Best Of: Dining on the Road

You knew it was coming. It's one of the questions we get asked most frequently about our trip, just below the too-vague-to-answer "How was your trip?" and the slightly easier to answer "What were the best parts?" People want to know about the best food. Above all other experiences on the trip, eating is certainly the most relatable. Not everyone is struck with wanderlust, but everybody eats. So, in no particular order, these are the standout dining experiences we had on the trip.

The Stinking Rose, in Beverly Hills

Initially we described this restaurant as a "Garlic Themed Restaurant" but found that description lacking. The Stinking Rose is a shrine to garlic, or at the very least a love letter. Now if you've read this far and have gotten turned off already, just go ahead and skip down to the next restaurant. This place is for garlic lovers only. After being seated, your table is presented with a basket of garlic rolls and a jar full of fresh minced garlic in olive oil to use as a spread. If you want slightly less garlic(and why would you?), you can use the garlic-infused olive oil that is next to the salt and pepper. We picked the baked brie with roasted garlic for an appetizer and picked the plate clean. We each picked a different entree, the garlic meatballs for myself and the prime rib for her and by this point our palates were a bit overwhelmed with garlic. This isn't to say that we had too much, but rather to say that we reached a point where it was easier to tell if something was lacking garlic entirely than picking up the specific flavor itself. I grew up in a household with the saying, "There's no such thing as too much garlic," and my enjoyment of this meal is certainly testament of that. We finished it all off, as one should in this place, with the garlic ice cream. Neither of us were feeling particularly confident in our expectations of the flavor, but the consensus was, "when in Rome..." The ice cream came topped with a caramel molé sauce which really tied it all together. We only ordered the one between the two of us and we were competing for the last few spoonfuls.

Highly recommended for garlic lovers for a special event. The prices put this out of the league of casual dining, but planning ahead can make this a very enjoyable evening out. Full menu can be viewed here.

Killer Burger, in Eugene, Oregon
We had no idea this place existed until we were standing directly in front of it. Neither of us are prone to falling for a catchy name or marketing, so we had no expectations going in, but the menu impressed us. The burgers are juicy, flavorful and cooked to order. I ordered the Jose Mendosa, and it was easily one of the best burgers I've ever ordered, if not the best. My only word of warning is that this burger isn't one to linger in your digestive system, so enjoy if you are going to be sleeping within a few feet of a bathroom. My sleeping arrangements for that evening had me one full mile away from the nearest available bathroom, which was not wise. The crisis was averted without incident but that's not anything that I would subject anyone else to. I have no regrets about this burger.

Twigs, in Farmington, Utah
While on the topic of burgers, I have to mention this upscale restaurant and bar just north of Salt Lake City. I ordered the Roasted Garlic Gorgonzola burger off their menu, and with the amount of garlic cloves on this burger it would feel right at home on the Stinking Rose menu. Sami ordered the Lobster Mac and Cheese, and as delightful as a dish as that was, she still kept wanting to steal bites of my burger. I say between this and Killer Burger, it was a tie for the best burger on the trip, if not the best I've ever ordered. Everything played off of the other flavors so nicely that it was clear that this burger was created with love and well considered intention. It is the traveler's torment that the closest place I can get this burger is still over 1300 miles away from me.

Tacos El Gordo, in Chula Vista, California
Originating in Tijuana, this is a relatively small chain. This is not gringo-friendly Mexican food. The building itself is very low on ambiance. You stand in line with a tray, cafeteria style, and order any number of tacos offered at the various grill stations, each specializing in a few different types of tacos. If you are feeling adventurous, they have several authentic types of meat that you aren't likely to see on most Mexican menus north of the border, including brain, tripe, and others. We were feeling particularly adventurous that day and tried nearly everything. While we enjoyed nearly everything, we can't really recommend the cabeza. The taste was great, but the texture was too gelatinous to be enjoyable on a taco for our liking. We both agree that it would be better suited for a soup or a rice dish, just not a taco. If you aren't feeling particularly adventurous, that's perfectly okay! In spite of our adventurousness, our favorite taco by far was the adobada, which is simply a marinated pork topped with their own avocado sauce. It is the only taco we went back for more of.

The Burrito Lady, in Albuquerque, New Mexico
The first thing you will notice about this place is that it is small. It is very easy to overlook, but if you like Mexican food at all, you really shouldn't overlook this one at all. It was recommended to us by a former resident and it did not disappoint. It's operated entirely by one woman and her assistant, making the name entirely apt. The specific results can vary from day to day, I'm told, but every day the food is delicious. What varies is the intensity of the spices. When we visited the batch of chiles she used were not particularly hot, but we enjoyed our adobada burritos immensely, and there was enough heat to enjoy. For the record, if you have never heard of the Scoville Scale, you want to look for items on the menu that are considered mild.

Chuy's, in Plano, Texas
Put simply, Chuy's is the chain that Chili's wishes it could be. The menu is dominated with Tex-Mex items, using ingredients that are carefully selected, and dare I say it, loved. A lot of love goes into this place, and the blurb on their menu is happy to explain how much. They get their chiles direct from farmers in Hatch, New Mexico and are trained to select the best. I would love to have a Chuy's nearby. Spicy items on the menu have a lot to offer in well-balanced and considered flavor. The atmosphere is much like your standard family restaurant chain, but quirky. Once you start examining the walls you will know what I mean. They also have a nerdy sense of humor, as is apparent by the T-shirts they sell up front, such as a familiar looking smuggler wearing a sombrero named Han Cholo. Bottom line, if you like Chili's, you'll love Chuy's.

The Pie Pizzeria, in Salt Lake City, Utah
Being raised near Chicago, I have grown up being a pizza snob. It's okay, I own that fact. I don't believe that it is impossible to find good pizza outside of Chicago and New York, just difficult. There are plenty of things sold under the name "pizza" that just do not impress me. That said, after having eaten here once, 9 years ago, I made a point to eat here again on this trip. The host we were staying with at the time, another Chicago-raised pizza snob, also enjoyed it. The place offers a variety of sauces, cheeses and toppings, all of which I would describe as premium. While their menu has changed in the years between my visits, their quality hasn't. This visit we tried their specialty called "The Wise Guy Pie". It all worked very nicely, and yes, should I find myself in the area again I will definitely stop there.

Taos Pizza Out Back, in Taos, New Mexico
If you haven't picked up on it already, we like spicy food. This place appeals to both our Chicago snobbery and our love of capsicum, although only a few of the offerings are genuinely spicy. Parking may be difficult, as this place is popular among locals, which is honestly how it should be. They deserve to have a steady stream of customers, because I definitely want them to be there the next time I visit. In addition to their pizza, their house salad is worth having, especially as their house dressing recipe is a sought-after secret. I enjoyed the dressing, but I'm not inclined to try and reverse engineer it anytime soon. Their menu calls it a basil-parmesan vinaigrette, but what it is is delicious. Herby, flavorful with a bit of bite, this dressing made it very easy to pick my plate clean.

Tucano's Grill, in Provo, Utah

Brazilian style barbecue places are popping up around the country with names like Texas De Brazil and Fogo De Chau standing out. Tucano's is just as delightful of an experience as either of those for half the cost, which still puts it firmly in the moderate price range. The standout items from our meal there are the garlic beef, lobster bisque and the cheese bread(which is as much cheese as it is bread, but it has a uniform consistency). If you aren't familiar with Brazilian Barbecue, there is a well stocked salad bar and a red/green token at your table. Green side up means "bring whatever just finished cooking to my table" and it can range from beef or chicken to grilled pineapple, shrimp or sausage. The more adventurous among you can also request grilled chicken hearts, which I did not try. Also recommended is the Brazilian Lemonade, which is made in a variety of flavors, each supplemented with a bit of condensed milk. I think I managed to try three different flavors in all, each brought out in its own carafe.


Tillamook Creamery Cafe, in Tillamook, Oregon
Simply put, this is dairy lovers' heaven. Try everything/anything. Report back to me and we'll compare notes. After eating here, we spent the remainder of the trip looking for Tillamook products to buy, in particular their tubs of ice cream and their garlic chile cheddar cheese. We were able to find the ice cream in various locations, but searched in vain for that particular cheddar. If you make it there, buy it in bulk and send it to me. I may be willing to part with a leg for it. Among our regrets is not trying the ice cream fresh.

Franklin Barbecue, in Austin, Texas
We waited in line for an hour to get our order placed and it was worth every minute. While standing in line, a server stops by and will offer you something to drink while you wait. Maxim magazine listed Franklin as the best barbecue in the US, and I'm not inclined to argue. If you're familiar with Black Dog, in Urbana, Illinois(ranked #2 on that same list), you know what to expect in terms of quality. Fall off the bone ribs with meat so tender it almost spreads like butter. Show up early, because they close when they run out(usually around 2 or 3PM). We arrived a little on the late side, so we didn't have the full menu to choose from, but we weren't at all disappointed.