What's the best American food you've ever eaten?
Posted by Over-Teacher-1330@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 568 comments
I'm a foodie, and I'm really curious about what delicious food America has to offer. Or what kind of food do you usually eat?
Zillajami-Fnaffan2@reddit
BBQ food. Never had southern BBQ i dont think tho
PistachioPerfection@reddit
Get your ass to Texas!
Zillajami-Fnaffan2@reddit
Ive been to Texas as a kid
PistachioPerfection@reddit
But didn't eat the BBQ š„²
Zillajami-Fnaffan2@reddit
I was a kid š
Tibbiegal@reddit
Nothing beats a good American cheeseburger. I think it's the best this country has to offer, and it is truly American.
ExasperatedManatee@reddit
Except for a Hatch green chile cheeseburger. That's how it is done properly.
Left-Star2240@reddit
I love breakfast at a local diner. The older it looks the better the food tastes. No chain restaurants can compete.
Cacafuego@reddit
Usually they don't get too creative, but there is just something about perfectly prepared simple breakfast food. Although a lot of them need to up their coffee game. Watery coffee is not cute and old-timey.
koolaideprived@reddit
Its old times from the great depression when people used about half or a quarter of what we would today. I grew up around the people that went through it or grew up during it (mom owned a diner just like this describes when I was a kid, and the clientele in the morning was 60+ in the 80s and 90s). If she tried to make "decent" coffee, she got instant and irate feedback, usually involving the phrase "used motor oil." Those guys would sit there and drink pots of it at a time and probably get the caffeine equivalent of 2 cups of modern coffee, one if we are talking something from a barista.
shelwood46@reddit
I ate at one in the middle of PA, the owner also had a pig farm, which he then, um, made into his own pork sausage & bacon for his diner. Best pork sausage I ever had.
JayRandom212@reddit
I'm gonna need a name and place, sir....
Left-Star2240@reddit
Now thatās farm to table š¤£š
unknowingbiped@reddit
First thing im going to do when I get home is go to the diner for breakfast, and the next day go to the truck stop for breakfast.
mikeh0677@reddit
Absolutely right!
koolaideprived@reddit
A fried chicken breast biscuit sandwich with bread and butter pickles and a drizzle of honey from The Wandering Goose in Seattle. I did not expect the flavor explosion in my mouth and just sat there chewing that first bite for way too long. The chicken was absolutely perfectly done with a light flaky crust that still had a satisfying crunch to it, the biscuit was amazing, and the combination of flavors was just...yes.
ResponsibilityMuch52@reddit
Geoduck sashimi
Oysters, straight off the rocks with vinegar gochujang
Dungeness, steamed and soup--caught off the dock
I'm drooling just thinking about it.
edna_mode_and_guest@reddit
Southern food! Fried chicken, grits, cornbread, fried Oreos , fried okra, more fried foods lol
Common-Independent-9@reddit
I LOVE biscuits and gravy
professor_poprocks02@reddit
Came here to say this! As an Appalachian biscuits and gravy tastes like home
Hoopajoops@reddit
I have never associated biscuits and gravy with American food. I think I'll join you with this vote.
When I was a kid it was my favorite breakfast.. I later found out my mom was making it wrong the entire time: the homemade biscuits were good, but the gravy was lacking. It was just white gravy with diced boiled eggs and the gravy wasn't thick enough. Then I ordered it at a restaurant and it blew my mind that the dish could be even better! Thick gravy with a healthy amount of sausage, more seasoning, etc.
karmiccookie@reddit
Omg, I think about biscuits and gravy several times a week. Although I only eat it every month or so, fat and salt and all that :/
Many_Pea_9117@reddit
This is not something people generally enjoy from overseas, and many Americans dont care for it.
CowEmotional5101@reddit
Biscuits and gravy is literally a staple in a large part of the country.
noTHOTS_noOPPS@reddit
I made some for my aunt who was visiting from Jamaica and I was very surprised that she loved it. She still talks about it every time I talk to her. I make pretty good biscuits and gravy but I don't care much for it myself lol. It's just another easy breakfast option to me.Ā
thezizybalooba@reddit
Great choice, a god tier breakfast. Its not the gravy type most non Americans would think of either
AdEastern9303@reddit
Biscuits and gravy may be my favorite. I say āmay beā as they are tied with shit on a shingle for me.
jk_pens@reddit
I doubt thereās anything we āusually eatā as a nation. There are of course popular staples like pizza, burgers, tacos, etc. But one of the great things about America is that you can get almost any kind of food or at least ingredients to make it yourself.
candleelit@reddit
American Chinese.
goblin_hipster@reddit
Fresh, handmade fried cheese curds from a food cart during a local art festival.
I'm not a foodie but I do love street food.
Weightmonster@reddit
Freddyās is pretty good too.
MalevolentRhinoceros@reddit
I'll raise you fresh apple fritters from an apple festival in the northeast.
Real-Broccoli-9325@reddit
Fucking apple fritters š apple cider donuts 𤩠I cannot oversell apple orchards in picking season.
MalevolentRhinoceros@reddit
Fresh apple cider over crushed ice. Mulled/spiced cider. It's truly the best time of the year.
goblin_hipster@reddit
Honestly nothing better than apple products from a local orchard in season. I love apple cider doughnuts especially š¤¤
Crazycatlover@reddit
How funny. I have this association in my mind of food trucks only carrying spicy foods but there's no reason they should. I really only ever encountered them in New Mexico and Thailand which is definitely shaping my impression.
This seemed amusing in my mind but sounds like complete bullshit typed out. Sorry for being a jerk, but I am going to hit post.
goblin_hipster@reddit
Nah you're not being a jerk. Perspective is always interesting!
spaceyfacer@reddit
As a Minnesotan who works in restaurants, it brings me so much joy to get outsiders to eat fried cheese curds for the first time. Their joy is immeasurable.
davidm2232@reddit
Are these not common? They are all over in upstate NY
Easy-Maybe5606@reddit
I was in lacrosse Wisconsin and got the ones that squeak when you but into them. I have never been able to find that joy since
FrostyHawks@reddit
The first place I ever ate fried cheese curds was at a dive bar in a smallish Wisconsin town. I have not had fried cheese curds that good since
Annual-Duck5818@reddit
A cup of clam chowder, a lobster roll, and steamers from The Chatham Squire in Chatham, MA š¤©
Shrimp and grits - no, Iāve never had it in the south but itās on my list!
A cup of matzoh ball soup and half a pastrami sandwich from Shermanās Delicatessen in Palm Desert, CA
MomMomLid@reddit
Give a simple filet mignon or other impressive cut of meat, and a baked potato. Oh, please add some creamed corn! A prime rib is a great substitute, also.
zerozingzing@reddit
African American Repass food.
PsychoFaerie@reddit
Brisket Mac N Cheese. (yes it is divine and unholy at the same time)
valonnyc@reddit
Smoked brisket
jwoody2727@reddit
Iāll take a ribeye over a brisket any day.
Crazycatlover@reddit
Eh, most of the nation likes that in general. But only the South knows how to actually make it.
Perdendosi@reddit
Specifically a burnt end from a brisket just out of the smoker at Franklin BBQ in Austin TX in about 2010 while waiting in line to be served.
therealjerseytom@reddit
Burnt ends at Jack Stack in Kansas City are something I yearn to have again.
Bobcat2013@reddit
Those mass produced burnt ends cant compare to real ones sliced fresh off the end
jimmythevip@reddit
I grew up in KC and my dad was a competitive BBQer. The best burnt ends are at Q39.
Hell_of_a_Caucasian@reddit
Yeah, I hate to be this way to the person youāre replying to, but Jack Stack might have my least favorite burnt end Iāve had in KC.
Q39 and Joes are 1a and 1b in some order, depending on the day. After that, Slaps, LCs (very dependent on the day), and CharBar are the next tier for me.
jimmythevip@reddit
I feel that way about Q vs Joes if we are talking sandwiches. The Mr. Burns at Q39 can go toe to toe with the Z Man, but for strictly burnt ends I think Q39 edges them out.
Bobcat2013@reddit
Zman sucks ass. Thin tough ass brisket masked by sauce cheese and onion ring. No thanks
tangledbysnow@reddit
I try to get Q39 every time I go to KC because it is just that good. I absolutely agree with you that they have the best. I may have to invent a reason to visit now as itās been about a year since my last visit.
jimmythevip@reddit
āWhatās new with WW1? I better go to KC to check on that. Might as well get some BBQ while Iām there.ā
Open-Neighborhood459@reddit
Awe Franklin!
STS986@reddit
Shoutout smoked beef ribs or beef cheekĀ
PaleontologistKey885@reddit
Perfectly executed brisket is truly one of the best things a mankind had put into its mouth. Just extraordinary.
TexAzCowboy@reddit
Louie Mueller
SkyPork@reddit
A place near me has the best BBQ I've ever had (because I only lived in NC for a few months and never found a good place, weirdly). Their brisket is of course mind-blowing, but I can't even say that's the best thing they have. Their ribs? Turkey? Pieces of chicken? Pulled pork? All of it makes my eyes roll back in my head. When you hit a certain level of deliciousness how can you possibly pick a favorite?
ruggerbear@reddit
Love me some smoke brisket but would argue that smoke beef ribs is better. would describe dino ribs as decadent and smoked brisket as amazing. both from TM top 50, of course. and that may just be personal taste.
n00bdragon@reddit
This right here. If the rest of American food perishes like dust in the wind, the world better hang onto this one thing forever.
Electrical-Comb6838@reddit
Maine lobster
ebastacosi@reddit
Any seafood caught fresh that day and ideally cooked outside and served communally, best of all eaten with fingers and maybe a knife or wooden mallet on picnic tables covered in newspaper. #1 for me of all time was a day all around a crawfish boil outside a friendās old house that backed onto Lake Ponchartrain, but Iāve been lucky enough to have had more than my share, with NO misses, in Maine and on Cape Cod and the Chesapeake Bay and its waterways and the Outer Banks NC and Lowcountry SC.
Fresh-picked corn on the cob, frequently accompanying the above, is often a big āwowā to visitors from outside the U.S. (and states where itās not a big crop locally ā Iād mostly (only?) had frozen or canned niblets growing up).
Now Iām really regretting going with a frozen Trader Joeās thing tonight.
peepeepoopooman1412@reddit
Eastern North Carolina bbq
Jaded-Negotiation-51@reddit
Steamed Chesapeake blue crabs, specifically from the Wye River
aoeuismyhomekeys@reddit
It really depends on what part of the US you visit. The southeast has incredible barbecue that varies state to state and sometimes within a state. Louisiana has it's own unique cuisine based on Native American, African, and French food. South Florida, Texas, and California have a lot of Latino influences on the food there. California has excellent wines and tons of great fresh produce. New York has every cuisine imaginable. Maine is famous for their lobster. Wisconsin is famous for their beer and cheese.
I don't know about the "best" dish, but the dish that came to mind from this title was Ć©toufĆ©e. When I make this dish at home, I usually add sausage to it as well as shrimp. It's extremely comforting and hearty. If you're cooking some of these yourself, I would try making a pot roast first if you eat beef. Pot roast is also very comforting and hearty, and a classic dish you might make if family or close friends are coming over. They're both all day meals but overall I'd say pot roast is a bit easier and a bit less work. Some people cook potatoes with their pot roast, or they would make mashed potatoes to serve with it. ĆtoufĆ©e is generally served with rice.
pooperdoodoo@reddit
I fuck with a good smash burger
CycadelicSparkles@reddit
We eat all different kinds of food, with regional variance. America can offer you pretty much any food you might want; we have an enormous variety of regional and international foods.
I couldn't begin to tell you the best American food I've ever had, although the blueberry pancakes I had on Saturday were pretty excellent.Ā
Crazycatlover@reddit
Excellent point. I've brought my posole verde to several potlucks in Montana. Everyone says it sounds very interesting and then doesn't even try it (so I've stopped bringing it). I think we have a lot of regional foods (in my defense, I made the pasole with bison).
Curmudgy@reddit
Not everyone is interested in trying new foods. Thereās nothing wrong with that.
countrysurprise@reddit
I do think there is something wrong about that. A little taste of something new isnāt going to cause an upheaval in your life. Itās a bit close minded and a social handicap that will affect you at some point in your adult life. Live a little.
Curmudgy@reddit
For many people, it isn't going to do anything good in their lives either, so why bother?
Close minded is not accepting that other people will have different priorities and interests or judging people because they don't want to eat what you eat.
It's not going to have any important effect on your life unless it's contributing to nutritional problems.
