Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Brooke Williamson
As expected, "Top Chef" winner Brooke Williamson is quite the foodie. "I'm a fan of anything that tastes yummy," says Williamson, 38. "I don't care where it comes from -- street cart or restaurant." Based in the South Bay of Los Angeles, the chef says she finds inspiration in her food creations during her travels. Fans may follow her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ChefBrookeW/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/ChefBrookeW), where she posts about her trips, meals and family.
Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?
A. Somewhere I've never been. In most recent memory, Tulum, Mexico. I'd recommend Tulum's Mayan clay massages. They are not to be missed. And the cocktails.
Q. Have you traveled to a place that stood out so much that you felt compelled to incorporate it into your work?
A. Everywhere I travel gets incorporated into my work. I've been inspired by a lot of cities like Louisville, which I didn't know I'd be inspired by. I was pleasantly blown away by their food scene. The mescal bars in the Yucatan have made Nick and I want to open a mescal bar, but that's a future possibility. Hopefully, it will happen one day. Hawaii has also played a big part in our cuisine and menus. We recently opened a Hawaiian restaurant called Da Kikokiko, because we love the island so much and the food there.
Q. Where did you enjoy your favorite meal?
A. I would have to say I have had a lot of really nice, memorable meals. Specifically, on my wedding day in Los Angeles, my husband, Nick, and I catered our own wedding and didn't have time to eat all day. But we had the In-N-Out truck stop by at midnight. Sharing animal fries together was one of the best memories ever.
Q. How does traveling impact the menu you create?
A. I take inspiration from every meal I eat, whether it's from my hometown or someone else's. I don't feel like I have to travel across the world to be inspired. Sometimes it happens at the hole-in-the-wall down the street. I will say, though, that every time I travel somewhere new, it makes me think of cooking in a different way.
Q. People often cite Paris as a place to get amazing food. What other cities are great for foodies?
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