Customer Reviews

Eat Your Way Across the USA

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

My wife and I spent three months traveling around the country. With this book, we found some truely awesome places to eat, including the best and biggest cinnamon rolls we'll ever have, in Billings, MT.

The one time we ignored their advice and skipped a restaurant they suggested for the town we were in, we were really sorry. We ate at a truly awful Italian place.

The book not only contains great information about restaurants and regional favorites, but is a pleasure to read.

I take this book along with me on every trip, whether business or pleasure. I have visited restaurants suggested in this book in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, South Carolina....just to name a few.....and I have never been disappointed. In fact there are times, where the restaurants written about in this book are the highlight of my trip!

Most of the restaurants written up in this book, I would never have come across as a tourist. These are mostly places only the locals know about. And the locals know the good places to eat!

I do alot of business trips in the eastern United States and have found this book as important as my truckers atlas. Thanks to it I found many non-franchise eateries both cheap and memorable. For example, if you use I-85 to go to Atlanta from the north the Beacon in Spartanberg, South Carolina is a must. I made the mistake of ordering the "catfish a plenty." For $10 I ended eating catfish and hushpuppies all the way to central North Carolina. You talk about enough food to feed half of Da Nang!

Jane and Michael Stern are the original chowhounds...they blazed a trail for food writers by rhapsodizing over roadhouses and joints long before this kind of reporting was respectable, let alone sought after. Their writing is superb, but after decades of cross-country road work they've grown a bit lazy...more and more of their selections are obvious tourist places rather than real uncovered treasure (though there are still some good tips). Nonetheless, their stuff's worth reading for the writing alone...and though you'll be led to some clunkers, it's worth staying current on the authors who set the standard. This is their very latest.

As a long-time fan and reader of the Sterns, I was somewhat disappointed by this new entry in their "Goodfood" "Roadfood" idiom. I had hoped that there would be ample new suggestions for regional American specialties ordinaire, but was shocked to discover at least four listed restaurants had been closed for a minimum of two years (three in the Chicago area alone). This is sad for long-time readers (and somewhat embarrassing for Mr. Stern who grew up in Chicago and could have called to see if the restaurants were still in business), and potentially frustrating for new readers. For instance, the Rocky Point Shore Dining Hall in Warwick, Rhode Island--now closed--is fairly difficult to find. If someone were unknowing, and took the time to find it, they would be hungry and supremely disappointed.

For readers who cannot access the Sterns' previous books in this idiom, the new title is worth having, but the continuity of research is lacking. They can do better.

Jan & Michael Stern are experienced food critics who know where the locals eat their area's specialities - and deliciously share their knowledge with you. Across the USA I've used their book to find neighborhood places, both cheap and pricey, that almost always delight the palate and make me smile.

There is no other guide like this one. If you like to try off-the-Interstate real food; if you like to explore small towns and meet the real people there; if you like a guidebook with a sense of humor along with a sense of good eats, buy it.

We've tried other guidebooks while travelling the USA, and they all fail in various ways. This book contains helpful information to find that out-of-the-way gem and chow down. We've never been led wrong by Jane and Michael's books. The only disappointments have been when old family-run restaurants close down. Unfortunately, no paper-based guidebook can be exactly up to date. Call for opening times, since they are no longer printed in the book.

If you travel in the US and have time to savor the true local culture, you will find it in the food. This is the best guide we've seen to that culture.