Anonymous wrote:I made the mistake once of flying into a small Midwestern town on a Sunday night. Barely any options for dinner.

I usually like to do research on recommended places on Yelp and take advantage - if the South, it might be a barbecue joint. If a major city, I try to check out a place from a best of list. Sometimes it does end up being a mediocre chain if it is late and a small town.

One of my first ever work trips was to a small town in the Inland Empire. My hotel was in a strip mall with a microbrewery and when they were closing down at 10pm I asked the bartender where would be a good place to get some food and he laughed and pointed at the Jack in the Box across the street and said "you just missed it!"

I thought he was joking so I said "no seriously I'm hungry, where can I get some dinner" and he was like "I was serious, Jack in the Box is the only place in town open after 9 and they just closed."

This was pre-Ubereats (not sure it would have made a difference anyway) so my stomach learned a lesson that night.

It depends on if I am paying or client is paying. If client, I will get room service b/c it’s easier for billing purposes or I book a hotel with a good restaurant with local/regional food. If I’m paying, I get a really good coffee and pastry in the morning, and probably a nice dinner at a local/regional place or “ethnic” cuisine I don’t cook at home (had to go to Houston recently and ate some excellent South Indian food). I’m traveling to Portland for a few days and am getting excited about finding some good places (and a glass or two of good wine).

I made the mistake once of flying into a small Midwestern town on a Sunday night. Barely any options for dinner.

I usually like to do research on recommended places on Yelp and take advantage - if the South, it might be a barbecue joint. If a major city, I try to check out a place from a best of list. Sometimes it does end up being a mediocre chain if it is late and a small town.