As American regional cuisines go, Southern and "Mexican" are my two favorites. And while I found the Sterns' "Blue Willow Inn Cookbook" somewhat disappointing (not their fault, I think), this trip to Tucson was much more satisfying. Not Tex-Mex or New Mexico-Mexican, the Sterns classify El Charro Café as "Tucson-Mexican," a fascinating and unique blend that makes this "Roadfood Cookbook" well worth the vicarious trip.

Part of the advantage here is that the charro culture celebrated at El Charro Café is much more foreign to most Americans than is the Southern comfort food of the Blue Willow Inn. A good percentage of the value of this book is in introducing that culture to the wider reading public (who knew there was so much history and significance behind the stereotypical black outfits generally associated with mariachi bands?). But there's a lot of value in the delicious-sounding recipes too. Far from the "fried and covered in cheese" nature of "Mexican food" as it's often presented to us, these menu items are varied, colorful, and generally pretty healthy.

So hit the road again, Stern fans. Grab a tostada grande and a glass of sangria, and let our favorite foodie writers take us on another culinary adventure.

What a pleasure!!! There finally is a book out that is written so that anyone can pick it up and get the information she needs. Whether you are 15 or 50, this book talks to you without being too complicated or simplistic. Furthermore, it is funny. I found myself sitting on the bus and chuckling at parts of it. As someone who works with a lot of high school students, I will make sure to keep a copy in my office so that anyone can pick it up while waiting.

This book is hilarious. Especially if you've ever stayed in low-budget motels in the United States--

I didn't know it was out of print-- I'm glad I own a copy. I always read it before going on vacation!

Comprehensive,authoritative, witty and entertaining, the 200 articles in this book will be appreciated by anyone born in the 40's and 50's. The articles give sense and history to a multitude of pieces from our recent past.

I first picked this book up in search of some information about Woodstock. After a thorough cover-to-cover reading of this book, I would gladly say that this is a winner. Humorous, engaging, fascinating, it's worth picking up and skimming, if not actually sitting down to read it. A fun read, with lots of little-known information about the 60s and the people of that decade. A must for anybody interested in the 60s.

The authors of this book are very witty and well-informed, whether they're writing about Pop-Rocks, The Brady Bunch, or Hippies (whom the authors define succinctly as 'lobotomized beatniks'). The entry on Evel Knievel will make you laugh out loud, and perhaps blush a little bit at the strangeness of the characters whom our society makes into idols. You'll find a lot of interesting information on classic American TV shows, bizzarrely popular consumer products, celebrities who defined their eras, and lots of little things you've forgotten about... like pet rocks, leg warmers, and mood rings.

This is an excellent reference work that profiles the most celebrated (and in some cases, reviled) touchstones of 20th Century American life. I highly recommend finding a copy.

I have to admit that I enjoy reading the Sterns' books primarily for their food writing. Even if I never prepared a single recipe out of any of their many titles, I would still value their books and, generally, give them pretty high ratings. In other words, I'm a fan of "food lit."

From that standpoint, this book was a little disappointing, in that it's split fifty-fifty (almost literally, given the fifty states plus D.C.) between recipes and commentary. This utilitarian little guide doesn't have the foodie allure of "Roadfood," which remains, to this point, my favorite Stern book. I readily admit that for most people, though, and especially for chili-heads who may not necessarily be Stern fans, this title has a lot to offer.

Specifically, what it has to offer is chili -- fifty-one recipes ranging from the classic (Massachusetts' Rock-ribbed bean-and-beef chili) to the exotic (Hawaii's Paniolo macadamia nut and chipotle chili) to the, frankly, bizarre (West Virginia's Fried bologna chili). I was expecting Washington to offer some kind of salmon-based chili, and was intrigued to find instead a recipe featuring our other well-known export, coffee. What you won't find is a "basic" chili -- each recipe is an unusual, not to say unique, regional variation on a theme that is left unstated (kind of the "Enigma Variations" of food, I guess).

With all this diversity, there's something for every taste, including vegetarians. Even if you're not a chili-head, it's worth the effort to track down this book and give a few of the selections a try.

I bought this book on a whim about a year ago, and simply love it. Its both a cultural adventure and a delicious trek accross America. If you are a chili purist, you might have trouble with some of the recipes. If you just like tastey food, you'll love the variety of recipes paying homage to what is arguably our nation's favorite food. The cultural anecdotes preceding the recipes for each state and the District of Columbia are interesting and lend insight into why the ingredients for the recipes were selected. They are fun, easy to make recipes that your family will truly enjoy.

