Chef Mario Batali's Culinary Road Trip

With his ponytail and signature orange Crocs, Mario is easily recognized in New York, the home to eight of his critically acclaimed restaurants. In Spain, however, he says Gwyneth was truly the star. "She speaks with the most beautiful Madridano accent you'll ever hear in your life," he says. "It's beautiful, and everyone that talks to her in Spain falls in love with her."

While traveling from town to town and soaking up the local flavor, Gwyneth says it was easy to stay away from the bad gas station food people typically associate with road trips. "It's more fresh," she says. "They have junk too, but I think they eat in a more rustic kind of brio way."

Of course, nobody's perfect. "In Spain they just love french fries, and actually what you'll see on the show when Gwyneth comes anywhere near french fries—it's like a black hole," Mario says. "They just go in her mouth."