Two for the Road: Our Love Affair With American Food

by Jane Stern, Michael Stern

Road trip! In this rollicking memoir, Jane and Michael Stern tell what it's like to eat everywhere across the U.S.A. Driving more than three million miles, eating twelve meals a day, they discover not only the pleasure of biscuits and gravy and cherry pie r la mode, but a world of cooks, customers, and fellow roadfood devotees for whom good food is one of life's essentials.

Hop into the car for hilarious adventures and misadventures as the Sterns search for the definitive barbecue, sandwiches, Indian fry bread, sweet potato pie, and other treasures along America's highways and byways. Eat in a midnight restaurant where a "murderburger" is the specialty, dine in a place whose proprietor is devoted to the memory of Richard Nixon, devour ribs alongside a cook's pet pig, and feast at one of the last of the old-time boarding houses. You'll meet such personalities as America's greatest bull rider (who won't eat clams but downs deep-fried lamb testicles), a waitress who gets her dining tips straight from Jesus, and a pre-reality-show radio homemaker who broadcasts straight from her kitchen.

Join the Sterns at the start of their journey when, fresh out of grad school and with little more than hunger as their guide, they hit the road in search of something to eat. Discover with them a strategy to maximize cafeteria tray capacity (desserts first) and to sniff out a great breakfast in an unfamiliar town. Best of all, savor the delicious potluck banquet of beloved regional fare, unusual eateries, and the unforgettable characters who make up American food.

Genres: Food, Travel, Nonfiction, Foodie, Memoir, Cookbooks, Cooking

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 4, 2006

Reviews

[Michael Haydel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally had never heard of either Jane or Michael Stern before reading this book, and it wasn't until a few chapters in that it clicked that they are the folks behind roadfood.com, which I certainly *had* heard of.

This book is really just a collection of stories and musings that Jane and Michael have collected over the past 30+ years about seeking out the best (and often times, worst) in road food.

There's not really an order to the book necessarily, but then again, there doesn't need to be. Each chapter ends with at least 2 or 3 recipes that were mentioned in the chapter, usually with a short blurb about how Michael and Jane came to discover them, or its origin.

The book is humorous throughout, and kept me interested for the majority of the time. Some chapters dragged on a tad, but nothing that was intolerable.

Given all of that, I love reading about the exploits of people on the road, looking for what most tourists will never bother looking for: that little place that has just the right balance of hospitality, comraderie, charm, and great food.

In a way, this book would be a nice companion piece to Bill Geist's Way Off The Road. Both talk about the great finds that can be had in small towns (and even large ones) across the country, and they both celebrate what makes these places so wonderful to eat at or visit.

One final note: I found myself during the course of reading the book wanting to make notes of the places they mentioned in the chapters. Luckily, the book provides several indices at the back, one of which is a listing, state by state, of all the places they mentioned. Nice!

[Book Concierge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane & Michael Stern met in grad school at Yale, where they both studied art. Newly graduated, the found that life hit them hard – parents died, a relative was institutionalized – and they just wanted to run away for everything. In a fit of genius – or desperation – they proposed a book about truck-stop dining to a young editor friend. He loved the idea and gave them a contract and an advance. The only problem is that they knew nothing about truck-stop dining, and didn’t even have a car. It took them awhile to discover a routine (and route) that would work, but Roadfood was a success and their careers as professional eaters were born.

This is a delightful memoir of decades spent on the road in search of quintessential American food, served in mostly out-of-the-way locations with little fanfare. We’re talking food that will fill the emptiest stomach and satisfy one’s need for comfort. They’ve sampled and enjoyed chicken dinners in Iowa, pork barbecue in South Carolina, cherry pie in Michigan, hot dogs in Rhode Island, and gallons of sweet tea served ice-cold.

The book should come with a warning label. I think I gained 10 pounds just reading about all this food! Parts are laugh-out-loud hilarious; my outbursts drew curious (or frightened) stares from people in the beauty shop and glares from the library staff (two of my favorite places to read – the beauty shop and the library). The section on menu misprints … well I start chuckling just thinking about it. (Fried Clamps, anyone? If that sounds too tough, how about Tender Oven-Baked Children?)

As an added bonus, there are recipes sprinkled throughout. I plan to try the Doris Gulsvig’s Rhubarb Crunch (will have to wait till next year, as rhubarb season is over and we didn’t freeze any) or Mildred Brummond’s Beet Cake (which better be really good, if it’s going to beat my friend Carol’s recipe).

