Chefs often plan their menus around what’s in season locally, and right now all around the country plates are packed with colour smothered in heaps of flavour that are popping up on restaurant menus. Yum!

In autumn, as apple harvest begins, visit Sociable Cider Werks, Minneapolis’s first cider taproom. The menu showcases handcrafted cider libations brewed with fresh-pressed apples, other fruits, grains, hops and spices. sociablecider.com

MUST TRY The dry tart apple comes through in their light crisp Freewheeler, a sparkling wine-like refresher.

If you find yourself in Detroit . . . find your way to Baobab Fare. A winner on the Food Network’s “Chopped” cooking competition, the Burundi-refugee-owned eatery serves traditional African dishes. The bright and airy restaurant in Midtown, which is an emerging culinary district just north of downtown, employs refugees and asylum-seekers reflecting the sign in the window, Detroit ni nyumbani, meaning “Detroit is home.” baobabfare.com

MUST TRY Nyumbani is a dish of tender beef, slowly simmered in tomato sauce that’s served with sides of fried plantains, peanut-stewed spinach and rice.

The prestigious foodie bible, the Michelin Guide, just announced Colorado as their newest destination, making the Rocky Mountain State North America’s eighth guide destination. German, Hispanic and Native American cultures, including Ute, Navajo and Apache tribes, make up the blend of cultural influences that inspire chefs and the state’s incredible gastronomic food scene.

Denver—a.k.a. The Mile High City—has become an award-winning culinary destination with three James Beard Award winners and is the only city in the country to host the annual Slow Food Nations festival, which casts a spotlight on innovative chefs and producers from around the world. denver.org/food-drink/

MUST TRY Head to Mercantile in Denver’s Historic Union Station where James Beard Award-winner Alex Seidel’s passion for a farm-to-table ethos brims.

With 2,000 restaurants and counting along the nearly 100 kilometres of Atlantic Ocean coastline, the food and drink scene in Myrtle Beach is ripe for exploration. A stone’s throw from the SkyWheel, Winna’s Kitchen serves the epitome of southern comfort food, flavour-packed in house sauces and dressings, and yes, pecans. winnaskitchen.com

MUST TRY Order the Silly Millie, which are light lemon ricotta pancakes served with house-made lemon curd and berry compote.

What better way to experience fall flavours in Seattle than at a restaurant called Autumn? Located in Seattle’s charming Phinney Ridge neighbourhood, the relaxed and bright Italian-inspired restaurant showcases handmade pasta dishes. It is a beautiful-yet-affordable spot for carefully crafted seasonal dishes, celebrating the best of the Northwest. autumnseattle.com

MUST TRY Don’t miss one of the handmade pastas for which Chef Brian Clevenger is known.

TRAVEL PLANNER

Discover more information on travel to the USA at visittheusa.ca