We particularly love the Whistle Stop Chili from Alabama, the Arizona version featuring pork, and the Nebraska Chili Mac and Cheese.

I think you will enjoy this trip across America as much as we did.

One of my culinary quests in life is for the ultimate bowl of chili. Just when I think I've found it, someone comes up with a new idea to create another savory and spicy chili recipe. This book is full of recipes like that, and they often contain ingredients reflecting the local cuisine or some aspect of the local food culture. For example, the Hawaii recipe contains macadamia nuts, the Vermont recipe has maple syrup in it, and the Wasthington state one is spiked with coffee (appropos of Starbucks), and the Pennsylvania recipe has unsweetened cocoa powder.

The recipes also very quite a bit; most contain meat, but some are totally vegetarian, and some don't even have beans. There are red chilis, green chilis, spicy and not so spicy recipes, and the meats include beef, pork, sausage, chicken, lamb, shrimp, and veal. Some of the recipes stretch the definition of chili to the breaking point or perhaps beyond, such as the Maryland recipe that calls for shrimp and crabmeat in a cream sauce with a little chili powder. But whether this counts as true chili or not, I found the ingenuity and creativity of many of the state's recipes a delight and an interesting theme around which to build a cookbook about chili.

If you're into variety as well as spicy food, you'll probably enjoy trying out all the recipes here. The ones that don't have a locally famous ingredient often come from a restaurant the Sterns ate in that had a recipe that they liked. The authors also include a lot of information on chili history and trivia and a mail-order list of places to get spices and chilis. And last but not least, the Sterns also include a few side-dish recipes, such as coleslaw, jalapeno cornbread, corn pudding, and a three-bean salad.

Overall a witty, well-written, and interesting cookbook on a great American dish, and with some nice, extra features thrown in for good measure.

Jan & Michael Stern are experienced food critics who know where the locals eat their area's specialities - and deliciously share their knowledge with you. Across the USA I've used their book to find neighborhood places, both cheap and pricey, that almost always delight the palate and make me smile.

This is a book for people who like regional cooking and road trips, more or less in that order. My wife and I took a cross country trip from California to Pennsylvania and back, with this book at our side, and its restaurant/diner/take-out recommendations took us off the beaten track into culinary adventures we still talk about.

We found the Sterns about 90% reliable in their choices, with a few wonderful picks that more than made up the difference. As fans of regional BBQ, we were delighted by a variety out-of-the-way, down-home purveyors of this mouth-watering soul food, from Oklahoma to Arkansas to (even) South Dakota. Our favorite wide-spot-in-the-road place served up both meat and coleslaw on the same bun, with a side of beans; across the street were fresh-baked pies still warm from the oven.

Perhaps the most enjoyable discovery (thanks to the Sterns) was the dining room of the Inn at Pleasant Hill, near Harrodsburg, KY, where the lemon pie was beyond description, and after the meal, at sunset, we took a leisurely stroll around the tranquil grounds of what once was a large, thriving Shaker community.

The book has handy regional maps, for finding those towns you've never heard of, and the descriptions of each establishment are pretty accurate (I found only one place that was not what I expected). The listings were largely up-to-date; only one restaurant had moved, which I found out when I called for directions. (In fact, a cell phone is definitely a plus for finding some places.)

If you're looking for something near where you live, this book may disappoint you. It will probably list the places you already know (e.g., in Los Angeles, Du-Par's at Farmers Market and Phillipe's downtown). The West Coast, for that matter, seems somewhat under-represented. But if you're willing to get off the interstate far from home and take your chances, the book is an enjoyable adventure guide.

Two recommendations: Take along a books-on-tape copy of Kerouac's "On the Road" and a cooler for left-overs -- some places haven't heard of portion control.

There is no other guide like this one. If you like to try off-the-Interstate real food; if you like to explore small towns and meet the real people there; if you like a guidebook with a sense of humor along with a sense of good eats, buy it.

We've tried other guidebooks while travelling the USA, and they all fail in various ways. This book contains helpful information to find that out-of-the-way gem and chow down. We've never been led wrong by Jane and Michael's books. The only disappointments have been when old family-run restaurants close down. Unfortunately, no paper-based guidebook can be exactly up to date. Call for opening times, since they are no longer printed in the book.

If you travel in the US and have time to savor the true local culture, you will find it in the food. This is the best guide we've seen to that culture.

