Friday, March 5, 2004

Road Food Anyone who travels with me knows I am fussy about where I eat on the road. It's hard to find good, nutritious food away from home, and in some towns it's a real crap shoot. Generally, I look for a Chinese buffet with a lot of options. If I think of it, I ask them if they use MSG. Most of the time, they say no, they don't. Some are honest and admit there is MSG in the egg rolls and soup. If I get a big hit of the stuff, I can tell because it gives me a real buzz, sorta like a caffeine buzz. Ayway, it's not good for you so I try to avoid it, but I like the rice and fresh veggies and stir fries at Chinese places. My favorites are those with a Mongolian barbecue, where you watch the chef stir-fry your selection of goodies on a big, round steel griddle. Some places have a gong you can hit when you drop a buck in the tip jar. A nice touch, but most people are too timid to hit it, so I usually give it a good whack to show 'em how. The chefs always smile when you do that. Another good choice is Middle Eastern, thought these are few and far between. Indian is a distant third, as even the mild food in some of these places is way too hot for me. If you like it spicy, however, you'll enjoy Indian food. Once in awhile, I'll find a place that makes good sandwiches with whole-grain bread and organic, free-range turkey or the like. There's a place up in Minocqua called Back to Eden, 8580 Huber Lane, Minocqua, WI 54548 Tel: (715) 356-1103. I don't think they have a website. You can also get good sandwiches at the Black Cat in Ashland. There's a great article on the Black Cat in the May 2003 issue of Specialty Coffee Retailer. Back in my teaching days at Northland College, The Black Cat was a tavern and a favorite hangout of young faculty. Now, it's a specialty coffee house with the best soups and sandwiches on Lake Superior's South Shore. I'll wrap up my posts on my trip to Washington with a few notes on good road food I found there. Look for it soon in "On the Road" over to the right ---> Later... 8:12:20 AM    comment []