The Foods of Lebanon with Anissa Helou

This week on "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," Ryan heads to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! He takes in the city's beaches, mountains, museums, historic sites, restaurants, natural wine bars, and more, with everything you need to know for your first trip to Rio. Things We Talked About: History Book Brazil: A Biography https://www.amazon.com/dp/0374280495 Attractions + Culture Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf) https://bondinho.com.br/ Christ the Redeemer + Corcovado Train https://www.tremdocorcovado.rio/ Cais do Valongo https://www.rio.rj.gov.br/web/muhcab/cais-do-valongo-patrimonio-mundial Real Gabinete Português de Leitura https://www.realgabinete.com.br/ Paço Imperial http://www.pacoimperial.com.br/ Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro https://www.gov.br/jbrj/pt-br Museums MAM Rio https://mam.rio/ Museu da República — Palácio do Catete https://www.gov.br/museus/pt-br/museus-ibram/museu-da-republica Museu Nacional https://museunacional.ufrj.br/ Restaurants Talho Café https://talhocapixaba.com.br/ Casa do Chef Jota https://www.casadochefjota.com.br/ Artigiano https://restauranteartigiano.com/ Quinta da Henriqueta https://www.instagram.com/quintadahenriqueta/ Haru Sushi Bar https://haruichiban.com.br/ Mocellin Steak https://www.mocellinsteak.com.br/ OCYÁ Ilha (Taking a Boat!) https://ocya.com.br/ Wine Virtuoso Vinho https://www.instagram.com/virtuosovinho/ Casa Tão Longe, Tão Perto (Botafogo) https://www.instagram.com/casatltp.botafogo/ Belisco Bar de Vinhos  (Botafogo) https://www.instagram.com/belisco.rj/ Cocktails Babbo Osteria https://www.instagram.com/babboosteria/ ÊTTA Bar https://www.instagram.com/etta_bar/ Coffee Coffee Five https://coffeefive.com.br/ LAB Café https://www.instagram.com/labcafe.rio/ The Last Stop Ryan: Dolly Parton + Great Smoky Mountains https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/knoxville-the-great-smoky-mountains/id1438098925?i=1000495407828 Kiernan: Rick Steves Purchases Edmonds Theater https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/movies/rick-steves-purchases-edmonds-theater-moviehouse/

This week on "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," Kiernan heads back to London for the first time post-COVID—with his mother! The two revisit old standbys, new attractions, and musicals, musicals, musicals! Things We Talked About: Harbor Country in Michigan https://www.bonappetit.com/story/where-to-eat-harbor-country-southwestern-michigan?srsltid=AfmBOopMgZXXv0akMPuyVKPCwWrPAI2f7GlZ6apBb3rrjyT3faojo_j4  Benjamin Pollock's Toy Shop https://www.pollocks-coventgarden.co.uk/  Oliver https://oliverthemusical.com/ Six https://sixthemusical.com/london/  Operation Mincemeat https://operationmincemeat.com/  Churchill War Rooms https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms  V&A East Storehouse https://www.vam.ac.uk/east/storehouse/visit#things-to-see-and-do  LIDAR podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-archeological-tech-is-rewriting-everything-we-know/id1237796990?i=1000784018446  Big Bend Construction https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/17/us/big-bend-border-wall-texas-construction.html

This week on the pod, the boys talk about New York State's Odyssey, from Troy to Ithaca in about two hours. Also, Ryan interviews historian Daniel Koch about why so many upstate towns have classical names. Things Talked About on the pod: Land of the Oneidas: Central New York State and the Creation of America, from Prehistory to the Present https://a.co/d/0i15zgNN Classical Place-Names and the American Frontier https://antigonejournal.com/2021/10/classical-place-names-america/ "Coming Into the Country" by John McPhee  https://www.amazon.com/dp/0374522871?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback    Greek cities of the South https://www.weirdsouth.com/post/greek-cities-of-the-south   Mr. Peanut Novel https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307454908?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback    

This week on the pod, the boys talk The Odyssey, and Ryan speaks with Laura Coffey about her Homeric travels chronicled in her book, Enchanted Islands: Travels Through Myth & Magic, Love & Loss. Things We Talked About: Enchanted Islands: Travels Through Myth & Magic, Love & Loss https://a.co/d/0e1iMY8Z MAP - The Odyssey: A Mythical Journey through The Real World https://a.co/d/0hOUJ8Cf Laura Coffey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/l_j_coffey/  

