“[N]o Southern road trip itinerary brings more pleasure than a west-to-east trek across North Carolina.” So says Bill Addison, as he and two cohorts from Eater made that trip, sampling the fare from 26 restaurants, both rural and urban, along the way. They check out the two major regional styles of barbecue, fall for the Tar Heel State’s way with biscuits, and enjoy boiled peanuts elevated by the regions chefs into risottos and ragouts. Want “the best damn mac and cheese in the country”? It can be found as macaroni au gratin, made with cheddar, Jarlsberg, and Grano Padano, at Poole’s Diner of Raleigh. Essential reading for any LAF fan.