Click for larger view.

It’s no secret that we take our eating and drinking seriously, especially when traveling. In 2013 we traveled over 7,000 miles and visited 17 states. We have an unwritten road trip rule that we will not eat at any chain restaurants. That leads to us discovering a lot of great local eating establishments and watering holes. It proves you don’t need to be in a big food snob city to have an amazing meal. For example, one of the best charcuterie plates we’ve ever had was in Fargo, North Dakota. Who knew? So, in no particular order … here’s what tickled our palates most memorably in 2013.

Neil’s Best Food:
Bourbon & Coke Pork Bahn Mi Tacos – Woodshed Smokehouse, Fort Worth, TX
Watermelon Caprese – Pepper Sprout, Dubuque, IA
Beef Stroganoff – Depot Grill & Pub, North Platte, NE
Mint Pie – Hays House, Council Grove, KS
Wild Rice Hot Dish – Douglas Lodge, Lake Itasca, MN
Warm Pretzels – Potosi Brewing, Potosi, WI
Gumbo – Augusta, Oxford, IA
Molasses Spiced Elk Loin  – Mural Room, Jackson Lake Lodge, WY

Nick’s Best Food:
Charcuterie – HoDo, Fargo, ND
Tootsie’s Cinnamon Rolls (homemade by Tootsie herself) – The Eatery, Rockport, WA
Sweet Potato Fries – Root Down, Denver, CO
Candied Bacon – Café Genevieve, Jackson, WY
Elk Chop with Blueberry Sauce – Bohemia, Hot Springs, AR
Montana Meatloaf – Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier National Park, MT
Italian Lemon Cream Cake – Nicola’s, Omaha, NE

Neil’s Best Drinks:
Huckleberry Shake – Huckleberry Patch, St. Regis, MT
Summer Daze Doppelweiss – Red Lodge Ales, Red Lodge, MT
Espresso Oak Aged Yeti – Great Divide Brewing, Denver, CO
Brain Drain – Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge, Milwaukee, WI

Nick’s Best Drinks:
Pumpkin Pie Martini – Pepper Sprout, Dubuque, IA
Serendipity – New Glarus Brewing, New Glarus, WI
Wild Huckleberry Wheat Lager – Great Northern Brewing, Whitefish, MT
Witch Hazel – Blue Jacket, Milwaukee, WI

Tootsie’s cinnamon roll, candied bacon, Wild Huckleberry Wheat Lager, mint pie, Great Divide beer sampling, Charcuterie