# The disappointment in ordering a local/regional specialty outside of that locale **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [September 21, 2023, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503 "2023-09-21T21:24:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/201 "2023-10-05T09:47:16Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Good barbecue anywhere isn’t. Not saying sauce isn’t a great accent, but if you’re covering it up in sauce, it’s a bit suspect. A little off topic since gyros aren’t regional American, but I feel the same way if the gyro place has to drown the meat in tzatziki sauce, rather than using it as an accent. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/202 "2023-10-05T13:53:44Z")
On the beverage front, I just spent two weeks in Seattle… much of which was spent trying to instruct bartenders in how to create a Wisconsin Old Fashioned. (Don’t even try. Order a Manhattan instead. Or ask for what a bar might _call_ an Old Fashioned… and just tell yourself you ordered whisky and bitters.) ---
**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 5, 2023, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/203 "2023-10-05T14:33:22Z")
The owner/brewer at a nearby brewery is an Old Fashion aficionado. Once a week they have Old Fashions as a special. I love watching them being made. The torch they use on the orange peel is cool. ---
**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 5, 2023, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/204 "2023-10-05T14:49:30Z")
It’s Badger-Staters who don’t know what an Old Fashioned is, not the rest of the country. Kindly keep your deviant drinks to yourselves. But then, I drink red beer, so my opinion is…suspect. ---
**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:** [October 5, 2023, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/205 "2023-10-05T14:53:42Z")
What is Red Beer? {As opposed to a nice Irish Red Ale?} ---
**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 5, 2023, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/206 "2023-10-05T14:57:37Z")
Cheap American mass market swill and tomato juice. A poor interpretation of a michelada. ---
**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:** [October 5, 2023, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/207 "2023-10-05T14:58:34Z")
So Bud & tomato juice. I’m trying to imagine what that tastes like. I just can’t. ---
**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 5, 2023, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/208 "2023-10-05T15:00:02Z")
Started drinking them back in the days when I still “worked” the family farm in Kansas every summer. Definitely an acquired taste. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/209 "2023-10-05T15:05:34Z")
If you live in Chicago or New York, the first thing on your list should be … PIZZA. This summer, I was in Mackinaw City visiting the island and visiting the upper peninsula. The choices of cuisine were, to put it mildly, pretty limited, but we were told that there was a place called, [**Nonna Lisa’s Italian Restorante**](http://www.nonnalisa.com/) that has, and I quote, “pretty good pizza”. My God, it tasted like someone poured a can of store bought pizza sauce over disc of cardboard. 😳 ---
**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 5, 2023, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/210 "2023-10-05T15:52:40Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > So Bud & tomato juice. > I’m trying to imagine what that tastes like. I just can’t Tastes delicious. I’ve always called them a red eye and never had a bartender not know what it was. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/211 "2023-10-05T16:45:44Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The owner/brewer at a nearby brewery is an Old Fashion aficionado. Once a week they have Old Fashions as a special. I love watching them being made. The torch they use on the orange peel is cool. The torch alone says they care about their drinks. WHERE IS THIS? I must try it. I do have Old Fashioned-loving realtives in Pittsburgh, if it’s near there… ---
**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 5, 2023, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/212 "2023-10-05T16:50:04Z")
[Allusion Brewing in Vandergrift, PA](https://www.allusionbrewing.com/). They brew very good beer. Despite being in a small town, they’ve won numerous awards. ---
**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:** [October 5, 2023, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/213 "2023-10-05T17:40:58Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > My God, it tasted like someone poured a can of store bought pizza sauce over disc of cardboard Try their fudge pizza next time! ;-D ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/214 "2023-10-05T18:56:59Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Try their fudge pizza next time! ;-D 🤢 … 🤢 ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2023, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/215 "2023-10-07T22:32:56Z")
I live in area of the Midwest where “regular” pizza would probably be considered something like a thin Donatos (just the most popular chain mostly with this style) with no crust, cut into rectangles (which people insist on calling squares for no good reason) where it’s basically a cracker with a little sauce that serves as a delivery vehicle for as much pepperoni as possible. I actually belong to an online local pizza afficionado group, and anything that’s more regular (IMHO, compared to New York style, specifically) is derisively referred to as “looks like Little Caesars,” anything somewhat more NY style (sorry a lot of regular style pie cut pizzas can’t be served on a paper plate and folded and eaten while walking) “Papa Johns,” anything with less than 2lbs of toppings better not cost more than $12 because you are getting ripped off, and there better not be anything resembling pizza dough in a… pizza. Even back home on the East coast, I would say maybe 1/3-1/2 at most of regular pizzas are substantively NY style, and I’m not from NY. I did grow up with the expectation pizza was made with dough, pie cut, you could buy a slice and walk around eating it. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2023, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/216 "2023-10-07T22:42:24Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > cut into rectangles (which people insist on calling squares for no good reason) In my experience, most of the time any rectangles are just hastily and lazily cut squares. Not an actual intent to create rectangles. ---
**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 8, 2023, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/217 "2023-10-08T01:47:24Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > In my experience, most of the time any rectangles are just hastily and lazily cut squares. Not an actual intent to create rectangles. Maybe. But if you start with an e.g. 12"x18" square pizza pan and cut it into 4x4 sub-units, they’ll each be 3x4" Plus/minus any inaccuracy in cutting. No one but a Philistine would cut a circular pizza into square / rectangular hunks. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2023, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/218 "2023-10-09T11:54:52Z")
Plenty of Philistines around then, AFAICT. (Can’t say I really care. The pizza tastes the same either way.) ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2023, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/219 "2023-10-09T12:12:23Z")
Thought for a second I’d wandered into the “pizza cut into … ?” thread. (Can’t be arsed to find a link. Maybe Discourse will do it automatically.) ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2023, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503/220 "2023-10-09T13:31:35Z")
I grew up about a twenty minute walk from the Blackstone hotel in Omaha NE. This is the home of the Reuben sandwich, where Reuben Kulakofsky concocted the sandwich for his poker buddies in the late 1920’s It is not dependent on some odd, esoteric ingredients only available in the dark of the moon while in view of Farnam Street. It is a simple sandwich. It is corned beef, sauerkraut, Russian dressing and Swiss cheese on rye bread lightly grilled until the cheese starts to melt. Easy peasy. Restaurants seem to love to substitute thousand island for the Russian dressing. Some will even sub it coleslaw in place of the sauerkraut. Once I even ordered it and got a ham, turkey, thousand island, coleslaw and American cheese on wheat toast. Tasty sandwich but not a Reuben. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-disappointment-in-ordering-a-local-regional-specialty-outside-of-that-locale/990503.md?page=12)