, and a few tasty surprises that didn’t make it into the episode.

And if you know someone who plans their trips around meals not museums, share this episode with them - we’re saving them a seat at the table.

Until our next bite together… travel well, be kind, and eat something you can’t pronounce.

Because remember, This City Is Delicious™.