Earl Brunner on sun 11 jan 04
conferences, etc.
BUT, it's NOT safe. The newspaper in our town regularly posts a list of
the restaurants that have failed or received poor ratings on their
health inspections. They list the score and exactly what violations
caused them to get a bad score. There is absolutely NO correlation
between whether a restaurant is part of a chain or not. The single BEST
thing you can do is ask to see their most recent certificate and its
rating. Asking locals where to eat is always fun, I loved the Tex-Mex
restaurant we were referred to in Fort Worth at NCECA a few years ago.
Out by the stock yards, can't remember the name though.
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of
wayneinkeywest
Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2004 12:02 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: not so OT Re: Eating on the road while traveling to
exhibitions, conferences, etc.
I'm going to echo Vince's excellent post.
I travel (too much) for business, and avoid chains
whenever possible. I know that a pancake at the
IHOP in CT is going to taste the same as the one
in Key West, that's how they made their name,
and that's their reason for being. It's safe food.
Safe equals BORING!
wayneinkeywest on sun 11 jan 04
conferences, etc.
I'm going to echo Vince's excellent post.
I travel (too much) for business, and avoid chains
whenever possible. I know that a pancake at the
IHOP in CT is going to taste the same as the one
in Key West, that's how they made their name,
and that's their reason for being. It's safe food.
Safe equals BORING!
In an unfamiliar place, I tend to wander into the
most rundown gas station available. You know
which one it is in your town...the one where they
might even pump gas still, and the door looks like
it hasn't been touched by a clean hand in 35 years.
The guy behind the counter (or, more likely) under
the 74 Buick on the lift, is going to be the one who
knows where the biscuits are "fresh-made" and the
coffee isn't more than an hour old. He eats there.
Best Mexican food I ever ate (outside Mexico City)
came from a little place somewhere in Indianapolis.
Best liver and onions I ever had came from a "hole
in the wall" diner on the main drag in Amesbury, MA.
Next time I go up that way, I'll stop in again. It's
probably right across the street from the Walmart
these days :>) Damn good food, no "ambience".
Why is it we complain about the thousands of
"all the same pots" being slipcast or press molded
coming from China, but are willing to put food in our
mouths that came "all the same by the thousands"
from a Cryovac machine in a food processing
warehouse somewhere we've never heard of that
has no cook?
Wayne Seidl
supporting the little guy, 'cuz that's what I am.
Isn't it clever how I titled this post so that it isn't off-topic? I am
sure that many of you have had this experience, but I wanted to mention
what I have been doing recently to avoid mediocre food while traveling. At
all times I try to avoid the Applebees, O'Charleys, Chilis, Red Lobster, and
all the rest of the chains that try to foist standardized, semi-palatable
food on the American public. Too many people eat at these places because
they feel that a national chain is "safe," supposedly guaranteeing food that
is "pretty good" versus the uncertainty of an unknown local place. Huh? A
national chain is safer than a place accepted and supported by the local
population? Where does that logic come from?
So when I am traveling alone or with others, I always seek out locally owned
places. I have had excellent success. Last year and this year my wife and
I drove out to Californiia for the holiday break, and we found some great
places - the grille at the Saddleback Inn on the western edge of Oklahoma
City, a wonderful seafood grill just off I-25 on the north edge of
Albuquerque, NM (yep, good seafood in Albuquerque), Chelles Restaurant on
business I-40 in West Gallup, NM, the Roadrunner Cafe in Gallup for
breakfast (try the Mario Special with green chili sauce), the Beaver Steet
Brewery in Flagstaff, AZ, Rosa's Cantina in Williams, AZ, Margie's Diner
just off US 101 on the north edge of Paso Robles, CA. Several summers ago,
driving south from Bryce Canyon on US 89, I stopped at the Adobe Cafe in the
tiny town of Hatch, UT, and had the best hamburger of my life (so far) -
excellent lean beef on fresh homemade sourdough bun with roasted green
chilis and avocado. This place has cold cuts flown in twice weekly from
NYC.
The point of this is to seek variety rather than sameness. Don't settle for
what is safe and recognized, precisely BECAUSE that is what Gestalt theory
says we seek subconsciously. There's little fun in that.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Office - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 x111, FAX 615/597-6803
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
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pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on tue 13 jan 04
conferences, etc.
As for me...
I gave up almost entirely, early in my interstate Motoring
experiences, any desire to eat in crappy chain
restaurants whilst Motoring on long trips.
The decent Mom-n-Pop place seem far and few between...and
nice if or when one may find 'em!
So...
I simply stop at the occasional Grocery Store, and get
Bread, Vegetables, Apples, Walnuts-in-the-Shell and Raisens
and canned Tuna and so
on...Mayonaise...pickles...whatever, and make sandwiches or
variety plates while driving, or, maybe when pulled over now
and then. Too, I sometimes brought a little Camp Stove and
made Pancakes (with Butter and Maple Syrup of course,) and
Coffee and so on while at speed, or at liesure in some
nice spot where I may pull over...
Otherwise, I was ( as of the early '70s even and more
since,) very disappointed with the gruesome offerings
along-the-way.
'hobojoes' and the like..how despicable...jeeeeze...a
nightmare of grotesques...
Anymore too, half the sorry excuses for 'hospitality'
forbid smoking, are expensive, have poor sanitation, creppy
degenerate looking customers,
unpleasant lighting ( especially at night) slovenly
distracted employees, worse than mediocre 'dead' grayish bad
smelling food, and have lousy and disturbingly intrusive
(if not lousy and just plain stupid) themes and decor.
...or am I describeing what became of america generally?
Whether on the 'interstate' or not?
Hmmm...
Anyway...
Be fine with me if they all went out of business.
I'd say, "Good Riddance"...
I'll make my own damned 'Sandwhiches'...or Pancakes...or
whatever...
At speed, or at liesure...
Phil
Las Vegas
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