# Foods and/or resturants you didn't realize weren't universal **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [September 29, 2020, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836 "2020-09-29T21:44:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/121 "2020-10-03T08:26:29Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I guess the thing which sticks out the most is French Fried with _vinegar_ . That varies within Canada. I lived in Toronto for at least forty years, and french fries were always served with vinegar. It was always on the table along with the salt, pepper, and ketchup; at least in diners, like Fran’s or similar. Other places would bring it to you, unasked, if you ordered something with fries. I moved to western Canada over 15 years ago, to find that vinegar is not automatic when you order a dish that comes with fries. You have to ask for it specifically, and the place may not have it at all. Of course, a British or Irish pub will have it for fish and chips, but you cannot count on a family restaurant, diner, or sports bar having vinegar for fries. It’s hit and miss, but my point is, that it’s not brought automatically or already on the table, as it is in Ontario; you have to ask if the place has any. In terms of restaurants, there are very few Mr. Subs or Harvey’s out here, compared to southern Ontario. I’ve only seen one Mr. Sub (in Calgary), and three Harvey’s (one in West Edmonton Mall, one in Lethbridge, and one in a Home Depot in Calgary). That’s a shame, considering that I always liked Mr. Sub better than Subway, and Harvey’s is a helluva lot better than McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s. I make do with what’s available, but I do miss my Harvey’s burgers and the classic “Assorted Cold Cuts” from Mr. Sub (hold the onions, but add banana peppers). ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/122 "2020-10-03T09:31:31Z")
If you need lots of calories or protein inpu then you cannot do better than this peculiarly local Teeside dish - the infamous Chicken Parmo.(pelase note the spelling, it is not parma or parmigiani) What’s worse is that it is delish > **[Chicken Parmo Recipe - Posh Chicken Parmesan](https://greatcurryrecipes.net/2020/03/30/chicken-parmo-recipe-posh-chicken-parmesan/)** > > The Teesside parmos has been a much loved takeaway for over 50 years. This chicken parmo recipe will get you the results you're looking for. Delicious! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/123 "2020-10-03T11:11:30Z")
I was all of 19, in the Navy, stationed at NAS Millington, TN, near Memphis, for training. One evening, several of us went to a local restaurant for dinner, and I ordered a crab cake. I grew up in Baltimore, and I know my crabcakes! What I was served was not a crabcake. It was a seasoned breadcrumb patty over which someone whispered the word _crab_. How could anyone anywhere call that a crabcake?!?!? It was a soul-crushing experience. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/124 "2020-10-03T13:48:32Z")
In Quebec, _frites_ come with mayonnaise. If you are lucky the mayo is additionally flavoured with curry, harissa, tarragon or other seasonings. I agree with your fast food restaurant views. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/125 "2020-10-03T14:27:26Z")
My parents were well-traveled, and I visited enough places growing up that I didn’t have many false assumptions of ubiquity. The one surprise was pizza places in IL cutting circular pizzas into little squares. It had never occurred to me to cut anything but wedges/triangles. Polling the peanut gallery here: Lots of people have moved to the US and brought their food with them. Immigration patterns vary within the US, but even more so between the US and other countries. And so the lack of, say, Vietnamese and Korean restaurants in Berlin was apparently shocking ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/126 "2020-10-03T14:35:10Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > In Quebec, _frites_ come with mayonnaise. In the French Caribbean pom frites come with mayonnaise, and we love it. Requesting it in the US, I’ve gotten an odd look. I tell them my gf’s is from France, and she plays along talking to me in perfectly accented French (which I do not understand). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/127 "2020-10-03T14:55:10Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Requesting it in the US, I’ve gotten an odd look. Oh, yeah. I know that look. But I always order some mayo on the side at places like Red Robin that serve steak fries. