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Then you do a road-trip in Italy and get served what would be a Michelin-starred Italian meal back in the US, at some random dingy truck stop, complete with wai

Then you do a road-trip in Italy and get served what would be a Michelin-starred Italian meal back in the US, at some random dingy truck stop, complete with wait staff and white tablecloths. I haven't road-tripped in other parts of Europe, but Italy easily trounces the Americans in this department...

owlninja 4y ago
I've done both. Sometimes a diner, drive-in, or dive is just as good or better than some white cloth service.
scruple 4y ago
Maybe it's because Americans don't have any real time off in their lives, I don't know, but I don't find the thought of sitting down to a "fancy dinner" while road-tripping appealing at all. I've criss-crossed the country a few times, both north-to-south and east-to-west, and I always packed a cooler up with food and ate out of it for the majority of my meals.
- munificent 4y ago
  You don't have to sit down for three hours at each meal, but you're missing out on a unique lens into America if you don't stop at little local restaurants and diners on your way through. Some of my favorite travel memories are from them.
- pengaru 4y ago
  Clearly I've failed to communicate what a truck/travel stop roadside meal in Italy is like. Based on my limited experiences, it's still entirely casual and relatively quick. But the food quality is surprisingly high, and they're not wasting resources on gimmicks beyond the clean white table cloth. There's fresh local mussels on the menu, you can get served wine and beer in real glass. A proper espresso sends you on your way. The whole experience replaces time spent at rest stops with a minimum quality Italians just take for granted. You're treated like an adult human being entitled to a quality freshly made meal, sharp knife, and glassware. I too rarely eat on the road crossing the USA, because I actually have standards for what I eat. There's nothing but junk food peddled at American travel stops. This comment has me wanting to tour coastal Italy by car again. But using an EV this iteration so we can spend even more time eating mussels enjoying the scenery while the car recharges...
  - niij 4y ago
    > I too rarely eat on the road crossing the USA, because I actually have standards for what I eat. There's nothing but junk food peddled at American travel stops. Keep an eye out for truck stop signs that have Punjabi written on them. There are tons of Punjabi Dhabas catering to truck drivers all over the US. No white table cloths, but it's a quality authentic meal.
emmelaich 4y ago
OTOH, the very worst food I've ever had was from a motorway food stop in Italy. Surly slow service, the "chicken" was cold grey reprocessed mash. Completely inedible. (I think it was Autogrill)
- pengaru 4y ago
  > (I think it was Autogrill) Autogrill was the bottom of the barrel ubiquitous chain option on my trip... Fortunately I was accompanied by a native who knew to skip the Autogrills' food in favor of the random roadside buildings having unpaved yards full of parked trucks we'd later pass. You know, shortly after the overpasses with prostitutes...

owlninja 4y ago

I've done both. Sometimes a diner, drive-in, or dive is just as good or better than some white cloth service.

scruple 4y ago

Maybe it's because Americans don't have any real time off in their lives, I don't know, but I don't find the thought of sitting down to a "fancy dinner" while road-tripping appealing at all. I've criss-crossed the country a few times, both north-to-south and east-to-west, and I always packed a cooler up with food and ate out of it for the majority of my meals.

munificent 4y ago
You don't have to sit down for three hours at each meal, but you're missing out on a unique lens into America if you don't stop at little local restaurants and diners on your way through. Some of my favorite travel memories are from them.
pengaru 4y ago
Clearly I've failed to communicate what a truck/travel stop roadside meal in Italy is like. Based on my limited experiences, it's still entirely casual and relatively quick. But the food quality is surprisingly high, and they're not wasting resources on gimmicks beyond the clean white table cloth. There's fresh local mussels on the menu, you can get served wine and beer in real glass. A proper espresso sends you on your way. The whole experience replaces time spent at rest stops with a minimum quality Italians just take for granted. You're treated like an adult human being entitled to a quality freshly made meal, sharp knife, and glassware. I too rarely eat on the road crossing the USA, because I actually have standards for what I eat. There's nothing but junk food peddled at American travel stops. This comment has me wanting to tour coastal Italy by car again. But using an EV this iteration so we can spend even more time eating mussels enjoying the scenery while the car recharges...
- niij 4y ago
  > I too rarely eat on the road crossing the USA, because I actually have standards for what I eat. There's nothing but junk food peddled at American travel stops. Keep an eye out for truck stop signs that have Punjabi written on them. There are tons of Punjabi Dhabas catering to truck drivers all over the US. No white table cloths, but it's a quality authentic meal.

emmelaich 4y ago

OTOH, the very worst food I've ever had was from a motorway food stop in Italy. Surly slow service, the "chicken" was cold grey reprocessed mash. Completely inedible. (I think it was Autogrill)

pengaru 4y ago
> (I think it was Autogrill) Autogrill was the bottom of the barrel ubiquitous chain option on my trip... Fortunately I was accompanied by a native who knew to skip the Autogrills' food in favor of the random roadside buildings having unpaved yards full of parked trucks we'd later pass. You know, shortly after the overpasses with prostitutes...