Regional Foods: A work-in-progress list

By Nicole

[Updated 1/18 at 10 PM - keep the suggestions coming!]

One of the best things about traveling for work is being able to eat all over the country. As someone who plans meetings and menus, I try to make sure regional cuisine is highlighted and when I'm picking the restaurant, I look for those that really show what the town has to offer. Most importantly, I try to make sure I sample the good stuff.

But I feel like I'm doing myself a disservice by just using Google to do this. Locals always know best! So, here's my list of regional specialties, which is woefully incomplete. Help me, please! What should I try? What's good to eat in your neck of the woods? I'll update the list below with your recommendations.

(items I've had are in italics)

Alabama: Catfish

Alaska: Salmon; King crab

Arizona: Mexican food

Arkansas: (Help! I'm going there in 6 weeks!)

California: Wine; local, organic, sustainable; Gourmet Ghetto in Berkeley; fish tacos

Colorado: Rainbow Trout; microbreweries; Mexican food

Connecticut: Grinders; nutmeg

Delaware: Crab Puffs

District of Columbia: Senate Bean Soup; pupusas; Ethiopean food; the Half-Smoke from Ben's Chili Bowl

Florida: Citrus; key lime pie

Georgia: Peaches; sweet BBQ; vidalia onions

Hawaii: Fresh fruits of all sorts; poke

Idaho: Potatoes

Illinois: Deep dish pizza; Chicago style hot dog

Indiana: Sugar cream pie; strawberry shortcake

Iowa:  Loose meat sandwich; pork chops (especially on a stick!)

Kansas: Chicken fried steak

Kentucky: Bourbon; mint juleps; derby pie; hot brown

Louisiana: beignets; po boys; muffalettas; gumbo; crawfish; Lebanese/Greek food in Lafayette; king cake; turtle soup

Maine: Lobster; whoopie pies; blueberries; lobster rolls; tea and popovers at Jordan Pond House

Maryland: Crab cakes

Massachusetts: Clam Chowder; lobster roll; Boston creme pie; Parker House rolls; cranberries

Michigan: Blueberries; pasties; apples; cherries; chili dogs/coneys

Minnesota: Hotdish; walleye; pasties; lefse; lutefisk (umm...)

Mississippi: Pecan pie; pralines; sweet potato pie

Missouri: St. Louis BBQ; toasted ravioli; St. Paul Sandwich; frozen custard (specifically Ted Drewes Great Pumpkin

Montana: Buffalo

Nebraska: Beef

Nevada: ???

New Hampshire: Apples

New Jersey: Tomatoes

New Mexico: Green chiles

New York: Bagels; beef on weck

North Carolina: Pulled pork

North Dakota:  Fleischkuechle; Knoephla soup

Ohio: Buckeyes

Oklahoma: Fried okra

Oregon: Beer; wine; hazelnuts; Stash tea; Salmon; marionberries; Tilamook cheese

Pennsylvania: Tastykake; soft pretzels; cheese steaks; birch beer; pierogies

Rhode Island: Quahog clams/Stuffies; RI-style clam chowder; RI-style fried calamari; Italian food on Federal Hill; Providence Oyster Bar; grinders

South Carolina: BBQ (vinegar & mustard-based); grits; pimento cheese; fried green tomatoes

South Dakota: ???

Tennessee: Moon pie; fried catfish; BBQ

Texas: BBQ; Tex-Mex (queso and enchiladas); kolaches; steak; cobbler; pecan pie

Utah: Fry sauce

Vermont: Maple syrup; maple candy

Virginia: Peanuts; ham; Hub's chocolate covered peanuts

Washington: Apples; onions; coffee; Burgerville; beer

West Virginia: Pepperoni roll; ramps

Wisconsin: Cheese; Kringle; cheese curds - fresh or fried; frozen custard; brats; beer

Wyoming: ???

{Image credit: wikipedia}

Comments

[Becky]

It's a regional even in MN thing, but if you are ever up North you should try a pastie (pronounced past-y); it's like a pot pie, but with rutabaga (?sp) and the gravy is poured on the outside or used as dipping sauce instead of being on the inside. Also, lefse. Yum. Pass on the lutefisk.

