Lunch: From LGA up I-95 to CT
 

I'm flying into LaGuardia this week right at lunch time, picking up a car and driving up to Connecticut. I thought maybe I'd stop for lunch immediately. Anyone have any suggestions of any places not too far out of the way and where it will be easy to park a car. Fast food is out of the equation because of food allergies. My son is allergic to eggs and peanuts and I'm allergic to gluten so we are complicated.

Which route are you taking into CT - I95 or the Hutch/Merit?

I would aim for someplace in Westchester, but routing makes a difference.

There's not really any place you can easily stop immediately until you get out of the city. So either way you're going to be driving for at least 30 minutes or more. Your destination does make a difference, so tell us where you're going and your preferred route. Are you going to toward New Haven? Or are you going north?

Agreed. Where in CT and hence the route is key information. As Doug has said there really is no place you can stop immediately until you are out of the city. I95 or Hutch/Merit are not the only routes to CT. If you destination is NW CT then you'd take Hutch to I684 to I84/Danbury area.

If fast food is out of the equation can you tell us the types of places you frequent at home?

Since nearly all of CT is within 1-2 hrs drive of LGA this is a case I'd highly recommend just packing enough food to get you through the lunch hour to your destination. That would solve a lot of problems.

So as I said in my title, we are heading up I-95 over the Whitestone bridge. I was really looking for something in queens. Just someplace to go immediately out of the airport. Stopping in somewhere a la Greenwich and having lunch isn't really an option as my one year old will be with me and I anticipate he will fall asleep immediately in the car. We land at 1 p.m. which is 12 at home which is exactly lunchtime. So I can either feed him lunch as we are landing which is a pain, grab lunch at the airport which I don't want to do, or find somplace for lunch. I realize that's probably impossible, but you never know.

We are also leaving the house at 5:30 a.m. so will have had breakfast packed as well. It's just a lot to haul with me while also managing a newly walking one year old, a carseat that has to be loaded into the cabin so he can sit in it, the stroller that attaches to the carseat, and carryon items all by myself. It would be nice to have a real lunch since just packing a sandwich is out.

I can't vouch for how they'd handle your specific dietary needs, but I 've eaten (while waiting for a very delayed LGA arrival) at Buccaneer Diner, 93rd and Astoria Boulevard, a classic Greek diner just a few blocks from the airport. Might be worth it to you to give them a call at 718-429-5188.

Actually, reading all this extra info - I would simply suggest that by the time you get your luggage, get your car, get on the road, hopefully not get lost etc etc, it is going to be way past 1 pm and if you little one is a scheduled eater, it may simply be easier to eat at the airport. Granted it won't be gourmet or exciting but you have the rest of your trip for kind of meals. If it were me, I would eat first, get your bags and then head to car rental. Getting out of the rental location is a pain - I got lost a year back and I am a native! Admitted, it was midnight and dark, but still...

I know exactly how to get out of the airport, but I can totally see how at midnight you'd get lost. You may be right that trying to squeeze in lunch may just be impossible but I'll keep the Buccaneer Diner in mind if we make it out of the airport without the little one falling asleep.

LOL. I know exactly how as well. :o)

There are actually some decent places to eat at LaGuardia, but only the central terminal has a decent sit down place before security. It's called Figs, but I don't know that you'll find something within your dietary restrictions. You may need to do a diner, but I just can't make a recommendation. I never eat in this area.

Exit LGA at 94th Street, do not enter the Grand Central Parkway, go four blocks on 94th, then turn right on Astoria Boulevard one block.

http://mapq.st/14ZjJnf

p.s. If you're using National Car Rental, they're at the corner of 94th and Ditmars, just across the GCP from the airport.

Not far from the Whitestone, in College Point, Little Pepper is one of the best Chinese restaurants in the NYC area. Not sure if your dietary limitations would permit eating Sichuan food but if so, this would be a great choice. Street parking is easy.

bspielman is that the Buccaneer Diner you've linked to for directions?

and ekscrunchy, i'll do some investigating of Little Pepper. maybe we could find something there

How long's your flight? Might be easier to pack a lunch...

two flights both about two hours

Here is more on Little Pepper. There are plenty of non-spicy dishes on the menu.

http://nymag.com/restaurants/cheapea...ns/top-twenty/

Look at the options at LGA beforre you pick up the car. http://ny.eater.com/archives/2011/12/post_25.php

Looking at the restaurants listed in that link - I again say, eat first at the airport and then get your car and get out of "Dodge" I think it will be SO much easier for you.

Yes, the link displays 9301 Astoria Boulevard.