Michael & Jane Stern

Since 1971, Michael and Jane Stern have had a unique career. They invented the genre known as Roadfood, finding great little known regional cafes, diners and barbecue pits from coast to coast. Coming form academic backgrounds, they reinvented themselves as blue highway travelers and have gone more than four million miles together. This entertaining keynote includes a lot of humor and will disclose their adventures and misadventures over the course of the 72,427 meals they have eaten together.

American food is constantly changing, and Jane and Michael Stern have seen the revolution up close and personal. In their thirty years as food writers, they have seen America go from a nation in search of continental sophistication to the most exciting place to eat in the world. This keynote lecture will explain how the culinary landscape has changed over the years and what eaters will want in the future.

We have always been a nation of immigrants, now more so than ever. The influx of people from other countries grows each year, and with these new immigrants come new cuisines. Communities of Brazilians, Hmongs, Ecuadorians, Walloons, Peruvians, Vietnamese and many more will shape what is one our table in the next decade.

Michael and Jane Stern are the foremost experts on cheap eats. That is what their Roadfood books are about. They are well versed in how to find a bargain meal and in guiding people to parts of the country that are little known as vacation spots. No one needs Jane and Michael Stern to tell them about the Four Season, but to find the Tall Corn Motel in Shenandoah Iowa ($17 a night) and a world class barbecue feast for well under $10, you might want to consult with them.