LATEST REVIEWS
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Pat’s Place
Bardstown, KentuckyPat’s is a Bardstown, Kentucky, cafe favored by locals as well as travelers on the Kentucky bourbon trail. Hamburgers are a specialty. Breakfast, too.
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Roy’s Grille
Lexington, South CarolinaAlthough it is a minimalist gas-station cafe, Roy’s Grille offers scrupulously well-prepared breakfast and lunch, including exquisite shrimp and grits.
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Billy’s One Stop
Barbourville, KentuckyLocals and regular travelers along the Cumberland Gap Parkway stop at Billy’s for a $1 chili bun, lunch-counter eats, gas, and convenience-store needs.
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Jerry’s Curb Service
Beaver, PennsylvaniaCar hops carry burgers and fries, chicken tenders, and deep-fried chipped ham to the car window. Jerry’s drive-in is fast and fun. Since 1947.
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Jackie M’s and Son Cafe
Augusta, GeorgiaSuperior Philly cheese steaks are the signature of this family-run Augusta cafe. Must-eat dessert: Jackie M’s powerhouse red velvet cheesecake.
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Big Bad Wolf BBQ
London, KentuckyA BBQ truck that parks along Rt. 25 in London, Kentucky, from March to October, Big Bad Wolf offers fantastic ribs, pork, chicken, even praiseworthy catfish.
GUIDES
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Meat & Three = Dixie Delight
What Is Meat and Three? A term used through much of the South but especially in Nashville, “meat and three” quite simply refers to a menu template that lists two to five entrees and one or two dozen side dishes. How to Order From these lists, a diner picks one entree and three sides. Among … Continue reading Meat & Three = Dixie Delight
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Where to Get Classic Northeastern Tomato Pies
Unlike southern tomato pies, which tend to be savory casseroles (as at Mary Mac’s Tea Room in Atlanta) or pastry cups (as at Grits & Groceries in Belton, South Carolina), tomato pies of the northeast are clearly members of the pizza family. In fact, they are arguably the foundations of American pizza, originally created in … Continue reading Where to Get Classic Northeastern Tomato Pies
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Breakfast in the West
As breathtaking as a western sunset is, western breakfast can be every bit as beautiful. Sunrise never tasted better than it does at any one of these dozen eateries with big, bright personalities and hearty meals to match.
DISHES
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Bumbleberry Pie
All sorts of berries are available for picking when summer comes to South Dakota, and bakers make the most of them in pies. The one known as bumbleberry is especially popular in local cafes. It is a mix of whatever’s ripe, usually including blueberries, rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, and, when available, huckleberries.
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Oyster Roast
The oyster roast is a cultural touchstone of the Lowcountry – a communal feast where amenities are minimal and camaraderie is huge. It is centered around oysters that have been covered with wet burlap over smoldering charcoal, wallowing in their juices. More warmed than cooked, they retain all the sensual mouth feel of raw ones … Continue reading Oyster Roast
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Poutine
One way to refer to yukky leftovers in colloquial Quebecoise is to call them poutine. At its worst, poutine can indeed be awful. But made right, it is transcendent. It must start with excellent French fries (twice fried), which are a staple at roadside snack bars throughout the province. Top the hot spuds with squeaky-fresh … Continue reading Poutine
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Barbecue Fried Chicken
Outstanding fried chicken is a staple throughout North Carolina, but Keaton’s of Statesville takes it to a higher plane. Once fried to a crisp, pieces of juicy bird get a quick dip in Keaton’s zesty hot sauce, which somehow gets sucked through the skin and into the meat down to the bone. The result: a … Continue reading Barbecue Fried Chicken
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Green Chile Cheeseburger
Down along the Rio Grande in New Mexico’s Mesilla Valley, where most long green chilies grow, cheeseburgers are draped with whole chile pods that have been roasted, peeled and seeded. To the north, the custom is to chop chilies and lay them atop hamburgers, then blanket the chiles with cheese or, alternatively, to first apply … Continue reading Green Chile Cheeseburger
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Puffy Tacos
Scottsbluff, Nebraska, has been home to immigrants from Texas and Mexico for nearly a century; and it boasts restaurants that reflect that southwestern flavor. The custom in many of them is to flash-fry corn chips and tortillas so they puff up in the oil and become as three-dimensional as a sopaipilla – airy breadstuffs with … Continue reading Puffy Tacos
FEATURES
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Jane’s Diary: Enter Laughing
I am a tough audience. Most things people find funny, I don’t. I don’t laugh out loud. When something is funny to me, it’s more an internal implosion, like an orgasm. Among my fondest memories of Michael is our shared sense of humor, a thing so powerful that much of our time together I spent … Continue reading Jane’s Diary: Enter Laughing
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Jane’s Diary: A Bad Case of Affluenza
People familiar with our writing assume Michael and I live in a world of junky old cars, cheap motel rooms, and all-night diners. Yes, we fell in love with Jack Kerouac’s open road and Edward Hopper’s diners; but there is a shadow side to us not often seen. As much as our hearts are in … Continue reading Jane’s Diary: A Bad Case of Affluenza
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The Best Local Restaurants in and around Palm Springs
Palm Springs – An Eater’s Oasis in the Desert If you come on I-10 from the west, stop in Cabazon at Hadley’s Fruit Orchards (where trail mix was invented). Serving candy, milkshakes and an excellent Fluffernutter, Hadley’s is worth the stop. For hotter-than-hot sauce and great tacos go to Crazy Coyote Tacos. From the East … Continue reading The Best Local Restaurants in and around Palm Springs
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Yellow Church Cafe
Expertly crafted artisan fare, including house-baked breads and world-class cakes, make meals in Ellensburg’s adorable former church restaurant truly heavenly.
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Model Pharmacy
A vintage lunch counter serving true New-Mex green chile stew, warm fruit cobblers, and soda fountain specialties, Model Pharmacy is a taste of old Route 66.
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Portland, Oregon in a Day
It would be possible to eat nothing but delicious breakfasts all day long in Portland, Oregon; and we don’t only mean the ne plus ultra offerings of Voodoo Doughnut and Annie’s Donut Shop. The original Original Pancake House remains a beacon of the highest quality breakfasts from sunup to sundown. But this tour goes beyond … Continue reading Portland, Oregon in a Day