# local food traditions around the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 8, 2013, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699 "2013-08-08T13:03:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/101 "2013-08-13T16:50:39Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > We (Maryland) also have [Smith Island Cake](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20393387_21,00.html). Damn, that looks a lot like my step great-grandma’s Dobos torte. She brought her recipe over from Austria. Her recipe called for 7 layers, but the Mrs. (current recipe inheritor) has put as many as 9 on it. ---
**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:** [August 13, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/102 "2013-08-13T17:13:51Z")
Yeah, that looks very similar to a Dobos torte–it’s just missing the hard carmel on top. Supposedly, the [Doberge](http://creolecookinglibby.blogspot.com/2012/08/doberge-cake.html) cake is also inspired by the Dobos torte. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/103 "2013-08-13T17:38:21Z")
> [@bmoak](#): > > Chiavetta’s chicken is the same as Cornell chicken, which is all over central NY. In recent years, it’s increasingly just called “Chiavetta”. “Let’s go down to da lawn fete at Our Most Holy Lady of Perpetual Sorrow’s der and get some Chiavetta’s.” Adding to the list of Buffalo cuisine is: - [Buffalo-style pizza](http://www.buffalochow.com/2008/01/buffalostyle_pizza_staggering.html): a somewhat thick crust of irregular consistency (some areas charred, some soft), sweet sauce, and thick Margherita pepperoni, which curls up into a little bowl of grease. Locals love it, but those from outside the region aren’t usually fans, which probably explains the lack of national Buffalo-style pizza chains, and the NYC-style pizzerias clustered around every area college. - [Loganberry drink](http://www.buffalochow.com/2008/01/loganberry_the_buffalo_drink_y.html). Yup. - [Texas Hots](http://artvoice.com/issues/v7n34/dachshund_on_a_bun) and [charcoal broiled hot dogs](http://www.buffalochow.com/2008/01/on_wardynski_vs_sahlen_why_our.html). - “Family restaurants” tend to be [Greek diners](http://www.buffalospree.com/Buffalo-Spree/May-2011/Best-breakfast-value-The-generic-WNY-Greek-diner/). - [Buffalo-style fish fry](http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Fish+Fry&find_loc=Buffalo%2C+NY) is deep fried beer-battered haddock, served with cole slaw and haddock. Availability is not limited to Lent; it’s a year 'round thing. Rule of thumb is that the higher the concentration of Polish people in a neighborhood, the better the fish fry in the area. - Cream ale. “[Gennycream’s](http://i.imgur.com/ejepYzb.jpg)” (a.k.a. Screamers, Bombers, Green Death) remains popular among old farts, and some hipsters seem are also fans. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/104 "2013-08-13T17:45:58Z")
Nebraska has something called a runza ( don’t know spelling) ground beef , cabbage, cheese and onions baked in a pastry. There were stands like hot dog stands in Omaha IIRC. ---
**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:** [August 13, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/105 "2013-08-13T18:04:12Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > [charcoal broiled hot dogs](http://www.buffalochow.com/2008/01/on_wardynski_vs_sahlen_why_our.html). Are chardogs particularly Buffalonian? I see them all over the place (including here in Chicago). But Ted’s/Sahlen’s are my favorite for char dogs! 🙂 ETA: Which reminds, Rochester has its white hots. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/106 "2013-08-13T18:28:04Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I used to enjoy these when I lived in Ithaca in the early 1970s, but thought they were specific to a particular restaurant rather than being regional. Ithaca today. In short, locals tend be quite political/ideological about what they eat. - Vegetarian cuisine: a convergence of having Moosewood, a very crunchy population, and many vegetarian/vegan-related non-profit and awareness groups. - [Locavores/l sourcing](http://fathomaway.com/guides/new-york-city/itineraries/few-days-ithaca-new-york/): Ithacans obsess over CSAs, food miles, organic certification, etc. You know [that scene from Portlandlandia where diners order chicken](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErRHJlE4PGI)? That’s not too far off from the mark here. - Thai restaurants: I think there’s seven or eight of them now. In a city of 30,000. - Pizza subs. Kind of downplayed now, with the prominence of vegetarianism and locavorism. