Few things taste as delicious or rewarding as a hot meal in a place you've never been before after a long day of travel. Whether you just finished a 10-mile hike or sat in the car for a few hours and need a breather, it feels special to pop into a roadside diner, local pub or hole-in-the-wall restaurant on a whim.
Sure, the spoons may be greasy, your doctor might shudder at the calorie counts on that burger so loaded up you can't put it down the whole time you eat it, and the regulars may give you a sideways look when you pop a squat at their usual haunt.
But, man, do those meals have a way of making a special mark on your heart.
Probably a decade ago, I took a solo backpacking trip on the Olympic Peninsula, and I still remember the delicious, juicy burger I got at Fat Smitty's that was so big I felt like I had to unhinge my jaw to take a bite.
After leaving shows at the Gorge Amphitheatre, my friends and I have been known to stop by Bob's Cafe in Moses Lake for some tasty pancakes, biscuits and gravy, and eggs.
Moose Knuckle Burgers and Brew in Coolin, Idaho, helped a hungry stomach on the way back from camping at Lionhead on Priest Lake a couple summers ago, as did Giorgi's in Rathdrum on our way back from another trip.
Lastly, I'm reminded of a summer love lost.
Each summer my friends and I go camping out at Lake Pend Oreille, and after discovering (with the help of a friend in the know) how freaking delicious the cornbread was at Panhandler Pies Restaurant and Bakery in Sandpoint, I would regularly pop in to get several orders to go to bring back to our campsite.
Sadly, the owners closed shop earlier this year, and as they're hoping to sell the business and the super special sweets recipes along with it, they're holding off on sharing any of the magic for now. So, dear readers, if someone could please, please buy this business so we can have this decadent, cake-like cornbread back in our lives, you'd be taking up the helm of yet another memory-making roadside treasure!
