They may call it writer’s block, but Chef Flynn McGarry will be the first to tell you that any professional can find themselves afflicted. Last Spring, everything was seemingly coming up roses for McGarry, who at just 20 was running his own restaurant, Gem, in New York City’s Lower East Side, and popping up everywhere from New York Magazine to the The New York Times. But then came an announcement on Instagram: the block had come for McGarry, and he was going to Europe (and closing the restaurant) to fix it. In a conversation that ranged from Hamilton watches to Ham, we began by asking Flynn how travel got him back on track.

 

So it’s early June, and you've decided it's time to get away. Where do you go first?

I went to Belgium, to stay with a family I used to cook for. They had once told me: “If you ever need somewhere to calm down, come to our house.” It's outside of Antwerp, with tons of land where they grow their own vegetables, and a lake. The mum in the family is the head designer for [Belgian d