A Site and an App With Appetites in Mind

Two new digital platforms are helping travelers get closer to cuisine and the people who make it.

On a trip to Guatemala, Noah Karesh, a founder of the website Feastly, was having trouble finding a restaurant that served authentic regional cuisine, he said in an email. He stopped to ask a young man for a recommendation and a few hours later was having a home-cooked meal at the man's mother's house.

Feastly works much the same way: Chefs interested in showcasing their culinary skills host supper-club-style dinners at their homes, which users can sign up to attend. But the experience ends up being about much more than food, Karesh said.