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Richard Tilford
Too much food! Diner Stop in MD
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Richard Tilford
Cooking Roadside
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Richard Tilford
Babe's BBQ Garden City
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Richard Tilford
Food Co-op Brattleboro
Words by Elizabeth Hensley
Food and travel must be cousins. There is something appealing about going to an unfamiliar place and being welcomed by the mouthwatering scent of regional food. Since moving into our tiny home on wheels four and a half months ago, food has been a necessity, a comfort, and an introduction to so many places.
We have traveled through 17 different states since we started out in August. After converting our school bus in Atlanta, a food mecca itself, we traveled down to Florida, and up the coast to Portland, ME, making stops in places including Charleston, SC, Colonial Williamsburg, VA, and Provincetown, MA, along the way. Then we drove back to see the leaves change — hitting mountain spots like Brattleboro, VT, Shenandoah National Park, VA, and Asheville, NC, before going back down to the Florida Keys, then to Atlanta in December for my graduation. Through food, we learned as much about ourselves as the places we visited.
The internet has made finding great restaurants on the road easier than ever. We used to just cross our fingers and hope for the best. But now, whenever we want a bite to eat one of us does a quick search online, usually through Google. For us, looking at reviews, specifically, the quantity of reviews has been a big indicator of where we should eat. We have "discovered" many great restaurants this way, including Polcari's Pizzeria Regina Italian American in Saugus, MA, outside of Boston and Fat Matt's Rib Shack in Atlanta, which featured live music, fall-off-the-bone ribs, and homemade sweet potato pie.
Split it up
We didn't have power or water when we set out on our trip, which meant we ate at restaurants a lot. When we began, we made some rookie mistakes that cost us money and our well-being. Ordering two full meals and drinks, sometimes appetizers, too, left us feeling bloated and broke.
One great place we ate was at Babe's BBQ outside of Savannah, Georgia. We heard everything was delicious, so we ordered three courses including savoury buffalo shrimp, smoked pork sandwiches and dessert. It was tasty, but when all was said and done, we could barely move. After this experience, we learned to spend less (about the same as buying food from the supermarket) by splitting one entrée and ordering only one drink. Ordering an appetizer or a couple sides as an entrée also helped us buck the norm of needing a full meal, helping us avoid leftovers.
At Cracker Barrel, an East Coast comfort food chain, we recently learned that the Country Boy breakfast was built to share. It comes with the choice of meat, three eggs, fried apples, hashbrown casserole, grits, AND biscuits and gravy. It is quite the spread. In addition to their menu, locations also have a giant gift shop and designated parking spots for travelers behind the restaurant, so folks can stay the night. This has been a welcome relief from long driving stints at night.
Buy Local
Buying from farmers markets, co-ops, and family-owned restaurants enables us to contribute to the local economy, if only on a small scale. One morning we passed through Bird-in-Hand, PA, and stopped at the local farmer's market. We met so many farmers and local producers that we got to know their family members, as well. We bought fresh pepper bacon, eggs, bread, and moon pies from the market, all of which were exceptionally fresh. I will never look at pre-packaged meat the same way again.
Brattleboro Food Co-op in Vermont was another memorable stop as we made our ways back south from Maine. Food co-ops are spaces like supermarkets that are run democratically by members who volunteer, and they aim to keep their resources in the community. While there, we bought local butter, cheese, and maple syrup that we shared with our friends. Although we could not become members or partake in some of the discounts, we knew our dollars were going to benefit the local community.
Regional Eats
One thing that makes traveling to different places so unique is regional fare. Each area seems to have its own local favourites and origin stories. From key lime pie in the Florida Keys to Maine Lobster. It is often a good idea to pick up some regional grub.
However, not everything was what we expected. In late October when we were in Maine, it was a struggle to find a place to order a lobster. We drove to three places in York and Kittery and had no luck because many lobster spots were closed for the winter. Finally, we arrived at Robert's Maine Grill and after a short wait I had probably the best lobster I could have imagined - along with local oysters. On the other hand, a few months later in Key West, it became difficult to find authentic key lime pie since the small island seemed to be overrun with options. Either way, I suppose a food's reputation may precede it, so choose wisely.
Get Real
Eating and drinking locally helped us navigate our surroundings better than the typical tourist. After asking some questions about the area, bartenders and servers pointed us in the right direction for local sites and told us which places to avoid. At a dive bar in Charleston called Gene's Haubrau, our server told us that Folly Beach was a place we shouldn't miss, and it became one of the highlights of our visit.
We also met some memorable people in New Bern, NC, after hurricane Florence. We decided to eat at a local pizza place called Thirty-Seventh Street Pizza. There we heard stories and got to know people who experienced the hurricane first-hand. All had to evacuate and some came out unscathed while others lost everything. The city received a lot of attention for the damage it faced, but the community wanted others to know how united they were. In all, it was a memorable experience, not just for the food, but because of the community were introduced to.
Go Home
Some of the best memories of our trip were at home. Not just our tiny home, where we made mostly modest one-pot meals or burritos, but in the homes of folks we connected with along the way. Whether it was with people we knew, like family friends in CT, or those whom we met through the RV site Boondockers Welcome, we will always remember those who opened their doors to share a meal with a couple hungry travelers, and roasting marshmallows over an open fire. We met up with long lost friends from elementary school, aunts, cousins and other people who invited us over for a meal, and we always left feeling like family.
After we converted our school bus, the first thing we wanted to do was travel. To us, the best way to experience culture is through food. If you haven't been to the Eastern United States, is a microcosm of different cultures. Some offer subtle regional differences, and other differences are more abrupt. But no matter what you choose, food should always be part of the experience.