5 Questions for Jane & Michael Stern

I came across this article in the Charlotte Observer about Jane & Michael and Roadfood:

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/living/food/15782278.htm

I have been thinking about question #2 for some time. I have wanted to ask just how far is a restaurant worth driving to? Would you drive 100 miles one way to go get a meal? Is a pizza worth a 200 mile round trip?
I have made roadtrips of some distance with these spots as part of the trip's agenda, but never for the sole purpose of it being the main and only reason for the drive. I have done a 80+ mile roundtrip for Pepe's in Fairfield. That's my best.
Has anyone done 100 miles each way?

mark

quote:

Originally posted by doggydaddy



I have been thinking about question #2 for some time. I have wanted to ask just how far is a restaurant worth driving to? Would you drive 100 miles one way to go get a meal? Is a pizza worth a 200 mile round trip?
I have made roadtrips of some distance with these spots as part of the trip's agenda, but never for the sole purpose of it being the main and only reason for the drive. I have done a 80+ mile roundtrip for Pepe's in Fairfield. That's my best.
Has anyone done 100 miles each way?

mark

I have driven 680 miles each way for an apizza at Frank Pepe's, and I have driven 126 miles each way for some Wor Hip Har at the Golden Crown in Port Clinton, Ohio. I have driven 120 miles each way for corned beef hash at the Lafayette Hotel in Marietta, Ohio, and the same distance to Cincinnati for dinner at the now-departed Maisonette. And a couple of days ago I drove 70 miles each way for a cheeseburger and coffee at Dee's Diner in Nelsonville, Ohio.

I am 'dirt-close'. The Moonlite BBQ in Owensboro,KY is 99 miles from my driveway. 3 or 4 times a year we either take visitors, or team up with some of my boys and their families and head down there on a Friday evening. No other reason, except we will normally try to time the trip so as to fill-up in Owensboro. For some unknown reason the gas is anywhere from a nickel to twenty cents a gallon cheaper than in the Louisville area. The real reason for the trip is to enjoy the BBQ!

Two gentlemen that have become my friends since I joined the Roadfood.com site are Sundancer and Poverty Pete. We have met several times to share conversation and good food in many areas including their hometowns of Knoxville and Nashville, and several others like Dillard GA. It is hard to say if the main reason to meet is to 'do' a restaurant, or do we like sharing company and the foodie thing gives us an excuse to get together? Kind of a "Which Comes First...?" sort of thing. Whatever the answer to that may be, the distances covered on those trips can be long.

We are looking forward to the February trip to the Austin Area for several reasons:
1. We will meet up with several of our old friends and hopefully some new ones too.
2. We will visit some great Texas Food Stops.
3. We will get away from 'some' of the winter here.

I would like to be able to brag that we are going on a 2500 mile roadtrip to get a dozen Round Rock Doughnuts (our Prime Mission). We may, but it isn't our prime mission! Frankly I am glad we aren't trying to earn a living at being a Foodie. It's a lot more fun and less pressure to just enjoy what you (or someone else) finds !

When gas was less expensive, I would regularly drive 140 miles each way for White House Subs. I also went to Pepe's, about a half dozen times, about 150 miles each way.

I am seriously impressed by the distances driven by the people on here just for food. Now, I can tell you that just about every trip I take is well planned out with Roadfood eateries being at the top of the importance list. But, the furthest I have ever driven in one day, just for one meal is 110 miles to Conneaut, Ohio to eat at White Turkey Drive-in. And it was well worth it!

I have driven 275 miles one way to Dublin to buy Dr. Peppers.

300 miles one way to Strawn for CFS.

220 miles one way to Breaux Bridge for cajun.

Normally I don't think twice about driving 1-2 hours to try out a new place.

joe

texianjoe,
that's cause yer in tx..
we lived in plano and never gave it a
thought to take a 5 hr
drive just to eat in galveston
i'll use any excuse to take
a road trip.

