We make this drive all the time shuttling between nocal/socal.
AYCE split pea soup isn’t what my family wants although I think it’s fine enough, and you can just pick up some of the dry bags there and do it at home when you really want to relax and spend some time.
my few tips besides driving straight through as best as possible and dining on bugles, twizzlers and snapple are
Dont ever stop in Buttonwillow - that spot is fucking cursed. idk, tires mysteriously go flat, timing belts break…
the in and out kettlemen city is decent, but if you stop during actual lunch hours complete waste of time.
personally i find the harris ranch kind of smelly and depressing and the vegetarians in my car will not ever permit that anymore BUT if you’re a fan of corned beef hash and eggs, it doesn’t get any better than this
there’s a ton of indian food now on the 5 especially near Bakersfield. for a longer stop if needed id be curious to know what the better spots are.
Even if you’re not a pea soup fan, it’s worth stopping in for (a) the kitschy gift shop and (b) the takeout counter with the pastries, including Danish and cinnamon rolls. They also have regular sandwiches and such.
I’m sorry Copenhagen Bakery didn’t make it in Pasadena (such wonderful pastries!) but not surprised with the location they ended up at (on the north side of Colorado Blvd, just east of Rosemead). Imagine the rent was affordable but with no walking traffic … .
I can’t speak for their whole menu but the Bravo Farms at Kettleman City has very good and large salads. Also good onion rings (don’t ask). It’s kindof a bizarre location. More humongous gift shop than restaurant. We’ve stopped a few times and it’s always pretty empty in the restaurant area, which could be a commentary on the rest of the menu, which is BBQ focused. It’s right near the In-n-Out, which may be more reason.
We’ve also been to their location at the Tulare Outlets off Highway 99 in Tulare. That location is more like a restaurant and has been pretty busy when we’ve been there.
Sorry, but I’m asking anyway, as I’ll go out of my way for good onion rings. I see good ones so rarely that I can’t even offer an example of a place that has them. IME, a great onion ring should be breaded rather than battered (tempura need not apply), and if the coating isn’t visually perfect and parts fall off or the onion shows through, that’s OK and is often a good sign. It also needs to have a pronounced onion flavor – I’ve had ones that look good, but have no discernible onion flavor (I’m looking at you, Habit). Why anyone would think that having onion rings with mild or no flavor is a good thing, is a question I can’t answer.
If Outback’s Bloomin’ Onion came in regular onion-ring form, but with far less salt, that would be my idea of a perfect onion ring. What can I say – I’m hard to please.
I’m not an onion ring connoisseur so I can’t really get into the finer points. I just know the rings were cut to 3/4” or so width, weren’t burnt, and the coating didn’t come away from the onion when you bit through. Those are my measures. Their offer beer battered fries so I’d presume the onion rings are beer battered as well.
I should’ve said, “IMO”. It’s simply a matter of personal preference – I’m not a fan of beer batter or tempura. What’s perfect for me is a thin breading.
I actually prefer a thinner, more brittle cornmeal-type breading, which were sort of the onion rings of my youth. Most of the breaded ones these days have thick breading, of which I’m less of a fan. Or to look at it another way, Sysco and their ilk have “improved” onion rings over the years by making the breading thicker so it all stays in one piece and completely encases the onion. I may be in the minority, but I don’t see that as a plus – especially when I take a bite, and the onion slips out of its breading completely. I then find myself with a mouthful of onion and a handful of “empty” ring.
I sometimes feel like I’m chasing something that only exists in my memory, although the kind of breading that’s on the Bloomin’ Onion tells me that what I’m after is still possible.
I don’t think so, unless I’m using the terms incorrectly. Here’s what the Outback site says:
“What do you get when you cut an onion into 200 perfect petals, then bread and deep-fry it to golden goodness?”
Some I-5 suggestions if driving all the way to OC: Al and Bea’s, Sichuan Impression (OC) and Fogo de Chao. I just driving from OC to SF and saw all these on I-5 as I was passing them by on Google Maps.
