Regional Foods?

[mjkacmom]

60 years, boys carrying boxes of pretzels walking through the streets. Yelling freeesh pretzels, already freeeesh. Today we would go ewwww, buying food like that. Nickel each. pretzel and a glass of milk, perfect breakfast.

You can find pretzel trucks in nyc.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Soft pretzel with mustard in the Philly summer, along with a cherry water ice. A true match made in heaven.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Soft pretzel with mustard in the Philly summer, along with a cherry water ice. A true match made in heaven.

The last time I had a truly amazing pretzel was in Munich Germany, fresh and warm with soft butter. OMG, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

 

[jo-jo]

You can find pretzel trucks in nyc.

But back then, you just hung out the front door in your PJs and got pretzels thru the railing as the boy had the box resting on the steps.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

I think you get paczki wherever there are a lot of Polish immigrants. They're all over the grocery stores here in western MA now until Lent.

We have them too in Philly.

You can find pretzel trucks in nyc.

I grew up in NY. It's different.

 

[RedAngie]

60 years, boys carrying boxes of pretzels walking through the streets. Yelling freeesh pretzels, already freeeesh. Today we would go ewwww, buying food like that. Nickel each. pretzel and a glass of milk, perfect breakfast.

I liked the guys outside Veterans Stadium or the Spectrum selling pretzels after Phillies or Flyers games, but especially after concerts. They were the perfect munchie after getting drunk or imbibing in other substances during concerts.

 

[RedAngie]

Also, not to be pedantic but saying "paczkis" is not correct. Paczki is already the plural of the doughnut. The singular in Polish is paczek.

Just like pierogi. It’s already a plural word, no need to add a “s” or “es.” A single one is a pierog.

In my Polish neighborhood of Philadelphia, we had the jelly filled punchkey, which was usually just eaten from Three Kings Day (January 6) until Fat Tuesday. The rest of the year they were small balls of dough covered with granulated sugar. No filling. Like a zeppole.

 

[RedAngie]

Pork roll.

Manufacturers can’t legally call it Taylor Ham and restaurants really shouldn’t. There are other brands besides Taylor.

Those in northern New Jersey are the ones who call it by the incorrect name.

 

[SpaceMan5]

"Booyah (also spelled booya, bouja, boulyaw, or bouyou) is a thick stew, believed to have originated in Belgium, and made throughout the Upper Midwestern United States.[1] Booyah can require up to two days and multiple cooks to prepare; it is cooked in specially designed "booyah kettles" and usually meant to serve hundreds or even thousands of people.[2][3][4] The name can also refer to a social event surrounding the meal."

or:

What is booyah in Minnesota?
“Booya” (sometimes spelled “booyah”) is a type of stew particular to Minnesota and the Upper Midwest, made in batches of up to 200 gallons at a time. (The word may have origninated from a mishearing of “buillon” in Wisconsin.) Most take a minimum of 12 hours to cook, and some as many as four days.

Pretty much - Massive gathering of people to eat an amazing "stew" that has been cooking in some ancient cauldron for at least 48 hours. People show up with any kind of container they can find - ice cream buckets being the norm - and get takeout to freeze, plus a bowl to eat right then. Served with saltines and butter, or some kind of bread.

You will see signs all over the place starting in early fall of where and when the local booya is. Ours that we attend is at a dive bar. Old family recipe that he cooks in the backyard of the bar for 2 nights, stirring constantly. Good times!

Thank you for the in-depth explanation. This is a great way to bring the community together, very cool!

 

[AustinTink]

- Tex Mex - things like Chuy's (vs. true Mexican). While Austin is the birthplace of Chuy's, in general, Chuy's is better in TX

I love that you know the birthplace of Chuy's. Living in Austin, we've been going to Chuy's since before it was a chain and had just the Barton Springs location and the one on North Lamar.

What's funny is the original Barton Springs location was always overshadowed by Baby A's, the other Tex-Mex joint on Barton Springs. Baby A's was the place to be in the late 80s-early 90s and Chuy's was never full on most nights. I would have never guessed that Chuy's would take off the way it has while Baby A's has really fallen out of favor. Chuy's had the better marketing and management, I guess.

I mean, look at El Arroyo. Everyone knows them now because of their signs and the marketing around it. Pure genius because their food is mediocre at best.