People are different. Let them live differently.
countrysurprise@reddit
It will affect your life as an adult. I suppose it depends on what circles you move in but to eat as a spoiled toddler when invited to peopleās homes for dinner, professional events or when traveling is just not a good lookā¦and most definitely a social handicap. It will also broaden your understanding of cultures and history. Itās not close minded to encourage someone to explore food culture, itās the opposite in fact.
Curmudgy@reddit
We rarely do dinners at other peopleās homes. But when we do, common courtesy here is to either tell the guests in advance what theyāre serving or to ask whether the guests have any restrictions, or both. Vegetarianism and veganism are sufficiently common around here that people are used to making accommodations and consider it a normal part of hosting.
When my Indian-American boss had a party for the company, he had it catered and had a mixture of Indian and American foods, mostly American, but plenty of options. It wasnāt a dinner.
Likewise, other professional events are either at a restaurant with many choices, or buffets with options. At an event on site or at a hotel, no one would care if someone brought their own food.
You donāt need to eat the food of other cultures to understand them. No one insists on eating lutefisk to understand that Nordic countries have a heavy reliance on seafood and needed ways to preserve fish. I donāt need people to eat pickled herring or gefilte fish to understand Jewish cuisine, and indeed, theyāre unlikely to be told why these came about, especially among cultural Jewish who may be unaware of the reasons while still enjoying the food.
Iām not saying that people shouldnāt be encouraged to try new foods. Iām saying they shouldnāt be pushed into it, and shouldnāt be judged if they choose not to.
countrysurprise@reddit
To have food restrictions or be a vegan/vegetarian is far from being a grown ass adult that refuses to try new food dishes. The comparison is ridiculous, enjoy your chicken nuggets and hot pockets.
Curmudgy@reddit
Thatās you being judgmental. The impact on the host is the same.
I rarely eat chicken nuggets, and have never had hot pockets.
Crazycatlover@reddit
I get that. It's just a bit insulting when not one person out of 30+ tries my dish at all (which happened more than once).
Curmudgy@reddit
I understand that's disappointing. But no one said "let's all insult Crazycatlover by ignoring their food".
Finding foods that go over well takes some trial and error with each group.
Crazycatlover@reddit
I didn't mean to imply that it was extremely offending. I switched pretty quickly. (People generally loved my sourdough bread).
linkxrust@reddit
really? Thats crazy. Posole is great. Although I prefer red. Im from NM
Crazycatlover@reddit
I'm also from New Mexico (Albuquerque). I've always preferred green though, not entirely sure why. Just a preference I guess.
I recently moved to Denver after 5 years in Indiana preceded by 10 years in Montana. The culture here is close enough that I feel like I've come home.
PlentyPossibility505@reddit
If Hatch chiles are the green, that might explain it.
bluecifer7@reddit
Welcome!
Crazycatlover@reddit
Thanks!
Powerful-Scratch1579@reddit
Crazy. Posole is amazing. Their loss.
Ok_Still_3571@reddit
Exactly what I was thinking.
Crazycatlover@reddit
I could not agree more. At least try it, right? And I made it with bison instead of pork! Thank you for your support.
last-of-the-mohicans@reddit
I need to try that. Sounds sooo Yum
Crazycatlover@reddit
I thought it was good. And it freezes well (which I learned when I suddenly had a potluck size portion all to myself).
KingDarius89@reddit
Not big on Hominy, but no objections to the rest of the ingredients from what I googled.
freenow4evr@reddit
I would not eat hominy otherwise, but it is delicious in posole. I've subbed corn or chickpeas before.
Crazycatlover@reddit
Hominy is a pretty big portion of it, so it's probably not for you. Thanks for checking before dismissing it out of hand though m
Purple_Owl6156@reddit
I typically hate hominy but it's actually really good in posole.
CycadelicSparkles@reddit
While I would probably try it and the images I found look lovely, I can understand why maybe posole verde was a bit challenging for the Montana crowd.Ā
Crazycatlover@reddit
Yeah, I was probably expecting a bit too much.
CycadelicSparkles@reddit
Probably. Genuinely looks delicious though and now I want to try making it. I'll probably have to skip the bison; they're hard to come by in New England lol.
Crazycatlover@reddit
Pork is more traditional anyway.
Square-Wing-6273@reddit
You might actually be surprised. Wegmans carries it (I know it's a regional grocer). And I'll bet you could find a specialty store.
Personally, that's one game meat I don't prefer, but it is relatively easy to find in WNY
dgillz@reddit
What are you implying? That people in Montana can't cook?
CycadelicSparkles@reddit
Not at all. Among other things, it has cilantro in it, and a lot of people don't like cilantro.Ā
dgillz@reddit
But people from Montana are somehow MORE predisposed to not like cilantro?
CycadelicSparkles@reddit
I'm not interested in litigating a casual comment I made at 4AM. It wasn't attacking you. Have a nice day.
dgillz@reddit
No you were not attacking me, I was just wondering where got your low opinion about people from Montana and their culinary skills.
TemperMe@reddit
I mean itās just common sense for one of you think about it. Itās not a diverse area, population distribution is large, fewer easy to access cities, etcā¦
People in those areas are in general gonna have a less refined palette and prefer to stick to their āmeat and potatoesā. Here in the south we think most mid westerners also have poor food pallets.
Eat_Drink_Adventure@reddit
Probably because Montana is one of the whitest states and quite far from the border. That means less exposure to these types of food
DrJamsHolyLand@reddit
I sometimes find dishes that require a bowl, tend to not be as popular at potlucks no matter how good it is. I think people want to keep everything to a plate where they can have small portions of lots of things. But maybe bring it and provide a small cups to put it in. This might make it less āintimidatingā.
Crazycatlover@reddit
This is a very good point that hadn't occurred to me. Pasole was my go-to potluck dish in Albuquerque (where I grew up). But every restaurant that claims even the most vague connection to Mexico offers posole (often free) as an appetizer, so it really was just part of a normal meal there. Mine was rarely the only one (there was usually a little row of crockpots), and they'd all be empty at the end of the evening.
Montanans started eating my potluck food when I switched to bringing homemade sourdough bread (which does not require a bowl).
Blashphemian@reddit
Exactly this.
As you're moving down the line, you don't want to set your plate down, grab a bowl, try not to drip all over the counter, and then balance the bowl as you move on down the line. You're probably holding up the line now too. That bowl is also taking up a lot of real estate on your plate.
Unless it's a chili cook out, pot lucks are bowl free zones.
tzentzak@reddit
Posole is one of my absolute favorite foods! I made posole rojo for Easter in fact.
EagleCatchingFish@reddit
Passing up posole is a crime.
Endy0816@reddit
Might try adding some food coloring to turn it a red or brown.
Bodoblock@reddit
American food gets unfairly slept on. Like oooh yeah, hamburgers and hot dogs.
First off, hamburgers and hot dogs are delicious. Second, we have BBQ, soul food, cajun, Tex Mex, Hawaiian, Southwest cuisine, American Chinese, all our variations of local pizzas, American Italian, so on and so forth.
Our cuisines are tremendously rich and absolutely awesome.
Creative-paintbrush@reddit
American style Chinese food (yes the Chinese restaurant down the rd isnāt authentic itās actually catered to the American palate.) I am a sucker for chicken lo mien and crab Rangoon. If Iām going to actually deal with the pain (I am gluten free) Tex mex street tacos are a great option as well if Iām going out
At home cheese burger soup is the most American winter staple I can think of or the breakfast sandwich (my favorite is buttery bread with maple syrup drizzled on it and sausage egg and cheddar cheese) normally dinner is chicken or beef with potatoes or rice and frozen veggies that I heat up though.
Capable_Anywhere1181@reddit
This is stupid, but there's just something about a plain ole bacon cheeseburger. They're so delicious, man.
Real-Broccoli-9325@reddit
SPICY chicken riggies (rigatoni, chicken, tomato sauce, hot and sweet peppers) with Utica greens (escarole, hot cherry peppers, prosciutto, garlic, breadcrumbs) and the really good stuffed long hots (sausage and provolone in a spicy-ass pepper). I am aware this is Italian-American. Weāre a melting pot.
Buffalo chicken wings (always hot). Invented by a tired mom.
Shrimp n grits with Tabasco. Creole, I think?
Dumplings with white sausage gravy. No idea where or when invented, but only ever had them in the US. (Drop biscuit dumplings not folded dough over filling dumplings)
goodnightghost@reddit
Cheesesteaks, coconut cream pies, and tex mex come to mind. There's some really interesting things happening in Native American food, too--like toasted flour in coffee.
Greedy_Street_891@reddit
My fav was crawfish ƩtouffƩe from New Orleans.
blahblahshowmeurcat@reddit
Crawfish etouffee is my favorite meal :)) but I grew up eating and cooking it as Iām from southeast Texas close to the LA border.
Look up a recipe- you can get very close with shrimp!! Gotta homemake the nice blonde-peanut butter roux, use the trinity, and get some Tony cās. Gotta use good butter for an etouffee roux - makes the whole house smell amazing. <3 glad you loved it!
What do Canadians love to eat? Never been, lifelong dream to visit :)
Greedy_Street_891@reddit
Yes one day my wife and I will def try. Yes pls come visit Canada. There is a variety of things to eat. East coast has amazing seafood. Poutine of course is a must. Toronto will have everything you ever wanted from any culture. West has great meat and bbq and seafood again. Nanaimo bars. Thatās all I can think of, and beaver tales.
MsPooka@reddit
I love Cajun/creole food, personally.
UpNorthBear@reddit
Was going to say, crawfish boil, boudin, chicken tenders and biscuit from a random gas station in Louisiana
Potential-Drawing745@reddit
I had a crawfish poboy in Southern Louisiana that I can still taste. It was amazing! Got it in a gas station.
Reflog4Life@reddit
I agree lived in Louisiana. It's called acid reflux but oh so good in the moment!
tcrhs@reddit
Gas stations in Louisiana have better food than most restaurants serve in other states.
Dizzy_Description812@reddit
I want to go to Louisiana just for the food.
Potential-Drawing745@reddit
Lafayette was my fave. I liked the food better than NOLA.
ImaginaryCatDreams@reddit
I've been fortunate enough to travel around the entire state. It is amazing the diversity of their taste menu. Louisiana, imo, is the last place with any real character in the country.
There are definitely a lot of great places with wonderful food to eat around the country, it just seems that Louisiana has it packed into every part of the state
Dizzy_Description812@reddit
Louisiana in general has more character than many countries.
Quiet_Compote4651@reddit
Best food Iāve ever eaten was during my 5 days in New Orleans.
tcrhs@reddit
Plan a trip!
Dizzy_Description812@reddit
Someday. I mostly wlstay on the east coast, but will at some point.
Zealousideal-Rent-77@reddit
A friend of mine from the UK was doing a road trip and was going to be passing through my Louisiana hometown around dinner time on a Sunday, so they texted me to ask where in the area they should go to eat. I called my mom and made sure it was okay, then sent them to her house.
tcrhs@reddit
They probably had the best meal of their lives.
Cacafuego@reddit
I have booked a specific hotel just because it is next to Key's Fuel Mart in NOLA. Best fried chicken in the world.
Important-Ad7807@reddit
Meat pies from the gas station is my fave!
DarlingTreeWitch@reddit
Same for Mediterranean food in Michigan. The best comes from gas stations. And chicken tenders at the Shell at 10 Mile/Haggerty.
haileyskydiamonds@reddit
Best catfish poboy I have had was from a gas station!
probabilitydoughnut@reddit
Yes. Any group of people who had poor ingredients and learned how to work with what they had to make it palatable evolved into excellent cuisine. Cajun/creole is one of the great examples.
jrodag91@reddit
A good shrimp and grits or etouffee are amazing.
JoeyKino@reddit
We have a place called Yats in Indiana/Ohio founded by a guy from New Orleans and his wife, a Midwesterner, who make amazing and cheap food - you can get a giant container of carryout food for around $10. They have a rotating menu of different items because each location makes 5-7 dishes fresh based on whatever is available (their menu is a chalkboard and is probably never the same across their locations) - the best part of the New Orleans/Midwest couple, though, is the specialty dish they invented - Chili-Cheese Etouffee
Photophotolikesyou@reddit
Chili-cheese etouffee? Im intrigued but also alittle worried
JoeyKino@reddit
They've actually published their recipe and you can find it online if you're curious. It's delicious, but hard to perfect. I've made it a couple times and it's never quite as good as the restaurant
Freyr_Tuck@reddit
Thatās awesome. For those who donāt know, āYatā refers to a particular brand of New Orleans accent, as well as the people who speak that way (although calling someone a Yat isnāt necessarily polite). It comes from the phrase, āWhere yāat?ā (āWhere are you at?ā) which is an informal way of saying, āHow are you doing?ā
A Yat accent most sounds kind of similar to a New York accent, but with a distinct southern influence. The cartoonist, Bunny Matthews, had a long-running comic, Vic and Natāly, that featured Yat accents. Itās not the only New Orleans accent, but itās a major part of the culture.
