Your City's Signature Dish

[cabasse]

Originally Posted by 10023

Undercooked?!

First of all it’s cured and smoked, so it doesn’t even really need to be cooked. Guess you don’t like bresoala either. But beef should never be brown except on the exterior.

never tried it - i generally like new things but tend to shy away from cured meats. wannabe foodie i guess. when i do have steak (occasionally) i usually go medium, but i've had some good rare before... maybe it was just the sheer volume of meat between the bread. so much meat.

[Shawn]

New England real clam chowder - not that New York tomato-based stuff.

Or lobster rolls, I guess. I don't think oyster raw bars count, but if they do - Duxbury standard Island Creeks and Cotuits are the best raw oyster stock in the country. They're sold at multiple osterie in Tokyo!

[CaliNative]

L.A. is master of fusing food cultures. Korean tacos are great. Korean BBQ rib meat in a crispy taco shell with some kim chi (or cole slaw for the less adventurous). Also french dip sandwiches at Phillipe's. Deli at Langer's. Mmmm

Baltimore.....has to be crab cakes.

Philly....has to be cheese steak on sandwich bun with broccoli rab and onions/peppers mix.

Chicago...the Chicago dog...snappy beef frank, mustard (never catsup), hot peppers, pickles, neon green sweet relish, onions; deep dish pizza.

NYC...deli sandwiches; thin crust pizza, folded to eat on the go.

Pittsburg....hot sandwiches with the french fries stuffed inside.

New Orleans...I'll say a Po' Boy sandwich with olive relish. Or any good cajun food.

Austin and/or K.C..... best BBQ in America. N.C. vinegar BBQ not even close.

Cincinnatti....Chile spaghetti? Good German food.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by dc_denizen

not sure how accurate this is:

it's already screwing up by attributing things to "states," at least when it comes to st. louis and kansas city. toasted ravioli is sure as shit not a "missouri" thing, and i'm not sure exactly what "kansas city style ribs" are, especially for "kansas."

i feel like someone who doesn't really know or has traveled the united states did this.

[Centropolis]

looking at some of the other entries...they are just weird and off. ohio buckeyes!!!??? what? BUCKEYES ARE TOXIC.

https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_aegl.pdf

"highly toxic if ingested – because of the
glycoside aesculin, the saponin aescin, and possibly
alkaloids. Symptoms are muscle weakness and
paralysis, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea..."

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

L.A. is master of fusing food cultures. Korean tacos are great. Korean BBQ rib meat in a crispy taco shell with some kim chi (or cole slaw for the less adventurous). Also french dip sandwiches at Phillipe's. Deli at Langer's. Mmmm

Baltimore.....has to be crab cakes.

Philly....has to be cheese steak on sandwich bun with broccoli rab and onions/peppers mix.

Chicago...the Chicago dog...snappy beef frank, mustard (never catsup), hot peppers, pickles, neon green sweet relish, onions; deep dish pizza.

NYC...deli sandwiches; thin crust pizza, folded to eat on the go.

Pittsburg....hot sandwiches with the french fries stuffed inside.

New Orleans...I'll say a Po' Boy sandwich with olive relish. Or any good cajun food.

Austin and/or K.C..... best BBQ in America. N.C. vinegar BBQ not even close.

Cincinnatti....Chile spaghetti? Good German food.

you misspelled a few cities there, but, I agree with you on the bbq front. i generally smoke KC or Texas/Hillcountry style because it's my favorite (and I think best). although i have had some spectacular bbq in California..

memphis style is as a matter of course way too crazy with sauce. st. louis historically has been the same way, but draws more influences from everywhere, now.

[Centropolis]

one thing i forgot about, which is really good...SMOKED SPAGHETTI. i've not seen it anywhere else except for st. louis. i've seen it at old school bbq spots, not like a chicago/brooklyn style boutique bbq place where they weigh meat type shit and serve you on a prison tray...ALSO CRISPY SNOOT. that would upset some people i'm sure, this is old school midwestern slaughterhouse fare. snoot and jowl deep fried.



https://www.saucemagazine.com/a/437

also, st. louis style grilled OR bbq'd pork steaks seem to be spreading into adjacent areas (sliced boston butt, also just called shoulder).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_steak

