DC to Syracuse, NY

Driving from DC to Syracuse on the 4th of July, Let me know if there is a nice place around the destination for festivities. Most likely going through Harrisburg, PA, but I'm just guessing that's the best way to go. Let me know if there is a time saver. For food suggestions, probably won't think of food until we're out of Maryland. All types of food welcome, but give me a warning if the place takes a long time for food. Thanks.

Howdy,
Billyboy is from up that way and did a fairly recent trip report, if you can find it.
Happy trails!

From NW DC, Take I-270 to Route 15 to 581West to I-81 North

From NE DC, take 295 to 95, to 695 to I-83 to I-81N

I make this same trip 3-5 times per year, in fact, I just got back today from a long weekend in Syracuse.

Roadfood:
Lately, I've been stopping at the Hunt Valley (Shawan Road) Wegman's off of I-83 for a Danny's Favorite Sub. I get a 7" sub, drink and a chocolate chip cookie (or chips, if you'd rather) for ~$7.

The exact same stop can be made at Exit 168 off of I-81 in Wilkes Barre, PA. Follow signs to Wegman's off of Exit.

A popular roadfood.com stop is at the Dutch Kitchen in Frackville, PA. http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=444
Honestly, I was disappointed at my first stop there. I guess I built it up too big.

Appalachian Brewing Company. This is a very small chain with restaurants in Gettysburg, Camp Hill and Harrisburg. I love brewpubs because the good ones have excellent food and good beer. WHile traveling, I have to skip the beer and, therefore, I am forced to rely on a good food experience; and, I recommend this one. http://www.abcbrew.com/index_flash.htm

Hazleton: Byorek's Knotty Pine Drive-In Restaurant. A stop I've only done once. But I came away with a good experience - and better than Dutch Kitchen in Frackville. But, I have limited experiences at both. So, you may want to decide for yourself.

Binghamton: Lupo's S&S Char Pit - 6 West State Street Binghamton. The Spiedie Capital of the World. (Well, Endicott is, but this location is closer to I-81)

Cortland, NY: Doug's Fish Fry. A CNY favorite, Doug's is some of the best fish fry in CNY. I suggest not eating this in the car! Another very small family owned chain. When I lived and taught in CNY, Doug's (in Skaneateles) was my weekly Friday treat. http://www.dougsfishfrycortland.com/dff_cortland/

Once you arrive:

Heid's of Liverpool: Nothing says CNY like a Heid's Frank or Coney. It's a CNY tradition to get a pickle and chocolate milk along with a couple dogs (red or white). It's summer, so Heid's Sweet Treats is open. http://www.heidsofliverpool.com/index2.htm

Dinosaur Bar B Que: Real BBQ above the Mason Dixon line. I know it doesn't sound possible, but it's true. This is BBQ at it's best. Certainly better than the BBQ in DC - believe it or not! http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/syrIndex.php

Aunt Josie's: The heart and soul of Syracuse's Little Italy, Aunt Josie's is still some of the best mom and pop food on the North Side. I go there just for the meatballs.

well, you were looking for places en route to Syracuse, so I'll stop. But if you want some suggestions on where to eat in CNY, I can help you there too. From b'fast to brunch to lunch dinner and drinks, I'm pretty up on the 'cuse, as it's my hometown.

Thanks Scorereader. Lot's of great suggestions and the directions will help a lot. Cecif, I definitely planned on taking a look at some of those meats Billy posted.

quote:

Originally posted by divefl

Thanks Scorereader. Lot's of great suggestions and the directions will help a lot. Cecif, I definitely planned on taking a look at some of those meats Billy posted.

If you're going up I-270 toward Frederick, MD to Route 15 up to Harrisburg, the road signs will tell you to take 581-East to I-83N to get to I-81 north, but this is a congested route to take. I suggest the better route is to take 581-West to I-81. It might appear to be further, but it isn't too much more in distance and you'll be traveling faster with less traffic and less exits and on-ramps to contend with.

