Original Edition of Roadfood

I was paging through the original 1978 edition of Roadfood (thanks Bruce & Sue!) and was marvelling at some of the restaurants names, like:
 
* Monument Valley Seventh Day Adventist Hospital Cafeteria in Utah
* Ma Groover's Pig and Plate in Georgia
* The Insouciant Lobster in Maine
* The Shutters Dress Store in Michigan
* Sy's Fish Fry in New York
* The Tigua Reservation Cafeteria in Texas
* Breaker 19 in Massachusetts
* Skinhead's in Kentucky
* The 89er Conoco Gas Station Restaurant in Oklahoma
* The Yarnell Senior Citizens Chat and Chew in Arizona
* The Hi There Restaurant in New Hampshire
* Annie's Jidlike Cafe in Nebraska
* Sergeant Smith's Chicken-A-Plenty in South Carolina
* Prospect Mountain Diner and Rickshaw Annex in New York
* Svensk Conditori in Kansas
 
Aren't those some great names?  What I wouldn't do to be able to go back in time and visit some of these places.  Unfortunately, I didn't pick up my first copy of a Jane & Michael Stern book until 1997.  Are any of the above restaurants still open?  Anybody eat at some of these and have some memories?  I'll bet Poverty Pete ate at a few.

I try to keep up on this stuff, so here's the status as far as I know:

That Utah hospital still exists.  There's probably a cafeteria of some sort.  Is it anything like JMS described back in 78?  I don't know but probably not.

Groovers is closed.

Insouciant Lobster is now called, I believe, The New Harbor Cooperative.

Shutters is closed.

Sy's is closed.

The Tigua reservation still exists.  Same situation, though, as the Utah hospital.

Breaker 19 is closed.

Skinhead's (in KY) is closed.

The Conoco truckstop is still there, but it's now a different brand, and it's the same situation as the hospital and the reservation.

Yarnell Senior Citizens center still exists, but see the hospital, reservation, and truckstop above!

Hi There is closed.

Jidlike is closed.

Sergeant's place is closed.

Prospect Mountain is open and has a website! http://www.lakegeorge.com/Business3270/Website/

Svensk Conditori is now the Cookery, I think.

We've never been to any of those, but they sound great!

I ate at Skinhead's once, a few years before it closed, based on the 1992 edition of Roadfood.  Maybe it's best days were behind it, because I didn't eat anything there to warrant its inclusion.

Fifteen minutes later, I found a better meal just around the corner at Starnes Bar-B-Q, with the horseshoe curved counter.  The barbecue with the toasted buns really made that sandwich.  Starnes is still around.

I bought my first Roadfood book back in 1980 ( the second edition ), and all but a couple of these places could also be found in its pages. Skinhead's and Sergeant Smith's Chicken-A-Plenty are the only ones on this list that I've eaten at; both were among the first Roadfood-listed restaurants that I visited in the early days of my highway travels. I ate at Sgt. Smith's one time, and while it was pretty good, it still wasn't anything to get real excited about. Skinhead's was another story; I ate there maybe three or four times, and  breakfast there was just as special as the Sterns said. I was very upset when I read of its demise several years ago, as I had always hoped to get back for another great southern breakfast.          

I used the early edition as I came down Lolo Pass (US 12) in Idaho in the early 1980's. Near Kooskia (sp?) I stopped at the Syringa Cafe to test the Stern's recomendation of several varieties of fresh-baked pies at that remote roadside foodstop. They were happy to oblige with a couple of pieces of excellent pie (Are you reading this BuffetBuster?) and got even more excited when I pulled out my book and shared the Stern's Review with them !
 
My first knowledge of both Arthur Bryants and the Moonlite BBQ came from the Sterns early Roadfood edition. I consider that legacy 'Priceless'!

Thanks to everyone for their responses.

Bruce-
I am amazed by the way you keep up with this.  Thanks for the excellent info.  Any chance I could take a rickshaw through the Prospect Mountain Diner drive-thru?

