Here’s a Tip for you, Tip-
I like the style of the first two editions of the RoadFood guides, with the 86 edition being my favorite. Just something about the informal style there that strikes me on the Plus side !…BUT, unfortuneatly many of the places in the 77-78 edition are no longer in business…Same for more and more of the 86 entries. It is sad to see, and frustrating if we have driven out of our path to go there.
If you are traveling much, and use the books on the road with you, then the Roadfood guides are high on your list. If they will serve more as a travel guide in planning at home then some of the other publications would probably be of more interest to you. Oh hell, Get them all. These folks really do know what they are talking about![:D]

"Chili Nation" isn’t a guide, it’s a cookbook with 50 chili recipes, one for each state? (Was there one for Hawaii? My copy has been in storage for a while; I’ll get it down next week.)

As one member to another, I welcome you, Tippy. This is indeed a helpful community of folks who give freely and honestly to one another.

I have five titles by Jane and Michael. I guess where to start depends on what you seek. If you want to experience some quality eating, the dining guides can lead you to the right places, coast to coast. Four of my five books are the dining guides; I just bought Square Meals after hearing about it here.

The current dining guide is Roadfood, published in 2002. Here’s a description copied from the Roadfood Web site:

Roadfood – (Purchase at Amazon.com)

"First published in 1977, the original Roadfood became an instant classic. James Beard said, ‘This is a book that you should carry with you, no matter where you are going in these United States. It’s a treasure house of information.’ Now this indispensable guide is back, in an even bigger and better edition, covering 500 of the country’s best local eateries from Maine to California. With more than 250 completely new listings and thorough updates of old favorites, the new Roadfood offers an extended tour of the most affordable, most enjoyable dining options along America’s highways and back roads."

A librarian at my branch recently recommended Jane’s book, Ambulance Girl to me. She liked it very much and ordered it for our system.

I haven’t seen the Chili Nation dining guide, but want to check it out.

I’ll climb out on that skinny limb and urge you to consider the current dining guide for a start. I’ve told numerous people that it may be the best money I ever spent.