By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, the Geography King shares his top 10 picks of the best regional foods in the U.S. Almost every region of the country has a signature dish that defines that area of the country from a culinary perspective.
After traveling the country extensively, these are our host’s personal subjective favorites, listed in reverse order. He also puts in the disclaimer that he has not been to Maine. Trust me when I say that I have, and Maine lobsters and lobster rolls definitely need to be added to this list. In fact, in my opinion, they could be swapped out for the king’s #1 pick (which is a big yuck in my book).
#10 Chicago Deep Dish Pizza: Hearty, thick-crusted, and kind of like a cross between pizza and lasagna. Personally, I am a fan of Connie’s or Lou Malnati’s for deep dish when I am in Chicago.
#9. Cajun Jambalaya and Gumbo: Whether you want a soup or a main dish, these combos of rice, sausage, and seafood hit the spot.
#8 Maryland Crab Cakes: Chock full of crab and deep fried with savory sauce, what’s not to like?
#7 Texas Beef Brisket: Smokey and flavorful, it’s hard to beat Texas BBQ beef brisket.
#6 Philadelphia Cheesesteak: Our host says the best Philly cheesesteaks are at Pat’s or Geno’s. As they are right across the street from one another, you can try them both.
EXTRA BONUS: Montreal Poutine: OK, this one is not in the U.S., but our host just had to include these hearty Canadian gravy-covered French fries and cheese curds on this list.
#5 Clam Chowder in a bread bowl: You can get this in a few different regions, but San Francisco, with its sourdough bread bowls, or Pismo Beach, CA, a few hours south, are best.
#4 South Carolina BBQ: The pulled pork shoulder with mustard sauce in this region is not to be missed.
#3 New Mexican cuisine: Red, green or Christmas style (half and half) refers to this unique chile-centric Southwestern cooking style that’s influenced by both Mexican and Native American cuisines.
#2 Kansas City Ribs: Get ready for awesome BBQ slow-cooked giant beef ribs here.
#1 Cincinnati Chili: The king and I will have to agree to disagree on this one, as it is the only regional food on the list that I don’t care for. I know I am in the minority. If you are in the region, you have to at least try the plate of spaghetti topped with chili and cheese.
I don’t get excited over Cincinnati Chili either, but those Kansas City ribs are amazing!
Couldn’t agree with the list more! Been to all the areas too, yum!!
Cheri Sicard: We agree with King’s list except for #1 as well. We suggest you kick the Cincinnati Chili off the list and insert another regional favorite: the Hoosier breaded tenderloin.
Cincinnati chili is garbage and if you get soup in a bread bowl you are getting ripped off. Get it in a bowl, you get more.
Thank you, Cheri! 🙂 If you ever get to the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC, let me know and I’ll give you two restaurant suggestions. Meanwhile, I do like barbeque/barbecue/BBQ so long as there is no mustard or vinegar involved. As a side note, in all the years I lived in Alabama, I never saw the white sauce with which some seem to associate Alabama barbeque/barbecue/BBQ, nor have I ever had it. While we were in Virginia, we went to a firm activity that involved Maryland crabcakes and, later that night, I discovered that I am allergic to them. (What fun THAT was!?!) Interesting list, either way. 😉 Thanks again, have a great week, safe travels, a
I love vinegary BBQ! SOrry about the crabcakes though.
Thank you, Cheri! It may have been other things, but it has put me off crab. Living in the Virginia ‘burbs put us in proximity to Baltimore and crab country, but I could not take advantage of it. But at least I am now closer to BBQ land, which I can and do eat. 🙂 Have a great day! 🙂