April 3, 2008
Chicken and cattle and pigs, oh my!
I spent much of the day on a farm in Pittsylvania County, so I'm just now checking back on the blog.
Apparently, the grilled cheese topic is still going strong. I even got a note from a friend and Kroger employee who jokingly requested that I give them a heads up next time I plan to write about grilled cheese so they can stock bread and cheese. I'm pretty sure he was joking, anyway.
In addition, my mother found herself at the West Virginia Welcome Center yesterday afternoon, where one employee said, "Aren't you Lindsey Nair's mother?" and proceeded to chat with her about grilled cheese sandwiches.
Since I'm short on time today, I think I'll just introduce our next Cookbook Giveaway.
This week, the book isn't exactly a cookbook but it sure is packed with good food talk. It's called "Roadfood" by Jane & Michael Stern, and it has recently been updated with 200 new listings.
The Sterns call their book "The coast-to-coast guide to 700 of the best barbecue joints, lobster shacks, ice cream parlors, highway diners and much, much more."
The Sterns did make their way through Virginia, but I won't tell you if they highlighted any local food joints. That would just spoil the fun of reading the book!
To win this book, however, I'd love for you to tell me the best roadside joint you ever stumbled upon, and why. The deadline is 5 p.m. next Wednesday.
Comments
[April 3, 2008 4:45 PM]
AnitaLindsey....that picture of you on the Fridge Magnet website is just soooooo funny!
[April 3, 2008 6:50 PM]
Amy Hanek : →http://www.houseonthegladehill.blogspot.comRoadside stops? I could probably brag that I have seen them all. At age ten, my family and I took a five week trip from upstate NY to California and back. We drove our station wagon with no air conditioning, pulling our 8-foot box, pop-up camper. I have also driven countless times from NY to Florida and even all around Florida (practically the founder of roadside stops).
The very best place I have stopped for a bite to eat would have to be Robbies on highway A1A enroute to Key West from Miami. Mile marker 77 1/2 is where you will find this dockside anomaly. Enticed by signs to "feed the tarpon" and go on fishing expeditions, stopping to eat may just be something to do before making the long drive along the keys. At least that's what we thought when walking into this small hut-type restaurant.
Here, at Robbies, you will find the true Crabby Pattie - worth every calorie. I ordered this to make the kids laugh. They thought eating a meal straight from Spongebob was funny to say the least. I did not expect a well-seasoned, juicy, sandwich full of tons of fresh crab meat.
I asked the waitress for the recipe. I thought maybe they didn't know what a culinary delight they had right there in their restaurant. They did and would not let go of the recipe (darn it). I still think about that crabby pattie today. The BEST roadside stop (a diamond in the rough).
[April 3, 2008 8:25 PM]
Marion : →http://ontheblackwater.blogspot.comThere was a tiny nondescript real diner in Augusta, Maine, located on the side of a bridge that we stopped at when my husband visited the VA Hospital there. One side of the menu was 50's food, the other side aimed to please the local yuppies. We had the best real corned beef hash and eggs ever, with big mugs of strong coffee. Next time we stopped there, it was chocolate milkshakes and cheeseburgers molded from ground chuck. We felt like we'd gone right on back to 1955! I don't recall the name; it may have been the Riverside Diner, but I'm not sure.
[April 4, 2008 12:35 PM]
Roy CombsThe best restaurant that I just happen to try was Armstrongs in Verona Va. Great food at a good price.
The service was Great.
I loved it an I will go back
again.
Thanks
Roy
[April 4, 2008 12:43 PM]
Tami : →http://TamiWe used to travel between Lynchburg & Norfolk when I was little. A place in Blackstone called Slaws Diner. They made the BEST Brunswick stew anywhere. Sometimes they even used rabbit or squirrel. It was wonderful!
[April 6, 2008 8:31 AM]
GregMy wife and I were married in July of 2001. Shortly after 9/11 I was called up from my Naval Reserve unit to Active Duty. After some additional training I received orders to a little place called Prospet Harbor, ME. Being a newlywed and receving orders in the states, my wife decided to come to Maine with me. When we arrived there wasn't much in these little towns but we did find a little place off US 1 called Chases. Chases was a little diner that served fresh seafood and made the best seafood chowder you will ever taste. It wasn't long before the people at Chase's new us by name and treated us like natives. And if you have ever been to Maine, being treated like a native is truly an honor.
[April 7, 2008 1:28 PM]
JeffI have to say the best for me would be The Gingerbread Cafe on West Main St. in Bedford, Virginia. My girlfriend and I had driven from Roanoke up the Parkway to the Peaks of Otter to take some pictures and just "explore" on a warm Saturday this past February.
At the last minute we decided to drive back through Bedford.
It was about 11:30 and we were looking for somewhere to eat so we decided to drive though town. We spotted the small storefront (probably built in the 40's) with the hand pinted sign "Gingerbread Cafe". My girlfriend, Ginger said "let's see if they are open", so we parked down the street and walked back up to the Cafe.
We were the first customers of the day and two very nice ladies greeted us at the door.
You ordered your meal at the counter and one of the ladies would bring it to you after you seated yourself. I ordered the fresh homemade chicken salad sandwich and Ginger ordered an Italian Meatball Sub. Both came with chips and pickles. To say the least, my sandwich was the best chicken salad I have ever had! Ginger said likewise about her Sub. The service was fast and the ladies were so polite. We had fresh ice tea with our meal, and it was delicious!
The entire meal was under $12.00! There was a "tip" basket at the front of the Cafe as we went out. To say the least I made sure we contributed well for the great service and food.
