By Josh Resnek
I traveled across the country with my daughter last week. She ended up in Los Angeles where she is beginning her work life after college.
We ate well every time we stopped – and it was fun.
There is great food throughout the nation if you look hard enough.
One food stop we made in Davenport, Iowa was at a Cracker Jack.
Forgive me for having never been in a Cracker Barrel.
However, the food experience was first rate, all things considered.
I ordered their 10 ounce burger steak but like the nut I am, I asked the waitress to cut the thing in half as I don’t eat very much meat.
“Save the other half for someone looking for a big meal,” I joked with the waitress.
She was beautiful and she said she understood completely.
I ended up with a five ounce burger steak, fresh slices of raw onion and Cracker Barrel mashed potatoes and frankly, it was a delight.
The real delight was in getting exactly what I asked for.
Even the Coca Cola was first rate, sweet and carbonated just right – a sure sign of the lunch that was to follow.
Cracker Barrel’s also served up warm corn bread rolls with butter and jam. I didn’t use the jam.
The rolls were super. I love corn bread. It can often be a sim- ple treat ruined by people who don’t know how to cook it up.
My daughter ate fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy and green beans cooked Cracker Barrel style.
Total cost with tip, about $25 bucks, and worth every penny.
When I got home – I flew back from Denver – my daughter drove her car to Los Angeles on her own – I asked a food maven friend of mine if he had ever eaten at a Cracker Barrel.
“Many times. Love it always,” he said.
I was amazed.
Check out Cracker Barrel. It isn’t for everyone but they do basic things really well and serve huge plates of food for very short money.
And there is a bonus with Cracker Barrel.
You can shop in their country store type set-up before sitting down to eat.