Photo illustration by Lille Allen; see site for full credits |
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Depending on where you grew up, you probably have a Very Specific Opinion about a dish from your hometown, or the city you call home today. New Yorkers swear allegiance to the bodega that prepares their favorite BEC or chopped cheese. Minnesotans might tell you that obviously Matt's Bar has the superior Juicy Lucy (a hamburger with cheese stuffed on the inside, for the uninitiated) to 369 Bar — or maybe vice versa (Matt's is correct, but wonder what our new food-focused VP candidate thinks?). I'm a native Clevelander who prefers Lake Erie walleye to perch, considers city chicken a regular weeknight meal option, and doesn't understand why every bar in the D.C. area, where I live now, doesn't offer pierogies (at least I can throw a delicious half-smoke on the grill alongside my brats this summer). At Eater, these opinions abound, and regularly clash, among staffers stationed across the country — and to our team, this conversation goes far deeper than hot takes and regional rivalries. Our team of city editors and reporters wanted to capture some of that passion in No Taste Like Home, our latest project across Eater's network of 23 cities. Collected on Eater.com, you'll discover the four iconic Japanese dishes that Nobu in LA made omnipresent, read odes to everything from Chicago's giardiniera to the perfect bowl of Texas red chili, unpack the specifics behind the North Shore's beloved bar pizza, discover the Pacific Northwest's roadside espresso stands, and more. We've also harnessed some of our competitive energy into Home Plates, our bracket crowning a winner of the most iconic dish in America, including a readers' choice dish decided on Instagram (props to our design team who came up with the theme; readers are already asking us where they can buy Chicago dog prayer candles). This project is both a package and a theme week, which means city sites published coverage throughout this week geared toward local audiences, from a can't-miss feature where Vegas editor Janna Karel ate at every buffet in the city, to a glossary of Philly food items, to a definitive ranking of the French dip sandwiches of LA. The effort is a testament to the strength and expertise of our network of city sites — it's also a reminder that American food isn't just cliches about burgers and apple pie (we'll give 'em hot dogs; our bracket features several of them — and don't forget the corn dog, I mean pronto pup). It's the Korean taco of LA, the loco moco of Hawai'i, and every other dish reflecting the cultural influences that define our 50 states.
Gotta run — the Jersey shore calls this weekend, and I might just have to pick up an oxtail cheesesteak along the way. — Missy Frederick, Eater cities director
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Photo illustration by Lille Allen; gif by Jesse Sparks; see site for full details |
More for the table: We've had a blast exploring dishes worth a pilgrimage, spotlighting foods that deserve more recognition on a national level, and in the case of Eater Vegas editor Janna Karel, diving stomach-first into Vegas's buffets to get at the crux of the city's maximalist all-you-can-eat culture. Nothing inspired more fervent debate than our regional dish bracket, where we culled nearly 70 nominations into a sweet 16 battle and let editors duke it out in impassioned video chats. I'm team lobster roll, but would happily fight for the bacon, egg, and cheese as well. Our editor and reader voting has closed, but I won't leak the winner here so you can experience the banter for yourself. Click through to read all the arguments and see which dish took the crown — I'm curious if you agree with the winner. — Stephanie Wu, Eater editor-in-chief Below, find compelling arguments in favor of three Eater city editors' favorite regionally iconic foods. |
Photo illustration by Lille Allen; see site for full details |
Beignet vs. kolache It's interesting to pit two American regional pastries with European roots against each other — New Orleans's beignets are French and Texan kolaches are Czech — but in this battle, the mighty Texas baked good wins. Yes, sugary, doughnut-like beignets are obviously iconic, but you can get well-done beignets outside of the Louisiana city. Kolaches are Texas through and through, with a sweet pastry dough filled with all sorts of fruits, soft cheeses, or poppy seeds (as opposed to their savory counterpart, the klobasnek). The wide appeal of the sweet makes it even more Texan — it's not a fancified delicacy like the beignet, but rather an everyday workhorse of a pastry, a staple at gas stations, bakeries, and home pastries. And truth be told, I wouldn't trust a kolache outside of Texas. — Nadia Chaudhury, Eater Austin editor Winner: Kolache Fried cheese curds vs. disco fries You could argue that fried cheese curds and disco fries (crinkle-cut French fries nestled under a blanket of brown gravy and melted cheese) are cousins: They both sit at the tantalizing intersection of salt, fat, and dairy. Ultimately, though, fried cheese curds take the cake as the more iconic hometown dish. Disco fries, a New Jersey diner classic, are an unbeatable drunk food, it's true — but they can't quite match the regional character of the curd, the defining delicacy of America's dairyland. Gleaned from vats of fresh Wisconsin milk, these squeaky, rubbery bites of cheese are transformed into the perfect bar food with a malty beer batter, a deep fry, and a side of ranch. — Justine Jones, Eater Twin Cities editor Winner: Fried cheese curds Coney dog vs. Chicago dog It was a Midwest sausagefest when Detroit's mighty coney dog (covered in chili and dotted with yellow mustard and diced onions) challenged the Chicago-style hot dog — with a salad on the bun garnished with yellow mustard, onions, neon green relish, celery salt, tomato, dill pickle spear, and spicy sport peppers. In the end, the Chicago dog's bombastic symphony of sweet and savory on a pillowy poppy seed bun proved too much to overcome. Even though a coney is a very delicious version of a chili dog, a chili dog isn't unique to Detroit. Meanwhile, Chicagoans are so obsessed with their hot dogs that you can find them in local Home Depots. There can be only one sausage king. — Ashok Selvam, Eater Chicago editor Winner: Chicago dog Korean taco vs. Nashville hot chicken When the Los Angeles-born Korean taco (popularized by Roy Choi's late-night favorite Kogi food truck in 2008) faced off against Nashville's hot chicken (created by a scorned lover to punish her womanizing man in the 1930s), the taco came out on top for its melding of flavors and foodways. Los Angeles's Korean and Mexican communities have been interconnected for generations in the schoolyard, at the office, and, finally, with Choi's dish, on a plate. Though cayenne-laced fried chicken doused in chile-infused hot oil deserves praise for its tongue-searing, punishingly delicious profile, the thrill of eating sweetly marinated galbi, tucked into warm griddled corn tortillas and topped with salsa verde and a tangle of bright scallions, makes for a three-bite sensation that tells the city's story better than any history book. — Cathy Chaplin, Eater LA Senior Editor Winner: Korean taco |
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