At first read, this is a highly entertaining, well written, humorous account of a behind the scenes look at the world of dog shows. However, after reading it once, I was left with a nagging feeling that it really shouldn't have been humorous, so I read it again, and, being a dog lover, I started getting quite disturbed. I and many others who love dogs have often thought that these beauty contests for dogs and the breeders who breed solely to win these contests are seriously damaging the genetic makeup of purebred dogs. This story, although it tries to present this side of the dog world in a positive light, if looked at closely it exposes many of the problems. The show dogs live a horrible life, travelling around cooped up in cages for years. The main character the book follows claims HER breed has no genetic problems, but an average lifespan of 5 years? constantly lame dogs? having to deliver all the pups surgically? breeding dogs that behave so badly no sane person would want to keep one as a pet? if this is a breed with no genetic problems, I don't want to hear about breeds that have problems! Over all, though, a very readable, informative book, something every dog lover should take a look at, and something anyone considering getting into the dog show business should read.

Alright, I must admit, I am a little biased. I have known Mimi Einstein, the subject of this fascinating book, since I was a child. She and her incredible dogs, the "Allstar Bullmastiffs" have been precisely captured in a work which intimately details the goings-on of a very unique and somewhat deranged land, the world of purebred dog showing. The book is an extremely telling account of this world, and a true and honest reference for anyone thinking about exhibiting their beloved Fido. The Sterns' language is, at times, grandiose and overbearing, but they really can't help it...so is the world of dog shows.

If you love dogs, but can't understand why anyone gets involved in dogs shows; if you've ever watched the Westminister Kennel club show on USA Network, and wondered what it's really like for the human contestants, if you want to know why anyone would turn their lives around for their dogs, this book is the best explanation I've read. Havings owned show dogs and raised show dogs, I've found it nearly impossible to describe to the uninitiated what it's like to show dogs, what it's like to be with dog show people, and why anyone would devote all their vacations and much of their disposable income to a sport where you're going to lose most of the time. The Sterns use a year in the life of a Bullmastiff breeder to get inside the world of dog shows, dog show people and expose the humor, pathos, bitchiness (both from the dogs and the humans) involved in a sport involving millions of dogs and owners, but one almost entirely foreign even to dog owners and lovers who don't show. It's funny and reads much too quickly. You'll never forget Mimi Einstein the breeder or her charges Rusty, Sam and Sugar

For a book on travel, it seems that the index would be from the viewpoint of (in this order) State; City, Restaurant. In this book if you are in Podunk, Somewhere you can't find it in the index unless you know the name of the restaurant.

More "out-of-city" locations would have been preferable.

In the text, list the State, City and restaurant with maybe one or two lines of description with a rating code.

Sorry, I was't impressed and am returning the book.

The best parts are the "sidebars", short articles on things like different styles of clam chowder and lists of good steak houses or pie spots that you might want to copy down for quick reference if you travel a lot. However, the restaurant listings are far too incomplete to really use this as a comprehensive source of advice for long road trips. Even "500+" listings have to get spread pretty thin over a country as large as the good old USA! And be warned, this is a meat eater's book that lists LOTS of steak houses, hot dog stands, hamburger joints and bar-b-q spots.

There is an average of about 10-12 places listed for each state, with no apparent relationship between the size of the state and the number of restaurants listed: Maine gets 20 listings (surprise, there're a lot of lobster shacks along the coast up there!) while New York gets just 19, and our largest state, California, only gets 26 (of which 70% are in SF, LA and San Diego).

Western states are particularly sparsely covered. There are only 7 tips for Colorado, but the Sterns guide us to 16 culinary Meccas in Alabama. The Sterns can't find even one place to list in Phoenix (admittedly not a great restaurant city, although I managed to find a few good spots the last time I was there). "Oh well, Mildred, there's nothin' here, we'll just have to drive a few hundred more miles to LA before we can eat."

Based on the authors' selection of restaurants for the area of the country where I live, Seattle, I concluded that the Sterns have no more insight into the identities of good local restaurants than you can find in a typical travel guide. My experience is that most conventional city and regional guidebooks list at least as many worthwhile places as the Sterns and they are usually written by locals who really do know some of good spots. For metro areas I've had good results with the Zagat surveys.

There are only 10 to 12 restaurants per state, but the ones that are listed are great. If you are driving across the U.S. and would choose your route based on great food, as much as sightseeing, then this is the perfect book for you. If you rarely get outside of your home state, then this book will be a disappointment for you.

Hopefully, one day Jane and Michael Stern will have enough reviews to publish several big thick books covering different regional areas in the United States, where they will have 50 to 60 restaurants per state.