Worcester native Geoffrey Zakarian is a renowned restaurateur and author who has been featured on numerous Food Network shows, including “Chopped’’ and “The New Iron Chef.’’ He is cohost of “The Kitchen,’’ and host of “Cooks vs. Cons,’’ on which two professional chefs and two amateur chefs square off in a cooking competition. Zakarian, 57, who can’t get enough of the beautiful Caribbean island St. Barthelemy, lives in Manhattan with his wife, Margaret, and their three children. We caught up with the celebrity chef, who has restaurants in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Florida, and California, to talk about all things travel.
Favorite vacation destination? I can never get enough of St. Barth. It’s essentially Paris with sand, and what could be better than that? You land on this tiny runway at an airport, 10 steps from the runway to the car park. Driving in an open air Jeep, you are at your hotel or villa in a few minutes time and already the stress of the Northeast feels miles behind. I also love that this island takes pride in its food and sense of hospitality. For me, a vacation is not just sitting on the beach day in and day out. I need places to go, things to see, a town hangout to sit and have a cigar. . . . It’s authentic there — nothing corporate or pre-fab about it.
Favorite food or drink while vacationing? When I am sitting at a beachside restaurant, a grilled piece of fresh fish with herbs and lemon along with a chilled bottle of rosé wine is what I always order. Another reason to love St. Barth [is] the wide variety of rosé wine on all the menus. Again, that French sensibility. . . . What is a good meal without a good wine list to go along with it?
Where would you like to travel to but haven’t? I am desperate to go to Japan with my wife. All of my chef friends who have been there tell us how extraordinary the food culture is and how the different perspective on ingredients translates to the dining experience. I also have a deep respect for the dedication Japanese chefs have toward their craft and the techniques needed to cook and prepare food for that type of cuisine.
One item you can’t leave home without when traveling? People always ask me if I travel with a favorite chef’s knife, and to this I respond: pretty much never. I can work with any knife as long as it is sharp. I do not get too hung up on certain fancy tools or cooking instruments, and overall I am actually a pretty light packer. But one thing I always bring with me is my Bose noise-canceling headphones. These days, the airplane is the only time I really get to take a breather, so the headphones act as my insurance that no loud snorer will disrupt my few precious hours of peace. However, when I arrive to the airport, I load up on newspapers, magazines, and any other reading material I can get my hands on. Sometimes, the weight of that is more than my bag.
Aisle or window? Always the aisle. Always. I like to be in control of all aspects of my own situation and surroundings. Thinking about someone next to me in the aisle seat even while replying to this gives me slight anxiety. I prefer to have bathroom breaks as needed on my own schedule.
Favorite childhood travel memory? I grew up in Worcester and as a treat, my parents would drive my sister, brother, and me to Cape Cod. I fell in love with this idyllic destination. I know now that I was living a quintessential American summer, but then I didn’t realize the luck of it all. It was geographical fate — we lived fairly close, we had a car, and we loved the shore. It is also where I developed my affinity for fried clam rolls. I realize now that a trip back to Cape Cod needs to go on the to-do list!
Guilty pleasure when traveling? I love hotel living and, consequently, I love the guilty pleasure of room service for breakfast. It feels like such a luxury and indulgence. I don’t know why, but every time I am in a hotel, I have to order room service, even when it would be faster and much cheaper to go downstairs. I simply cannot resist it. In addition, I always order about 50 percent more than we need. It’s that innate Middle Eastern sensibility — I may get stuck with not enough, so we better have more on hand. So yes, I must admit, I stockpile food for breakfast on my room service order, especially when the kids are traveling with us.
Best travel tip? I already told you: Fly to St. Barth in the aisle seat with noise-canceling headphones, seek out a fried clam roll, fresh fish, and rosé on the beach, and then load up on room service breakfast the next morning. OK, for real, here are two of my best travel tips: Book the earliest flight that you can to your destination and dress up, not down. You will arrive feeling fabulous and looking great. Bon voyage!
JULIET PENNINGTON
