PROVIDENCE — Picture this: You’re planning a trip to another part of the world, and your favorite chef gives you a list of places to try there. You trust their advice, and are looking forward to trying their suggestions, from places to grab dessert, to hole-in-the-wall spots to grab a glass of wine.
Now imagine they are actually with you on that trip, connecting you with locals, touring farms, and learning about the history and culture of a different place alongside a chef you trust and admire.
That kind of dream vacation is what Bethany Hodge, the head of product for Club Adventures, has created along with chefs, sommeliers, and restaurant owners from around Rhode Island. Club Adventures, which is part of AAA’s small group adventure tour operator, has designed a series of intimate and exclusive tours around the world that visit the destinations, wineries, and restaurants that continue to inspire them and their own menus.
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These tours begin in early August, kicking off with a four-day New York City food adventure with a focus on modern mixology, which will be led by Jen Davis of The Eddy in Providence. Brendan Kennedy, the operations manager at Proclamation Ale Company, is leading a tour through Brussels and Munich for Oktoberfest. Chef Luke Mersfelder (formerly of Bywater) and his wife Britt Simons (of The Eddy) will be hosting an eight-day trip through Basque country where you’ll get to check out works by Warhol at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, taste the tannins of Spain’s famed wine regions, and eat oysters and escargot in France.
Joaquin Meza, the co-owner of Dolores, will lead an eight-day trip through Mexico City to sample churros and tacos, to then head to Puebla and Oaxaca for small-batch Mezcal and a tasting of various moles. Meza’s mother, Maria Meza, was recently named a James Beard finalist for the Best Chef: Northeast award.
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Ben Sukle, the chef and owner of Oberlin and Gift Horse, will be leading an eight-day journey through Slovenia, Italy, and Croatia. You could find yourself on a goat farm, eating from street vendors, and sampling strudel and fritaja. Robert Andreozzi, the co-owner of Pizza Marvin, is leading a wine-heavy trip through Porto, the coastal city of Aveiro (known as the Venice of Portugal), and will end by crossing the border into Spain for a stop at the fishing village of Combarro.
Hodge told me the idea of these exclusive food tours came to her during a conversation with Bethany Caliaro, a sommelier at Oberlin and Gift Horse, ahead of a trip to Mexico City. Caliaro, she said, had just returned from a trip there and gave her a list of places to go.
“Every suggestion on her list brought Mexico City to life. And they were things that I wouldn’t have known to look for,” said Hodge. “It made me think: ‘I would follow Bethany anywhere in the world.’”
Caliaro, who also co-owns Gift Horse, will be leading a 10-day trip through Sicily, where she’ll walk visitors through food street traditions, teach them how to fish like a “true” Sicilian, and taste incredible wines throughout the region.
Each chef, bartender, and business owner has been involved in curating their own itineraries. Each tour has a group maximum of 12 to 35 people.
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The final tour is scheduled for the end of October, with Maria Lawton of Rhode Island PBS’ “Maria’s Portuguese Table” taking guests through the flavors of Azores. Think of this as your opportunity to taste volcanically influenced wines, visit a pineapple plantation, and learn how to make your own ceramics at a pottery factory.
“Having the insight and guidance of a food professional could really turn a trip into something memorable,” said Hodge, who said she will begin planning tours for 2025 soon. “Who better to curate and lead these tours than the chefs that are literally putting Rhode Island’s restaurant scene on the map?”
This story first appeared in The Food Club, a free weekly email newsletter about Rhode Island food and dining. Already a member of the club? Check your inbox for more news, recipes, and features in the latest newsletter. Not a member yet? If you’d like to receive it via e-mail each Thursday, you can sign up here.
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.