One of the many great perks of being a traveling NHL reporter is the food — specifically getting to experience some of the greatest culinary cities in the world.
Anyone who follows my social media musings knows that I love food, and finding new, fun places to eat at. Lots of people — some fans, and plenty of fellow writers — have suggested I put together some kind of NHL food guide. I helped out on , but itap time for my own.
There’s no secret sauce here. It’s just years of asking friends and Twitter followers, searching on Google and stumbling into dumb luck.
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We’re going to use the Avalanche schedule, and try to stick to a simple plan with two options for each stop: something close to the arena and something worth a longer trek to seek out and enjoy.
Oct. 7, March 2 – Los Angeles
Near the arena: RIP to The Original Pantry, so is now my favorite place at L.A. Live. One of the postgame taco trucks on Olympic Boulevard or the hot dog carts right by the exits might be the correct answer.
Worth the trip: (with a stop at The Last Bookstore) is typically my go-to afternoon stroll when I stay downtown. Many great options: Eggslut and Sarita’s Pupuseria are my favorites.
Oct. 13 – Buffalo
Wings: A curveball here, because there’s so much good food just north of downtown. is my go-to. Bar-Bill and Duff’s are great too. Anchor Bar … is overrated.
Not wings: is a wonderful spot not far from Gabriel’s Gate in Allentown.
Oct. 16 – Columbus
Near the arena: North Market is great, but my PHWA membership might be revoked if I don’t say , specifically the pot roast sandwich.
Worth the trip: HangOverEasy is a great breakfast spot, but the burgers at are an experience.
Oct. 21, Feb. 25 – Utah
Near the arena: is a delightful food hall, and Dr. Voltap is a go-to for fellow comic book nerds.
Worth the trip: as other members of the Avs media corps will attest, serves some professional sandwiches.
Oct. 25 – Boston
Near the arena: Anywhere in the North End, but especially and then across the street.
Worth the trip: for the best breakfast sandwiches in America, but also in Back Bay, which offers nearly 20 sandwiches from local chefs around town.
Oct. 26 – New Jersey
Near the arena: is locally famous and a hockey-friendly place, but is my favorite pregame spot.
Worth the trip: has the best collection of Portuguese restaurants on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Oct. 31, Dec. 27 – Vegas
Near the arena: , or , depending on your budget, at Park MGM next to T-Mobile.
Worth the trip: is the best all-you-can-eat sushi place I’ve been to.
Nov. 1 – San Jose
Near the arena: , home of the best sandwiches (fresh sourdough baked daily) on the NHL circuit.
Worth the trip: for the best quesabirria on the planet, and , or just La Villa, for raviolis in a sourdough bread bowl.
Nov. 8, April 13 – Edmonton
Near the arena: for Indigenous food or , which has a few locations.
Worth the trip: , which has a strong case for my favorite restaurant in North America.
Nov. 9 – Vancouver
Near the arena: Itap the best sushi city in North America, but also for a slightly less expensive experience.
Worth the trip: Granville Island has multiple great places, but my first time at was a life-changing meal.
Nov. 22, Dec. 9 – Nashville
Near the arena: Go find the originals if you have time, but and both have locations across the street from Bridgestone Arena now.
Worth the trip: , heavenly Indian food with a Southern bent from frequent “Chopped” judge Maneet Chauhan.
Nov. 23, March 20 – Chicago
Near the arena: Stretching the limits of “near” but is a short drive and the carnitas is tremendous.
Worth the trip: This could be its own column, but my favorite place is , or just Oven Grinder, near Lincoln Park. The pizza pot pie and the Mediterranean bread are tremendous.
Nov. 28, Dec. 21 – Minnesota
Near the arena: is very good, and very popular on game days, but is a bit of a hidden gem.
Worth the trip: , near the Gophers’ campus, is great. , in Minneapolis, is at the top of my bucket list.
Dec. 4 – N.Y. Islanders
Near the arena: One thing I miss the most about New York is the Caribbean food. , or , which is my favorite fast food establishment.
Worth the trip: Queens is not far, but we’ll stick close-ish to UBS -- is over by the old Nassau Coliseum.
Dec. 6 – N.Y. Rangers
Near the arena: , the sister place of the best pizza in town (Keste, near the world trade center).