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/128 "2020-10-03T15:30:56Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I moved to western Canada over 15 years ago, to find that vinegar is not automatic when you order a dish that comes with fries. > [@](#): > > In terms of restaurants, there are very few Mr. Subs or Harvey’s out here, compared to southern Ontario. I think some of this is just the passage of time. When I was growing up in western Canada, (white) vinegar with fries was ubiquitous (certainly available in packets at every fast food chain) and Mr. Sub was the only sub place around. I don’t know what might have caused the decline in vinegar, but it was definitely competition from Subway that drove Mr. Sub into the ground. The ratio of Subways to Mr. Subs in Toronto nowadays has to be 8-to-1, at least. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/129 "2020-10-03T15:44:28Z")
Here are a couple in reverse: I started teaching at a south Georgia high school after living all my 23 years in central Indiana. The school lunch room was serving some fluorescent red meat cylinders I had never seen before. I asked what they were, hot sausages? No, just hot dogs. OK, then- can I get some mustard? They begrudgingly provided some. I sat down with other teachers to eat. I began to eat my cole slaw with a fork. Others asked “Aren’t you going to put that slaw on your hot dog?” “Why would I?” I asked. I had never heard of such a thing. I stopped at a Waffle House in south Georgia around the same time. I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich and hash browns. The waitress asked “Would you like anything else besides mayonnaise on your sandwich?” This shocked me. Back home, no one would ever put mayo on a grilled cheese! ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/130 "2020-10-03T16:11:02Z")
The best grilled cheese has butter in the middle and mayo on the outside which burns less easily. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/131 "2020-10-03T18:15:42Z")
I like mayonnaise with frites. But these days I’m eating fewer frites and lower calorie condiments. Salad dressings work well as a vinegar substitute. When I become Supreme Leader, it will probably be mandatory for all foods to be served with Green Goddess dressing. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/132 "2020-10-03T18:42:07Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > When I become Supreme Leader, it will probably be mandatory for all foods to be served with Green Goddess dressing. OOO! Can I sign up to be one of your minions? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/133 "2020-10-03T19:40:07Z")
When I lived in Czechoslovakia, I had French fries with tartar sauce every Friday night. Never saw them served with mayo, vinegar, or ketchup. Is this common anywhere in North America? My daughter, who was born in Moscow and lived there until she was ten, has always loved French fries with tartar sauce. Even before she could talk, she would very carefully take apart her Filet-O-Fishes at McDonald’s, add a layer of fries, and then reassemble and eat the sandwich. Any tartar sauce stuck on the wrapper she would scrape off and eat with her remaining fries. She does this even today at age 25. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/134 "2020-10-03T19:52:06Z")
If I am eating fish ‘n chips and not on a vinegar mood - I am too lazy to ask for mayonnaise so will use anything available which is remarkably similar to mayonnaise. I will also do this with fish sandwiches. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/135 "2020-10-03T21:02:06Z")
The standard Chicago catering package is pretty good. A tray each of mostaccioli with an almost straight tomato pomodoro sauce, broasted (pressure fried) chicken, iceberg & romaine salad with nominal other items for color (purple cabbage, some croutons, handful of cherry tomatoes), Italian beef with a large paper bag filled with 3 inch long pieces of sliced bread. At the end of the line are bowls of giardiniera, sweet peppers, Parmesan cheese, one salad dressing, single servings of butter. Upgrades might be a half tray of 4" sections of Italian sausage or meatballs in tomato sauce, perhaps [chicken Vesuvio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_Vesuvio) substitutes for the fried, and maybe a couple of pizzas. This would be served at a well attended, medium fancy party like a baptism, first communion or graduation party. > [@terentii](#): > > When I lived in Czechoslovakia, I had French fries with tartar sauce every Friday night. Is this common anywhere in North America? I’ve never seen it but I’m not opposed. > [@Ruken](#): > > The one surprise was pizza places in IL cutting circular pizzas into little squares. It had never occurred to me to cut anything but wedges/triangles. I feel strongly that square cut is superior. When we would get an assortment of pizzas at work for lunch (in the beforetimes, of