Should I rate a book I didn't finish? Probably not, but I went ahead since I've read enough of their magazine articles...I'm afraid I just don't get their appeal. ( )

3.5 stars

Jane and Michael Stern are married and have been travelling across the US since just after they married in 1970 to find local eateries (aka “roadfood”) and review them. This is a memoir of their travels and the food.

This was entertaining. Many chapters focused on an area and at the end of each chapter they included a couple of recipes of things they mentioned in the chapter. (Except the chapter on the awful food they tried (or smelled and didn’t try!) The recipes at the end of that chapter included foods that many people dislike). I’m not one who reads recipes, but each recipe had a story to go with it, so I did read that. I bake more than cook, and I’m not an adventurous eater. That was one of the nice things about this book – though there were some odd things, much of it was just “American” food (bbqs, pies, ice cream, steak, etc.). Although I don’t eat meat often, I really want to try a steamed cheeseburger (head to Meriden, Connecticut for that one)! ( )

Jane & Michael Stern met in grad school at Yale, where they both studied art. Newly graduated, the found that life hit them hard – parents died, a relative was institutionalized – and they just wanted to run away for everything. In a fit of genius – or desperation – they proposed a book about truck-stop dining to a young editor friend. He loved the idea and gave them a contract and an advance. The only problem is that they knew nothing about truck-stop dining, and didn’t even have a car. It took them awhile to discover a routine (and route) that would work, but Roadfood was a success and their careers as professional eaters were born.

This is a delightful memoir of decades spent on the road in search of quintessential American food, served in mostly out-of-the-way locations with little fanfare. We’re talking food that will fill the emptiest stomach and satisfy one’s need for comfort. They’ve sampled and enjoyed chicken dinners in Iowa, pork barbecue in South Carolina, cherry pie in Michigan, hot dogs in Rhode Island, and gallons of sweet tea served ice-cold.

The book should come with a warning label. I think I gained 10 pounds just reading about all this food! Parts are laugh-out-loud hilarious; my outbursts drew curious (or frightened) stares from people in the beauty shop and glares from the library staff (two of my favorite places to read – the beauty shop and the library). The section on menu misprints … well I start chuckling just thinking about it. (Fried Clamps, anyone? If that sounds too tough, how about Tender Oven-Baked Children?)

As an added bonus, there are recipes sprinkled throughout. I plan to try the Doris Gulsvig’s Rhubarb Crunch (will have to wait till next year, as rhubarb season is over and we didn’t freeze any) or Mildred Brummond’s Beet Cake (which better be really good, if it’s going to beat my friend Carol’s recipe).

I have to go make something to eat now …
( )

Clearly I need to take a road trip. Like, immediately. ( )

Jane and Michael Stern is the couple behind Roadfood, which started as a book and now is a great website, where you can find local and better alternatives to McDonald's and Taco Bell when you are traveling. They seek out small family-owned places that still serve homemade regional specialties like barbecued pork, breakfast pancakes, and lobster rolls. This book is also autobiographic, explaining how it all started when they went on their first road trip to investigate food maybe 30 years ago. Their writing is delicious and funny, and they often write about tiny details such as the exact price of a hot dog, the curtain's color and the smell from the oven at a small diner, and how many cats the owner has. If you want to know more about American food and not read about fancy restaurants, this is the book for you. It has recipes too!

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Under Creative Commons License: Attribution ( )