Norway, north of the Arctic Circle. From the Lofoten Islands, through Tromso, and then over to the Russian border.
Twenty-four-hour sunlight, landscape that looks like an epic fairy tale, friendly English-speaking people, extremely well-maintained infrastructure, whale watching, not particularly crowded, tons of little ferry rides past and through beautiful fjords.
Only drawbacks: a bit pricey due to the location and the robust Norwegian currency. Also, I wouldn't call it a culinary trip - although you can eat reindeer (pretty much like venison) and whale (ethically interesting but delicious), and beers from Mack are pretty solid.