Faye Dasen, The Pilot (Southern Pines)

After perusing this book and reading about the restaurants to be found just off North Carolina's Interstate highways, readers will want to take a road trip just for the opportunity to try some of them.
Whether you're heading to the mountains on I-40 or down to Florida on I-95, one of these places should appeal to every member of the family.
Many of the restaurants focus on good old North Carolina barbecue -- some Eastern-style, with a vinegar-based sauce, and some Western-style, with a tomato-based sauce. Almost all also serve some form of good old country cooking.
The book gives a little history of each restaurant as well as specific directions on getting there when you leave the highway.
I'll just bet D.G., who writes a weekly column that appears in The Pilot, had a great time taste-testing the food at all of these eateries. Wonder if he put on a few pounds?