Currently, I live near RFK, so I hop io 295. If I was to cut over to I-270, that would be lost time for me. But, when I lived in Glover PArk and Woodley Park, I always went I-270, to US 15, to 581 West to I-81 North which takes you right in to downtown Syracuse.


Oh, I almost forgot:
The Shamrock Restaurant in MD (north of Frederick, almost to PA) is a good roadfood stop.

Also, The Pub and Restaurant, Gettysburg, is a nice stop for a sit down lunch/dinner. Right in the heart of Gettysburg. http://www.the-pub.com/main.html I got served in good time. Hearty pub food, nice service, nice atmosphere, one of my Gettyburg favs for casual dining.

Kostadino's Pizza (familiarly known as Dino's) - This is the best pizza in Gettysburg. And, we enjoyed our meals there (greek salad was good, as was the Gyro). But, one needs to understand that pizza in Eastern PA (except Philly) is generally quite bad, so when I designate it as "the best in Gettysburg," there's little quality pizza to compare it to. But, nevertheless, it is a nice family owned restaurant right on Old 15, so, it's not hard to find, and not hard to find you way back to the highway. http://www.dinospizzausa.com/

Not sure where I'm leaving from. Either Van Ness or Pentagon City. Both directions are helpful. I've been to the Pub and Restaurant. Good place, and thanks for the short cut. I'm happy to be going through Gettysburg. It should be a good drive.

I live in Montgomery County, MD. If I am going to western NY, I always take I-270 to 15 through Pennsylvania. One place I always like to stop at is the Country Cupboard restaurant in Lewisburg, PA -- http://www.countrycupboardinc.com/. It is attached to a Best Western. The food is nothing fancy, but it is simple and good. Also, walking around the Country Cupboard shopping complex is fun.

Socrereader and Ivy... How long should I estimate this drive to be? May have to move the launch time from leisurely drive and place it closer to the point of no mistakes.

well, on Christmas morning, the drive takes me 5 hours and 15 minutes. But, I'm ripping up the road.
On Thanksgiving, it takes nine hours, but 4 of them are getting from DC to harrisburg.

For a normal drive with sparing stops, I say about 6:00 to 6:30 depending on where in the city you're leaving from and where in Syracuse you're going to. But that's a very reasonable estimate.

My last trip took 7 hours leaving on a Friday rush hour, with a 45 minute stop at the Hunt Valley Wegmans near Timonium, MD. And a quick gas stop in Northern PA. Without that long stop for food, snacks and some toys for my nieces and nephews, I would've done it in 6:15 with a cruising speed not exceeding 70MPH. I was driving a large SUV, so to conserve gas, I tried to keep my speed between 65 and 70, and 60-65 through the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Area.

Exit 168 in PA has all the gas and fast food places to eat. I usually hit the Wegmans Cafe for Food and a Sheetz for Gas. Burns about 30 mins for both. But, with a large tank, you can make the trip without a gas stop, though, I recommend getting gas in Northern PA, rather than filling up in Syracuse.

divefl,

Here is some info I found:

http://www.roadfood.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=28493 (Scorereader started this thread and listed a bunch of diners in the area. If you email me thru Roadfood, I can send you an email I have of addresses and phone numbers for most of these diners I found when doing a Google search).

http://www.roadfood.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=24289 (Trip to Rome/Syracuse, NY-Part 3-from 12/2007). I only pasted this one here as it is the only part I didn't mess up by deleting my pictures in Photobucket and thereby severing the link). This really is just of the trip to Liehs & Steigerwald German meat market in Clay, NY.

http://www.roadfood.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=26818 From my April 2008 trip. (Some pics of Hofmann's Hot Haus-a local competitor for HEIDS of Liverpool and some pics of Wegman's) If you're able to bring a cooler and carry food back to DC, I highly recommend geting some meats at Liehs & Steigerwald and checking out the local specialties on sale at Wegman's such as:

http://www.roadfood.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19331 (Someone started this thread a while back when they were looking to make a basket of CNY specialties for a friend-I personally love Heulva good dips, Salamida's Spiedie and Chicken Barbeque sauces, Grandma Brown's baked beans, Dinosaur sauces, Hofmann hot dogs, Hinerwadel's SALT POTATOES (yes!), Saranac beers and root beer especially and Sal's Sassy Sauce (from Sal's Birdland)). Most of this can probably be bought at Wegman's and it really is worth the trip to stop in one if you've never been. Some of the ones with cafes even sell beef on weck sandwiches. I think the Great Northern and John Glen locations have it.

