Jane & Michael coming to your area?

Well, not exactly but what if they were, for one day only, and needed recommendations in your area? What local roadfood gems would be on your list?

Breakfast - definitely Norma J’s, a converted trailer attached at right angles to the one where Norma lives, partly because she’s only open for breakfast. My recommendation would be Country Breakfast Eggs, fried potatoes and onions with beaten eggs poured on top and cooked until it looks like a giant pancake. A big hunk of apple sausage (ground apples mixed in with the pork) on the side.

Mid-morning snack – a couple of hot dogs embellished with yellow mustard, chopped onions and chili sauce from Yocco’s the Hot Dog King, stopping en route at the Crystal Springs Dairy Mart for a quart of their perfect pepper cabbage, a birch beer, and some of their special homemade black raspberry ice cream.

Lunch – hard to decide – on a Friday or Saturday, the Ritz B-B-Q and then a stop next door at the Allentown Farmers’ Market for a taste sampling of Lebanon and sweet bolognas and a few other local specialties. Days the market is closed, a tiny storefront restaurant in the worst part of town with the best Syrian food and customers as varied as the items on the menu.

Mid-afternoon snack – a short road trip to Zern’s Market in Gilbertsville PA for some of those chicken livers and whole mushrooms fried in chicken fat with a stop at the booth that specializes in all sorts of hard-to-find candies of the past.

Supper – Has to be the Willows in East Texas PA for stuffed pig stomach or meltingly tender roast pork with an individual pitcher of gravy on the side. The big decision would be which vegetables to choose because they give as much care to them as to the meats. Local strawberries, dipped in a light batter and fried, then sprinkled with 4X sugar (yes, that’s on the vegetable menu) or corn fritters, potato filling, zucchini balls, fried pumpkin strips, baked lima beans in a tomatoey bacon-flecked sauce are a few of the choices. Apricot, cherry crumb, strawberry rhubarb or lemon sponge pie for dessert of course.

Unless it’s a Sunday, which would mean the Kempton Hotel for family style platters of chicken pot pie (the noodle kind), baked ham, roast beef, potato filling, and all the usual vegetables and accompaniments like corn, chow-chow and potato rolls. If you want the lemon sweet strip pie, order it with dinner because it sells out fast.

(sorry this is so long but I already cut it in half)

I live in the DC area, where sadly, local roadfood gems are few and far between. I'd tell them to try their luck in Baltimore.

quote:

Originally posted by jpatweb

I live in the DC area, where sadly, local roadfood gems are few and far between. I'd tell them to try their luck in Baltimore.

True but you guys have more ethnic restaurants than you can shake a stick at. Besides, what about the Silver and Tastee Diner. I know they are a small (very small) "mini chain" in the area. How are they

Surely, we could find a good half-smoke in DC!

Ruby Rose: What a menu! We envy you the great goodies available in your area. Deep Fried Strawberries - WOW! - never dreamt of such a delight.

I wiil now be constrained to examine my own experience and my own area for all those things I guess I'm taking for granted - but somehow I doubt they will ever be as rich as yours in Pennsylvania...

jpatweb

If they were over here in B'more we'd have to visit the markets - Cross street for crab soup, Broadway for smoked sausage & of course Lexington (one of the USA's oldest markets) for a stop at Faidly's for Crab Cakes! And anything else we might pick up along the way. I would have said a stop at Jeppi's on S. High St for freshly roasted peanuts but they just moved to the burbs, gotta find them, that's where I get my glaced fruit for my cakes at Chrismas. We could stop at any one of a multitude of places for Lake Trout fried up nice & crispy. Head out Pulaski Hghwy for a pit beef sandwich

Seafarer john, what you can't get around here is barbecued ribs, good cheesecake, a pit beef sandwich like ocdreamr mentioned, a single bratwurst anywhere, chicken fried steak, boiled peanuts and so many other things that I read here about people eating and would like to try.

That's what makes it fun to travel, getting to try all the different local specialties!! Gives you a reason to go back too, a chance to get the things you missed the first time.

Hello Ruby Rose,

I was born and raised in Allentown PA, and I used to eat at Norma J's
when I played football for Parkland High School (class of '78)

Your post brings back good memories...and the syrian food,
well, mom and grandmom used to make the best syrian food a kid could ever eat growing up,
but I do get my syrian food fix in paterson new jersey, just a few miles from parsippany n.j.

Thanks for the memories of the lehigh valley, and your great suggestions for places to eat.

quote:

Originally posted by RubyRose

Well, not exactly but what if they were, for one day only, and needed recommendations in your area? What local roadfood gems would be on your list? ...

