Made you look didn't I ?, well anyway now that your here I would like your opinion, I always say to people that the best food is either at truck stops or pubs, would agree or disagree with my theory?.

[Jim]

Old diners, maybe? Preferably the ones that make a million varieties of pies.

[momoreg]

Yeah, I was thinking of diners too. Same idea, though.

[Live_to_cook]

Mmmmm. Disagree, as I find your premise impossibly broad. The "best food," in my opinion, may be found at the best restaurants -- which are mostly located in or near the metropolises of North America.

But I think I know what you're getting at. In rural areas (i.e. those deprived of first-class restaurants) the best grub is often at diners. Truck stops, have to take your word for that.

I do know that my first rule for finding decent food in unfamiliar non-big city territory involves observing the relative fullness of parking lots at lunchtime. An unpaved parking lot filled to overflowing with vehicles at the lunch hour is worth checking out, if it isn't a strip joint.

By exercising this rule I found the best blue-collar American restaurant I have even been in, The Wayside, Barre, Vt. on the Barre-Montpelier Rd., off Exit 7 on the I-89 (802-223-6611).

They bake their pies fresh every morning, and if you go for lunch the waitress will reserve a slice of the banana cream pie as you're seated, for there may not be any left when it comes time for dessert.

[This message has been edited by Live_to_cook (edited 12-25-2000).]

live_to_cook, thank you, I've never thought about observing parking lots to establish where to eat but I will keep it in mind the next time I'm travelling. also, Jim, Momoreg, the reason I use the premise of truck stops and pubs, is because the closest thing we have to a diner in my town, is Denny's

[This message has been edited by coolJ (edited 12-26-2000).]

[momoreg]

And we don't have Denny's or truck stops. Yes, it goes without saying that the finest food can be found at higher end places.

Live_to_cook: Do you know any good restaurants in the Killington area? I'll be going there in a few weeks.

nice topic name..

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Por Favor mentaganse allejado de las puertas!

I have a copy of Dave Anderson's "Famous Dave's Backroads and Sidestreets" that contains many recipes of jumpin blues joints, rowdy roadhouses and dusty backroads, where Paul Bunyan-sized servings are dished up. I've eaten in some really good truck stops. The best hot dog I ever ate was served in The Royal Poolroom, LaFollette, Tennessee.

[Live_to_cook]

momoreg, sad to say, I have never been to Killington. But here's a Chowhound thread that might help:
http://www.chowhound.com/newengland/...ages/2730.html

Also, a place I've heard ridiculous amounts of buzz about but have never been able to get to, called Simon Pearce:
http://www.simonpearce.com/sp/htm/restaurant.shtml

Good luck, and let us know if you go.

[Live_to_cook]

momoreg, one more place that a friend liked.

Again, can't vouch personally but worth looking at:
http://www.hemingwaysrestaurant.com/

What it the world did food-seekers do before restaurants had web sites?

[momoreg]

I don't know what the world did...I guess they ate at a lot of mediocre places.

Thanks for the leads. I didn't know Simon Pearce had a restaurant. We wanted to go to Simon Pearce on our last trip to VT., and ran out of time. My husband's a potter, so that's great, we can check out the pottery and have dinner.

[momoreg]

I think we tried Hemingway's last year, but I can't quite remember. Anyway, I'll post the critiques after our trip.

[shroomgirl]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO....they are what they are.
Some are great, most are not. When traveling they are generally preferable to fast food. In 1978 I drove from Memphis to Utah with my brother and we ate biscuits and cream gravy throughout the trip....some good some not.
Sterns have an interesting approach, I was not impressed with the sensationalism of their St. Louis article, we all don't eat St. Paul sandwiches, brain sandwiches, gooey butter cake, pig ears.....but that's what I equate to truck stops etc.....you take your chances and expectations should not be too high.

Before Web Sites:

Fax
Telephone
Telegraph
Pony Express
Smoke Signals
Drums

before drums....nada.

[shroomgirl]

So who would you call, drum, etc....and where do you go on line now to find good diners, truck stops etc...?