Small Town Blues

It's the middle of a hot summer and that always leads to a need to see some new scenery. Or at least new walls and new roads, even if it is still hot and hopelessly humid. In my case the craving for newness usually involves a new-to-me food related destination.

I've found there's a serious lack of sources online to help find good local restaurants. I like finding those kinds of places I see featured on Food Network shows that make your mouth water and your arteries wish they had a spare body where they could run and hide. There's sites like Expedia and Trip Advisor, but that covers hotels, airfare, and all the other necessities of bigger city destinations. I have a more small town question of sorts. Where in Toad Suck, Arkansas do the locals go when they want a good meal? While I am all in favor of the improved quality and portion control available by dining in, sometimes it's necessary to let someone else do the cooking, even for those that aren't leading the 24/7 Manhattan lifestyle. What about Amagon, Arkansas? (In the case of Amagon, it's a little roadside stand that I've heard pretty good things about.) Maybe towns that aren't quite that small, but are a good enough size the draw from the surrounding one-stoplight communities; where's the repository of good restaurants to be found? Given the wide reaching nature of the internet, it seems there should be a good space out there for this, but alas I've found none so far.

Then again, finding a destination in advance can take away from the fun. Where's the sense of adventure in having an exact stopping point planned in advance? What about those fun "let's go drive and see what we find" type trips? Sometimes I suppose I should unplug a bit and simply go. That's how I've come upon some of the best food and fun along the way.