New England Road Trip, road fooden-ushttp://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527180MapBuilder.Net273225Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:17:27 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215273661 Quaker Lane (Route 2), North Kingstown, Rhode Island 401-295-8036 Allie's has three separate entrances and two adjoining order counters, just to handle the mobs that flood in for their morning pastry fix. Made in a giant open kitchen where the bakers heft mighty bags of flour and sheathe crullers with a gossamer glaze, Allie's donuts come in an eye-boggling variety, from plain cake to coconut-glazed solid chocolates and a rainbow of jimmie-topped extravaganzas. We love the hefty sugar sticks with their crunchy exteriors and tender insides; they are sweet but not cloying. [Road Food] 41.596484 -71.49704541.596484-71.497045273259Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:42:51 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215271240 Ocean Road, Narragansett, Rhode Island. 401-783-7930 Perfumed by the salty waters of Narragansett Bay and bathed by the sun reflecting off the surrounding sands, Aunt Carrie's serves meals that sing with flavors of the Ocean State. Chowder and crunchy clam cakes, fish and chips, and fresh rhubarb pie are served across the take-out counter, from which customers take meals to their car or picnic table. There is an indoor dining room too, where full-bore shore dinners include lobsters ready to crack and old-fashioned Indian pudding. [Road Food] 41.372867 -71.48476541.372867-71.484765267767Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:06:06 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527Bedford Farms 18 North Road, Bedford, MA 01730 (781) 275-6501 "Some say that Bedford Farms has better ice cream than nearby Kimball Farm in Carlisle. This writer will let you decide for yourself, but it is no exaggeration to say that Bedford Farms has some of the best ice cream in the Boston area."  HiddenBoston.com] 42.494571 -71.28542942.494571-71.285429273233Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:23:50 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215271213 U Street NW, Washington, D.C. 202-667-0909 It is possible to get only chili at Ben's, a landmark lunch counter in the Capital. But connoisseurs know that the best way to enjoy the mahogany-brown ground-meat stew devised by Ben and Virginia Ali is atop a half-smoke. That's a plump, gently smoked beef-and-pork sausage link that gets sizzled on a hot griddle until its skin turns snapping crisp. Served in a bun with mustard and onions, it gets smothered to become the ultimate chili dog. Ben's half-smokes are presented in a red plastic basket along with potato chips, and they are best topped off with an oh-so-mellow slice of sweet potato layer cake. [Road Food] 38.917137 -77.02842738.917137-77.028427289407Wed, 02 Aug 2006 08:48:34 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527 Route 203, Chatham; (518) 392-4609 "Because of the evolution of its working farms, Columbia County has kept its scruffy, genuinely rural charm, even while being “discovered” again and again by city people." (NY Times) 42.36335 -73.59770242.36335-73.597702273211Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:08:07 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/2152791 Waterbury Road, Prospect, Connecticut. 203-758-3200. Two words to the wise: toasted almond. Inspired by the traditional Good Humor bar but infinitely more delicious, this creamy, nutty stuff has the luxury of marzipan and the euphoria of a sunny Fourth of July. The Big Dipper offers all kinds of other wonderful flavors, too, including a cinnamon-coffee blend called Café Vienna. Because it is not cloyingly rich, this ice cream begs to be included in a triple-dip fudge sundae. On a pleasant night, the line stretches far out the door, and the staff is famously fun to deal with. [Road Food] 41.502659 -72.97904241.502659-72.979042269883Fri, 14 Jul 2006 15:58:52 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527Ice cream. 91 Waterbury Rd., Prospect, CT [Road Food] 41.516504 -72.9881541.516504-72.98815268175Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:58:24 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527315 US Rt 1, Kittery ME. "deep-fried seafood, arrayed in toasted rolls or in cornucopic seafood baskets is the specialty of the house" [Road Food] 43.112165 -70.73387343.112165-70.733873273660Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:20:26 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/2152720 Old Las Vegas Highway, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Tel: 505 983 5319  The chile pepper—spelled with an "e"—is one of the official state vegetables (along with the pinto bean) of New Mexico. Locally grown and roasted, it is also a state obsession. Visitors will find 'em pureed atop enchiladas; stuffed, battered, and fried into chiles rellenos; and diced upon cheeseburgers, even at fast-food franchises. We head to the outskirts of Santa Fe to a neon-lit diner that looks like a film noir set, the Bobcat Bite. The burger is simple enough, but delicious: The cook layers in a load of fire-flavored chopped chile underneath the creamy cheese, producing a heavenly combination when the cheese melts among the peppers and into the crevices of the crusty burger down below. [the Sterns] 35.582312 -105.89739335.582312-105.897393273664Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:24:26 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215272036 Madison Street, Henderson, Kentucky. Tel: 270 826 1207 Louisville is fried chicken country. Nearly every restaurant, humble or fancy, has its own special version. One of the most humble—and the best—is the Bon-Ton Mini Mart. As the name implies, this snack shop was once a common convenience store. Preparers marinate the chicken before frying it up, resulting in meat that's dripping-moist and infused with a salt-and-pepper smack. The crust is dark, brittle, and vividly spiced. It's served up with biscuits, and we suggest following it with a taste of chess pie, allegedly named because it's so simple—"jes' pie"—little more than butter, sugar, and eggs. [the Sterns] 37.811018 -87.57877437.811018-87.578774267765Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:05:01 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527Bubbling Brook Restaurant 1652 High Street (Route 109), Westwood, MA 02090 (617) 762-9860 Bubbling Brook has excellent sandwiches and seafood, but the ice cream is the thing here. Lounging on the picnic tables next to Bubbling Brook while enjoying an ice cream cone on a Sunday afternoon is always a memorable experience here. [HiddenBoston.com]42.201637 -71.249642.201637-71.2496273227Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:18:28 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527459 Sanford Road, Westport, Massachusetts, 508-672-4600 Butler's closes in the summer because hot weather is bad for cream filling. And it's cream that puts these donuts into the stratosphere, so out of this world they almost don't qualify as donuts. In fact, they're hole-less, like giant, featherweight cream puffs, sliced in half and filled with whipped, sweetened cream that is either plain or mocha-flavored. They are made from raised yeast dough and are so frail that you must hold them very gently lest you dent the surface with a heavy thumb. The cool filling is pure and white — or in the case of mocha, tan — and the counterpoise of silky whipped cream with ethereal cake, crowned by a spill of powdered sugar on the top, is angelic. [Road Food] 41.654937 -71.10738341.654937-71.107383289406Wed, 02 Aug 2006 08:47:30 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527Camphill Road, Copake; (518) 329-4851. "Because of the evolution of its working farms, Columbia County has kept its scruffy, genuinely rural charm, even while being “discovered” again and again by city people." (NY Times) 42.103638 -73.55014842.103638-73.550148267783Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:24:22 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527740 Broadway, S. Portland, ME. seafood 43.633137 -70.2608743.633137-70.26087269884Fri, 14 Jul 2006 16:00:14 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527588 Franklin Ave. hartford CT. Italian. [Road Food] 41.732308 -72.67427341.732308-72.674273268170Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:55:12 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527291 Main St, Oxford, MA 42.116537 -71.86498842.116537-71.864988273242Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:32:36 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/2152776 South Main Street, Newtown, Connecticut. 