250095 Tue Sep 28 13:40:13 -0700 1999 26 20 Tristate Region 0 1329793 we spend much too much time stuck on I95 in Connecticut trying to get to Providence and the cape. is there any worthwhile, not too elaborate food available that is not far off the highway? i would rather starve than eat the fast food at the rest areas. thanks, alison Tue Sep 28 13:40:13 -0700 1999 0 alison 1 1329794 Where are you driving from? I'm originally from Greenwich, CT, and would be happy to point you to some places off of exits 3, 4 or 5. Tue Sep 28 14:26:02 -0700 1999 1329793 0 Susan Teitz 2 1329834 Hey Susan, go for it -- I'm curious as to your recommendations. Fri Oct 01 12:37:04 -0700 1999 1329794 0 Neil 3 1329835 Now I've got to put my money where my mouth is! I haven't lived there for a while, but still visit, so here goes: exit 5: McDonald'. A shopping center with a Chinese restaurant that I cannot recommend. In the same shopping center there's the Hustler Diner. I've never eaten there, but it looks like a friendly sort of place. Right next to McD's on the Post Road (Rte. 1) is Baang, an Asian fusion place. Interesting space considering the location. I ate there once. Had a beef salad to start that looked like a lot of lawn clippings with some sliced beef. Entree not memorable enough to recall. Architectural but tasty desert (ice cream and cookie combo, I think). The other direction on Rte. 1 is the Boxing Cat Grill. Popular bar scene, food I guess I'd describe as California-ish. Good, a little pricy for a road trip stop. Exit 3. If you get off on Exit 3, turn rt. at end of ramp and stay on road for a minute or so you run into Greenwich Avenue, the main shopping drag. Lots of turnaround there, and most of the cheap places we went to as kids have closed. Have tried Mediterraneo (for lunch, thought it was too $$). Versailles is good for pastries and coffee, but the last dinner I had there, we were all disappointed. At the bottom of the Avenue, to the right is Rue. Little French cafe, used to enjoy it a lot, haven't been there for a while. Hope this helps! Fri Oct 01 12:57:21 -0700 1999 1329834 0 Susan Teitz 4 1329836 Thanks for the prompt reply, but it wasn't very inspiring in terms of recommendations! Is the Chinese restaurant you referred to (that you didn't like) Hunan Cafe, Rte 1 in Riverside? (there's a discussion of it under the heading "Dim Sum" on this board) I understand there's a good new Jewish-style deli in Greenwich (Arch street or thereabouts)...have you heard anything about it? Fri Oct 01 14:27:46 -0700 1999 1329835 0 Neil 5 1329838 I haven't been to the deli yet, but I hear it's good. It certainly is needed--it's hard to find good deli out there. I also should note that right off of 95 at exit 5 (turn left onto Post Road), there are two upscale markets serving prepared food. Hay Day has produce and prepared food and Aux Delices (run by the former chef of Montrachet) has just the prepared food. Hay Day has a few tables inside, Aux Delices a few inside. Fri Oct 01 15:13:04 -0700 1999 1329836 0 Susan Teitz 6 1329840 So, I-95 dining? All of the following are places I’d pull off the highway for. I’m not sure of hours of operation, so if you don’t want to be disappointed, call ahead. I’m an inveterate lister, so I’ve included addresses & phones when I could find ‘em easily. Not right next to 95 but close enough Exit 3. Katzenberg’s Deli, Greenwich. Good rugelach & other deli items. A pleasant coffee-shoppish place with very good deli food. (This one isn't far off Greenwich Ave.) Exit 11 or 13. Tandoori, 2511 Old Kings H’way North, Darien. 662-1213. A cheerful café serving some of the area’s best Indian food from a variety of regions. Friendly service. Exit 15. Habana, 70 North Main, South Norwalk. 852-9790. Good Nuevo Latino, though somewhat pricey—and like Patria, this place is loud! South Norwalk has a big bar scene—it’s the Fairfield County equivalent of Park Avenue South—so earlier (and non-weekends) are more relaxing in the entire area. Exit 17. Pal Joey’s, 383 Post Road East, 227-9979. Westport. This is a mom-and-pop lunch counter. Very old-fashioned place like you don’t see much any more. Lunch and breakfast only. Not open Sundays. I’d recommend the made-to-order items, like a spinach omelette. Also, try the lemony Greek avgolemono soup. Very close to I-95 Exit 11. Howard-Johnson’s, Darien. I know, I know—it’s a chain, but a once-a-year indulgence in their friend clam strips while you wait out the traffic isn’t so bad, is it? Exit 14. The Silver Star Diner, 210 Connecticut Ave. Norwalk. 