Eat Your Way Across the USA [Paperback]

Jane Stern (Author), Michael Stern (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 5, 1997

Where can you find real Texas barbecue?  Who serves the best oyster po' boys in Louisiana?  Which Iowa diners are worth a detour?  Where can you go in Montana for a blow-out splurge?  Let intrepid culinary adventurers Jane and Michael Stern take the guesswork out of what and where to eat when traveling across America with this compendium of restaurants and eateries on and off the beaten path.

The Sterns provide amusingly detailed descriptions of unforgettable--and usually inexpensive--restaurants, highlighting the must-eats on every menu. This user-friendly guidebook is loaded with helpful, information-packed sidebars including how to spot a great small-town cafe and a treatise on tequila etiquette. With lists that range from a baker's dozen of small-town pie palaces and the best places to savor country ham to helpful maps and no-nonsense ratings, this is one book no business or pleasure traveler should be without--whether planning a trip across country or across town.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you're road-tripping across the good ol' U.S. of A., or if you find yourself flying to a new city for business, and you're in the mood for some truly all-American fare, consult Eat Your Way Across the U.S.A.. Authors Jane and Michael Stern cover some 500 places, including chili parlors, doughnut shops, urban restaurants, small-town cafes, and everything in between, with wit and style. Dividing the country by region, the Sterns survey an average of ten restaurants per state, giving address, phone number, and price information as well as a succinct review of the fare to be found. Informative sidebars, helpful road maps, and the Stern's flair for turning a phrase make this expertly organized guide almost as much fun to read as good food is to eat.

From the Publisher

"If you aren't familiar with the husband and wife writing team, let me bring you up to speed, my friends. The Sterns are road warriors with a full tank of gas and hungry bellies. They are the Bonnie and Clyde of imbibe. They are the king and queen of the royal blue-plate special. Their business cards should say: 'Have bib. Will travel.' They aren't food critics--they are lip-smacking, devoted chroniclers of all things Americana."
--Orlando Sentinel

"Your glove compartment needs Eat Your Way Across the U.S.A."
--The News Tribune

"The book is not only informal and well-organized, it is wacky entertainment. The Sterns, you see, aren't just eatery experts, they're pop culture connoisseurs..."
--Travel Bookselling

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1 edition (May 5, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553067117
• ISBN-13: 978-0553067118
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,276,159 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 yums for this great guide to eating on the road, October 6, 2002

By 

Ronald Scheer "rockysquirrel" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eat Your Way Across the USA (Paperback)

This is a book for people who like regional cooking and road trips, more or less in that order. My wife and I took a cross country trip from California to Pennsylvania and back, with this book at our side, and its restaurant/diner/take-out recommendations took us off the beaten track into culinary adventures we still talk about.

We found the Sterns about 90% reliable in their choices, with a few wonderful picks that more than made up the difference. As fans of regional BBQ, we were delighted by a variety out-of-the-way, down-home purveyors of this mouth-watering soul food, from Oklahoma to Arkansas to (even) South Dakota. Our favorite wide-spot-in-the-road place served up both meat and coleslaw on the same bun, with a side of beans; across the street were fresh-baked pies still warm from the oven.

Perhaps the most enjoyable discovery (thanks to the Sterns) was the dining room of the Inn at Pleasant Hill, near Harrodsburg, KY, where the lemon pie was beyond description, and after the meal, at sunset, we took a leisurely stroll around the tranquil grounds of what once was a large, thriving Shaker community.

The book has handy regional maps, for finding those towns you've never heard of, and the descriptions of each establishment are pretty accurate (I found only one place that was not what I expected). The listings were largely up-to-date; only one restaurant had moved, which I found out when I called for directions. (In fact, a cell phone is definitely a plus for finding some places.)

If you're looking for something near where you live, this book may disappoint you. It will probably list the places you already know (e.g., in Los Angeles, Du-Par's at Farmers Market and Phillipe's downtown). The West Coast, for that matter, seems somewhat under-represented. But if you're willing to get off the interstate far from home and take your chances, the book is an enjoyable adventure guide.

Two recommendations: Take along a books-on-tape copy of Kerouac's "On the Road" and a cooler for left-overs -- some places haven't heard of portion control.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sterns are right on the money, October 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Eat Your Way Across the USA (Paperback)

I'm always leery when out-of-towners write about Louisiana cuisine. But the Sterns pleasantly surprised me with solid reccomendations and knowledge of the exact places to eat, especially in New Orleans. When I travel I usually take the Sterns' advice and I have yet to have a bad meal. I raise my cup of gumbo to them!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars God bless the Lewis and Clark of lowbrow travel cuisine!, September 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Eat Your Way Across the USA (Paperback)

This outstanding book was of great use in a recent trip across the USA: it led us to pie in Utah, tiny hamburgers by the dozen in Kansas, B-B-Q in KC, custard in St. Louis, and an incredible Jewish deli in Indianapolis, among other delicacies and joints. Each review let us know what to expect: atmosphere, pricing, and specialty of the house. The only drawback was our disappointment at showing up (hungry) to a well-reviewed restaurant in Denver that had since gone out of business. My buddy and I, roadside gourmands with iron bellies, ate heartily and well from California to Virginia thanks to this fun, honest book.