Road Food

It’s been awhile since my adventures on the mechanical horse, so I’ll bring you up to speed. I’ve written about how food is one of my favorite ways to experience a place. The unique eateries dotting the road don’t just serve up burgers and fries, but tasty portions of local flavor and regionalism. One of our favorite resources while on tour is Roadfood.com, the online home of Jane and Michael Stern. For years, the Sterns have been sampling the burger joints, crab shacks, and diners of the country and sharing their wisdom by publishing several books, writing a column for Gourmet Magazine, and making weekly appearances on public radio’s The Splendid Table (give it a listen). On their website, hundreds upon hundreds of must-eat locations are archived, giving two hungry actors plenty of local fixings to choose from. Many of our favorite food-finds have come from the unparalleled wisdom of the Sterns.

Some areas are rich with road food finds, others are not. Indianapolis, our home following Red Wing, is not one of the culinary icons of America. It is home to the Mug ‘n’ Bun, however, a top pick on Roadfood.com and a great place for deep fried mac ‘n’ cheese and delicious homemade root beer. The Mug 'n' Bun turned out to be the highlight of our week in Indy before heading to Ohio. Cincinnati, on the other hand, is a road food hotspot. Well, at least it is when in comes to chili. Previously unbeknownst to me, the Queen City is famous for its chili. Looking to sample some of this regional specialty, we found a highly recommended chili parlor on the website and made our way there after a visit to the Cincinnati Zoo. As we pulled off the interstate, we saw the vertical CHILI sign and began to drool a little.

Inside a bright neon wall clock proudly reading “Camp Washington Chili Parlor” smiled down at us as we studied the menu. For me, it was an easy choice: five way chili and goetta. What is five way chili? Spaghetti noodles topped with a mild chili, beans, onions, and cheddar cheese with a few oyster crackers on top--the only way to have chili in Cincinnati. Goetta is another unique regional specialty. It’s a sausage like mixture of pork, beef, and pin head oats, grilled in patties and often served for breakfast. Both are outstanding examples of foods you can only get in the Cincinnati area and what they serve at Camp Washington is worth the drive.

Though you may wind your way across the country like I do, I encourage you to check out Roadfood.com and see what’s cooking in your area. I assure you, you won’t be disappointed.