Restaurants in the middle of nowhere that are EXCELLENT
 

Milton Inn: Sparks, MD

Mrs. mjcewl and I had the pleasure of being guests here recently. This really isn't in the middle of nowhere but it was at least an hour north of Baltimore located in Sparks, MD. The dining room was very elegant, the waiter professional and the food exquisite. Might I recommend the Smoked Salmon Rose to start (a slight zing to a well cooked fish), Apple Saturene and Pork Chop (Almost the best pork chops I've ever had), and don't forget the Wild Mushroom Risotto ^

I might add that we easily spent $150 on the both of us. We asked the waiter to surprise us with a red wine selection and while it was spot on, it was about $20.

What are some of your excellent restaurants in the middle of nowhere? :D

The Brie Marie Inn in Sayre, PA (Sayre is sorta half way between Elmira and Binghamton, NY...but on the PA side of the border). The Brie Marie is a nice B&B. There are two sides to the restaurant...a 'formal' side and the 'bar' side. I prefer the bar side since it's more casual and comfortable. But the food is quite unexpected.

I wouldn't hesitate to eat there. (I love the pork chops here too)

While I don't have a fancy link, mine and MrsPhilly's would be "Spring Valley Inn", in center valley,pa!

This is an old tavern (from 1700's, IIRC) that specializes in 2 areas. First is oyster stew, and the second is ANYTHING trout. They have a fresh trout pond, and serve trout any way you would like it, with about 15 different ways on the menu. They also have an extensive seafood list on the menu.

Wine list is ok (MrsP likes inexpensive wine anyway) with the normal bottles in the $12-$30 range. Now that all of pennsylvania is NONsmoking, the experience is even better!!!

Dinner for two-main plate, soup, salad, bread, bottle of wine-including tip is around $70! Location is 1:15 north of philly, 25 min south of allentown, in a VERY scenic and rural setting.

i think the majority of the michelin starred restaurants in france are in the middle of no where. lot of them in italy also.

the Milton Inn is frequented by Robert Parker. the area around sparks is probably the wealthiest in the baltimore area.

a bunch of the Inns in VA are held in quite high regard.

Simply put: that is quite the understatement @:-)

Jimmy's Grille in Bridgeville, Delaware
 

Jimmy is a big-city chef who returned home and opened a diner on Rt. 404 featuring regional 'home cooking'. Bridgeville is in "slower lower Delaware", the middle of a major chicken production region, so both the fried chicken and chicken and dumplings here are superb. It's near Chesapeake Bay so check out the crab dishes on the menu as well. If you're there around breakfast time, try the pancakes.

And if they serve lemon pie in heaven, it's catered by Jimmy's.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/164548

Curtis All American BBQ , Exit 4 off I-91 in Putney, Vermont


.......just 'down the road' , Top of the Hill Grill, Rt-5, Brattleboro, VT

middle of nowhere = El Paso

There are some very good restaurants around here ;)

El Bulli (outside Barcelona), French Laundry (Yountville, CA), and The Fat Duck (Bray, outside London)--do these count?

A couple come to mind:

The Bluberry Hill Inn - Goshen, VT

A & M Cafe (no website) - Interior, SD (this town has a population of 67) This is a tiny "town" on the borders of the Badlands, but is really well known for the flatbread that's made at the A&M Cafe. It's been featured on The Food Network as the country's best flatbread...been there a number of times myself (family relocated out there a number of years ago), and I can attest it's quite tasty.

Bobcat Bite Cafe - Santa Fe, NM (technically, but it's outside of town in the desert) These guys are known for their hamburger - which is widely considered one of, if not the best in the country. Been highlighted by GQ, New York Times, Gourmet, Travel Channel, Food Network, etc. Make sure to call ahead if you're going, they will sometimes close without much notice...I've stopped by 3x now when they've had "vacations".

You would have to be driving really slow for it to take an hour to get to Sparks.

Station Break Cafe in Wilmerding, PA. Extensive beer selection, a farm raised game appetizer and your name on the matchbook if you phone ahead for ressies.

Hell's Backbone Grill: Boulder, Utah

Sammy's New Cowboy Bistrot: Talent, Oregon

Middendorf's is in Manchac, LA. Unfortunately they were hit with flooding during Ike.

http://www.middendorfsrestaurant.com/

I'm going to have to try it some weekend... I've never even heard of it and I drive through Wilmerding occasionally.

+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).

Patti's Settlement 1880's in Grand Rivers (no chance of cell phone signal), KY is known for 2" thick pork chops and huge pies:

http://www.pattis-settlement.com/

Not too far off Interstate 24, South of Paducah. Not fine dining but good eating.

See Wee Restaurant Awendaw, South Carolina.

Outside Charleston, South Carolina

Sounds like Orsini's
 

This description sounds much like Orsini's, in the mountains outside Aviano, Italy. A wonderful experience!

The Belfry in Montgomery Center, Vermont, near Jay Peak ski resort. Very much in the middle of nowhere. Really great food in a comfortable atmosphere, perfect after skiing.

So many great restaurants there!! We keep thinking of making a food pilgimage some weekend. Cattleman's, State Line, Little Diner (ok so it's canutillo), Forti's... Lots of other great little places too.

Cafe Roka - Bisbee AZ (90 miles SE of Tucson)
Crooks Corner - Chapel Hill NC

A little place called Macocho, in the Peruvian beach town of Huanchaco, a few kilometres north of Trujillo, 500 km north of Lima. Excellent Peruvian-Chinese fusion seafood. Unfortunately the owner died a couple of years ago but his son soldiers on.

Ellen's
 

In Buellton, CA. Fabulous breakfasts, best hash browns anywhere (loaded with good old butter!) and have the side of a single Danish pancake rather than bread and you will not need lunch. Great lunches too, large portions at a very fair price and all waiters are very friendly

Erna's Elderberry House
 

In Oakhurst, CA, on the way to the south entrance to Yosemite.

Outstanding meal. Plan an overnight at the adjacent Inn, feast at Erna's, you won't regret it.


http://www.elderberryhouse.com/eehmain.html

Primo in Rockland, Maine. All fresh local materials. The chief and co-owner (maybe complete owner) is a James Beard award winner and trained at Chez Panisse early in her career. The baker, and I think other co-owner trained at Acme Bakery in Berkeley when he was young. Really, really good place.

Another, in the UK, is Gidleigh Park in Devon. Michelin two star last I checked. Some have said the only reason it isnt 3 star is that it is too casual. In a largish B&B but serves dinner to others. Stunning local food. Both are comparable to high end restaurants in NY or Paris. Primo is a real bargain because of location. Gidleigh Park not so for Americans because of the currency exchange rate.