In of The Road Less Eaten, chef and host Biju Thomas visits Utah鈥檚 Heber Valley, an unassuming corner of the western U.S. that has seen an explosion in its food scene over the course of the last ten years. While in the Heber Valley, Thomas spends the majority of his time in Midway, Utah, a town on the Eastern flank of the Wasatch Mountains, about an hour away from Salt Lake City and a stone鈥檚 throw from Park City.

Thomas tells viewers that local farming and great ingredients have made the Heber Valley a quiet food mecca with a vibrant culinary scene that can hold its own against other, more well-known food destinations. With farms and ranches dotting the landscape, and local bakeries and restaurants that understand the value of locally sourced ingredients, the Heber Valley is filled with dining destinations for visitors to explore after a day hitting the slopes or adventuring in the outdoors.

 

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Hawk and Sparrow Bakery

Thomas starts his journey through the Heber Valley food scene at , which is an organic, artisan bakery located in baker Andrew Berthrong鈥檚 home garage in Midway, Utah, that Thomas says produces some of the best bread in Utah. Hawk and Sparrow is known for its sourdough, which is a staple in Heber Valley restaurants that aim to showcase local ingredients and artisan products. Thomas describes Berthrong, a former academic, as 鈥渙ne of the best bakers in the country.鈥�

Viewers watch as Thomas and Berthrong sample the popular sourdough, which takes a multi-day process to create. As they slather the bread with butter, Thomas remarks on the beauty and simplicity of freshly baked bread that鈥檚 made with just a few ingredients because it really has nothing to get in the way of its flavor.

 

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Lola鈥檚 Street Kitchen

From Hawk and Sparrow, Thomas ventures onto , a former food truck that now has a brick-and-mortar location in Midway, Utah. Owned and operated by David and Mandy Medina, Lola鈥檚 makes all of their own breads, buns, and pitas in addition to using some of the sourdough from Hawk and Sparrow. The Medinas envisioned the restaurant as showcasing the best of American street food, all made from scratch.

One of the highlights of Thomas鈥� visit to Lola鈥檚 includes a rundown of their three most popular items: the fried chicken sandwich on freshly baked potato roll, lamb gyro on handmade pita, and a portobello truffle melt on Hawk and Sparrow鈥檚 sourdough. Thomas describes Lola鈥檚 as approachable and affordable with beautiful dishes but without any fussiness or stuffiness.

Heber Valley Artisan Cheese

After his ride on the local 鈥淗eber Creeper鈥� train, Thomas takes viewers to the fourth-generation family-owned dairy farm and shop. Thomas describes the dairy鈥攁nd its owner and operator Russ Kohler鈥攁s embodying the ethics of the region. At Heber Valley Artisan Cheese, they do it all; they grow the hay that feeds the cows, and they raise the herd that produces the milk that turns into some of the world鈥檚 finest cheese.

And Thomas isn鈥檛 exaggerating. Heber Valley Artisan Cheese won a gold medal at the World Cheese Awards for its Lemon Sage Cheddar, and its Wasatch Back Jack is a National Champion. A highlight for Thomas comes when he gets to taste both prize winners. As he samples the cheddar, Thomas remarks that the cheese is actually 鈥渕ore buttery than cheesy,鈥� which Kohler explains is a result of the cows鈥� diet. Because corn doesn鈥檛 grow at elevation, the Heber Valley Artisan Cheese herd has an alfalfa-based diet. Alfalfa diets create a richer, creamier texture in the cheese.

 

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Midway Mercantile

Chef John Platt then gives Thomas a tour and tasting at his upscale Midway, Utah, eatery . A former teacher and principal, Platt moved to Midway nearly two decades ago, drawn by the Heber Valley鈥檚 beauty.

While at Midway Mercantile, Thomas gets to sample their panko-crusted Alaskan Halibut, which is Midway Mercantile鈥檚 most popular dish. The fish is panko crusted in yellow curry, served with coconut rice and spinach, and topped with apple chutney. Thomas loves the dish鈥攑articularly the apple chutney. Thomas also gets to taste Sandra鈥檚 Classic Salad, a salad named after Platt鈥檚 wife and composed of greens, herbs, lemon vinaigrette, truffle oil, and grilled Juustoleipa cheese. Juustoleipa is a Finnish bread cheese that really has its flavors come out when grilled.

