Jet-Setting with Jordana Rothman

July 09, 2018

As the Restaurant Editor for Food & Wine magazine, Jordana Rothman knows a thing or two about the jet set lifestyle. We asked the trendsetting eater and editor for her favorite travel tips, and we're excited to share her candid responses.

Jordana Rothman

My go-to carry on bag: The matte black Spectra Global Carry-On from Victorinox has been pretty good to me. I take that just about everywhere. If I’m checking [my bag], I like to carry on the Abera Crossbody Tote from ABLE—a Nashville-based company that works with women in Ethiopia and Mexico to help end generational poverty.

I always pack in my carry on: Sour gummies, RMS Beauty’s individually packed coconut oil wipes, Master & Dynamic brown leather foldable headphones for listening to podcasts. My faves are You Must Remember This, Disgraceland, Last Podcast on the Left and Invisibilia.

Best airplane food experience: BYO or bust. I love when I can stop by Lemonade at LAX because there are healthy options packed in a way that’s optimized for travel. Otherwise, I’ve never really had an in-flight meal that was genuinely worth eating.

Worst airplane food experience: Those few times I forgot to bring the sour gummies.

One genius travel hack: I had a hoodie custom made that is deep enough to pull down and cover my entire face. It is modeled to resemble a Sith robe and is one of my most cherished possessions. It’s a sleep mask, a cozy sweater, and a boundary-creator all in one. Need some personal space from your chatty neighbor? Activate SITH HOOD.

Most interesting person I've met on a plane: I make it a point to not make friends on airplanes (see Sith Hood, above). Although, one time, I met a guy who was teaching kids to surf at an indoor wave park in Austin, and then ran into him a year later at a premiere for a documentary about Andy Irons. That was kind of cool. But mostly, no. Friend-making is for terra firma.

Your next travel destination: In July, I’m doing a Southern ramble. I’ll be in Austin for a bit, and then I’m taking a road trip with a chef starting in Kentucky and heading up through Virginia.

One deep thought about the jet set lifestyle: Being on the road for a long time can be a disorienting experience. I often say that the pinball doesn’t know its a pinball unless it’s inside the pinball machine. When I’m sprung from the arcade, it’s important for me to find familiar things to bump up against, to remind me who I am and what’s important to me. Otherwise things start to get…weird.

jordana rothman photo

Photos compliments of @JordanaRothman.