# Non-US Doper Visitors: Your must-have foods **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 21, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161 "2012-08-21T14:08:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/41 "2012-08-23T08:31:13Z")
> [@Noone\_Special](#): > > Also, last I checked, “Benedict” still had lines going out the door at all hours… Yes, they live up to their name. > > My contribution? Fried clams. Guilt pleasure of mine. Mmm… Benedict. Their [menu](http://benedict.co.il/he/rothschild/Rotchild.pdf), for the curious. Although I wouldn’t say that they’re a specifically “American” restaurant, like NOLA. They’re more of an eclectic, “breakfasts of the world” kind of place. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/42 "2012-08-23T08:32:16Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I’ve always wanted to try a White Castle Slider, but we haven’t had any luck in finding a White Castle location to visit in all of our travels. Are you traveling in the western US? White Castle is an eastern chain. The closest ones to Calgary would be the Minneapolis area. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/43 "2012-08-23T08:35:16Z")
> [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > We’ve got cherry coke, but you won’t find it in most of the little convenience stores or fast food places. _looks both ways_ In Spain Cherry Coke simply isn’t sold (well, perhaps in some locations with lots of expats), finding it in Scottish supermarkets made me very happy. When I first came back from the US I figured you can get a good simulation thereof by adding a twist of grenadine to regular Coke (“red fruits juice” works too; amount of twist varies by exact juice used). It works well if all you want is Cherry Coke, even better if what you’re craving is a vanilla-on-Cherry-Coke float. I’ll trade you a bottle of grenadine for a box of Irn Bru, which I found to be easier on my stomach than Coke 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/44 "2012-08-23T08:46:19Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Some of the candy I got from an Australian is probably really common there, but hard to find in the US. > > I’m thinking of Cherry Ripe bars, Jaffas, and Violet Crumble. If I went to Australia I’d stock up so I could bring back a lot. Shipping and handling makes this stuff very expensive in the US. > > I know my post was not like the OP because I am from the US and was talking about stuff from elsewhere. But it was still in the spirit, wasn’t it? lol (Rummages around in desk..) Ah! Here we are! I have just remembered a Cherry Ripe and a Violet Crumble Bar I bought yesterday here in the office for someone’s kid’s school fundraiser. I now eat them on your behalf. Cheers, and thanks for reminding me! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/45 "2012-08-23T09:30:17Z")
We always bring back some warehouse-club-sized bags of chocolate chips. You can get them here but they’re crazy expensive. Eating out: we hit Long John Silver’s and KFC at least once, and Sonic as often as the boys can get away with it. (They like the experience of Sonic, the car hops and the ordering from speakers, as much as the food.) We also go out for breakfast with my folks every Sunday; they prefer buffet places. At least one fresh hot soft pretzel and at least one proper funnel cake. And of course, cheesesteaks. Grocery items: Turkey Hill lemonade, Mountain Dew, Dr Pepper. Cinnamon graham crackers. Assorted TastyKakes. A number of different candy bars - the boys like the plain Hershey’s chocolate, I miss Butterfinger and Three Musketeers, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Corn on the cob!!! Kunzler hot dogs. I got a tip that airlines accept packing-tape-sealed storage boxes as second suitcases as long as they are under the maximum size and weight limits. The second suitcase fee is lower than the cost of mailing the stuff back to Troll Country, and you get your goodies right away. This thread is tempting me to put that to the test next time we go to the States… ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/46 "2012-08-23T12:35:48Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Are you traveling in the western US? White Castle is an eastern chain. The closest ones to Calgary would be the Minneapolis area. For all the free publicity it gets, White Castle has a pretty limited geographic range. Northeast and northern Midwest. In the South, Krystal provides the same sort of grub. My guests from the Netherlands always want to get a good American steak. And they also have become addicted to pecan pie. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/47 "2012-08-23T17:48:06Z")
It’s more certain places I want to eat at as opposed to a specific food I want to eat. I still want to go to: - IHOP - In n Out - White Castle - Taco Bell - Krispy Kreme All I’ve been able to knock off the list is Olive Garden in Tacoma, WA. ---
