This is Just the Beginning

Okay, I admit that I'm not the world's greatest writer. Sometimes, something gets lost in the journey between my head and my fingers when they hit the keyboard. But food . . . ah, yes, there's something I like to talk about!

I gave the local paper the opportunity to carry this blog, but they didn't go for it -- I definitely think it could have increased readership, and boy, do they need it! But, hey, their loss. Because I'm in the unique position to have a little food fun on the road. There may be some others making a journey from Rochester to Utah this month, but I doubt that any of them have planned that journey around where they're going to stop and eat! I have a spreadsheet with details, and, with the help of the laptop in the car and the ingenious little thing called Mapquest, there's no problem finding places to create my own version of "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives!" Yep, I watch 'em all -- the aforementioned "DDD", Food Paradise, Man vs. Food, $40 A Day. I have a blank (well, not anymore) notebook on my nightstand entitled "Restaurants to Check Out." Currently, my life's goal is to go to Pittsburgh and eat a Primanti Brothers sandwich. But Pittsburgh isn't on the same route as our current trip, so that will have to wait. For last Valentine's Day, I asked my husband for boneless ribeyes instead of flowers and candy. I mean, I can get chocolate anytime, but how often does boneless ribeye come along for only $5.99 a pound?

So, as I watch the shows, I think to myself -- are these places really that good? I mean, how honest are we being here? A shiver of delight runs up my spine as I realize -- I have the chance to find out for myself! And no holds barred -- if it stinks, I'll let you know! I'm tellin' ya, we heard all kinds of good things about this BBQ joint in Kansas City, which is supposed to be known for BBQ, called Arthur Bryant's. I even had a BBQ judge I met at the St.Louis Arch rave about it (yes, I talk to complete strangers about food) -- and it was dry and tasteless! The good old Rochester Dinosaur beat it by ten miles!!! and a half!! So, you can understand my skepticism. I intend to expose the good, the bad and the sloppy.

One standing rule we have on vacation is that we can't eat in any restaurant we have at home. This is a lot of fun -- we've discovered Crabby Dick's, The Fractured Prune and even good convenience store eats (try WaWa in Delaware and Sheetz in Pennsylvania). Some road foodies have a "no chains" rule, but I won't go that far, because, heck, if I see a Dairy Queen, I'm gettin' a Dilly Bar! And I'm pretty sick of seeing those commercials for Sonic, CiCi's Pizza and Golden Corral -- we don't have any of those within 50 miles of Rochester!! I'm hitting Sonic almost as soon as we get to Utah. And I'm still considering breakfast at Golden Corral in Erie -- thanks, Robin, for putting that thought into my brain! We're supposed to meet a friend of my husband's in Terre Haute, Indiana (which is, incidentally, the original home of Buffy, Jody and Cissy on the old "Family Affair" sitcom. Don't ask me how I remember that -- just be frightened that I do). This friend has suggested we eat at CRACKER BARREL! Well, Kevin just has to call him and say no way. I would rather sit in the car.

Just to let you all know, breakfast is probably not going to figure into this blog much, since we'll be trying to spend our nights in motels that serve breakfast. We are even staying at a Hyatt in Topeka, KS, that we went to in 2005 (a.k.a the "Taking Tara's Stuff out to BYU" roadtrip), for the sole reason that the breakfast buffet was fabulous. Yes, this is how pathetic I am. But there will be plenty to blog about. A sandwich shop in Cleveland with ginormous corned beef sandwiches that Rachael Ray says are better than anything in NYC. A southern grill outside of St. Louis with a cheese fry platter we won't be able to make a dent in. A Brazilian grill outside of Provo, UT (our ultimate destination). I am even going to try to find a drive-in where I can try a buffalo burger. Really. And I don't mean a spicy chicken sandwich with a blue cheese sauce. We're talkin' real buffalo, baby. I am also planning to stop a few times along the way at a chain called Steak and Shake, where they make shakes with two flavors RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. Oh, the combinations I could come up with! And I plan to find the absolute best, hugest cinnamon rolls in the world (or at least along my route). I mean, come on folks! This is knowledge you can use!!!

I'm no Guy Fieri, I can't eat half my weight in food like Adam Richman can, and I can't claim to have as much energy as Rachael Ray (who does, really?), but I do plan to put together my own personal Food Paradise.

And I promise to come home a few pounds heavier.