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This Florida City Was Just Named the No. 1 Food Destination in the U.S.--Here's Where to Eat, According to a Local

  //travel-leisure.news-articles.net/content/2025/ .. -s-here-s-where-to-eat-according-to-a-local.html
  Published in Travel and Leisure on Monday, September 29th 2025 at 7:21 GMT by Travel + Leisure
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Travel + Leisure’s Take on the Nation’s Foodiest Cities: A Snapshot of WalletHub’s 2023 List

For food lovers, a trip to the United States can feel less like a vacation and more like a culinary expedition. When WalletHub released its 2023 “Best Food Cities in America” list, the travel media ecosystem erupted with coverage that ranged from the glitzy and gourmet to the humble and hidden. Travel + Leisure took a keen interest and published a feature that distilled the list into a digestible guide for readers. The article—found at travelandleisure.com—offers readers a quick‑look overview of the methodology WalletHub used, a rundown of the top cities, and a handful of tantalizing tidbits that showcase why each place stands out.

How WalletHub Determined the Foodiest Cities

The first section of the Travel + Leisure article spends a few paragraphs breaking down WalletHub’s metrics. The ranking isn’t a simple “number of restaurants” count; instead, it blends quantitative data (e.g., per‑capita restaurant density, average restaurant rating) with qualitative factors such as the presence of nationally recognized chefs, the diversity of cuisines, and the overall food culture of a city. WalletHub also looked at ancillary data—like the number of food festivals, farmers’ markets, and specialty food stores—to paint a fuller picture of a city’s culinary vitality.

Travel + Leisure notes that WalletHub’s data came from a mix of publicly available statistics, restaurant review aggregators (like Yelp and TripAdvisor), and local food‑industry reports. The final algorithm weighted the data so that a city with a robust food scene but a smaller population could still rank highly—a nod to places like Asheville, North Carolina, or Portland, Oregon, that are celebrated for their vibrant food cultures but aren’t the biggest metros in the country.

The Top Ten (and More)

While the original WalletHub list contained 30 or 40 cities (depending on the version), the Travel + Leisure article zeroed in on the “must‑visit” ten and gave each one a brief spotlight. The article is structured as a quick‑read list, with each city paired with a sentence or two about its signature eats and what makes it a top culinary destination.

Below is a recap of the highlighted cities and the key points Travel + Leisure chose to emphasize:

Travel + Leisure also gave a quick nod to a few other cities that appeared on WalletHub’s list but fell outside the top ten. Asheville, Charleston, and Seattle each earned a “notable mention” thanks to their unique food identities—whether it’s Asheville’s blue‑grass bourbon bar scene, Charleston’s Lowcountry seafood, or Seattle’s iconic coffee culture and Pacific‑Northwest produce.

Why the Rankings Matter for Food Tourists

A major point Travel + Leisure makes is that these rankings are not just bragging rights for the cities—they’re a practical resource for travelers who want to prioritize culinary experiences. The article suggests that the list can serve as a “roadmap” for a month‑long U.S. foodie adventure: you could start in Chicago, hop to New York for a culinary sprint through its many neighborhoods, then wind down in the West with San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The article also stresses that the Food Cities list is dynamic. Cities invest in food‑industry infrastructure, new chefs move in, and culinary trends evolve. WalletHub updates its methodology annually, and Travel + Leisure encourages readers to revisit the list if they plan a long‑term food tour, as new cities may climb the rankings while others drop.

A Few Insider Tips

Beyond the rankings, Travel + Leisure sprinkled in a handful of insider tips—some drawn from the article’s author and others pulled from the linked WalletHub data. A few that stood out include:

1. Timing Matters – Many of the top cities host signature food festivals (e.g., the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Chicago Food Hall’s “Taste of Chicago” week). Visiting during these events can give you a concentrated dose of a city’s culinary spirit.
2. Look Beyond the Main Streets – The article encourages readers to explore “hidden gem” eateries found in less‑traveled neighborhoods. For instance, Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood offers authentic Mexican taquerias that rival any tourist hotspot.
3. Local Markets Are Goldmines – In cities like Philadelphia and Seattle, farmers’ markets are often more than just shopping venues—they’re culinary communities where you can taste fresh produce and talk to growers.
4. Embrace the Food Truck Culture – Austin and Portland lead the way in food‑truck innovation, offering a portable way to sample multiple cuisines in a single outing.

Wrapping Up

In essence, the Travel + Leisure piece functions as a “cheat sheet” that distills WalletHub’s comprehensive food‑city data into actionable, bite‑size insights. It captures the excitement behind the rankings and offers a narrative that’s accessible to the everyday reader—whether they’re planning a culinary tour or simply want to know where the next great pizza or bowl of gumbo awaits. The article’s easy‑to‑read format, combined with a clear breakdown of each city’s standout flavors, makes it a handy companion for anyone with a craving for American cuisine.