I have to go make something to eat now …

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, the "Roadfood" books contain some of my flat-out favorite writing. Sometimes I think I'd rather read a Stern-scribed paragraph devoted to a cheeseburger than eat one. The paragraph is often at least equally satisfying, and doesn't magically turn into a poor-smelling brown thing that begs to exit your asshole while you're in the middle of a particularly good "Seinfeld" you haven't seen in awhile. I'm just trying to get the poop reference out of the way early here. Stay with me.

So I like the Sterns a lot, and I envy their carefree life of cruising the back roads of America, encountering hole-in-the-wall diners, sampling the local fare without regard for personal health, and later giving the unsung propreitors their due in adjective-laden writeups that, when their enthusiasm levels run particularly high, range from ravenous lust to real love (they compare the taste of a Kentucky-based eatery's fried chicken to a first kiss). Their best encapsulations read like poetry, odes to shoo-fly pie and red-and-white checkered tablecloths that I flip to repeatedly, often (really) wiping tears both incredulous and ridiculous from my eyes. I enjoy food.

And golly, so do the Sterns, who on their jaunts routinely patronize ten restaurants a day, so it's good thing that they managed to wedge this memoir under their taut belts, because no doubt their bloated, tartar-sauce-oozing corpses will be heaped like so much country ham on hospital gurneys any day now. As always, their writing is engaging and descriptive, but rather lacking in the anecdote department. They eat and drive and eat and drive. Once the vicarious "Gee, I wish I could get paid to drive around all day eating ribs and pie" thrill wears off, what remains is pleasant enough but unsatisfying, like a...I don't know, like a friggin' sandwich that doesn't taste all that great. I left my lackluster-memoir-qualifying food similes in my other pants. Bottom line here is what the Sterns eat turns out to be far more compelling than the manner in which they eat it.

[Kerri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Left me cold. I like the tone, it's a fun easy read. It's written by a couple, so it took me a while to get used to the necessity of the tense being in first person plural, then switching to third person when one or the other of them needed to be singled out.

I just didn't walk away with any overall impressions about *anything* — regional food, specific food — it was was all a jumbled blur. There would be a specific topic, then it would switch to something else without any seeming logic or segue. Actually, often, I think there was a segue, but I didn't realize it until halfway through realizing that we just moved on to a different topic.

But the worst thing about the book for me, is it rarely made me want to eat any of the food. And usually you can just say a food-related word to me, and I'm ready to chow down. I found the whole thing unappetizing — the vasts amounts of food, the conditions in which they travelled to their food. The sweet tea story — how do you not notice food fermenting in your own car before swarms of flies do?! The avoidant personalities. What's so hard about explaining that your stomach (surprisingly) aren't big enough to finish everything you ordered? What's wrong with passing a message from your waiter back to the chef that all the "special" dishes she's sending out are appreciated, but we really, really only want to eat the food we ordered? The tact they took instead was just disgusting (I won't spoil it). I'm sure if I met these two I'd love them, but they just come across as weird and gross. I appreciate the honesty, but…

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fair warning: This book will make you hungry. And make you itch to travel. The Sterns tell stories of their quest for the best road food that America has to offer, interspersed with recipes. It's a fun and fast read. I've always found the Stern's books to be highly entertaining.

[Toni · Rating 2 out of 5]

A better title for this book would be "How To Become Grossly Obese." The writing was okay and often funny, but the amount of food the authors say they ate--12 meals a day, ordering steaks weighing "a couple pounds," eating three slices of pie at tea--is disgusting. I have to admit that it really bothered me as well that while Michael took up running to combat the huge number of calories, Jane went and bought Amish underwear & big flowing clothes and then criticized another friend of theirs for swimming laps every morning & freaked out over Michael's running. Americans are so very obese & there are so many health problems associated with it that it's really hard for me to read about someone so consciously choosing to be extremely obese. Blame it on my spending 3 years working for the American Diabetes Association and seeing the effects of obesity, I suppose.

I enjoyed Michael's approach to life & food in his "try anything" attitude, but Jane eventually comes across as more fussy and a bit harder to like. I liked their emphasis on regional food & trying to find non-chain restaurants. The best parts were the stories of the people they encountered, which were where the authors truly shine. The food they actually wrote about sounds mostly revolting--gravy on darn near everything and as much deep-fried as possible--mostly stuff that needs a Tums chaser. They celebrate chicken pot pies for having all chicken & no vegetables, large portions and servings receive far more emphasis than how things actually taste, and everything seems slathered in something. Their descriptions of steaks & meat go a bit overboard, and made even me--a non-apologetic carnivore who grew up on a cattle ranch--really lean toward being a vegetarian.

