As soon as I received my copy of Roadfood by Jane and Michael Stern, I knew I had a dilemma: should I keep the book in my car, or in my suitcase? Because one thing’s for sure — I will want to have this with me as I travel.
This 600-page book is divided into the Sterns’ top food picks by state. I immediately flipped to Ohio, and was happy to see that they’d included two Cincinnati chili parlors: Camp Washington Chili and Price Hill Chili. They are two iconic establishments that never branched off into chains as Gold Star and Skyline did. Frankly, their menus are pretty much identical, but a Cincinnati chili parlor is a MUST when you visit our Queen City.
I saw the Sterns also included Cleveland favorite Sokolowski’s in their run-down of top Ohio picks. Yum! Polish food. I agree.
But then I turned to Georgia, where we travel often and saw that they only chose one restaurant in Tybee Island, and not one we would have picked. They really missed the mark there. Their recommendation was The Crab Shack, which was good as far as ambience, but not the best food. For that, go a little farther into Tybee and stand in line for The Breakfast Club, or try to get a reservation at the Sundae Cafe.
Then I turned to Florida. They only made one pick in St. Augustine and missed The Floridian, which was the recommendation of the locals we met there. Always ask a local! We went to the Floridian for lunch on a Monday and had a wait. It was worth it.
We loved sitting outside, but the interior was cozy and inviting, too.
The Floridian describes its food as, “regionally-authentic, fresh from the source cuisine: a clever synthesis of down home Southern comfort foods and lighter, healthier dishes, with many vegetarian options. Our emphasis on and use of local and sustainably-produced meats, seafood, vegetables, as well as artisanal breads and cheeses, lay the foundation for a dining experience you won’t soon forget.”
The FGT Hoagie. Look at those fried green tomatoes!
It was our first taste of datil peppers (more to come on that), and we argued over whose dish was the best. (Mine was, of course.) At the recommendation of a college student we met, I ordered the spicy fish melt sandwich. My daughter got a Chipwich: a shredded chicken sandwich loaded with thick-cut potato chips on it, and my husband got the FGT Hoagie described as cornmeal-dusted fried green tomatoes with cilantro mayo, cabbage slaw, and Wainwright’s melted pepperjack on a toasted hoagie bun. (Okay. Maybe his was best.) And then — this never happens at lunch — we ordered dessert! It was that good.
Absolutely scrumptious bread pudding.
And yet, The Floridian didn’t make the Roadfood book.
It would be impossible for the Sterns to visit every restaurant out there. Luckily, there are plenty of bloggers and foodies who share their picks as well. But I will definitely use Roadfood as a starting point whenever we hit the road. It’s a great resource to begin any culinary adventure.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crown Publishing. Until you get your own copy, want me to look up any U.S. restaurants that you think should have been included?
Browsing The Atlas 
I love St. Augustine, that meal looks delicious, too! Did you drink from the fountain of youth while you were there? I did, but it obviously didn’t work for me… ♥♥♥ ;^)
No, I didn’t. I thought about it, but we didn’t have enough time to do everything and I suspected it might be too late for me. 😉
Hahaha, never too late, that’s what they say, anyway! Lol, maybe it only works if we’re like really old! Anyways something to do there next time! ♥♥♥ ;^)
Wow, those dishes looks great but you wouldn’t want to count up the calories. My one time in the Orange State I was disappointed not to see any freshly-squeezed OJ for sale anywhere in our two weeks 😦
And yes, ask a local indeed, never fails.
Oh, you missed out, Roy. When I lived on the Florida gulf coast, there were lots of fruit stands. I miss that!
Oh, those fried green tomatoes have really made my mouth water. Looks like you had a real feast. 🙂
We love fried green tomatoes. We order it any time we see it on a menu.
Books seem to become outdated so quickly when it comes to food and restaurants. We turn to Yelp and TripAdvisor. But, then you’re at the whim of the user. We’ve had some great meals but also some crap dinners too.
You’re right; things do change quickly. I was a restaurant reviewer for 5 years and very few of the restaurants I reviewed are still in business. We almost always eat at independent places instead of chains, hoping to support them. Still, too many don’t make it.
One of our good friends just moved down to St. Augustine, and we’re hoping to visit him sometime. We’ll have to check out the Floridian!
Definitely do. That, and Hyppo pops. (More to come on that.)
‘Always ask a local’ is great advice Juliann. Drooling over the fried green tomatoes!! Haven’t tasted any since Santorini, oh so long ago! The tomatoes we get here are too tart for frying.
We order them almost every time we see them on a menu. My stepmother makes a good batch of them, too.
I love the title. 🙂 I’m sure the food itself is more appetising than “road food” makes it sound!
Yes. “Road food” does sound a little like “road kill,” doesn’t it?
That’s the image it brings up in my mind. But it works – it’s intriguing!