Epicurious Travel

Epicurious Travel and You. Chefs...Pack Your Knives

Are you a fan of Bravo TV's "Top Chef" or "Hell's Kitchen" on the FOX channel? Has the cooking bug bitten you? Are you curious to find out more?

How about a culinary resort for your next vacation? Or some time spent taking a class on gourmet cooking? Not feeling that ambitious? Then a gourmet vacation - meals included, might be more to your liking.

Let's start with the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont, US.

With it's 27 year history, small classes and celebrated restaurants, graduates gain all the skills necessary to excel in the highly competitive culinary field.

With a 15 week residency and a 15-week, 450-hour paid internship, the Certificate of Professional Cooking can lead you from a vacation or sabbatical break, to a new career or even to NECI’s Associates Degree in Culinary Arts. There are four enrollments throughout the year - in January, April, July, and October. Other shorter-term classes and classes online are also available. Perfect for a gourmet vacation with a little "work" thrown in!

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Please visit the new Country Vacations & Resorts web site for more in-depth information on rural vacation destinations.

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Treat yourself with a stay at the nearby Castle Hill Resort in Ludlow, Vermont. Their 3-night package for 2 includes:

3 nights in a Castle King guest room

Chilled champagne and chocolates in room upon arrival

Gourmet continental breakfast for two each morning

Romantic 4-course dinner for two on one evening of your choice

25-minute massage treatments, one per person at the Castle's Spa

Guest rooms will not disappoint with their attractive fireplaces, whirlpool tubs and period furnishings. A Historic Hotel of America, Castle Hill Resort also offers freestanding luxury homes with guranteed privacy, spacious and multiple rooms, and gourmet kitchens.

Visit the resort's web site, for further information or reservations.

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Le Cordon Bleu - French for "Blue Ribbon"....

Up for a little European culinary adventure? How about a visit to Le Cordon Bleu - with it's philosophy - the Art of Living Well.

Le Cordon Bleu classes can be of short duration lasting from a few hours to a few days. You will still have access to world class chefs and will be able to quickly take your skills to the next level. Both certificate and diploma programs are available.

Along with their main Paris campus, Le Cordon Bleu also conducts classes via campuses in London, Ottawa, Seoul, Kobe, Tokyo, and Adelaide and Sydney in Australia.

Stay in Paris at the Hôtel Fouquet's Barrière. Luxurious rooms and a gourmet restaurant, all within the heart of the city.

A 3 night stay for two includes:

An Executive Junior Suite with view over the Champs Elysées

Bottle of chilled champagne in suite upon arrival

American breakfast for two each morning

3-course dinner for two on any evening of your choice at Le Diane restaurant

Unlimited access to spa facilities

Private butler service

I don't know about you but I am ready to go! Check in here at the hotel's web site.

There are literally thousands of situations and locations for gourmet and epicurean travel. From one-on-one classes in private homes to full-blown degree and certificate programs at world reknown culinary institutes. The Castle Hill Resort and the Hôtel Fouquet's Barrière online brochures will get you seriously thinking about a gourmet or epicurean focused vacation.

Below are the Top Five Food Cities according to Food & Wine Magazine - additional ideas for your next gourmet vacation, and our next reviews!

1.   Tokyo
2.   Barcelona
3.   Copenhagen
4.   London
5.   New York

More to come soon but while you wait, please get yourself a free copy of the Bordeau Wine Newsletter.

Or, find out more about Michelin Stars, how and why they are awarded to restaurants, and why chefs covet them.

Enjoy!

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