[Raven]

Texas is also big on Tex-mex :)

[jcristg]

woefully missing from the SC portion of this list:
1. vinegar and mustard based bbq (just skip ketchup).
2. grits (not instant)
3. pimento cheese
4. fried green tomatoes
5. pretty much everything on this menu. http://www.rosebankfarmscafe.com/Menus.html

[Elissa]

For DC I would add
-the half-smoke: basically a hot dog, the one served at Ben's Chili Bowl with chili on top is iconic.
-pupusas: there is a large Salvadoran population here; I had never had a pupusa before moving here. It's sort of like a quesadilla but made with masa and has several different filling options.
-Ethiopian food: similarly we've got a large Ethiopian community and several really excellent Ethiopian restaurants. My favorite dishes are typically the vegetarian samplers: the collard greens, lentils, and cabbage dishes are particularly delicious.

I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting!

[Sneaky Tina]

For Michigan, you could add: apples, cherries, chili dogs (more commonly known as coneys).

[Katie Mae]

Colorado: Microbreweries and Mexican food.
West Virginia: Ramps.

[Megan]

In DC I would also try Ben's Chili Bowl. That's way more of a "DC" food institution than Senate Bean Soup.

[Katie Mae]

One more! In Wisconsin: Kringle.

[Patti]

For Maine add Whoopie Pies, and anything with blueberries. Also, get a lobster roll, not just a steamed lobster - you can get a steamed Maine lobster anywhere. Also, if you manage to get to the Jordan Pond House get a popover with your tea.

Wisconsin add in, specifically, cheese curds - fresh or deep fried. And frozen custard.

When you're in AZ make sure you're hitting a local family owned joint for your mexican food.

Also, I know you spend a lot of time in PA, so you don't need recommendations, but I make everyone try birch beer along with what you have listed - you can't get it anywhere else!

[Caitlin]

Oh I love this list!

As a native New Englander I have to say...Nutmeg in CT? I have never heard of this!

And also: Rhode Island. Don't order a Quahog, order a stuffie. (It's a quahog - a stuffed quahog - but we natives don't usually call them quahogs.) Also, RI Style Chowder (broth - no tomato, no cream, it's amazing), clam cakes. RI Style Calamari (name may vary, places usually do their own version, but basically: deep fried like usual then tossed in butter sauce, garlic, hot peppers, sometimes olives. HEAVEN.). If you can, visit Federal Hill for good italian. Also try Providence Oyster Bar (also on Federal Hill, but not Italian). Good seafood with some regional touches.

Wisconsin - Brats. Beer. Fried cheese curds, fresh cheese curds, frozen custard.

Virginia - Ham. Hub's chocolate covered Virginia peanuts!

[Kaitlyn]

Louisiana - CRAWFISH! It's just getting to be crawfish season right now and it lasts through May/June. Also, if you're ever in the Lafayette area, the Lebanese/Greek food is amazing. There is a very heavy population of Lebanese in Lafayette, so it's extremely delicious. And jambalaya.

[Caitlin]

Oh, and you can get grinders in RI, too. But in MA they call them subs.

My fave is sausage & meatball. Hot, toasty, all melty with sauce and cheese. Soooo goooood.

[K]

I would say perogies for PA as well.

[Jessica]

For Iowa, I would add a pork chop (pork chop on a stick, if you're lucky enough to go to the State Fair!)

[Kirsten]

For Missouri: Toasted Rav, St Paul Sandwich (I personal find the idea of this disgusting, but my husband loves them!), Frozen Custard (Ted Drewes Great Pumpkin is a must) and Italian food (if you're in St Louis)

Oregon: Marionberries, Tillamok cheese

Washington: Burgerville (also avail in Oregon, best "fast food" hamburgers in my opinion, they also use lots of seasonal/local ingredients)

[Katie]

For GA, I'd add sweet bbq and vidalia onions. SC actually has better peaches than GA.

[Monika]

So happy to see our Buffalo, NY Beef on Weck included instead of the stereotypical Chicken Wings (and no, they're not called Buffalo wings in Buffalo, LOL)!

:-)

[Cass]

For Washington I'd also add in beer since Yakima is #1 in hops production. Plus all kinds of seafood, everything is fresh here.

[Kelly J]

Louisiana - king cake, turtle soup

Texas - kolaches

[Melody]

What a great list! For Kentucky, I would add a Hot Brown and Derby Pie.

[Michelle]

For North Dakota: Fleischkuechle (http://www.kitchenproject.com/german/recipes/FleischKuekle/index.htm) and Knoephla Soup.

[natalie]

Love the list! As a Texan from the fattest state...In addition steak, cobbler, pecan pie. Under Tex-Mex I would add specifically queso & enchiladas. :)

[Kelly J]

Texas - Dublin Dr. Pepper

[Kelly J]

Oh yeah - chicken fried steak in Texas!

[Heather]

I live just North of North Dakota and I have no idea what Fleischkuechle and Knoephla Soup are!