course), there would be some\* that I want a few bites of but without committing to an entire wedge that’s 1/8th of the pie. Squares are also better at handling toppings piled on high. Squares are much easier to eat one-handed. Lastly, squares make reheating in a skillet (the one true way) much easier. \*For example, BBQ pizza with Italian sausage, bacon, onion and BBQ sauce instead of tomato. Way too sweet and I’m not big into bacon on pizza but I can’t resist trying a few square inches. Same with pepperoni, I far prefer sausage but a little pepperoni is alright.x ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/136 "2020-10-03T21:39:58Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > … > I can’t remember where this was, but it might have been the West Coast. The waiter had _no_ idea what I was talking about. Russian dressing was bog-standard grocery store stuff in SoCal in the 1960s when I was a kid. Even Kraft made it. It was slightly enhanced Thousand Island, so not very exotic even by the limited standards of 1960s America. > [@MoonMoon](#): > > … > Brown bread in a can, … That too was commonplace in SoCal grocery stores in the 1960s. I can still see the can and vintage B&M logo in my head. I can also remember cutting my finger more than once getting the good stuff out. It sorta disappeared in the mid 70s and I hadn’t seen it in decades when much to my surprise it showed up in a supermarket in St. Louis for a few months in the early 2000s. I bought and ate a lot of it with cream cheese. Haven’t seen it since then either there or now here in Florida. We have enough Northeasterners around that I’m sorta surprised about that. I’ll have to look harder; it might be lurking there on a low shelf unseen all along. Thanks for the reminder! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/137 "2020-10-03T22:52:03Z")
I grew up on the North Fork of Long Island. Growing up, there were no chain restaurants within a half hour drive. It was all individual ones; I can’t recall any that had more than one location. As for food, I understood that seafood probably wasn’t available as you got further from the ocean. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2020, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/138 "2020-10-04T04:03:12Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > The standard Chicago catering package is pretty good. A tray each of mostaccioli with an almost straight tomato pomodoro sauce, broasted (pressure fried) chicken, iceberg & romaine salad with nominal other items for color (purple cabbage, some croutons, handful of cherry tomatoes), Italian beef with a large paper bag filled with 3 inch long pieces of sliced bread. At the end of the line are bowls of giardiniera, sweet peppers, Parmesan cheese, one salad dressing, single servings of butter. In this short paragraph you’ve mentioned 4 things I’m unfamiliar with. That’s impressive. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2020, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/139 "2020-10-04T04:23:35Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > A tray each of mostaccioli with an almost straight tomato pomodoro sauce I’ve never seen mostaccioli since leaving the Chicago area. Every place I’ve seen on the west coast uses penne pasta. I’d forgotten all about it. My uncle owned a catering hall in the southwest Chicago suburbs, so we’d be served mostaccioli from huge carryout cartons at every dinner at their home. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2020, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836/140 "2020-10-04T06:54:48Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > > [@kitap](#): > > > > Cheese curds. Hey, what do you expect? I grew up in Wisconsin. > > I have to wonder if you thought bratwurst was universal, too. Because while bratwurst is pretty universal _now_, it wasn’t always. And thinking about Wisconsin and regional foods reminded me of how when we lived in North Carolina we would drive to Wisconsin to visit my grandparents every other summer. And towards the end of our stay my parents would buy a couple pack of brats and dry ice so we could pack it in the cooler and take it home with us. Because you couldn’t buy bratwurst in North Carolina in the 1980s. It seems like it only started to become readily available in maybe the mid 1990s. I didn’t like brats until I was an adult so to be truthful I never noticed. My father, a native of Quincy, Illinois, was surprised in the late 50s, early 60s to hear students in lab at UW-Madison debating who made the best brats; he had never heard of them. As he recalls Usinger usually came out on top. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-and-or-resturants-you-didnt-realize-werent-universal/921836.md?page=8)