Most Memorable Roadfood experiences

It is wonderful looking back on Roadfood experiences. One that I will never forget was going for goat barbeque. The managers of our condo had told us about this wonderful place north of Ocala. Fla. They specialized in goat barbeque. Now, goat is not my food of choice but I gave in to the group and we drove to this "god forsaken" place out in the middle of no where. We drove up to four corners in the road and there is was............goat barbeque heaven! (I wish I could remember the name of the owner but cannot.} We pulled up and got outside and saw a very humble home. Out in front was a grill, a couple of tables which held coolers with soft drinks and loaves of Wonder bread. On the grill barbequed goat was grilling (and hot dogs for the wimps). (Oh yes, there were actually goat tethered a few hundred feet away.) Another thing that I will never forget was that there were 2 old hound dogs lying under this huge live oak tree with their tails thumping up and down and raising dust.

We were told that the proper procedure was to grab a slice of bread and fill it with as much goat as the bread would hold and to go ahead and eat. I was not a happy person but we all did as we were told. Some of us loved it; some of us were less than thrilled. As it turned out, we received the ultimate compliment by the elderly black gentleman who ran the place. He motioned us all over to a cooler (where most of the regulars were gathered) and offered us all the free beer that we wanted.)

Now, that was real roadfood!

Chezkatie, there are some places in the world where you would have been dining on the dogs. God bless the USA.

carl reitz

Along about 1983, when I was new to California, I decided to spend one holiday weekend driving up the coast. I didn't know then that it's very difficult to find a motel room without reservations in any popular spot along Highway 1 on a holiday weekend and I had great trouble finding one. But finally I found a place in Point Arena that turned out to be somebody's 60's nightmare. The room was fabulously furnished in orange "naugahyde". Frankly, I would never have guessed there were so many orange nauga's in the world.

After settling into the room, I headed for the restaurant attached to the motel. It looked like maybe a good beer-drinking spot for the locals, but I wasn't expecting much in the food category. To my surprise, among the decent menu possibilities was fresh-caught local salmon with dill sauce that turned out to be the best I've ever had--and I've spent the years since trying to find its like.

Maybe not the overall best, but like most experiences, I think the first time was the most memorable.

Stepping into the Wayback Machine, I'm a couple years out of college, working my first real job and, since I'm earning real money, finally get My First CREDIT CARD!!! Now, I grew up memorizing the World Almanac and the Rand McNally Road Atlas, so there was no doubt what to do with this new source of wealth- TRAVEL! But where? Florida? California? London? Australia? Well, I didn't have to think long before I booked a flight to...Evansville, Indiana. Why? Because one of the highlights of every week for me was opening the Food section of Wednesday's Hartford Courant and reading the A Taste of America column by Jane and Michael Stern. These columns, along with a dogeared copy of Blue Highways, had given me the urge to experience Small Town America and what we now call Roadfood. At that time one recent column had discussed New Harmony, Indiana and the Red Geranium Restaurant in a way so appealing to me that I knew that was the first place I wanted to go. Having new plastic in pocket, I now had the wherewithal and I was off. From charcoal grilled prime rib and shaker lemon pie at the Red Geranium to the first biscuits and gravy experience for this Yankee boy at the local breakfast joint, food foreign to me is what I most remember from this trip. To this day, roadfood is ALWAYS a consideration for me in choosing a travel destination.

So, thank you Jane& Michael Stern for prompting my pursuit of a lifelong love of travel and local flavor.