**Author:** ![Bilbo1967](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bilbo1967](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bilbo1967)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/48 "2012-08-23T17:57:42Z")
Root beer - just not generally available here in the UK. I also like Red Lobster (although I see it’s getting a lot of mentions in a worst chain restaurant thread here). ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/49 "2012-08-23T18:14:14Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > We always bring back some warehouse-club-sized bags of chocolate chips. You can get them here but they’re crazy expensive. > > Eating out: we hit Long John Silver’s and KFC at least once, and Sonic as often as the boys can get away with it. (They like the experience of Sonic, the car hops and the ordering from speakers, as much as the food.) We also go out for breakfast with my folks every Sunday; they prefer buffet places. > > At least one fresh hot soft pretzel and at least one proper funnel cake. And of course, cheesesteaks. > > Grocery items: Turkey Hill lemonade, Mountain Dew, Dr Pepper. Cinnamon graham crackers. Assorted TastyKakes. A number of different candy bars - the boys like the plain Hershey’s chocolate, I miss Butterfinger and Three Musketeers, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Corn on the cob!!! Kunzler hot dogs. > > I got a tip that airlines accept packing-tape-sealed storage boxes as second suitcases as long as they are under the maximum size and weight limits. The second suitcase fee is lower than the cost of mailing the stuff back to Troll Country, and you get your goodies right away. This thread is tempting me to put that to the test next time we go to the States… Wow, no wonder the US gets a bad rap. That’s some of the most unhealthy food here 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/50 "2012-08-23T19:28:22Z")
> [@tomcar](#): > > Wow, no wonder the US gets a bad rap. That’s some of the most unhealthy food here 🙂 Dude. Healthy food is universal. Junk food comes in infinite varieties 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/51 "2012-08-23T19:33:38Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > And they also have become addicted to pecan pie. Ditto a Bosnian guy I know. He can’t get enough of the stuff, and wants to figure out a way to import it to his country. As for the rest, I’m thinking there might be some good business in opening Tex-Mex chains in Europe or Australia! ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/52 "2012-08-23T19:56:07Z")
There are several items on my menu for every visit back to the States. Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts Arby’s Roast Beef sandwich Cinnabon biscuits and gravy Taco Bell pulled pork bbq (we have Hard Rock Cafe for their pig sandwich but that isn’t good enough) sweet iced tea salt cured country ham There is usually one trip to McDonalds just to remind me how much I really don’t care for their food. Only in the last couple years have we gotten Dr Pepper and Mt Dew. Those cravings are now satisfied. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/53 "2012-08-23T21:19:39Z")
Diet Cherry Coke and Diet Cherry Pepsi. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/54 "2012-08-23T21:41:43Z")
Cherries are common in Australia, but just the fruit, not as a flavouring or filling. They tried selling Cherry Coke for a few months here but it didn’t last. ---
**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/55 "2012-08-23T22:40:33Z")
Cinnamon-flavoured sweets. Red Hots and Hot Tamales. Also, Brach’s candy corn (no other brand does it). And this chicken soup with matzo balls that I got at this deli on Broadway. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/56 "2012-08-23T23:28:20Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Mmm… Benedict. Their [menu](http://benedict.co.il/he/rothschild/Rotchild.pdf), for the curious. [Benji](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TeKz1WbvUh0/TClxuT8I0tI/AAAAAAAADSU/3JV8TPTnqf8/s1600/benji.jpg) sausage? Wouldn’t that be more Korean than American? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/57 "2012-08-23T23:29:07Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > And as for “nothing alike”, hey, by your own description French toast = Croque monsieur - savory + as much sugar as possible. Which sounds very American, actually, but “nothing alike”? I disagree. No cheese ( kinda fundamental to a croque monsieur ), no meat, not a sandwich. While there is a vague resemblance to _some_ varieties of croque monsieur ( not all of which use an eggwash ), it isn’t much of one. IMHO :). ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/58 "2012-08-23T23:44:59Z")
Oh, so a croque monsieur is a [monte](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Cristo_sandwich) [crisco.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisco) A fine, heart-stopper of a sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/59 "2012-08-24T01:26:27Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > As for the rest, I’m thinking there might be some good business in opening Tex-Mex chains in Europe or Australia! I’ve seen plenty of Tex-Mex restaurants in Europe. And they all suck. At least all the ones I’ve tried. The cheeses are wrong, the food is bland (not enough fresh peppers involved), the meats are low-grade, there are no fresh salsas. Maybe you just can’t get the right ingredients in Europe, maybe they are tailoring the food to palates not used to hot peppers, maybe the owners just don’t know what they’re doing. In any case, the results are not good. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161/60 "2012-08-24T02:11:20Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Some of the candy I got from an Australian is probably really common there, but hard to find in the US. > > I’m thinking of Cherry Ripe bars, Jaffas, and Violet Crumble. If I went to Australia I’d stock up so I could bring back a lot. Shipping and handling makes this stuff very expensive in the US. > > I know my post was not like the OP because I am from the US and was talking about stuff from elsewhere. But it was still in the spirit, wasn’t it? lol Back when I used to live in Michigan, I was able to get Violet Crumble in the international foods section at Meijer and I believe I saw Jaffa cakes there too. If you know anyone in the midwest US, ask them to check at Meijer for you. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-doper-visitors-your-must-have-foods/632161.md?page=4)