A few are still missing. As I began to assemble segments of the puzzle, diners, cafes, restaurants, roadside stands, and food festivals took on real dimensions and came alive. In the search, I found regional specialities, ethnic foods, and down-home Americana. I also found a story at every stop, a living chronology of people who made their Amercian Dream come true. Eating places are sold and reopen with new names and new owners.
People retire and death touches long-time highway entrepreneurs.
A few of the restaurants I included are new to Route 66. Others are gone but the memories remain. Occasionally an eating place is off the road by a few blocks or a few miles. But they all have special ties to the highway or to local history. My purpose in writing this cookbook was not to find every piece of the puzzle, but to capture some memories, to whet the appetite, explore the variety, and to save some history that might otherwise be forgotten.