This week on "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," Kiernan takes us through the history and artistry of Parkitecture—the architectural design of America's National Parks! Plus, Ryan researches the ideal number of days to go on vacation. Things We Talked About in This Episode: Colombia's Literary World Cup shirt https://sports.yahoo.com/article/magical-realism-colombia-unveil-world-155300778.html  Insight Guides https://www.insightguides.com/  Parkitecture https://www.nps.gov/subjects/architecture/parkitecture.htm  President Truman tickling those rustic ivories https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/photograph-records/63-1333  "Park and Recreation Structures" https://archive.org/details/parkrecreationst00good/page/n237/mode/2up  Ideal Vacation Length https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-012-9345-3  Conor Knighton is a Patriot https://www.instagram.com/conorknighton/reel/DaYM4m6OtQQ/?hl=en 

This week on the pod, the boys talk about their favorite subject: sports. The World Cup is captivating everyone, and the many visitors to the USA are soaking up all the Americana. Ryan chats with NPR's Ava Berger about what's captivating them. Things We Talked About in This Episode: https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-06-19/big-dogs-buc-ees-and-the-great-bbq-debate-world-cup-fans-discover-everyday-america https://www.npr.org/2026/06/13/nx-s1-5856514/the-joys-of-reporting-on-3-teenagers-chasing-glory-in-the-world-series-of-birding https://x.com/FreddyLA7 https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/19/sport/video/merlin-the-duck-is-mexicos-unofficial-mascot-digvid-vrtc

This week on "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," Kiernan chats with one of our all-time favorite guests—food writer and researcher Anissa Helou. She's just published "Lebanon: Cooking the Foods of My Homeland" and spills the secrets of tabbouleh, falafel, skewered meat, hummus, labneh, and many other Lebanese specialities.  Things We Talk About in This Episode: Anissa's last interview with us https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/out-of-office-a-travel-podcast/id1438098925  "Lebanon: Cooking the Foods of My Homeland" https://bookshop.org/p/books/lebanon-cooking-the-foods-of-my-homeland-anissa-helou/77fff24da4bf58f4?ean=9780063334922&next=t  Pope Leo at the Sagrada Familia https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/world/europe/pope-leo-sagrada-familia-barcelona-visit.html

This week we take a return trip to episode 122 of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast. Kiernan talks about Rocky Mountain National Park ahead of the busy summer season. From majestic peaks to glassy lakes, RMNP is one of America's premiere parks with hikes and sights accessible to all age ranges and abilities. Plus, Ryan talks about Peru prep. Rocky Mountain National Park https://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm  The Stanley Hotel https://www.stanleyhotel.com/  Grand Lake Lodge https://www.grandlakelodge.com/  Allenpark Lodge https://allensparklodgebnb.com/  Smokin' Dave's BBQ https://smokindavesbbq.com/  The Donut Haus http://www.donuthaus-estespark.com/  Falcon Guide https://www.amazon.com/Best-Hikes-Rocky-Mountain-National/dp/1493046780/ref=sr_1_1?crid=LNBPCIWSMUAE&keywords=rocky+mountain+easy+day+hike&qid=1654717385&s=books&sprefix=rocky+mountain+easy+day+hi%2Cstripbooks%2C74&sr=1-1  "The Motorcycle Diaries" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Motorcycle_Diaries_(film)  The New Yorker's "Flight Attendants Fight Back" https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/05/30/flight-attendants-fighting-back

This week on "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," 2 of the palest podcast hosts in the business spotlight 6 amazing beaches across the US, Mexico, South America, and Southeast Asia. Things We Talk About on Today's Episode: Ocean City, Maryland https://www.ococean.com/  Northern Shore MA Beaches – Crane Beach, Wingaersheek Beach, Plum Island, Coffins Beach https://www.visit-massachusetts.com/northofbostoncapeann/beaches/  Barú, Colombia https://colombia.travel/en/cartagena-de-indias/visit-beach-baru  An Bang Beach, Vietnam https://www.vietnamairlines.com/us/en/plan-book/travel/travel-guide/an-bang-beach-hoi-an  Puerto Vallarta, Mexico https://visitpuertovallarta.com/things-to-do/beaches  Brighton, England https://www.visitbrighton.com/things-to-do/attractions/beachfront  Pope Leo's Peru https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziN1QrXh5vs  Harvard's ties to slavery https://www.harvardmagazine.com/university-news/harvard-enslaved-people-database-descendants 

This week on "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," Kiernan covers the history and highlights of the Bronx Zoo. We also touch on Scientology, Mitt Romney, callings to the priesthood, and Colombia's biodiversity. Things We Talk About on Today's Episode: Little Red Lighthouse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Red_Lighthouse  Bronx Zoo https://bronxzoo.com/  William Temple Hornaday and the Bison https://siarchives.si.edu/history/featured-topics/stories/william-temple-hornaday-saving-american-bison  The Atlantic's "Best Free Restaurant Bread in America" by Caity Weaver https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/05/best-free-restaurant-bread-america/686582/  Trump's photo added to US passports https://www.foxnews.com/politics/exclusive-state-department-introduces-new-us-passports-celebrating-america250