If you are heading north toward Akron then going west, you might want
to check out the Emlenton Truck Stop in Emlenton PA, which is
nationally known for having the "World's Worst Apple Pie". I haven't
talked to my sister in a couple years, but the last time I talked to
her she was still waiting tables there.

For Cincinnati Chili you would want to stop at Skyline Chili, there
are some throughout Northern Ohio. I recommend the five way (noodles,
sauce, cheese, beans and onions) and a coney dog. Skyline also sells
more York's Peppermint Patties than any other restaurant chain in the
world; it is traditional to cap your meal off with a couple peppermint
patties. Here is the Skyline Chili website where you put in the zip
code of an area you'll go travelling thru and it tells you how close
the nearest one is.

http://www.skylinechili.com/locator.php?zip=44301

When I lived in Cincinnati one of the big local dishes was Goetta,
pronounced GET-TA, which is a combination of seasoned ground pork and
oatmeal which is fried in a skillet in thin patties like sausage.
Never cared for it, must be an acquired taste. Scrapple is also big
in the midwest, but never tried it because I draw the line at eating
pork brains and internal organs.

I love Detroit Coneys, but I think National Coney Island is just in
the Metro Detroit area, at least when I lived there in the mid 90's.
For those who have never had one, a Detroit Coney has a bun topped
with a slice of american cheese, the hot dog, loose seasoned meat and
topped with chili without beans, then onions and mustard. It is
recommended to eat with a knife and fork.