Mudlark Peach Street to Lobster Lane Coast to Coast in Search of Real American Cuisine.

by Felicity Cloake

When Felicity Cloake announced that she was planning her dream cycle around the United States, not everyone shared her excitement. “You’ll die,” a Californian colleague told her matter of factly. “No one rides a bike round here.” Her mum agreed – “you can’t go on your own, you’ll be murdered.” Friends were horrified – “but… what will you eat?”

The country certainly boasts an outsized reputation around the world for fast food and faster living – everything is louder, brighter, bigger, if not always better – yet for all the cartoonish depictions of its culture on the big and small screen, Felicity was convinced that in reality, most Americans are just like the rest of us… despite a troubling national tendency to eat doughnuts for breakfast.

Her mission; to take a closer look at the iconic American dishes that have conquered the world – including those doughnuts – and the immigrant cultures behind them, to visit the landscapes and people behind foods that are so familiar many of us now don’t even recognise them as American, let alone American with a back story as rich complex as those of any other cuisine. Crispy tacos, fortune cookies and hot sauce; smoked salmon bagels and blueberry muffins – all these are, essentially, American creations, and Felicity was determined to visit them at the source, and prove that actually, American food is more than just big burgers and deep-fried butter… though of course, they too have something to say about the food culture of a country where it feels like every other commercial is pushing weight-loss drugs.

But this was to be no standard road she wanted to get out of the car, and off the freeways, with their strip malls and national chains – to see the States at a more human pace, through its small towns and rural roads, to tip her helmet to Amish buggies and take a seat at the counter in old-school diners, where the menu is half Greek, half grilled cheese, and the servers chat in Spanish as they refill your coffee. Along the way she discovers local specialties like crawfish stew and sauerkraut balls, Indian pudding and marionberry pie, meets the second and third generation immigrants playing around with the likes of mochi hush puppies and Bangladeshi burgers, surprises an awful lot of drivers, and gets slightly too close to the action at the Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island.

Spoiler she comes back in one, well-fed piece.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Food, Food Writing

400 pages, Hardcover

Published June 5, 2025

Reviews

[Jenn Morgans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so love Felicity Cloake’s fascinating, candid and chaotic food odysseys - I learn so much and have so much fun doing so. I want to eat about half the things I read about here - the other half sound varying degrees of horrifying - and I’ve googled so many weird and wonderful things as I read.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Felicity's cycling/food tours - can't wait to read what she does next.

[Dandelion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Felicity Cloake! For years I've been trying to convince others that the US has an amazingly diverse and inventive food culture. I've been a fan of American cuisine ever since my first stay in the South of the US as a teenager when I fell in love with brilliantly anarchic creations such as palm heart salad with mayonnaise ice cream (a lot better than it sounds), Mississipi mud pie and Coca Cola chicken.

An afficionado of the US' 'anything goes' attitude to food, Cloake cycles and Amtraks her way from San Francisco to New York. She had me hooked when she visited my all-time favourite restaurant, Chez Panisse in Berkley, where Alice Waters started her farm to table movement. You wouldn't know it standing in the vegetable aisle of an average American supermarket, but the US harbours some remarkable produce if you look hard enough.

Cloake does a deep dive into stereotypically American foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, fried chicken and pizza but offsets that with the many-hued ethnic blends and local strands: Mexican vs Tex Mex, Creole, Texan BBQ, Chinese-American, Southern, Californian, NY, New England and Native American cuisine. If you ever wondered where fortune cookies stem from or want to understand the anatomy of a peanut, you've come to the right place.

And if you think this all sounds dull - you've got the author's biking adventures thrown in for good measure. Cloake is funny too - she is something of a millenial Bill Bryson, so this made a really fantastic read.

Admittedly, I have got something of an obsession with food but my more moderate and objective husband did actually read and enjoy this book first and recommended it to me, so this book should have broad appeal.

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5* Peach Street to Lobster Lane - Felicity Cloake. A hugely entertaining trip on two wheels searching for American cuisine.

Peach Street to Lobster Lane is Felicity's third food tour on her bike Eddy, following on from trips around France in search of croissants and the UK to seek out breakfasts. This time around there is more a feeling of peril and adventure because, unlike in Europe, our American cousins mainly travel by car and making your own way between places is seen as an oddity.