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/107 "2013-08-13T18:50:52Z")
> [@bump](#): > > THE place to get them that I’m aware of is in West (the place where the fertilizer blew up) on I-35. The Czech Stop has very good kolaches and klobasniks (klobasniki?) and a bunch of other stuff including some pickled jalapenos from some Doper’s family who lives nearby in McGregor (that’s what the jar says anyway). The Czech stop is great! Klobasniki are usually sausage rolls, made with kolache dough & sold in the same places; non-Czechs tend to call _them_ kolaches, too. I think only Houston has klobasniki/kolaches [stuffed with boudin](http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2011/09/100_favorite_dishes_no_3_boudi.php)! Another example of our hybrid local cuisine is [Vietnamese Crawfish](http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2013/03/chef_chat_part_3_trong_nguyen.php). The Louisiana element is strong here; our Vietnamese Houstonians added their own touch to the boiled mudbug. > [@](#): > > Ordered by the pound, the crawfish are delivered to your table in a big plastic bag. You can dump them into large silver bowls or straight onto the table to be enjoyed in batches, keeping a portion of the crawfish in the bag so they remain piping hot. The sauce is a garlic butter base with a proprietary seasoning blend. The effect is a somewhat sweet, buttery, garlicky Cajun flavor is that is wholly addictive because it enhances the sweetness of the crawfish flesh. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/108 "2013-08-13T19:34:05Z")
> [@eenerms](#): > > Nebraska has something called a runza ( don’t know spelling) ground beef , cabbage, cheese and onions baked in a pastry. There were stands like hot dog stands in Omaha IIRC. That explains [the restaurant I ate at](http://www.runza.com/) in North Platte six year ago. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/109 "2013-08-13T19:35:11Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Another example of our hybrid local cuisine is [Vietnamese Crawfish](http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2013/03/chef_chat_part_3_trong_nguyen.php). The Louisiana element is strong here; our Vietnamese Houstonians added their own touch to the boiled mudbug. Crazy. I grew up somewhere between a quarter and half-mile from where that Crawfish and Noodles place is. (it was a field back then). I’ll have to check that out the next time I’m in town. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/110 "2013-08-14T01:17:03Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Don’t forget Chimayo chiles. I had to [look those up](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimayo,_New_Mexico#Chimay.C3.B3_chile), as I didn’t remember them at all. Looks like they’re after my time there. There are also blue-corn chips and other snacks. Tasty. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/111 "2013-08-14T01:48:53Z")
Here in Arizona one thing I’ve not found anywhere else are green corn tamales. It’s a regular tamal with husk-enclosed masa on the outside, but the filling is green corn kernels with green chilis and generally a bit of cheese, jack or something mild. ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/112 "2013-08-14T20:18:54Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > I think only Houston has klobasniki/kolaches [stuffed with boudin](http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2011/09/100_favorite_dishes_no_3_boudi.php)! The Shipley Do-nuts in Austin sells 'em, too. Love 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/113 "2013-08-15T17:18:28Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Here in Arizona one thing I’ve not found anywhere else are green corn tamales. It’s a regular tamal with husk-enclosed masa on the outside, but the filling is green corn kernels with green chilis and generally a bit of cheese, jack or something mild. There’s one restaurant in Pasadena that serves that dish…but its an incredibly small window… like they have it from September to mid-October and that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/114 "2013-08-15T18:13:24Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s similar, but not the same. I’ve had both and, in fact, have Chiavetta’s in the cupboard and made Cornell chicken using the standard recipe two weeks ago. The marinades look different to begin with, with Chiavetta’s being a brownish color and Cornell being a milky white color to yellowish white color. Chiavetta’s also has a good bit of garlic, while Cornell does not. Cornell chicken has oil in the marinade, as well as egg. You’re basically kinda sorta making a really vinegary, watery mayonnaise. If you drop the oil from the Cornell chicken and add some garlic, you have something close to Chiavetta’s. Chiavetta’s is also thickened with xanthan gum. (Ingredients: Vinegar, Salt, Spices, Fresh Garlic, Xanthan gum.) > > You can find the Cornell chicken recipe and a Chiavetta’s knock-off [here](http://www.winepress.us/forums/index.php?