OP: Roadfood (1978)
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Random House, 1978. Paperback. Good Plus.
Jane and Michael Stern might understand the vast and idiosyncratic nature of American regional cuisine better than anyone. Best known for their book Roadfood (1978, with many subsequent editions and updates), a guide to local dining destinations and hidden gems, the duo spent decades frequenting and rating these unpretentious big city diners, roadside stands, and backwoods barbecues, lending each a legitimacy so rarely afforded by other guidebooks.
Stop at Denver’s one-star Tomahawk Truck Stop, for example, where the cattle-haulers are given priority seating in an area giving full view of the parking lot and their trucks. There, one might enjoy a steak “tough enough to give the teeth a good workout” or spaghetti “so mushy it had been pressed into a doughy pancake under the weight of the meatballs.”
Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City, a four-star barbecue joint, may be hard to find but is worth the trip, according not only to the Sterns but also to Calvin Trillan who says it’s “THE SINGLE BEST RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD” and, anachronistically to this book, to fictional TV character Ted Lasso. Here, “the sauce is what it’s all about,” and you will certainly want a bottle as a souvenir.
Though many of these haunts are no doubt shuttered by now, Roadfood is an example of stellar writing and restaurant review. We’re happy to offer a Good paperback copy, with creases and shelfwear. Sturdy enough for the next road warrior’s adventures.
