Antoni Porowski Won’t Travel Anywhere Without This $99 Candle
The ‘Queer Eye’ star tells us about his love for the Delta One lounge at JFK, his fear of airplane coffee, and the powdered bone broth he brings with him on every flight.
Antoni Porowski has made such a dent in both the reality TV and food spaces that he’s now reached single-name status. Just say “Antoni” and everyone knows who you’re talking about. Perhaps it’s how he peels an avocado, or maybe it’s just his overall, Golden Retriever-like spirit. Regardless, the Queer Eye and No Taste Like Home star managed to build a career out of his charm, talent, and movie star good looks, and has traveled around the world to show them off.
Now, he’s using his travel expertise to curate itineraries for New York City and Washington, D.C., in partnership with Eventbrite. The cookbook author’s picks for the It-Lists include an Emily in Paris-inspired cooking class, a vegan food crawl, and a murder-mystery dinner.
Antoni spoke with associate editor Kelsey Allen about the jet lag-fighting ritual he swears by, the $99 candle he brings on every trip, and his major (if justified) fear of airplane coffee.
Kelsey Allen: Tell me about one of your favorite trips.
AP: Italy just never gets old to me; it changes so much from village to village in such a relatively small country, compared to most in the world. I find myself there once or twice a year, and I'm constantly learning something new. Whether I end up in Rome, which I feel is such an underappreciated city, or somewhere else. People are always rushing to go elsewhere, but Rome is so great and has such fantastic food, and it's so walkable. I think that's what I love about Italy so much, is that you can go to these little places and feel so isolated in a really nice way, but you can walk everywhere, which is important to me.
KA: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever taken through security?
AP: It's always a candle. It's usually Chai by Byredo. It's really cozy and makes me feel sleepy and fuzzy. I take it out of my hand luggage because it always sets off the detectors; that way, they don't have to pass everything. They just take the candle, they swab it, and then I'm good to go.
Also, powdered bone broth. I'm trying to get my protein kick. [The brand Bar Bones] sells it at all kinds of grocery stores in these little pouches. You can add hot water, and you get 15 grams of protein because there are a lot of carbs in airplane meals and airports, so it's hard to get my protein fix.
KA: Do you like to get to the airport early or cut it close?
AP: I am all about getting to the gate as the doors are closing. That said, if it's a work trip, they tend to fly me Delta One, my preferred airline. There's a Delta One lounge right now at JFK where you can get a tasting menu, and there's a beautiful buffet. The lounge is so stunning, and it has all these different zones. I went on a trip with my dad, and we got to the airport an hour and a half earlier than we even needed to, just because I wanted to enjoy the lounge so much. But typically, I'm running with my filth and duffel as the gate's closing, I get in my seat, and the person next to me just sees my sweaty self. That's why I have an extra T-shirt in my backpack: to change once I get onto the plane.
KA: Do you prefer the aisle or the window?
AP: It was always the window, and then, when there were two incidents with airplanes where the window blew out, I started sitting in the aisle. But I've tried moving back to the window so I can sleep because I've been flying a lot for work.
KA: And when you bravely choose the window, do you keep the shade open?
AP: It depends on the length of the flight. If it's down for too long, I just get depressed. I like to see the natural sunlight, especially if I'm way up above the clouds. If I can't see anything, I tend to shut it so that I can watch whatever's on the screen. But if I'm low enough, I like to see what's going on. And I feel like you can see some pretty crazy estates sometimes. Right outside of New York, when you're landing, there are these mega mansion castles, and I'm like, "Where is this? Is this Jersey? Is it Pennsylvania?"
KA: Do you pack light or overpack?
AP: Light packer all the way. I try to go with hand luggage whenever I possibly can.
KA: So you don’t check your luggage?
AP: Unless I really have to, I avoid it at all costs. It's an extra 30 minutes, sometimes, that you can wait for your luggage, depending on which airport you're at.
KA: What do you like to wear on the plane?
AP: I discovered a tiny, little brand no one's ever heard of: Skims. Their wide-leg sweatpants are so comfy. I go with those, but then, I immediately change into the shorts in the bathroom because it gets so hot on planes. I always have an extra pair of socks, a T-shirt, underwear, and deodorant in my backpack, because you never know what's going to happen.
KA: Do you care about what you look like getting off the plane?
AP: Yes and no. I put in a little bit of effort, but [my go-to airplane outfit is] really like 95 percent comfort. It's got to be a soft, old cotton T-shirt; nothing rigid and new, nothing with a poly blend. I just have to be really cozy, and everything needs to be oversized. But my problem is now I've gotten obsessed with Birkenstocks, which I used to hate. I finally got a pair, and I succumbed and fell in love with them. I apologized to all of my friends I’d trolled for wearing Birkenstocks for years, because they're insanely comfortable, and I'm obsessed with them.
KA: How do you pass time on a plane?
AP: I always bring at least two books: one nonfiction, typically a memoir, and one fiction. I never use any of them. I just end up watching shows. I can't read on a plane for some reason, and unless I have a deadline that I really have to get done, I choose that time to just watch movies. I finally watched Eat, Pray, Love on my way back from Korea a couple of days ago, and I'm glad that I did.
KA: How do you deal with jet lag?
AP: Before my flight, I try to go for a really long run so I'm really tired. It’s so I can sleep as soon as I possibly can. Typically, I eat the meal, and then I try to pass out right afterwards. I'm very sensitive to melatonin in the best way, so that tends to conk me out, but I just try to sleep as much as I can. Then, as soon as I get to wherever, I just have way too many espressos until I crash and burn at the end of the day. Hopefully, the next day I can wake up on local time.
KA: What constitutes a long run for you?
AP: Minimum four miles.
KA: Do you have a melatonin recommendation?
AP: I use Lemme. It feels like you're having a treat. That and the focus gummy are my best friends.
KA: On an episode of your friend and former roommate PJ Vogt’s podcast, Search Engine, you said you don’t drink airplane coffee and bring your own. Is that still the case?
I don’t push the airplane water. Typically, you can get cans of Nitro at certain places, but recently, I learned that I can put really big ice cubes in my Yeti, and they allow you to go through TSA because it's technically a solid. Then, I'll go to a coffee shop, ask for a hot coffee, and pour it over my large cubes in my Yeti (because I can fit four of those), and it becomes an iced coffee on its own. I'm very proud of that one. Order the drip, they give it to you right away. These things are important, Kelsey.
