Road Tips

I've been wanting to try this critically-acclaimed barbecue place for a few years and recently got the chance. The verdict? The wait was well worth it! But I can think of three or four places in Kansas City that are better - Smoque BBQ in Chicago. roadtips.blog/2026/01/26/smo…

In the mood for pizza when I was in the metro New York area recently, I found a place with such a unique name that I had to try it. Turns out they had great pizza and a nice mix of craft beers - Fat Bastard & Sons Restaurant Lounge in South Hackensack, NJ roadtips.blog/2026/01/19/fat…

There's not a lot of dining options in this far northern Minnesota town, but this longtime supper club was recently renovated into a pub/eatery and provided us a good lunch with a good selection of craft beers - 218 Tavern in Baudette, MN roadtips.blog/2026/01/15/218…

There's an area in North Dallas where there's seemingly blocks upon blocks of Mexican restaurants. I found this one that looked pretty promising, but even though the service was good, the food was pretty average - Cuquita's Restaurant roadtips.blog/2026/01/12/cuq…

Out in the D.C. area, I wanted to go back to one of my favorite Indian restaurants, but got sidetracked into going to a sushi place next door that I had noticed last year. They had the largest cuts of sushi I've ever had - Yiku Sushi in Gaithersburg, MD roadtips.blog/2026/01/08/yik…

Out with a group of people and while a restaurant that emphasizes risotto dishes wouldn't have been my first choice, the seafood risotto with saffron was a big hit at the table, and I loved my chicken parm - The Risotto House in Hasbrough Hts., NJ roadtips.blog/2026/01/05/hou…

The moon, planets and stars aligned for this fabulous meal at a wonderful lakeside supper club in Northern Minnesota. If there were such a thing as a perfect meal and dining experience, this would be the closest - The Fireside in Detroit Lakes, MN roadtips.blog/2025/12/31/the…

On a trip to the Lehigh Valley earlier this year, I was in the mood for pizza. This place checked all the boxes for me - a good wood-fired/thin-crust pizza, craft beers, and a laid-back atmosphere - The Brick in Bethlehem, PA roadtips.blog/2025/12/29/the…

This Dallas/Fort Worth-area barbecue joint came highly recommended by a friend. The back story of how the owners overcame obstacles and eventually expanding to five locations is almost as good as the barbecue I had - Hard Eight BBQ in Coppell, TX roadtips.blog/2025/12/24/har…

Staying in northern Minnesota, there weren't a lot of options to eat with more than just bar food. But we were directed to a roadside place that had been resurrected 3 years ago for a meal that was very memorable - The Hawk Tasty Tavern in Roosevelt, MN roadtips.blog/2025/12/22/the…

On the Jersey side of the New York City metro area, I had an abundance of choices for Italian restaurants near my hotel. I was certain that I'd find a good one, and I did! Bensi Ristorante Italiano in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ. roadtips.blog/2025/12/18/ben…

Earlier this year, we traveled to Canada to the site of one of my favorite childhood memories to scatter my late brother's ashes. A somewhat fun, melancholy and indulgent story of our trip to Reel 'em Inn Lodge on Lake of the Woods, Ontario. roadtips.blog/2025/12/15/ree…

A wonderful meal at this restaurant in downtown Minneapolis that put a modern-day take on rustic Italian cuisine was nearly ruined by the lack of attention by our server who went missing-in-action for a long period of time - Salt & Flour Kitchen roadtips.blog/2025/12/12/sal…

I fell in love with this brewery's hazy IPA on previous visits to the area and decided to go have lunch at their taproom. The food was beyond my expectation and the beer was - well - fresh! Manhattan Project Beer Co. in Dallas, TX roadtips.blog/2025/12/08/man…

Out in Philadelphia earlier this fall, I had to stop at the place where the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich was invented. I'm not fond of the sandwich to begin with and this one didn't impress me all that much - Pat's King of Steaks roadtips.blog/2025/12/05/pat…

Usually, I'm the one who finds good places to eat, but this time it was my wife who picked out this quaint little bistro with made-from-scratch, locally-sourced foods with an interesting cocktail list - Jules' Bistro in St. Cloud, MN roadtips.blog/2025/12/03/jul…

Back out in New Hampshire earlier this year for a meeting, my colleague and I found an Italian restaurant just down the way from our hotel. We went in hoping that it would be good, but it exceeded our expectations - Cucina Toscana in Nashua, NH roadtips.blog/2025/11/26/cuc…

A Sunday road trip to a small NE Iowa town (approx. 10) destination spot that was resurrected nearly 4 years ago under a new name by a local man who also brought back their famous signature burger - the 1 lb. Gunder Burger. Gunder Roadhouse in Gunder, IA roadtips.blog/2025/11/24/gun…

A rather long entry detailing two flights that I took during the recent FAA mandated flight restrictions - including a rather embarrassing situation I found myself in - along with a short shoutout to a good airport burger. roadtips.blog/2025/11/20/the…

You wouldn't think a place 1000 miles from the nearest ocean would have fresh sushi, but I found this spot in Denver that had some of the freshest and most delicious sushi I've ever had. And they had my favorite Japanese beer on tap! Hana Maturi Sushi. roadtips.blog/2025/11/18/han…