# Eating My Way Across the Northern US **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 8, 2008, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217 "2008-06-08T12:49:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/21 "2008-06-08T20:04:37Z")
Sauerkraut balls are the official food of Akron, Ohio, as so designated by a poll in the Akron Beacon Journal. More than 1000 people voted. Babushka’s Kitchen site: [http://www.babushkafoods.com/](http://www.babushkafoods.com/) Try the handmade pierogi. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/22 "2008-06-08T20:19:23Z")
For Minnesota I might recommend wild rice, perhaps in the form of wild rice soup. I’m also partial to lefse, kind of a Scandinavian potato tortilla, with butter, sugar, and cinnamon. You might try some freshwater fish, such as walleye. Although lutefisk is traditionally associated with Minnesota, I do not recommend that you try it. Minnesota doesn’t so much have a cuisine as take what other people call cuisine and serve it with white sauce … ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/23 "2008-06-08T20:34:15Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/24 "2008-06-08T20:40:13Z")
If you get anywhere near Mackinaw City(Which is the very top of the LP) there is a restaurant called Scalliwags,which offers fresh fish caught daily. I ain’t that big of a fish fan but this place is spectacular.A must stop for anyone travelling through the area. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/25 "2008-06-08T21:18:51Z")
[QUOTE=Harriet the Spry] Although lutefisk is traditionally associated with Minnesota, I do not recommend that you try it. [/quote] Ever. On any occasion. > [@](#): > > Minnesota doesn’t so much have a cuisine as take what other people call cuisine and serve it with white sauce … …in a casserole dish. Or possibly set in a jello mold. ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/26 "2008-06-08T21:49:23Z")
When you go through Coeur d’Alene, ID (I-90) go to [Hudson’s Hamburgers](http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=173). I have mentioned it in a few threads before. Its a hundred-year-old hamburger stand that opened during the logging days, and continued to thrive as the town turned to tourism. After you enjoy your burgers, take a stroll along the world’s longest boardwalk the Coeur d’Alene Resort, and enjoy the view of one of America’s most beautiful lakes. you won’t be disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/27 "2008-06-08T21:58:19Z")
Oh, just remembered another… [Pork Chop John’s](http://www.porkchopjohns.com/) in Butte, Montana, also on I-90. Deep fried pork chop patty on a bun! Delicious! My family grew up in the area near Butte, and feasted on their pork chop sandwiches frequently, but admits that its not quite as good as it used to be… I suspect they make them with healthier ingredients. But I never had the “old” ones, and I still thought they were amazing. The Pasty is also a favorite food from that area, so maybe you could compare the Montana pasty and the Yooper Pasty. ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/28 "2008-06-08T22:38:27Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] [Quote=Harriet the Spry] Although lutefisk is traditionally associated with Minnesota, I do not recommend that you try it. [/quote] Ever. On any occasion. [/QUOTE] Having seen Feasting on Asphalt, the River Run, and a few other shows where people have tried Lutefisk for the first time, I have this horrible fascination. It can’t be _that bad_ and people still eat it, can it??? ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/29 "2008-06-08T22:38:49Z")
Based on your timeline, you might hit Iowa in time for the State Fair, regarded by people other than myself as one of the must-see events in the US. It runs August 7-17, and serves up such notable classics as corn dogs, corn, deep-fried-anything on a stick, and of course, breaded pork loins the size of frisbees. Also a great place to see way too many enormous pink people wearing not enough clothing. Otherwise, some would say a Maid-Rite sandwich is the true taste of Iowa, which I find rather depressing - gray ground meat on a white bun. If seeking an actual edible meal, you might want to spring instead for a pork loin dinner at the Iowa Machine Shed right off I-80 in Urbandale. Great apple pie as well, but plan on taking half of it with you - they serve up midwestern-sized portions. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/30 "2008-06-08T22:43:21Z")
[QUOTE=JustAnotherGeek] Having seen Feasting on Asphalt, the River Run, and a few other shows where people have tried Lutefisk for the first time, I have this horrible fascination. It can’t be _that bad_ and people still eat it, can it??? [/QUOTE] It’s basically cod jello. It’s made with LYE!!! Is anything else we actually eat made with lye?! Yes, it is _that bad_! ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/31 "2008-06-08T22:51:41Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] It’s basically cod jello. It’s made with LYE!!! Is anything else we actually eat made with lye?! [/QUOTE] > **[Hominy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominy)** > > Hominy is a Mesoamerican food item produced from dried maize (corn) kernels that have been treated with an alkali, in a process called nixtamalization (nextamalli is the Nahuatl word for "hominy"). "Lye hominy" is a type of hominy made with lye. The word "hominy" comes from the Powhatan -homen, literally, "that treated (in the way specified)." > The process of nixtamalization has been fundamental to Mesoamerican cuisine since ancient times. The lime used to treat the maize can be obtained from sev... Yes. Yellow with bacon bits and fresh-ground pepper. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/32 "2008-06-08T22:52:39Z")
[QUOTE=lobotomyboy63] > **[Hominy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominy)** > > Hominy is a Mesoamerican food item produced from dried maize (corn) kernels that have been treated with an alkali, in a process called nixtamalization (nextamalli is the Nahuatl word for "hominy"). "Lye hominy" is a type of hominy made with lye. The word "hominy" comes from the Powhatan -homen, literally, "that treated (in the way specified)." > The process of nixtamalization has been fundamental to Mesoamerican cuisine since ancient times. The lime used to treat the maize can be obtained from sev... Yes. Yellow with bacon bits and fresh-ground pepper. Yum! [/QUOTE] Oh, look…another food that doesn’t pass my lips… ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/33 "2008-06-08T22:53:50Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] It’s basically cod jello. It’s made with LYE!!! Is anything else we actually eat made with lye?! [/QUOTE] Bagels and Pretzels, if memory serves. I’m sure it’s something that you have to grow up on. I think I’ve even seen it on Weird USA or something. It’s just got an awful draw to it. Really, how bad can food be? ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/34 "2008-06-08T23:09:15Z")