There were some extremely funny moments, such as the list of menu malapropisms (page 178). Examples:
"Steak cooked to your likeness"
"Roast leg of lamp"
"Oven Fried Children"
"Spaghetti With Clamps"
"Moo Shu Pork with Four Creeps"

Even with funny parts, it has taken me a couple months to get through this book & I could only read in very short spurts before being completely revolted by their eating habits.

Not recommended.

[Russ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of the Sterns and their wonderful website Roadfood.com. I especially enjoy their great writing style (or, more likely, Michael's great writing style). The Sterns could make a piece of cardboard sound appetizing, and their descriptions of the textures, tastes, smells and more of each food item make you want whatever it is they're describing. Let's put it this way: They have a way with words.

Two For The Road is their sort-of biography. They tell some of the thousands of weird, wonderful stories about their travel adventures over the years. This book isn't just about the food, although it has plenty of that. They cover cars, bad hotels, animals, and much more. Some of these stories may be new to even their hardcore fans.

One thing I didn't like about the book is the embarrassing details told about Jane. Michael comes across as merely quirky, while Jane is put in a most unflattering light. One can only assume she was OK with how she was portrayed here, but I still cringed for her.

If you're curious about great places to eat in small towns across America, and the people who make them wonderful, this is the book for you. If you're thinking of copying the Sterns' approach to traveling and eating, this is definitely the book for you! They tell you the ins and outs and let you know that it's not all fun, games and pie.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always loved the Sterns' pieces in the late lamented Gourmet, so I snapped this up when the price dropped on Kindle. I hoped I'd get some of their food philosophy, great anecdotes, a portrait of the country ... something. There are some great anecdotes here, but they're mostly snippets -- I loved the descriptions of boarding-house-style restaurants, and the glimpse at the professional rodeo scene (the Sterns were camp-followers of a sort for a while). But every tidbit is brief and not particularly well-developed.

Mostly the book just sort of meanders around -- as the Sterns do themselves, I suppose. It's quite short, and there's not much substance. The Sterns are absolutely great at lauding rural American folkways and tiny food subcultures, and those are the best parts of Two for the Road. They aren't, apparently, very interested in exploring anything in much depth, so much as describing, lauding, and passing on down the road. And I was disappointed by Jane's apparent hyper-pickiness and some reverse-snobbery about fancier restaurants; I suppose I wanted their enthusiasm and generosity to go both ways.

[Marguerite Hargreaves · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Jane and Michael Stern for decades, but this book is a bit disappointing. It's heavily padded with recipes, for one thing, and the idea of road food is that you eat it while you're on the road, not re-create it in your kitchen. I would rather have more anecdotes, reflection, whatnot. The Sterns' habit of referring to themselves in the third person feels awkward. I would rather see some his-and-hers takes occasionally. And, something's missing. The elephant in the room is the fact that these people eat a mind-blowing 12 meals a day when they're in reviewing mode. That merits some discussion about the effects of this long-term diet. I've done a fair bit of restaurant reviewing, including unhealthy food, but I'm grossed out.

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read. I've heard the Sterns on various podcasts and NPR, and I found this in a used bookstore and snatched it up. I have to say, I was horror-struck at the lifestyle they lead, in that it sounds miserable to me. However, they seem like amazingly interesting people that have crafted this unique way of living and I would love to find myself at a cocktail party with them, as I would love to listen to them talk. If you have any interest in food or travel, this is a fun (and quick) read. I'm also planning on looking up some of the suggestions on my next road trip.

[LibraryCin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Jane and Michael Stern are married and have been travelling across the US since just after they married in 1970 to find local eateries (aka “roadfood”) and review them. This is a memoir of their travels and the food.

