On Butter and Bourdain

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Strange but true: The French travel to another country to buy the best butter they can find. And we have a chef on record to tell us where.

But before we get there, this week’s episode of Travel Genius gets competitive in a way that has little to do with the dings of the hotel bell. We’re talking about an entire subculture of people whose mission is, quite simply, to go everywhere—and to check the most obscure boxes off their bucket lists faster than anyone else. It’s travel not for relaxation, but as competitive sport. And yes, there are clear winners and losers.

The real winner of this week’s episode, however, is chef Eric Ripert—the toque behind New York’s three-Michelin-starred Le Bernardin—whose genius tips relate as much to shopping as they do to food. Want to find the best cookbook store in the world? It might be hiding right under your nose (it was hiding under ours). Looking to make a big-ticket splurge? Consider where you swipe your plastic—there are ways it can also fund your next vacation. And if you want the best butter in the world (or pastries made with it), you’ll have to book a ticket roughly 400 miles from Paris. (Hint: you’ll be heading not to another country, but a neighboring principality.)

Of course, one of the most unique things about Ripert’s adventures is how many of them he spent with his late, great friend, Anthony Bourdain; his stories about their mutual travels and the quieter—even silent—times they shared make this week’s episode a listen unlike any other. 

If you’re left wanting to share your own travel genius moments, give us a shout on Twitter, via email, or by phone at (646) 324-3490. The best of the bunch might just make it onto a future episode.
 

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