I would recomend anyone from Roanoke (or anywhere else for that matter)to take the drive to Bedford and enjoy this quaint little friendly place!
[April 7, 2008 1:41 PM]
Lindsey : →http://blogs.roanoke.com/fridgemagnet/Ginger liked the Gingerbread Cafe! That's awesome.
I'll have to try that place sometime.
Great entries coming in, folks! Keep them coming. I'll award the book at the end of the day on Wednesday.
[April 7, 2008 8:10 PM]
AmandaMy favorite memory of a roadside stop is of when my sister and I were driving from Monterey to Carmel in California. We asked a girl working in a shop what was good for lunch. We had the best turkey BLT's and hand cut fries right on the rocks of the beach with the waves crashing in front of us. We still talk about it eight years later.
[April 8, 2008 11:01 AM]
LoriWhile on our honeymoon on the island of Kauai in Hawaii in October/November, my husband and I asked a girl in a shop for a good lunch place. Of course, we wanted some Hawaiian food! She recommended Ohana Diner (ohana means "family" in Hawaiian). We had the best lunch - I had traditional Hawaiian pork which is similar to pulled pork barbecue, minus the sauce. I also had a beef stew which was some of the best stew I've ever had. It was served with a salmon poke, which is diced tomatoes, onion, cilantro and bits of salmon. Also a big scoop of white rice. My husband had laulau with fish I believe, which is wrapped in taro leaves and cooked. It looked off, but tasted great! The service was great and really friendly. And it was just a little whole in the wall in a strip mall off the main road, but it was one of our best meals of the entire trip!
In 2006, when we got engaged, we were in Big Sur, CA and my husband took me to Nepenthe. The restaurant overlooks the ocean and the coast. (He was definitely setting the mood!) It's not fancy, had outdoor dining, and inside a large fire pit which I'm sure is incredible in the evening. We enjoyed fresh steamed artichoke with a balsamic dipping sauce, some sandwiches, a 3 bean salad and cocktails. The food was great, and the setting was even better!
[April 9, 2008 2:17 PM]
MasonWhen I lived in Big Sur, I liked Nepenthe for its atmosphere, but I thought the food was way overpriced and not all that inspiring. You're really paying for the view, which is incredible.
Here in Virginia, two of my favorite roadside joints are the Pink Cadillac in Natural Bridge and the Mountain View Restaurant in Arcadia.
I like the chef salad at the former and the sandwiches at the latter.
[April 9, 2008 3:31 PM]
JonathanA favorite stop for years has been Mrs. Rowe's Restaurant, which is right off of the interstate in Staunton. Great comfort foods and desserts, especially the pies.
On one Thanksgiving trip to my in-laws, we called ahead and ordered a couple of pies (one blueberry and one cherry as I recall) to pick up and take for T-day dinner. We had a great lunch, and got our pie order and headed on our way. Just before Thanksgiving dinner, we unboxed the beautiful pies only to discover that they were both blueberry. My wife hates blueberry pie and was really looking forward to cherry. Given her condition (did I fail to mention that she was 7-1/2 months pregnant?) her disappointment was severe, and it showed.
After an otherwise pleasant visit (as pleasant a weekend as you can have with a pre-partum woman deprived of pie) we took a roundabout route home through the Maryland countryside and passed a quaint roadside farm stand with a big sign that read "PIES". "Stop." What, I asked. "Stop the car!" You've got to be kidding, I replied. I looked at her face, and she wasn't kidding. We turned around and pulled into the lot, and I was sent in to inquire about the pies. Yes, they had a cherry pie, which I promptly paid for. My next request was greeted with a little surprise and a little amusement. But after I described my predicament and after some searching on their part, yes, they did indeed have a plastic fork. Just the one was all I needed, I explained. And the remaining drive home was pleasant.
[April 9, 2008 4:20 PM]
LoriMason,
Yes, Nepenthe was a tad expensive as I recall, but I enjoyed the food. Another roadside place we wanted to go in California but didn't have time for was Taylor's Refresher near Napa. As I recall, we had just eaten at a bistro, Bistro Jeanty, when we passed Taylor's Refresher.
[April 9, 2008 5:02 PM]
Amy Hanek : →http://www.houseonthegladehill.blogspot.comJonathon, I have to give you props on Mrs. Rowes. I have a book about that place and it looks great!
[April 10, 2008 8:41 AM]
KathyThis is probably too late for the book, but there was a little diner in Waynesboro called Weezie's, they had the best gravy and biscuits and breakfasts in the area. My husband worked in Waynesboro for a while and he always talked about Weezie's and how good everything was. He even brought me a coffee cup from there. So one weekend he took us up there to see my girlfriend and we ate breakfast AND lunch at Weezie's; OMG!! I was in heaven.
[April 10, 2008 12:04 PM]
LoriOMG, Mama, I can't believe I forgot about Weezie's! You know, we really should have consulted my dad for the best road food around here. The man has a knack for finding the best little hole-in-the-wall restaurants with great food, service and prices! Wait, remember the Hole-In-the-Wall restaurant on Bent Mountain? I don't remember the food, but do remember us stopping there several times. I think it's a Mexican restaurant now.
[April 28, 2008 8:43 PM]
mollie bryan : →http://molliecoxbryan.comI glad I stumbled on to this thread. I am the writer of the Mrs. Rowe's Cookbook: A Lifetime of Recipes from the Shenandoah Valley one of you mentioned. and I am writing a Mrs. Rowe's Pie Book. I'd love to use your story Jonathan. Can you tell me if the blueberry pie was good? Did you eat both of them?