# Iconic foods for different areas **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 27, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462 "2019-12-27T18:52:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2019, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/21 "2019-12-27T23:52:45Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Central Florida: > > Cuban sandwiches > Baked goods involving guava (tarts, turnovers, etc., sometimes with cream cheese) I was going to make the same claim to Cuban Sandwiches, except I was going to say Tampa (which has [a better claim](https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/04/21/151050107/the-cuban-sandwich-crisis-tampa-v-miami-for-the-win) then Miami) ---
**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:** [December 27, 2019, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/22 "2019-12-27T23:53:00Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > San Francisco > > Cioppino and Sourdough Bread And Dungeness crab. Mission-Style burritos. Irish coffee. San Diego: Fish tacos. California-style burritos. Beer with weaponized levels of hopping. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/23 "2019-12-28T00:15:27Z")
Southern tier of New York, [speedies](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiedie), Cornell chicken, and salt potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/24 "2019-12-28T00:30:55Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > I was going to make the same claim to Cuban Sandwiches, except I was going to say Tampa (which has [a better claim](https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/04/21/151050107/the-cuban-sandwich-crisis-tampa-v-miami-for-the-win) then Miami) Yeah, you’ll notice I said _central_ Florida, which excludes Miami. 😃 And we could certainly get more specific, like Ybor City. I’m delighted that the piece cited La Segunda Bakery, which I’ve got a long familiarity with, courtesy of my native Floridian wife. We just stopped there this past Sunday on the way from the airport. Got Cubans and a box of guava turnovers, of course. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/25 "2019-12-28T00:57:01Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m sure the folks from [Montreal would like to have a word with you.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal-style_bagel) The first bagel bakery there opened in 1919. Latecomers, NYC was already organized by then, [Bagel Bakers Local 338](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagel_Bakers_Local_338). They had standards! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/26 "2019-12-28T01:07:08Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Latecomers, NYC was already organized by then, [Bagel Bakers Local 338](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagel_Bakers_Local_338). They had standards! I’m not establishing Montreal as the first, but rather rebutting “It existed in the New World almost exclusively in the NY metro area and didn’t start spreading across North America until the 1970s and didn’t get common until the 80s.” I suppose the “almost exclusively” leaves enough wiggle room, but Montreal is not just a random podunk town to be cast aside as a minor exception. Montreal style bagels are up there with New York bagels. Some would say better. I would just say different. (I personally prefer the NY bagel.) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/27 "2019-12-28T01:13:04Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m not establishing Montreal as the first, but rather rebutting “It existed in the New World almost exclusively in the NY metro area and didn’t start spreading across North America until the 1970s and didn’t get common until the 80s.” I suppose the “almost exclusively” leaves enough wiggle room, but Montreal is not just a random podunk town to be cast aside as a minor exception. Montreal style bagels are up there with New York bagels. I will concede your point. But there were over 300 bagel bakers in Brooklyn alone by 1910 or so. The bagel most people know and love in most places in North America and apparently Japan, is based on the NY style bagel perfected by NYC Jews of Eastern European descent. While the big chains mostly got it wrong, plenty of smaller shops are trying for the perfection known as a Bagel and their benchmark is the NYC bagel. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/28 "2019-12-28T01:20:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m not establishing Montreal as the first, but rather rebutting “It existed in the New World almost exclusively in the NY metro area and didn’t start spreading across North America until the 1970s and didn’t get common until the 80s.” I suppose the “almost exclusively” leaves enough wiggle room, but Montreal is not just a random podunk town to be cast aside as a minor exception. Montreal style bagels are up there with New York bagels. Some would say better. I would just say different. (I personally prefer the NY bagel.) Not to speak for **What Exit?** but I think there’s a big difference between bagels being available almost exclusively in Jewish neighborhoods in New York, Montreal and the like, and being widely available in supermarkets across the continent. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/29 "2019-12-28T02:39:31Z")