This was entertaining. Many chapters focused on an area and at the end of each chapter they included a couple of recipes of things they mentioned in the chapter. (Except the chapter on the awful food they tried (or smelled and didn’t try!) The recipes at the end of that chapter included foods that many people dislike). I’m not one who reads recipes, but each recipe had a story to go with it, so I did read that. I bake more than cook, and I’m not an adventurous eater. That was one of the nice things about this book – though there were some odd things, much of it was just “American” food (bbqs, pies, ice cream, steak, etc.). Although I don’t eat meat often, I really want to try a steamed cheeseburger (head to Meriden, Connecticut for that one)!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I known Jane and Michael Stern exclusively from their segments on Lynn Rosetto Casper's "The Splendid Table." I always appreciate their unbridled enthusiasm in their voices and the rhythm with which they rhapsodize over their meals and regularly interrupt each other. My one complaint is that it seems that they are always talking about barbecue. I don't care if barbecue gets a substantial amount of their attention, but every single week they claim that they have discovered the best barbecue in the country.

My issue with their barbecue obsession evaporated with this book. It was a delight to read page after page of their escapades (I adored the meal they ate in Memphis with their Graceland friend and the community cafe in North Dakota) and their follies (why oh why oh why would you ever drive into Fort Leavenworth?!)

I liked learning how awkwardly they embarked on this career of regional eating and their strategy of eating 12 meals a day. I did find that while many food books make me want to snack along with the narrators, this one did the opposite. Reading about the huge quantities of deep-fried, crispy-skinned thing ingested, followed by long periods of inactivity, made me want to exercise while reading to counteract their fat-laden, sedentary lifestyle.

The state-by-state restaurant index in the back is a nice inclusion. I don't really want to replicate the Sterns' lifestyle, but I really like hearing about it.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like my review of this book may be a little skewed. I gave it 2 stars, but I think it is my own fault it was not a 3 or 4 star book. I read this BEFORE reading Roadfood, and I probably should have borrowed Roadfood from the library first then read this.

I was vaguely familiar with Jane & Michael Stern before reading this book. Having read their column a few times in Gourmet and listed to them on The Splendid Table I knew what they did for a living. Essentially they travel the country looking for offbeat places to eat then write about them.

The book itself is very well written, but I found myself lost a few times. The entire book is basically a book about writing Roadfood. A few times I had to turn to Google to look something up given that I never read the subject book.

It got boring in a few parts, but nothing that didn't get better a few pages later. I recommend it, but I would probably recommend reading Roadfood first. I am definitely going to grab it from the library in the new year.

[Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Two for the Road, though I'm not sure whom it's really for. It's a collection of anecdotes of the Sterns' experiences on the road reviewing diners and the like - they are the progenitors of the current "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives"-type movement, with a long-running column in Gourmet and a multi-edition book called Roadfood - interspersed with recipes recreating some of their favorite finds.

Now I enjoy the anecdotes, though they're a bit slight for a book priced at $24, but couldn't care less about trying to make roadfood at home. And if I wanted a cookbook, there are way better dedicated choices.

Overall probably interesting further reading for the hardcore aficionado of Roadfood - both the Sterns' main book and the genre - but not useful as an introduction to this important topic.

[Bit · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to know what it takes to find, track down, and eat food, all day, every day, check this one out. Jane and Michael Stern, of "Roadfood" fame, give us and entire tour from their humble beginnings to their present day fame.

Each chapter addresses a different aspect of their life as roadfood recorders from their issues with hotels, to problems with weight, and what to do with food that is just plain inedible. Told with humor, insight, and a great deal of foodie description, this book makes you feel as if you are on the road with them. As an added bonus, there are recipes at the end of each chapter, usually dealing with or from one of the restaurants that they have described. A foodie must.

[MBC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane and Michael Stern eat twelve meals a day. They love food. For more than 30 years and 3 million miles, the co-authors of Roadfood have been traveling the country looking for barbecue, mashed potatoes, pie, and other favorite foods served in diners and cafeterias off the beaten path. In their humorous memoir, they share their adventures in eating and divulge their best recipes and tips (restaurants with plastic animals on the roof or pictures of Jesus as part of the décor always have the best food). Recipes are included at the end of each chapter.

[Beth.berlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun read! I've only recently been introduced to the Sterns and Roadfood, and very much enjoyed this memoir. I liked the recipes woven in between the anecdotes, and now have a plethora of restaurants to add to my list of places to try. To be honest, I'm completely jealous of the Sterns and would love to be in their shoes - to have my job consist of driving the backroads of America and eating multiple meals a day. A warning, though, this book will make you hungry for some VERY unhealthy cooking!