http://www.roadfood.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=26809 April trip to CNY-Part 2 Pics of my trip to Plainville Farms Turkey Restaurant and another trip to the L & H meat market.

Dinosaur Barbeque, Plainville, Stella's Diner, HEIDS, and Liehs & Steigerwald all have reviews here on RF. I love 'em all. in addition, I'm a huge fan of the Brooklyn Pickle sandwich shop (they have great ham salad and the sandwiches can be had on Columbus Bakery bread, another local institutution. Twin Trees has really good pizza from what I remember, although it has been a while. Their style isn't like anyone elses, but people up there swear by it. There are three locations, but I think Twin Trees Too is the best of them. Hope this is helpful! Happy eating!

well? how was the trip? where did you eat?
spill the beans!

OK, we did end up leaving pretty late after a BBQ on the 4th. The drive was pretty fast and we had no food along the way. We left the hotel Sat morning to get a card for the wedding (hehe, not my job) and I asked for a breakfast suggestion from the check out girl. I have picks of the place (teaser). Early afternoon wedding, then reception so that closed off chances of dinner. I really wanted to try Aunt Josie's. Talking with people who got up earlier in the week, they went to Dinosaur BBq and really liked it. No pics from wedding. Sunday morning wedding brunch, again no pics. I have failed. We were so stuffed from this that on the way back we were passing Gettyburg before I realized the trip was almost over (and traffic was a problem - not a short trip). So, I hastily did a U-turn and pulled into Chubby's in Emmitsburg. (there will be pics). The trip was too short. Didn't seem like a 3 day weekend.

Side note. Last week, I got a small case of food poisoning well before the trip. I told my sister and she asked me if I had taken pictures of the offending shrimp. Very funny. My family does not appreciate my roadfood tendencies.

where was the wedding, reception and brunch?

It's been 17 years since I lived in Syracuse. I know that Heid's is still there, but I'm wondering if my other two Syracuse faves are still around: Mario's Little Gem Diner and the Celebrity Den (Italian on N. Salina). Also, is the Orange Grove bar still around?

Yeah, the Gem is still there. Used to eat there quite a bit before I moved to Florida. I'm told that the kitchen caught fire and they were closed for a few months last year, but have re-opened. Orange Grove is long gone. Not sure about the Celebrity Den. I didn't spend much time on Salina when I lived there.

Celebrity Den is gone but a new batch of restuarants have opened on a revitalized North Salina Street.Antonio's is the best.

I know you're going via Gettysburgh, but if you were to go up I 83 instead, I would recomend Brown's Orchard in York County. They do a great lebanon bologna sandwich on a pretzel roll. There's a nice selection of baked goods, and for you healthy people a good selection of fruit is available.

RE-opening an old thread to add a new spot:
 
Drums, PA (Hazleton, PA) 
 
The Meating House
Situated a little off of Route 309 in Drums, PA (just north of Hazleton), is a cosy restaurant that has been serving people since the 1860's. The food is certainly homespun, but still meets today's standards of excellent food.
 
We entered the establishment, on a cold, clear night from the side entrance into the bar/lounge area. And felt the warmth of woodstove heat right away. Hardwood walls, with a little wallpaper and borders above. High back bar stools, and wood tables surround the bar area.
 
There's a separate dining room, but we opted to sit in the lounge area. Which was just as family friendly as the dining area. Casual, but nice. And since there's no smoking indoors, the lounge is smoke free.
 
