2020 is the year to finally ban these words from conversations about food

View this email in your browser Hello everyone, The start of a new year (and a new decade) is a time to look forward. Assistant food and drink editor Elisabeth Sherman is looking forward with a promise to stop using certain phrases when describing food. The list includes terms like "clean" and "detox," as well as the concept of a "superfood." Restrictive language, she writes, makes food utilitarian and detracts from the experience of learning about different cultures and connecting with others over a meal. The start of a new year is also a time to look back. The Matador staff put their heads together to make a list of our favorite food cities of the 2010s. Charleston, Denver, and Houston made the list, as did five others. A lot about restaurant culture and the way we eat changed in the past 10 years, and it's exciting to look forward at how those changes will influence the next 10 years. Happy New Year, Nickolaus Hines, food and drink editor FOOD + DRINK 5 ways I refuse to describe food in 2020 The restrictive language people use to talk about food these days is especially poisonous when its deployed during travel. To be clear, there's nothing wrong with people who choose to diet on vacation. However, these terms detract from what makes eating unfamiliar food a powerful experience while traveling: Food can be a conduit through which we can connect and empathize with our fellow humans, learn about their history and traditions, and ultimately find common ground. Denying yourself that eye-opening, life-changing experience because the latest lifestyle trend considers food nothing more than a tool to make you thin would be a tragedy. DON'T DESCRIBE FOOD THIS WAY LATEST ARTICLES   FOOD + DRINK Our favorite food cities of the past decade   FOOD + DRINK The defining moments that changed the food industry every year of the 2010s   FOOD + DRINK How to eat salmon without hurting the environment   BEER How a 500-year-old law makes German beer what it is today   NEWS Carbonized bread and fish sauce: Eat like a doomed Pompeiian at this London restaurant MATADOR CITY GUIDE TRIP PLANNING Where to eat in Atlanta You can count on one thing in Atlanta: You will not go hungry. The city's food scene has exploded in the last five to 10 years, with new innovative eateries popping up all the time as locals scramble to sample the latest flavor. Much like its transplant population, the eats here are ever evolving and diverse. Yes, you'll find Southern influences on menus (shrimp and grits, fried chicken, pimento cheese, etc.), but you'll also find restaurants inspired by the cuisines of France, Spain, Italy, Mexico, India, and Japan, not to mention plenty of farm-to-table contemporary American cuisine. Perhaps the best displays of the city's varied fare are at its popular food halls, Krog Street Market and Ponce City Market, where just about any craving can be satisfied. Thanks to the popularity of the Atlanta Eastside Beltline Trail, a new rails-to-trails walking/biking path, much restaurant development has been focused in the Old Fourth Ward and Inman Park neighborhoods, where diners can use the path to bounce from one spot to another. That's not to say the rest of the city isn't worth exploring for food. The whole city is dense with exceptional restaurants, not to mention shops, art galleries, cocktail bars, and pubs, so pick a food spot that sounds delicious and then explore the area around it. EXPLORE ATLANTA FOOD ADVENTURE Shinrin Yoku: The Art of Forest Bathing Stuck swiping Insta every day? The practice of "forest bathing" can change your life. Unplug with Mike and Kati on an ancient Japanese trail, learning the creative and health benefits on Shinrin Yoku. WATCH THE FILM FOLLOW US AND FIND YOUR NEXT #TRAVELSTOKE Copyright © 2020 Matador Network, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website. Our mailing address is: Matador Network PO Box 7775 #40021 San Francisco, CA 94120 Add us to your address book Need to change something? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from our newsletter. We'll be here when you need us!