203-364-1133 Stand at the cash register and you can watch the pizza men stretch the dough, festoon it with all the right toppings, then slide it into ovens just behind them. There is nothing remarkable about the process or the cooking method, but quality of ingredients and able dough-handling make these pies extraordinary. Peppers are tangy and full-flavored. Sausage is rugged and well-spiced. Mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, roasted garlic: All are divine. And the crust! A chewy rim circles the edge of a brittle tableau of undercrust to which clings enough grit from the oven floor to give it seriously sassy character. [Road Food] 41.396477 -73.29391941.396477-73.293919268184Thu, 13 Jul 2006 12:16:48 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/2152716 Chauncey Creek Rd, Kittery Point, ME. "Just a short drive off Route 1, yet aeons away from Kittery's outlet-mall madness, Chauncey Creek has lured the faithful since 1948 while blissfully remaining off the maps of northbound tourists. No ocean views here—just a quiet tidal river amid a thick spruce forest. The policy is bring-your-own-everything: regulars show up with coolers full of beer, wine, salad, foie gras, you name it. Chauncey Creek supplies the lobster; there's also a raw bar with Malpeque oysters and cherrystones from Prince Edward Island. Choose your own lobster from the tank, commandeer a brightly colored picnic table on the dock (or, if it's a buggy evening, on the screened deck), and wait for your order while the river drifts by. 16 Chauncey Creek Rd.; 207/439-1030; dinner for two $50."" [Travel & Leisure] 43.084566 -70.68977443.084566-70.689774269879Fri, 14 Jul 2006 15:51:35 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527Doughnuts 41.141399 -73.35814741.141399-73.358147273279Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:51:17 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527Little Compton, Rhode Island, 401-635-4388 You'll know you are in a real Rhode Island restaurant if johnnycakes are on the menu three meals a day. At Commons Lunch, the Ocean State's unique flannel-thin corn cakes are served like pancakes at breakfast and as a handy bread (for mopping and pushing gravy) at lunch and supper. They are especially fine companions to bowls of quahog chowder, an everyday special at this friendly place on the ancient green in this picturesque village. The lunch menu ranges from such comfort food fundamentals as macaroni and cheese to distinctly Yankee clam fritters. Desserts include Grape-Nuts pudding and the Commons Special, which is strawberry shortcake on a sturdy biscuit. [Road Food] 41.509869 -71.17176141.509869-71.171761273272Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:45:39 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527Route 5, Mechanicsville, Maryland. 301-884-4235 A combination liquor store, seafood market, and restaurant, Copsey's is best known for its crab feast: a spill of highly spiced, steamed hard-shelled crabs served with mallets for cracking shells and picks for extracting meat. It is also a great place to eat big meaty crab cakes, pounds of peel-yourself steamed shrimp (infused with the same peppery orange spice mix that is used on the crabs), and raw oysters by the dozen. This is definitely where the locals eat. Many regular patrons come to eat fried chicken dinners; they are apparently that blasé about their superb local seafood. [Road Food] 38.44149 -76.74231738.44149-76.742317273289Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:10:25 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215272713 Eastlake Avenue, Seattle, Washington. Tel: 206 322 1918  Why, exactly, Daly's Drive-In calls this fine sandwich a burger, we cannot say. It isn't the patty of mealy, ground-up salmon we expected when we first saw it on the menu of this family-owned drive-in, which opened during the World's Fair of 1962. Rather, it's a broad, thick slab of grilled salmon presented on a whole-wheat bun, with lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce. The meat is pink, audibly juicy, and intensely flavorful. Finish up with one of Daly's milkshakes, created with fresh, in-season fruit. Meals are presented on plastic cafeteria trays, which guests carry to the counter seats or, on days without rain, to the patio, with its magnificent view of Lake Union. [the Sterns] 47.644746 -122.32610347.644746-122.326103273235Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:24:53 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527940 Ferry Boulevard, Stratford, Connecticut. 203-378-6728 If you walk into Danny's Drive-In and ask for chili on your hot dog, the person behind the counter will ask if you've ever had chili there before. If you say no, you will be given a small cup with a single French fry in it so you can have a taste before you commit. This chili is four-alarm, too hot to eat by itself, but a supernatural condiment for hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, waffle fries, or onion rings. One great way to savor it is as part of a Crazy Platter, which means fries or onion rings topped with melted cheese, jalapeño chips, chopped raw onions, and enough of the powerhouse chili to make you glow for hours. [Road Food] 41.199948 -73.1146541.199948-73.11465269886Fri, 14 Jul 2006 16:10:46 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527346 Main St. S. southbury ct. Fried Clam Basket - ($10.00)Lobster Roll - ($12.00) 41.472863 -73.22190641.472863-73.221906269876Fri, 14 Jul 2006 15:49:03 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527 Dr. Mike’s 158 Greenwood Ave, 792-4388; get chocolate lace flavor.41.370942 -73.412941.370942-73.4129273284Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:05:14 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527900 Catherine Street, Key West, Florida. Tel: 305 296 4184 Sure, there are excellent Cuban sandwiches in Miami and Tampa, but we say the most pleasant place to eat one Stateside is in Key West, a mere 90 miles north of Havana. The Cuban itself is a Dagwood of ham, roast pork, and cheese in a length of Cuban bread that's grilled in a sandwich press so that the ingredients nearly fuse and the bread turns crisp. You won't find one better than those served at El Siboney, a happy-go-lucky, tree-shaded café—far from the honky-tonk of Duval Street—that's a favorite gathering place of Spanish-speaking locals. [the Sterns] 24.552071 -81.79288824.552071-81.792888268163Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:48:17 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/2152788 Eastern Ave, Essex, MA. Fried clams 42.632937 -70.76241242.632937-70.762412289408Wed, 02 Aug 2006 08:49:25 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527215 White Birch Road, Livingston; (518) 828-7560 42.191809 -73.82849642.191809-73.828496268172Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:57:20 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215272538 Whitney Ave, Hamden, CT. Great hot dogs, onion rings, other road food. [Road Food] [New Haven Advocate] 41.389203 -72.89964541.389203-72.899645269875Fri, 14 Jul 2006 15:48:11 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527Goulash Place 42 Highland, 744-1971 "everybody has read Jane/Michael Stern's review of this place, but they didn't rave enough in my opinion. The place serves really true, loving grandmotherly Hungarian, which is something that's VERY hard to find (even in New Brunswick these days, I believe). Nothing sophisticated, just what you'd expect from a good Hungarian grandma cook, with all the positives and negatives that implies. You're eating in the living room of a nice (though slightly cranky) old Hungarian couple, in their house in a residential nabe. It's worth a trip for the chicken paprikash alone." [Chowhound] 41.397162 -73.4677541.397162-73.46775273212Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:09:05 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215272145 