If we are shooting for one-way distance (endurance) records, I think our lunch runs to Baltimore for the Annual Crabcake Feast should put us near the top.670 miles one way (in 'n' out of 5 states) and no real other purpose than to have a lunch of fine crabcakes (in good company). We literally turn around after the meal and drive 670 miles home that day !

I have a similar thing to Mr. Mayor. We routinely take out of town company to Jestine's Kitchen in Charleston, and it's about 250 miles round trip. We are proud to say that in August we took a visitor from Australia there. Don't know how we're gonna top that one, distancewise. Locally, we will take folks the 60 mile round trip to Shealy's in Batesburg-Leesville.

Now, about one Saturday a month for the last few years my SO will get up and make coffee and comment that she sure would like some World's Best Donuts (Grand Marais, MN) to go with them, and I nod my hearty agreement. We go to the Twin Cities quite often to visit family, but if the donut-lust ever forces us to do the six-hour-one-way drive to Grand Marais just for donuts, that would be my personal topper. You never know. It's a very very persistent lust.

Nancy,
Jestine's Kitchen is worth the trip! Congratulations on a fine selection for a distance setter.
Last year one of my son's called me to tell me he was being sent to Charleston for a couple of days of training for the company he worked for. He asked for, and I gave him several suggestions of good places to eat in the city. (Jestine's being one of the places)

A few evenings later I got a call from him . It was pouring rain in Charleston and he had just spent the evening in Jestine's. He was raving about the Shrimp and Grits that "The Owner" had suggested for his dinner. He was also given several samples of various dishes "to check out" and a huge piece of Coca Cola Cake for dessert. Because he was a young man, alone in town and a real 'amatuer' at ordering in a strange restaurant, I believe they kinda took him in out of the storm and made him feel special. When he was settling his check he mentioned that he learned of them from his dad and Roadfood.com. That brought on a whole 'nother round of socialization. I think my son learned a lot that night, about food, and more importantly about the wide-wide world that he now wants to explore a bit more.

Thanks for bringing back a good memory!

Last spring for me to drive from home to the Moonlight BBQ in Owensboro for the Roadfood Glee Club get-together was 325 miles one way. (Of course, besides the food, the meet-and-greet was another good reason for going that distance.)

quote:

Originally posted by Al-The Mayor-Bowen

If we are shooting for one-way distance (endurance) records, I think our lunch runs to Baltimore for the Annual Crabcake Feast should put us near the top. 670 miles one way (in 'n' out of 5 states) and no real other purpose than to have a lunch of fine crabcakes (in good company). We literally turn around after the meal and drive 670 miles home that day !

Holy smokes Al, that should have been your 6,000th post; two incredible records at the same time. I’m guessing you went out one day, had lunch, and returned the next day. If you did it all in one string YOU ARE THE MAN.

John

I would'nt walk 2ft for a White House sub

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

quote:

Originally posted by doggydaddy



I have been thinking about question #2 for some time. I have wanted to ask just how far is a restaurant worth driving to? Would you drive 100 miles one way to go get a meal? Is a pizza worth a 200 mile round trip?
I have made roadtrips of some distance with these spots as part of the trip's agenda, but never for the sole purpose of it being the main and only reason for the drive. I have done a 80+ mile roundtrip for Pepe's in Fairfield. That's my best.
Has anyone done 100 miles each way?

mark

I have driven 680 miles each way for an apizza at Frank Pepe's, and I have driven 126 miles each way for some Wor Hip Har at the Golden Crown in Port Clinton, Ohio. I have driven 120 miles each way for corned beef hash at the Lafayette Hotel in Marietta, Ohio, and the same distance to Cincinnati for dinner at the now-departed Maisonette. And a couple of days ago I drove 70 miles each way for a cheeseburger and coffee at Dee's Diner in Nelsonville, Ohio.