Mr_Kittlesworth@reddit
This is probably the right answer.
But all the regional bbq varieties are awesome, as is low country cuisine from SC, and hamburgers
TemperMe@reddit
Bbq is my favorite food but as a native of NCā¦. I hate all three Carolina styles. All the others are fantastic though
ginabina67@reddit
I love the Carolina mustard bbq sauce, yummy!
TemperMe@reddit
Iām not a fan personally but I understand itās popular
Few_Resolve3982@reddit
I'm a NC native too, but have never heard of a 3rd style of barbecue. Can you elaborate?
TemperMe@reddit
Lexington, Eastern, and then SCs Mustard
Mr_Kittlesworth@reddit
I looove vinegar based sauce on whole hog bbq, but to each their own amigo
TemperMe@reddit
lol yeah I donāt hate many things more than vinegar. We have so many bbq places around me and Iāve tried most of them, despise all of them and their east Carolina or Lexington style bbq. SC is slightly better at it but stillā¦.
LvBorzoi@reddit
Regional BBQs, Cajun/Creole and SC Low country (love those shrimp n grits)
ITrCool@reddit
Anything Cajun that involves shrimp and I'm in!! Also Tilapia.
Kal_El_77@reddit
Damn, this just made me want some Jambalya.
Princessformidable@reddit
My favorite food shrimp and grits is Cajun. Cream based not spicy is where it's at though.
Quiet_Compote4651@reddit
I crave this.
voltairesalias@reddit
This - it's Cajun and it's not even close IMO.
AshtonCopernicus@reddit
New Orleans is hands down my favorite food city. My wife and I go there once a year. We just had her birthday there in January
Catdaddypanther97@reddit
Yes. Just went to New Orleans last October and the food was incredible. Already planning to make my way back there later this year
Inside-Try-394@reddit
Buffalo short ribs at a small modestly upscale restaurant in Chicago.
SkyPork@reddit
There was a place not far from me that hat mind-blowing Louisiana food .... I think COVID killed it. š¢
boomgoesthevegemite@reddit
I once ate pork chops smothered with crawfish etoufee on top of cheese grits. It was an otherworldly experience. I think about that meal often and itās been over 10 years.
KingDarius89@reddit
I mean, I like them, but I'm also not a fan of seafood, which eliminates a lot of it.
Adorable_Dust3799@reddit
I just make it with chicken and sausage
No_Designer_7333@reddit
Still plenty of Cajun cuisine left over. Creole is far heavier on seafood than Cajun is.
Carinyosa99@reddit
My SIL is from New Orleans - born and raised and her family goes back generations. I've loved nearly everything she makes. When we went down there for the wedding, I had crawfish etoufee for the first time and it was A-MA-ZING!
PabloPicasshooole@reddit
Sopaipillas. I've never had anything so good.
The12th_secret_spice@reddit
Tamales you buy out of the trunk of a Mexican ladyās minivan.
Bbq from a trailer in the middle of nowhere.
Clear-Tale7275@reddit
I lived in an apartment in North Dallas and a lady would knock on the door with tamales. I miss them so much
JayRandom212@reddit
It tastes best if the guy is cooking in a old steel oil barrel sawed in half!
pikkdogs@reddit
A Philly cheesesteak.
blahblahshowmeurcat@reddit
Iām a native Texan, my uncle is from Philly. That man would take a cooler, buy a bunch of Philly cheesesteaks for everyone, and we would eat em when he got off the plane.
Iāll never, ever forget it.. I order them sometimes, but nothin will touch even those that sat in a cooler for 8 hours.
Now I am dating a man originally from Philly, and I canāt wait to go visit his family JUST to get a real one!!! Hehehehehee. We have a list of places. I plan to come home heavier hahahaha
pikkdogs@reddit
I've never been to Philly. But, I used to live south of Detroit, and when I did there was a place called "Joeys". And Joeys was a place from Philly that made cheesesteaks using the ingredients sourced from Philly, like all the bread was baked there. So, it was a real Philly cheesesteak, just in Detroit.
I don't think I've ever eaten anything that good. It was an experience. Nothing I have ever ordered outside of Joeys has ever been close to that good.
blahblahshowmeurcat@reddit
Thatās rad :)) In a similar vein, out here in Austin, folks bring in the good bread from New Orleans to make po boys, so I totally get that.
Been to Michigan, but not Detroit! Gotta say, what a gorgeous state. Couldnāt believe how beautiful the flowers and grass are there!
thezizybalooba@reddit
My choice as well. Not complicated but damn they are good
Curious_Catlady1@reddit
Fresh, warm, crusty sourdough bread. š¤¤
New_Excitement_8986@reddit
I love scrapple
blahblahshowmeurcat@reddit
Eee I just had scrapple for the first time like a week ago!! Canāt lie, it rocked. I had never heard of it until I met a sweetie from Philly
theegodmother1999@reddit
southern food in general is the best food ever. it's so fucking good. a meat and three is a plate with a protein and 3 sides, one of my all-time favorite lineups is fried catfish with fried okra, butter beans, and either collard greens or mac n cheese depending on the day. oh my god i could eat it every day for the rest of my life and never tire of if.
blahblahshowmeurcat@reddit
Iām white, and white people down here seriously sleep on collards. When itās made with the pork knuckle and bacon grease, I can eat up a whole bowl. They are quite fart inducing, but I love them all the same hehe
Great lineup. Place down the road from me called Whip my Soul and itās lovely to see all kinds of people absolutely crushing through this exact kind of plate
Cheap_Coffee@reddit
A nice, hot breakfast burrito first thing in the morning.
On that note, time for breakfast.
blahblahshowmeurcat@reddit
Dang right. I live in Austin, and drive a lot for work as Iām a salesperson. Gas station tacos and burritos really are the hit here <3
Neat little story tho, one of my gas station stops is owned by a little family that moved here from Chicago!! They learned how to do it right, and Iām there at least once a week. Bless them, they āwarnedā me that their homemade salsa was hot! Darlings, it aināt hot, but itās good hahaha
Lou_east_end@reddit
Kimberly
gemsoftargon@reddit
Homemade southern comfort food from my friends grandmas kitchen
Hard-4-Jesus@reddit
Tacos
Ill_Pressure3893@reddit
Thanksgiving dinner
Fun_Committee1478@reddit
This was my vote too!!
Fun_Committee1478@reddit
Thanksgiving dinner to be honest. All the gravyās, casseroles, mashed potatoes, green beans, plus that delicious turkey ⦠itās divine.
SonuvaGunderson@reddit
A nice thick piping hot New England clam chowder on a frozen snowy day. Lots of oyster crackers.
CH11DW@reddit
Pizza
DznyMa@reddit
I love a good steakhouse dinner. A great cut of steak, cooked to your liking, with all the steakhouse sides. I love creamed spinach and a baked potato with all of the fixings. Or I can substitute prime rib, and it's still the perfect meal.
DepressedPancake4728@reddit
Sourdough bread bowl clam chowder
jseego@reddit
...with hot sauce
DepressedPancake4728@reddit
never heard of this, will have to try
jseego@reddit
It's so good with the white clam chowder - cuts the intense richness of it with a bit of acid and heat.
DefiantLemming@reddit
⦠and Dungeness crab, wharf style.
luvthingsthatgrow@reddit
Just about anything cooked in the South. Fried pork chops, fried chicken, fried catfish, BBQ, fresh Summer vegetables, biscuits with homemade preserves or local honey, blackened fish, fish tacos with sweet or pickled amendments, homemade ice cream especially peach, boiled peanuts, cornbread, ANY cake or pie made by someone born before 1980 (and some after), collards, sweet potatoes, turnip greens, sweet/hot relish on the greens, iced tea, and of course banana pudding. What did I miss?
Smooth-Access6785@reddit
Lobster in The Rainbow Rooms NYC in 1995 ....best food and best vibe ever š
mikeh0677@reddit
Lobster roll with butter on a warm summer day
Public-Grocery-8183@reddit
Came looking for this one. As a midwesterner, it's something I immediately go searching for when I'm on the East Coast.
BigDamBeavers@reddit
Fried Chicken. America does it like nobody else. It's terrible for you but I still can't resist it.
DropEdge@reddit
I'm from the South, and we're big on fried chicken. But the best I ever had was made by a Filipina woman in a gas station in a town of 700. I wish I knew how she got it THAT crispy without sacrificing moisture.
OtroBurner@reddit
I grew up in Oklahoma on a steady diet of grandmaās fried chicken. But the best chicken I ever had was 2 years ago in the Philippines at a restaurant called Chow King. It was crispy and peppery and so damn good. I think they use a Chinese recipe. I donāt want to stereotype, but Asians tend to make amazing fried chicken and donuts and I donāt know how they do it.
BigDamBeavers@reddit
My best was a gas station run by a Vietnamese family. I used to get a breast and thigh every Saturday. The fanciest kitchens in the world couldn't do what they did with an ancient fat fryer and a disintegrating basket.
Chewiedozier567@reddit
A sure sign of how good the grid chicken will be is look at the cooks. If it looks like somebodyās Meemaw or Big Mama cooking, sit down, say grace and hush your mouth, because you donāt need to talk if the food is good.
jseego@reddit
Kills me to say this, but Korean fried chicken is the GOAT.
daishinjag@reddit
I grew up in the Deep South, am a fried chicken fan, and I 100% agree with you. Koreans have won the chicken war. Itās so good.
jseego@reddit
Enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89jQLjCoWig
GiraffesCantSwim@reddit
We've got a new Korean fried chicken place in town and I've been wondering what makes it as good as everyone says. You know, before I go and spend some of the very few dollars I have.
jseego@reddit
Well, it's typically double-fried, and their sauces are outstanding.
GiraffesCantSwim@reddit
Well, I'm sold! š I do like other Korean food but I've mostly had homemade not from restaurants.
jseego@reddit
If you're already into other korean food, make sure to get the pickled daikon alongside your wings if they have it
BigDamBeavers@reddit
Our Korean chicken places must be incompetent.
jseego@reddit
oh that's too bad
hokiegirl759397@reddit
Make it extra crispyĀ
dontforgettowriteme@reddit
Once, my mom crushed up pecans and used that as the coating and used olive oil instead of Crisco/grease and omg it was some of the best "fried" chicken I've ever had.
Southern_Committee35@reddit
Fried chicken is my favorite!!
ShowMeTheTrees@reddit
Mom's meatloaf sandwiches. Leftover meatloaf, cold from the fridge, slapped onto white bread. Maybe a touch of ketchup if mom spread it on the top before baking, but also great with nothing else.
OliphauntHerder@reddit
Cream of crab soup with jumbo lump crab meat.
Thick-News-9415@reddit
I love a good Italian beef with mozzarella cheese, so good!
IReplyWithLebowski@reddit
Donāt sound American š
verndogz@reddit
Itās a Chicago specialty - famed from Portilloās
Lilibet1023@reddit
Itās not famed from Portillos. Ā Portillos is probably the worst Italian Beef in Chicagoland and has not improved since they were bought out. Ā Probably any other place you go has a better beef than Portillos. Ā I agree though, Italian Beefs are amazing.
jseego@reddit
Al's Italian Beef is the original that made it famous here locally.
Thick-News-9415@reddit
Funny story, I grew up like an hour from Chicago and didn't have Portillo's until I was an adult.
Thick-News-9415@reddit
It originated in Chicago, IL. I grew up eating that and tavern style pizza.
Dhris6120@reddit
Thin crust pizza. Nobody calls it tavern style in Chicago. Plus it's Al's Beef that made the OG Italian beef. Portillos just made it more widely known and they make it better.
Thick-News-9415@reddit
Yea, we call it thin crust, but technically, it's called tavern style. If you search thin crust on Google, it shows you nasty thin crust, not just Chicago's, so I want to make sure they know exactly what I was talking about because there is a difference. I never said portillo's was the OG. They're good but I've had better, especially an italian beef pie, so good.
Swimming-Book-1296@reddit
Texas style bbq, but at a place that knows what they are doing.
PhillyNickel1970@reddit
Cajun or Barbecue
sean8877@reddit
Some handmade ice cream places are really really good.
