I just noticed this topic was started over a year ago, but just in case you still plan on making the trip, here's my 2 cents or 2 bucks worth.
I agree with most of the suggestions. A clarification for Philly... A few people used the term "pork rabe". I know what they mean, but just in case you don't, they are referring to the roast pork with broccoli rabe. More specifically, the best way to order that sandwich is the
Italian roast pork with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe. As for the "Cheesesteak Wars", I do like
Pat's King oif Steaks. I've eaten there several times and never had a bad one. Yes, it gets its share of tourists, but so do any other well publicized roadfood locations. It's still mostly locals with lots of tatoos and Eagles and Flyers jerseys on. I also like
Tony Luke's for both the
cheesesteaks and the
Italian roast pork with sharp prov and broc rabe. No matter which Philly Chessesteak place you go to, I think what's most important is how you order your cheesesteak. Don't pull a (I'm leaving out the politician's name), who tried to order one with swiss and dijon mustard. You'll be thrown out of Philly by the 1970s-era Philly Flyers "Goon Squad". Order it like the locals and get it with onions and melted cheeze whiz. ("Wiz wit"). Some suburban places outside Philly prefer white American, which is fine, but never swiss. Generally no mustard, either. Get just cheeze whiz and onions. Keep it simple. As weird as the cheeze whiz sounds, trust me on this one.
In RI, I'd pick the
Iggy's in Narragansett, RI over the Iggy's location in Warwick, RI. In Narragansett, you also have
Champlin's and
Aunt Carrie's nearby. Aunt Carrie's has the best Indian pudding anywhere,....even better than Durgin Park's Indian pudding. The best way I can think of to describe Indian pudding would be spiced pumpkin pie polenta.
Aunt Carrie's is closed in the winter. Call ahead if spring or fall. Back on iggy's. ....The Iggy's in Narragansett also makes for a more scenic drive than the Iggy's in Warwick. You also have
Brickley's Ice Cream a few moiles away. (more on that later)
I think you indicated you don't like seafood. Honestly, I'm not big on it, either, and probably wouldn't like it at all if I lived in MN. I assume you don't like the "fishiness"? For very mild, non-fishy fish, try the Boston scrhod (usually small haddock or cod) at
Durgin-Park in Boston. Very neutral un-fishy flavor. Be sure to get the baked beans, too. They are drier, darker, and more firm than you are likely accustomed to. They're not the usual mushy soupy stuff you see at most places across the country. Try their Indian pudding if you didn't get it at Aunt Carrie's in RI. .. But, Aunt Carrie's Indian pudding is better (much more flavorful. They use more spices.)
I skimmed the above replies, and didn't see it (but might have missed it), but I would definitely recommend
The Rendezvous in Memphis for dry-rubbed ribs. Get 'em dry with sauce on the side to try. Try without sauce first. Best ribs I've had anywhere.
For
eastern NC barbecue not too far off I-95,
Parker's in Wilson, NC is very good .... a solid 9 out of 10. I also like
D&H BBQ in Manning, SC....a few miles off I-95. They make a NC style BBQ even though they are in SC. D&H has a mini-buffet that includes great BBQ, great fried chicked, and great hush puppies. Limited hours. Call ahead.
In
Brunswick GA, very close to I-95 is the
GA Pig. Very good chopped pork sandwich. They use a sandwich press to toast the whole sandwich. Very good! Hint: Ask for no sauce, and add you own as needed. When they add the sauce, it starts soaking into the nice toasty bread, and it starts to get soggy....no longer toasty. Part of the appeal of this sandwich is its toastiness (very unusual for southern BBQ joints, which typically have mushy bread.) Don't let them ruin the toastiness by having them add sauce. Add your own a little at a time at the table as you need it. They have bottles of it at every table. It's somewhat sweeter than NC style sauce, but still good with moderate mild tanginess.
In
Woodbridge, VA, just a couple miles off I-95 is
Dixie Bones BBQ (not to be confused with the chain called Smokey Bones). Our favorite there is their beef brisket and their pies.