The question-a good one- can be taken 2 ways. 1)Most memorable experience following a Jane and Michael Stern recommendation from their books (incl. "Roadfood" or 2)Most memorable roadfood experiences-i.e those found on our own. As to 1st we travel whenever possible with the books and have loved "Otis Cafe" in Otis Oregon(FOR EVERYTHING BREAKFAST,great home baked bread); Moody's Diner (see you Tuesday); Maine Diner(pie,lobster rolls) and Congdons(DONUTS, DONUTS AND MORE FORBIDDEN DONUTS) in and around Wells(Ogunquit),ME;Lamberts Cafe in Sikeston MO. for throwed rolls; Gunnings in,and around Baltimore for great crabs and apple cake,and if your ever in Eureka CA -the very unique Samoa Cookhouse(whatever they're serving);and so many others. For the 2nd -discoveries:
starting in Miami-home- you must try "Latin America Cafeteria" but only the original on Coral Way (SW 24th St and approx 29th Ave)-there are many imposters for cuban sandwiches-pressed and oozing with lots of swiss cheese, cuban coffee or cafe con leche, ham croquettas,and other classic roadfood. To Michael Stern -this is far superior to the ones you list in your books for Miami-try it next time your here. In Cherry hill/philly area try Big Johns for cheesesteaks and Italian hoagies with a tastycake chaser. In Vancouver BC Kirin Mandarin is amust for really top chinese -like in Hong Kong (well close).In LA if its still there Karmins for unbeleivable ice cream and nearby Cassels for Burgers- as I recall off of Vermont and north of Wilshire.In seattle just wander thru Ujiwamaya Market near the King St train station and stadium complex for an amzing variety of Japanese and Asian take out, sit down and snack (on many samples),and to purchase. Its a real experience for those who don't live on the West coast and who love asian foods. Finally any Peets coffee store in No.CA and Oregon-esp. portland-a great, and under-rated city for food.Oh and any donut shop in NE or the midwest-ok anywhere-the cheezier looking the better.[/navy]

Err...wandering "chew"?

hmm

Chezkatie: Could that Goat place be on Fl 216 just a few miles west of Ft McCoy, about 15 miles north of Ocala? The reason I ask is because we have passed a yard full of goats along that road a number of times, but never saw a sign about BBQ, and we often wondered if someone was cooking goat for the public in the area.
Our friends who live at Lake Kerr profess no knowledge of a goat BBQ (But then maybe they don't want us to drag them to one if they let us know about it?)

Any more clues you could provide would be greatly appreciated as we will be in that area in January and again in the end of February. The only time i ever ate goat (knowingly) was in Zanzibar in about 1950, and I loved it - little bits on wooden skewers, hot and spicy.

Cheers, John

TJ my bad, I'm still struggling with name - Wandering Jew was taken- but hey its about the content.

quote:

Originally posted by seafarer john

Chezkatie: Could that Goat place be on Fl 216 just a few miles west of Ft McCoy, about 15 miles north of Ocala? The reason I ask is because we have passed a yard full of goats along that road a number of times, but never saw a sign about BBQ, and we often wondered if someone was cooking goat for the public in the area.
Our friends who live at Lake Kerr profess no knowledge of a goat BBQ (But then maybe they don't want us to drag them to one if they let us know about it?)

Any more clues you could provide would be greatly appreciated as we will be in that area in January and again in the end of February. The only time i ever ate goat (knowingly) was in Zanzibar in about 1950, and I loved it - little bits on wooden skewers, hot and spicy.

Cheers, John

15 miles north of Ocala sounds right but I do not know the route number. It was a small side road and west of 75. The man's name was Sherman and his house was located (along with all those goats) on a four corners. It was right in the midst of wealthy horse country. I do remember one of the people saying to him that his land must be very valuable. His response was that indeed it was but that he would never sell it. He was going to stay there the rest of his life as he had never found anyplace any nicer. When we asked him if he had done much traveling, his response was that "Once, along time ago, I went up into Georgia a little ways...........didn't think too much of it."

I had posted this previously but some of our newer members might not have seen it:

My memory involves BBQ and took place in early December of 1984 or 1985. Husband and I were driving from PA to FL, primarily along I-95. We had been driving all night and decided to wander off the interstate for a much needed Sunday morning breakfast in southern GA or northern FL (after driving that long, we don’t remember exactly where).

To make a long story less long, we got lost and were on a potholey two lane highway and then we smelled this enticing smell and kept driving in that direction. We came to a little white frame church with people all dressed up and going in to services and out on the lawn next to it, a bunch of picnic tables and a couple of barrel cookers emitting this wondrous smoke.

We stopped and went up and met the minister and asked if he would mind if we attended services although we were not properly dressed. Somewhere along the line, spouse mentioned that he sung in our church choir and in an instant, the choir director asked him if he’d like to sing with them. So he suited up, not mentioning that he had been singing with black Gospel choirs since a high school friend had recruited his rich, deep bass voice to sing in their choir.

He knew the songs they were singing that day and held his own and as we were leaving, people invited us to stay for a church dinner, featuring that wonderful BBQ that had been slowly cooking all throughout the service. We accepted, of course.