Holy cow!!!! I did not think that these distances were possible just for a good meal. It seems that you would have to have another reason to drive over 100 miles to eat, even if it involves going over to the in-laws.
I have to ask. What is Wor Hip Har? I'll eat anything, but have never heard of this dish.
As for Pepe's, that's amazing. I think that you could have found a pretty damn good pizza if you were passing through New York or Jersey. I think that if you were going to drive that far, you should order another one to-go.

Keeping New Haven apizza in mind, I will be flying to S.F. for Thanksgiving. As part of my carry-ons will be a Modern apizza that I will have vacuum sealed. I have to choose Modern as I will be in the city for a short time in the afternoon and two days before the flight. Coast to coast doggie bag.

My personal best was 166 miles each way to Hot Dog Johnny's and having a couple doggies. Even here, there was a visit to see someone else as part of the reason to drive. Prior to this trip, we did have an understanding and it was his -suggestion- that we go there.

I do pretty good when the trip involves me being there and taking food back home. I bought a case of White Castle burgers while visiting in Wisconsin and ate them while driving back to Connecticut. Part of my plan was to throw them into the freezer so I could have one anytime, which I did do. I always carry an ice chest in my car for food transporting...

My trip to S.F. will have me bringing back salamis and sourdough for a proper sandwich. I will also be searching for piroshkis(not pirogis, which are different).

After reading ellen4641's NYC Visit with Pics, it does appeal to me to make that trip and go on a food junket to the city. The drive isn't that far, but she hit all the right places.
As I mentioned earlier, bringing food back is part of my trips. I love the duck and BBQ pork buns in Chinatown.

mark

ok I had to map quest it to get the number of miles 961.44

Aurora, IN to Kittery, ME - Bob's Clam Hut - For Lunch, we flew so does that really count as "drive"??

if not then 401 miles one way for dinner at Big Bob Gibson's BBQ in Decatur, AL

like some of you I would not mind a drive if it meant good food

one way miles from here:

South Bend 242
Dayton 75
Indy 112
Columbus 130
Louisville 112
Lexington 95
cincy 30
Cleveland 273
Chicago 295

But then again I drive 12-14 hours a day in my job, so what is a little time in the car.

John A.
Close but reverse the order of the trip... We drove over on Friday- I-64 (IN,KY,WV) to I-77/79 in WV to I-68 (WV,MD) to I-70.
Stayed in Hagerstown,MD- Visited Antietam Battlefield at Sunrise
Then into B-More for the Lunch on Saturday.Left the Luncheon at 3:30pm
Then I-95 MD to I-495 (MD,DC,VA) to I-66 VA to I-81 VA to I-64 (VA,WV,KY,IN) Home by Midnite on Saturday.

The title of the newspaper article got me thinking.... What question or questions would you ask Jane & Michael?

quote:

Originally posted by buffetbuster

The title of the newspaper article got me thinking.... What question or questions would you ask Jane & Michael?

Where does the line start?

joe

Hey Doggydaddy - I don't think you got the White Castle's in Wisconsin, unless you bought them frozen at a grocery store. We don't have White Castle's here. Maybe in Illinois?

The Mayor:

quote:

I think my son learned a lot that night, about food, and more importantly about the wide-wide world that he now wants to explore a bit more.

I love it when those kinds of things happen to my own son--because the world is going to be a better teacher than my big mouth will ever be.

One of their daily specials, it seems, I'm never there for. The sweet chicken and limas, which are Tuesday I think. One of these days I have to get back there on a Tuesday. Their shrimp-and-grits are terrific.

In fact, the Jestine's thing is so strong with us that we've never even tried FIG, which is catty-corner from Jestine's, or Hyman's, which is two blocks away.

I have to say, some of the Jestine's wait staff has, I know, been there from the time I first started going there back in 97 or so. They have a nice rotation of younger faces, but even some of those stick around, so it must be a pretty decent place to work in an extremely restaurant-heavy town like Charleston. The proprietess, Dana (the tall swannish lady who looks a little like Anjelica Huston), makes my SO overcome with the vapors, as we say around here. And she's extremely good at what you're talking about--the art of the sweet chat-up. It's just one of those places I hope never substantively changes or closes.

quote:

Originally posted by packerwmn

Hey Doggydaddy - I don't think you got the White Castle's in Wisconsin, unless you bought them frozen at a grocery store. We don't have White Castle's here. Maybe in Illinois?