852-0023. (Connecticut Ave. is the same as the Post Road/Route 1.) Friends call this one the Disco Diner--it’s a bit glitzy inside. Big menu. Reliable diner fare. Tasty vinaigrette dressing for the salads. This is very close to Swanky Frank’s, the hot-dog emporium. People love Swanky Frank’s but I haven’t been there yet. Exit 17. Black Duck, 605 Riverside Ave. Westport. 227-7978. A dive bar on the Saugatuck River with good blue-cheese burgers. Near World Video. Also, some right nice fish & chips nearby at Harborside Seafood (221-9141), in the same shopping area as Peter’s Bridge Market. You’ll have to eat the fish & chips in the car, though; Harborside is takeout only. Merritt Parkway vicinity (i.e., nowhere near I-95) Merritt Exit 37. Ching’s, New Canaan. My current new favorite; I look forward to trying all of their food! Dang, who knew there was such excellent Pan Asian in Ice Storm territory? Fresh ingredients, obvious attention to detail in the kitchen, artfully arranged plates, kind service. Love the light, crispy, not-at-all greasy scallion pancakes. Fri Oct 01 15:48:19 -0700 1999 1329838 0 Susan Thomsen 7 1329842 great list (I'd do a pistachio milk shake...with "no syrup" carefully stipulated) at hojo's, though you forgot something, a great Jane and Michael Stern find (they write very very reliably about CT cuz they live there): Coffee an' (227-3808 343 N Main) in Westport makes the best chocolate doughnuts (excellent muffins and cinnamon buns and very good breakfasts, too). Here are my hard-won directions (man, have I been lost in Westport...) from both Merrit and the aforementioned I-95 monstrosity (it's a highway...it's a cure for insomnia...it's BOTH!) Merrit x 42, left off exit, bear right at fork, place is a couple of miles down on the right in a shopping strip at a big intersection 95 x17,left off exit, straight 2 miles, cross rt.1, next light right onto Kings Hwy, over canal and into the shopping strip on the left just before road jags hard right. Fri Oct 01 16:55:13 -0700 1999 1329840 0 Jim Leff 8 1329844 Jim and Jen, oh, definitely Coffee An'! I love that place--I should have included that one on my list. I've had terrific luck with Jane and Michael Stern places; the Naugatuck (CT) Italian restaurant they wrote about in a recent Gourmet sounds great, too (but it ain't near 95). Susan Fri Oct 01 17:29:59 -0700 1999 1329842 0 Susan Thomsen 9 1329847 Hi Susan, Fancy meeting you here. Coffee 'An is my favorite tip ever from the Sterns. I love their powdered sugar doughnuts, too, and although it isn't usually one of my favorite type, the cinnamon 'nuts are great, too. But Jim, if you like the cinnamon rolls there, then maybe you should go to breakfast at Pie 'n Burger and have a cinnamon roll and a piece of pie! Sat Oct 02 02:34:16 -0700 1999 1329844 0 Dave Feldman 10 1329890 I found myself in Greenwich the other day and looked around for the new deli (Jewish, not Indian, yuk yuk), but knowing neither the name nor its precise location I never did find it. (What, you think I'm gonna ask for directions?) Another good place in Greenwich that's a bit easier to find is the Elm Street Oyster House. Excellent oysters (surprise) and creative, well-prepared fresh seafood dishes. Can be very noisy, though -- it's quite popular, even on weeknights. Thu Oct 07 17:38:45 -0700 1999 1329847 0 Neil 11 1329900 Maybe the deli you're thinking of is Katzenberg's. I mentioned it earlier, but now have an address for all y'all chowhounds. I've enjoyed the meals I've eaten there. It's off Greenwich Avenue and across the street from the Black Forest bakery. Katzenberg's, 33 Lewis Street, Greenwich 203/629-8889 Fri Oct 08 17:24:25 -0700 1999 1329890 0 Susan Thomsen 12 1329911 Ah...Lewis Street. Thanks. Right near one of the area's finest, Jean Louis. (Another place that's easy to find..Jean LOUIS on LEWIS Street...) Mon Oct 11 08:55:18 -0700 1999 1329900 0 Neil 12 1333990 Katzenberg's now has another location open on lower Greenwich Avenue - right next door to the asian market. Great food, but the prices could be a little better- I paid $9 for a sandwich and brownie yesterday... Tue Feb 12 12:33:58 -0800 2002 1329900 0 Jen 7 1329846 A warning about the Hojo's. I stopped there about 6mos. ago on my way back from Boston for the first time in years. Really looked forward to the clam roll that I used to love as a teenagar (decades ago) I hate to say it, but it was inedible!!! Skip 'em and just hold on to the memories. Sat Oct 02 00:04:07 -0700 1999 1329840 0 michael 1 1329800 Well you could have knocked me over with a feather this past Saturday coming back from Block Island, my better half, Julie my wife says we're stopping in Mystic for lunch. Lunch in Mystic? What about all those tourists? Well in any event we had lunch at a restaurant called "Go Fish" it is right off the Mystic exit by the Aquarium in a mall. Hey what a great menu. I had some of the best fried