The walls are adorned with framed newspaper clippings, deer heads, old photos - there's an old air organ with footpedals in one corner, and old cash register and other historic items on the walls and flat surfaces. They hang seasonal decorations, and what seemed like a nice amount of Christmas decorations already, the waitstaff informed me was only the start of it - just the garland and a few lights, at this point.
It was the night before thanksgiving, and we didn't want to overeat, so we ate their lighter fare from the tavern menu.
 
I had the Cajun Seafood Casserole.
In acasserole dish is breaded catfish, 3 jumbo gulf shrimp and lump crabmeat, and it's broiled. It comes with a house salad and choice of potato (which I'll get to later)
 
2 downers:
 
#1 Getting our entrees was slow. It wasn't a busy night by any means. Seated timely, drinks were timely, house salads were timely, Wait time between salad and entree? Excrutiating. When she came by a second time after being served our salad and asked if everything was laright, I should've spoke up. We waited another 10-15 after that. I'm hoping it was the fact that it was a slow night, the night before thanksgiving and they were understaffed in the kitchen.
 
#2: the lump crabmeat - broiled crabmeat is not so good. It shrinks and IMO, broiling loose lump crab meat doesn't pull out the floavor.
 
uppers:
 
#1 The shrimp. Outstanding! Pefectly cooked, the cajun seasoning was perfectly balanced. So, IMO, skip the crabmeat and give me a couple more of the jumbo shrimp. they were absolutely succulent.
 
#2 The catfish, was tender, juicy but flaky, and IMO cajun seasoning is always the best choice for catfish.
 
My wife got the Atlantic Fisherman: breaded (lightly) haddock (not batter but a light almost panko-y breading) served with house salad and choice of potato.
 
Well, while I loved my dish, I was a little jealous because the haddock was outstanding. So flaky, and flavorful. The breading added a little seasoning and a little texture to compliment the soft, tender haddock.
 
On to the house salad. So often, house salads are given little attention. An after thought. Not here. With a mix of romaine, spinach and european greens, this salad has some nice leafy texture along with some tomatoes, cukes, and carrots.
 
The potato choices:
1- Baked Potato (neither of us got)
2- Baked Sweet Potato (my wife got this)
3- Sweet Potato Fries (I got this)
 
Winner: Baked Sweet Potato. Sooooo sweet. Even the skin had excellent flavor. The sweet potato fries were good, but the sweet potato was really, really good. They added a touch of brown sugar and butter (which was optional - and my wife accepted the option), but that wasn't needed. The sweet potato had a wonderful flavor and texture without any additions. The touch of brown sugar and butter just magnified the flavors. Really excellent.
 
This is a steak (primary) and seafood (close second) house. We saw other dishes come from the kitchen, and realized that many more (even the lighter fare) plates needed to be tried. Sante Fee Bistro Steak, the incredibly smelling steaks, and their seafood starters like steamers and oysters rockefeller. the baked onion soup looked good too. Our visit only scratched the surface - and probably didn't touch their most coveted menu items.
 
The kids menu was short (as most are) and knowing their strengths I would've gotten him a differenet dish - he wanted Mac-and-cheese (which came with a hotdog) and a kids drink (we did Milk) - it was really nothing more than Kraft box - but I'm sure the chicken strips and mini-burgers would've been a far better choice - at least to an adult palate, given their menu items. My kid was happy though, and that keeps him in good behavior, so I'm not complaining, plus, the kids meal is appropriately priced. Which is especially appreciated by moms and dads.
 
We stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Drums almost every trip from DC to Syracuse when splitting the trip in two (leaving after my 2 year old's afternoon nap). And this place is a definate must-do on our next trip. I can't make any better of a recommendation. Hopefully, the service time between courses will measure  to the food on our next visit.
 
Upon writing this review, I found them on the web. You can see they certainly know their steak! And IMO, the seafood ain't half bad either!
 
The Meating House
10 Freedom Road (East side of Route 309 - turn at the adult boutique)
Drums, PA 18222
570-788-5927
http://www.themeatinghouse.com
 
They did ask us if we had reservations. It was a relatively slow night, so not a problem, but I suspect on the average Friday and Saturday night, you'll want reservations.