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Drive-Thru USA: A tale of two road trips
Join Rich Bradwell on his epic journey across the US as he travels the length and breadth of the country, from the Florida Keys to Death Valley to the Rocky Mountains. Accompanied on the drive by his long-suffering wife and haunted by a shambolic cross-country trip with his idiotic friend ten years earlier, he covers over 10,000 miles and follows the famous Route 66. He also goes looking for the very best food that this amazing country has to offer. From feasting on lobster on the rocky shores of Maine, to tracking down America's first pizzeria, no culinary stone goes unturned. On his quest, he finds the origin of hot dogs and the best barbecue in the south, he even tries soup made from peanuts. In between he also falls in love with a clown and escapes alien abduction…ok, so that doesn't happen, but he does win a poker tournament in Las Vegas, hides from forest hippies in Georgia and falls out with an Australian. Rich's hilarious journey is littered with insights into a land best understood with one hand on the wheel and the other on a burger. ‘Hilarious! Drive-Thru USA is an adventure that makes you want to hit the road and drive.’ shuttersafari.com 'Funny and perceptive, filled with insights and tales of amazing food.' thewiredjester.co.uk
- GenresTravelMemoirNonfiction
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 21, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 29, 2015
An interesting and very funny travelogue about two road trips the author took in the US. The book alternates from one trip to the other in each chapter, the later trip with the author and his wife where they seek out good food, the earlier with his friend and their funny adventures. Entertaining and funny, a good read.
November 8, 2014
Lots of fun
It is nice to see the United States from an outside point of view. This was a fun book and made me think how we seem to others.
It is nice to see the United States from an outside point of view. This was a fun book and made me think how we seem to others.
November 26, 2014
This was based on a blog covering two road trips the author made exploring food in the US. Very enjoyable read.
May 12, 2021
I was completely unfamiliar with Bradwell's writing, but I will definitely seek out his subsequent books. In fact, I've already added two to my list. But I have always been intrigued by other countries' views of my own. I remember cringing as a friend from Denmark gave me daily updates on their take on our 45th president who shall remain unnamed here.
So, it was fascinating to read Bradwell's well-written and well-researched book that details two road trips he took across America, first, with a university friend and then, a decade later, with his wife. During both trips, they travel from state to state in search of the most iconic foods.
He describes, "When you drill down into the food culture of the US it’s interesting to see that the local specialities tend to emerge from one of two things. If a region is blessed with a particularly bountiful supply of something (e.g. crabs in Maryland or oranges in Florida) then those dishes or drinks are likely to be prevalent there. The second determining factor is often the immigrants that came to that particular area and the foods and traditions they brought with them from their homelands. Italians are one of the most obvious examples, but elsewhere in the country where German, Polish, Swedish, Mexican or Cuban immigrants are concentrated you will find their food traditions influencing the local cuisine or even becoming the speciality of that region" (pg. 146).
Think lobster rolls in Maine... "I bit down and there it was, pure heaven. Heaven in a roll. I’d come a long way to get this roll, more than 2,000 miles to the middle of New England, halfway up the coast of Maine. It was a full pound of fresh lobster covered in the most delicious melted butter and stuffed into a bun that was struggling valiantly to keep hold of its meaty treasure" (pg. 6).
And I laughed aloud through his bit about American cheese, remembering how my good friend from Denmark's brother spent a semester in Arizona or somewhere. When his parents flew in to pick him up, they did a jaunt through the Southwest, stopping here on their way to fly out of San Francisco. And, when we met them for dinner, he had picked up "American cheese that you squeeze out of a tube." Oh, I was mortified. They come from the land of Harvarti and here he was with squeeze cheese! Bradwell writes, "...although 'American cheese' is also an option. I’ve never really figured out what American cheese is exactly. It seems to just be cheese, but the plainest, blandest, pale yellow cheese you could imagine. Not too hard, not soft, very little taste, it should just be called cheese. I think Americans sometimes have a habit of sticking 'American' on the front of stuff when they can’t think of any other suitable descriptive word. For example, the TV show about making a new pop star is called American Idol (it’s called Pop Idol in the UK), and a horror TV series was called American Horror Story. Presumably calling it just Horror Story was too plain. So when I see American cheese, I just think ok, so you mean just cheese then, and boring cheese at that" (pg. 104).
This book, though, is not just about food. He also delves into the history of an area or the food. "...why the history lesson? Well as I’ve learned repeatedly, where there is history, there is unique and interesting food. South Carolina does not disappoint and despite not having one of the more famous cuisines it does boast its own genre of food, in this case 'low country food'. It is called the low country because this area of marshy coastline is near or below sea level. Because of this, oysters, crabs, shrimp and so on are abundant and the dishes of the cuisine reflect that. 'Low country food' has a lot in common with Southern cuisine more generally, so lots of rice, grits, beans etc. Grits are a controversial topic for any British person that visits the South (and indeed for a lot of Americans from the North)" (pg. 39).
This was definitely my kind of book. And it inspired lots and lots of meals.