 

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Ritual Chocolate

Thomas finishes his exploration of the Heber Valley at , where Anna Seear has perfected small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate from ethically sourced heirloom cacao. Thomas notes that he and Seear actually both started their careers in the Boulder, Colorado, food scene.

After walking through the artisanal process Seear uses to create Ritual鈥檚 finely crafted chocolate, Thomas enjoys tasting Ritual鈥檚 unique, single-origin drinking chocolates, which are made from half hot water and half chocolate. After drinking both the Madagascar and the Ecuador, Thomas notes the cinnamon-y flavor and richness of the Ecuador, while the Madagascar has a brighter flavor.

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In the of The Road Less Eaten,聽season two, chef, author, and show host, Biju Thomas, visits the south shore of Lake Tahoe, California. He and snowboarder Hannah Teter explore the lake by boat and clear kayak before Thomas tries some of the best food this outdoorsy paradise has to offer.

Here are the highlights of Thomas鈥檚 stops on The Road Less Eaten: Lake Tahoe.

Azul Latin Kitchen

blends South and Central American cuisine with influences from all over the world, including聽Thailand and India. The South Tahoe restaurant is also known for its fresh-squeezed margaritas.

In the show, Thomas works with chef and manager Jeff McWilliams to cook up some steak fajitas, complete with vegetables and a secret sauce. The secret sauce, McWilliams shares, is a blend of tamari, Worcester sauce, lime juice, and a mix of spices. Thomas also samples a dish called tacos three ways that features a fish taco made up of battered cod with lemon and pickled red onion. Then, there’s the Thai curry taco, which consists of slow-cooked chicken with red curry, pickled mango, and candied jalape帽os and Fresnos. The dish also comes with a vegetarian option: a sweet potato and black bean taco with chipotle slaw.

Toulouse

Next, Thomas heads to , a Cajun聽restaurant also located on the south shore of Lake Tahoe. It was founded by four friends who met on Toulouse Street in New Orleans more than 30 years ago. The friends chose Lake Tahoe because many of them are big skiers and they wanted to be closer to the mountains.

Thomas samples a variety of dishes during his visit, including the house salad, shrimp and grits with mushrooms and tasso ham, and the blackened ahi tuna, which gets a kick from the Japanese seasoning yuzu kosho. Many items on the menu are made from local and sustainable ingredients.

Desolation Hotel, Maggie’s

Named for the nearby Desolation Wilderness, the micro hotel is themed around outdoor exploration. Maggie’s, the connected restaurant, is named after Maggie McPeaks, one of the first women to explore the Sierra mountains. The staff of uses seasonal ingredients, which keeps the menu fresh and ever-evolving.

滨苍听The Road Less Eaten,聽Thomas tries the New York strip, which comes with a side of asparagus stuffed with goat cheese and fondant potatoes. Also on the menu: the Sacramento rack of lamb, with crispy, roasted potatoes and roasted baby carrots with an orange glaze. Thomas also samples the Spanish octopus with a cucumber salad and edible orchid.

Elements Eatery and Bar

For breakfast, Thomas visits , a newer restaurant in the area. Elements infuses diner classics with a Latin flavor. Thomas samples the eggs Benedict, with marinated adobo-style pork, house-mashed avocado, and an heirloom tomato on charred English muffins, served with lard-fried tater tots. The entire dish is topped with their hollandaise sauce, which has an acidic base of cut聽green salsa.

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The second season of The Road Less Eaten, , premiered this month. In the first episode, chef, author, and show host,聽Biju Thomas,聽visits Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama. This coastal town right on the Gulf of Mexico is in line with the show’s mission to visit destinations people don’t typically classify as outdoorsy and peel back the layers of culture, food, and outdoor adventure in each place.

Here are the highlights of Thomas鈥檚 stops on The Road Less Eaten’s聽first episode of the second season.

Zeke鈥檚 Landing and Marina

Like much of Gulf Shores, Zeke’s landing and Marina was rebuilt after 2020 Hurricane Sally destroyed many homes and establishments in the area. Now both a new marina and restaurant, is a favorite stop for locals and tourists alike. Being right on the water, Zeke’s Restaurant puts the spotlight on simply prepared, incredibly fresh fish.

