10 Chef Tips for Better Road Trip Food

Road trip food is wildly different (of course) depending where in the world you are. You might be noshing on onigiri rice pyramids in Japan, jambon beurre (ham and butter) in France or an olive-strewn muffuletta sandwich in New Orleans. 

There are some tasty options beyond a smushed PB&J out there, but they don’t have to be tricky to execute. We reached out to two chefs: Pervaiz Shallwani of national Desi-American street food pop-up Chaat Dog and Josh Sobel of Portland, Maine's Ramona’s (a sandwich shop) and Benny’s (a red-sauce joint). Here are some of their top tips from the road. 

1. Go Easy on the Liquid

Obvious to anyone who has stacked a sandwich with fresh garden tomatoes, then opened their lunch sack an hour later to discover a melting mush of bread and tomato goo, liquids can really ruin an on-the-road meal. “You don’t want too much dressing on a sandwich to go as it’ll sink and get soggy,” says Sobel. (He’ll use a touch of balsamic or red wine vinegar with a little olive oil on most sandwiches.) 

2. Keep It Simple

The unifying feature of onigiri, jambon beurre and a muffuletta? They’re straightforward. Sobel is a fan of that approach, keeping things pretty simple, sandwich-wise, with a cured salami, a hard cheese (like a sharp Provolone, which he loves) or maybe a mustard or mayo. “That way it doesn’t end up all over my car!”

3. Nothing Hot

Though some of us take pride in eating a burger one-handed while turning right on red–in states where it’s legal, natch–Sobel wouldn’t. You can’t, he says, “eat a cheesesteak while driving. You should be able to hold it with one hand and eat it comfortably.” 

4. Don’t Forget Acid

Most of us remember to season our food, including our salads, with (crucial!) salt, but often we forget acid. Same goes for sandwiches. “A nice mustard can be acidic,” Sobel points out, since it usually features a little vinegar. Or he’d use a touch of red wine or balsamic vinegar on the bread, but not too much, lest it get too soggy. Then there’s the old stalwart: “Pickles, pickles are always good.”

5. Unless You’re Intentionally Forgetting Acid

“What about prosciutto and butter sandwiches?” we asked. “OK, those are great,” Sobel agreed. “You can skip [acid] sometimes, for a luxurious, fatty sandwich.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

6. Wax Paper Is Your Friend

To keep everything nice and tidy, Sobel likes to wrap his sandwich in wax paper, which  he can also fold it down as he eats. Need it halved for easier driving? Bust out your sandwich knife from your starter knife set, slice through the whole sandwich, and feel like you own a deli! 

7. Think Beyond Your Go-To Base

Shallwani, whose pop-up Chicago hot dog shop has been a hit in New York City and beyond, admits that as a Dad to two kids, PB&J makes frequent cameos on his road trips. But he also cleans out the fridge when thinking about “go meals.” Bún–room-temperature Vietnamese rice noodles–is one dish he thinks you should keep in mind. “Rice noodles are like gold, dude.” If you’re the sort of person who stops at rest stops with picnic tables to eat, you could easily bust out your nước chấm to toss it together with rice noodles, shredded carrots, cucumbers and herbs. (Or toss in the dipping sauce right before getting in the car. Just remember a fork!) 

8. Consider Summer Rolls

Speaking of rice noodles, don’t overlook summer rolls. Once you’ve built your base, you can go in any direction, says Shallwani, who started riffing on the idea: “Peanut butter sauce, tahini sauce, sesame noodles… Instead of shredding lettuce, use it as a cup. Lettuce is your best friend for everything,” Shallwani said excitedly. “Little Gem or Romaine, all day every day.” 

9. Takeout Is A-OK

Shallwani’s pop-up is a riff on both Chicago dogs and chaat, a South Asian street food that is often quite portable. If your local Indian or Pakistani restaurant does, say, a samosa chaat with all the fixins, you’re golden. Pick it up just before hitting the highway; it’ll be delicious in an hour, and better than the fast food options you’re bound to drive by.

10. So Is Fast Food

No judgment. Sometimes those salty, skinny fries just hit right.