Prospect Mountain's website (click on the menu link) talks about that rickshaw thing.  The annex served Chinese food from 1969 through 1991.  It sounds like they still have "the rickshaw" somewhere visible - an actual rickshaw imported from Hong Kong.

When I think of the first edition of Roadfood, I think of Stubby's BBQ in Hot Springs Arkansas. It was my Bible for a couple of trips my soon-to-be wife and I made from NY to Texas after her sister moved there in 1981. We still talk about Stubby's Baked potato.

Let's remember that back in '78 there was NOTHING else like the Roadfood book. No internet, no other books, nothing. Other than Calvin Trillin, who only wrote about a few places, the Stern's effort was unique. I thank them again for starting all this.

One question if I may. I just checked and found a web site for Stubby's, but as I recall when we went in '81 it wasn't in Hot Springs but rather in a rural area near Hot Springs, but maybe my recollection is wrong. I no longer have the Original Roadfood book, but can someone check to see if the Stubby's listed in the book is at the same location as currently. Thanks!

http://www.stubbysbbq.com/main/default.asp?strPageName=history.htm

ken8038-
The address listed in the original edition for Stubby's is 1000 Park Street (Route 7).   So it looks like they did move.

I just looked at Stubby's website, and assuming that I ever get back when I get back to Hot Springs, I'll have a heck of a decision to make - my first visit to Stubby's or a return visit to McClard's. What to do, what to do? Wait a moment. I just remembered my "WWbbD?" wristband. That's the solution... get 'em both!!       

You're killin' me Bob!

When I was in Hot Springs last Fall, I ate at McClard's, did some sightseeing and then ate at Mickey's.  Sure wish I had skipped that last place and went to Stubby's instead.

Hmmm....will be in Hot Springs on Monday afternoon....

Hmmm....indeed.

LOL, a funny story from when my wife and I were dating. I have an original Roadfood that I bought in '77 or whenever it first came out. In '88, when we were about 5 months into dating, we decided to drive from Mountain Top to Pittsburgh to visit my family. So I decided to try out my copy of Roadfood! I decided that we were going to stop in Lock Haven and eat at a place called Janet's, which got a decent review.

So, 8:30 at night, driving through Lock Haven where the streets are rolled up and tucked away at sunset, the only lights are streetlights and all the storefronts shut down, the address for Janet's doesn't seem to exist... I finally pulled up in front of an all night cafe to go in and ask where Janet's might be. It was like walking into the bar from Star Wars, and smelled about like that would, too; grease and burned coffee. If there was such a thing as a bad roadfood smell, this was it. I looked around and decided that we could find a place further down the road. When I got back to the car, Mary Joan asked me how old the book was; when I told her, she laughed.

The Travelin Man


Hmmm....will be in Hot Springs on Monday afternoon....

Hmmm....indeed.

Get yourself to McClard's on the double!!! 

<<The address listed in the original edition for Stubby's is 1000 Park Street (Route 7).   So it looks like they did move.

Thanks for the reply, I checked Mapquest for that location and it does seem to be a little more "out of town" so that's the spot I remember.

For you guys who may be going there, I'd love to hear how the food (and especially the baked potato) is in 2009. I don't think Stubby's has been listed in Roadfood for many years and I've always wondered why 

buffetbuster

The Travelin Man


Hmmm....will be in Hot Springs on Monday afternoon....

Hmmm....indeed.

Get yourself to McClard's on the double!!! 

Sir.  Yes, sir.

Last year, I rushed back to Little Rock quickly to get to Doe's, instead.  The folks at the high school that I visited had told me about McClard's, as well, and I told them that I would just have to come back!  This year, I am flying into Little Rock (instead of Memphis!) on Sunday night and flying back to Houston on Tuesday morning.  I should have time to hit both McClard's and Doe's! 