So, it was fascinating to read Bradwell's well-written and well-researched book that details two road trips he took across America, first, with a university friend and then, a decade later, with his wife. During both trips, they travel from state to state in search of the most iconic foods.
He describes, "When you drill down into the food culture of the US it’s interesting to see that the local specialities tend to emerge from one of two things. If a region is blessed with a particularly bountiful supply of something (e.g. crabs in Maryland or oranges in Florida) then those dishes or drinks are likely to be prevalent there. The second determining factor is often the immigrants that came to that particular area and the foods and traditions they brought with them from their homelands. Italians are one of the most obvious examples, but elsewhere in the country where German, Polish, Swedish, Mexican or Cuban immigrants are concentrated you will find their food traditions influencing the local cuisine or even becoming the speciality of that region" (pg. 146).
Think lobster rolls in Maine... "I bit down and there it was, pure heaven. Heaven in a roll. I’d come a long way to get this roll, more than 2,000 miles to the middle of New England, halfway up the coast of Maine. It was a full pound of fresh lobster covered in the most delicious melted butter and stuffed into a bun that was struggling valiantly to keep hold of its meaty treasure" (pg. 6).
And I laughed aloud through his bit about American cheese, remembering how my good friend from Denmark's brother spent a semester in Arizona or somewhere. When his parents flew in to pick him up, they did a jaunt through the Southwest, stopping here on their way to fly out of San Francisco. And, when we met them for dinner, he had picked up "American cheese that you squeeze out of a tube." Oh, I was mortified. They come from the land of Harvarti and here he was with squeeze cheese! Bradwell writes, "...although 'American cheese' is also an option. I’ve never really figured out what American cheese is exactly. It seems to just be cheese, but the plainest, blandest, pale yellow cheese you could imagine. Not too hard, not soft, very little taste, it should just be called cheese. I think Americans sometimes have a habit of sticking 'American' on the front of stuff when they can’t think of any other suitable descriptive word. For example, the TV show about making a new pop star is called American Idol (it’s called Pop Idol in the UK), and a horror TV series was called American Horror Story. Presumably calling it just Horror Story was too plain. So when I see American cheese, I just think ok, so you mean just cheese then, and boring cheese at that" (pg. 104).
This book, though, is not just about food. He also delves into the history of an area or the food. "...why the history lesson? Well as I’ve learned repeatedly, where there is history, there is unique and interesting food. South Carolina does not disappoint and despite not having one of the more famous cuisines it does boast its own genre of food, in this case 'low country food'. It is called the low country because this area of marshy coastline is near or below sea level. Because of this, oysters, crabs, shrimp and so on are abundant and the dishes of the cuisine reflect that. 'Low country food' has a lot in common with Southern cuisine more generally, so lots of rice, grits, beans etc. Grits are a controversial topic for any British person that visits the South (and indeed for a lot of Americans from the North)" (pg. 39).
This was definitely my kind of book. And it inspired lots and lots of meals.
April 17, 2023
Two trips + Many memories = Wonderful story
It's always fun when someone takes familiar territory, views it through unfamiliar eyes, and gives it back so we can see it new, too. Rich Bradwell does just this in his description of two very different road trips he took in the United States about ten years apart.
I do wish he'd been more obvious about when these trips were for those of us who've traveled through the same areas (or perhaps live in one of the places mentioned). I'm not sure why I wanted to know this at various points in the book, but I felt a little adrift without that anchor -- especially when I wanted to check out one of the many excellent restaurants and eateries described in the book: how long ago was this written? Is the establishment likely still in business? Sure, I could check things out online, but a hint about when the author and his wife made their trip would have helped.
Bradwell's pithy observations of American culture were funny and accurate. His willingness to go with the flow, to take up offers from strangers to go places and experience things (especially in his first trip, when he was younger), made me appreciate all the more the serendipity of the traveling life.
I'm not sure what I came away from this book with to share; perhaps reading it was a more personal experience, something that lit the fire in me to share my own travel adventures featuring the interesting folks I've met along the way. So a book of inspiration, of warmth, and humor.
Oh, and great places to eat!
It's always fun when someone takes familiar territory, views it through unfamiliar eyes, and gives it back so we can see it new, too. Rich Bradwell does just this in his description of two very different road trips he took in the United States about ten years apart.
I do wish he'd been more obvious about when these trips were for those of us who've traveled through the same areas (or perhaps live in one of the places mentioned). I'm not sure why I wanted to know this at various points in the book, but I felt a little adrift without that anchor -- especially when I wanted to check out one of the many excellent restaurants and eateries described in the book: how long ago was this written? Is the establishment likely still in business? Sure, I could check things out online, but a hint about when the author and his wife made their trip would have helped.
Bradwell's pithy observations of American culture were funny and accurate. His willingness to go with the flow, to take up offers from strangers to go places and experience things (especially in his first trip, when he was younger), made me appreciate all the more the serendipity of the traveling life.
I'm not sure what I came away from this book with to share; perhaps reading it was a more personal experience, something that lit the fire in me to share my own travel adventures featuring the interesting folks I've met along the way. So a book of inspiration, of warmth, and humor.
