Regional Food Secrets

[marco25]

I live in the heart of Cajun Country in South Louisiana. We get bus loads of people coming here wanting authentic Cajun this and real Cajun that. Unfortunately most of these people don't wander far off I-10 and miss out on the true "hot stuff" http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/cool.gif

So what about where you live? What are the special hangouts for good food, music, etc. you would recommend? I want names, directions, menu items, etc. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/tongue.gif ... Ok, ok, but if it sounds tempting enough, my children and I might just make a special trip to experience the "real thing" in your neck of the woods.

Hey, and you people in Europe, Australia, South America, wherever, I want to hear from you too!

[P38Lightning]

Mmm...when the weather is good, the town next to where my Gran lived has the most AMAZING hamburgers. Don't laugh...there is a secret...Pork Sausage. (or "pork sassage" if you have the local dialect) IN the hamburger mix. It is a little shack on the corner in Jefferson Wisconsin. They've been around since the turn of the last century when they had a stand at the County fair. MMMM...divine divine. They cook the burgers on a grill with sweet onions that get all carmelized. The grease just seasons up better and better as the day goes on. Eat them straight up, with onions and salt and pepper. They have fries too, but I'd rather just have another few burgers. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/wink.gif

Mom has started mixing pork sausage into their burgers at home (just what Daddy needs *lol*)...but she thinks she needs to use the 80% lean beef instead, they usually use the ground sirloin.

[Theophania]

When grilling chicken, my grandma would slather it in Miracle Whip. She swore it kept it juicy and prevented flare-up. It tasted awesome.

[SCI-Nurse]

Rubio's Fish Tacos. I could eat these everyday...and I dream about them when I am out of town. Also Canitas at the Old Town Mexican Cafe....

(KLD)

[lass]

Las Palmas on the Alameda in San Jose has the best chile verde burritos in the world. I remember eating there before my youngest brother was born (Mom had the best cravings LOL) and I was 5. We've all moved about 600 miles away, but whenever anyone travels to the Bay Area, not only is that the first stop, but there's always a cooler full coming back.

[Damage]

In Finland, just about anything with fish is considered "Finn food". Rye bread and salami comes to mind with strong black coffee. Tourists think reindeer is a common meal but in truth unless you live in Lapland we generally only serve it to foreigners as a novelty. Should you ever get to Helsinki my brother owns a restaurant...

In Canada, if you get to Montreal you have to go to Schwartz's for smoked meat: order it medium, with fries, a pickle and a blackcherry soda. People line up outside at all hours of the day there. Or go to LaFleur's, a chain of hotdog places and probably the only place you can get a steamed hotdog. Order "l'hotdog all dressed". I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

[kate]

In Seattle, go down to the waterfront and get some grilled salmon and green salad from one of the vendors. Sit at an outdoor table on a wooden pier . . . watch the ferry glide off to Bainbridge Island. Look for parasailors hanging over Elliott Bay from giant rainbow-colored parachutes. Don't feed the seagulls! Look west to the Olympic mountains; they're snowy all year long. For dessert, ice cream cones . . . ahh.

[alan]

Maryland crabs, especially steamed.

Alan

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

[kate]

ps--Martha2, we got room . . .

[Kaprikorn1]

Martha2...what about a few cajun recipes like crawfish etoufee, red beans n rice or jambalaya? Don't let that cajun knowledge go to waste.

Kap

"It's not easy being green"

[bigbob]

Speaking crabs, I love the softshells-I find too many restaurants kill them with garlic and frying with bread crumbs; covers up their natural flavor. A pat of butter and saute on each side for about three minutes. Heaven!

[roshni]

New Jersey seems to be big on diners and all-you-can-eat buffets where quantity over quality is the driving force.

[LaMemChose]

In Chattanooga, it's the 212 Market (try Death by Chocolate and any of the great seafood dishes), Southside Grill (the lamb, definitely the lamb), Back Inn Cafe (wonderful indoor and outdoor dining overlooking the Tennessee River and the River Walk. Try the lobster ravioli and their fresh rosemary bread), Rembrandt's (great coffees, teas and desserts. Try the puffed pastry, creme filled swan). Generally anything in the Art District or the Southside is worth the wait and the money. Bon appetit! :)

[Jadis]

Pasties-- It's miner food. WV Miners had their Moon Pies; Montana miners had pasties. Even up here in the north end, they are still called Butte Pasties. Butte is where they originated from and they still have Pasty Bars down there.

Huckleberry Sour Cream Pie... OMG my most favorite food ever. I have dessert first before dinner. It's seasonal. Huck pies, ice cream, shakes, candy... anything huck does this heart good.

Moose's Pizza is a necessary stop. Throwing peanut shells and carving your name on the wall is encouraged. Food is good and the local beers are stellar. And you must blow the horn when you're there.

Jaycee's Chicken, Frybread pocket tacos, buffalo burgers, steaks (elk, moose, beef...) Still pretty strong on game meats and spuds around here. There's a lot of truth in "if you want to eat vegetarian, take the pound of ham off your salad."

Don't forget to stop by Charo for the Rocky Mountain Oysters. In the Fall, those festivals pop up all over the place.

This thread is making me hungry.

I have family in eastern Md on the Bay... July 4 crab cookoffs. *yum* Spread the newspaper, dump them out, and turn me loose.

Forgot, we have a lot of Norwegians here so lutefisk & lefse are eaten often. There are featured dinners in town about once a month.

[Wesley]

Unique Extra Dark "Splits"

http://www.uniquesplits.com/dev/nutritionalinfo.php

These great pretzels come from PA Dutch country. There used to be lots of these kinds of ma and pa pretzel/chip companies around here. Unique is one of the few remaining. They make many kinds of pretzels. The extra dark splits are my favorite.

[garvey]

Roshni -

you gotta know "Jersey Freeze" right.
Ice cream that has to rank as a mortal sin and burgers and cheese steaks that will stop your heart - yeah!

And I second the soft-shell crabs - there are places out on Long Island that make soft shell crab sandwiches that are incredible. I remember stopping at a place way out by Orient Point on a cold October Sunday - right on the Peconic bay - mmmm-mmm. The young lady was pretty tasty too.

[roshni]

Garvey,

I'll be sure to check out "Jersey Freeze"!

[garvey]

Reading these posts I was reminded of a passage in one of my all time favorite books - "Blue Highways" by William Least Heat Moon (neat name).
He travels the US in an old van and sticks to the back roads (the blue roads on the road maps).
He stops at a little diner in Georgia and his description of the meal makes you belch just reading it. I highly recommend that book - it's comparable to Steinbeck's "Travels with Charley".

[garvey]

Garvey,

I'll be sure to check out "Jersey Freeze"!

Route 9 by the Race Track and Barnes and Nobles.
On summer Sundays just look for the crowds.

[Moongazer1]

"Pasties-- It's miner food. WV Miners had their Moon Pies; Montana miners had pasties. Even up here in the north end, they are still called Butte Pasties. Butte is where they originated from and they still have Pasty Bars down there."

When I was a kid, 10 years old, my dad was transferred to Butte for the summer. The lady across the street from us made pasties and I loved them. I am in Colorado now and I have never seen them since? Do you have a recipe?

Pat