Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Profile image for bglewandowski

bglewandowski

Joined Atlas Obscura in 2016

Brian Gerard (Lewandowski) writes books critics call "aggressively adequate"—better than "aggressively terrible" but somehow more concerning. He once traded a MetroCard for a pitchfork on a subway platform and now uses it exclusively for dramatic pointing. He lives on a farm outside Charlottesville, Virginia, which consists of three disappointed potted plants and a pig named Trouble McFussbucket who serves as his harshest critic. His wife just smiles politely. The plants have given up entirely. His first manuscript was composed entirely of punctuation marks and confused sketches. One editor called it "what would happen if Finnegans Wake had a stroke." He's since published "Not Bukowski" (poems that don't rhyme, because discipline is hard) and "Slop and Swell from a Festering Mind" (essays so concerning that bookstores check on his well-being). His debut novel, "Otter Boy," is forthcoming, assuming he resists replacing the manuscript with semicolons and otter doodles before deadline. He also just released another collection of shorts called "The 10-Items-or-Less Apocalypse." You can find them all on Amazon and at other fine literary establishments. Brian once spent three hours photographing a rare bird that was actually a plastic bag. The bag hasn't returned his calls. His photos have graced both the Smithsonian and several Post Offices—the wanted posters captured his good side. He's the only person banned from church bake sales for "weaponized brownies" (cocoa powder in a Ziploc). He called it avant-garde. The pastor's wife called the authorities. The authorities declined. Inheriting humanism from Steinbeck, absurdism from Vonnegut and Adams, sprawling narratives from Irving, and weaponized failure from Moore, he writes about conflicted everymen suddenly struggling through supernatural chaos—scenarios he understands intimately, since his entire life feels like someone else's fever dream he's forced to live through sober. He does his best writing where people can't escape: DMV waiting rooms, his car in Target parking lots, and Scottish castles when someone else is paying. His characters are clever and fearless. Brian remains unconvinced that birds aren't surveillance drones.
bglewandowski.com

0 Followers · 0 Following

Follow travelers to discover remarkable places through their journeys.

My Travel Badges

  • Badge Earned!

    Mark Your Map State Exploration Challenge

    Ford's Mark Your Map State Exploration Challenge

    You expanded your map during the Ford Mark Your Map State Exploration Challenge and reached the milestone required to unlock this limited edition badge.

  • Badge Earned!

    25 States Visited

    25 States Visited

    You've visited 25 U.S. states and are halfway to exploring all 50. Every state has its own hidden wonders, and you're well on your way to discovering them.

    50 States Visited
    Next Badge: 50 States Visited Visit all 50 states to earn the highest state exploration badge.

Foods bglewandowski Has Tried

  • Been
  • Want to Go
  • Recommendations
  • Stories
  • Countries
  • US States
  • Added
  • Edited
  • Lists
  • Tried
  • Want to Try
27

Foods I've tried

Foods this traveler has tried.

San Marzano Tomatoes

Fruits & Vegetables

San Marzano Tomatoes

Grown in the volcanic soil around Mt. Vesuvius, these tomatoes are one of only a couple varieties used in authentic Neapolitan pizza.

Dole Whip

Sweets

Dole Whip

This pineapple soft serve has a cult following at Disney theme parks.

Crystal Beach Sugar Waffles

Sweets

Crystal Beach Sugar Waffles

These deep-fried dough daisies outlived the Fort Erie amusement park in which they were born.

Sponge Candy

Sweets

Sponge Candy

This chocolate-coated confection's crisp, bubbly structure is well-suited to the even crisper Buffalo air.

Shoofly pie a la mode in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Sweets

Shoofly Pie

Mornings in Amish country once called for pie-cake and coffee.

Necco Wafers

Sweets

Necco Wafers

Produced since 1847, these classic New England candies almost disappeared in 2018.

A beachside bounty from a clambake.

Gastro

Clambake

An ancient cooking method still produces delicious, beachside feasts.

Savory Jell-O salads are also called aspics.

Prepared Foods

Jell-O Salad

Meat covered in gelatinous goo was once a classic American comfort food.

The making of a Fluffernutter.

Prepared Foods

The Fluffernutter

A completely delicious, nearly nutrient-free sandwich beloved by generations of New Englanders.

An modern rendition of Shit on a Shingle from The Royal American in Charleston, South Carolina.

Prepared Foods

Shit on a Shingle

This is what happens when soldiers pick a new name for meat on bread.

A homemade version made in a can and steamed in a crock pot.

Prepared Foods

Canned Bread

A New England tradition of steaming bread in coffee tins gave rise to this niche snack.

Cincinnati Chili

Prepared Foods

Cincinnati Chili

Spiced meat sauce meets spaghetti, shredded cheese, and beans in a Midwest cult favorite.

Beer Can Chicken

Prepared Foods

Beer Can Chicken

This bird comes with a brew inside.

Even spice giant McCormick is in on the steak spice game.

Ingredients & Condiments

Montreal Steak Spice

Pastrami fans will find the taste of this Canadian spice blend very familiar.

Lobster organs can taste extra lobstery.

Meats & Animal Products

Tomalley

That green stuff inside a lobster? You can (usually) eat it.

Boylan's Birch Beer

Drinks

Birch Beer

This cousin of root beer has a long history and a surprisingly minty taste.

Cans of Moxie, likened to "root beer on steroids."

Drinks

Moxie

This cure-all-turned-soda once outsold Coca-Cola.

Cheerwine, since 1917.

Drinks

Cheerwine

A World War I sugar shortage led an inventor to make a very cherry soda that looks like wine.

Rows on rows of Autocrat, a coffee syrup made by a top producer of the stuff.

Drinks

Coffee Milk

Would you like some coffee flavor with your milk?

A Zombie set aflame.

Drinks

The Zombie

Donn Beach wrote the recipe for his famously potent cocktail in secret code.

Steam Beer

Drinks

Steam Beer

The unique style born out of the California Gold Rush blends the crispness of a lager with the flavor of an ale.

 Vernors Ginger Soda

Drinks

Vernors Ginger Soda

The Detroit favorite is one of the oldest sodas in the United States.

Hoppin' John

Prepared Foods

Hoppin' John

This New Year's luck-bringer has a controversial contemporary taste.

Ham Salad

Prepared Foods

Ham Salad

This retro sandwich filling was once a convenient, comforting funeral food.

Page 1 of 2 Next

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.