Reading Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 513-721-3323 (6 other locations in Cincinnati and about a dozen in northern Kentucky)  Once you have tasted Graeter's Chocolate, Black Raspberry, or Mint Chocolate Chunk, no other chocolate chip ice cream will ever make you happy. In fact, note the flavors' names: This is not really chocolate chip ice cream, it is indeed chocolate chunk, made by pouring molten chocolate into ice cream as it's being churned in small batches (which Graeter's calls the French Pot Process). The chocolate chills, shatters, and spreads throughout the mixture in great lopsided pieces, making a product easier eaten from a bowl with a spoon than off a cone. Similarly, Black Cherry is chockablock with huge hunks of the kind of syrupy dark fruit you expect inside the fanciest chocolate bonbon. [Road Food] 39.120676 -84.50062639.120676-84.500626273214Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:10:17 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/2152716 East Road, Four Corners Tiverton, Rhode Island, 401-624-4500 On a summer day, Gray's parking lot is packed with people who come from miles around to indulge in the time-honored ritual of standing in line at the order window to get cups or cones of ice cream ranging from normal flavors to that Yankee oddity, Grape-Nuts. Gray's also is proof of our contention that Rhode Island is one of the most coffee-conscious places in the nation (where else is coffee milk so popular?). Coffee ice cream here is robust and just-right sweet. The other great Gray's flavor is ginger, made with bits of fresh root that give the creamy scoops a brilliant spicy bite. [Road Food] 41.625599 -71.21340941.625599-71.213409278974Mon, 24 Jul 2006 16:38:17 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/2152716 East Rd., Four Corners, Tiverton, RI. 401-624-4500 "a one-of-a-kind general store and ice cream parlor that has been making its own since Ms. Gray opened in the kitchen of her home here in 1923." [RoadFood] 41.57139 -71.18704241.57139-71.187042289409Wed, 02 Aug 2006 08:51:14 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527796 Route 25, Stuyvesant Falls; (518) 799-2571 "Because of the evolution of its working farms, Columbia County has kept its scruffy, genuinely rural charm, even while being “discovered” again and again by city people." (NY Times) 42.35537 -73.73065242.35537-73.730652267764Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:03:29 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527149 Turnpike Rd, Westborough MA. "Sporting vinyl stools and telltale signage that reads "Drive-In: Ice Cream Fried Clams," Harry's is the consummate American roadside diner. Locals have no problem pointing to this friendly little joint as the best place in town to get New England-style fried clams, and the menu also boasts a wide range of other comfort dishes, including barbecue baby-back ribs, haddock, and mammoth club sandwiches. Of course, the true stars of any diner are its desserts, and Harry's cakes and pies are not to be missed." [10best.com] 42.285169 -71.6103742.285169-71.61037289410Wed, 02 Aug 2006 08:51:50 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527327 Route 21C, Harlemville; (518) 672-7500. "Because of the evolution of its working farms, Columbia County has kept its scruffy, genuinely rural charm, even while being “discovered” again and again by city people." (NY Times) 42.26907 -73.59581842.26907-73.595818278971Mon, 24 Jul 2006 16:30:52 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527A classic walk-up-window clam-shack operation that has been serving food since 1924. 889 Oakland Beach Ave., Warwick, 737-9459 (also 1157 Point Judith Rd., Narragansett, 783-5608) "the real star of the table was an order of stuffed quahogs" [ProJo] "Iggy’s doughboys are so easy to eat that we suggest getting only a half dozen, lest you consume nothing but dough and thereby deprive yourself of appetite enough to eat the big, crusty clamcakes, red or white chowder, and good fried clams. We also suggest including in any meal a few stuffies – quohog clam shells piled with a luscious clam stuffing." [RoadFood] 41.685567 -71.39818241.685567-71.398182269882Fri, 14 Jul 2006 15:54:08 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527 2 Lake Ave, Danbury, CT41.391956 -73.46471541.391956-73.464715268167Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:53:28 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527529 King St, Littleton MA. 42.547441 -71.47059942.547441-71.470599268135Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:32:28 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527343 Bedford Rd, Carlisle. homemade ice cream stand 42.52524 -71.33893742.52524-71.338937268176Thu, 13 Jul 2006 12:00:44 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/2152736 Chamberlain St, Lowell, MA. "If you are looking for straight ahead fresh food, in a non-fancy place, try the Knickabocker Club in Lowell. It is a "private" club that is open to the public, the food is very good, the fish and fries some of the best in a 50 mile radius. The drawback is that there is wait service only on Friday nights, the rest of the time is order and pickup windows. Still, this is plain DINER type food, my wife thinks they have the best burgers bar none. It takes a bit to find it, it is at the end of the road that is across the street from the Exxon gas station on the Woburn Street exit of rt 495" -Chowhound 42.621276 -71.28808742.621276-71.288087273655Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:13:37 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/2152718880 W. Bluemound Road Brookfield, Wisconsin. Tel: 262 789 9490 We are certain to make enemies if we recommend Leon's frozen custard over Kopp's, or vice versa. Both are beloved. So let us just say that Milwaukee is a great place to visit, not only to tour the Harley-Davidson plant and the Miller Brewing company, but to eat this city's signature dish, which is a bit like soft-serve ice cream, but infinitely richer and as smooth as ivory. (As an aside, Milwaukee's wickedly succulent butter burgers and authentic Polish, Serbian, and German fare are also first-rate.) There are three Kopp's around town and they are known for having special flavors every day—expect confections such as burgundy coffee, grasshopper fudge, and Butterfinger candy bar. While Leon's has but one special flavor per week, its egg-rich vanilla and chocolate go down in our book as definitive. [the Sterns] 43.036628 -88.14766643.036628-88.147666273251Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:39:28 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527992 Bank Street, New London, Connecticut. 860-437-0408 Known to frequent visitors as the Roast Pork Café, La Borinqueña roasts pork shoulder all night long so that by midday the skin is as crisp as bacon and the inside is dripping moist and kaleidoscopically spiced. Cut into shreds, chunks, clods, and strips, the pork is piled inside a long hero roll, preferably with Swiss cheese and mayonnaise, then toasted in a sandwich press that squishes the layered concoction into a tidy tube. Most business at Borinqueña (which is the name of the Puerto Rican anthem) is takeout; in nice weather, dine at outdoor picnic tables. [Road Food] 41.344463 -72.11240941.344463-72.112409273216Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:11:16 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215273131 S. 27th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Tel: 414 383 1784 We are certain to make enemies if we recommend Leon's frozen custard over Kopp's, or vice versa. Both are beloved. So let us just say that Milwaukee is a great place to visit, not only to tour the Harley-Davidson plant and the Miller Brewing company, but to eat this city's signature dish, which is a bit like soft-serve ice cream, but infinitely richer and as smooth as ivory. (As an aside, Milwaukee's wickedly succulent butter burgers and authentic Polish, Serbian, and German fare are also first-rate.) There are three Kopp's around town and they are known for having special flavors every day—expect confections such as burgundy coffee, grasshopper fudge, and Butterfinger candy bar. While Leon's has but one special flavor per week, its egg-rich vanilla and chocolate go down in our book as definitive. [the Sterns] 42.987935 -87.94848742.987935-87.948487273281Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:54:28 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/2152729084 Three Notch Road, Mechanicsville, Maryland. 