...but not about any of that boring "touring band" stuff (venues, vans, getting paid, etc.)

i want to know about cool shit (local food, stores, attractions, etc.) in the following towns:

pittsburgh, pa
detroit, mi
cincinnati, oh
birmingham, al
tuscaloosa, al
new orleans, la
dallas/fort worth, tx
austin, tx
san antonio, tx
albuquerque, nm
oklahoma city/norman, ok
columbia, mo
st. louis, mo
chicago, il
bloomington, in

obviously, we've been to a couple of these places and know a thing or two about them already (like p-burgh, cincy, and chicago), but i'm banking that you know something awesome that we don't.

also, the routing here is pretty close to accurate, so if you know of anything cool in a town we'll be passing through or very nearby, throw that in here too. i don't have any problems with driving 20 miles out of the way to get the best fried chicken in the world.

please, have at. thanks...

i say sweep through ann arbor between detroit/cincinnati and go to Crazy Jim's Blimpy Burger



you can catch me hungover eating onion rings at about 3:45

tell d.b. to get details from me if you're interested

wellallihave to suggest is to make uninformed political statements to every group of ohsopoor ignorant pissants that happen to make the drudgerous trek across your determined path and if they're too stoopid to agree with you just spit your enlightening saliva right in their pinched faces and praise your socialist 101 jesus.

if you're in a noise band this would all make sense.

In Tuscaloosa, unless you're a commie pinko twig-muncher, you won't find any better BBQ in the whole wide world (and I'm talking to YOU, North Carolina) than Dreamland.

I think people have talked about it here before, but when you're in St. Louis, check out the City Museum. It's the Cedar Point of museums, and you'll know what I mean when you go there. And you really need to get a concrete from Ted Drewes on old Rt. 66. Oh, and avoid their "pizza" like the plague, especially if it's from Imo's. I'm serious about this.

In Albuquerque, swing a dead cat and hit an amazing restaurant (although you can't go wrong at the Frontier near UNM) and eat chicharones at least once in your life.

I've talked it up a million times, but I'll say it again: Justin, check out . You will find information about all sorts of awesome strangeness there.

If you're looking for BBQ in Texas go to the Salt Lick, it's 15 to 20 minutes from downtown Austin.

http://www.saltlickbbq.com/

If you've got an extra hour to kick around in Dallas the Sixth Floor Museum is worth the $13.50.

http://www.jfk.org/

Burgers in Chicago? Try here.

http://www.kumas-corner.com/food.html

I haven't been here myself, but I've heard nothing but very, very good things about their sandwiches (which are named after metal bands, so they got that going for them).

pittsburgh, pa
is eide's record store still around there? it rules, like nothing columbus had . . .

detroit, mi
for pizza, go to niki's pizza in greektown. get the gyrolamb as a topping (feta, too, if you like) and enjoy one of my fondest memories of living there.

for a fullbore meal, go to xochimilco's in mexiantown (yes, it's really called that) and order ANYTHING. it's all amazing, there's a TON of food on every plate, and they're open late as hell. i usually go in for some kind of chorizo-based-breakfast meal after shows up there

cincinnati, oh
just eat at skyline. seriously. it's completely different that anywhere else in the US.
la rosa's pizza is a good rec, too . . .

austin, tx
stubb's bbq. like the bottled sauce? it came from here.


albuquerque, nm
just make sure to ask where to get good "new mexican" food, and you'll be in heaven.

st. louis, mo
their li'l hip district is called "the loop" and is full of good shit. find the llop, and then you'll notice there's like 9 badass looking thai places all around you. eat at any of them. their all owned by the same family, share a lot of recipes, and have amazing food. you can eat at the one that looks like a fast food place and get the same satay they serve inther fine dining one. and it's sooo good.
also, check out vintage vinyl. mind blowing

chicago, il
giordanos pizza must not be missed. get the stuffed with double sausage and onion, and bring me back half of it.
over near lincoln park, my favorite place in all of chicago is delicious and fairly cheap: la creperie. i never thought i could eat crepes every day, until i ate there. the owner's granddad came over from france, and started making crepes for the locals, and it's been the family business ever since. the dessert one's are fantastic, too . . .
and if you've got time to kill, shopping around halstead is always fun (remember when the short north was the "gay" district? it's like that, times 1000, but with comic nerd shit in every gay-themed giftshoppe. seriously. equal parts wizard of oz and batman). lot's of cool stores, bondage shops and sextoy galleries, too.


enjoy your trip, and bring me back on of those high on fire burgers as well. . .

I also really like a BBQ place on 6th St. in Austin called the Jackalope.