That's possible. I was taking the route heading south on the way to Chicago and then on east to home. But I could have been very close to the state's lines. That was my biggest regret. I really, really, really should have stopped in Chicago. I was in a big hurry to get back home.
If I wasn't such a slacker, I would follow other members initiative and get on the road right now.

mark

Wor Hip Har: pan-fried jumbo shrimp wrapped in a bacon, served over sauteed onions, glazed with a sweet and sour sauce, then topped with scallions.

. . droooollllll . . .

quote:

Al-The Mayor-Bowen Posted - 10/31/2006 : 15:53:18
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If we are shooting for one-way distance (endurance) records, I think our lunch runs to Baltimore for the Annual Crabcake Feast should put us near the top. 670 miles one way (in 'n' out of 5 states) and no real other purpose than to have a lunch of fine crabcakes (in good company). We literally turn around after the meal and drive 670 miles home that day !

I think that Linda and I have you all beat when it comes to mileage driven to a food joint..... in 2003 Linda and I drove 2175.8 miles just to have a deep-dish pizza at Pizzeria UNO in Chicago . The next year we drove 2919.9 miles to have a Philly cheese steak at Pat's and Geno's in Philly...... that is one way mileage from San Jose ...... I kid you not!

quote:

Originally posted by packerwmn

Hey Doggydaddy - I don't think you got the White Castle's in Wisconsin, unless you bought them frozen at a grocery store. We don't have White Castle's here. Maybe in Illinois?

Hey Packerwmn,

I just looked at my GPS for my car and it has this information as I did need to have directions for the place. The address was still there.

White Castle
11730 75th St.
Kenosha, WI. 53142
262-857-2500

768.4 mi. from Waterbury, CT.

mark

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

Wor Hip Har: pan-fried jumbo shrimp wrapped in a bacon, served over sauteed onions, glazed with a sweet and sour sauce, then topped with scallions.

Yummy But where are the noodles? I love Chinese noodles.

mark

Sorry Doggydaddy - I just found out you are right. I guess most of us in Milwaukee consider Kenosha a suburb of Illinois I had no idea there was a White Castle in our fine state. George Webb is way better after bar food. I think White Castle's are gross - but to each his own! Come back and visit Wisconsin anytime!

quote:

Originally posted by fpczyz

quote:

Al-The Mayor-Bowen Posted - 10/31/2006 : 15:53:18
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If we are shooting for one-way distance (endurance) records, I think our lunch runs to Baltimore for the Annual Crabcake Feast should put us near the top. 670 miles one way (in 'n' out of 5 states) and no real other purpose than to have a lunch of fine crabcakes (in good company). We literally turn around after the meal and drive 670 miles home that day !

I think that Linda and I have you all beat when it comes to mileage driven to a food joint..... in 2003 Linda and I drove 2175.8 miles just to have a deep-dish pizza at Pizzeria UNO in Chicago . The next year we drove 2919.9 miles to have a Philly cheese steak at Pat's and Geno's in Philly...... that is one way mileage from San Jose ...... I kid you not!

Does Pizzeria Uno still exist. They closed the one in Houston and man I miss them, they were the best deep dish in town. I can't find any info online.
joe

Mine was the Moonlite as well, Ann Arbor, MI to Owensboro, KY with a stop in Louisville to meet the folks at the Brown Hotel for a Hot Brown on the way down. What a trip! My longest consistant trip was to a chain sadly lacking in MI that was 50 miles away in Toledo. I won't mention the name, but they have the best chicken sandwich on the planet IMHO... Since I'm home in GA now, they're everywhere and not so special.