[Avory Faucette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun, light read, all about food. The authors of Roadfood have a great humorous style, and describe their travels and eating adventures in a way that we can all feel ourselves clunking along the highway with them. I especially appreciated their description of Southern traditions, from barbeque to big communal dining experiences with a lazy Susan with fried chicken flying past to the typical country restaurant where all the locals know each other by name. It was also interesting to read about the Midwest, an area where I live now but with which I am not as familiar, food-wise.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was really endearing and sweet. a tale of a couple who spends their better years together, traveling across the country searching out the best diners, bbq and cafes around the country.

first off this books deals with two things i LOVE:
1. road trips
2. food (especially mom and pop diners)

it took a while to get used to their first person/third person way of writing, but eventually i managed. however, my inherent jealousy of their experience was bordering on painful.

cute book, includes recipes, but is mostly just a great food and travel memoir. 3 1/2 stars.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, breezy read: a collection of anecdotes from the authors' many road trips in search of old-fashioned American food. The authors met in college and fell in love over many a shared meal, then took their devotion to good eats and each other on the road.

I admit that my enjoyment of the book was somewhat tarnished when I learned that the Sterns divorced after nearly 40 years of marriage not long after the publication of this particular book. (However, they still collaborate.)

This book includes recipes for some of the Steins' favorite finds.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a dream that the Sterns were my grandparents and took me on a road food adventure. It was heaven. Thats how in love with them I am. They write a column for Gourmet which I read religiously. It, unfortunately, is better than the book. That is not to say, however, that Two for the Road is no good. It's a really fun ride and is all about the colorful characters you meet in unexpected places, and how many great discoveries there are to be made on the highways and byways.

[Alexa Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

American roadfood is an entirely different culture. I didn't think I was a food snob but man...I don't like ham, too much fried chicken is too much fried for me. Reviewing food on the road is a crazy job! I'll cross that idea off my list and leave it to Jane & Michael Stern, they seem to enjoy it.

[Bryan Rucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though Jane and Michael Stern can't begin to compete with food writers like MFK Fisher and Ruth Reichl, this is a really fun book showcasing America's regional food. From popping deep-fried bull testicles in Colorado to chowing on 20 types of Jell-o "salads" in Tennessee these guys have been everywhere and tasted everything.

What a fun life they lead, getting to drive around and eat... and be on the Gourmet payroll.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, this is a fun read. Jane and Michael Stern are foodwriters who have authored numerous guidebooks on the "road food" of America, and this is their memoir of their travels and adventures on the road. It's not a classic or anything, but it's a good, quick read that anyone who likes food will enjoy.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you've ever dreamed of roadtripping and love food, this is totally the book to read. although jane and michael stern are gourmet magazine food critics focusing on american foods, the likes of which are mostly starchy/sweet/meaty/greasy, it still made me go "mmmm" several times while reading. their writing in tandem is also pretty hilarious, and if you want some recipes your grandmother would be proud of, they're here for the pickin' as well. onward to the road!

[Kate Schindler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an homage to American road food. I would kill someone for fried chicken and a biscuit right about now, after finishing it. And barbecue, oh barbecue..mmm...Ok, no more drooling. Besides the amazing food descriptions, I liked how it was written in sort of a combination first and third person. It's "we" but "Jane said this" and "Michael said that." It was a little disconcerting at first, but worked really well.

[Coralie]

Another good one. Jane and Michael Stern are a husband/wife food writer team. They travel the back roads of America looking for offbeat diners, restaurants and eateries. They write about the food, the restaurants, the people they meet, and their travels in general. This book is informative, entertaining and sometimes funny. Very easy to read and really interesting. It inpired me to try to eat at all locally owned places on our upcoming trip. This is much easier with a GPS!

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love to cook...but long ago decided that I am not a fancy, fine dining type chef but a road food type person. Just good road food. Needless to say, I love the Sterns' concept.

This book is a series of loosely related chapters, some better than others. Definitely do not want to travel with them, but I do envy them finding some of these places.

Several of the interspersed recipes sound worth trying. We shall see.

[Erin Fielding · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've long listened to the Sterns as guests on The Splendid Table. However, I just realized they have a book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It brings together two of my favorite things: great food and travel. I found it to be very insightful about the nitty gritty details of the life of an American road food reviewer, without being mundane. And after every chapter they include recipes. Great read.

[Joyce]

Surprisingly thin account of their brilliant career, eating their way across the country from one dive to the next. Although some of their set-pieces -- like a community-run cafe in North Dakota, or the time they decided to take rodeo lessons (!) -- are amusing and touching, they're determinedly un-self-reflective about what drove them to a lifetime of cheap motels and eating 12 meals a day.