Art Taylor, Metro Magazine
On the Road … Again
A second edition of DG Martin’s Interstate Eateries has recently been published. Subtitled A Guide to Down-Home Cooking Along North Carolina’s Interstates, the book crisscrosses the state along several of its main arteries — Interstates 26, 40, 85 and 95, of course, but also stubby I-73 and I-74, “still under development,” as Martin says — and searches out the best spots to pull off for sweet tea or barbecue or collards or any of the staples of home cooking.
Martin lays the book out by both interstate and exit, and the slim volume is sized so nicely that you can imagine people storing it in their glovebox, driving down the road, feeling a sudden hunger and checking our possibilities. “Let’s see. Interstate 85 … Coming up on Exit 68 … Where’s a good place to pull off?” That place, as Martin tells you, is Gary’s Barbecue, and not only does he paint a vivid picture of its décor, with old advertising signs and classic cars on display, and offer a charming anecdote about the people who run it, the book’s center section features a color picture of Gary’s interior and of several other highlights on Martin’s travels.
While many of the restaurants here may be old favorites and well-known to many, Martin’s research is extensive enough that readers will surely find new spots they’ll want to discover. In addition to exit numbers, complete directions to each restaurant are included, as well as hours and phone numbers.
Forget fast food. This is real eating.