Jeez…I eat Hominy all the time,had some for supper tonight(in pozole which is mentioned in the article).Still got the leftovers on the stove … I doubt it will make it to the fridge.Good Stuff! ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/35 "2008-06-09T00:07:24Z")
If you go to Columbus, Ohio…your one stop needs to be [Jeni’s Ice Cream](http://www.jenisicecreams.com/). She’s won several national awards, deservedly so. The Gravel Road is divine. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/36 "2008-06-09T00:16:53Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] …in a casserole dish. Or possibly set in a jello mold. [/QUOTE] Indeed. The best food in Minnesota is invariably served at funerals. I suggest perusing the local paper and crashing at one - look for the longer obits as more talk = more church ladies = better food. 😃 Alternatively, if you’re not the morbid sort, I’d recommend Pickwick in Duluth. Fresh fish, steak, burgers, that sort of thing. I’ve heard that the restaurant at the top of the Radisson is pretty good, but I’m not so sure if people liked the food or the views. On the other end of the state, there was a steakhouse on the way to Fargo (coming in on I-94 from St. Cloud) that was simply awesome. The restaurant was attached to a slaughterhouse and the beef wasn’t frozen; it was aged - and beef was the only thing the place served. Oh, that and potatoes. Can’t remember the name of the place - something like “Joe’s Steakhouse”. Can any Fargo denizens give more information? What’s your route back? I have other ideas for I-94E ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/37 "2008-06-09T00:31:29Z")
[QUOTE=CoG888] When you go through Coeur d’Alene, ID (I-90) go to [Hudson’s Hamburgers](http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=173). I have mentioned it in a few threads before. Its a hundred-year-old hamburger stand that opened during the logging days, and continued to thrive as the town turned to tourism. After you enjoy your burgers, take a stroll along the world’s longest boardwalk the Coeur d’Alene Resort, and enjoy the view of one of America’s most beautiful lakes. you won’t be disappointed. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=CoG888] Oh, just remembered another… [Pork Chop John’s](http://www.porkchopjohns.com) in Butte, Montana, also on I-90. Deep fried pork chop patty on a bun! Delicious! My family grew up in the area near Butte, and feasted on their pork chop sandwiches frequently, but admits that its not quite as good as it used to be… I suspect they make them with healthier ingredients. But I never had the “old” ones, and I still thought they were amazing. The Pasty is also a favorite food from that area, so maybe you could compare the Montana pasty and the Yooper Pasty. [/QUOTE] And if you get hungry about halfway between the two, there’s the [Oxford](http://the-oxford.com/cafe/default.htm) in Missoula. Admittedly, it lost a fair amount of its character when they swept up the sawdust and allowed “wimmen” to set foot inside; but if the counterman is on a roll, it’s quite entertaining to sit at the counter and listen to him sing out. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/38 "2008-06-09T00:36:57Z")
Giordanos stuffed spinach pizza in the Chicago area. ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/39 "2008-06-09T01:08:05Z")
Philadelphia Cheesesteak… try the Roast Pork at Tony Luke’s or John’s… see [Hollyeats.com](http://www.hollyeats.com) for more details. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217/40 "2008-06-09T01:10:49Z")
[QUOTE=MadTheSwine] Jeez…I eat Hominy all the time,had some for supper tonight(in pozole which is mentioned in the article).Still got the leftovers on the stove .. I doubt it will make it to the fridge.Good Stuff! [/QUOTE] Lyer! Couldn’t resist… :smack: 😃 \*Lye is used to cure many types of food, such as: lutefisk, green olives, hominy, lye rolls, century eggs, pretzels, and Chinese noodles. \* > **[Lye](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lye#Food_Uses)** > > Lye is the common name of various alkaline solutions, including soda lye (a solution of sodium hydroxide) and potash lye (a solution of potassium hydroxide). Lyes are used as cleaning products, as ingredients in soapmaking, and in various other contexts. > The word lye derives from the root \*lau, meaning to wash (compare lave, lather) and has cognates in all the Germanic languages. > Traditionally, lye was made by leaching of wood ashes in water, creating an alkaline liquor rich in potassium carbon... I was amazed when my mom told me that hominy was originally a regular kernel of corn until they added lye etc. Man that sucka gets gi-normous, doesn’t it? Bursting with yummy goodness, that’s for sure! I wondered if someone took said yums and further manipulated them to give the world Corn Nuts. Wikipedia sez no. \*Corn nuts are prepared by soaking whole corn in water for three days, then deep-frying them in oil until they are hard and brittle.[2] [Inventor] Halloway…also learned of a giant breed of corn grown in Cusco, Peru, and began to make his product using this variety’s giant kernels. His research eventually led to a hybrid Cusco corn which could be grown in the climate conditions of the United States.[1]\* > **[Corn nut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_nuts)** > > Corn nuts, also known as toasted corn, are a snack food made of roasted or deep-fried corn kernels. It is referred to as cancha in Peru, chulpi in Ecuador, kikones in Spain, and cornick in the Philippines. > Corn nuts are prepared by soaking whole corn kernels in water for three days, then deep-frying them in oil until they are hard and brittle. > The kernels are soaked because they shrink during the harvesting and cleaning process, and rehydration returns them to their original size. > Corn nuts or... ETA I wonder how many people who would never eat hominy enjoy posole at Tex Mex eateries. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-my-way-across-the-northern-us/452217.md?page=3)