滨苍听The Road Less Eaten,聽Thomas goes out fishing on a boat called the Extreme Chaos聽to catch his own meal. Within minutes, he reels in a classic: a red snapper.

“Red snapper are known for their firm texture and sweet and mild flavor,”聽Thomas says on the show. “These fish are a Gulf Coast delicacy, and are incredibly versatile: grilled or fried.”

After Thomas finishes his fresh catch, Chef聽Ricky Brenlow prepares another popular item: pan-seared scallops with white wine over cheesy grits. Thomas enjoys the simple preparation of the seared scallops with the southern nod of the cheesy grits, commenting on how well the flavors all blend together.

Hog Wild Beach and BBQ

The next stop on Thomas’s聽Gulf Shores visit is to , a classic southern barbecue restaurant owned by Caitlin and TJ Allen. Hog Wild, housed in a historic building鈥攐ne of the oldest in the area鈥攕pecializes in good old southern smoked barbecue.

During his visit, the Allens serve Thomas their staple, the Nasty G. The Nasty G is a slider stacked high with a mix of ingredients: pulled-pork, pulled chicken, chopped ribs, local hand-battered buffalo shrimp, and coleslaw with Alabama white barbecue sauce on top. For those who haven’t heard of white barbecue sauce (Thomas hadn’t either), it’s a mayonnaise-based dressing that often packs a bit of heat from horseradish or cayenne pepper, sometimes a mix of both.

Thomas鈥檚聽verdict on the Nasty G? “It was perfectly balanced,” he says. “And the bread is perfect for this.”

And even though we don鈥檛 see the dish on the episode, Thomas makes sure to advise聽viewers to leave room from Hog Wild’s banana pudding.

Gulf State Park

Located right on the water, features 6,500 acres of protected land. The area was hit hard when the Deepwater Horizon disaster sent 3.19 million barrels of oil into the Gulf in 2010. A mix of private and public funding, some of it from the settlement that followed the disaster, led to the restoration of the park.

Gulf State Park features a total of 24 miles of trail for hikers, runners, and cyclists. It also offers access to free bikes within the park that you can rent for a ride. There’s also something called the learning campus, where park employees offer tours and various classes to educate visitors on different creatures and water systems within the park.

, located in the middle of the park, is known as Gulf Shore’s hidden gem. Chef Mike Jorke’s goal, says Thomas, is for Woodside to “move away from the standard beach town fair and embrace fresh, local ingredients, prepared in light and surprising ways.”

In line with this lighter, fresh approach, on聽The Road Less Eaten,聽Thomas samples chili-rubbed mahi on top of crispy Brussels sprouts and quinoa. Woodside even has a neighboring chef’s garden to allow for a true farm-to-table experience.

Along with an elevated menu, Woodside offers live music and a plethora of games, including Jenga, table tennis, and corn hole.

Yoho Rum and Tacos

For his last stop, Thomas visits a casual and friendly taco bar, in Orange Beach, where he samples a series of cocktails and tacos. The cocktail master stirls up the classic Yoho rum punch, a rum cocktail with a mix of pineapple, mango, strawberry flavors, for Thomas. Thomas then samples a flight of tacos, including a ginger peanut, firecracker shrimp, Chimichurri steak, and fried chicken taco.

For the grand finale, Yoho’s staff brings out its famous Mexican Pizza, fried flour tortillas piled high with salsa, cheese, sour cream, peppers, chicken or beef, and black olives. After Thomas tries a bite, he says with a smile, “that tastes like every taco you had in grade school.”

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September 21, 2023, the first episode of The Road Less Eaten will be available on 国产吃瓜黑料 Watch. In this five-episode series, recreational cyclist and chef Biju Thomas visits his friends 鈥� athletes and celebrities alike 鈥� in cities across America to learn about their outdoor passions and enjoy hometown flavors.

