I'm a food snob, but hopefully not an insufferable one. I won't go to a southern/soul food restaurant if I'm north of Richmond, west of Houston or south of Tampa. No creole if >100 miles from MSY.

I had some really foul "Mexican" food in Burlington, VT with 3 co-workers from SF. While selecting the restaurant 1 of the 3 said, "being from the Bay Area we should not attempt to get good Asian or Mexican food while we're away." Alas, the expense report approver wanted Margaritas. Too bad they didn't mask the flavor of the food.

I'll eat at chains: Yes I have gotten good subs at Subway; Wendy's jr bacon cheese is delicious and an excellent value; I and all the characters from the late Larry Brown's novels will fight you if you try to keep us away from Waffle House. But the only time you'll find me in a Golden Corral is when one of the suthurn jr's makes a special request.

I seek out local flavor when I travel. I use chowhound.com, Zagat.com & FT to find wonderful resturants, but I will never again trust a newspaper restaurant review or rating. I suppose I'd ask a concierge if I stayed in better hotels.