In a world where food, travel and culture intertwine, Antoni Porowski is serving up a new kind of adventure. Best known for his role as the charming food guru on Queer Eye, Porowski takes on a new challenge with his docuseries, No Taste Like Home, debuting on February 23 across National Geographic, Disney+ and Hulu. This time, it’s not just about the recipe — it’s about the stories behind them. Joining celebrities like Issa Rae and Florence Pugh, Porowski digs deep into their cultural roots, exploring the culinary traditions that have shaped their identities.
Also, this month, among other travel endeavors, Porowski is making a pit stop in Miami to host the high-energy, high-heel-stomping Drag Brunch at South Beach Wine & Food Festival (February 20 to 23) with The View co-host Ana Navarro.
In a chat with Forbes Travel Guide, Porowski dishes on travel, comfort meals (spoiler: frozen peas are involved) and the thrill of exploring the world one bite at a time.
You’re known for being a part of Queer Eye’s ensemble.What has branching out solo for your new show No Taste Like Home been like?
It’s been interesting because on Queer Eye, it’s very truthful storytelling and we show ourselves as we are, but it steers more unscripted, more emotional, more vulnerable. Whereas with Nat Geo, it is a completely different beast. Every single thing that I say on an episode must be corroborated by three independent sources. It has to be fact-checked. I can’t just throw out words. And it’s been nice. It feels very grown up, and it’s also an opportunity to show a different side of myself.
Over the past few years, I’ve homed in on this notion of storytelling through food. And sometimes that’s preparing it. Sometimes, it’s speaking to other people who are [making it], and it incorporates travel as well. And being raised in Montreal in a multicultural, super-diverse environment, my parents spoke multiple languages. We all spoke three languages in tandem growing up. I get to show a different side of me that’s a little more global — the part of me that really loves to travel, explore different cultures and be uncomfortable in different ways.
No Taste Like Home has taken you to some pretty cool places. What has the journey of this show itself been like for you?
We started filming in Dakar [Senegal’s capital] and you see these gates where literally millions of slaves were taken away from their families in their homes hundreds of years ago. And then you go to [Senegalese island city] San Louis, and you learn about the intricacies of French colonization and how they’re independent, but they’re still heavily influenced by all the nuances there.
For people who’ve had so much taken away from them, their No. 1 core value is this concept of sharing. There are these beautiful fishing villages; they’re up at 6 in the morning and painting these beautiful boats all these bright colors. They take so much pride in what they do.
I would take these morning runs, and you hear these beautiful Islamic chants, and everyone seems so happy. And their rule for fishermen is 50% of what you catch for the day you sell, a quarter goes to your family and a quarter you give to somebody who has less than you. And it’s sort of like, “We could adopt a bit of that philosophy out in the U.S.”
Based on these recent travels, do you have a further itch to check off some bucket list spots?
Yes. Patagonia is at the top of the list. A friend of mine is from the region, and there’s something about the topography there. I’m reading about Patagonia right now and about dinosaur excavations, and I want to go there. There’s this sense of adventure but also a respect for food. There’s something about when I’m in the city for too long — I’m just attracted to greenery.
But in terms of cities, I’ve been spending a lot of time in London because our No Taste Like Home production company is there. There’s this energy there that reminds me of New York, where you feel like things are getting done and people are just kind of hustling. I love that energy. But, where I’m a walking contradiction is I want to be in the middle of the chaos but then take me the hell out of it. I have to be out in nature. That’s how I feel about New York as well. I’m happy to be there, but I’m always thrilled to leave and so happy to come back.
Another place that I’ve been fantasizing about — to go with my dad — is Tokyo. How fun would it be to go to Tokyo, stay in Ginza and explore all the different districts? I lived there for a month when we were filming Queer Eye.
And then, I want to take him to Kyoto. They have these beautiful hikes, where you end up at a different place every night and you sleep in these little ryokans [traditional Japanese inns]. During the day, you’re just walking among these trees that are hundreds of years old. It’s just so humbling. You feel like a little peon on the planet.
You surely have amazing meals all the time. But do you have a “reset meal” when you need to find some comfort?
There are a few of them. One is what I lived off of when I was studying as a student in New York. Before that, let me say, Montreal was different because the quality of life was much cheaper. So, I, not to brag, ate pretty well every day in Montreal. But in New York, it was a very different story. I was super broke, and my parents were very limited in their support, even though they were supportive. It would be frozen peas in a pan with good butter until they soften, so they’re still bright. Then, I would add a bit of salt, olive oil and fresh oregano. And on top of that, I would just plop a can of tuna and olive oil. So, for me, the peas and tuna, there’s just something that’s so like, “Oh, I’m home.” I always have frozen peas and a can of tuna in my pantry.
If I’m traveling, I’ll come home from the airport, but I’m usually too tired to cook. So, I will order something. I have a few restaurants in New York, depending on what I’m in the mood for. But I also always have sharp cheddar, like a Seriously Sharp Cheddar from Cabot — that’s literally what it’s called. I will stand at my kitchen island, have crackers with cheese and fig jam, and my dog is right by my side. We’ve been reunited, and she gets a little piece of the cheese, too. I feel like both my feet are planted on the ground when I do that.
Back on the road, you’re hitting the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami and hosting its very popular Drag Brunch. Is this your first SOBEWFF?
It is my first time. I used to plan a lot of my boss’ travel. I was a personal assistant to Ted Allen, the original food and wine guy on Queer Eye, so he would go everywhere. He was part of the Food Network world, and so I was always very familiar with it, but he never invited me to go. Now I’m being invited to go, which is kind of cool and a little full circle.
But yeah, we’re going to Florida, and I feel like exposure therapy for diversity comes in so many different forms, and I have a responsibility to engage in that, whether it’s on No Taste Like Home with different cultures or showing people how fricking wonderful and entertaining and funny and creative drag queens are.
Miami is a city that allows you to feel comfortable in your own skin. That’s one of the many things I love about South Florida myself. Is it a place you get to often, and is there something while you’re in Miami that you’re looking forward to checking out?
I have to do a proper sunset bike ride in South Beach. I have to get a croissant at La Sandwicherie. I will hopefully end up at Mandolin for dinner afterward. [But] the first thing I’m going to do when I get there — look, I know nothing about astrology, but I’m a Pisces — is just jump straight into the ocean to wash the airplane off of me.
Is there a particular show or concept you’ve had in your mind that you’ve thought, “I would love to do this one day”?
I think it would have to be some kind of an evolution of No Taste Like Home, where it was a very curated journey of research and meeting genealogists and historians. But for me, nothing makes me feel like I’m part of the world like traveling, especially being in cultures that I’m not familiar with and languages that I don’t speak.
