Road Sides: An Illustrated Companion to Dining and Driving in the American South

by Emily Wallace

An illustrated glovebox essential, Road Sides explores the fundamentals of a well-fed road trip through the American South, from A to Z. There are detours and destinations, accompanied by detailed histories and more than one hundred original illustrations that document how we get where we’re going and what to eat and do along the way. Learn the backstory of food-shaped buildings, including the folks behind Hills of Snow, a giant snow cone stand in Smithfield, North Carolina, that resembles the icy treats it sells. Find out how kudzu was used to support a burgeoning highway system, and get to know Edith Edwards—the self-proclaimed Kudzu Queen—who turns the obnoxious vine into delicious teas and jellies. Discover the roots of kitschy roadside attractions, and have lunch with the state-employed mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs in Florida. Road Sides is for everyone—the driver in search of supper or superlatives (the biggest, best, and even worst), the person who cannot resist a local plaque or snack and pulls over for every historical marker and road stand, and the kid who just wants to gawk at a peach-shaped water tower.

192 pages, Hardcover

Published October 15, 2019

Reviews

[Wendy]

Grabbed this at the library the night before a real long road trip, thinking it might have some great recommendations or back stories for the journey. I found myself a little surprised at the format of the book - it's set up as an A-Z, with topics for each letter loosely tied to roadside attractions, foods, or the south generally. For each entry, there's a little essay on the topic, and then an exemplar somewhere in the southern US. It feels like more of a love letter to the subject matter than something that is actually useful for reference (e.g., there's no map or index corralling all the exemplars, which are really the extent of any recommendations). In other words, if you're looking for a companion to a southern drive that will get you enthused and thinking on different random topics, this book'll do it -- but if you want actual recommendations on dining and driving in the American south, I'd recommend something else (e.g., Roadfood).

[Bookworm]

I spotted this at random and decided it would be a fun book to read. I haven't traveled extensively through the US South, but I do enjoy a good book on food culture/history/facts, etc, so this seemed like fun. It seemed like a fun read just in case I ever decide to take a road trip or something.

In an A to Z format, the author takes the reader through various foods, attractions, sites of interest, in the South. The author write a little bit about each item, and it is more of a why this subject of the writing is great/fun/has meaning, etc. It is less of a guide and more of a tour of the author's favorites, likes, preferences, things Wallace finds important, etc.

So your mileage may vary. I thought it would be more of a guidebook or tour, but there is not a lot to really help the reader out if you happen to be interested in something Wallace writes about. Ultimately I will have to admit I am super disappointed and this is not what I thought it would be.

That said, I am sure there is an audience for this. If you're on a road trip and have another souce/guide, if you have an interest in these types of books, if you're a Southern foodie and want to check out some of the sites and attractions the author writes about, etc. this might be a good book. If you're someone who was casually interested in the general topic but do not plan to take a trip or wanted more of a history/commentary, etc. this is probably skippable.

Library borrow was how I got it and I would strongly suggest that is how you get it, unless you're already familiar with what Wallace writes about and want a personal copy to keep because you like this topic and/or you plan to make multiple trips and need this as a reference.

[Joel Alex]

A beautiful and entertaining book about super interesting places in the South. Mostly about food spots, but tons of interesting facts and cool histories. It has got obscure roadside attractions and ones we have all been to. Highly recommend for any travelers who like to explore off the beaten path or are curious about the history of food and restaurants.

[Bill Sleeman]

This was a fun read. Author Emily Wallace shared funny stories about food and foodways that made the otherwise basic structure of the book succeed. It left me with a list of places to try and find next time we travel to North Carolina and Virginia and re-engaged my interest in locating some odd (but not invaluable) "road sides" of my own.

[Patty]

What a delightful read! The illustrations are wonderful and detailed, the text is well-researched. Emily Wallace has a deep interest in the things she writes about here.

I can't wait to get on the road and experience some (more) of the spots discussed in this book!

[Jennifer Cox]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book written by the daughter of my former English teacher. It's a fun trip through some of the South's iconic eateries.

[Anne]

Culinary history is my favorite! So many factual morsels about so many roadside attractions in an interesting, unexpected listing of A-Z categories.