If you go toward Williamsburg, VA and Norfolk, VA on I-64, try
Pierce's Pitt Barbecue just outside of Williamsburg in
Lightfoot, VA. Yes, they spell Pitt with 2 "t's". A sign painter made a mistake way back, and the spelling stuck, and is included that way on all of their signage and advertizing now. Anyway, their BBQ is hard to describe. It's not much like any other. It is red sauce based and has a light, but distinctive tang. The pulled pork comes in shreds and firmer bits and chunks all mixed together. Hard to desribe the taste, but very good. I spent 4 years eating these while at William & Mary in the mid-80s. It used to be a simple walk-up window, and now has an expanded dining room, more expansive menu, and they sell their jarred sauce. Not quite the "roadfood atmosphere" it once was, but the BBQ tastes the same, and good as ever.
While in CT, of course you should try
Frank Pepe's in New Haven. If they, and the other famed locations are crazy busy and you are in a hurry, then try
Zuppardi's Appiza in West Haven. It's 98% as good as Frank Pepe's with a lot less time and hassle involved that you get with the Pepe's interval "seatings". If I recall correctly, about a decade ago, Zuppardi's Apizza was ranked 4th in Connecticut Magazine, just behind Pepe's, Sally's Apizza, and Modern Apizza. Note: the "A's" in front of "pizza" are not typos. A lot of the local Italians call it "Ah-Beetz."
Somebody earlier mentioned Waffle House as the excepion to breaking the no fast food rule. I agree with him that the hash browns there are great. Don't bother with the waffles. In my opinion, a similar, but better choice than Waffle House is the
Huddle House. With a few exceptions, they are found in southern VA and farther south. They are similar to Waffle House, but Huddle House seems a notch above.
Back up to New England. It seems counter-intuitive, but New Englanders consume the most ice cream per person, and have some of the best ice cream places. My favorites are all in RI. The
Daily Scoop in Bristol, RI; T
he Inside Scoop in North Kingstown (Wickford area); and
Brickley's in Narragnsett, RI. The Inside Scoop is a spin-off of Brickley's and is located in the former Brickley's location. Of course, all the above make their own ice cream.
In Maine, try the
Maine Diner in Wells, ME. They have, well, almosty everything. Good Indian pudding, too. .... better than Durgin Park's, and almost as good as Aunt Carrie's Indian pudding. The Maine Diner is Maine's 2009 restaurant of the year.
In
Newark, Delaware (not Newark, NJ), there is small localized chain (maybe 7 or 8 locations?) called
Jake's Hamburgers. Really good, but a warning:... my taste is for the thin style burgers that get the nearly crisp, ragged edges. So, order a double, which is their standard "Jake Burger". It's still juicy despite having thin patties. They also have GREAT shakes. Probabaly the best shakes I have ever had anywhere. I'm a fan of a vanilla shake with an intense vanilla flavor. It seems almost contradictory to say "vamilla" and "intense flavor" in the same sentence, but, when you can get a vanilla shake that has a super intense vanilla flavor, it's really something else. Most shake places serve very weak vanilla shakes, hence giving vanilla it's wimpy reputation. You'll change your mind about vanilla if you try one at Jake's. Try a "Jake Burger" and a vanilla shake, and you'll leave smiling! They also have lots of other shake flavors, including a flavor of the month such as pumpkin pie shake in October, blackberry in July, etc.
I'm not sure if Jake's counts as a Roadfood, as it has 7 or 8 locations, but it's really good, so who cares? The way I look at it is this: If traveling and I see a localized chain, I don't care if it's a chain if it meets 2 criteria. 1.) It's good. 2.) It's not a national chain that I can find near home that I could just as well eat at near home. For example, in the east, we don't have In 'N Out Burger, and I have heard lots of good about it, and have never had a chance to try it. Next time I go to CA, I'm going to darn well eat one, chain or not. It's supposedly good, and different than what I can get at home.
Happy travels and happy eating!
Glenn (and Janet)
<message edited by Glenn1234 on Thu, 01/6/11 4:25 AM>
