Kara’s Sights and Bites: 2025 was a great year for cooking, dining and exploring

 I can’t enter 2026 without sharing the best food and travel finds that made 2025 one to remember. Besides discovering some true gems on supermarket shelves that I’ll use in ’26, The past year also filled with delicious restaurant meals and amazing travel adventures. Here are a few of my favorites from ’25;

1.    Pleasures await in Pensacola – I’m ashamed to say that I had allowed several years to elapse between my last visit to this island paradise and my visit in early summer. Pensacola is amazingly easy to get to, thanks to an enviable location just off Interstates 10 and 110. Within minutes of exiting the interstate, visitors find themselves in downtown Pensacola and the beach. And here’s a fun fact; visitors staying directly on Pensacola Beach are actually on Santa Rosa Island. So, yes, those who like to brag that they enjoyed an “island getaway” get their wish when visiting Pensacola, a nearly 40-mile stretch of breathtaking beaches that includes Perdido Key Beach and the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

And here’s the primary element that sets Pensacola apart from most beach destinations – there are so many interesting things to do and places to explore besides lounging on the beach, shopping and eating fried shrimp, the highlights of most of my past beach trips. Just a few highlights included visiting the museum at the Naval Air Station, home of the world-famous Blue Angels; soaking in the private, peaceful beauty of the national seashore and experiencing world-class museums and historic sights in downtown Pensacola. Add amazing cuisine at a few of literally hundreds of area restaurants and it was a trip I’m longing to repeat.

2.    Rao’s Soups – I’ve long been a fan of Rao’s Pasta Sauces, particularly Bolognese flavor, which I can usually only find at Ridgeland’s Fresh Market. Learning the New York City-based restaurant’s sauces have expanded to include delicious soups in flavors like Italian Wedding, Pasta Fagioli, Vegetable Minestrone and more was a favorite find of ’25.

3.    Cuz’s Old Town Oyster Bar & Grill – Bay St. Louis on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is filled with wonderful restaurants. As a frequent visitor, I thought I’d experienced most, if not all, of them. When a friend shared a photo of Cuz’s towering smashburger, I had to visit this place that had slipped under my radar. Conveniently located on Beach Blvd. just steps from the beach, Cuz’s is a spacious, yet cozy place frequented by locals as well as tourists. On my first visit, I ordered the candied bacon smashburger, along with a side of seafood swamp fries. The massive burger was “smashed,” yet still juicy, with just the right amount of crispiness along the edges. Topped with slices of smoky, candied bacon and all the trimmings and accompanied by a platter of crispy fries topped with Creole sauce, chopped shrimp and spicy crawfish, it was a burger meal to remember.

4.    Hormel Black Label Oven Ready Thick Cut Bacon with Oven Safe Tray – I love bacon as much as the next person, but absolutely detest having to fish the somewhat-slimy raw pieces out of the plastic package and place them on a baking tray or frying pan. This genius innovation removes the “ick factor” by placing pre-cut slices of flavorful bacon in an oven-safe tray. Peel back the cover, place in the oven and just like that, perfectly-prepared bacon is yours to enjoy without having to actually touch it – until it’s lightly-browned, crispy and ready to eat, of course!

5.    Prime Roots – If you’ve sworn off meat products for dietary or health reasons, there’s new hope for your favorite sandwiches. Prime Roots products are made from a clean, whole-food protein blend and yeast, designed to mimic meat textures and umami flavors. Key ingredients combine to create plant-based deli slices, bacon, and salami that are gluten-free, soy-free and nitrate-free. For once, I enjoyed a triple-decker club sandwich, guilt-free! Check them out at: webstaurantstore.com/vendor/prime-roots.

6.    Tamarind Heads Barbecue Sauce – I never thought I’d trade in my favorite sauce for another, but that’s what happened after sampling this tangy sauce. Instead of the traditional tomato and vinegar base combined with a list of other unpronounceable ingredients, Tamarind Heads narrows it down to just six; sesame, brown sugar, chili powder, salt, spices and a unique tamarind base. All combine to create a sauce that takes grilled meat to a new level. To order or find a list of retail locations, check out the website: tamarindheads.com.

7.    Wyda Food-Grade Tear-Resistant Wrap with Built-In Cutter – Who among us hasn’t grappled with a pesky roll of aluminum foil that refused to tear, roll or cooperate when needed? Those problems are a thing of the past with this sturdy foil that comes with a built-in cutter, insuring foil tears when and where we need it. I loved the foil so much that I used the brand’s sturdy roasting pans for holiday cooking. The products can be purchased from Walmart.com or WydaPack.com.

8.    Haywood County, North Carolina –Getting to visit and explore this mountain paradise in western North Carolina was truly the highlight of my year. Surrounded by other-worldly, multi-colored layers of the Blue Ridge Mountains on one side and the ethereal Smoky Mountains on the other, the scenery from overlooks spread throughout the quaint cities of Maggie Valley, Waynesville and other small mountain towns was simply breathtaking. Unlike some popular mountain destinations, Haywood County has been thoughtful about its growth; as a result, the area is not filled with tourist traps, chain restaurants and traffic backed up for miles. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find anything that disrupts the area’s innate charm and character harkening back to a simpler time.

To the contrary, the entire area is blessed with natural, unspoiled beauty as far as the eye can see. After flying into Asheville, it’s a short drive to Haywood County, where there’s so much to see and explore courtesy of overlooks providing up close views of those mesmerizing blue-hued mountainous layers; scenic hiking trails highlighted by mammoth water falls; protected areas where wildlife roam and quaint, safe and walkable downtown areas filled with charming shops and restaurants. There are also historic homes to explore and community crafts fairs and cultural events that can be enjoyed throughout the year, even during winter months.

Breathtaking mountain resorts like Cataloochee Ranch and The Swag offer luxurious accommodations for overnight guests, but are open to the public for select dining, hiking and other outdoor activities. My favorite meal of the trip was at Cataloochee Ranch’s breathtakingly-beautiful Switchback restaurant. I would literally return to North Carolina solely to enjoy the chef’s outstanding cuisine while dining in front of the massive fireplace at Switchback.

Hiking was fun, but my favorite outdoor activity was visiting “pick-your-own” orchards and filling up baskets with dozens of varieties of golden, red and pink apples. If you’d prefer someone else do the picking, Barber Orchards and Bakery stocks a multitude of apples and creates the most unbelievable apple pies, tarts and turnovers. And I can’t omit the piece de resistance, apple cider doughnuts. Yes, I DID bring home a dozen (OK, maybe two) of these melt-in-your-mouth treats to savor for several days with coffee and hot apple cider.

I’m still dreaming about the sight of those heavenly blue mountain layers that simply can’t be replicated in any photo I’ve ever seen or shot myself. A return trip in ’26 to enjoy more of this mountain paradise is definitely on my to-do list.

So yes, 2025 was a great year for travel, dining out and cooking. I highly recommend trying one or all of these pursuits in 2026. If you’d like to hear more about the items on my “best of” list or need additional travel trips, simply drop me an email and I’ll be happy to share my experiences. In the meantime…here’s to a wonderful New Year!

Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.