Responsible_Side8131@reddit
Lobster
ashamedfame@reddit
Texas bbq
jackofspades49@reddit
Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl.
Breakfast burritos
Chicken fried steak
Shrimp lois salad
Costco blueberry muffins
Grilled hot dogs (my personal favorite is grilled sourkraut, bleu cheese, bacon, brown mustatd)
American style sushi (lots of olaces have a fried roll with salmon, cream cheese, and soicy mayo)
Skyline chili (its spaghetti with meaty chili)
Marzipan_Catnip@reddit
I love me some Skyline chili!
KingDarius89@reddit
Pineapple on pizza is just yet another war crime invented by the Canadians.
GumpyYankee@reddit
I like it personally, itās a sweet, savory and spicy mix that hits.
Open-Neighborhood459@reddit
I'm not a fan but people love it.Ā
Quick_Sherbet5874@reddit
french fries at cedar point in sandusky ohio
OkSquash2766@reddit
I once went to Louisiana. I got a gumbo and the sweet creole woman at the register asked if I wanted a ātopperā and Iām young and I had some cafe dumonde that morning so I was excited to try anything given. She put a whole crab cluster on the gumbo, when I saw that I couldāve kissed her with tongue right there. Anyway, the gumbo was delicious and I yearn for Louisiana every day.
TxSir@reddit
A great cheeseburger.
workerscompbarbie@reddit
Veal Piccata from an old ass Italian restaurant in South Brooklyn. I still think about it š
Sfswine@reddit
Wild rice hot dish, or wild rice meatloaf. . Both are hearty and heavenly. .
Thaimontana@reddit
The Thai food in Fairbanks Alaska is great and Iām partial to the seafood in Seattle and the Mexican food in San Diego⦠and the ceviche in Peru is amazing
MeTieDoughtyWalker@reddit
I really like food from my hometown/home state. Gumbo, jambalaya, po boys, etc.
dirENgreyscale@reddit
Is there still a distinct difference between Cajun and creole cuisine these days or has it sort of blended together into general LA food at this point?
MeTieDoughtyWalker@reddit
It will never blend together. Two very different styles of cooking.
dirENgreyscale@reddit
I mean, is it still separated by NO and rural areas or is it equally made throughout the state these days?
nalonrae@reddit
It's all the same really. Cajun food is Creole food because Cajuns are Creole. The state has more of a northwest/southeast divide when it comes to food styles. Tomatoes in gumbo is more of a NO thing but aside from that, you can find multiple variations on classic dishes in the same area. Red vs brown jambalaya, okra gumbo with no roux vs with roux. Both can be found in the same area.
MeTieDoughtyWalker@reddit
Whoa, I know a lot of people that would take offense to you saying that. It is not the same at all.
nalonrae@reddit
They might take offense but its the truth. Cajun food is Creole, we didnt just show up in Lafayette with our recipes, they were made from living here with all the other creoles.
MeTieDoughtyWalker@reddit
Itās not the truth. Itās not even debatable.
romanyol@reddit
Youāve left 6 comments now on the topic and have said absolutely nothing of substance lol. Why donāt you elaborate at all on why theyāre different instead of complaining that itās offensive and not debatable?
dirENgreyscale@reddit
Theyāre two different cuisines with separate identities though.
dirENgreyscale@reddit
Exactly, which is what I was curious about if in modern days theyāve kind of blurred together or if thereās still a notable difference between the two.
dirENgreyscale@reddit
Historically theyāre not the same thing though which is what I was curious about. Creole is NO food and Cajun is rural food with notable differences between the two. Are you saying theyāve blurred and combined over the years to be more interchangeable? If so thatās what I was wondering.
haileyskydiamonds@reddit
We do have the best food.
frijolita_bonita@reddit
Texas BBQ
AbilityAdventurous22@reddit
Barbecue
Euphoric_Loquat_8651@reddit
For stuff that originated organically in the US, I'd agree with the posts saying Cajun and barbecue (of which there are many distinct varieties). Most of the rest that could be considered cuisine, as opposed to individual dishes, has roots elsewhere. I'm sure some will argue regional pizza varieties, but meh.
If I slighted your lobster roll or spam or ham roll thing, my sincere apologies š
footstepsoffsand@reddit
Venison-Quail-Bluegill,-turnip greens Southern Fried chicken-candied carrots-,Pumpkin pie-pecan pie-,praline-corn on the cob-Thanksgibing turkey
Playful_Question538@reddit
Gulf shrimp in the SE of the US. Pork tenderloin sandwiches in the midwest and catfish fried right. Brisket and sausage in Texas. Chowder in Seattle. I could write a book. There is so much good food here.
juneaujuice@reddit
I had roast eagle. It was gamey
LetterheadClassic306@reddit
i feel you on wanting to explore american food. brisket from texas or carolina pulled pork is life changing - you'd want a solid smoker to get that low and slow magic at home. new orleans gumbo or jambalaya with andouille sausage hits different too. for something simple, a proper lobster roll from maine or nashville hot chicken. if you're cooking, grab a cast iron skillet for cornbread or fried chicken. honestly just start with a classic cheeseburger and good fries, hard to beat that
FewOwl5771@reddit
Waffle House
Funholiday@reddit
Cobb salads are fire and a good club sandwich with the toothpicks in it
seabirdsong@reddit
Really good smoked brisket, with fried chicken, mac and cheese, and a really good biscuit with honey butter.
AtheneSchmidt@reddit
You can't beat barbeque.
knightni73@reddit
BBQ Brisket
cactuscoleslaw@reddit
I LOVE American Chinese food. It's so hard for me to pick a favorite, but the Chinese place in my towj makes this amazing soy braised pork belly
Iwentforalongwalk@reddit
I made peach huckleberry pie from in season Idaho fruit a few years ago and it was the best dessert I've ever made, and I make a lot of desserts.Ā Ā
blue_watermelon4@reddit
3 Day brisket off a dredger
Prestigious-Toe9381@reddit
Definitely Creole food if youāre asking for something somewhat native to America (though itās multicultural in its creation). I love a good jambalaya or gumbo. All so well spiced.
Second has got to be NY pizza, or maybe Connecticut apizzaā¦while pizza is obviously Italian these really arenāt the same food product at all, just a similar format. You arenāt getting apizza style anywhere in Italy or anything remotely similar really.
Donner_Party_Animal@reddit
I've now had Connecticut style apizza twice. The first was at Modern, and their plain pepperoni was one of the best damn things I've had. Then last week I had Sally's. Decided to try the white clam pizza and maybe that was the problem, but it was like a 3/10. The sauce was a little on the bland side, the garlic was a little too light. The clam was ok. But also I kept getting clamshell in the pizza. Really not a great experience. Crust was great but everything else dragged it down. I'm usually totally down for a white pizza but this didn't even top Domino's
Curmudgy@reddit
You somehow missed Frank Pepeās, which I think is the oldest of the New Haven style pizzas.
Donner_Party_Animal@reddit
Nah, I plan on hitting them the next time through. I had Modern on a direct recommendation. And then Frank Pepes or Sally's was just a coin flip
GenXer76@reddit
Clam chowder in Washington state.
UnicornMarine@reddit
Honestly, classic American diner food⦠from a real diner, not a franchise. While the easy way out might be to order a burger, Iād go with the garbage plate, American breakfast with pancakes, or if your more old fashioned, liver and onions.
capnsven@reddit
Shrimp gumbo
Make_shift_high_ball@reddit
Oh you are going to have everyone fighting each other over this. Tex-Mex and BBQ live in my heart, the Viet-Cajun places are onto something, good ol' southern comfort food, New Orleans is its own category, and there was this place in Texas German country that made a jalapeno cream gravy schnitzel thats was to die for.
ohmygotchi@reddit
Pit beef
andrewrbat@reddit
Stone crab!
mrsmicky@reddit
My mom's chicken fried steak.
Straight-Clue8864@reddit
A plate of home grown Vegetables Cooked by my grandmother. (RIP Granny)
Weird_Squirrel_8382@reddit
Seafood gumbo cooked by my husband's elder cousin from Louisiana. He made a pot just for me, because my stomach is a hater and can't handle spices. It was so good, every piece of seafood had the perfect texture, the broth was like liquid velvet. And it was peppery without aggravating my stomach. My in laws were asking for some and I'm like "no. You don't even like mild stuff. You been teasing me for years. This is MY GUMBO." I was practically hissing at them.
JunkFoodRatChow@reddit
Cioppino
GEH29235@reddit
Lobster roll from a street vendor in Boston š¤¤
Available_Crazy7743@reddit
its a big country and the food varies a great deal from region to region. For example, on a trip passing through Cleveland, Ohio we sought this place out
https://www.slymans.com/
and had outstsanding corned beef & pastrami sandwiches-amazing. Cleveland most likely has fine dining restaurants but those sandwiches were memorable.
Donner_Party_Animal@reddit
I dunno about best overall, but I'm still chasing the best burger I've ever had. The restaurant went under during Covid so I've never had it again. But it was a burger with bacon, peanut butter, and strawberry-jalapeno jam. Everything about it balanced out perfectly. The jam kept the peanut butter from overpowering everything, the patty was perfectly made, and the bacon brought a bit of extra salt and smoke flavor, and the jam had the exact correct amount of sweet heat.
JayRandom212@reddit
Five Napkin Burger in Hell's Kitchen, NYC.
Mossishellagay@reddit
Tie between really good jambalaya and barbecue brisket in Dallas
JayRandom212@reddit
New York City style steak. Not a "New York strip steak". I mean an aged porterhouse broiled at 950 degrees and served on a plate so hot that the steak is still cooking when it's brought to the table. They slice it for you and you can use the hot plate to sear the rare center of each bite if you wish.
You have to bring a friend to the restaurant because it's too big for a single serving. And -- because nothing succeeds like excess -- they put butter on it.
You find this sort of thing at Peter Luger's, Ben & Jack's, Wolfgang's, and several other "Luger clones" around the city. Start your meal with a martini (I like 3:1 gin-to-vodka, with a twist), a simple iceberg wedge, and a bacon appetizer. For desert, I recommend nothing, 'cause you'll be full!
It's NYC, so bring money.
Sutcliffe@reddit
Buffalo wings with a side of bleu cheese and celery.
Can't get enough.
STS986@reddit
Had to scroll far too far to find this. Ā Sad as it should be top 5Ā
STS986@reddit
Shrimp, Tasso ham and pimento cheese grits with a side of collards. Ā
taewongun1895@reddit
Brisket BBQ. Add side of cole slaw and/or potato salad.
pack_merrr@reddit
Idk if I can say an actual favorite, but for me American-Chinese food is an honorable mention. I love a lot of Chinese-Chinese food as well and Ive been lucky to live around some places that sold that, but some sugary-ass Orange Chicken with white rice and Crab Rangoons on the side will never not be good or a uniquely American thing.
Jeffers315@reddit
Cajun food, American BBQ (all of it. Pulled pork, ribs, brisket, sausage...), southern comfort food (biscuits and gravy, fried chicken, grits, collards), soul food, and tex mex.
TheLonelySnail@reddit
Usually eat? Iām from Southern California so we have a bit of a Mexican flair in my area.
Things like tacos and tamales are not uncommon, and many more āAmericanā dishes like meatloaf or baked potatoes have a south of the border flavor.
But we also have a strong Asian influence, so dim sum, bahm mi and of course Americanized āChinese foodā (I love you Trader Joeās Orange chicken) is common.
We also do a lot of grilling, and you should check out Santa Maria style BBQ, itās a CA style of BBQ usually done with tri-tip. But it was only like a month ago, and if youāve have fresh grunion from the pacific, youāre missing out on the fun.
However you said āthe bestā, and as much as I will rep my CA state pride, our brothers from Texas have my favorite American food - Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs with biscuits. Give it to me and donāt judge any noises I make.
Good for me? No. Please, just inject the gravy into my veins!
jayjello0o@reddit
Biscuits and gravyĀ
certifiablegeek@reddit
Crescent City steakhouse, New Orleans Louisiana, back in the 90s.
NotUntilTheFishJumps@reddit
There is a pizza place on Long Island, I forget what it was called, but the slices are HUGE New York style slices, and they give you a cup of cold mozzarella to dump on to, then you fold it, and take a big bite. HEAVEN.
tickingboxes@reddit
Maine lobster roll
NPHighview@reddit
Two come to mind immediately, and they share spicing and preparation. A third comes from our travels in Florida
Grilled Tri-Tip. Tri-tip is a particular cut of beef that's been popular among the vaqueros along the central coast for many decades. It's spiced with "Santa Maria Seasoning" (that's the area of California), and we smoke it over sage leaves & branches that have been soaked for a couple of hours. We NEVER use charcoal starter; rather, we use a chimney starter over one of the burners on our gas grill (which we pretty much only ever use to start charcoal). It'll develop a crust (which you want), and a ring of "smoke" - perfect! Take it off the grill, wrap with aluminum foil, and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing & serving.
