Breakfast on the Road

Subject: Breakfast on the Road
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 21 May 18 - 05:00 AM

As far as I am aware, there are very few of us in the folk scene, if any, who have access to a tour bus to cater for our every whim when traveelibng to folk events - either as a performer or audience.

Several times I have set off in the early hours of the morning, hoping to find somewhere to stop for breakfast.

Are there any breakfast stopping points that spring to mind - other than the chain burger bars, supermarket cafes and motorway service stations?

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 May 18 - 10:43 AM

Do you plan a tour of the U.S.?

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 May 18 - 11:24 AM

Hi, SPB-Cooperator-
The connection of this thread to music was pretty weak, so I moved you over here to non-music. Hope you don't mind.
I like breakfast in the UK and Ireland better than anywhere, but I've always received it as part of my lodging.
In the U.S., we have ubiquitous local coffee shops that serve a pretty good breakfast all day long, and lots of chains that serve breakfast well - like Denny's, Shoney's, the International House of Pancakes (IHOP), Waffle House. Most U.S. motel/hotel chains now serve breakfast with lodging, but rarely is it palatable.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 21 May 18 - 12:21 PM

For me part of the 'joy' of leaving at 4am to get to a gig 200 miles away before lunchtime is stopping of at laybys for tea and a sausage sarnie, or calling at 'greasy spoon' workers cafes. Aahh the chipped mugs. My thought is this could be a useful resource (US and UK) for people setting off form home at unholy hours to get to a gig.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Donuel
Date: 21 May 18 - 02:02 PM

I agree with Joe's last 2 suggestions only

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Rapparee
Date: 21 May 18 - 10:14 PM

Three's always M******d's, an international standard. Not a high standard, but a standard.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 21 May 18 - 11:02 PM

I'm quite glad I was never famous enough to have to get up at 4am. I was usually going to bed about that time after doing the gig in front of the dartboard at some pub or other. sometimes they even stopped playing darts.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 22 May 18 - 03:47 AM

the first time we did Lancaster, we had to get there by lunchtime from London. Me had breakfast in a layby north of Liverpool.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Raggytash
Date: 22 May 18 - 05:13 AM

Maybe you could start something like the Michelin Guide SPB, award Gold, Silver and Bronze Morris Dancers to those that achieve a certain standard!!

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Mr Red
Date: 22 May 18 - 06:32 AM

UK - Oatcuisine Staffordshire Oatcakes, Miles Green, Newcastle under Lyme/Stoke on Trent area. About 10 minutes off the M6. How early is your Breakfast? They open at 7am.

If you haven't tasted them - you should. Best filling is cheese and bacon IMNSHO. Think savoury (more nuetral) pancakes, though they are a good alternative to bread eg for sweet fillings.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Mr Red
Date: 22 May 18 - 07:03 AM

images of Staffordshire Oatcakes

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 22 May 18 - 07:59 AM

In the US - mostly Houston, TX - I've always ignored hotel breakfasts, and gone out to IHOP. The one on Westheimer, close to the junction with Chimney Rock was especially popular, as we generally stayed in the Galleria area, close to our offices.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Charmion
Date: 22 May 18 - 11:16 AM

Travelling to festivals in the States is a long-haul operation for us and, I believe, for most people who attend them. Road food is a major issue.

Himself (my husband, otherwise known here as CET) likes diners and greasy spoons, with their "mile-high" stacks of pancakes, great heaps of fried potatoes, acres of fried pork products, and more eggs than I care to contemplate at that hour, all somewhat undercooked. He has a nostalgic belief in the ability of non-chain restaurateurs to provide excellent food in a pleasant atmosphere. Oh, and coffee. Lots of coffee.

My mileage varies somewhat. I find American road food far too heavy on meat and eggs in general, and fried offerings in particular. Consequently, I don't care much where we eat because I already know that most of it won't appeal to me.

The big chains, such as Denny's, International House of Pancakes (IHOP) and the Waffle House, lean heavily on sweets. I never saw icing sugar or whipped cream on anything cooked and eaten before noon until I started travelling in the States.

Deep down in my heart of hearts, I still think the perfect breakfast comprises firm oatmeal porridge made with salt, a boiled egg (one!), and rather too much tea. Not one single restaurant I have visited in North America has offered this breakfast, or anything like it. It is available only at home, or in Scotland if you ask nicely in a good guest house or B&B.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 22 May 18 - 11:20 AM

" Breakfast on the Road"
Isn't this called "Roadkill"?
Jim Caaarroll

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 22 May 18 - 11:20 AM

" Breakfast on the Road"
Isn't this called "Roadkill"?
Jim Caaarroll

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Charmion
Date: 22 May 18 - 02:38 PM

Jim Caaarroll: only if you are a vulture.

As a member of the hominid genus, I prefer something cooked.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Joe_F
Date: 22 May 18 - 04:13 PM

Charmion: For far too long (I recently turned 80) you caused me to imagine grinding up an egg to mix into the porridge along with the tea.

