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After his 11-year-run as lovable Mitchell onModern Family, Jesse Tyler Ferguson could have kicked his feet up and clocked in an early retirement. But it’s very clear that the actor isn’t slowing down any time soon.
Since theModern Familyfinale, Ferguson and his husband, Justin Mikita, have grown their own modern family to include 2-year-old Beckett Mercer and 6-month-old Sullivan Louis. Business-wise, Ferguson co-wrote a 2021 cookbook,Food Between Friends, with BFF Julie Tanous, then launched aproduction companynamed after his son, and he continues to grow hisPronounnonprofit, which focuses on advocating for the civil rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. Oh yes, and on May 23, his podcastDinner’s on Medebuted. Whew, it’s time for a vacation, right?!
Ferguson thought so too, so he recently partnered withCiti Travel with Booking.com, a new portal that’s available to any eligible Citi card member, to plan a summer full of out-of-office fun.
“I love traveling. I love eating. I love experiencing the world with my family. It started off with just experiencing things with Justin, and now I’m able to introduce my children to the different places that we love going,” Ferguson tellsEatingWellin an exclusive interview. “I want to spend my time packing, getting things ready and actually enjoying vacation, and spend less of that time stressing out about what to do and how to do it. This basically takes that part of it off of the table for me and makes it super easy.”
We sat down with Ferguson to hear more about his low-stress summer on the horizon—and of course couldn’t resist asking about how he packs, snacks and reconnects with pals once he’s back.
EatingWell:What’s on your summer travel agenda?
Ferguson:Justin and I are celebrating our 10-year anniversary. We’re going back to New York City, which is the city we were married in. We’re going to Mykonos with some friends afterward, so we get a little bit of both worlds.
EatingWell:What’s the most memorable meal you’ve had while traveling?
Ferguson:I had a really great meal atPujolin Mexico City that I always put on the top of my list. I’ve been very lucky that I’ve gotten to eat at a lot of really great places, both casual and fine dining. Some of my favorite meals have been in Italy at a little shack we found on the Amalfi Coast. I truly love stumbling upon places. I also love talking to the locals and getting their opinions about where one should go. What I love about this newCiti Travel with Booking.com site: you can find all these options available to you; food tours, attractions, cooking classes. This is another way that I like to immerse myself in a local cuisine—learning how to do it myself.
EatingWell:Do you have a favorite go-to healthy meal to make when you’re freshly home from traveling and don’t have a fully stocked fridge?
Ferguson:I usually order out! There’s always something to pull together, though. I always have dried pasta in the house, even just a simple pesto with pasta is great, and it’s something my kids will eat as well. [We think he’d love ourOne-Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta with Asparagus!] I used to think making a great meal also meant taking a lot of time and having to prep all day. Now, because my days are more full with parenting duties, I have learned that is not sustainable. I love making a simple tomato salad with crushed fennel, Aleppo pepper and olive oil. That is so delicious, and it takes literally four minutes to pull together.
EatingWell:Arecent travel woereminded me that the right or wrong pair of kicks can make or break a vacation. Do you have a favorite walking shoe that you wear while traveling?
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EatingWell:Your schedule is so action-packed. What’s your favorite snack to grab when you’re in need of an energy boost?
Ferguson:Hummus and carrots, which aren’t great to eat in the car. It’s usually a protein bar if I need something to eat in the car. My son tends to want a bite of whatever I’m eating at the time, so I kind of have to hide the thing. There’s thisyogurtthat I really love to eat that’s in a ceramic container. They’re a little more expensive, but they’re really delicious. I was like, “They’remyyogurt.” If Beckett sees me eating one, he’s like, “I want some of papa’s yogurt.”
EatingWell:We’re so jazzed to hear that you’re launching a podcast! Can you tell us more about the concept—and who has been your favorite celebrity to interview so far?
Ferguson:There are going to be 24 episodes in the first season, and I’m a little less than halfway done. I have some really great guests so far: Julie Bowen, Jesse Williams, Niecy Nash-Betts, Tracee Ellis Ross, Fred Armisen, Padma Lakshmi. These are all people that I already know and have been friendly with. I called out a lot of favors, because I’m asking people to trust me in this format that I’ve never tried my hand at. There’s no proof of concept. They’re all people who have seemed to take a leap of faith with me, and have been really overly generous with their time. It requires more than getting on a Zoom and having a conversation in the comfort of their own home. I’m taking this podcast out of the studio and we’re going to some of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles and New York. We’re actually having a meal together and that’s where the conversation happens. It’s a really fun podcast for people who love food and restaurants, but also who want to learn about these really interesting guests and listen to us go into a lot of really deep conversations about everything from mental health to imposter syndrome to what it’s like ending a show after 11 seasons to culinary appropriation (which is a topic I talk about with Padma Lakshmi). We really run the full gamut. It’s really been a profound experience so far.
EatingWell:OK, if dinner’s onmethis time, what are you ordering and where are we going?
Ferguson:We’re going to go to one of my favorite restaurants in New York City,Don Angie, and we’re going to order their pinwheel lasagna [listed on the menu as “Our Lasagna for Two”]. There are six pinwheels in the order, and you can take some home.
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