One day in the Round Rock, TX, area (excluding Austin and places already reviewed by Jane & Michael):

Breakfast: Mom's Cafe and Mini-Storage. An old building; half the building is a bar (not owned by the restaurant), the other half a country cafe. In back, they've put up a bunch of free-standing storage sheds and they rent those out.

Open only for breakfast and lunch. Officially opens at 6:00 am, but they'll open the doors around 5:00 when they get there and brew a pot of coffee. You're welcome to come in before 6:00 and pour yourself a cup, but orders won't be taken until they "open". Good country cookin' and you'll be "Sugar'd" and "Hon'd" to death. Great experience.

Mid-morning snack: You may want to have these for "breakfast dessert", but you can't leave Round Rock without getting some Round Rock Donuts (plain glazed) at Lone Star Bakery. Get a whole dozen or you'll wish you had. You can always snack on them later.

To go with the donuts, drive a block to downtown and stop in at Saradora's, a locally-owned coffee shop, and get a large cup of "Round Rock Blend". Housed in one of the old downtown buildings that were part of the original town. Very interesting place.

Lunch: Take the short drive to Hutto and stop in at Snuffy's for a homemade cheeseburger and fresh-cut fries. It's really a bar that serves food, in an extremely old building right on 79. There's not a noticeable Snuffy's sign out front, but you'll recognize the place by the old neon sign that just says, "Beer".

Mid-afternoon snack: Finish the donuts.

Dinner: Drive north up to Walburg and eat at Walburg Mercantile, a REAL German restaurant run by real Germans. Order off the menu, or partake in the nightly buffet, which is fabulous. You can also get some great German beers on tap. Excellent food, and the building and biergarten are really cool.

If you don't like German food, drive about half a mile up the road and eat at Dale's Essenhaus. They are famous for their "Walburger", but since you had a burger for lunch, you may want to go for the great chicken-fried steak or one of their daily plate specials.

Depending on the day of the week, you could end the night listening to live music at either Dale's or the Mercantile.

Wandering: We do indeed have a surfeit of ethnic eateries, particularly in Northern Virginia (for a thrill, check out the Eden Center in Falls Church next time you're in the area) and for that I'm grateful. In fact, the foods of certain countries, such as Vietnam and Afghanistan, have been dug in for so long that they're part of the mainstream. In the spirit of this board, however, I don't consider them to be roadfood, at least not for the time being.

On the diners you mentioned, I have to first say that I grew up in New England, right smack dab in the classic diner belt. I have high standards in this area and seldom find anything south of Jersey that meets my ideals. Silver is an ersatz diner, 100 percent profit driven and probably soon coming to a theater near you. By the way, I completely agree with your comments in another thread regarding chains. Tastee is just ok. I wouldn't go out of my way for it. I miss the Hot Shoppes.

Ocdreamer. Huge fan of Baltimore, in fact, I'll be there tomorrow. Morning Edition for breakfast and then anything is possible. I'm not familiar with the lake trout angle. Please elaborate.

Michael: It's settled then. My lunch today has hot smokes written all over it.

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

quote:

Originally posted by jpatweb

I live in the DC area, where sadly, local roadfood gems are few and far between. I'd tell them to try their luck in Baltimore.

True but you guys have more ethnic restaurants than you can shake a stick at. Besides, what about the Silver and Tastee Diner. I know they are a small (very small) "mini chain" in the area. How are they

jpatweb

First you have to understand that lake trout is another way of saying whiting (don't ask, I don't know why, it just is) To find it you have to get away from the inner harbor & get out to the neighborhoods. It's mainly a soul food offering so it dosn't show up in the main tourist areas but you might run accross a place in South Baltimore near Federal Hill and over on the east side around Fells Point. It's one of those things best offered in a little corner shop or when the church ladies put together lunches that offer either chicken or fish. To describe it, it is a whole fish lightly battered & deep fried served on a slice of white bread to absorb the grease.

The education I am gaining in regional names for food items is just great. In my neighborhood, whiting is a kind of hake filet, and lake trout is a pink fleshed member of the trout family that comes from fresh water lakes. We would , among other preparations, deep fry a whiting filet, but never a lake trout.

We once had Hot Shoppes as the exclusive place to get a snack and gas along the New York State Thruway (The Dewey Thruwey). They were God-awful places- dank, smelly, not too clean, bad coffee, worse sandwiches, inept service, and overpriced gasoline.

