California

Some people plan a whole coastal trip around a single sweet stop, and along the central California shore,…

By Evan Cook · Aug 30

Some restaurants keep the lights on for a decade or two and call it a good run. One…

By Evan Cook · Aug 30

California has miles of coastline, and some of the best seafood spots sit right on the piers, with…

By Evan Cook · Aug 30

There is a small shop tucked into a quiet Sacramento neighborhood where the line forms before the doors…

By Evan Cook · Aug 30

Tri-tip is a California thing, and nobody does it quite like the roadside spots that fire up their…

By Evan Cook · Aug 30

California has more than 800 miles of coastline, and some of the best seafood is not found in…

By Evan Cook · Aug 30

There is a corner in Los Angeles where movies still flicker to life the way they did a…

By Evan Cook · Aug 29

Tucked into the busiest shopping stretch of downtown Los Angeles sits a take-out window that regulars have trusted…

By Evan Cook · Aug 29

Tamales and the holidays go together in California like fog and the morning. Every December, families across the…

By Evan Cook · Aug 29

Clam chowder along the California coast is more than a bowl of soup. It is a reason to…

By Evan Cook · Aug 29

Long before the palm-tree logo showed up on highways across the West, a burger empire began inside a…

By Evan Cook · Aug 29

Good pastrami is one of those foods that feels simple until you taste the real thing. California has…

By Evan Cook · Aug 29

A little valley town about an hour and a half north of Los Angeles hides a sweet spot…

By Evan Cook · Aug 28

Some meals are worth a detour, and a few are worth a full hour behind the wheel with…

By Evan Cook · Aug 28

Some road trips are built around a single bowl of soup, and this one has drawn travelers off…

By Evan Cook · Aug 28

Tucked among the warehouses of an unassuming Bakersfield neighborhood sits a restaurant where a simple lunch order can…

By Evan Cook · Aug 28

Tucked into the winding curves of the Santa Monica Mountains sits a former general store that has quietly…

By Evan Cook · Aug 28

A narrow, winding highway hugs the Northern California coast, twisting past cattle country and quiet water until it…

By Evan Cook · Aug 28

California runs on coffee, and some of the best cups do not come from big chains with long…

By Evan Cook · Aug 27

A relish tray is one of those simple restaurant traditions that almost disappeared. It shows up before your…

By Evan Cook · Aug 27

Somewhere along the winding stretch of California State Route 1, there is a town where the pace drops…

By Evan Cook · Aug 27

California has a reputation for sky-high home prices, so the idea of buying a house for under $200,000…

By Evan Cook · Aug 27

A narrow alley in San Francisco’s Chinatown hides one of the city’s most charming little traditions, and plenty…

By Evan Cook · Aug 27

Some meals have been passed down through generations, served the same way for nearly a century. In Southern…

By Evan Cook · Aug 27

Some hot dog spots in California have been slinging the same beloved dogs for generations, and people keep…

By Evan Cook · Aug 26

Some of the best seafood in San Francisco is not hiding behind white tablecloths or a fancy dress…

By Evan Cook · Aug 26

California might be famous for tacos and avocado toast, but the state has quietly built a serious barbecue…

By Evan Cook · Aug 26

Tucked into the hills above Sonoma wine country sits a 3,900-acre stretch of quiet that most travelers drive…

By Evan Cook · Aug 26

Some drives are worth taking just for a cold, creamy treat at the end. Out in the Coachella…

By Evan Cook · Aug 26

About two hours from the concrete grid of Los Angeles, the air turns cooler, the roads start to…

By Evan Cook · Aug 26

Some downtowns feel built for rushing through. Others practically beg you to slow down, park the car, and…

By Evan Cook · Aug 25

Carne asada is one of those foods that turns a quick lunch into a full-on road trip. All…

By Evan Cook · Aug 25

A working lighthouse still blinks over a rocky Northern California cliff, and you can actually book a bed…

By Evan Cook · Aug 25

Some families measure the passing years in birthday candles. Others measure them in trips to a certain Oakland…

By Evan Cook · Aug 25

Some breakfast spots build a following so loyal that people plan whole trips around a single meal. On…

By Evan Cook · Aug 25

California may be known for trends, but some of its best burgers come from places that have barely…

By Evan Cook · Aug 25

California has a reputation for being expensive, but not every coastal or lakeside town comes with a mansion…

By Evan Cook · Aug 24

There is a spot in northern California where water pours 129 feet down a rocky wall, and much…

By Evan Cook · Aug 24

Sometimes the best meals hide in the towns you would normally speed past on the highway. Along Interstate…

By Evan Cook · Aug 24