301-884-9529 Plain-named crab soup has personality like fireworks. Smoky shreds of crab and vegetables are cosseted in a peppery broth that would be bracing even without the surfeit of meat. At Leonard Copsey's, a roadside takeout joint that is open year round (unlike so many fair-weather crab places), the soup is magnificent. Vivid red and hearty enough to be Sunday supper, it is also the preferred appetite-teaser for a traditional Chesapeake Bay crab feast: piles of steamed and spiced blue crabs served with hammers and picks for extracting the zesty meat. [Road Food] 38.464394 -76.76766938.464394-76.767669273243Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:33:42 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527666 Main Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut. 203-847-6022 Letizia's pizza is Neapolitan style: thin-crusted, but not so thin that the circumference doesn't have a nice bready chew. The pizzaioli  top their good dough with ingredients that range from anchovies and broccoli to sausage and sliced tomatoes. Pizzas are brought from the kitchen on broad metal pans, along with small plates, if needed. What you will need, no doubt, is lots of napkins. Dainty pizza this is not! In particular, we are fond of the luxurious clams casino pie made from clams, garlic, bacon, cheese, and onion, and the "garbage pie" heaped with a little bit of everything. There are "no cheese" pizzas, white pizzas (mozzarella, ricotta, and Romano), even Hawaiian pizzas topped with ham and pineapple. [Road Food] 41.158745 -73.41989441.158745-73.419894273662Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:21:46 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215277209 7th Street, Canutillo, Texas. Tel: 915 877 2176  Texans have strong opinions as to what should be in chili con carne (chiles and beef) and what shouldn't (beans). Nonetheless, the classic "bowl of red" is surprisingly scarce throughout much of the Lone Star State. We encourage you to mess with Texas, though, and head outside of El Paso, far off the beaten path, to a residential street in the village of Canutillo. Little Diner dishes out the real deal, in which tender pieces of beef thicken up the intense flavor of the red chili. Beans or rice would be sacrilege in this perfect duet, although you might use a wheaty flour tortilla to mop the last of the red chili from the bottom of the bowl. [the Sterns]31.918267 -106.59246131.918267-106.592461273280Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:53:03 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527Route 100, Bally, Pennsylvania. 610-845-7551 In the rolling farmland of Eastern Pennsylvania, Longacre's is a showcase for the creamy products produced by the black-and-white cows that roam the grasslands. It is a true dairy bar with homemade ice cream, a rainbow of sundae toppings, and all the fizz necessary to create any sort of float or soda. You can sit at the counter and sip a cherry Coke made from scratch or a Hadacol (a wild combo of Coke and root beer); or if you like a challenge, go for the Longacre Special. That's a sundae built upon ten scoops of ice cream, covered with ten toppings, whipped cream, and a cherry, all served in a one-quart goblet. [Road Food] 40.403419 -75.58735740.403419-75.587357273236Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:27:15 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527261-263 Crown Street, New Haven, Connecticut. 203-562-5507 A Louis Lunch burger has no buns. Hamburgers are served on toast, because when Louis Lassen began serving them from his lunch wagon a hundred years ago, there was no such thing as a hamburger bun. In fact, it is possible that there was no such thing as a hamburger. Some food historians believe that this is where the hamburger was invented; it was Lassen's way of doing something useful with the leftover trimmings from the steak sandwiches he sold. His descendants still cook them the old-fashioned way: in metal broilers that hold the meat suspended between two heat sources so the fat drips off as the patty cooks. The result is an extraordinarily beefy-tasting sphere, available with a schmear of Velveeta cheese. [Road Food] 41.306976 -72.9315141.306976-72.93151289412Wed, 02 Aug 2006 08:52:30 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215271421 Route 9H, Ghent; (518) 828-5048 "Because of the evolution of its working farms, Columbia County has kept its scruffy, genuinely rural charm, even while being “discovered” again and again by city people." (NY Times)42.329659 -73.61682142.329659-73.616821273657Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:17:15 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215278400 Highway 100, Nashville, Tennessee. Tel: 615 646 9700  A favorite dessert in school cafeterias throughout the Mid-South, banana pudding is traditionally made with Nabisco Nilla Wafers. Depending on preparation, the cookies either soften to become streaks of tender grain, or retain a crunch to complement the soft slices of banana and smooth pudding—quintessential comfort food! In the countryside 18 miles southwest of Nashville is Loveless Cafe, once part of the now-defunct Loveless Motel—long known to locals and traveling country musicians for its groaning-table meals of fried chicken and country ham. Here pastry chef Alisa Huntsman goes one better on the banana pudding formula: She makes her own vanilla wafers, which are feather-light. And as the pudding itself is made from scratch, the whole things tastes of homemade deliciousness. [the Sterns] 36.034912 -86.97169736.034912-86.971697273253Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:40:26 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215272265 Post Road, Wells, Maine, 207-646-4441 America's most luxurious sandwich is also its simplest: the Maine lobster roll. We like ours at the estimable Maine Diner, which offers it either cold (the lobster meat bound in mayo) or hot (with melted butter). The hot one — which the menu immodestly describes as FANTASTIC! — is nothing but plump chunks of butter-glistening pink meat packed into a grilled bun. Eating one requires practice and lots of napkins, because pieces of lobster tumble out and the butter-smothered bun falls to pieces. [Road Food] 43.342287 -70.56298143.342287-70.562981273665Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:25:43 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527426 Belmont Avenue, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. Tel: 610 664 4757 The cheesesteak is greasy, slippery, downright ignominious, and a barrel of fun to eat. Flaps of thin-sliced beef are sizzled on a grill with onions and hefted into a roll, then a trowel of melted cheese (often Cheez Whiz) is dripped on top. It's a combination of ingredients that transcend their modest nature to become something exceptional. If you want the classic sandwich, ask the counterman for "steak, wit'." Of course, it is also possible to have it wit'out: Hold the onions. There is no shortage of cheesesteak in and around Philadelphia, but arguably the best is Mama's Pizzeria, an unlikely suburban storefront far from the bustle of the Italian Market (where the cheesesteak was invented). Mama's is a bouquet of full-flavored beef, caramelized onions, and good cheese (choose from American, Provolone, or their own blend) loaded into a length of impeccably fresh, chewy bread. [the Sterns] 40.015409 -75.22889740.015409-75.228897268153Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:42:29 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215278 Central St, Ipswitch, MA. 42.680183 -70.83799942.680183-70.837999273659Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:19:04 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527505 Albert Pike, Hot Springs, Arkansas. Tel: 501 623 9665 If we had to select the best ribs in America (what an awesome task!), we'd think about Dreamland's smoky bones in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and the racks of velvet succulence at Van's Pig Stand in Shawnee, Oklahoma. But our holy grail is McClard's in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The town was named for its salubrious waters and is still a mecca for travelers in search of a cure on Bathhouse Row. Around here, pork is king, and the pulled pork is ineffably tender and moist. But the signature dish is a rib and fry plate: Customers get a meat-heavy slab with a sticky glaze of peppery red sauce (according to lore, the recipe came from a customer in lieu of payment back in 1928). The ribs are presented with a pile of gorgeous honey-tone French fries to create what may be the best plate of barbecue anywhere. [the Sterns] 34.496222 -93.07478734.496222-93.074787267775Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:14:39 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527The Monkey Farm [571 Boston Post Rd., Old Saybrook, CT (860)388-4866] looks like just another blue-collar bar, and is. Which is a good thing, a regular old bar being not so easy to find anymore. However, lurking among the lunchtime shots & beers is some of the finest two-handed chow you'll ever encounter. [New Haven Advocate] 41.298098 -72.3767241.298098-72.37672273241Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:31:10 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527Route 1, Waldoboro, Maine. 