The DC area Hot Shoppes were a different sort from the thruway versions. On some levels they oozed a bit of Southern cafeteria charm. Lots of old-timers took their meals there regularly. Unfortunately they lost out to developers, demographics, changing consumption patterns, and everything else that can spell doom for these types of places. Closed one by one until eventually the last shop, in Bethesda, Maryland, was shuttered. I think Marriott owned them.

jpatweb

Do you remember the one in Williamsburg? It was the only place my grandmother would eat on her semiannual trips there.

Re: Hot Shoppes. Your are right, Marriot was the owner. The man who was in charge of all the Thruway Hot Shoppes was one of the original owners of New Paltz' famous Pat and George's bar on Main Street - more familarly know as P&Gs and still going strong under excellent management. George is long dead and I think Pat is also gone. Pat was rumored to have moved up in the Marriot organization after they lost the Thruway franchises - a reward , I guess, for squeezing every penny out of the places abusing captive clients. Anyway, Pat was a nice guy who frequently came around to P&Gs and was generous with "setting up the bar" when I was in college.

Depending on the time of year of their visit to Kentuciana we would have a couple of Alternatives...
1.Bluegrass area in KY with breakfast in Louisville, Up to Jungle Jim's in Fairfield Ohio for a shopping spree in the ultimate foodie store, then return to Louisville via the Claudia Sanders Dinner house in Shelbyville KY. An easy one day outing with some real fun, and a couple of good meals thrown in.
2. So Indiana-- Up to Gnawbone for a Tenderloin sandwich and a loop thru Bloomington for some ice cream then west to the Amish places, maybe the Black Buggy for a dinner fit to fill a thousand starving Ethiopian Refugees. Back to Louisville ..
Both loops make easy day trips that offer some interesting scenic or historic stops along the way.

Rubyrose: Outstanding. If your not married and thin, I would like to meet you and do that outstanding itinerary. Michael: if you are ever in the Hackettstown, nj area, please try Golden Skillet Fried chicken. I did a thread in the chicken category and no one responded. It is so damn tasty. People love their ribs but I have not been able to stop myself from ordering the chicken; particulary them thar thighs.

Let me turn the tables on our hosts with this thread theme in mind. Micheal or Jane... Fill us in a bit about how you select an agenda for you adventures? Do you have a final destination, then fill in the days as you head towards that goal...Or Do you plan each meal stop based on previous experiences and/or recommendations? Or is the whole thing a roll of the dice, a tank of gas, and a change of clothes and off you go??
I am interested in the planning phase of a roadtrip that is,indeed, based on roadfood...Rather than a trip to see Mother or DisneyWorld, with interesting stops along the way.
I have done roadtrips with railroad activity as the criteria for route selection...In fact we still do that a lot. (another hobby is train-chasing and rail photography), but haven't set up a real foodie-trip.
So let us in on the how's and Why's of the planning stages, Pleae!!

hello ruby-where exactly is the breakfast spot you mention? i go to allentown all the time. i live in pottsville. yoccos is by far the best hotdog spot in the area. i also used to eat often as a kid in the early 60s at the willows. my aunt and uncle lived within walking distance and fondly remember french-fried pumpkin.also a parkland atendee.thank you.

Glad I could bring back some food memories of the Lehigh Valley. Frank N. Burger, Norma J's is right on Route 309 (east side of road) about 3 miles and 5 lights north of Route 22. Next door is what used to be Parkland High School and is now a middle school since they built a new high school. FYI, they also razed and rebuilt the old Starlite Diner, right off of I-78 on Route 100. It looks like it's completed but hasn't opened yet.

Edited because I didn't give very good directions

One day in the Burlington, VT area:

Breakfast: Farmer's Diner in Montpelier (45 min drive), the best breakfast spot in N Vermont I've seen, bar none. Corned beef hash and sausages are musts!

Snack: Meier's Bagels, Burlington. Best bagels in town, very cheap, Montreal-style

Lunch: Burgers or fish-n-chips and the Vermont Pub and Brew, washed down with a pint or two of the Brutal Bitter (especially if they have it casked), Smoked Porter or Burly Irish. Sit outside and get a nice view of City Hall Park.

Snack: Mirabelles. Best pastries in town.

Dinner: Burlington is really more of an ethnic-food town than a roadfood-town, so let's end it with the Five Spice Cafe, a great melange of Malaysian, Indonesian and Thai cuisines with the spiciest most inventive food in the area. Great seafood and vegetarian dishes, especially; good tropical drinks. Expensive for Burlington, probably $75+ for two.

Then a walk by the lakefront at sunset. What could be better?

