New Haven, CT to Pittsburgh, PA: RoadFood suggestions along I-84/I-80/I-99, Please

Hello!  This is my first time on Roadfood.  I'm taking a trip with some friends from New Haven, CT to Pittsburgh, PA, and hoping for advice about places to stop along the way for good road food, so as to avoid McDonalds/Burger King schiffez (as we say in New Haven).  If anyone has any suggestions, especially in the NE PA area (which is where we'll probably start to get hungry), I would really appreciate it!  Also, does anyone have any opinions about whether it's better to take 84 to 81, or to take 95 to 80 to 81?  Thanks a million!

A hop, skip, and a jump off of I-81 is the Dutch Kitchen, which has consistently provided us good Roadfood.
 
The area near Scranton is a haven of the Old Forge style of pizza. We ate at Salerno's and, frankly, found it a little odd and too American-cheesey - but I'm happy to have tried it.

dleis


Also, does anyone have any opinions about whether it's better to take 84 to 81, or to take 95 to 80 to 81?  Thanks a million!

First of all, I'm from New Haven. I live in Ohio, but I've been homemany times over the years. As far as I'm concerned the best route from New Haven to Pittsburgh is I-95 to Interstate 287 just across the New York line, across the Tappan Zee Bridge to Nanuet and south on the Garden State Parkway to Interstate 80, then west on I-80 to Interstate 79 south to Pittsburgh.

Michael Hoffman

dleis


Also, does anyone have any opinions about whether it's better to take 84 to 81, or to take 95 to 80 to 81?  Thanks a million!

First of all, I'm from New Haven. I live in Ohio, but I've been homemany times over the years. As far as I'm concerned the best route from New Haven to Pittsburgh is I-95 to Interstate 287 just across the New York line, across the Tappan Zee Bridge to Nanuet and south on the Garden State Parkway to Interstate 80, then west on I-80 to Interstate 79 south to Pittsburgh.

 
You would a helluva lot better off staying on 287 all the way thru Jersey, then taking 78/22 to 81 - less traffic/higher speed. Also, if you hit Alpha, NJ , which is right before you hit PA at A/B/E, around lunch time any day besides Sunday and Monday, you can experience the uniqueness of Charlies Pool Room, which has an extensive thread in the Hot Dog Category (its in the guide here too). Alpha is a bit of a maze, but most GPS units will direct you to it just fine. It is a Once n a Lifetime experience, which you WILL be wanting to repeating over and over again. There are many many contenders for the 'best' hot dog in the country, but Charlies, with its unique dogs, mealies and sauce and the hospitality of Joe and John, make for the best hot dog EXPERIENCE anywhere!  (and tell Joe and John Coney Island Lou sent you )
 
Also scuttlebutt has it that I80 in PA is a MAZE of construction right now....

NEPA, Here is another thread that was just started.

Thank you all for your suggestions and advice.

ConeyIslandLou
 
I hadn't heard that about Interstate 80. I was considering a trip up to Connecticut sometime in the next couple of months, and that's my standard route. Thanks for the heads up. I'll have to ckeck.

Pennsylvania highway construction map:
http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/constructionadvisory/