Grilled Atlantic salmon. Prepared the same way, including spicing and smoking. You want it to develop a crust too. We choose not to get salmon with skin on, but that's up to you. We buy our salmon from Trader Joe's. If it comes out of the package smelling fishy, put the uncooked filet into a shallow pan, cover with milk, and let sit for 10 minutes. Rinse off the milk, pat dry, and continue with spicing and grilling.
We generally do one or the other on Sunday afternoons, have some that evening, and then nibble on the rest for a few days following.
Key Lime Pie. We traveled around south Florida during our honeymoon many moons ago, and picked up a very simple, no-bake recipe for key lime pie by sampling many on our travels. A perfect dessert for a summer dinner, though my wife insists that I make this along with another pumpkin pie when we prepare our Thanksgiving meal (our guests are happy to have a slice of both). Here's what we came up with:
Crust: Graham cracker crumbs (1 3/4 cup), 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, Zest of 1 lime. Combine, then press into a 9" or 9.5" pie pan. Place in freezer.
Filling: One 14 oz. can of "Eagle Brand" sweetened condensed milk (dolce de leche won't work, but store brands will work just fine), juice pulp and zest of 6 "store-bought" limes. Mix until the mixture is creamy, a uniform color, and thick. Pour into crust, and return to freezer. For a variation, add 2 oz. of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, blood orange juice, or passion fruit juice while blending the filling.
Serving: Take the frozen pie out 10 minutes before cutting & serving. Top with whipped cream, paper-thin slices of citrus, or frozen raspberries.
Kal_El_77@reddit
Can't go wrong with some legit fall off the bone BBQ ribs.
Guinnessron@reddit
I scrolled a long way and am shocked nobody has said Wings. Iām from Buffalo so am pretty Judgy on wings. If they are BIG. And crispy And juicy And have great sauce they are amazing. Then IF the Bleu cheese is house made and thick? Thats heaven. And yes Iāll say it. NO Ranch!
mountainwitch6@reddit
proper shrimp & grits
does tex mex count? the list would be long
teriyaki chicken
biscuits and gravy
this seems like too broad of a question- there isnt really one āamericanā food. shrimp & grits are cajun, teriyaki chicken is from the northwest. tex mex is regional as well. biscuits and gravy are southern but not necessarily cajun. they are wildly different cultures
Guinnessron@reddit
The Shrimp n grits I had in Charleston SC were insane. And everything Tex Mex I ever had in San Antonio ruined me for any northern( I live in NY) Mexican food
bionicspidery@reddit
Texmex! Canāt live without tacos
KatrynaTheElf@reddit
Blue crabs!š¦
Guinnessron@reddit
BBQ in Austin TX. I did go to Terry Blacks but I preferred Cooperās.
MikeMo71@reddit
Cheese Steak in Philly
Pale_Row1166@reddit
New Orleans cuisine is my absolute favorite.
KDawgandChiefMan@reddit
When I was eating there, my food was so spicy I needed to chug my drink, but my drink was too strong to chug. So I said, ah, my food is too spicy and my drink is too strong! The bartender said "Welcome to New Orleans!"
ScarletDarkstar@reddit
Bet he said N'awlins. Lol
Pale_Row1166@reddit
Thatās my dream!
MovieAshamed4140@reddit
Ohio girl who grew up on corn on the cob with butter and apple cider. Yummy.
Always_Reading_1990@reddit
Southern style chicken and dumplings, the kind you canāt get in a restaurant. Someoneās mama has to make it for you.
ShesGotaChicken2Ride@reddit
Iām in SoCal; we live on Mexican food. Itās sooo good.
DarkGamer@reddit
NY Deli style pastrami on rye with cole slaw and russian dressing. š¤¤
amazonlover668@reddit
Agree with other posters here about bbq and brisket , i personally like the non sweetish ones without vinegar or sugar/molasses ..
JacquesBlaireau13@reddit
Spiny ("Florida") Lobster.
Ok_Habit6837@reddit
For dessert, key lime pie!
hemibearcuda@reddit
Cajun and creole.
WeirdRip2834@reddit
I just had a grass fed rib eye that had been treated overnight with Cajun seasoning. And it was the best steak Iāve had in a long time.
HonestExam4686@reddit
American style smoked bbq is really something special. Be it from Texas, the Carolinas, Kansas City....they all have very distinct flavors and are all delicious in their own rights.
I grew up eating alot of north-eastern Italian American, and as ive gotten older im learning there are way more things than just meatballs and chicken parm. Chicken Scarpriello has become a recent obsession of mine.
Traditional_Dust_668@reddit
But our cheesesteaks are no joke up here and one of the best things Iāve ever put in my mouth
HonestExam4686@reddit
cooper sharp is the GOAT melting cheese
Traditional_Dust_668@reddit
True!
Individual_Success46@reddit
I do think our Italian-American food is pretty special. Even if itās all covered in cheese.
HonestExam4686@reddit
A good chicken scarp though is something really special though. I dont see it as often as I would like but when I do im always amazed at how good it is...and there isnt any cheese at all! There is a similar dish in Chicago called chicken vessuvio and that is equally as good. Dishes like these are greater as a whole than the sum of their parts imo
Individual_Success46@reddit
True⦠chicken scarp is one of my dadās favorites.
verndogz@reddit
Donāt forget Memphis style BBQ as well!
Donner_Party_Animal@reddit
As someone who travels a lot. I disagree with adding the Carolinas to the list of good barbecue. At least not NC. I realize it's all personal preference but dammit my personal preferences are the most correct of course.
Effective_Coach7334@reddit
Little known trivia: BBQ techniques were spread around the world by the Spanish/Portuguese that learned it from Native Americans--more specifically, natives of the Caribbean. Remember that the next time you think of a Hawaiian Luau :)
morte-et-donezo@reddit
I LOVE Southern food anything from country fried steak with gravy to shrimp and grits and a nice seafood boil.
suzemagooey@reddit
Unbelievably tender biscuits is as good as it gets in our family.
New-Job1761@reddit
Filet mignon
jwbourne@reddit
Beef Rib, smoked.
paxicopapa@reddit
Smoked beef ribs at Terry Blacks is the best single thing Iāve ever eaten. Gumbo in New Orleans is a close second, I had it at 4 places, all outstanding.
schoolydee@reddit
you're going to have to give more than that otherwise every area will just homer and virtue signal. i mean, what do you like or dislike?
hx87@reddit
The best burger I've ever had in my life was at a grocery store (Inverness Park Market) in Inverness, CA. The crisp crust and juicy, beefy interior, the buns toasted in fat, the crunchy, slightly pungent and bitter lettuce, the ripe tomatoes, the sauce, everything was goddamn perfect. The platonic ideal of a burger.
Nepenthe in Big Sur is a close second. Perched on a 200 foot cliff above a field where a herd of cattle (probably the same ones that went into the burger) grazed, itself above the Pacific Ocean.
Intelligent_Pop1173@reddit
New York bagels are probably my favorite. I love them just with cream cheese or with nova lox or with pastrami and Swiss.
Ok_Still_3571@reddit
Russ and Daughters in the East Village is my go to whenever Iām in NYC. Their bagels with smoked fish⦠wow!
Jilltro@reddit
Bagels with lox is one of my favorite things in the world. At home, I make a bagel with cream cheese, everything bagel seasoning, and prosciutto. Itās a slightly less expensive alternative and itās absolutely delicious.
SaintsFanPA@reddit
Sounds great, but you do understand why prosciutto is not a traditional bagel topping, right?
Mountain_Remote_464@reddit
For real lmao thatās like saying you love gefilte fish but itās better with crab hahaha
But I mean Iām certain prosciutto on a ny bagel with cream cheese is amazing.
SaintsFanPA@reddit
Itās worse. Pig aināt kosher AND it wouldnāt be pareve even if it was.
That being said, I would never be kosher and grumble the one night per year my wife drags me to a Seder, so I kind of love the idea.
Mountain_Remote_464@reddit
Itās not but bagels and lox is one of the most quintessentially Jewish meals found widely available in the states
Jilltro@reddit
I mean, yeah. But I'm an atheist so I'm not bound by any rules when it comes to my bagel toppings. It's not like only jewish people eat bagels.
daddyjoes69@reddit
ā½ļøšæ
itsnothingdear@reddit
This is a great answer!
DecadesLaterKid@reddit
Yes, let no one sleep on Ashkenazi/"Ashkenazi American" food. It is more available here than almost anywhere else in the world.
Lovemybee@reddit
Barbecue... I've never had a style of BBQ I didn't like!
iamasecretthrowaway@reddit
Is it South Carolina that does the mustard based barbecue sauce? They're onto something there.Ā
Perplexio76@reddit
Yeah it's kind of a mustard/vinegar base. For flavor Carolina is my favorite style of BBQ sauce, but it is a bit thinner than the Kansas City or Texas style BBQ sauces.
I can't stand mayo, so I avoid the Alabama style mayo based BBQ sauce like the plague. I tried it once out of curiosity. Once was more than enough.
FrostyHawks@reddit
Texas is a dry-rub based bbq style and doesn't really have any kind of set BBQ sauce. A lot of the Texas BBQ joints all kinda do their sauces differently, usually with multiple options including the classic KC style one, but the goal is that your brisket doesn't need sauce.
Docnevyn@reddit
Also Western North Carolina. I think Eastern Carolina vinegar based BBQ is far superior. Of course, I eaten a lot more down East BBQ.
HoistTheColors@reddit
Eastern NC BBQ all day!
emessea@reddit
Yep, and the one time I was in South Carolina I went to a place to try it and they didnāt do mustard basedā¦
puskunk@reddit
It's mostly a midlands thing.
emessea@reddit
Ah, that explains it. I was in Charleston.
SCCock@reddit
It's from the German settlers to the Midlands. They loved there mustard and it spilled over to the BBQ. I love my mustard Q.
FLOHTX@reddit
Ehhhhhh, I was in NC last year and couldn't find anything good. I was in Greensboro and even the locals recommended terrible places like Stameys. Pulled pork just seemed like mush without flavor.
bossk538@reddit
This is the answer, and every style is amazing!
RodgerRodger8301@reddit
So many options ... seafood in the Florida Keys, BBQ in the south, creole food in Louisiana, just general fried food in the south, lobster in the northeast (cold water), tex mex along the border, wings in buffalo, i could go on for days
MM_in_MN@reddit
Brisket. Oooh lawd, brisket.
Chewiedozier567@reddit
Itās my personal opinion but any food that is served out of a building that looks like itās going to fall down if a strong wind hits but has a line of cars outside should definitely be good. The people come because the food tastes great, nobody cares about the ambience or the decor, the food is the focus.
JeremyILM@reddit
This is exactly what I will pull over for driving through rural NC.
You know it's go time with that line and the crusty ass building.
All_Wasted_Potential@reddit
You should come visit Texas. We make some pretty good brisket down here.
BaconConnoisseur@reddit
Heavyās BBQ in Hondo is the good stuff. It doesnāt have that sketchy feel, but just stepping inside is one of the best aromas you will ever smell.
Honest_Road17@reddit
Mexican.
Future-Cry5734@reddit
I think BBQ and Maryland crab cakes have to be pretty high on the list.
Spirited-Way2406@reddit
U.S. food culture is as diverse as Chinese or Indian, so this is a big darn question. But if we're talking about specifically American foods that I will always choose first at a potluck? Deviled eggs. Toothsome-but-also-creamy and rich-but-also-piquant are classic American combos. It is easy to eat a lot of deviled eggs and I will happily skip dessert for them.
American style black olives are also very good. If you grew up with Kalamatas or similar, they may be a shock. They are buttery and plump. (They may have been invented by somebody applying the nixtamalization process, which is used for corn/maize, to olives.)
GreatRecipeCollctr29@reddit
The best food I ever tried was the Philippe beef sandwich with the au jus, or the Langer's Pastrami sandwich with their mustard. Don't forget the pickles. Both located at Los Angeles, CA.
Naddyman2005@reddit
practically almost anything from the south, particularly soul food, cajun/creole and BBQ. Many coastal areas have their own niche seafood scenes as well (such as fried conch and grouper in the Florida keys or salmon and snow crab in PNW/ Alaska) which I love as well, Asian-Hawaiian food is also one of my favorites.