Pork steaks, a Midwest staple particularly in St. Louis, MO where invented sometimes referred to as a Boston butt or pork blade steak, are steaks cut from the shoulder of the pig.[1] Usually not found outside of St. Louis, MO. Shoulder steaks are cut from the same primal cut of meat most commonly used for pulled pork, and can be quite tough without long cooking times due to the high amount of collagen in the meat. Because of this, pork shoulder steaks are often cooked slower than a typical beefsteak, and are often stewed or simmered in barbecue sauce during cooking. Pork steaks are considered a cheaper cut of meat, and they are often found on sale.[2]

pork steaks might actually be more popular than stl pizza (but not as popular as stl ribs) overall as i see them at other cities bbq places now.

[Centropolis]

kentucky is another one that reaches back and forth across the mason dixon for influences. the hot brown is ok, but the kentucky burgoo is a favorite of mine, although it's present along the ohio valley over to the eastern outskirts of st. louis. kentucky bbq mutton is pretty over-rated, but there is a good bbq/southern cooking tradition in kentucky. i love when they serve pulled pork on a pile of johnny cakes...things like this you don't see at the fucking prison-tray bbq places (well maybe now).

[LMich]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

looking at some of the other entries...they are just weird and off. ohio buckeyes!!!??? what? BUCKEYES ARE TOXIC.

https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_aegl.pdf

"highly toxic if ingested – because of the
glycoside aesculin, the saponin aescin, and possibly
alkaloids. Symptoms are muscle weakness and
paralysis, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea..."

I think you might need your coffee. Ohio buckeyes are a candy, son.

Either way, it is a weird graphic. Some of those foods are super regional even within their states.

[Centropolis]

pickled okra, and okra in general is one of my favorite of those tropical old world ingredients that found a place in the humidity and heat of the southeastern new world. its new world heartland is louisiana, as in so many things, and sort of migrated up the mississippi and back and forth along the south. ive had some years where everything in my garden died due to neglect and heat, except for the okra.

obviously it's used in gumbo but i'll eat an entire jar of talk-o-texas hot pickled okra. some people fry the pickled okra because the slime has been eviscerated.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by LMich

I think you might need your coffee. Ohio buckeyes are a candy, son.

Either way, it is a weird graphic. Some of those foods are super regional even within their states.

hahah yes, i do. i actually didn't know about that! i havent seen them in cincinnati and am not that familiar with the state away from the river.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Razor

Oddly, I can't think of one for Toronto..It's so multicultural I suppose.

Originally Posted by isaidso

For Toronto it's definitely the 'peameal bacon sandwich'. Being both simple and cheap it sustained a whole generation of blue collar workers. It used to be ubiquitous but has almost been forgotten by the current generation.

And there you go...

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

poutine was not ''invented'' in Montréal, but rather in a region 150 km northeast of Montréal.

Attributing poutine to Montreal is like attributing Cajun cuisine to New Orleans. It sort of works and it sort of doesn't.

[niwell]

The peameal thing has definitely made a bit of a resurgence here in recent years - it's not uncommon to find on brunch / new diner menus. Although in somewhat of a different form than the traditional sandwich at Carousels.

Not sure I would call it "signature", but a more recent food that as far as I can tell originated in Toronto would be East Indian roti. Similar to a classic South Caribbean roti wrap (an ubiquitous fast food in the city), but filled with a traditional Indian curry instead. Think butter chicken, tikka masala etc instead of oxtail or goat.

Here's an article mentioning the original restaurants Ghandi and Mother India which have been around since the early 2000s, but it's become quite common all over the city ("do you want to grab east or west indian roti?").

https://torontoist.com/2013/01/spice...mpire-expands/

[McBane]

Philadelphia:

Obvious: Cheesteaks. If you see a place advertising "Philly" Cheesesteaks, then run. The sandwich is ubiquitous at Philly sandwich shops, pizzerias, bars, and even delis. But no place ever puts the word "Philly" in front of it. I also feel like I have to address some misconceptions. Onions are common, but green peppers and mushrooms are rarely requested, though most places have hot peppers available as a self serve option next to the ketchup and napkins. Wiz is the most popular cheese (bleh) and provolone and American are about equal. But the real reason it can't be made correctly outside of Philly is the bread. Don't even try to order this at Arbys or Subway.