207-832-7785 A great roadside diner open round the clock for the last seven decades, Moody's exemplifies Maine's passion for pie — pie so good that many customers choose it  for a morning pastry in lieu of the kitchen's excellent muffins. You can't go wrong selecting from the several varieties that are available any and all times of day. Of special interest is the classic Maine blueberry pie, which will likely stain your shirt if you're not extra-careful forking it up while sitting at the counter. The one pie that Moody's fans put into the hall of fame is walnut cream, a vividly sweet wedge of Yankee flavor that has the unique punch of local syrup. [Road Food] 44.09531 -69.37557244.09531-69.375572268178Thu, 13 Jul 2006 12:03:06 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527329 Franklin Ave, Harford. 41.741155 -72.67618341.741155-72.676183273283Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:02:56 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527The Windy City does street food right. While its hot dogs, known as red hots, are some of the nation's best, we'll opt first for Italian beef. Great heaps of ultra-thin-sliced garlic-infused beef are piled into a length of hearty Italian bread and garnished with roasted red peppers or the spicy pickled vegetable mélange known as giardiniera. Mr. Beef, located north of the Loop, is a stand-up street-eats hut frequented by dusty construction workers and pinstriped executives alike. Regulars ask for their sandwich "dipped," meaning the whole shebang is momentarily submerged in a pan of savory jus. The ultimate (cholesterol-filled) version is a combo, in which the beef is supplemented by a length of taut, rugged-textured Italian sausage.  [the Sterns] 41.894206 -87.63728341.894206-87.637283268177Thu, 13 Jul 2006 12:02:04 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527540 Plank Rd, Waterbury, CT. [Road Food] 41.540018 -72.99826141.540018-72.998261273228Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:19:40 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/2152783 North Turnpike Road, Wallingford, Connecticut. 203-269-4255 Neil Bukowski makes lightweight glazed donuts and more substantial cake donuts as well as luxurious jam-filled crullers and big round Bismarks that are sliced in half and loaded with bright red jelly. Neil's glazed donuts are excellent, and the old-fashioned ones are addictive. They are dense and satisfying, with insides that are luxuriously unctuous from the time they spend in their hot oil bath. Early in the morning, when they're still warm, they virtually melt in your mouth. [Road Food] 41.473455 -72.83096741.473455-72.830967273656Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:15:05 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527Highway 174 at Store Creek, Edisto Island, South Carolina. Tel: 843 869 2339 Most grits are—let us be kind—pale and forgettable. Except in the Low Country around Charleston, where they are soul-stirringly good. Slow-cooked so they absorb the most amount of butter, creamy grits here are akin to a savory pudding and are more luxurious in the mouth than whipped potatoes. The finest place to savor them is the Old Post Office on Edisto, a 54-square-mile island 45 miles southwest of Charleston. The isle is so untouched by modern life that it lacks a single stoplight, never mind a fast-food restaurant. Grits come with every meal, but our favorite is as an accompaniment to spicy grilled shrimp and frothy mousseline, a hollandaise sauce with whipped egg whites. Heck, who needs stoplights, anyway? [the Sterns] 32.5634 -80.280932.5634-80.2809269880Fri, 14 Jul 2006 15:52:18 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527Outhouse Orchards. Their freshly made, warm cider donuts are amazing. Off exit 8 on rte. 684 41.334309 -73.57150341.334309-73.571503269878Fri, 14 Jul 2006 15:50:11 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527Brazilian.  87 Main St (203) 748-0444 (has earned raves on chowhound...try the feijoada and the fried pork)41.391251 -73.44821941.391251-73.448219273244Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:34:41 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527157 Wooster Street, New Haven, Connecticut. 203-865-5762 New Haven pizza's most distinguishing characteristic is its crust: brittle-skinned, but with a chaw so brawny that half a large pie can make your jaw ache the morning after. The edge rises in rugged puffs, occasionally charring to a crackable black blister at the outermost burst of stretched dough. You can get all the usual ingredients at Pepe's, but the great pie is white clam. It is elementary food, nothing but crust, freshly shucked littlenecks, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and a dash of grated Parmesan. Without a mozzarella mantle, the dough develops wicked resilience, its mottled surface frosted gold with grated cheese. [Road Food] 41.302937 -72.9171541.302937-72.91715273229Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:20:38 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527740 Main Street South, Woodbury, Connecticut. 203-263-2516 Phillips' donuts are fashioned from baking-powder batter and cooked until the outside is dark brown, encasing creamy cake with enough body to pleasure teeth as well as taste buds. The four varieties include plain, cinnamon, powder-sugar, and chocolate. Heavily coated with cinnamon-sugar while still hot, the cinnamons are the most popular, beloved for the sandy-sweet veil that clings to their crisp skin. The chocolates bring us to our knees with a devastating union of tawny baked pastry and silken fudge glaze. Come early. It is not uncommon for Phillips to run out of that day's supply by late morning. [Road Food] 41.525617 -73.20337341.525617-73.203373269874Fri, 14 Jul 2006 15:44:33 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527N Country Shopping Ctr, Goldens Bridge NY. 41.289001 -73.67713241.289001-73.677132273231Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:21:38 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215271566 Route 22, Brewster, New York. 845-279-8046 The aroma of sizzling beef hovers around the Red Rooster like a savory halo. Hand-formed hamburgers are cooked to maximum juicy goodness on a charcoal grill, preferably topped with cheese and a heap of cooked-limp onions, and sandwiched inside a tender bun with lettuce and tomato. The beverage selection includes milk shakes, ice cream floats, and New York egg creams in a variety of flavors. Although there is no actual curbside service, this merry peaked-roof roadside eatery radiates drive-in spirit. In nice weather, customers dine at outdoor picnic tables or in their cars in the parking lot; the only seating inside is at three ridiculously small booths across from the order counter. [Road Food] 41.424363 -73.57741241.424363-73.577412267776Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:16:45 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527At $12 or so, Red's is not Maine's cheapest lobster roll.  But it has consistently proven itself to be Maine's best.  More than a whole lobster goes on the toasted, buttered bun - plenty of claw and tail meat.  