Coidzor@reddit
Red beans and rice with andouille sausage over Cajun style jambalaya.
JimBones31@reddit
I'm tempted to say my wife's chicken pot pie.
PistachioPerfection@reddit
Awww ā”
PistachioPerfection@reddit
Pork BBQ ribs, smoked beef brisket, baked potatoes with lots of salt, butter and sour cream, and southern green beans with bacon and onions
MostlyChaoticNeutral@reddit
New York style cheesecake. I've never met a cheesecake I didn't like, and I love trying international styles, but New York style is my favorite.
LaLechuzaVerde@reddit
Salmon
crazycatlady052411@reddit
Imos pizza
Many_Statistician587@reddit
Mama Jās, a soul food restaurant in Richmond, VA. The fried chicken is out of this world!
Vikingaling@reddit
Sweet potato pie. Partly because I was old enough to remember the first time I had it.
Boopa0011@reddit
New York style pizza and New York style bagels.
I truly didn't know how unique these things were until I moved away from NYC and discovered how hard it is to get them in most other places.
Tgande1969@reddit
Sausage gravy on a fresh biscuit
SisterLostSoul@reddit
A Muffuletta from Central Grocery in New Orleans.
EllieIsDone@reddit
Cheese burgers from locally owned restaurants or food trucks.
BoS_Vlad@reddit
Quail in puff pastry with bordelaise sauce by Andre Soltner at his restaurant Lutece in NYC circa 1980.
dangerrnoodle@reddit
America has some tasty game. Iāve had elk Swedish style meatballs, and deer backstrap with a blackberry glaze that were just out of this world delicious. And just the smell of fresh smoking salmon in the PNW is absolutely intoxicating.
Sad_bippy@reddit
Honestly a good Italian-American style sub sandwich can change my whole day around, genuinely. Salami, pepperoni, mortadella, tomato, shredded lettuce, pepper relish or banana peppers, all slathered in vinegar and olive oil and Italian seasonings. Now Iām hungry.
Parintachin@reddit
Friend ran a competitive BBQ and we were at a picnic together. Walked out of the garage and he stuck a tongs full of burnt ends on my plate.
I almost passed out it was so damn good.
nmacInCT@reddit
Lobster rolls, Connecticut style which is warm with butter. Maine style with mayo are good but can't remember the last time i ate one since i love the CT ones
istilllikegravy@reddit
A Midwest style fried pork sandwich.
I know schnitzel sandwiches have been around for eons, but something about a piece of breaded fried pork the size of a deflated football on a "small" bun with just mayonnaise and a pickle is magic.
yarnhoarder6@reddit
Thanksgiving turkey with mashed taters, gravy, stuffing, green beans, carrots, cranberries. Especially after smelling the turkey cooking all day. I could plant my face right in there and slurp it up like a barbarian
12B88M@reddit
Honestly, the US has so many amazing dishes it's impossible to say which one has been my favorite.
applesandoranges_@reddit
Nothing beats good BBQ
Hyp3rgol1c@reddit
Chicken fried steak
CalmRip@reddit
This would take a book. I've had exquisite California/New American cuisine, killer barbecue of several styles, marvelous Chinese food, excellent Japanese, delicious Moroccan food, New England seafood, pheasant and champagne at French restaurants, and so, so much wonderful Mexican food everywhere from Taquerias to white tablecloth Mexican restaurants. My favorites are California cuisine and Mexican food. I've lived in California most of my life, but really good eats are to be had in every state and every major city.
It's very typical for Americans not to have a food they usually eat; in my house we had St Louis ribs last night, char siu bao the night before, a cheese tray with pecans and dried chile mango before that with a decent cava, and I'm pretty sure we had burritos a couple of times last week.
Saltpork545@reddit
Hi, I'm a food nerd. Pick a region and this list won't be nearly as varied or massive. As you have asked it there won't be a reasonable answer.
The US is the size of Europe. We are a continent wide. We don't have a single unified food culture. There are literally thousands of foods that could be on this list for being good, including stuff that even other Americans don't always know.
Burgoo or the Slinger are two that come to mind that I don't expect anyone on either coast to know about.
Eldritch-banana-3102@reddit
Baltimore crabcakes
Pirate_Lantern@reddit
Crawfish etouffee
Southern-Usual4211@reddit
New Mexican food, I love a stuffed sopapilla and some calabacitas
Poochmanchung@reddit
Carne adovada in any form
browneyedredhead1968@reddit
Anything my mom makes.
Otik218@reddit
St Louis style ribs (but only if you get them from a St Louis smokehouse, NOT Costco!)
RevolutionaryWeek573@reddit
My favorites are:
Gumbo Jamaican Jerk Chicken Biscuits and Gravy Ham and Cheese Omelette with hash browns BLTs (bacon lettuce tomato sandwiches) Grilled Cheese sandwich with Tomato Soup Chicken and Rice casserole Coconut Shrimp Meatloaf with Mashed potatoes and gravy Peanut butter and jelly sandwich with chicken soup Hot dogs with potato salad and chips Hamburgers with fries
Kitchen_Ad6227@reddit
Cheeseburger
TheFlyingSaucers2@reddit
Nashville hot chicken nā waffles with spicy honey. Was the most delicious thing Iāve ever eaten
FriendWinter9674@reddit
Find a good BBQ place in the south. In my experience, the less like a restaurant it looks like on the outside, the better.
Turdle_Vic@reddit
Idk
I donāt know what that means around here. So much of it is fusion from all the immigrants, I canāt spot pure Mexican food, but my family can. My dumbass still almost said tacos. I guess soul food as a whole. I havenāt had a bad experience yet!
Lemon-Cake-8100@reddit
Chicago deep dish pizza with sausage
ThatKaleidoscope3388@reddit
I love watching people try to eat it with their hands and making fun of them.
Jojosbees@reddit
Fried chicken and waffles with maple syrup
Shrimp boil with garlic noodles (spaghetti or Taiwanese yellow noodles with butter, garlic, Maggi, oyster sauce, sugar, and fish sauce)
Jambalaya
BBQ, but my personal favorite is pulled pork with Carolina hog wash sauce
Tillamook Brownie Batter ice creamĀ
Pastrami sandwich from Katz Deli in NYC
Levain chocolate chip cookies (also from NYC)
Chicago deep dish pizzaĀ
Lobster roll from New England region
Crab cakes (Cooks Illustrated recipe)
Salmon (favorite is a mayo-chili crisp recipe from the NY Times)
Homemade smash burgers cooked in a cast iron with cheese, bacon, and fried egg, tomato, lettuce, and fry sauce (mayo and ketchup mixed together)
GimmeShockTreatment@reddit
A lot of the obvious answers are already out there. Iāll throw out something way more obscure but Jibaritos are one of my favorites. Itās like a steak sandwich with cheese on fried plantains instead of bread/buns. Itās a Puerto Rican thing but was invented in Chicago.
Pitiful_Ad2397@reddit
I love Jibaritos!
thats-gold-jerry@reddit
BBQ in Austin. Specifically at La Barbecue.
therealjerseytom@reddit
In Gastonia? That's not too out of the way for me...
thats-gold-jerry@reddit
Yes. I grew up going there. So Iāve been probably a hundred times lol.
boodyclap@reddit
Not seeing a lot of love for tex mex
hellogooday92@reddit
Breakfast Burrito from Jelly Cafe in Denver.
therealjerseytom@reddit
Guess that's going on my list for next time I'm in town
Open-Neighborhood459@reddit
That does sound good
Smoopiebear@reddit
We have great bbq.
norecordofwrong@reddit
Best Iāve had is mussels from a farm to table place in RI.
Oldmanprop@reddit
Buffalo wings
La_croix_addict@reddit
Cuban sandwich
Bbq
Lobster Mac n cheese
NY pizza and bagels
Joes stone crab
sum_dude44@reddit
as a Cuban, I'll never understand Americans obsession w/ Cuban sandwiches. It's maybe 4th best Cuban style sandwich, not even top 10 Cuban food. Even its cousin medianoche is superior
quitealargeorangecat@reddit
Itās a really good sandwich. No one outside of Florida knows what a medianoche is.Ā
imnottheoneipromise@reddit
Possibly because I can do in just about any deli and order a Cuban anywhere in the US. Conversely, Iāve never even heard of a medianoche.
Donner_Party_Animal@reddit
The beat Cuban I ever had was from a butcher shop in Brooklyn. Everything about the sandwich was just so good. I was there for 5 days for work and I ended up at that shop for 3 of them for lunch.
Papi's in Atlanta ran a close second.
dwhite21787@reddit
I was in a group that went down to Mobile to help rebuild after Katrina, we were working on one house when the owner showed up at lunch - a Cuban guy who ran a restaurant- with a truckload of food. OMG everything was fantastic
imnottheoneipromise@reddit
We do have a decent food scene in mobile! Not just downtown either. Thereās little secret spots off the beaten path that will knock your socks off!
spaceyfacer@reddit
I somehow didn't think about cubano sandwiches for this question! It's one of my favorite foods.
Icy-Beat-8895@reddit
A grilled ham and cheese sandwich at a truck stop diner 20 years ago.
trinite0@reddit
I can't pick just one, so I'll go by regions:
West coast: seafood in Portland
East coast: pizza in Brooklyn
South: oyster po' boys in a roadside drive-thru in Louisiana
Upper Midwest: Korean-style breakfast in Chicago
Lower Midwest: barbecue pork ribs in Kansas City
Southwest: green chili pork tacos in Albuquerque
MaleficentCoconut594@reddit
Chinese food
/S
panthian@reddit
Tex Mex is my favorite style, but it's not the best in my area of upstate NY. They do make some of the best pizza, subs, and wings here, though.
Open-Neighborhood459@reddit
They have tex mex in NY??
panthian@reddit
Well, sort of. It's much better in the south.
OchlockneeBirdDawg@reddit
North Carolina style barbecue, eastern and piedmont styles. Itās barbecue pork heaven.
houdini31@reddit
I love a good grilled cheeseburger
Danibear285@reddit
Indian food is good. Chinese is good. Vietnamese is good. Korean is good. German is good.
WiseOtter4u@reddit
I am in South Carolina and we consider Shrimp & Grits to be our state dish. Creamy, salty grits as a base with a delicious Tasso gravy and plump, juicy shrimp. It's amazing.
Danibear285@reddit
Well made pierogies
SteakAndIron@reddit
Real Texas barbecue is amazing
Fluffy-Twist984@reddit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati_chili is greatšš
SteampunkExplorer@reddit
There are a LOT of different regional cuisines over here, so it's hard to give a simple answer. š¤ Buuuuut...
I like chili con carne (a kind of spicy stew or sauce that is technically Mexican, but it's also technically Texan, and there's a generally "American" version of it that's commonly eaten even outside of Texas). I make mine slightly spicier than I want it, and then add shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chopped up raw tomatoes. 𤤠Texans usually say chili shouldn't have beans, but I love it with beans.
I also like meatloaf and mashed potatoes. It's simple, home-cooked, and comforting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meatloaf
Sometimes I like to make a salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, baby carrots, broccoli, maybe some cheddar cheese, almonds if I have them, a nice piece of fried or grilled chicken breast on top, and ranch dressing!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranch_dressing
In the South (a cultural region that is really the southeast), we like sweet tea! Make some nice strong black tea, sweeten it more than is wise or healthy, fill a tall glass almost to the top with ice, and pour it in (not hot, or you could crack your glass). Don't add milk if you want it to be authentic. You can optionally squeeze a lemon wedge into it, though! (Just definitely not with milk, or you'll end up with cheese in your tea. Cheese in your tea will make you sad, LOL.) Sweet tea is sort of a symbol of hospitality, but in a casual, comfortable way. It's the sort of thing you'd serve to family and friends, on the big front porch of a cute old house, on a hot summer afternoon, talking and admiring the birds, bugs, clouds, and flowers, while the kids ran around and played in the yard. UwU
Another sweet summer drink (although it's not traditional; this is a copy of something from a fast food place, LOL) is half-frozen watermelon chunks and vanilla ice cream mixed up in a blender. It's simple but absolutely delicious on a hot day.
Americans also love pie!
Pumpkin pie is amazing. We have it on Christmas and Thanksgiving. It's a kind of spiced pumpkin custard that sits halfway between "food" and "dessert". 𤤠Some people from other countries assume we have it on Halloween, but we don't! Those orange Halloween pumpkins aren't actually the best type of squash to use, anyway. My brother uses sweet dumpling squash, and his pies are incredible. (Also, another mistake people make: it's not made from the gross, stringy inside of the pumpkin. You have to empty all of that out and use the actual wall of the pumpkin, peeled and cooked, to make your pie filling.) You can also get canned pumpkin purée, at least here in the states. Sometimes visitors assume it's cheap/fake, but that's not true. It's pure pumpkin, and makes good pies. Most Americans use it.
