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Finding
home-style meals on North Carolina roadways
March 11, 2009
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
It’s
possible to get a home-style meal when you’re away from
home. If you know where to look, you needn’t go much
further than just off the interstate.
Many of us don’t bother.
If we’re on the road when hunger strikes, we swing through
the nearest fast-food drive-through or break into the snack
we brought along in the car. Anything more than a few hundred
feet from the nearest exit is a greater detour than we’re
willing to make.
Unless you’re D.G. Martin.
Martin, a North Carolina newspaper columnist, Chapel Hill
radio personality and host of UNC-TV’s “North
Carolina Bookwatch” program, is the author of Interstate
Eateries: A Guide to Down-Home Cooking Along North Carolina’s
Interstates (Mann Media/Our State Magazine).
The slim, glove box-sized volume gives a run-down of 100 small,
family-run restaurants across North Carolina. Some are well-known
landmarks. Others are lesser-known gems.
All are worthy of your attention, according to Martin.
Recently, I turned the tables on Martin and interviewed him
about his book on his radio show, “Who’s Talking.”
I asked Martin to explain what draws him to these establishments.
“Food and fellowship,” he said.
Eating at one of these places, he explained, there’s
a feeling of being a welcome part of a small community. Martin
said he loves the authentic Southern cooking and the neighborly
manner in which it’s shared.
The sense of small-town North Carolina came through when I
read the entries in Martin’s book. Descriptions of each
restaurant are accompanied by tidbits of information about
the people who run the establishments – some more than
50 years old – and the simple but delicious food they
serve.
They’re a part of our rich North Carolina heritage,
and that’s changing.
In the ten years since Martin wrote the first edition of his
book, many of the restaurants he first wrote about have closed.
Most served traditional, Southern-style foods including barbecue,
family-style vegetables, sweet tea and pies.
It may surprise you to know that others, though, have been
run – some for decades – by immigrants serving
traditional Greek, Lebanese and Asian meals.
If you find yourself making a habit of eating at mom-and-pop’s,
keep these additional tips in mind to make your meals as healthful
as possible:
* Try the vegetable plate. At the Moose Café in Asheville,
Martin ordered mashed potatoes, cabbage, collards, carrots
and pinto beans.
Even if the veggies are cooked with a little fat, they’re
better for you than the meatloaf. The State Farmers Market
Restaurant in Raleigh serves squash, beans, greens and corn.
* Fill up on soup and salad. The Snack Bar in Hickory has
a soup, salad and fruit buffet for $5.20.
* Try a twist on an old favorite. At Lupie’s Café
in Charlotte, I ordered a veggie burger.
* Opt for ethnic. At Neomonde deli and bakery in Raleigh,
order classic Mediterranean falafel or hummus pita sandwiches
or a veggie wrap. At Margaret’s Cantina in Chapel Hill,
order Mexican and Southwest-style grilled tempeh or black
bean burritos.
* Put a cap on the tea. Southern-style sweet tea is loaded
with added sugar and calories. If you must, ask for a blend
of sweetened and unsweetened tea. When the server comes to
give you the refill, switch to unsweetened tea or plain water
with a slice of lemon.
And savor the experience.
The foods you’ll find served and the people you’ll
meet at the interstate eateries listed in Martin’s book
are part of the rich culture of our state – a culinary
tradition that deserves being celebrated and enjoyed.
Note: To hear my conversation with Martin on his radio show,
“Who’s Talking,” visit: http://www.wchl1360.com/details.html?id=161.
Suzanne
Havala Hobbs is a licensed, registered dietitian and clinical
associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and
Management and the Department of Nutrition in the UNC Gillings
School of Global Public Health. Send questions and comments
to suzanne@onthetable.net.
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