Eat Your Way Across the USA (Paperback)

by Jane Stern (Author), Michael Stern (Author)

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.

Product Description
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.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1st 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: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #120,414 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 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 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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 An absolute requirement for anyone who drives a lot ..., July 31, 2000

By	Ben Appen (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

I travelled across the country (OK, just from New York to Montana, to Nova Scotia, and back) with this book and found it absolutely indispensable. Not only did it tell us both places to stop on our way across Wyoming for milkshakes, but it made sure we knew in advance to go to Rapid City, SD for good Georgia barbecue. Not every restaurant in the book is an absolute winner, but you can usually tell by the description whether it's a must-see, or just a better than average chance at obtaining passable food on the road. It's important to keep in mind that the food in this book is road food. That's not a problem, but if you are the type of person who can eat too much fried chicken and meatloaf, you might want to bring another book with you as well.

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

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!