A cornucopia for road warriors and armchair epicures alike,  Roadfood  is a road map to some of the tastiest treasures in the United States. First published in 1977, the original Roadfood became an instant classic. James Beard said, "This is a book that you should carry with you, no matter where you are going in these United States. It's a treasure house of information." The 40th anniversary edition of Roadfood includes 1,000 of America's best local eateries along highways and back roads, with nearly 200 new listings, as well as a brand new design. Filled with enticing alternatives for chain-weary-travelers, Roadfood provides descriptions of and directions to (complete with regional maps) the best lobster shacks on the East Coast; the ultimate barbecue joints down South; the most indulgent steak houses in the Midwest; and dozens of top-notch diners, hotdog stands, ice-cream parlors, and uniquely regional finds in between. Each entry delves into the folkways of a restaurant's locale as well as the dining experience itself, and each is written in the Sterns' entertaining and colorful style.  "The bible for motorists seeking mouthwatering barbecue or homemade pie." -  USA Today "Praised by the Splendid Table , Gourmet , and original American gourmand James Beard, the book is both food guide and anthropological exploration of America’s mostly rural foodways. It’s also...an extremely compelling argument to plan a road trip across a region or even the country. If you don’t already own a copy, or if yours is more than a decade old, now’s the time to put this in your shopping cart." -- Eater JANE and MICHAEL STERN are the authors of more than twenty books about America. Their Roadfood column for Gourmet has won three James Beard Awards. Their Roadfood segments appear regularly on the Television Food Network, and their website, www.roadfood.com , was selected 2001 site of the year by Yahoo. Also regular contributors to NPR’s "The Splendid Table," the Sterns live in West Redding, Connecticut. Connecticut Abbott's Lobster In the Rough 117 Pearl St ./ 860-536-7719 Noank, CT/LD / May-Labor Day, then weekends through mid-October / $$ Abbott's is renowned for chowder and lobsters, both of which have defined seafood excellence in eastern Connecticut for decades. The chowder is a style unique to southern New England shores: steel-gray, briny, full of clam flavor, plenty of clam meat, and a handful of potatoes; and the lobsters are steamed to perfection. But beyond these glories, Abbott's posted menu suggests a whole range of other fine seafood items: steamers, mussels, clams and/or oysters on the half-shell, hot lobster rolls that are nothing but buttered pink meat on a bun, lobster salad rolls (cool, bound with mayonnaise), crab rolls (hot or cold), and shrimp salad rolls. There is even broiled chicken for the lost soul who finds himself at this great seafood restaurant craving poultry. Abbott's is a very pretty place to dine al fresco. Seating is at bare wooden tables (although civilized sorts bring their own tablecloths as well as their own wine); the air is filled with the salt smell of shore breezes, and background music is provided by gulls screeching in the sky (but kept away from the tables by invisible netting). Chez Lenard Main St./ No phone Ridgefield, CT/ LD / $ Chez Lenard of Ridgefield has no address and no phone number. It is a sidewalk cart on Main Street with no tables or chairs. Accommodations for dining include sidewalk standing room and Ballard Park across the street. Some car customers pull to the curb, toot their horn, and get their meal delivered to the window without ever leaving the driver's seat. Despite the lack of amenities, Chez Lenard is indubitably high tone. When the original "Lenard," a Manhattan rat-race refugee, parked his cart here in 1978, he established an urbane ambience with a French accent that has thrived under subsequent proprietors' incumbency. Citizens of Ridgefield have come to treasure the happy incongruity of a man in a billowy chef's toque exclaiming "oo-la-la!" as he slathers on hot relish, or "merci beaucoup" when making change. The blackboard menu lists such exotic-sounding delights as "Le Hot Dog Choucroute Alsacienne" (with sauerkraut and mustard), "Le Hot Dog Excelsior Veneziano" (with Italian peppers and sauteed onions), and "Le Hot Dog Facon Mexicaine" (a chili dog). The dogs themselves, plucked with tongs from a hot water bath in the cart, are magnifiques: kosher all-beef franks with a taut casing and firm insides, long enough to stick out from both ends of the bun, and buxom enough that a pair of "Supremes" (with mustard, relish, ketchup, and chopped onions) with a can of Dr. Brown's soda make an immensely satisfying meal. Chez Lenard is open year-round, every day except Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas or when the weather is extremely awful. "I am pitied in the winter," says proprietor Chad Cohen. "But I am envied in the summer.