Road trip to New Haven from Maine
 

We will be driving from southern Maine to New Haven. Any suggestions for some interesting stops as well as decent "road food" ? Also, we have heard that the pizza around New Haven is very good and would appreciate any reviews.

Thanks

Chowhound is a great place for local foodie tips.

What are you interested in doing along the way? Stop in Boston for history, museums, food? Stop at Sturbridge for Sturbridge Village? Stop in Hartford, Athenaeum? Hit a beach on Mass north shore, or RI? Take 95 to 495 to 290 to 395 and hit the casinos?

The pizza in New Haven is excellent!!

Rein's Deli in Vernon, CT off I-84 is a good spot for lunch.

http://vernon.reinsdeli.com/ordereze/default.aspx

Thanks for the great tips

Trombetta's Farm in Marlborough Mass for ice cream, Renaldo's on Main Street in Southington Ct. for pizza

The most popular places for pizza in New Haven are Pepe's (my DH's favorite) and Modern (my son's favorite).

My DH just told me "Bar" on Crown is really good - a little weird, but their mashed potato pizza was really good.

Thanks for the great ideas. I just spoke with a young woman at The Study where we are staying to ask her about pizza. She didn't give me any names but told me that she would make a list, She explained the difference between Chicago pizza and New Haven pizza and now I can't wait to eat.

Oh, and thanks for the chowhound like,

In New Haven, absolutely do not miss getting pizza at Pepe's. It's generally regarded as the best pizza in the USA, if not the world. There's usually (always) a wait, so get there early.

<<<It's generally regarded as the best pizza in the USA, if not the world.>>>

Like I said, my husband like's Pepe's, my son likes Modern. It's good pizza, even very good, but neither thinks it's the best they've ever had. If you go in with such high expectations, you're bound to be disappointed :-)

Re New Haven style pizza: the three places usually mentioned are Modern Apizza, Frank Pepe's, and Sally's Apizza. Have only been to the first thus far, and thought their pizza was terrific. Reports I've seen also suggest that Modern Apizza is the least "high maintenance" of the three, with Sally's the worst in this regard.

Haven't been to Rein's (Vernon, CT, just outside of Hartford) in a long while, but enjoyed it at the time.

New Haven is also home to the restaurant that supposedly first offered the hamburger in the US, a place called Louis' Lunch. Haven't had a chance to try them as of yet. Have also not tried Ted's Restaurant in Meriden CT, which offers an unusual local variant, a steamed cheeseburger.

what route are you taking?

We ended up eating pizza at Bar. Walking distance from our hotel, The Study, and very good. It is in a converted garage and we were able to watch the pizza being made in this giant oven. I like how New Haven takes pizza to a different level. No pretense, just good food. We also enjoyed walking around the campus, looking at the amazing buildings.
A great stop on a very interesting journey.

My DH, DS and some friends had pizza at Bar recently -- they all liked it a lot, even the mashed potato pizza.

As for Louis Lunch, they are such purists, they don't serve ketchup. Therefore, noone in my family has eaten there :-)

Lastly, I flew home from somewhere next to a woman who grew up in Connecticut. She mentioned having taken her kids to Ted's when she was 'home' with them because it was where she went all the time with her friends when she was younger. She said it was totally gross.