Worth the trip: I have a list of 41 favorite places -- just in Manhattan. Letap go with … (S’MAC) in the East Village, then for cheesecake.
Dec. 7 – Philadelphia
Not cheesesteaks: Just take the subway back to Center City and go to , one of America's great food halls.
Cheesesteaks: Itap hard to go wrong. I’m partial to and , but there are dozens that will do the trick. Wiz wit, though.
Dec. 16, March 12 – Seattle
Near the arena: is a classic old diner, but we’re going to stretch this just a little and say -- itap the best “tourist trap” in America. Pike Place Chowder and Honest Biscuits are among the many highlights.
Worth the trip: Another city with copious sushi/seafood options, but take the ferry over to West Seattle and for some excellent Hawaiian/Korean en route to Alki Beach.
Jan. 3 – Carolina
BBQ: There’s not a lot close to the arena -- you’ll need a car/Uber. is a Charlotte transplant, and maybe the best BBQ on the east coast.
Not BBQ: , which is not far from the Durham Bulls stadium, for chili, a pimento cheese burger and copious amounts of sweet tea in a mason jar.
Jan. 4 – Florida
Near the arena: Don’t stay in Sunrise, but has a location near-ish there and is a really good lunch before heading to the beach.
Worth the trip: in Hollywood is one of my favorite places to spend a few hours on any road trip.
Jan. 6 – Tampa Bay
Near the arena: is an institution on the water.
Worth the trip: is the best steakhouse in the country. in Ybor City also meets the hype at a lower price point.
Jan. 25 – Toronto
Near the arena: The revamped Union Station has a great food hall, including , an amazing exotic sausage place thatap also on King Street West.
Worth the trip: Dozens of options, but for something different … for Egyptian food.
Jan. 28 – Ottawa
Near the arena: I haven’t been to Ottawa since 2009, so I’ll be asking one of the local writers at the morning skate which shawarma spot near the arena is the best for lunch.
Worth the trip: Downtown Ottawa is great, but also far from the rink. I’m excited to check out or down the street.
Jan. 29 – Montreal
Near the arena: is a wonderful coffee ship in an old bank near Old Montreal. is a standout, or splurge at .
Worth the trip: This is a world-class food city, and the famous bagel shops are legit. But my can’t-miss here is -- Portuguese chicken on top of poutine is a first-line NHL meal.
Jan. 31 – Detroit
Near the arena: — yes, itap Eminem’s place. Yes, it looks like leftover spaghetti. Yes, it is wonderful.
Worth the trip: Downtown Detroit has been overhauled and is worth an afternoon stroll and the famous dueling Coney Island hot dog places are really good, but come back near the arena for before the game.
March 3 – Anaheim
Near the arena: Near Honda Center is pretty bleak, with some hope -- , a new entertainment district that says it will have 35-plus restaurants, is currently under construction.
Worth the trip: Go to the beach, or Disneyland. in Newport Beach was a great lunch.
March 6, April 4 – Dallas
Near the arena: can go punch for punch with the more famous places over in Deep Ellum.
Worth the trip: Dallas Farmers Market is great, particularly on the weekends. If you rented a car, make the 75-minute drive to West, Texas to get kolaches at . Itap an annual pilgrimage for me.
March 14, March 26 – Winnipeg
Near the arena: for breakfast or for a pregame meal in a very underrated food city.
Worth the trip: , for bannock pizza or other wonderful First Nation dishes.
March 22 – Washington
Near the arena: or for lunch amongst some other more famous, more expensive options en route to an afternoon stroll on the National Mall.
Worth the trip: has been one of my favorite farm-to-table places for a long time.
March 24 – Pittsburgh
Near the arena: might be the best place within 600 feet of an arena in the league.
Worth the trip: The Strip District has many great options, including the original Primanti Bros., but downtown is a pricey, spectacular meal.
April 7 – St. Louis
Near the arena: is great. If you need a second meal … get something different at Sugarfire.
Worth the trip: Ask the St. Louis native you know -- they’ll tell you all about the great food in the suburbs.
April 14 – Calgary
Near the arena: inside CRAFT Beer Market for an excellent smashburger.
Worth the trip: for a more traditional burger, but this is also an excellent steakhouse city/region. If you rent a car, go to Canmore/Banff for the afternoon.