scallops I've had in a long , long time. Cooked perfectly. Julie had halibut which was the special of the day. It was so good I noticed she didn't offer me any. Very extensive wine list,good selection of beers. Hey I was driving I only had 2. Julie had a Chilian Sauvignon Blanc 2 glasses. Service was great and quick to boot. We were in and out in 30:00 minutes.Price $33.50 including tip. I suggest You Go Fish. Even though we don't have any ourselves, they certainly seem child friendly. Happy driving. Tue Sep 28 18:24:52 -0700 1999 1329793 0 chris B. Shaw 1 1329837 there have been lots of posts re the Ct coast - cant compile them here, but you ought to check using the search function on this site for the major towns - here are some real obvious ones - Westport/Saugatuck exit, Coffee 'An - a ways off the highway, but maybe a good break point in a northwards trip with the best doughnuts anywhere; the next exit north there is a big diner a mile or so W of 95 on US 1 that is fine but nothing notable (closer to the hway). New Haven at lunch or dinner, Pepe's Pizza is a terrific break; Madison or Westbrook (2 locations I think) Eddie and Joes (two guys names any way) Fish Tales for great fried fish and other things, Pat's Kountry Kitchen (olde Lyme, I think; breakfast or lunch) Abbotts in Noank for clams. There have been recent posts on Mystic too. Good luck! Fri Oct 01 14:54:13 -0700 1999 1329793 0 jen kalb 2 1329839 Guys---please remember that this is the "Tristate Region" board. While we discuss here parts of CT that fall into the greater metropolitan area, serious CT postings (about the state "proper") are to be found on the New England board. To go there, click "New England" on the map on our homepage. Same goes for NJ....areas of the state outside the tristate area are discussed on the Mid-Atlantic message board. If you're interested in either state, you're encouraged to regularly check both this board and the state's appropriate regional board. ciao Fri Oct 01 15:38:31 -0700 1999 1329837 0 Jim Leff 1 1329864 I stopped at a place off 95 in Stamford that seemed to have opened fairly recently that had pretty good barbeque (at least for the North East). Don't have the name handy, or the exit (unfortunately). Can anyone help? It was only a couple of minutes East of 95, I believe. Mon Oct 04 14:33:04 -0700 1999 1329793 0 jonathan sibley 2 1329865 The original Stick To Your Ribs was in Stratford close to I-95 (the Honeyspot Rd. exit, when traveling north), and made for a great pit stop. (There's a pun in there, come to think of it.) This may be the place you're thinking of. I'm not certain what the current status of the place is -- I'm reasonably sure that the STYR people no longer own it, and while it still was a bbq place after they left, it may not be anymore. Anyone out there know? Mon Oct 04 15:42:03 -0700 1999 1329864 0 Chris E. 3 1329866 It was called Buster's BBQ as of about a year ago, and the food was still pretty good, if sometimes not quite warm enough (thermally speaking). Mon Oct 04 22:00:57 -0700 1999 1329865 0 AHR 4 1329867 buster's bbq 1308 East Main st (US-1) 961-0799 mon-thurs 11:30-2, 4:30-9 pm; fri/sat, 11:30 -10 pm, sun 11:30-9 take I-95 N to exit 9, right on US 1. Mon Oct 04 22:37:57 -0700 1999 1329866 0 Jim Leff 5 1329871 The place I'm talking about is (or was) in Stratford, just outside Bridgeport, not in Stamford. If Buster's is in Stamford, then we're talking about two different places -- though as I said, the Stratford one may no longer exist. Tue Oct 05 13:14:17 -0700 1999 1329867 0 Chris E. 6 1329872 The last time I checked out the Stratford location, sadly, it looked abandoned. Tue Oct 05 16:28:09 -0700 1999 1329871 0 AHR 7 1329874 Buster's is now a place called Smokey Joe's; the new phone is 203/406-0605. As I understand it, the owners are new but the setup is the same. I liked Buster's BBQ (always had it in carry-out) but haven't sampled any since it changed hands. In my book, even the suspicion of good BBQ is worth a shot. Susan Tue Oct 05 16:54:31 -0700 1999 1329872 0 Susan Thomsen 8 1329929 I've been to the place several times and although the BBQ is pretty good, I'm always surprised at how expensive it is, in light of the fact that the food is self-serve cafeteria style. I reccommend you go for lunch when they have daily luncheon specials. Thu Oct 14 16:00:39 -0700 1999 1329874 0 david l 6 3885106 Is it Johnny's that you're thinking of? It's right off Exit 31 or 32 in Stratford. Haven't been in a few years so it may have changed but in the past, you had to place your order ahead of time. They had excellent, fall-off-the-bone ribs! I think the rib dinner was only offered on Thursday nights. Sun Jul 20 09:04:36 -0700 2008 1329871 211501 chawth