Oh, and great places to eat!
Read
March 14, 2021A bit confusing
Well not sure who Robyn was a man or woman. His or hers character kept changing one minute the sentence refuted Robyn as a she and was talking and then the next time she was a he talking. Very confusing, also they Jack and Robyn kept changing on who was doing the narrating first it's Jack then all of a sudden it switch to Robyn without warning. So now I'm wondering how much of this story is true for being British they sure new a lot about most states and that brings me to another problem, one minute they are leaving one state and then they are in another 2 states away but then the next page they are back in the first state and entering the one next to it. It made this story a bit , well not edited .
Well not sure who Robyn was a man or woman. His or hers character kept changing one minute the sentence refuted Robyn as a she and was talking and then the next time she was a he talking. Very confusing, also they Jack and Robyn kept changing on who was doing the narrating first it's Jack then all of a sudden it switch to Robyn without warning. So now I'm wondering how much of this story is true for being British they sure new a lot about most states and that brings me to another problem, one minute they are leaving one state and then they are in another 2 states away but then the next page they are back in the first state and entering the one next to it. It made this story a bit , well not edited .
February 5, 2020
Fascinating. We drove part of route 66 about 12 years ago....
Glad I went with my wife. Both in our 70s. We had youthful enthusiasm and a tiny budget and a modern chevvy. Different highlights, San Francisco and street csrs, big sir to LA, QUEEN MARY I had not seen in civilian colours! Route 66 to Victorville then Vegas and Grand Canyon. lucky to see old Kingsman and London Bridge before Route 66 became over commercialised. QM is a motel now, it was a Troopship when I saw it in the 40s. I enjoyed a view of USA again.
Glad I went with my wife. Both in our 70s. We had youthful enthusiasm and a tiny budget and a modern chevvy. Different highlights, San Francisco and street csrs, big sir to LA, QUEEN MARY I had not seen in civilian colours! Route 66 to Victorville then Vegas and Grand Canyon. lucky to see old Kingsman and London Bridge before Route 66 became over commercialised. QM is a motel now, it was a Troopship when I saw it in the 40s. I enjoyed a view of USA again.
April 29, 2020
Comparisons
The author weaves together two stories about him driving across The United States. Rich is a British citizen. His first trip is with a friend. Then 10 years later with his wife. They are two different views. I preferred the married account although the author spent oo much time on history about the various places. In the younger version the emphasis seemed to be on drinking Although an interesting and informative book, I'm not sure I would recommend this book.
The author weaves together two stories about him driving across The United States. Rich is a British citizen. His first trip is with a friend. Then 10 years later with his wife. They are two different views. I preferred the married account although the author spent oo much time on history about the various places. In the younger version the emphasis seemed to be on drinking Although an interesting and informative book, I'm not sure I would recommend this book.
May 7, 2020
Fabulous way of spending a few days
Off work so looking for books I may be not ordinarily read. My dream is to tour the US one day having been to Orlando many times. So I found this book fascinating, the writer does a great job merging 2 trips without making it complicated. Fascinated by the foods and has just increased my desire once this virus is over to see a bit more of the US
Off work so looking for books I may be not ordinarily read. My dream is to tour the US one day having been to Orlando many times. So I found this book fascinating, the writer does a great job merging 2 trips without making it complicated. Fascinated by the foods and has just increased my desire once this virus is over to see a bit more of the US
January 1, 2018
This is not what
I was not what I was expecting at all, but I did enjoy it. It is a travelogue of two trips taken by the author in search of good food across the USA. It is a humorous read, the kind of which I enjoy. (I read this between Aug 6, 2017 and Aug 10, 2017),
I was not what I was expecting at all, but I did enjoy it. It is a travelogue of two trips taken by the author in search of good food across the USA. It is a humorous read, the kind of which I enjoy. (I read this between Aug 6, 2017 and Aug 10, 2017),
July 6, 2021
Great Book
I really loved this book. I thought it would be mostly about eating places. But also told about each state. Very interesting. Being British he knew a lot of American history.
I really loved this book. I thought it would be mostly about eating places. But also told about each state. Very interesting. Being British he knew a lot of American history.
August 25, 2019
A definite page turner
After finishing My Reign in Spain Saturday morning....immediately bought this...it's Sunday morning and I'm finished...hoping to he'll he's written more...
After finishing My Reign in Spain Saturday morning....immediately bought this...it's Sunday morning and I'm finished...hoping to he'll he's written more...
June 22, 2022
Really enjoyed having two trips years apart because you get to see how much the narrator has changed. Also will be trying some of these restaurants!
March 27, 2024
Jack & Rich's grand 3 month adventure traveling through the USA and Canada! Enjoyed reading of their adventures, especially since I have traveled these same roads. Fun read!
March 31, 2015
good read
Interesting book wasn't what I expected but good nonetheless. I wanted more about food but I was drawn into the narrative
Interesting book wasn't what I expected but good nonetheless. I wanted more about food but I was drawn into the narrative
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews