I stopped in Richmond, VA, for some breakfast. This place, 821 Cafe, came highly recommended on Yelp. The reviews did mention that the place was crawling with hipsters, being next to a college and all. There weren’t many customers at the time, but all the waiters were guys in plaid shirts. And beards. Including the …

Interstate Liquors: when you’re on the interstate, and need liquor. I’m going to watch the drivers more carefully now. Also, apparently Carl’s Jr. is called Hardee’s over here. On I-40, just outside of Knoxville, TN.

This was the last BBQ joint of my trip. I wasn’t even planning on having barbecue this day. I was on the way out of Knoxville, and decided to stop by the East Tennessee Discovery Center. Boy, that was a disappointment. It was basically one room, with about as many exhibits as a middle school science classroom. Half of …

I decided to group all the fried chicken into one big post to overload you with golden bird deliciousness all at once. Two things led me to fried chicken on my trip: luck and Yelp. Nowhere more evident was this than in Memphis, where Yelp led me to the well-deservedly-named Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, and luck …

Chicken-fried steak—this is the first time I’ve had one where it really tasted like it was chicken-fried as opposed to just regular old batter. At Ramsey’s Diner in Lexington, KY, where the uniforms for the waitresses are “a tie and a smile” (and other clothing, get your mind out of the gutter).

The blog of pastry chef Stella Parks not only enticed me into her restaurant, but also to a nearby doughnut shop named Spalding’s Bakery. The rumors are that the doughnuts are fried in lard, though the management says otherwise. I’ll believe the management, but not recommend these to vegetarians just to be safe. …

So why am I going to Lexington, KY? About a year ago, I decided to learn to make French macarons. My research into recipes led me to a certain website run by a certain pastry chef at a certain restaurant in a certain part of the United States that I will almost certainly never have a reason to visit. Fast forward to …

(For those who don’t get the title.) The neon-lit street of Nashville seems to be Broadway. Broadway is the home of Jack’s Bar-b-que. The sign has flying pigs. Why wouldn’t I go there? In the spirit of being adventurous, I got the ribs and the pork shoulder. And some sausage, for good measure. The verdict? The sausage …

Strange food, apparently. In California, we have Panda Express. Arkansas prefers full service, apparently. Guess it’s the Southern hospitality. And Burger King serves Carolina and Texas BBQ sandwiches. I was actually really looking forward to this—thought I would get some pulled pork from BK. Turns out they just mean a …

This is my third trip to Franklin Barbecue. Franklin’s is known for its great barbecue: since the first time I ate there, they have won numerous awards and acclaim in the press. With great fame, of course, comes great lines. Franklin’s is open only for lunch, from 11 AM until sold out. (I like the iron bars framing …