@“aunt bea” I had my first fish taco in California on a vacation there and fell in love. Who knew you could combine such a wide range of ingredients and come up with a delicious taste!
Utz is a PA company… as is Herrs and Martins and Snyders. Herrs is our favorite, though Utz for pretzels. One of my lads prefers Martins for BBQ chips.
Rockfish is super popular in VA too (along with blue crabs). H’s family eats them a lot.
'Tis nice when french fry places offer vinegar - malt vinegar. In eastern Ontario and Northern NY that goes right along with fish and chips (fries, not potato chips). I suspect it goes with the English heritage of the areas.
I’m going to have to google Smith Island cake.
I agree with Powercropper that this is a fun nostalgic and learn something new thread.
@powercropper They were introduced to students at SDSU by a grad, Ralph Rubio, who brought the idea in from a surfing and fishing village in Baja California-San Felipe.
I normally stay away from seafood, but, being broke, I paid my 99 cents for lunch for two fish tacos at Rubio’s. I was amazed!
Googled it. H would love it! I’ll pass (lack of sweet tooth and family history of diabetics on both sides with almost all relatives). I’ll have a bite of his someday just to see what it tastes like.
Keep in mind that not one drop of traditional Guinness is brewed there, it all comes from St. James’ Gate in Dublin.
I love apple butter. I don’t know what U.S. state is recognized as the home of apple butter, but eat it wherever that may be.
In New Mexico - Fry Bread! Yum! I love it drizzled with honey from a roadside stand.
I have a friend that lives on the South Coast of MA, on Buzzard’s Bay. He said, with all the restaurants closed, the fishing boats needed to change their business model. They now take appointments from people. You sign up the day before, pull up at your assigned time, and they ask you what you want. They’ll load your car up with lobsters, bay scallops, whatever you want…literally fresh off of a boat that just docked. He says he never wants to buy seafood from a store ever again.
Do Christmas style - half green, half red.
Some things are regional specialties and loved by those in that region lol!
Ones that come to mind
Cincinnati chili, I love but many do not to say the least
Pork roll, I think it’s a New Jersey thing, but not mine
Pasties from the UP of Michigan. Served with ketchup.
Vernors, definitely a Michigan thing, not for everyone
Utica, NY -
Chicken Riggies - rigatoni with a tomato cream sauce that usually contains hot cherry peppers (or mild) as well as a bunch of other add ins that are dependent on where you are eating
Greens - escarole and/or romaine sauteed in olive oil with cherry peppers, romano cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, sometimes potatoes added
Half Moons - like a black and white cookie but instead of a vanilla base it is a decadent chocolate cake base and topped with a fudgy buttercream on half and a fluffy vanilla frosting on the other half
Tomato Pie - like a thick crust sheet pizza served warm but only topped with a crushed tomato sauce and romano cheese
I’m so hungry now!
Philadelphia soft pretzels- they’re definitely different (and better) than Auntie Anne’s- you can even get them stuffed with cheesesteak for a two for one. Ha.
What’s different about Cincinnati chili?
We enjoyed Pasties in the UP - had no idea one was supposed to eat them with ketchup (and would have declined that personally).
Vernors?
I didn’t realize pork roll was regional - it’s not my thing either.
Poutine is fairly common in NH. Sometimes I think we have more in common with French Canada than we do with the rest of the US.
I have never actually had it (my system would probably take a week to get over it), but it looks really good.
I did have a Rocky Mountain Oyster once (without knowing what it was, obviously). Is that on this list somewhere?
Wisconsin State Fair cream puffs
Mackinac Island fudge (hence the term fudgies)
New Haven pizza (per my husband who grew up there, but my theory is everyone liked their college pizza best so Yale graduates circulated the New Haven pizza credo)
Still miss Chicago hot dogs, Garrett’s caramel/cheese mix, and Lou Malnati’s pizza (shipped just isn’t the same)
Bar pizza in New England.
It’s a much thinner consistency than regular chili–more like a soup. The spices are different–cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, cumin, chili powder. There’s ground beef and tomato paste. It’s traditionally served in the chili parlors in Cincinnati by ordering different ways: two way is the chili on top of spaghetti, three way is chili, spaghetti, and cheese, four way add beans or onions to the above and five way is everything: chili, spaghetti, cheese, beans, and onions. Some people put hot sauce and oyster crackers to top off the whole things. It’s a litte weird if you’ve never had it before. I think it’s an acquired taste. I lived in Cincinnati for three years (worst three years of my life) and when I was really upset, I’d go and have 5-way chili.
The better food IMO from Cincinnati is Graeter’s ice cream!
In Boston it is New England clam chowder…not that red stuff they like in New York.
BBQ in Memphis is generally pork (vs Texas which is typically beef). Ribs are usually "dry rubbed’ and served that way with sauce on the side. The sauce is less vinegary than North Carolina. Pulled pork sandwiches are also very popular and in Memphis they traditionally put cole slaw on the sandwiches. I like slaw but I want it on the side. Probably because I didn’t grow up eating it that way.
Friday night fish fries are everywhere in Wisconsin and are always popular, but CRAZY popular during lent. Pretty much every restaurant serves fish on Fridays regardless of what else they serve including pizza places, etc. A fish fry is traditionally deep fried battered cod (beer battered is popular), served with cole slaw, rye bread and potato pancakes. Sometimes apple sauce. But you can customize with a different potato like baked or fries and many places have options of other fish types cooked various ways.
I LOVE this thread! Making me want to travel!
@doschicos - I thought I knew a lot about New England cuisine, but I had to look up ployes, tourtiere and potato doughnuts. I guess I need to visit my son at his school in Maine more often!
@GKUnion - I am seeing more and more opportunities to buy seafood “right off the boat” on Cape Cod. Amazing! I am also lucky that DH and D20 love to go clamming.
There is nothing like a traditional New England “Clam Bake” eaten outside on a picnic table - usually clam chowder, steamers, lobster, corn on the cob and baked potato.