Road Food: Memorable Meals from Our Travels

This is a side trip in my Travel Memories series focused on memorable meals. Food on the road is an integral part of any trip and can make or break the travel experience. We’ve had many good meals, some bad ones, and a several dishes so good we still talk about them. Those in the last category will be included here – likely requiring additional posts to cover them all – and many of them have a story attached regarding the experience we had while eating.

       I’ll start at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia with Dinic’s roast pork sandwich. We had it several years before it was voted America’s best sandwich on a Food Network show and that honor was well deserved. It starts with a fresh baked hoagie roll that gets piled high with freshly sliced roasted pork loin that has been basting in its own juices. Add sharp provolone cheese and broccoli rabe, with a little more meat juice and you have a masterpiece. The counter is small so get there early if you want a seat, and there is almost always a line, but it is worth the wait. Whenever we are in that part of Philadelphia, we stop in for one of these. Sorry Philly cheesesteak, this sandwich is in another league.

       Heading south to Annapolis we encountered a phenomenal crab cake sandwich at Chick and Ruth’s Deli. The Food Network got to this one before us, so we put it at the top of our list for our first trip to Annapolis. It consisted of a gigantic crabcake (only enough breadcrumbs to hold it together) with lettuce, tomato, onion, and tartar sauce on the side. So good we came back the next day for lunch to get another one, and a couple of years later we got sandwiches to go when we took our nieces and nephew to Annapolis so they could experience the crabcake for themselves. One bite and they got it.

This is another tiny place with tables so close together there is barely room to slip into your seat. That closeness spawned a funny story. Sitting next to a naval officer and his naturally blond wife (you’ll understand shortly) we got to the usual small talk about where we were all from, etc. Hearing we came there specifically for the crabcake sandwich and that we were from NJ, the wife asked - in total seriousness - “do you have crabs in NJ?” (I told you you’d understand). Many snappy responses came to mind that were not family friendly, so I simply replied, “yes, they are called Jersey blue crabs.” She seemed satisfied with that – though her husband had rolled his eyes when she asked the question - and we went on with the light conversation. It took all our restraint to hold in our laughter until we had finished our meal and were safely outside.

Continuing south to the Florida Keys, we’ve had some great meals at fish shacks and dive bars. The cracked conch at a little shack just off the wharf is amazing – super tender and flavorful - especially washed down with a cold beer from their cooler. Right on the water, and only a few steps from that shack is Schooner Wharf, a must-see open-air dive bar with near constant live music. Not the place you’d expect to have a meal to write about – at least in a positive way – but the fresh Key West pink shrimp are just that. Tender, juicy, and super sweet. By far the best we had the last time in the Keys. On to conch fritters. They are everywhere in the Keys, but most are more fritter than conch. One exception was a little trailer next to the main trolley stop in Key West. Like the Annapolis crab cake, only enough filler to hold the conch together. In case any of you are wondering, it’s pronounced “konk”. Many funny stories of tourists, and even friends, asking for “Konch”.

Our last stop for this installment is at Midway Café right next to the place we stay in Islamorada. It’s a bit pricey but the breakfasts are fresh, tasty and filling, the coffee is outstanding, and they make killer smoothies and frappes (fancy name for a shake). Two favorites are the Monkey Business smoothie (Banana, peanut butter, chocolate, almond milk) and the Key Lime Pie Frappe made with a whole slice of house-made Key Lime Pie blended with milk & ice. Getting it to go and taking it back to our room to add a little rum makes it even better! Perfect way to cool off after a bike ride or walk.

Wow, the pages filled quickly and as I don’t want to ramble on and on, I’ll end here with the intent of at least a couple more installments of Road Food in the future. While we planned some trips around getting to a specific place to eat, most of our memorable meals came from exploring the area we were in and taking a chance on local places – often local dives. We figure that anyplace that looks like a dive but is thriving must be churning out food that keeps people coming back – and we’ve seldom been disappointed.  Be adventurous when you travel, get off the beaten path, eat local, and try new things.

I’m taking next week off so next post will be week of 7/15.

Enjoy the Independence Day holiday!

www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com  07-01-2024