Youngstown, OH?

We're off to D.C./Richmond tonight, but plan on stopping halfway between here and there for a nap. By my Triptik calculations, that puts us somewhere between Cleveland and Youngstown, OH. My guess is, we'll try to push it to Youngstown.

I've read the posts on Cleveland and duly noted a few recs, but does anyone have ideas for a breakfast place in/around Youngstown? Something off the beaten path, not a chain, and perhaps serving some kind of Buckeye state specialty?

If you haven't read Mike G's post on the same exact route, you should. New Castle, PA is adjacent to Y-Town.

These towns are almost exactly 1/2 way between Chicago and both NYC and DC and are the natural stop on an easy 2-day drive to the East Coast. Yet they are mostly unknown on the food boards...

Well, we passed through Youngstown at around 2 a.m., so the stops listed on MikeG's posts weren't an option. I plan to hit the Brew Kettle on the way back. We did, however, stumble upon a most excellent and clean motel at the exit before the last exit in Ohio. It's called the Davis Truck Inn, and for a whopping $28, we got a spotless room, free porn and, for no extra charge, a real, live redneck domestic disturbance at 3 a.m. from the couple next door. Aside from falling asleep to the sweet sounds of 'Yer a lier [sic] and a whore. Go on to yer mama's house', it was the perfect, cheap stopover on the journey.

In the morning, with motel receipt in hand, we wandered to the diner next to the truckstop for our breakfast--10 percent off w/ receipt--and were told that a mere 5 minutes before we arrived, a Denver omelette on the grill caught on fire, which rendered the grill unusuable. Biscuits and microwaved gravy were ordered and not entirely finished.

Horrendous traffic and a desperate need to get where we were going made other creative food pit stops impossible. Hoping the drive back will be different.

Well, y'see, you folks from Up North just do NOT know how to do this whole trip to Our Nation's Capital (or, Capitol, if it matters). Y'awl are SOOO used to banging around on 80, that you just don't know the delights that await you further south, on 70. I should know, I just came this way--West--last week, about 15 mins ahead of the floods. [OK, my total route: Montreal --> Deepest Long Island (pause 3 days at MIL's place); then DLI --> NYC --> NJ Tpke--> Pennsy Tpke --> 70 to KC, over Lilgreenapolis]

I busted my sweetpatootie to get from NYC --> Lilgreenapolis in time to get to Shapiros, but they were closed, I was too beat anyway, and so I went to dinner at Coachman, acrost the street from the Comfort Inn out by the airport. Some of the worst food I've ever had in my life. 'Calamari' were in fact a pressed and shaped processed squid food product. Anybody ever had these? about the size and shape of a Mickey D's fry but twicet as long. Texture of a .... a.... ? an elastomeric creation of the late 20th C I guess is the best I could describe.

Some race teams were in town, and they don't need domestic disturbances to cause fun and games at 0300h. No free porn, and crrush, I paid thrice what you did. Must be that 70 is a higher life than 80.

Now, if you want to try it, just make a right turn from 80E onto 65S just east of the IL/IN line. Meet up with 70 at Lilgreenapolis, and it's smooth sailin' from there. Actually, it IS a pretty direct shot into D.C. on 70, and you miss a lot of the mess that one runs into getting South off 80 in the far east.

Unfortunately, the LTH-reported food experience on 70 would seem to be much deficient.

Sure envy you your trip crrush. Oh boy.

Geo

Rolled east to Pittsburgh recently - knew the Akron/Youngstown area was going to be the area to make some stops during in the lunch time frame - sought out a spot to get a shot, a cold one and some grub. Rip's Cafe - been around 80 years - True Mom & Pop spot, Pop was cooking this day, Mom was running the bar.





Heard Rip's Cafe was doing all 3(plus gotta try a place calling themselves Rip's), and offering an item called the Hunky Platter - Stuffed cabbage, pierogi, and Halushki(noodles and kraut sauteed in butter) - Halushki and stuffed cabbage were as good as it gets

Old School - Hunky Platter:


Pretty cool area for lunch the Akron/Youngtown area - if one puts in some effort.

Rip's Cafe
614 Youngstown-Poland Rd.
Struthers, OH.

Major letdown as I thought I was going to finally be able to try the locally loved Brier Hill Pizza. It's relatively unknown outside of Youngstown but my uncle has harassed me for years now about going to Saint Anthony's to try it. It's basically a crispy thin crust pizza where the cheese, romano, goes on when it comes out of the oven. You can get them with or without sausage and or hot peppers which are grown by the nuns at the church. The same guy has been making the marinara for decades. Friday's only and you gotta reserve your pizza during the week leading up to Friday. Well we were headed thru Youngstown and it was going to be a Friday so I thought it was finally going to happen only to find out they were taking a three week summer vacation when I called to reserve a sausage/hot. DAMN. Change of plan.


Locals Favorite

Tringheses' Cornersburg Italian Specialties is an old school Italian grocery where you can get stuff to make lunch/dinner or just buy either or there. The shelves were a little bare. I'd heard they have some not so common imports, but aside from a jar of locally sourced hot peppers I bought I didnt see much that caught my eye. The bakery seemed to be stripped as there wasn't much fresh goods left for purchase. I wanted to try their pepperoni roll, a regional treat in Steel and Coal Country, but they were out. The prepared foods menu changes daily but I ended up with the always available sausage, onion, and pepper mix as the other Friday specials were fish focused. Their Italian sausage was very good and I really liked the little three bite links. The recipe seems to use a ton of black pepper. It hit the spot for sure.


Sausage, Peppers, and Onion

If you're passing thru the area and in need of a quick lunch you cant find much better or cheaper (less than $5). Though I would say the Hunky Platter is also a really good idea if you got the time. Other than that Youngstown has seen better days. It's in the same boat as many other once booming Midwest cities. Gary, Flint, and East St. Louis to name a few. Though none of them ever had the title of Bomb Town, USA given to them. A nickname earned from all the car bombs that killed local mafioso and others as there was a time when this was the most mobbed up / corrupt small town America has ever seen. The name is a play on Bomb City which is what Cleveland was called at the time, for the same reason.


Old Youngstown

Tringheses' Cornersburg Italian Specialties
3381 Canfield Rd
Youngstown, OH 44511
(330) 799-8650