Four Corners area of the Southwest: Indian Frybread. ---
**Author:** ![Wallet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e99b99/32.png) [@Wallet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallet)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/30 "2019-12-28T03:09:42Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I’ll start with NYC. > > Not in order, just a list > > - NY Pizza[sup]1[/sup], thin crust, great sauce, meant to be picked up by hand. > - Bagels like no others, the best and the original. > - NYC Pretzels. Philly is close but not quite as good > - The Egg Cream, no egg and no cream and a lot of lore. [Fox’s U-bet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox%27s_U-bet_chocolate_syrup) > - Pastrami sandwich NYC style > - **Salty Water Hot Dog** > - NY style Cheesecake > - NY style Italian Ice > - A Knish - potato goodness > - Black and White cookie; not one of my favorites, but very New York > - Cannoli; leave the gun, take the cannoli. Perfect Italian dessert. Wonderful list, but a small correction - it’s a _dirty_ water dog! ``` Wallet, life-time Brooklynite ``` ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/31 "2019-12-28T03:22:13Z")
What about the New York [“chop[ed] cheese?”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gu0v2ITeYU) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/32 "2019-12-28T03:28:17Z")
> [@Wallet](#): > > Wonderful list, but a small correction - it’s a _dirty_ water dog! > > ``` > Wallet, life-time Brooklynite > > ``` :smack: Oy! I am ashamed. Of course you are correct. > [@pulykamell](#): > > What about the New York [“chop[ed] cheese?”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gu0v2ITeYU) I never heard of that one. But I’ve lived most of my life in Central Jersey, so I expected I missed a few. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/33 "2019-12-28T03:51:11Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > :smack: Oy! I am ashamed. Of course you are correct. > I never heard of that one. But I’ve lived most of my life in Central Jersey, so I expected I missed a few. It is a bit esoteric. Do you guys have “rippers” out there, or is that another part of Jersey? (Deep fried hot dogs). Also, the White-Castle-style slider is somewhere from your state, too. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/34 "2019-12-28T03:58:37Z")
St. Louis Frozen custard Toasted (actually deep fried) ravioli Provel cheese We may not be healthy, but we’re happy! Also barbecue. I know, every place south of Iowa claims barbecue. But St. Louis has something called “pork steaks” (sliced pork butt) with a local tomato-based sauce that’s notably sweeter than either KC or Memphis style. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/35 "2019-12-28T03:59:53Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > St. Louis > > Frozen custard > Toasted (actually deep fried) ravioli > Provel cheese > > We may not be healthy, but we’re happy! > > Also barbecue. I know, every place south of Iowa claims barbecue. But St. Louis has something called “pork steaks” (sliced pork butt) with a local tomato-based sauce that’s notably sweeter than either KC or Memphis style. Gooey butter cake, too! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/36 "2019-12-28T04:10:26Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It is a bit esoteric. Do you guys have “rippers” out there, or is that another part of Jersey? (Deep fried hot dogs). Don’t call them rippers, but some places have those. _Please see the Italian Hot Dog._ **Central Jersey’s big contributions:** Italian Hot Dogs: deep-fried hot dogs, with onions, peppers and fried potatoes. Salt Water Taffy is a Jersey thing. Best Salt Water Taffy is made in Eatontown, NJ at [Criterion Chocolates](http://www.criterionchocolates.com/salt-water-taffy.html). The Diner was actually invented here. We have over 500, more than any other state. The Trenton Burger: A cheeseburger with a slice of pork roll on it. We’re big on Cranberries but not even all of us know it. [Applejack](https://lairdandcompany.com/), pretty much an Apple Brandy, goes back to 1698 in NJ. But mostly we are in the shadow of NYC & Philly. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/37 "2019-12-28T04:16:41Z")
Can we try Texas? Frito Pie Chili Con Carni Cheese enchaladas (got those last night) And that’s just the start Okay, thank you Northern Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/38 "2019-12-28T04:19:49Z")
My small county has significant Serbian, Italian, Mexican, and Yankee populations, so hamburgers are standard. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/39 "2019-12-28T04:53:58Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I’ll start with NYC. > > So did I miss some? Can you add a list for another region or city? An obvious one is Manhattan Clam Chowder. Also, the bacon, egg, and cheese on a hard roll breakfast sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462/40 "2019-12-28T04:55:22Z")
For what it’s worth, New York doesn’t have a distinctive style of pizza, either. Whenever New Yorkers try to describe it, they just end up describing American pizza, like you can find anywhere in the nation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-foods-for-different-areas/845462.md?page=3)