Starting in San Francisco and ending at the annual hotdog eating contest in NYC, this is a fantastic account of the trip. A mix of a foodie take on each town and city, along with an entertaining memoir, it is funny, touching and interesting. Felicity spends much of the time laughing or getting annoyed at herself, doesn't spare the calories in search of her art and meets many a kind hearted stranger along the way. If we thought we were two countries bound by a common language, we most certainly are not in our respective foodstuffs.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Felicity, and it was superb. Hugely enjoyable. Very well written and I'm only disappointed to have finished it!

[W.S. Luk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cheery travelogue charts a coast-to-coast journey across the United States, with Felicity Cloake searching for uniquely American cuisines and eating as much pie as she can. With its combination of historical context about American foodways, evocative descriptions of meals, and recipes in every chapter, it's a fun light read for anyone curious about American cuisine or who'd like to visit the country without the hassle of going through customs. This book was a tad long for my taste (pun intended) and sometimes overuses footnotes for the sake of comic effect, but it passes the all-important test of food writing: it made me hungry (much to my chagrin, because the meal I had afterwards was at a decent but hideously overpriced touristy restaurant).

As an aside, I was amused to see Cloake meeting with food writer Nicola Miller, whom I know ever so slightly from having once helped her research an old sausage recipe.

[Anwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since reading Cloake’s first cycling book and her quest to find the perfect croissant, I have long thought she and I would be the best of friends. Her love of cycling, cycling so she can eat more, eating, “all the gear and no idea” mentality and excellent sense of humour shine through these books and are all things I share.

Her books continue to inspire me in my cycling adventures (always powered by coffee and cake) and - more importantly perhaps - in my own personal quest to find the perfect chocolate brownie (which means I must try every brownie I ever see “just in case”).

Thank you, Felicity, for showing me I’m not alone in the world. I hope you said “pie” in a delightful southern drawl every time you wrote it.

Favourite quotes that chimed:
‘God, deep-fried anything is delicious’
‘There’s just so much to eat and so little stomach space to accommodate it’
‘So much to eat, I say sadly, so little time’

[Kelly Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a surprising delight to read! Anyone remotely interested in understanding American cuisine better or even just getting a down-to-earth tour of the country, its people and habits, I would highly recommend this book! This is for Americans and foreigners alike. The author went on this adventure without prejudice and with just an eyes wide open, anthropological approach that makes it neither biased nor offensive. Just an honest and thorough examination. Delightful!

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Felicity’s writing, her humour and her take on things. The conclusions she drew at the end of the journey made sense to me: American cuisine is wide-reaching and lets people come up with their own favourite versions. I liked the recipes within the chapters and wish I were brave enough to tackle pie crust😂
Thanks, Felicity, for this book! Keep up your wonderful writing!

[Niamh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read Felicity Cloake's previous books about cycling trips around France and the UK, I found I enjoyed her sojourn across America far more than them. Perhaps it was the place, the variety of foods discussed, or maybe I was just reading the right thing at the right time. Either way, a delightful time.

[Sara Bainbridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - it was so interesting - it made me want to visit more places in the US, and it *really* made me hungry! I borrowed it from the library but will have to buy my own copy for a re-read (and the recipes/recommendations), and I can think of more than one friend who will be receiving it was a gift!

[Essjayeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t think of anything much more enjoyable than spending time with Felicity Cloake as she cycles around, mostly managing not to injure herself, and eating pretty much anything she comes across. Plus recipes. What more could you ask for?

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would give it more stars if I could

[Angelina · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, loved it. Has given me some ideas to try when I’m next in America (whenever that will be) but it has also reminded me of the utter gluttony of the USA.

[Giordana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow but very enjoyable read. A reminder that sometimes it's nice to slow down!

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought at South Kensington Books, London.

[Matthew Scanlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

very enjoyable read, am tempted to visit the US again in the future to seek out some of the places mentioned

[Olive Rayner · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read! Felicity is a brave cyclist and a brave eater! Also a very good observer!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, the fact / humour ratio gives Bryson vibes.

[Anna Brunskill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and the story of food, community and culture it tells.

[Elspeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure it's a good one but American Foodoirs not for me. Do rate Felicity Cloake though and some interesting snippets.

[David Dietrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felicity Cloake's books are reliably delightful, and I always hate when they end.

[Fiona Mccallum · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5stars

[Roshana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming food and cycling novel

Felicity Cloake’s travel and food writing is like chatting to an old friend about their holidays - light reading but also about humanity