+1. I haven't been in a long time, but I'm craving a giant green chile burger so I may stop when I'm in town next month. ^

I saw this thread and was going to say El Bulli. Outside BCN? Like a couple hours outside BCN. It's not even fair to say that it's in Roses. It's outside of Roses, a drive outside the town a ways along a windy cliff with the Meditteranean on either side... don't drive yourself back from the restaurant in darkness after a 5 hour meal replete with good Cava...!

There's also a lovely restaurant on a coffee plantation in Munduk where I had the absolutely best fried bananas...

Not during rush hour. I-83 from JHU to the Shawan Rd (in order to avoid York Rd) exit took 45 minutes alone.

Backstreets Restaurant: Blacksburg, VA
 

In a college town, this might be a diamond in the rough (and it's true, the stuff around a college town is just a headache). This is sort of a family restaurant mixed with pizzeria mixed with a lot of college students. And this place is always packed on the weekends, because the food is just that good. I would recommend the Chicago deep dish pizza. The prices are decent and waiters were efficient (if not chatty). Backstreets Restaurant is located across the road from the Blacksburg Library (somebody who is from that area please tell me if that is an accurate description) on South Main St.

Round our way (East of England) there's a mix of old-school restaurants that have survived through sheer quality, and newer ones that have been established to revive the fortunes of struggling pubs.

An example of the former is the wonderful Le Talbooth in Stratford St Mary, Essex, close to the Suffolk border.

Several (much more local to me) examples of the latter are the Hare and Hounds in Old Warden, a bizarre village in Bedfordshire, built in the style of a Swiss village, complete with an air museum, garden, falconry centre and agricultural college. There's also the Three Horseshoes in Madingley, towards Cambridge.

Rush hour is another matter and, like I said, you would have to be driving really slow as often happens during rush hour. It is definitely not an hour north of Baltimore.

Huckleberry Cafe - Louisville, CO Best. Breakfast. Ever.

La Cavatappi. Varenna, Italy. Mom and Pop restaurant that seats no more than 12 people. Food is outstanding and local. Wine selection, mostly local, is also top-notch. The Chef greets you as you walk in, takes the orders, and then cooks the food in the open kitchen. A real treat and worth the diversion if visitng Lake Como.^

I had to laugh about some of the places considered 'in the middle of nowhere', but thanks for the tip on the A & M Cafe at Interior near Badlands. We ate breakfast at the Badlands National Park vendor's cafe (I believe the only place to eat in the park?) a couple of years ago & even Mr. hat attack, who loves anything breakfast related, agreed it was remarkably awful. It is pretty hard to mess up everything on a breakfast plate!

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Doe's Eat Place in Greenville, Ms & Paducah, KY. These are the original family owned places, but I understand they've opened some franchises lately.

Chope's in La Mesa, NM is one of my favorite middle-of-nowhere places. Maybe it's because I was in college when I regularly frequented the place and 40 oz. of beer only cost $2 back then. Be sure to eat in the bar, not the restaurant: http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writ...=401&RefID=401

At the higher end of the ambience chain is Bistro on the Bayou in Alexandria, LA. The food is consistently good (don't miss the raspberry and white chocolate bread pudding for dessert): http://www.bistroonthebayou.com/

Ooops, sorry, a duplicate post.

Osteria Alla Frasca in the middle of nowhere in the north central part of Venice. it is a garage sort of building 1 room, 1 table, the kitchen is open, a 4 burner stove and space for the cook to stand. there are 2 tables in the small court(corta della carita).

you might accidental upon it if you are walking from fondementa nouva to st marks.

I'd like to add The Inn at Little Washington to the list. I've never eaten there, but have heard it's one of the finest restaurants in the country. It's located 67 miles to the west of Washington DC.

It's won the following awards:

The Inn was the first establishment in the Mobil Travel Guide’s history ever to receive 5 stars for its restaurant and 5 stars for its accommodation.

The Inn was the first establishment ever to receive AAA’s highest accolade, the 5 Diamond Award, for both food and accommodation.

The Inn at Little Washington, and Chef Patrick O’Connell, has received 5 James Beard Awards including: Best Service, Best Wine List, Restaurant of the Year, Best Chef in the Mid–Atlantic and Chef of the Year.

The Inn has been rated one of the Top 10 Best Restaurants in the World by The International Herald Tribune.

The Inn at Little Washington dining room is rated number 1 in America by the Zagat U.S. Hotel Survey. The Inn has been rated number one in all categories (food, dècor and service) of Zagat’s Washington DC restaurant survey for the past 14 years.

The Inn’s dining room has been rated #1 in North America, and #2 in the World, by Travel + Leisure Magazine’s ‘World’s Best Awards’.

The Inn has been awarded Wine Spectator magazine’s “Grand Award” for its wine list every year since 1995. (i believe this is the only place that has won every year the award has been available)

The Inn at Little Washington is a member of Relais and Chateaux and their restaurant group Relais Gourmand. Chef Patrick O’Connell is the president of the North Atlantic Relais Gourmand and serves on the International Board of Directors.

Robert Mondavi awarded Patrick O’Connell the Mondavi Award for Culinary Excellence and labeled him “the Pope of American Cuisine”.

The Inn received Cigar Aficionado’s “Grand Cru” award for its wine list.

The Inn received the “Readers Top Table” award in Gourmet’s Restaurant Issue.

Rendezvous des Pecheurs, St.-Merd-de-Lapleau, Correze.
A first-rate big-city meal half an hour from Argentat, the
nearest big city. Terrific fish (surprise, surprise).

Eiginsinn Farm, in Singhampton, Ontario. Made the top 50 best restaurants list a few times (debuting at #9 in 2002).