Under the radar:
Roast pork with sharp provolone and broccoli rab. Many Philadelphians will argue that this is the better sandwich. It's a tough call.

Hoagies. May be known outside the region as a sub or torpedo? These are very common in Philly with the most popular being the standard Italian Hoagie. Ubiquitous at sandwich shops, delis, and pizzerias but if you don't have quality bread, the hoagie will suffer.

Irish Potatoes. Talk about a contradictory food. It's neither Irish nor a potato. It's a sweet bite sized treat of buttercream or cream cheese mixed with ground coconut and rolled in cinnamon; and historically made by Italian grandmothers and bakeries around St. Patrick's Day. Very sweet and highly addictive.

Philly Pretzels. Far better than the media-hyped crap they serve to tourists in NYC. Do native NYers even eat pretzels from the street vendors? Philadelphians OTH eat more soft pretzels per capita than anyone else.

Other regional specialties:
Trenton, NJ - Tomato pie. Really, it's a pizza but with a very thin, well done crust and the cheese, used sparingly, sprinkled on the bottom. The sauce is the real star. Unfortunately, many of the original, old school tomato pie shops closed and/or followed their customers to the burbs. Are there any legit tomato pie shops left in Trenton proper?

Lancaster (Amish Country), PA - Pretzels and scrapple. Lancaster pretzels have been popularized by Annie Anne's but you can get much better. Buttery and delicious!

Norristown/Manayunk, PA - Tomato pie. Different than the one in Trenton. Made in bakeries, not pizzerias. These are square sheets of thick, foccacia like crust with tomato sauce (ranging from smooth to chunky, sweeter to more savory) and a sprinkling of grated cheese on top and served room temperature. Very popular to serve these at birthday parties, football parties, etc.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

Philly....has to be cheese steak on sandwich bun with broccoli rab and onions/peppers mix.


Pittsburg....hot sandwiches with the french fries stuffed inside.

New Orleans...I'll say a Po' Boy sandwich with olive relish. Or any good cajun food.

Philly... cheesesteak yes, but not with the broccoli rabe. People might add that to a cheesesteak (and I'm sure it would be delish), but that's not the traditional venue for the broccoli rabe. The Philly roast pork sandwich is the correct vehicle for it.

Pittsburgh... Primanti's sandwiches are certainly a thing in Pittsburgh, but I don't really think they're all that good. Pierogi is a better representation of Pittsburgh's signature dish (even though it's not a Pittsburgh invention).

New Orleans... Po boys don't get "olive relish". Muffalettas get the Italian olive salad. And New Orleans is not Cajun food, it's Creole. Big difference.

[Buckeye Native 001]

You can get buckeye candies in Cincinnati, but the city/metro still likes to act like it's not a part of Ohio. The area within the 275 expressway might as well be it's own state...

Also, whoever in this thread implied that Cincinnati chili is German...it's actually Greek/Macedonian. It amuses me to no end (being about 90% German and having grown up in Cincinnati) that a town that's almost as German as Munich's* most famous local dish is Mediterranean.

And then there's goetta...

*For the pedants who frequent this forum, I'm joking.

[pj3000]

Erie, PA

Pepperoni Bread

Pepperoni Balls

Tomato Pie (from a bakery, of course... Corsale's International Bakery has the best tomato pie you will get anywhere if you ever happen to find yourself in the area)

Lake Erie Perch (on a sandwich or with a side of homemades)

City Chicken

[Chef]

For Minneapolis it is definitely the Jucy Lucy which is a stuffed cheeseburger:



Also, pan fried walleye:



The Beer Brat may be Wisconsin's signature dish but is extremely popular here too:

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by Buckeye Native 001

You can get buckeye candies in Cincinnati, but the city/metro still likes to act like it's not a part of Ohio. The area within the 275 expressway might as well be it's own state...

Also, whoever in this thread implied that Cincinnati chili is German...it's actually Greek/Macedonian. It amuses me to no end (being about 90% German and having grown up in Cincinnati) that a town that's almost as German as Munich's* most famous local dish is Mediterranean.

And then there's goetta...

*For the pedants who frequent this forum, I'm joking.

allegedly you can get goetta at regular grocery stores in st. louis, now (i haven't seen it yet). this is a fantastic development.