This article originally appeared at The Daily Meal
By Nicole Campoy-Leffler, Editor at The Daily Meal
Restaurants in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles have all won awards, been lauded by critics time and again, and often serve as landmarks in many travelers’ memories. But what about those towns you drive by on your road trip to San Francisco or that you fly over on your way to Chicago?
There are small towns all across the U.S. that you could easily pass by not knowing what you’re missing. Places like Evanston, Ill., Danville, Calif., and Ithaca, N.Y. are serving food to rival that of any award-winning meal in neighboring cities. From holes-in-the-wall to fine dining hidden treasures and from "down home" Southern cooking to delicious sushi, the options are manifold. So, next time you’re yearning for a weekend away or want to plan a few great stops on an upcoming road trip, one of these nine towns should prove surprisingly tasty.
See the full slideshow of 9 Top Small Food Towns
9. Asheville, N.C.8. Danville, Calif.
7. Ithaca, N.Y.
6. Edgartown, Mass.
5. Lawrence, Kan.
4. Ojai, Calif.
3. Burlington, Vt. (pictured above)
2. Evanston, Ill.
1. New Haven, Conn.
Which small towns do you do you enjoy dining out in? Share them with us below!
Comments
Absolutely useless link! Only #9 can be seen.
Apr 25, 2011 at 3:24 PM
Oddly enough, tiny ol' Brookings, OR is a must add, if you like sushi or a world-class hamburger There's a 'sit down' restaurant and a lunch place that are quite good as well. Gold Beach, another little town on the Oregon coast has a couple of great restaurants. Port Orford has one of the best bars I've had the pleasure to visit. Combining the number of residents of all three would make what you'd call a small town!
Apr 25, 2011 at 3:56 PM
@zefir68 - Once you click into the slideshow, be sure to either: 1. wait as it will automatically advance to the rest of the towns; or 2. hit the 'play' button just above the photo on the upper-right corner to advance manually. Hope that helps.
@yodecat - Thanks so much for the tips!
Apr 25, 2011 at 6:41 PM
Lovettsville Virgina: Patowmack Farm and Market Table Bistro. We are so lucky to have both in our town!
Apr 25, 2011 at 7:47 PM
Good food and great wines in Cambria, CA (on the way to Big Sur)!
Apr 25, 2011 at 9:33 PM
I have to say, that as small towns go, Vero Beach, FL is right up there among them. Per square mile, the concentration of fine dining is pretty good. Pan out to include the rest of the Treasure Coast (Ft. Pierce, Stuart, Jupiter) and the options get even better!
Apr 25, 2011 at 9:41 PM
Ironic that in a piece bylined by the Editor, all the state abbreviations are capital X.X. Hire an editor, please.
Apr 25, 2011 at 9:51 PM
My choice would be the "family diner" at Parker's in Wilson NC.
It's all you can eat of pulled pork barbique, fried chicken, corn on the cob,
cole slaw, boiled potatoes, Brunswick stew,, hush puppies, corn sticks,
and that great southern sweet tea, all at an unbeleavable low price.
I'm probably forgetting something, but you will not leave hungry.
Apr 26, 2011 at 1:43 AM
The Dobbin House, in Gettysburg, PA. (1776 atmosphere)
Their Bleu cheese dressing is home-made. The ever-changing mix
of breads and muffins is likewise. From "King's Onion" soup, to "Drunken"
scallops, crab a'la Dobbin, prime rib, duck, and various other items, (including hot gingerbread with lemon sauce) the food is always excellent.
It's my wife's and my favorite place for "special" dinners, and well worth the ninety-minute drive from our home.
Apr 26, 2011 at 8:04 AM
Great food in Pinehurst, NC; one other comment - abbreviations for states such as California (CA not C.A.), Vermont (VT not V.T.) and others in your list should be corrected.
Apr 26, 2011 at 9:05 AM
zefir68, your browser or internet speed must be slow. You must have patience! The pix are large and there are a lot of megabytes to download.
I agree, they might have warned us of the size, or used some up-to-date file reduction techniques to speed things up.
Apr 26, 2011 at 10:36 AM
The best food in the USA is in the South, arguably. Maybe it's the old-time cooks and the abundance of fresh grown fruits and veggies, due to the warm climate and long growing season.
I would have preferred a more diverse selection of towns. It's almost as if Asheville NC is the only town in the South worth mentioning.
They do ask us to submit other candidates, however.
Maybe we need Guy Fieri to post some diners, drive-ins, and dives.
Apr 26, 2011 at 10:44 AM
Without a doubt, Grits, in Forsyth, Georgia, needs to be on this list. Fine dining in an historical building on the town square.
Apr 26, 2011 at 11:51 AM
Hudson NY---a small city two hours north of NYC. Known for antiques, there are also 16 ( at least ) restaurants in the stretch of Warren Street from the Hudson River to 8th Street There's comfort food, tapas,Italian. bbq,French,
fabulous artisan bread Japanese and more---even a funky tortilla stand. It's a .very cool town.
