It's the end of an era. I couldn't believe it when I heard that the I-55 Auto/Truck Plaza at exit 257 in Joliet, Illinois is closing on November 3. A fixture on I-55 for more than 30 years, developers are tearing down our little spot of comfort to build another concrete shopping center.  I've spent a lot of time driving between the Windy City and the Gateway. The Joliet stop was a good place to fuel up -- both me and the rig -- before tackling Chicago traffic or making the run down to St. Louis. Boasting 180 truck parking spaces, there was usually room for one more rig. You could catch a few winks when you needed to, touch base with your buds and catch up on the news. I'm going to miss it.

I was saddened to read that Bob Evans died last week. As a personal memorial to the king of comfort food, I ate at a Bob Evans restaurant just off I-71 in Ohio Sunday. I walked past the oversized American flag flying at half-staff. I joined the crowd of locals in their church finery, families on vacation, and some trucking buddies for a memorial breakfast to honor a man who started his career with the simple wish to serve breakfast to truckers at all hours.

Just after World War II, Bob Evans opened a small restaurant next to a truck stop in southern Ohio. His sign read: "No beer, just fine food." You could get a great farm breakfast no matter what time you pulled in. The service was friendly, the coffee was hot and rich, and the pie kept you coming back!

When he couldn't find sausage that he liked, Evans started making his own, using "all the hams and tenderloins." It was so popular with truckers, he sold it in carryout tubs. Over the years Evans built his business into a retail sausage giant and chain of family restaurants. Bob Evans was a trucker's friend and set a new standard for truck stop food. My buddies and I ordered the Farmer's Breakfast with an extra order of sausage. Just seemed like the thing to do. Thanks, Bob. We'll miss you.

If you're tired of the usual truck stop fare, Roadfood.com tells you where to find local gems hidden along the highways and back roads of America. You'll find state-by-state listings of great regional meals cooked by America's shirt-sleeved culinary folk artists. These are the restaurants that through word-of-mouth have become local icons. The chefs wear grease-stained aprons instead of tall white hats and prepare delicious rib-sticking meals that keep the locals coming back for more -- without draining their wallets.

On Roadfood.com, you won't find snooty reviews by prissy newspaper gourmets talking about ambience and pastel table settings. This is no Zagat Survey. The reviews on Roadfood.com are written by ordinary folks like you and me -- truckers, salesmen, motorhome denizens and other fellow highway travelers. Comprehensive reviews rate the food and atmosphere (with reviewers favoring the eclectic), provide a "must eats" list of signature dishes with prices, and include a bit of local history. Mouth-watering pictures of popular dishes accompany each listing. Reviewers tell you whether they'd visit the restaurant again and, out of a possible 30, how many miles they'd drive to eat there.

You can access the listings and reviews on Roadfood.com free, and, with a brief free registration, can submit comments, reviews and photos. For a $19.95 annual subscription to Roadfood Insider you can download all of the site's reviews for printing or transferring to PDA, laptop or flash memory drive. Insider also provides internet interfaces that allow you to get directions to restaurants using online maps, Google Earth or GPS coordinates.

When you're on the road this week, check out Roadfood.com and sample one of America's great neighborhood eateries. You're guaranteed to find tasty food, interesting companions, and some colorful atmosphere to go with a great cup of coffee and a delicious slice of homemade pie. Sure beats a burger and fries on the back lot!