I also like key lime pie. š¤¤
And there's something called chess pie that apparently originated from cooks being creative during times of poverty. It confused me greatly as a child because I couldn't figure out what the filling was made of, but it's delicious:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_pie
And then there's cobbler. 𤤠It's almost like a cross between pie and cake. Prepare a baking dish full of cooked, sweetened chopped fruit (although you may want to leave more delicate ingredients raw, so everything gets done at the same time), make the dough for your crust (whatever type you like; some people use canned biscuit dough), and put it in blobs on top of the filling. Sprinkle a little sugar and spice over everything. Bake. Cobbler is amazing and easy, and you can make it as sweet or tart as you like. Traditional varieties include blackberry cobbler and peach cobbler, but my favorite is pineapple!
https://www.foodrepublic.com/1887613/3-ingredient-canned-biscuit-cobbler/
And for something less sweet, biscuits! These aren't cookies like British biscuits. American biscuits are soft, fluffy or flaky homemade bread rolls that can be eaten with sweet or savory toppings.Ā You can make them from scratch pretty easily, but leople also buy pre-made dough to bake at home. You can use it in a lot of creative ways, not just for cobbler. Some people even flatten each piece of dough out and turn them into tiny pizzas. :D They're good! And then there's biscuits and gravy, another iconic southern dish. It's ugly, but delicious:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscuits_and_gravy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sausage_gravy
QuigonSeamus@reddit
Soul food and southern bbq are my favorite types of food of any food Iāve tasted from the world, not just American food. All the upscale French training in the world would not give you the taste of southern American foods. Absolute top tier.
Junior_Ad_3301@reddit
Mexican is the best American food by far
Junior_Ad_3301@reddit
Mexican
hokiegirl759397@reddit
1) Lasagna with garlic bread and salad 2) Cheeseburger with french fries 3) Fried chicken with mashed potatoes and biscuitsĀ
MuppetManiac@reddit
Probably a black and blue burger.
benicebuddy@reddit
The Monte Cristo sandwich may be the most American dish you can buy. It's a deep fried club sandwich dipped in raspberry jam and it is glorious.
3 pieces of bread
sliced ham, turkey, bacon, cheese
Lettuce tomato
Now you batter that bitch, deep fry it, and dip that junt in raspberry jam.
thanatos0320@reddit
Southern BBQ - the rest of the world can't hold a candle to us on this
PlanningMyEscape@reddit
Gumbo, and good collard greens.
TopAd7655@reddit
Texas: bbq/soul food Colorado: green chili but not like youāre thinking. A very niche and specific kind that I cannot find anywhere else Louisiana(also Texas): creole and Cajun. Also crocodile. I havenāt been brave enough to try frog legs.
BitPoet@reddit
A crab roll I had in Maine. Like a lobster roll, but crab. This was 30 years ago, and it was perfect. I still dream about that thing.
paka96819@reddit
A waygu hamburger sandwich from 20 years ago
jigokubi@reddit
I consider baked macaroni and cheese to be the pinnacle of American food.
I'm also partial to BBQ pork sandwiches and sloppy Joes.
alligator124@reddit
Someone on Reddit was putting together a list and descriptor of like 75 different regional American cuisines. They took into account various immigrant groups and regional ingredient availability. They have an insta called AmericanFoodAtlas that theyāre starting to post on now, highly recommend you check it out.Ā
Itās hard to pick just one; I think the most exciting for me what when I lived on the southern Atlantic coast, and then the gulf coast. The seafood in both places was amazing- I was introduced to shrimp and grits and it changed my life.Ā
And then my hometown food will always have my heart- a slice of NY pizza, a good bagel, a breakfast sandwich (pastrami-egg-and-cheese on a hard roll).Ā
I feel like itās always important to note that a lot of the listed favorite foods mentioned d here are occasion foods too.Ā
People really criticize Americans for our āunhealthyā dishes, but my actual regular meals look very different to what I listed above. Day to day Iām eating a slice of sourdough, some roasted veg and and an egg for breakfast, chicken soup for lunch, and arugula pesto on pasta for dinner. We do actually have a connection to our local bakers and produce.Ā
vpatrick@reddit
Hard to beat a well made buffalo wing for me with good blue cheese
Grendal54@reddit
Toss up between Cajun food and Texas Hill country bbq.
RedSolez@reddit
Steamed Maine lobster with garlic truffle fries
Zatzbatz@reddit
The best american food is pizza, Mexican, Chinese or barbecue
hothottaem@reddit
Heavy-hitters for me as someone from the Midwest, but raised by family from the South:
⢠Detroit-style pizza
⢠Traditional American breakfast: bacon, eggs, toast, and hash browns
⢠biscuits and gravy
⢠pullled pork barbecue and smoked brisket
⢠a good cheeseburger - a place back home puts diced onions into their patties and they are TO DIE FOR.
Friendly_Artist4459@reddit
Tex Mex!
FemboyEngineer@reddit
A hot chicken sandwich
wwhsd@reddit
California burrito with longaniza and an overeasy egg inside.
That might not be the beat American food Iāve ever had, but itās the American food that Iām really craving right now.
GustavoSwift@reddit
Peanut butter and Jelly
aenflex@reddit
Cajun or Soul Food.
edkhm1218@reddit
Native American Tacos
Living-Pomegranate37@reddit
Grilled T-Bone steak. Medium rare.
lo-lux@reddit
Just a cheeseburger and fries with a little cup of coleslaw from a diner with a waitress that calls me sweetie. It doesn't get better than that.
SD1737@reddit
I grew up in Texas, so I'm going to say Texas BBQ.
let-it-rain-sunshine@reddit
Maine Lobsters and Maryland Crab picking ranks up there
vanbrima@reddit
Chicken Fried Steak. With cream gravy, mashed potatoes and a biscuit. So good!
SukunasStan@reddit
It's tied between this plate of fried fish, sweet potatoes, and collard greens I had and my grandpa's hamburgers.
Perplexio76@reddit
I'm a sucker for a decent steak. One of the best I've ever had was a 24 oz. Porterhouse cooked black and blue (charred on the outside, rare and cool on the inside) with a blue cheese crust. I felt like I was tasting heaven.
For more affordable, I've come to really enjoy some of the staples of my adopted hometown. I dig a decent Chicago style hot dog (topped with onions, relish, tomatoes, sport peppers, mustard, a dill pickle spear and celery salt in a poppy seed bun). Or even an Italian Beef Sandwich wet, hot, sweet, and dragged through the garden. And of course deep dish pizza from time to time. But it's soooo filling, usually I only eat that about 2-3x/year.
From803to216@reddit
Pulled pork
MC_Gusto69@reddit
Lobster Bisque from Nob Hill inside thr MGM Grand. Shit was wheeled out to me.
griffaliff@reddit
I'm English and very passionate about pizza, so a New York slice is up there for me, pepperoni in particular. That and a Greek restaurant a friend took me to in Queens, the Astoria neighborhood if I recall, I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant as it was absolutely brilliant. A hot take too, I really like Twinkies, bit of a guilty pleasure, USA Fruit Loop cereal too. I remember going to a place called Johnny Rocket in DC, loved that as well.
ProfessionalCat7640@reddit
Name what you are looking for in food preferences and the region youāre visiting? The US is the land of consumers; if youāre in a city weāve probably got it. The Americans will get on here and suggest restaurants for you and they will all probably be amazing.
The region also matters because certain places have specialties. Chicago? Try the deep dish pizza. Cincinnati? Get the skyline chili. New York? Their bagels are famous. Wisconsin? Donāt leave without grabbing a bratwurst and a beer. Texas? Go with the Mesquite BBQ. But if you are in St Louis go with the St Louis style baby back ribs. Georgia or North Carolina? Be sure to grab a slice of peach pie. If youāre in Maine try the lobster rolls but ask the locals for their local spot because the tourist traps are murder on the wallet. There are so many more examples but Iād be here for days.
If you give us a little more info, Iām sure there are many of who would love to help suggest great dining experiences.
Curmudgy@reddit
Iām starting a one man campaign to promote Jewish deli as the signature NYC food. Sure, that can include bagels, but itās far outweighed by pastrami on rye and related items.
Inevitable_Clock_789@reddit
True NYC bagels, hot out of the oven, I toasted, with a schmear of plain/scallion cream cheese, lox/tomato/onion/capers. A slice of hot NYC pizza at the store (not take out). Phenomenal deli sandwiches like a Ruben. A really beautifully cooked steak. Black & white cookie (Greenberg). Cheesecake.
Seafood: Lobster Roll in Maine. Clam chowder in Boston. Crab boil & crab cakes in Maryland. Many foods in New Orleans (crawfish ettoufee, beignet, boils, etc.). King grab legs in Alaska. Many fish. Fish tacos.
Chocolate chip cookies. Brownies. Really great small batch regional ice cream. Key lime pie. So many random regional desserts. Boston cream pie. Pecan pie. Banana pudding. Apple pie. Cherry pie. Buckeyes. Gooey butter cake. Chiffon cake. Sāmores. Peach cobbler. Donuts (good ones).
Breakfast - pancakes with fresh berries.
Burgers and fries. Brisket. BBQ (everything from pulled pork sandwiches to various styles Iāll let the regions argue about). Philly cheesesteak.
We have some amazing takes on veggies like collard greens that come out of complex American experiences.
Fresh corn in season. Cornbread fresh out of a skillet. Even hush puppies. With maple butter. Maple syrup (yes, Canada gets this too).
Peanut butter - fresh ground.
Mac & cheese.
Buffalo wings. Fried chicken.
Forgot the name but these seasonal berries in the region between Salt Lake and Yellowstone. Lots of regions have local socialized berries that taste different from the same berries grown elsewhere and can be amazing.
Shave ice in Hawaii with a snow cap, spam matsubi, malasadas, poke, fruit, etc.
Many fusion foods that are part of the uniquely American melting pot experience.
Major_Enthusiasm1099@reddit
Pizza
cottoncandymandy@reddit
BBQ hands down. I also love a good chicken fried steak w/white gravy and biscuits and gravy.
QuirkyCookie6@reddit
It's hard to define American food sometimes. But if you're going traditional American, I've always loved my moms meatloaf, and my grandmothers spice cake with orange dressing.
Curmudgy@reddit
Youāre absolutely correct.
Unfortunately, āAmerican foodā gets defined two ways. One is any cuisine common in the US. The other is more specifically foods popularized by cookbooks and other media starting in the 40s (meatloaf is certainly one, diner food, Betty Crocker cookbook, etc.) and succeeded by New American Cuisine (emphasizing local food products, farm to table attitude, lighter cooking styles, and more vegetables).
Effective_Coach7334@reddit
yeah, meatloaf comes from the Romans, but the American version is mostly German origin.
DropTopEWop@reddit
KC style burnt ends
DudleyAndStephens@reddit
Good American barbecue (not crap that's drowned in sugar sauce) is hard to beat.
sheburn118@reddit
Brisket done right is unbeatable.
onedollarcereal@reddit
Cheeseburger
Cheeko914@reddit
Pizza is the only answer. But thatās only assuming youāre in the right area. NY/CT pizza is the best food in the world, but pizza from a place like FL is the worst.
Anthrodiva@reddit
As a nation, we excell in food. You will get a fantastic regional specialty where ever you go! My personal recs:
Seasonal seafood on the coasts Hatch chile everything in NM Mexican food throughout the SW Fry bread tacos at Pow Wows Brisket in Texas Ribs in Memphis Fried catfish along the Mississippi Shrimp po boy in NOLA Cuban sandwich in Florida Johnnycakes in USVI Lechon in PR Shrimp curry in SC Pulled pork in NC Crab cakes in DMV Lobster roll in NE
Miss_Might@reddit
My mom's lasagna is pretty great.
Open-Neighborhood459@reddit
I bet it is! That sounds amazingĀ
yellowdaisycoffee@reddit
The southeast has the BEST food.
I am a big fan of chicken and dumplings myself. Classic.
West-Improvement2449@reddit
American food specifically country fried steak also known as chicken fried steak. Chicken and waffles and cheesesteak
OfficeChair70@reddit
PNW Style teriyaki is amazing IMO, wish it was available more places.
shessocold1969@reddit
New Orleans cuisine, barbecue shrimp, which are not barbecued, muffuletta, Shrimp poāboys, red beans and riceā¦so many recipes.
