New York to Madison, WI road trip

Hello,
This is my very first post in this forums.  I am relatively new to the idea of roadfood, so be kind, please!    In about three weeks, my husband and I are going to be taking a road trip from our home in Beacon, NY to his alma mater in Madison, WI.  We will be making overnight stops in Scranton, PA, Pittsburgh, PA, Cleveland, OH on the way there.  On the way back we will be staying overnight in Sandusky, OH and the Finger Lakes area of NY. 
 
I've looked extensively at the restaurants listed on this site and in the Roadfood book, but am wondering if you experts out there have any good suggestions for us!
 
Thanks,
 
Jolie

Welcome, Jolie.
 
It just so happens that Buddy Roadhouse is in Cleveland at this very minute so his thread might be of interest to you.
 
Since your husband is a UW grad I'm guessing you already have a few Madison spots picked out.  How long ago was he here?
 
Brad

What a fun trip ahead. Will you pass thru Milwaukee?

I'll sort of piggyback on this....in mid-July I'm driving from near Albany, New York to Decorah, Iowa....most of the trip is on I-90 to Madison, then westward.... so looking for good eats along the way.  I'll take 3 days to get there, so there's time to stop and look around!

Mid-July's not that far off!  Do you have any stops tentatively scheduled?
 
Brad

A couple:  Cleveland for lunch at either Hot Sauce William's or Sokolowski's, and lunch in Chicago at Hot Doug's, with a stop at American Science & Surplus (not food, but geek heaven, and just off I-90)
There used to be a lovely brew pub in Mt. Horeb, WI, but last time through they had morphed into a wine bar.

Skip Hot Sauce Williams and check out Mt. Pleasant BBQ.  Excellent 'Que, fried chicken or fish dinners, outstanding sides.  If you're up to the challenge, try the PB (Polish Boy) Deluxe; an all beef Polish sausage, deep fried, plopped in a bun, then covered in pulled pork, a layer of creamy cole slaw, a mound of fantastic hand cut, skin on fries, and all drenched in Mt. Pleasant's mild but flavorful Barbecue Sauce.  You might want to ask for the fries on the side, or admit defeat early and just eat it with fork and knife.
 
A couple drawbacks/considerations:
1. Mt Pleasant isn't in the best of neighborhoods.  Not as bad as some I've seen here in my hometown of Chicago or in New York, but for Cleveland, it's a little dicey.  I have no problems going there at midnight (they're usually open until around 2:00am).  But if you're a skitterish suburbanite (not sayin' you are, just sayin "if") visit during daylight hours and you should be fine.
 
2. Limited seating.  There's only one table in the joint with two attached seats.  If you're traveling with a party larger than two people, you better bring a lawn chair.  Of course, the table is attached to a wall, so you'll still only be able to accommodate one other person.  Pray for good weather so you can eat on the trunk of your car, or as we here in The Contingent (a group of like minded Chicago & Milwaukee Roadfooders) call it, "Dining ala Trunk".
 
Sokolowski's is an excellent option if you happen to be there during the limited times when they are serving food.  You should also check out buffetbuster's current thread, "Visiting Main Street Ohio", ( http://www.roadfood.com/F...reet-Ohio-m479472.aspx ) .  Although he started the thread in January of '09, there are current updates on pages 7-8 with an extensive focus on Cleveland.
 
Have a great trip(s)!
 
Buddy
 
Mt. Pleasant BBQ
12725 Kinsman Rd
Cleveland, OH 44120
(216) 561-8722
 

BuddyRoadhouse


Skip Hot Sauce Williams and check out Mt. Pleasant BBQ.  Excellent 'Que, fried chicken or fish dinners, outstanding sides.
 
Looks like a plan!  I used to ride the Chicago Owl service in the wee hours, to the neighborhood at lunch time shouldn't be an issue....I'll call on the way to double check when they open; I should hit Cleveland noonish, so Sokolowski's as backup.
 
Now, just need something for dinner in Wisconsin between Madison and Prairie Du Chien!
 
Many thanks!
 
 

Certainly finding someplace in Madison won't be difficult but choosing might be.
 
But since you mention Prairie du Chien:
 
http://peteshamburgers.com/
 
I've never been there but it's a local legend.
 
Brad

ScreamingChicken


Certainly finding someplace in Madison won't be difficult but choosing might be.

But since you mention Prairie du Chien:



I've never been there but it's a local legend.

Brad

Brad- Many thanks for this-  I'm generally going through Madison before dinnertime, and anyway the highways pretty much bypass the business district.  But I should hit Prairie du Chien at lunch time on a Friday, and it looks like Pete's is just a block beyond where 18 turns to cross the Mississippi.  Reports will follow!
 
 

pete's sounds like a fantastic place!!