Well, Jane and Michael ARE coming to my area (Ithaca, NY). Not too much roadfood to shout about around here, but I CAN highly recommend the fried russet potatoes with chipotle aioli at "Just a Taste". UMMMMM. My favorite take on a classic.

quote:

Originally posted by confusedemmy

Well, Jane and Michael ARE coming to my area (Ithaca, NY). Not too much roadfood to shout about around here, but I CAN highly recommend the fried russet potatoes with chipotle aioli at "Just a Taste". UMMMMM. My favorite take on a classic.

I was quite happy to get the e-mail saying they are coming to the Ithaca area, especially the part about trying the Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse. (the last time they were in town they couldn't squeeze it in their agenda).

I would recommend lunch and dinner visits to get the full Dino flavor. Savor the standard BBQ at lunch when its a bit less crowded, but come back for the expanded menu and adventurous specials at night, (don't forget to sample the sauces). I'm sure Mr. Rushmore will be a good guide, if he's not on the honeymoon by then, (and if he is, send me an e-mail).

While you're in town you could try Doc's Little Gem Dinner for a frittata, or pick up some Leihs and Steigerwald sausages, or try some of the local spaghetti joints, and you can always find a charity cornell-style chicken BBQ.

Welcome to Central New York, I hope the weather works out for you, its been a bit wet & chilly (still, that's good BBQ eatin' weather too).

If they were in the Charlottesville area...The Nook, Lafayette Hotel in Greene Co. VA and Theresa's Place in Dillwyn, VA. I wish there were some better restaurants in Charlottesville proper, but they all feel the need to be "edgy".

Is Krebs still going on Skeneatlis(sp?) ? It was a nice top a lot of years ago, but havn't been there in years.

Cooperstown is worth a visit for the Omergang Brewery, and I'm told there is a very good BBQ in town.

Also recommend the Sterns try to get to some of the cheesemakers in the central NY area.

Its Skaneateles, and yeah I think the Krebs is still running, although they've been trying to sell for years. I've never been there though, have to give it a shot.

Another good spot to try in Cooperstown is the Doubleday Cafe on the main drag in town. Great breakfast/lunch/dinner plus gorgeous wooden bar in front. The Hall of Fame is just down the road a piece...

Abbott's Frozen Custard in Rochester down by the lake.
Did that and the Dinosaur BBQ in one day.
Great BBQ, and New England doesn't have Frozen Custard
DaveM

Well, I live in Las Vegas NV, the city that reinvents itself continually. There aren't many "old time" Mom and Pop places, so I'll suggest goodies at the various casinos.
Not too surprisingly, the smaller casinos have the most interesting food.

Breakfast: The Golden Gate at 1 Fremont Street--the oldest casino in Las Vegas. Very good breakfasts at the Bay City Diner, and (as a midmorning snack) the famous 66 cent Shrimp Cocktail (popcorn shrimp, but still good) at the San Francisco Shrimp Bar and Deli (which also has good sandwiches).

Snack: $1 Vienna Beef hot dogs at the sports book in the Barbary Coast at the Strip and Flamingo, or at the Suncoast on Rampart a few blocks south of the Summerlin Parkway.

Lunch: Our favorite (yeah, it's not road food, but the place is family owned, homey, and close to home) is the sushi special at the Narita Japanese Restaurant, on Tenaya just north of Cheyenne.

Dinner:

First, we're talking buffets here.

Best inexpensive buffet is the Garden Court Buffet in Main Street Station (on Main Street just north of Fremont). Food is simple, but the variety is great Cost is $10.29 to $14.99 depending on the night of the week.

Best Expensive buffet is the Aladdin Spice Market Buffet at $19.99, but worth every penny. Delicious food, including Middle Eastern/Greek food, seafood, Italian food that isn't just spaghetti and pizza, and superb desserts.

Best Coffee Shop Special: Lucky's 24/7 at the Hard Rock Hotel, Paradise and Russell. From 4 PM to 7 PM (but it's not on the menu--just ask the waiter/waitress) they have three Twilight Special dinners for $5.99: prime rib (my favorite!!), a half chicken, or bowtie pasta primavera. The rib and chicken come with potato or vegetable. All three meals come with a nice salad.

Best Bar Food: Triple 7 Brewpub at Main Street Station. Try the pizza or the ribs, as well as the microbrews.

Coffee Shop I've heard about but haven't been to yet: the Peppermill, near the Riviera on the Strip. The place looks like a coffee shop right out of the 60s, and the food is supposedly excellent and generous.

Happy Eating!

Pat