I pitched right in to help set the tables while we waited for members of the congregation to go home and get items they had waiting in the oven or refrigerator. The most incredible chopped pork and beef ribs, potato and jello salads, coleslaw, corn casserole, meringue-topped banana pudding, 3-layer coconut cake, macaroni and cheese, greens with salt pork and sliced tomatoes were just a few of the dishes we sampled. We talked and sang after dinner and made everyone get really worried about us at our destination, in that pre-cell phone era. And we have tried but have never been able to find that church in subsequent trips.

But it did make for my best Roadfood memory - the combination of being lost, finding great food and company and a true sense of sharing food prepared with care and pride. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

Yep, Ruby Rose, that is what it's all about. A church service, a choir, a good bass and a good soprano, good music, good food and comraderie. The Best!!!

I don't normally take library books on vacation, but when my family took a trip to TX in 1990, I did take one of Jane and Michaels books. We stopped at Craigs in Devalls Bluff, AR http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=2453 My daughter, who was 12 or so at the time saw that they put coleslaw on their BBQ sandwiches, so she opted for I think it was a hamburger instead. That ended up having coleslaw on it too! :-)

Afterwards, we went to the pie shop, which I think was right across the street. http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=316 That was great too!

I would have to go way back to the early 50's for one of my best eating experiences. I was travelling with a Country Western band, and we were working out of Lawton, Oklahoma, when the brother of one of the band members, asked us to Springfield, Illinois to play at the State Fair. Of course, in those days, there were no interstate highways to rush you past all the beautiful scenery, and the quaint towns along the way. When we got into Missouri, west of Springfield, we noticed little shacks along the road with big hand painted signs reading "Fried Chicken". Being hungry, we stopped, and ate some of the best chicken I have ever had. This was pan fried, and the only other items they would have, were potatoe salad (homemade) or beans. We gorged on chicken until I thought I would burst! With all the restrictions on cleanliness now, I imagine those places are long gone, but what a memory.
The Lodge at Grand Lake, Colorado had some of the best french fries I have ever eaten. We asked for the seasoning recipe, but the cook refused to give it to us.

One that sticks out in my mind from recent trips happened on our last night in Florida earlier this year. My wife and I checked into a hotel near the airport and took a drive to see if we could find something to eat. As we were driving we passed a place that had a sign pounded into the grass by the side of the road: "All You Can Eat Fish Fry... $10.99" Neither of us said anything and we kept driving. At the next traffic light my wife looked over and said, "Why don't we go back to that fish fry place?" (She's a keeper!)

I pulled a U-turn at the first possible spot and we found a spot (easier said than done in the cramped parking lot). I think the place was called The Dockside, but I'd have to check my notes. It sat, of course, right on the dock.

We made our way into the tiny dining room and asked the waitress what the fish for the fish fry was: "Well," she told us, "today the boats came back with grouper, so it's grouper." We both ordered the fish fry and sat back with drinks while we waited for our dinner. Within minutes we found ourselves engaged in conversations with half the other diners about where they/we were from and they filled us in that Maria, the woman who owned this place and cooked the food also owned two or three other small restaurants and bars along the same strip.

The platters of grouper came out and they were perfect. Lightly fried, firm, hot and delicious. Paired with potato wedges dusted with just enough spice to give them some bite and have you reaching for a cold beverage. Homemade tartar sauce topped things off nicely.

As I was finishing up my first platter, Maria -- a dimunitive woman whom I believe was from Barbados -- came out and chatted us all up, asking what the weather was like in Baltimore and who was ready for more fish. I was and she loaded up my platter with more freshly fried pieces. I tried to get more but my wife decided I'd had enough and Maria told us she wasn't going to argue with her... even though she knew I wanted more.

Since our first attempt at a honeymoon was wiped out by Hurricane Isabel, this had been an unofficial one and laughing with strangers, eating fresh hot fried fish and watching the sun go down just outside the restaurant's windows was the perfect end to a great vacation.

It was back in the 60's. My family did a roadtrip vacation from New jersey down to Florida. I think it was before I95 was finished all the way. We stopped at a place in South Carolina -- no idea where. It was the first time to deal with Spanish moss. It also was the first time to deal with southern fried chicken -- the real stuff, not the Colonel. No idea that chicken could be that good. One of those roadfood memories.