Melted butter and/or mayonnaise on the side.  That's it.  Nothing else.  That's all a lobster roll should be.  Aesthetic purity at its most delicious. There seems to be nothing that Red's doesn't do well.  [HollyEats] 44.0025 -69.664444.0025-69.6644268136Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:33:21 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527156 S. Main St, Middleton, MA. 42.584056 -71.00628142.584056-71.006281273217Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:12:24 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527680 Danbury Road, Ridgefield, Connecticut. 203-438-3094 A former Carvel stand, the Ridgefield Ice Cream Shop makes quintessential soft-serve ice cream by using machines from Carvel's early days when the formula  as not pumped full of air. The resulting lick is not sinfully rich or weird-flavored. It is plain and perfect chocolate or vanilla, and while it is available with all sorts of toppings, coatings, nuts, and fruits, we like ours au naturel: a swirly, velvet-smooth mound of it piled up on an elegant wafer cone. For those who live nearby, there are also extraordinary ice cream cakes made from the same frozen manna and layered with icing and crumbled cookies. [Road Food] 41.325957 -73.47350841.325957-73.473508269885Fri, 14 Jul 2006 16:03:38 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/2152744 Stony Hill Rd. bethel ct. "Billing itself as a Great American Roadside Diner, the Roadside Chili House serves many things other than chili: foot-long, natural-casing Hummel brand hot dogs that are deep fried until they attain maximum crunchy succulence, handsome cheeseburgers garnished with lettuce and tomato, cheese fries and onion rings, and a mighty fine Philly steak sandwich with sautéed peppers and onions and – the coup de grace – a ladle full of chili." [Road Food] 41.416213 -73.38931741.416213-73.389317274018Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:54:17 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527114 W. Main Street, Stroud, Oklahoma. Tel: 918 968 3990 Chicken-fried steak, a piece of steak that is breaded and fried like chicken, traditionally begins as a tough and ornery hunk of meat that gets beaten by the cook until tender. There are a lot of bad versions throughout the Southwest, but when done correctly, it's ideal comfort food for breakfast, lunch, or supper. Along old Route 66 in the town of Stroud is the Rock Cafe, built of red sandstone excavated when the Mother Road was paved. Its cooks do up a fine traditional chicken-fried steak or a splendid variation made from a pork cutlet—the succulent meat is sheathed in a shatteringly brittle crust. Stroud, which bills itself as the heart of the heartland, is a sleepy small town once known for its rough-and-tumble taverns, but it is now more famous for its annual competition of brick and rolling pin throwing. [the Sterns] 35.748863 -96.65410535.748863-96.654105268181Thu, 13 Jul 2006 12:10:32 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527This was once a hot dog and fried-clam roadside stand that has grown over the last half-century like a multigenerational New England farmhouse. Today, it seats 750 diners and remains a near-ideal family restaurant, with something to please everyone, from homemade pastas and pizzas to full seafood dinners. The lobster roll is twice the size but about the same price as those offered on the coast. [Frommers] 42.097588 -72.07289842.097588-72.072898273245Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:35:46 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527139 Moosic Road, Old Forge, Pennsylvania. 570-457-2117 In the orbit of Scranton, Old Forge has a style of pizza all its own. The crust is light and airy, more American in character than Mediterranean; and the cheese tends to be a blend of Italian and American varieties: smooth, mild, and creamy. Salerno's makes two basic kinds: a double-crust white pizza with a blend of cheeses in the middle, and an open-face red pizza with tomato sauce. As is typical of the region, they have squared corners and are cut in rectangles about two-by-four inches, making each slice a pizzoid sandwich. [Road Food] 41.370196 -75.7338941.370196-75.73389269873Fri, 14 Jul 2006 15:42:45 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527230 Guinea Road, Brewster NY. Just a few minutes off the highway, for good baked goods and coffee, as well as decent produce.41.363047 -73.63626341.363047-73.636263289413Wed, 02 Aug 2006 08:53:08 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215275 Sunset Avenue, Kinderhook, (518) 758-7224 "Because of the evolution of its working farms, Columbia County has kept its scruffy, genuinely rural charm, even while being “discovered” again and again by city people." (NY Times) 42.398965 -73.70254842.398965-73.702548273246Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:36:42 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527111 Chelsea Street, East Boston, Massachusetts. 617-567-9871 Although the scene is a dimly lit bar with decor that consists mostly of pictures of prize fighters, the air is positively delicious: a mixed perfume of hot pizza and sizzling barbecue. In this place, barbecue means lengths of homemade Italian sausage and skewered hunks of lamb, known as spiedini, cooked over coals on a grate near the front door. Many customers have barbecue as an hors d'oeuvre before beautiful, thin-crusted pizzas topped with mellow pools of cheese and sweet tomato sauce. The rim of the pizza is crisp and crunchy, and while the center of the crust tends to soften enough to lead to the heartbreak of cheese slippage, even the softest part has a taste that makes you want to keep on eating, then order more. [Road Food] 42.372528 -71.03543842.372528-71.035438273663Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:23:08 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527789 Center Road, West Seneca, New York. Tel: 716 674 9821 Yes, we know all about Buffalo wings, invented at the Anchor Bar. But allow us to introduce a lesser-known local passion, unique to the Nickel City—beef on weck. Weck is kummelweck, the German bun spangled with caraway seeds and coarse salt. The roll serves as a delightful cushion for heaps of sliced-to-order roast beef that is moist and rose-pink. At the venerable Schwabl's, a polite, family-friendly tavern as comfortable as a favorite easy chair, the top half of the bun is customarily immersed in pan juice just long enough for it to start to soften before it is set atop the sandwich. [the Sterns] 42.839363 -78.75372142.839363-78.753721268179Thu, 13 Jul 2006 12:05:28 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527840 Middle Tpke E, Manchester, CT. Spectacular cheeseburgers. [Road Food] 41.786143 -72.48443341.786143-72.484433274019Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:55:27 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527200 14th Street NW Atlanta, Georgia. Tel: 404 874 1388  The South gets hot. Refreshment is essential. One of the great warm-weather tongue-icers, popular at barbecues and in plate-lunch places throughout the region, is lemon icebox pie. There is none better than the one served on the boomerang-pattern Formica tables of a funky 1950s diner in Atlanta called the Silver Skillet. And we do mean the one, because most days only a single pie is made, and after it's sliced and served (often before noon), you're outta luck. Cool, creamy, and neatly poised between sugar-sweet and lemon-zesty, this pie is a superlative exclamation point after a meal of country ham, biscuits, and red-eye gravy. Even if the icebox pie is gone, the Silver Skillet is a charismatic blast from the past, with glass windows that tilt outward like mid-century tailfins and green-and-orange Naugahyde booths. [the Sterns] 33.786449 -84.39344833.786449-84.393448268134Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:31:49 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527781 Country Rd, Westbrook. ice cream 43.648724 -70.37166743.648724-70.371667273666Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:27:56 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215271119 Main Street, North Carolina. Tel: 828 295 7577 In the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, some 90 wandering miles northeast of Asheville (and not far from the