Road Foods of RAGBRAI

Continuing comments from the world that is RAGBRAI.

Over the years, we've developed a list of the regular food vendors you see year in and year out.  Some are good, some are great, and some are things you just can't do every day.  While the big vendors aren't actually a formal part of the organization, they are a part of RAGBRAI life on the road. I'm still not sure whether the 'regular' vendors get 'tipped' by the organizers about the route, or if they just hit the road as soon as the route is announced to secure their spots in pass-through or overnight towns, and along the route each day.  These tents, grills and trucks pack it up every day, reload their provisions and move 50-75 miles down the road to do it again.  No 'chains', no pre-packaged, no mixes.  It's fresh, real, and fairly priced.
Some of our favorites, listed here somewhat in the order that they appear along the route each day.

Farm Boys - usually within the first 5-10 miles of the day.  Breakfast burritos, coffee, pancakes - basically a full service breakfast.  The food is good, but the lines are generally 100 deep (or more) at 6:30 in the morning.  I can't imagine what they are like at 8:00.  This is *the* place to get a cure for the hangover you earned the night before.

Service club breakfast - in the first town or two along the route there is almost always a Rotary, Lions, VFW, or fire hall that's serving breakfast.  Usually a much shorter line than Farm Boys, just without the name.

Almost every town will have numerous vendors, both local and part of the 'traveling circus' doing everything from pop and water to full service meals.  Most bars will have a special, gas stations and groceries overstock, and Hy-Vee runs specials, brings in *pallets* of ice, beer, water, tons of bananas, dinner specials, lunch specials, special specials.  We love Hy-Vee.

Mr. Pork Chop - I've honestly never stopped for Mr Pork Chop.  The idea of having a 10 or 12 ounce pork chop sit on my stomach at 10:00 in the morning has never even remotely appealed to me.  I'll rely on friends with good taste in pork, and more of a cast iron stomach to tell me he does a really good job - cooked right, not undercooked, juicy and tender.  According to my taster friend, 'a helluva lot better than porkchop on a stick at the State Fair'.  Mr Pork Chop can usually be found somewhere around the halfway point of the ride, plus or minus about 20 miles.  Easy to spot - they'll put out signs at 5 miles and 1 mile out, and there is always a smoke cloud coming off the grill. Real fire, real food.

Tender Tom's Turkey - Another one that I can't honestly evaluate.  Tender Tom's Turkey legs are a staple, always a line, and well regarded by a couple of carnivores that I call friends. Mind you they think beer is PBR or Grain Belt, and haven't really discovered craft brewing as a lifestyle.

Church lady pie - word spreads through town about who has the best pie, best cinnamon rolls, and best sloppy joes (or Maid Rites).  I'll often have pie for a mid-ride stop, or if it's really hot, maybe a smoothie.

Smoothies - the hardest choice is deciding between vendors.  There is almost always a smoothie vendor, maybe 3 in any town along the route.  It's just a matter of walking past, figuring out who is using a mixture of fruit you like.  Mostly, it's going to be bananas, OJ, frozen strawberries, and pineapple (fresh or frozen) and maybe some berries of some kind.  And if it's warm, there will be a line.

Pastafaria - (retired, gone, not forgotten, dammit) - Our favorite stop along the route.  I would plan lunch on the longer days for Pastafaria.  They had two choices, penne with pesto, or penne with arrabbiatta (spicy red).  A full paper boat of their stuff would get you home.  I keep hope that someone will fill this void - good food for riding, Flying Spaghetti Monsters

Farm stands - all along the route, there are dozens of farm kids out selling gatorade, powerade, water, bananas, homemade cookes, powerbars - basically anything that might sell.  Pick the right location and product mix, and an enterprising 4H'er can pull in a thousand bucks or more.  Pick the wrong one, and it can be a looooong day.  The best stands are just at the crest of the hill, and toward the end of a long section in between towns.  The ones you feel the most sorry for are the ones halfway down a hill, or just before/after a town.  Have a nice lawn? Shade? Chairs? A petting zoo? Friendly Golden Retrievers? Antique farm machinery? People will come, Ray. People will come.

And then there's Beekman's.  What bike ride would be complete without ice cream. And what could possibly be better than ice cream that's made in churns powered by a STEAM ENGINE???  And it's really, really good ice cream.  I can't do (or afford) Beekman's every day, but on the longer days, when the wind is blowing in your face and the road isn't smooth, it's a real treat.

Such a creative anachronism.  Note the solar panel mounted on the engine.