Road*FOOD-66/40,NC,DC,NJ,NYC,OH,WI,MtRush, SLC

briteday

Our family is going on a road trip this summer.

The basic route is leaving Las Vegas headed onto old Rte 66, now Hwy 40 through AZ, TX, NM, OK, AR, TN...then on to visit relatives (no need for food suggestions there!) Then back up to Asheville, NC, Wash. DC, Tom's River NJ, NYC (anybody have a GREAT authentic NYC deli or pizza place?), I-76 to I80 to Cleveland (then on to more family food again) ...Appleton WI, Eagle River, WI then I90 towards Mt. Rushmore, zig-zag down to I80 in WY to Salt Lake City...then the last leg home to Northern NV.

I'd love to hear from locals along the route or those who have visited the areas, restaurants and local eateries that you think are a "must do" along the way!

I'm thinking great BBQ and Tex-Mex in the southwest, catfish/hush puppies and sweet tea in the south, does Wash DC have any mom & pop cheap eateries?!!, seafood along the NJ coast, the absolute best deli and pizza in NYC (if it was close to Rockefeller Center or the Empire State Building, even better!), I hear there is some great ethnic (Polish?) food in Cleveland (but open to any suggestions), there's gotta be something great in the "cheesehead" state, I have no clue about what might be available along I90 and down into Salt Lake City, anything special in SLC? From there we'll hit the Basque places along I80 until we get home.

We are an eclectic eating group. My daughter and I like just about anything and like to try everything! My husband always goes for a great burger.

We really want to avoid fast food on the trip so any suggestions you have for your favorite mom & pop places (breakfast, lunch, or dinner...oh, we'll need some pie, ice cream, snack stops too!) let us know. We would also like to hear about any favorite farm stands too. No chips and candy in the car for us! We're not out to break the bank but PB&J in the car is going to get old in a hurry. And this is probably a once in a lifetime trip for our family.

So give us your best places!

Willowy

Nothing! Ok, if you stop in Sioux Falls there's a lot of great restaurants, but the rest of the way you'll be stuck with Perkins and Appleby's (until you get to Rapid City---there are a few good places there, and maybe Mitchell has a few decent places). Although South Dakota doesn't really have any proper ethnic foods, at least not available at restaurants. You'd have to go to a hot-dish potluck for that .

In Sioux Falls......Spezia is a good Italian place. Minerva's is a really nice restaurant, fancier than most (how expensive are you looking at? How fancy do you want it?). Minerva's is downtown, near the falls. Sanaa's serves Mediterranean food. Mama's Lada's specializes in REALLY good enchiladas; that's all they make. Sushi Masa and Tokyo if you like sushi. Hmmm....that's all I can think of right now. We mostly eat at chain restaurants, because my dad is picky .

Of course, you'll have to stop at Wall Drug. It's so cheesy, you can't miss it. And Keystone. So cheesy. But Mount Rushmore is pretty cool, even if they don't let you climb up behind the faces (that would be awesome!). If you can, try to do a driving tour of Custer State Park. You might also consider Bear Country USA and/or Reptile Gardens, but I was pretty young last time I went to either one, and I don't know if their animal-welfare standards would meet MY current standards. So they might be more sad than anything, I don't know.

ChrissyBz

Hey thanks BD I'm doing a road trip too and I'll be passing through some of the same places.

I'll be watching this thread. Glad you thought of it. I am wanting to try the local faves everywhere I go too.

cshellenberger

You might try to find "Feasting On Asphalt" with Alton Brown, he travelled rt 66 a good part of the way and there are some great diners on the special.

Oh if you go through Dumfries VA before 2 PM, the Dumfries Cafe has GREAT food (that's south of DC)! Any Sonny's BBQ in NC is good.

ChrissyBz

I loved driving on Route 66 my aunt lived just a couple miles off it close to the sidewinder cafe in CA. She had a Christmas tree farm in the Mojave.

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Mycathinks hesadog

In NYC, here's a couple recommendations, especially for those who don't frequent the city that often:

La Mela: Address: 167 Mulberry St, New York City, NY 10013-3754 Phone: (212) 431-9493

The have an all around very good Italian menu, and are located right in the heart of Little Italy. Its pretty authentic, and not too "touristy." I recommend the Family style, which is a five course meal, each one more delicious than the next. Be warned though, I think they purposefully try to put the hurt on you with the amount of food they bring, so if you go, eat light that day. Probably like $25-$30 per person, but worth every penny. Call ahead if you're going on the weekend, during the week you shouldn't need to.

Best Mexican, and a little more affordable is Benny's Burritos in the West Village: 93 Avenue A, New York 10009. They bring you a burrito the size of your head, and it'll make you realize that Chipotle really is the McDonalds of burrito joints. Probably $15-20 per person.

These are the first two places that came to my mind, and of course there are many others...

briteday

Thanks everyone! Keep any ideas coming...it will be a long trip if we eat out of the cooler every day...

ChrissyBz

Thought I'd bump this as I'm interested in food tips too.

briteday

Doesn't anyone eat around here? ;-)

Mycathinks hesadog

As a former NJ resident, here's a couple good spots in toms river: Jersey Mike's (Deli) and Francolli's Pizza

Where on the coast are you gonna be in NJ? There's plenty of good seafood joints to be had, it really depends on budget. If you're going to be in Northern NJ, I'd definitely recommend a pit stop at Coney Island, for fun and of course a hot dog.

Lorina

I live about 20-30 miles north of I80 in Pennsylvania, but I honestly can't think of any restaurants that would be worth a stop or a detour.

But for tourist stops, Boulder Field at Hickory Run state park in the Poconos is pretty neat. It's not far from I80 or 76 (PA turnpike).

briteday

We'll be around Tom's River, NJ.

4dogs3cats

Where exactly in Arizona are you headed through? Rt 66 goes through I believe flagstaff... doesnt have much there...But Sedona, Arizona is GORGEOUS and has great little shops and little food joints in there too.

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