Apr 26, 2011 at 11:54 AM
Thanks so much for the suggestions, please keep them coming!
And thanks for your eagle eyes; state abbreviations have been changed per AP style (ie: Calif., N.Y.), not USPS style (ie: CA, NY).
Apr 26, 2011 at 1:09 PM
Asheville, NC!!! My hubby and I went there last year to celebrate our daughter being 6 mths old and our first real weekend away! FABULOUS food!!
we live in Chicago-it was a great get away! Not sure how Evanston, IL makes it on the list! Not very good food, small college town with lame students and not exceptionally safe either!
Way to go Asheville!
Apr 27, 2011 at 9:55 PM
Wait, forgot to mention my alma mater-Lawrence, KS!!! Great small town and some decent restaurants!!
Apr 27, 2011 at 9:56 PM
I would have to vote for the Salt Lick, in Driftwood Texas. Best ribs and Brisket I have ever had. I have to echo what kgolub has to say about Evanston. Il. If it wasn't close to Chicago, no one would care. Just a mention for big town fare, Al's Beef #1 in Chicago can't be beat for a really good Italian wet beef. Lived there most of my life, and that is what I miss the most
Apr 28, 2011 at 2:53 PM
Thanks for the tip on places to try in Danville. I am a Canadian who just happens to be travelling to Danville next week. Will provide a review on my return. I really enjoy your articles.
Apr 29, 2011 at 11:32 PM
Well, I am pleased to say that this restaurant exceeded my expectation. I had lunch at the P & the P in Danville. Atmosphere great, Service was great, food was excellent. They treated me as if I was a special person - highly recommend that if you have the chance, you will not be disappointed.
Side benefit, I found a cousin who I never met before who lives in Danville- wow- very special place
May 12, 2011 at 12:24 AM
rland
"28 Tables" in Saratoga Springs, NY
Jun 03, 2011 at 4:07 PM
Just had to add a note about Columbia, MO. Centrally located between KC and St. Louis on I-70, it is home to some incredible bistro fare. Too many to mention, but the chef's are creative and competitive. The menu prices are kept in check by the competition, and most establishments have their wines priced barely above retail. Check it out! (Home to The University of Missouri)
Jun 03, 2011 at 4:27 PM
The Turquoise Room at the beautifully restored La Posada Hotel in Winslow, AZ is an absolute winner, hands down.
Jun 03, 2011 at 7:30 PM
Glade's at Glade Springs in Daniels, WV - An amazing young chef Dexter Burgess!
Elkhorn Inn & Theatre in Landgraff, WV - Chef Dan does fabulous food; his herb-rubbed smoked lamb chops and ribs are Amazing!
Fab. smoked duck gumbo at Juban's in Baton Rouge, and THE best soft shell crab Po' Boy at Po' Boy Lloyd's in Baton Rouge, LA...
We had a marvelous "chef's dinner" at The Sage Room on Hilton Head Island several years ago, and Great oysters at the Oyster Factory...
And some of THE best sushi we've had in the USA is at Kimono's, a sushi bar/hibachi restaurant in Princeton, WV in the Wal-Mart Shopping Center on Greasy Ridge Road! (We don't say that lightly; I'm from NYC & have eaten sushi across the USA & we've had sublime sushi in Japan!)
Bluefield, WV has Frank's Pizza & More, and Frank & Patty are from NJ and make THE best pizza in this entire region- with all fresh ingredients, capicola ham, etc. on thin, crispy crusts...
Jun 03, 2011 at 9:18 PM
@piaffe4me ... agreed as a Vero Beach native (transplanted currently in the Midwest) the Treasure Coast has multitudes of great little places to enjoy food and wine!
Jun 04, 2011 at 2:15 AM
How can you not have Charleston, SC?! Just stayed there for a week, 6 nights at 6 different 5 star restaurants!! Hanks, Coast, FIG, McCrady's, and Lucca just to name some of the ones not as well known. 2 of the chefs (FIG and McCrady's) were just on Iron Chef this year.
Jun 04, 2011 at 12:19 PM
murdock
@bruceinlou: regarding your comments (a bit snarky for my taste) about state abbreviations, the writer is using abbreviations put forth in Chicago Style and A.P. Style--not those used by USPS. The writer obviously is schooled in journalism and is writing accordingly.
Jun 04, 2011 at 2:52 PM
Vernon, NY - The Only Cafe- the best pizza, with homemade sourdough crust and some awesome sandwiches and smoked sweet potato quesadillas!
Jun 04, 2011 at 5:16 PM
Christiansted, St.Croix, United States Virgin Islands.
We have a restaurant that has been on the Travel Channel, wine spectator award winning restaurants and best of all we are surrounded by the Caribbean!
Jun 05, 2011 at 11:56 PM
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