Kat Tancock on a road trip enjoying an A&W meal, her go to when all else fails.Hilary Street/The Globe and Mail
My favourite quiche – one I’ll happily go out of my way for – is at Zucchini Blossom Market & Cafe in Medicine Hat, Alta. Soft and custardy with a perfectly flaky crust and flavourful vegetables inside, it’s a light but substantial meal that really hits the spot when you’re tired from travelling but have barely moved from your seat.
I don’t live in Medicine Hat, nor even in Alberta. I have no one to visit there, no job-related obligations. I only know about this quiche because a few summers ago, on a cross-Canada road trip, I did a little digging, found this out-of-the-way (for a road-tripper) spot and decided to give it a try. Not only did I get a delicious lunch, I got to see much more of Medicine Hat than if I’d stayed on the Trans-Canada.
I love to go on road trips. I also like to eat well. Unfortunately, the two don’t always go hand in hand – at least, not without a bit of effort. It’s a travel fantasy that your stomach will start to rumble and you’ll serendipitously come across a cute under-the-radar restaurant with five-star meals. The reality, especially along highways, is that you’ll have your choice of a few fast-food chains or whatever delights the gas station has to offer. (Side note: If you do want gas station eats, check out the Esso in Bassano, Alta. Their snack game is strong.)
My secret to avoid this is simple yet effective: a well-curated set of bookmarks on Google Maps. I’m no Google stan, but it’s the most useful tool I’ve found for both planning ahead and saving favourites from the past. You can be haphazard like me or curate specific bookmark collections for each trip or category; plan ahead by days or weeks or make researching part of the job for whoever’s riding shotgun. However you organize things, you’re sure to eat far better while also seeing more sights along your route. And in an emergency, there’s always A&W.
Here’s how it’s gone, for instance, on my past few cross-country journeys. Pre-travel, I might dig into some destinations via Reddit searches, or come across recommendations while flipping through magazines or scrolling Instagram. (Sonya H., thanks for posting your tip to visit Rice Holic in Richmond, B.C. It was excellent.) If anything looks promising, I’ll look it up in Google Maps to check the menu (an important step for vegetarians like me) and reviews. Then, if it looks tempting enough, it gets a green “Want to go” flag.
I do the same thing en route, but more targeted toward, say, where we’re planning to stay the night, or the location of our next charging stop. One time, for example, we had a stay booked in Sudbury, Ont. and were craving Chinese. A little browsing led me to 7 Star Dumpling House, which, bonus, was able to deliver. (We were very tired from driving.) I still have fond memories of eating flaky, sesame seed–encrusted red bean paste pastries right out of the box in our hotel room.
The writer’s road-trip map marked with potential dining stops and favourites.Kat Tancock/The Globe and Mail
The next step – and this happens during your trip – is to convert green flags to pink hearts, aka favourites you’d like to visit again. When I open my Google Maps, it’s dotted with hearts and flags from coast to coast and beyond, a comforting sight that helps me feel at home no matter where I travel. Next time I drive through Revelstoke, B.C., I know I’ll stop in at Tamariba Kitchen for their excellent ginger tofu bowl. I look forward to my next visit to Ottawa so I can have dinner at Gongfu Bao and dessert at Moo Shu Ice Cream. And The Soup Witch is a must-stop in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. (We’ve asked how they make their chili but never managed to reproduce it at home.) As for Winnipeg, we were disappointed to learn last summer that brewpub One Sixteen was closing, and made a sad goodbye to its blistered shishito peppers with kale aioli. I’ve still got it bookmarked, though, so we can try its replacement, Next Door, on our next time through.
No matter how much research and planning you do, of course, not every meal will be a success. But that’s part of the adventure. On one sunny day while rounding Lake Superior, we decided to stop at Pukaskwa National Park for a hike and a dip, knowing it would mean we’d be late into Wawa, Ont. Sadly, we pulled up at Philly Wawa Hoagie after closing and missed out on their Middle Eastern cuisine – I had really been looking forward to a falafel. We had a depressing gas station dinner that night, with chips for vegetables and cheese strings for protein. But it was worth it for the hike, and I’ve still got a green flag on Philly Wawa Hoagie. Next road trip, I’ll make it there on time.