Tennessee border), you might stumble onto Blowing Rock, named for a huge cliff over Johns River Gorge, where the wind blows so hard that it sometimes snows upward in the winter. The town itself is a quiet hamlet with a charming café on Main Street named Sonny's Grill; in this three-table, eight-stool eatery you will find one of the most delicious quick bites of the South: a ham biscuit. It's a stunning harmony of two dramatically disparate ingredients: complex, zesty cured country ham and a pillowy biscuit with creamy insides that readily absorb the ham's savory drippin's. A pair of these and a few cups of coffee or sweet iced tea are an utterly simple and totally satisfying meal. [the Sterns] 36.131881 -81.67817536.131881-81.678175268137Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:34:12 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527343 Market St, Lowell, MA. Laos, Cambodia 42.645532 -71.31448542.645532-71.314485267777Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:19:05 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527306 Black Rock Tpke, Fairfield CT [HollyEats] 41.163835 -73.23323141.163835-73.233231268131Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:28:12 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215271135 Forest Ave, Portland, ME. Voted Best Meal Under $10 and Tastiest Fried Clams by Portland Press Herald43.686021 -70.29210643.686021-70.292106273232Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:22:43 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527282 Greenwood Avenue, Bethel, Connecticut. 203-748-2716 Flash your lights and a carhop will be at your window in the blink of an eye. Order a Dagwoodburger, which is a pair of sizzled beef patties topped with virtually every garnish known to the human race. Although the milk shakes are excellent, we highly recommend a frosty glass mug of Sycamore's root beer. It is made from a top-secret recipe and makes for a perfect root beer float. Summer weekends are especially entertaining at the Sycamore, where "cruise nights" attract vintage car collectors in their finest restored and custom vehicles. It's a true blast from the past! [Road Food] 41.374415 -73.42285141.374415-73.422851273237Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:28:17 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215271046 Broad Street, Meriden, Connecticut. 203-237-6660 You will never find another cheeseburger quite like the one made at Ted's (and at a handful of other diners in Central Connecticut), where freshly ground beef and cheddar cheese are steamed — not fried or broiled — in a smoky metal cabinet. The thick hunk of beef oozes with juice and the cheddar turns as soft as pudding. Combined on a hard roll with lettuce and tomato, this amazing sandwich — known as a steamer — is the gold standard for cheeseburger lusciousness. [Road Food] 41.546806 -72.7832641.546806-72.78326268148Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:37:00 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527246 High St, Ipswitch MA. "This is the place to eat the best fried clams on the North Shore; and since the North Shore is home of the best fried clams anywhere, these are the best fried clams in the universe" [Road Food] "Fried clam lovers agree: Soft-shelled bivalves dug from the mudflats on Essex Bay are the best. And the Clam Box of Ipswich has been making the best of the best for decades. The place itself is a hoot, built in the 1930s to resemble a clam box — the trapezoidal cardboard container in which fried clams are sold by the pint. The way to eat is to have a whole clam platter, which includes not only a heap of crunchy, soft-centered beauties but also superior French fries, onion rings, coleslaw, and tartar sauce. Dine indoors or at picnic tables on a broad wooden deck." [Road Food] 42.695684 -70.86611242.695684-70.866112267781Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:21:07 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527Dock Sq, Kennebunkport, ME. Right on the harbor at the entrance to Kennebunkport.  "Shorthours.  Great clams.  Grab a pint and head over to the bridge railing, next door.  Eating clams and watching the gulls and the boat traffic on the river... Al fresco dining at its best." [HollyEats] "The Clam Shack anchors one end of the bridge that connects Kennebunk to Kennebunkport. There are no utensils in the house because everything served is finger food, eminently suitable for eating while leaning against the bridge railing or just standing on the sidewalk watching traffic pass. Fried clams, sold by the pint, are excellent — crisp-crusted and heavy with juice-bursting marine succulence — but it's the lobster rolls that are stratospheric. Big hunks of fresh-picked meat are arrayed across the bottom of a broad roll. Then you get to choose whether to have them bathed in warm butter or dolloped with cool mayonnaise before the roll's top is planted. This is a Maine summer pleasure to make any lobster-lover weak-kneed." [Road Food] 43.36158 -70.4773243.36158-70.47732273285Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:06:38 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215277702 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, California. Tel: 858 454 8409 San Diegans have voraciously embraced fish tacos since 1983, when Ralph Rubio opened his first Mexican restaurant in a defunct Orange Julius stand next to a gas station in Mission Bay. Today an empire of Rubio's Baja Grills exist in Southern California and beyond, all stemming from the original recipe of deep-fried cod dressed with mayonnaise and yogurt and a spill of white cabbage, and garnished with lime. But even the original can be improved upon: Take yourself to La Jolla and a 1920s bungalow called The Cottage. The choice seats are on a sunny patio, and chances are your fellow diners will park their surfboards at the door. The Cottage makes its fish tacos with mahimahi, grilled rather than deep-fried, and the sauce is cilantro–avocado. The result is a magnificent taco so chunky it's knife-and-fork food. [the Sterns] 32.843424 -117.27490932.843424-117.274909273274Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:46:56 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527891 Boston Post Road, Guilford, Connecticut. 203-453-9276 The Place is a picnic. Totally al fresco (with tents for inclement weather), it is spread out around a big cook-pit of smoldering wood on which sweet corn is roasted in its husk (then stripped and dunked in melted butter), and clams are cooked on the half shell, each one brushed with a buttery cocktail sauce that sizzles. Whole lobsters are the center of the feast; and if you want salad, bread, dessert, or wine, bring your own. [Road Food] 41.288717 -72.67879541.288717-72.678795267773Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:11:50 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527Upscale casual seafood restaurant. [ProJo] 42.271171 -71.80730942.271171-71.807309273255Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:41:39 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215272301 Arctic Avenue, Atlantic City, New Jersey. 