Mention of Staffordshire made me wonder if lumpytums are commercially available.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: mg
Date: 22 May 18 - 05:22 PM

i love mcdonald's breakfasts. i usually have scrambled eggs..sometimes magnificently cooked, a sausage patty and a diet coke. If I were able to eat more carbs I would definitely have the sausage mcmuffin...

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 22 May 18 - 08:52 PM

I think ahead and make multiple flasks of tea and a pile of butties. If I'm feeling rich, tinned salmon with mayo. If I'm feeling poor, egg and mayo.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 May 18 - 04:36 AM

With the caveat that it is extremely unsociable to eat egg butties in a confined space in the presence of strangers, on a train or bus for example...

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 23 May 18 - 04:37 AM

Thanks for the Oatcuisine tip.


~~~~~~~~~~~

Cyclists are pretty canny with their choice of cafes.
Local groups have their own listings.
Try https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=shire+ctc+cafes and edit the...shire
[If you're early enough your fellow travelers shouldn't be too smelly yet. ;-)]

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 23 May 18 - 11:24 AM

The early morning cramped mini bus from Manchester down to Cornwall,
with minimal stops and an impatient driver,
convinced me that band life on the road and irritable bowel syndrome are not at all compatible...
Far too much stress and discomfort - any food apart from occasional digestive biscuits was out of the question...

The Manchester gig was crap, the Cornish gig was good..
but I couldn't enjoy it because there were no bog rolls or intact toilet seats in the venue...
The rest of the band were enjoying cider and fish n chips,
while I made my excuses and skulked grimly behind the stage...

Such a very long grueling day until I finally got to the overnight accommodation bathroom...

That was effectively my farewell tour...

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: gillymor
Date: 23 May 18 - 02:09 PM

A few decades back when I used to travel across the U.S. by auto you could get a good breakfast of the sausage, egg, bacon, pancake variety at just about any Truck Stop off the interstates or off of any major truck routes at any time of day. I don't eat that kind of food any more and I'm not sure if those places still exist but you might do a bit of research on the net to see what's out there. Yelp or other sites that deal with road food might help.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 May 18 - 02:14 PM

You don't eat bacon? I mean, how wrong can you be...

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: gillymor
Date: 23 May 18 - 03:09 PM

Laugh it up, Steve, while you can. :^)

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: mg
Date: 23 May 18 - 04:09 PM

check out coconut and/or coconut macaroon cookies (they say Archway, which is uS brand) for IBS. it works well for some people, according to peoples' pharmacy.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 May 18 - 06:11 PM

There are still someTransport Cafes around, though sadly not so many as there used to be. First rate fry up breakfasts and great mugs of tea. Best I know is the Red Lodge Cafe in Cambridgeshire. See here.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 May 18 - 10:48 AM

There are levels of breakfast depending on the overnight accommodations. If camping, I usually boiled water the night before, stored in a thermos to use to jump-start making tea and oatmeal at the picnic table on a cook stove.

If in a motel with slim pickings in the area I usually manage to boil water and at least make a cup of tea before heading out in search of food. Motels and hotels with a "continental breakfast" usually have tea fixings and I can add a breakfast pastry to that, and bacon if they've made it, along with fruit or yogurt.

If I'm driving into a small town off of a highway I'll usually bypass the various chain restaurants and see if there are any local establishments. The trick there is to do this early in the morning and look for the most vehicles around it, preferably with local license plates. That means the local residents prefer that spot, and it's usually the best option.

If all else fails, I'll go to someplace like Denny's (open 24 hours). McDonald's is last on my list of places to stop, and if I do, I buy a couple of their baked apple pies and avoid all of the McMuffins and rubber eggs and such.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: leeneia
Date: 25 May 18 - 03:02 PM

What does breakfast matter when you are traveling across country, heading for friends and music, and seeing the scenery? Forget the search for perfection; just eat something and get to the festival.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 25 May 18 - 03:50 PM

Have a solid breakfast and you don't need to worry about finding somewhere to have lunch.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: mg
Date: 25 May 18 - 06:41 PM

I dont search for perfection. I search for balanced.blood sugar. The eggs at my mcdonalds are close to perfection if julia makes.them. Could not get better for ten.dollars. And if i eat breakfast foods they wear out quickly and i need to head into lunch with beef and vegetables and then i am good.for a long time. Everyone has a different metabolism so best not to get too righteous unless you know what hos her their needs are.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 26 May 18 - 04:53 AM

If I eat four Weetabix at nine I'm starving by eleven.

Subject: RE: Breakfast on the Road
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 May 18 - 10:00 AM

I had a banana for breakfast this morning, because the bananas need to be eaten. Quite often I make them into smoothies with yogurt and frozen strawberries. Not possible to make your own (easily) on the road—and because of food allergies, I tend to avoid buying smoothies and other prepared foods in stores.