/topic/46589-reverse-engineering-a-chicken-marinade/) and compare. Ninja’d! Though maybe if I wait 4 days to return to a thread it doesn’t count as ninja’d. Chiavetta’s and Cornell recipe are similar but not the same. I’d call them second cousins rather than twins. ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/115 "2013-08-15T19:40:29Z")
How local a food tradition is Hangtown Fry? Wikipedia says it’s from San Francisco, but it’s definitely eaten in the Olympia, WA area (at least prior to the Oyster House fire.) If hot dog carts are to be believed, cream cheese on hot dogs is only a Washington thing. If so, I pity all y’all non-cream-cheesed folks. ---
**Author:** ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/116 "2013-08-15T23:47:32Z")
Growing up in southern W.Va., a fully dressed hot dog was chili, yellow mustard, raw white onion, and coleslaw. I’ve never seen that combination anywhere else. Another thing that I’ve only seen around that area is their version of a submarine; deep-fried roll, chicken salad, bacon, cranberry sauce, lettuce, tomato. Two other Philadelphia area foods not already mentioned are a bit more obscure/old-fashioned - chicken salad and fried oysters, and snapper soup. The Philly suburb of Norristown has a variation of the hoagie called a zep (as in Zeppelin); salami, provolone, tomato, onion, optional hot pepper spread. On Cape Cod (and maybe elsewhere in New England, but my experience there is limited) there are: clam rolls - fried clams or bellies on a fairly soft roll malasadas - Portugese fried dough fish cakes - white fish, bread crumbs, potatoes mashed up and fried is not unusual, but I’ve never seen them as a breakfast item anywhere else ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/117 "2013-08-16T04:43:28Z")
I’m in upstate NY now, but grew up in North Jersey. My hometown was home to not one but two restaurants hat are the epitome of two different local hot dog styles. [The Hot Grill](http://www.thehotgrill.org/menu.html) serves up Texas Weiners (chili sauce, brown mustard, chopped onions), and is also a good spot for gravy fries. [Rutt’s Hutt](http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=1362) is the home of the ripper, cooked in the deep-fryer until the casings begin to split and then slathered with their chunky yellow relish. Heading further East, you find Newark-style hot dogs, which are topped with fried peppers, onions, and potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/118 "2013-08-16T05:02:24Z")
> [@Leiko](#): > > How local a food tradition is Hangtown Fry? Wikipedia says it’s from San Francisco, but it’s definitely eaten in the Olympia, WA area (at least prior to the Oyster House fire.) Hangtown Fry was invented in the city of Placerville, CA. The place was supposed to have had a lot of rope justice during the gold rush. Wikipedia says it was popularized by Tadich Grill, where it is still on the menu. ---
**Author:** ![Deegeea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Deegeea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deegeea)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/119 "2013-08-19T20:01:19Z")
In addition to the Hot Brown as previously mentioned, Louisville KY also has Benedictine cheese. > **[A Summery Spread That's As Cool As A Cucumber](https://www.npr.org/2013/07/13/201545790/a-summery-spread-thats-as-cool-as-a-cucumber)** > > It's summertime and cucumbers are abundant. If you don't feel like making pickles, why not try Benedictine? This blend of cream cheese, cucumbers and onion is a Kentucky classic, dating back a century to a Louisville tearoom. I grew up eating this cucumber spread stuff, grocery store version, deli version, and homemade too (Mom made it in the Cuisinart). ---
**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:** [August 19, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699/120 "2013-08-19T23:26:53Z")
Here in the southeast we have pimiento cheese. It’s mayo, grated cheese, and chopped pimiento. To me, it’s just another way for Georgians to consume their daily cup of mayo, but the ladies seem to like it. Bless their hearts! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-food-traditions-around-the-us/665699.md?page=7)