609-345-1564 The Delaware Valley is sub central, home to the best hero sandwiches in the U.S. The best of the best come from a Naugahyde-upholstered eatery called The White House Sub Shop, where hungry fans line up outside waiting for a precious booth or counter seat. Sandwiches are immense, more than two feet long and made on brilliantly fresh, crisp-crusted bread. Ingredients include hot meatballs or parmigianas, and great Italian cold cuts. The most heroic of sandwiches is the White House Special: a colossal sheaf of cold cuts including Genoa salami, ham, capicola, and Provolone cheese, all tightly packed inside a loaf that is lubricated with olive oil and decorated with lettuce and bits of sweet pepper. [Road Food] 39.359158 -74.44064839.359158-74.440648273219Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:13:39 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215272974 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport, Connecticut, 203-366-7496 The antique hand-cranked salt-and-ice churners in the windows of Timothy's may be purely decorative, but the ice cream you will eat here does have the kind of extreme purity and goodness you'd expect from a farm-churned brand. We adore the elemental Sweet Cream (dulcet white with no flavor other than dairy sweetness) and supercharged Black Rock (French vanilla studded with chocolate-covered almonds), and the Dutch Chocolate is simply the most chocolaty ice cream possible. Waffle cones are made on the premises in irons behind the counter, and they are broad-mouthed enough to hold multiple scoops dolloped with fudge and whipped cream. [Road Food] 41.156224 -73.22852641.156224-73.228526273220Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:14:42 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527899 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 617-491-5877 First, let us say that the vanilla ice cream made by Gus Rancatore at Toscanini's is some of the best there is: pure, uncomplicated, satisfying. And the regional favorite, Grape-Nuts, is as good as it gets, the familiar breakfast cereal blended into sweet cream so it becomes flavorful streaks of grain. We love such flavors as Cocoa Pudding and Cake Batter. But the true call to glory is Burnt Caramel. If you are one who enjoys the preciousness of the crust on a flawlessly blowtorched crème brûlée, you, too, will understand how a controlled sugar burn creates an ice cream that transcends sweetness and makes taste buds buzz. [Road Food] 42.363513 -71.09950642.363513-71.099506267750Thu, 13 Jul 2006 10:44:57 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527okay food, free used book with your meal ""Dear “The Traveler Restaurant,” Your food sucks. It’s flat-out awful, in fact – your chef or team of trained monkeys can’t even cook an omelet without screwing it up....Nonetheless, I grudgingly admit, you are charming and original. I haven’t been to another restaurant that gives away books free with every meal, nor have I been to any that feature a fully stocked used book store in the basement. You have both, and that’s truly bizarre." (Twenty Bucks A Day)42.173901 -71.18550142.173901-71.185501268133Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:30:50 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527225 Two Lights Road, Cape Elizabeth, Maine. 207-799-1677 Below the lighthouse and next to the foghorn, seated at picnic tables overlooking the Atlantic surf and ships coming into Portland's harbor, customers of Two Lights Lobster Shack tuck into all the seafood for which the Maine coast is famous. This is the place to come for clam cakes and crabmeat rolls, lobster stew and New England clam chowder, and of course, whole lobsters with French fries, slaw, and biscuits. Desserts include such Yankee faves as Grape-Nuts custard pudding and Whoopie Pie. [Road Food] 43.563631 -70.20029443.563631-70.200294268183Thu, 13 Jul 2006 12:12:48 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215271101 Huntingdon Ave, Waterbury CT. Excellent BBQ, despite being in CT.  "Connecticut is not exactly a major barbecue state; in fact, the entire Northeast is barbecue-deprived. Uncle Willie's is one of the rare exceptions: a house of smoked meats and all the fixin's on a par with America's best. Proprietor Bill Lombardi spent six years on the road gathering recipes for ribs (spare and baby back), brisket, pulled pork, and glorious "burnt end" sandwiches composed of shreds and scraps of pork left over when the soft inside meat is pulled for platters. Even dessert is authentic barbecue parlor fare: banana pudding with vanilla wafers turning soft and tender in the balmy custard. It's just what an exhausted tongue needs." [Epicurious] 41.585412 -73.05082841.585412-73.050828273278Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:49:17 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/2152755 Main Street (Route 133), Essex, Massachusetts. 978-768-6400 These days the Village Restaurant opens only for lunch and supper, but there was a time about a half-century ago when regulars used to arrive before dawn (and before the kitchen staff), let themselves in, and cook their own breakfasts! The Village Restaurant is now somewhat less accommodating (they actually lock the door after hours), but it's still a favorite among locals...as well as with travelers to the Massachusetts North Shore. There is no better place to eat fried clams, lobster pie, and Atlantic fish in configurations that range from broiled scrod to Haddock Rockefeller. As for dessert, it's a good idea to have a dining companion so you don't have to decide between the Indian pudding, served piping-hot with vanilla ice cream on top, and blueberry bread pudding, set afloat in a pool of sweet rum sauce. [Road Food] 42.632343 -70.78033842.632343-70.780338268151Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:39:36 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527326 Hight St, Ipswich, MA. "A popular stop for people on their way to or from Crane's Beach, White Farms makes its own old-fashioned style ice cream, by which we mean it's a relatively high-overrun ice cream. It probably won't please the super-dense/super-butterfat hounds, but we've lately developed a fondness for these airier, easy to eat ice creams, particularly when they're made with care." [Road Food] 42.705355 -70.88062542.705355-70.880625273210Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:04:48 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/215274225 Main St., Fish Creek, WI. The inn's fish boil is the peninsula's hottest draw, served with coleslaw, homemade breads, and a slice of homemade pie, which is made with cherries from Rocky Ridge Orchard in nearby Egg Harbor. (920-868-3517; www.whitegullinn.com) [Epicurious]     Every region of the United States has its summer vacation hot spots, from North Carolina's Outer Banks to Oregon's Cannon Beach. For Midwesterners, that place is Door County, the "thumb" in Wisconsin's mitten-shape geography. While not as posh as California's O.C., Wisconsin's "D.C." is a lovely Midwestern New England surrounded by 250 miles of shoreline and dotted with lighthouses, art galleries, and B&Bs.     Nestled among all that quaintness are unique food finds, like the Door County fish boil. Begun by Scandinavian settlers more than 100 years ago as a way to feed large groups of hungry lumberjacks and fishermen, a fish boil is a regionally renowned outdoor cooking event, much like chicken booyah.     Door County restaurants fill huge kettles with water, potatoes, and steaks from freshly caught local Lake Michigan whitefish. The concoction is cooked outside over a wood fire until the chef douses the flames with kerosene, causing the kettle to boil over, thereby skimming the fish oils off the top and extinguishing the flames below. The fish is perfectly flaky, but salt and butter definitely are a diner's best friends with this dish.     Another tradition is to cap off a fish boil with a wedge of cherry pie. Door County is the fourth-largest cherry-growing producer in the nation, making it a pie lover's paradise, with the delightfully sour Montmorency cherry the dessert star. The best bakers on the peninsula understand that good cherry pie shouldn't be too gelatinous; all that's needed are cherries and lots of them, plus sugar and perhaps a touch of lemon juice or cornstarch or flour. 45.128198 -87.24869645.128198-87.248696273239Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:29:14 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527280 Memorial Avenue, West Springfield, Massachusetts. 413-736-9390 You want a fast meal? Really, really fast? Stop in the White Hut around lunchtime, and you can be in and out — and very well fed — in under five minutes. There are no more than a few counter seats, plus a few tables for eating while standing up, but it's not creature comforts that have been drawing crowds since 1939. It is cheeseburgers. White Hut offers a modest-size patty topped with standard American cheese. What puts it into the Burger Pantheon is the tangle of grilled onions that every regular customer knows to order as garnish. In fact, if you forget to order onions, the waitress will ask if you want them anyway. And if you say hamburger, she'll shoot back, "You mean cheeseburger?" Meat, cheese, onions: It's the only way. [Road Food] 42.096442 -72.60160142.096442-72.601601268164Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:49:19 -0400http://www.mapbuilder.net/users/sonja/21527121 Main St, Essex, MA. Clam shack 42.630894 -70.77559542.630894-70.775595