鈥淚 wanted to go to middle-America cities that people don鈥檛 often think of as outdoor destinations,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淕reenville, SC is a perfect example. For years, it seemed like no one went downtown to hang out. But when they started cleaning up bike paths and trails, it became a hotspot for families walking and cycling.鈥�

In the series, Thomas visits Vail, CO, Nashville, TN, Greenville, SC, Bentonville, AR, and Wimberley, TX. At each destination, he鈥檚 met by an old friend who shows him the ropes, leading him through their favorite activities (like cycling, HIIT, and drumming), and dining at hidden gem restaurants.

鈥淲e鈥檙e showing off these destinations, peeling back a couple of layers,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淎nd showcase what everyday Americans are doing to elevate their quality of life.鈥�

Beyond highlighting these cities, The Road Less Eaten hopes to show those living athlete-inspired, healthy lifestyles that they have permission to enjoy good, delicious food. Thomas founded Base Camp Canteen, which supplies food for outdoor recreation and endurance sports, so he鈥檚 a firm believer that nutritious food can still be flavorful and fun.

鈥淭hese friends I visit on the show are famous athletes and high performers,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淲e show that they鈥檙e just normal people who try to enjoy food when they can. Even high achievers are willing to be silly, enjoy good food, and try out something different.鈥�

Thomas hopes The Road Less Eaten encourages people to get out and explore not only the cities featured in the show, but to examine their own hometown behind a new lens.

鈥淵ou can carve out a little bit of time everyday and enjoy something right in your own community,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to go on these big cruises or expensive vacations, because you can find something amazing and fulfilling in your own neighborhood.鈥�

Biju鈥檚 Favorite Bites From The Road Less Eaten

Key Lime 鈥淧ie鈥�

| Edwards, CO

This deconstructed pie is made with key lime filling with coconut and pineapple jam, topped with toasted meringue, a ginger crumble, and lime zest.

鈥淲e’ve all at some point had that clawingly tart and over-sweetened version of key lime pie with the bright notes of fake lime juice and entirely too much of everything else,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淭his, by comparison, is light and rich, with just the notes of crumble you want with each bite, an airy key lime creme. The pineapple jam with toasted notes of coconut and meringue ties it all nicely back to the tropical and sunny roots of South Florida and the Keys.. a lovely surprise in the heart of the rockies!鈥�

24 Hours Beef Short Rib

| Vail, CO

A tender short rib simmered in a sherry black garlic glaze and served with Colorado grits, ancho mole, avocado puree, and charred scallions. How it’s prepared rotates, so sometimes you might get short rib with celery root, roasted carrot, and gremolata.

鈥淭his dish captures all the things for me. The notes of really long, slow braised meats that are just a bit 鈥榮ticky鈥� from the hours it takes to render down the fat and collagen, to meld in marrow and wine for that perfect bite that is rich but flavorful and.. craveable,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淭he combination of textures and flavors from the grits, scallions and ancho chile’s wraps the dish up nicely with a few surprising, yet very CO flavors.鈥�

The Sasquash

| Greenville, SC

A fan-favorite at Swamp Rabbit Cafe is this roasted squash sandwich, stacked with a mushroom medley, pepper jack cheese, pesto, and a roasted red pepper hummus on toasted french bread.

鈥淭raveling through the southeast, you get used to seeing squash on menus everywhere 鈥撀� squash soup, squash casserole, roasted and baked squash, all the many variations of last minute saut茅s and grills,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淏ut this was the first time I’d ever had it on a sandwich, and I was blown away. The texture and dense flavors of summer squash mellowed and softened from roasting, layered onto fresh baked bread crusty on the edges, soft and pillowy everywhere else, the mushroom medley and red pepper hummus that perfectly accented it all.鈥�

Smoked Fish Toast

| Nashville TN

This unexpected dish is made with grouper that鈥檚 been cured and smoked, drizzled with sunflower puree and lemon, and topped with kalamata olives, parsley, dill, fennel, and braised radicchio.

鈥淭he chef found a way to focus in on the highlights of a recipe her father made when she was growing up 鈥� simple 鈥榮ardines on toast 鈥� on make this wonderfully balanced, light, flavorful, and delicious grouper with layers of flavor from sunflower, lemon, fresh herbs, and just a touch of kalamata olives,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a nod to a far away time and place, and is a beautiful fish I could eat everyday.鈥�

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