“Travel changes you. As you move through this life you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life – and travel – leaves marks on you.” – Anthony Bourdain

I started Epicurean Exchange Culinary Travel in October 2014 when I invited a group of 8 traveling guinea pigs to join me in Paris for a 2-week homestay and food adventure. A friend offered her large home in the Paris suburb of Sceaux, about a 30-minute train ride from central Paris. I had never been to Paris. I dreamed of traveling and cooking and teaching in faraway places.

My goal of this first trip was simple: to live together in a common home; shop, cook and eat; explore and seek out adventure. I had arranged for a couple of organized walking and market tours, but not much more than that. For a full 2-weeks, every day we woke up, ventured to the local bakery in the village center for croissants and café crème, and loosely planned our day! Some would venture off on their own and then we would meet up for a shared meal. We cooked together a lot in our home kitchen, just experimenting with local produce and ingredients. When we tired of cooking, we would try a variety of fine restaurants and bistros – great local flavors and flair.

Since that inaugural adventure over 6 years ago, we have organized and presented 17 culinary travel weeks to 4 regional destinations in France; 5 custom tours in Italy; 2 in Spain, and 1 spectacular tour of New Orleans, having visited 6 times. We have traveled with food-adventurers from all over the US, from the West: California, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming; to the Mid and Mountain-West: Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio; and from the South: Louisiana and South Carolina. All from varied walks of life, but with one thing in common: a love of travel, culture, food, wine and meeting new friends.

We have met hundreds of incredible partners, guides, leaders, and local folks in small medieval villages and large metropolitan cities. We have attended amazing market-to-table hands-on cooking classes, making pasta, paella, gelato, and macarons! We have shared countless meals in some of the best corner bistros and the best Michelin-starred restaurants. Together we have cooked an endless array of amazing meals in our “home” kitchens; working together to create some of the best meals many of us had ever had! We share a home with those who are initially strangers, but in the end become wonderful friends!

This is all what I envisioned my travel company to be, and it had become exactly what I had hoped for. The pandemic of 2020 put a stop to our travels and presented a worldwide situation none of us could have ever anticipated. During this lost year, I pivoted to other activities, but also found time to anticipate and build for the future.

With Epicurean Exchange Culinary Travel, this is what you can expect:

(1) Our trips are always boutique in nature; small groups, with no more than 12 guests per tour.

(2) We stay in exclusive 5-star villas, private homes, and other boutique hotels; most with private ensuite baths.

(3) We “live” at our destinations, getting to know the locals and the flavor of their culture through small, intimate walks, tours and visits.

(4) We take part in custom, off-the-beaten-path experiences, including cooking classes, wine tastings, and farm visits. We seek out the best of the best to truly understand the soul of a culture and the people who create and live in their unique places in the world.

(5) We offer once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences for those who may have traveled the world, but are ready to share a full-service experience without all the planning and decision-making that travel often requires. We anticipate our client’s interests and strive to create itineraries that engage, entertain, and excite!

(6) We are always looking for new travel opportunities and occasions for our travelers to learn and grow.

(7) Although food and wine are usually how we begin and end our days, we do like to include other cultural elements in all of our tours.

(8) And, although cooking is certainly a major focus of our tours, no kitchen experience is necessary. All we ask for is a willingness to participate. And, we can’t promise to make you a master chef in one week, but you will learn A LOT and take home lasting memories of our time together.

(9) Our tours are all-inclusive, from the time we meet at the designated airport until we drop you off for your departures, everything is arranged and included.

(10) Our tours are a travel value and have some of the highest-rated reviews from our repeat clients (some who have travelled with us for up to 6 times) and who are some of the most well-travelled and experienced globe-trotters.

For 2021, and as part of post-pandemic planning, we are going to be posting our 6 most popular itineraries. We will offer an introduction to the destination, our accommodations, and present a day-to-day itinerary for each, which will give you an idea of what to expect. The itineraries will not include actual travel dates yet as we are still working with our partners in destination countries to learn about relaxation of travel restrictions and to comply with all the protocols to travel safely.

At this point, we are planning to re-connect with our travelers who have canceled or postponed travel with us and simply collect contact information for those interested in travel with us in the future. Our eventual travel options will be safe and travel-friendly; small, tested, covid-free groups, living in a common home in small villages and taking part in controlled activities to ensure travel safely and confidence. Let us know if you would be interested in joining us when it is safe to do so. We would welcome you to the future of Epicurean Exchange and our culinary travel experiences!

We will be launching our NEW travel site shortly, in the meantime, some information is available on our current site: Epicurean Exchange.

Or, you can simply check in with Chef Charlie via phone or email.