POPPING THE QUESTION: ROAD FOOD RUNDOWN

(An occasional feature that poses a timely and/or irreverent and probably irrelevant question to pop artists.)

The band: Santa Cruz-based rockers Camper Van Beethoven, whose down-home ‘n’ wacky blend of folk, blues and rock is as refreshing as a fruit salad and as invigorating as a fajita pita.

The question: What are your favorite restaurants on the road?

Camper bassist Victor (“The main thing is the food�) Krummenacher believes in health-conscious eating habits--burger stands are out. Both Krummenacher and vocalist David (“I tend to go more for atmosphere�) Lowery exhibited a strong preference for Jewish delis.

Among their choices:

Texaco Truck Stop, off I-10, Fort Stockton, Tex.: “We stopped in about 2 a.m. and this young waitress walked up to us and didn’t even speak a word because she thought we were so weird-looking,� recalls Lowery. “We had all been sleeping in the van and some of us were in our pajamas. I think she thought we were going to kill her or something.�

Jewish Mother, Virginia Beach, Va.: “I think it used to be a punk club because the walls are filled with punk graffiti,� said Lowery. “Then they converted it into this Jewish restaurant, so it’s a real unusual combination.�

Unknown vegetarian restaurant, Laramie, Wyo.: “I don’t remember the name of this place, but it gets points for just existing as a vegetarian restaurant in Laramie, Wyoming ,� said Krummenacher.

Blind Pig, Ann Arbor Mich.: “There’s a lot of Illuminati references,� said Lowery. “There are pictures of pyramids with eyes and the number 23 and pictures of John Dillinger. Illuminati theory says that there is a secret society that runs the world and it all has to do with the eyes in the pyramid and the number 23. Gangsters in the ‘20s and ‘30s were also supposed to be part of it. We were actually sitting in this booth with stained glass with the eye in the pyramid. But nobody at the restaurant knew what we were talking about. They thought we were crazy.�

Canter’s, Los Angeles.: “We had been driving around in L.A. one day around Hanukkah,� explained Lowery, “and this station wagon passed us with this huge lit-up menorah on the roof of the car and they were blaring Jewish folk music out of the car and yelling happy Hanukkah through a loudspeaker. Later that day we’re in Canter’s eating and these same guys sit down at a table right across from us. It was weird.�

We don’t know where Camper will be eating this trip, but the band will be performing Tuesday at Goodies, Thursday at Cal Poly Pomona and Saturday at McCabe’s.