California Mexican food. We mostly have northern Mexican food. You can find them but weāve not big on Tex Mex, like fajitas. My favorite restaurant uses butter and fontina cheese instead of lard or crisco in their refried beans. We have avocados everywhere so most dishes come with a garnish of guacamole.
California seafood shack type restaurants, away from the tourists. Halibut and chips during the spring and summer. Halibut fish tacos. California style clam chowder, itās a little thinner. Dungeness crab, on its own or on an open face sandwich.
Santa Maria bbq in the Santa Barbara wine country.
chonduu@reddit
Country Fried Steak over mashed potatoes with white gravy. Simple meal but so good.
Difficult_Ladder369@reddit
Ass
imzadi111@reddit
New Mexican food
ContributionDapper84@reddit
Emeril's, Tchoupitoulas St
citizen-salty@reddit
Biscuits and sausage gravy. Growing up my grandma would use Neeseās Country Sausage in her gravy. I rarely have a chance to eat gravy with that sausage anymore (they donāt sell it where I live now), but every time I do it takes me back to spending summers with my grandparents in rural North Carolina.
No_Listen5389@reddit
Vegan soul food <3
MrRaspberryJam1@reddit
My two favorite foods of all have to be Philly cheesesteaks and the Buffalo wing. If I had to chose between one, itās probably wings because you can get good wings all over the country, but a proper cheesesteak is harder to come across outside the Philly area.
Bluemonogi@reddit
I eat fast food once or twice a month. Otherwise I cook and eat food at home.
There are a lot of food options. You should post in a subreddit for the state or city you plan to visit and ask for recommendations.
No-Profession422@reddit
I eat Asian, probably 85-90% of the time. Grilled Ribeyes Saturday, pretty damn good.
Key_Buy_794@reddit
Shrimp and cheesy grits, black eyed peas or pinto beans with collards and cornbread. Venison steaks and asparagus. Gumbo. King crab. Fried bluegill tacos.Ā
AnUnexpectedUnicorn@reddit
I grew up in the American Midwest, now live in the Southeast. Both areas do gravy well. One of my favorites is listed on menus as a Manhattan "sandwich" - the plate has a thick piece of soft, white bread (bonus if its buttered), with a scoop of mashed potatoes kind of half on, half off the bread, then its all smothered in gravy that has big chunks of tender, pulled meat in it, usually roast beef or turkey. Usually served with peas or corn for even more beautiful carbs.
LiberalTomBradyLover@reddit
For me itās a tie between Carolina BBQ and Southwestern cuisine, but there is also so much more great hybrid food coming out of the US.
PinkRoseBouquet@reddit
Dungeness Crab, steamed, with lemon. San Francisco sourdough with salted butter on the side.
Aubeng@reddit
The best single bite of food that I've ever had in my life was the Fire Grilled Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Shrimp from Coast Seafood in Charleston SC.
Other than that, I love BBQ in all its many guises and have had it all over the country, some good, some bad. Good brisket is as good as anything you'll ever eat.
Doesn't look like it's on the menu anymore, unfortunately.
BasicallyADetective@reddit
Hot dog at the ballpark. With a little relish and mustard. Almost a religious experience.
Old-Wolf-1024@reddit
Fresh seafood(I go cuckoo for Grouper) and a good heirloom wheat pasta
EgoSenatus@reddit
Hawaiian food. Love me some L&L
spaceyfacer@reddit
In my area, there is a native American food restaurant called Owamni. I haven't been, but it's won multiple awards for how good the food is.
jarredjs2@reddit
Detroit style pizza
Plaidismycolor33@reddit
Low Country. Tex Mex. BBQ (southern NC, SC, Texan, and KC) NE seafood. I do enjoy southern baked goods. While I admire creole foods, Im not a fan of crawfish.Ā
myturn19@reddit
Pussy
bingbong6977@reddit
Lobster roll
BlueFuzzyCrocs@reddit
You might enjoy a show like "Guy's All-American Road Trip" or one of the similar ones. The show is about a chef/foodie that travels the country trying a bunch of stuff considered unique or the best in their areas.
Only_Presentation758@reddit
A perfect oyster poā boy is up there. Iād never attempt to make one myself at home.
Other favorites: fried chicken, creamy grits, baked beans, Caesar salad, guacamole (labeled āMexicanā but really more āCalifornianā), jalepeno pimento cheese, she crab soup, cold boiled Gulf shrimp w/horseradish ketchup, surf shack fish tacos, Colonial Williamsburg creamy peanut soup
linkxrust@reddit
We have every food you can think of pretty much. America is a melting pot of cultures.
finnbee2@reddit
Cornish pasti brought over from Cornwall England in the late 1800s or early 1900s. The Cornish miners ate them for lunch while working underground. They are still popular in the mining areas around Lake Superior.
balthisar@reddit
There's so much good food that it's hard to name a single "best."
If I were being electrocuted tomorrow, then my last meal request would be for a pepperoni pizza from The Cloverleaf in Eastpoint, Michigan.
Is it the best thing America has to offer? Maybe not, but it comes close.
Jdevers77@reddit
Are you asking about food that is strictly American or food IN America. Those are wildly different questions to ask an immigrant nation.
Equivalent_Working73@reddit
Thereās nothing like a nice smoked brisket š¤¤
Carinyosa99@reddit
I think some of the best food I've had is breakfast at this restaurant located inside our local Amish market. The owners are actually Mennonite, but it's that Amish/Lancaster County PA style (we live in Maryland). The pancakes are to die for - huge and very fluffy. Their sausage patties are like the size of hamburger and so flavorful. The freshest tasting eggs. I love it! The problem is they're only open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and Saturday is the only day I'm able to go and the place is packed.
Ear_Enthusiast@reddit
NC style BBQ and oysters from the Northern Neck of Virginia (Old Salts and Lynnhaven are my favorite).
glamm808@reddit
Define American Food. We're 50 third world countries in a trench coat with a military budget large enough to fight God. We're not a conglomerate
ontha-comeup@reddit
BBQ
Prestigious_Bat7322@reddit
Reuben sandwich at Breit's, 4th & Elizabeth, Kansas City, Kansas .
Dgp68824402@reddit
Momās home cooking.
Flimsy_Equal8841@reddit
Those of us who have grown up with mothers who were good cooks think home made regional food is the best.
vabeachkevin@reddit
BBQ ribs
mcthiel@reddit
I've had some brisket in Texas that could make a cow want a bite.
EagleCatchingFish@reddit
My area has a lot of Mexican food and Asian food. Portland has a pretty big food cart culture, which is fun. The food carts here mostly break down into two main categories: immigrants who wanted to make food from back home but couldn't afford to open a restaurant, and chefs with clever ideas who couldn't afford a restaurant. Some of them end up opening restaurants, and some of them end up buying more food carts.
The food carts in a lot of neighborhoods are in a "pod" on a city block. You'll have a bunch of food carts and then a beer garden and coffee shop in the middle. It's fun to go to with friends. You can all get whatever you want and sit outside and eat it at picnic tables. Some even have live music.
dwhite21787@reddit
Biscuits with sausage gravy
General Tsoās chicken
a crab or shrimp boil with a big group of friends
Pecan pie
Anything you grew, hunted or caught yourself
CartmanAndCartman@reddit
Cheese burger and lobster bisque
DigitalGarden@reddit
Texmex.
Tacos, burritos.
tcspears@reddit
This will vary by state/region as we all have different foods and traditions.
Iām in New England, and our main attraction is seafood. We have lobsters, oysters, small clams, pink shrimp, sea urchins, and mussels. We eat them a whole bunch of different ways - baked, fried, steamed, or raw. (We donāt have crab, and donāt do seafood boils up here).
We also have really good Indian, Szechuan, Vietnamese, and Italian food from the waves of immigration here. Much of it gets adapted to our local ingredients as well.
Other regions will have vastly different foods and dishes though, both for local food and food that came via immigration. For example you cannot find good Mexican food in New England as we donāt have a larger Mexican population. If you go to LA, youāll find a TON of Mexican food.
dontforgettowriteme@reddit
My nanny's chocolate chip cookies (invented in Mass, so they count as American lol)
Cornbread and grits (corn is native to North America) - especially when you do the grits up right. People will eat the ground hominy with just water and wonder wtf the fuss is all about but they really are a vessel for delicious flavor. Salt and butter are the basics, but I'll add cheese. Growing up when we had breakfast for dinner we'd have grits and I'd mix in my scrambled eggs and sausage and make a bowl.
Once, I had a shrimp and grits taco where the grits were crispy and that was easily one of the best tacos I've ever had.
Cranberries, blueberries, and pumpkins are also native to North America. So, I genuinely like cranberry sauce and dried cranberries, blueberry jam (but blackberry is my favorite), and pumpkin spice cookies.
Then of course there are the foods that maybe originated elsewhere but definitely have American flare: tomato pie (the Southern way), hamburgers, BBQ, pecan pie, chocolate chess pie, key lime pie... I could go on.
OdinNW@reddit
Are we talking what foreigners are typically sold on as āAmerican foodā or what most Americans actually eat? Regional differences asideā¦
Powerful-Scratch1579@reddit
America has some of the most diverse and delicious food in the planet. So may cultures have come here and intermingled and their cuisines often turn into something uniquely American. On top of that, we have so many different regions each with their own native ingredients and cuisines.
Thereās New England sea food dishes like clam chowder, lobster bakes and corn, southern bbq and fried chicken, the food from New Orleans which is a mix of French, Spanish, Native American, African, and Caribbean cuisine⦠weāre really only scratching the surface here with these few regionsā¦
American Chinese and American Italian foods are different than what you would see in their respective counties of origin. As is Tex Mex, and Japanese Americanized Sushi rolls,
Then we have just a bunch of post war home grown cuisine that is pretty much uniform All across the country like diner food, apple pie, cheese burgers, hotdogs , chili etc.
bizwig@reddit
Texas BBQ and chili.
Effective_Coach7334@reddit
I very rarely eat 'american' food, more often than not SE Asian, but when I do it's usually Southern BBQ
Royal_Success3131@reddit
Bit different answer. A Horseshoe. Similar to Canadian Poutine, but Americanized.
Take two pieces of thick toast, put them down. Put a nice well seasoned hamburger patty on each piece of toast. Cover in nice crispy Steak Fries. Then pour a liberal amount of liquid cheese on top. Often eaten with ketchup or just plain. There are a million variations but this is the basic setup. Delicious Midwest (invented in Springfield IL) comfort food. It's kind of a dying art, the classic mom and pop greasy spoon diner is where you find good horseshoes, and those are dying out fast.
Over-Teacher-1330@reddit (OP)
Okay, I've noted it down.
Royal_Success3131@reddit
The cheese is the most important part. Some people use white Mexican queso, and that's tasty. But not the classic. You need powdered cheese in bulk. Hoosier hill has a pretty good powdered cheddar. Mix it with milk and bam, liquid cheese
CoffeeCheeseYoga@reddit
I LOVE a horseshoe!! And I almost never see anyone talk about them. I think a breakfastshoe is even better than the regular horseshoe!
IthurielSpear@reddit
Thereās tri tip on the west coast and brisket in the south. Nom. California has its own cuisine usually consisting of farm fresh produce.
h4baine@reddit
A few things I really missed when I lived outside the US were BBQ, Detroit style pizza, good sandwiches like reubens and a good Italian sandwich, and good tacos and burritos.
jacobkosh@reddit
Super_Land_6945@reddit
Cajun food, BBQ, cheesesteaks.
spiritualspatula@reddit
The best American foods are foods from mixed cultures and backgrounds. Most foods here have a mixed heritage. American food varies hugely based on where you are and what other cultures shaped the history. It might be Slavic, Polynesian, Asian, Hispanic or Canadian just to name a few.
BroCanWeGetLROTNOG@reddit
I will say the question in your title is very different from the description.
The best thing that I can eat relatively often is a simple smash burger. I am kind of a burger snob, so most restaurants will not cut it, but every once in a while the hole in the wall spot or food truck will have the perfect smash burger with American cheese, pickles or onions, and special sauce. Nothing else needed. As of right now my favorite is Tanner's Prime Burgers in Oceanside, but honestly my answer changes often.
Crazycatlover@reddit
Posole verde.
ThisIsDogePleaseHodl@reddit
Wild caught Pacific king salmon, or king crab
TroyismyKalabeezo@reddit
Peeps
Total_Roll@reddit
Top on my list would be barbecue, especially ribs and brisket.