For the most part, travel was back to normal in 2021, which meant a return to our usual form of finding the best food and drink wherever we go. The following is our list of the best things we ate and drank, plus some shoutouts to our favorite lodging locations during the year in travel.

Best Food (Ordered chronologically)
1. Crab Rangoon Pizza – Fong’s Pizza : Des Moines, IA
2. Atlantic “Stripah” – The Plimoth : Denver, CO
3. Quinoa Scramble – Gloria’s Corner Cafe : Moab, UT
4. Bison Empanadas – Desert Bistro : Moab, UT
5. Wild Mushroom Vol-au-Vent – Sunset Grill : Moab, UT
6. Cronut – Doughbird : Moab, UT
7. Brunch Bibimbap – Goosetown Cafe : Iowa City, IA
8. Zucchini chips – Sixty-Six Acres : Albuquerque, NM
9. Torta Al Pastor – HQ Kitchen @ Santa Fe Brewing : Santa Fe, NM
10. Mango and beet salad – Paloma : Santa Fe, NM
11. Sheep Herder Sandwich – Ashhkii’s Navajo Grill : Farmington, NM
12. Peach Pie – Gifford Homestead : Capitol Reef National Park, UT
13. Pappardelle – Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm : Boulder, UT
14. Bison Skirt Steak – Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm : Boulder, UT
15. Choprock Pizza – Escalante Outfitters : Escalante, UT
16. Burrata – King’s Landing Bistro : Springdale, UT
17. Avocado Pie – Cliff Dwellers Lodge : Cliff Dwellers, AZ
18. Toadstool Crepe – Canyon Crepes Cafe : Page, AZ
19. Soft pretzel – Brewdog : Columbus, OH
20. Funghi pizza – Blackbird : Bozeman, MT

Best Overall Meal:
Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm : Boulder, UT

Other Outstanding Restaurants:
Kings Landing Bistro : Springdale, UT
Plimoth : Denver, CO
Paloma : Santa Fe, NM

Best Drinks (Ordered chronologically)
1. Liquid Nails – The Plimoth : Denver, CO
2. Desert Nectar Smoothie – Gloria’s Corner Cafe : Moab, UT
3. Turtle Hunter Hazy IPA – Big Grove Brewing : Iowa City, IA
4. Green Bloody Mary – Goosetown Cafe : Iowa City, IA
5. Experimental Hazy Imperial IPA – Big Grove Brewpub : Solon, IA
6. Retro Tones Fruited Sour IPA – Bow & Arrow : Albuquerque, NM
7. Sloppy Sloth Hazy IPA – Second Street Brewery : Santa Fe, NM
8. La Mariposa – Paloma : Santa Fe, NM
9. Como Pica Green Chile Rauchbier – Chile Line Brewery : Santa Fe, NM
10. Mukuntuweap Apricot Smash – King’s Landing Bistro : Springdale, UT
11. Iced orange vanilla latte – Deep Creek Coffee : Springdale, UT
12. Twist Saison – WildEdge Brewing : Cortez CO
13. Blue Corn Whisky – Snitching Lady Distillery : Fairplay, CO
14. Mountain Elder – Mountains Walking Brewery : Bozeman, MT
15. Sazerac with Dry Hills Bin 7 Whiskey – Copper : Bozeman, MT
16. Norris Negroni – Mammoth Dining Room : Mammoth Hot Spings, Yellowstone

Best Lodging:
1. StellaRuby Cottages “Hazel” : Moab, UT

Other Outstanding Stays:
2. El Vado : Albuquerque, NM
3. Guadalupe Inn : Santa Fe, NM
4. Stacked Stones Retreat Campground : Hocking County, OH
5. Old Faithful Snow Lodge : Yellowstone National Park, WY