TTM-
I would call you a very, very lucky man, but it sounds like you will miss out on the Family Pie Shop in DeValls Bluff.  Still, color me green with envy.

In between Little Rock and Hot Springs make sure you stop in at Ed & Kay's for a slice of pie or two.  Or three.

It looks like DeValls Bluff may be a little too far out of the way to make this happen.  I am scheduled to arrive in LIT a little after 6 pm on Sunday.  I fly out at 8:30 on Tuesday morning.  It looks like my hours don't gel with Miss Mary's, anyway. 

I will check out Ed & Kay's, for sure.  It looks like I will have a good day of eating while I am in town so briefly!

Since we're focused on Ar-Kansas for a moment, let me point out another WINNER from the first edition. Try the Catfish at "CATFISH N" just outside of Dardanelles. Sitting just below the dam on the scenic banks for the Arkansas River, we have enjoyed the Catfish dinners at least once every 5 years since the early 80's. It has a wonderful view of the river, and a comfortable 'rustic' feel about the dining area.  It sits a bit further north of Hot Springs, on Scenic Rt 7, but south of the I-40 interchange.

Thanks, Jane and Michael for another "LongLasting" winner !

buffetbuster


ken8038-
The address listed in the original edition for Stubby's is 1000 Park Street (Route 7).   So it looks like they did move.

 
My 1992 version has Stubby's at 310 Park Ave.  I was there a couple of years ago and it seemed to be surrounded by the town.  Sorry, I don't remember anything specific about the food.

Ah, Cliff, you've brought back so many good memories. Makes me think of the most useless book Jane and I would like to write: "Great Roadfood Places That No Longer Exist" ... like the long-gone place in Nashville formally called Wendell Smith, but known to all customers as Booze and Biscuits.

Um, Michael, Wendell Smith's is still open. Now that smoking is banned, you can even breathe while eating their biscuits.

Michael Stern


Ah, Cliff, you've brought back so many good memories. Makes me think of the most useless book Jane and I would like to write: "Great Roadfood Places That No Longer Exist" ... .

 
 
Now I think that would be such a fun book to write and for Roadfooders to read.  Some of my most fun meals and nicest memories are from Roadfood  places  long gone.  A very special   Roadfood place, to me, was Shirley's Dining Room.  I will never forget the first time that I was there and what I enjoying eating!

And of course the original Roadfood book also included the somehow  forgotten authentic So-Cal Roadfood establishment The Orange Inn in Laguna Beach CA which based on my visit in April 2009 is still flourishing and I believe also included one of my all time favorites The White Way in Durant IA, back in the day when Iowa Roadfood seemed to emphasise thick Iowa Chops versus Tenderloins and Maidrites.

Michael Stern


Ah, Cliff, you've brought back so many good memories. Makes me think of the most useless book Jane and I would like to write: "Great Roadfood Places That No Longer Exist" ... like the long-gone place in Nashville formally called Wendell Smith, but known to all customers as Booze and Biscuits.

Another combination Roadfood restaurant that is gone that I would have loved to have visited is Ruth & Jimmie's in Mississippi, a combo bait shop/plate lunch cafe.  Sounds like my kind of place.
 
And I would absolutely love to read that book, too!

Michael, I'd love to read that book too. In Buffalo, when you told me that The Gardens in Walnut IA was no more, I got a bit depressed. That place has always been high on my list of "roadfood musts", but I kept putting it off year after year. This is what procrastination gets you! 

Since Michael is peeking into this thread now and then  I have to ask a question about a place reviewed in that famous first edition---

Did you folks REALLY enjoy a meal at the "Adam and Eve" restaurant in Roselawn, Indiana? Somehow I could visualize a Glee Club gathering in the environment described in 1977, but I find it difficult to accept that You two wanderers actually participated in that activity !!! For those of you without access to that review, the place served it's fine food in the 'Buff'!

Come On, It is 32 years later, you can own up to using 'ghost-writers' on that segment ??????????