 

[disney4us2002]

I'm a recent transplant to OBX in North Carolina but apparently fresh fish is very big here. Most of them, I have never heard of (Drum, Puppy) but they tend to be a mild, white fish so they're okay. As a former MD resident, I've yet to find any local place with a crab cake that even comes CLOSE to being an authentic Md crab cake!! Just stop; it's embarassing.

Barbeque here is also different, definitely more vinegary rather than sweet like I'm used to in Maryland.

However, the sweet tea in NC is crazy sweet & will ROT your teeth! Try ordering unsweet tea and you get serious looks, lol.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I'm a recent transplant to OBX in North Carolina but apparently fresh fish is very big here. Most of them, I have never heard of (Drum, Puppy) but they tend to be a mild, white fish so they're okay. As a former MD resident, I've yet to find any local place with a crab cake that even comes CLOSE to being an authentic Md crab cake!! Just stop; it's embarassing.

Barbeque here is also different, definitely more vinegary rather than sweet like I'm used to in Maryland.

However, the sweet tea in NC is crazy sweet & will ROT your teeth! Try ordering unsweet tea and you get serious looks, lol.

I’d loveeee to do an eating stroll of NC. Just surround myself with eastern and western styles of Carolina bbq and pick to my hearts content.
Yeah but I need a pitcher of ice cold water to wash it down as you are so right- way too much sugar in the tea for me. I could take one glass of WDW Homecoming’s tea and turn it into a pitcher or two with added water, LOL.

 

[mjkacmom]

Pork roll.

Manufacturers can’t legally call it Taylor Ham and restaurants really shouldn’t. There are other brands besides Taylor.

Those in northern New Jersey are the ones who call it by the incorrect name.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Just like pierogi. It’s already a plural word, no need to add a “s” or “es.” A single one is a pierog.

In my Polish neighborhood of Philadelphia, we had the jelly filled punchkey, which was usually just eaten from Three Kings Day (January 6) until Fat Tuesday. The rest of the year they were small balls of dough covered with granulated sugar. No filling. Like a zeppole.

YES! Thank you for clarifying

Just like pierogi. It’s already a plural word, no need to add a “s” or “es.” A single one is a pierog.

In my Polish neighborhood of Philadelphia, we had the jelly filled punchkey, which was usually just eaten from Three Kings Day (January 6) until Fat Tuesday. The rest of the year they were small balls of dough covered with granulated sugar. No filling. Like a zeppole.

when I go to krakow there are paczki stalls all over the city. They’re available all year are so good. My wife tells me that she won’t let me into the car at the airport unless I have them with me!!

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Man this thread is great. I’ve found so many different foods to try on future travels.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I love that you know the birthplace of Chuy's. Living in Austin, we've been going to Chuy's since before it was a chain and had just the Barton Springs location and the one on North Lamar.

What's funny is the original Barton Springs location was always overshadowed by Baby A's, the other Tex-Mex joint on Barton Springs. Baby A's was the place to be in the late 80s-early 90s and Chuy's was never full on most nights. I would have never guessed that Chuy's would take off the way it has while Baby A's has really fallen out of favor. Chuy's had the better marketing and management, I guess.

I mean, look at El Arroyo. Everyone knows them now because of their signs and the marketing around it. Pure genius because their food is mediocre at best.

When I moved to the Houston area (nearly 27 years ago) I only remember one or two Chuy’s here and they were a really big deal. Then suddenly…they were everywhere! I think it was 2008 when we ate at the original. We had evacuated to my FILs house in Georgetown (Hurricane Ike) and decided to drive in to Austin one day for a change of scenery. Now we have one about 15 minutes away, but it’s just not as good.

We like Baby As. We were in Austin back in July for a softball tournament and went for dinner one night. I hadn’t been to one since probably 1998 or 1999. Back then, I remember it being the place everybody wanted to go. The food this summer was still great and I forgot how much I liked their Ritas, but it had a more rundown feel. It makes me wonder if they’ll survive, considering they haven’t really played the marketing game like their counterparts.

 

[maxaroni]

Taylor ham egg cheese spk on a hard roll
NJ sloppy joes (cold cut sandwich)
disco fries
black and white cookies
pasta vodka pizza
grandma pies
taralli
sunday gravy
italian hot dogs in pizza bread

Born and raised in Bergen County, sloppy joes are more like “man which” or bbq beef on a bun. Moved to Burlington County and same thing, had no clue about the cold cut sandwich sloppy joe until my DSs in laws served sloppy joes. I looked at it and it puzzled me. LOL. They live in Union County. Yup, Bergen County is Taylor Ham and on the menus that way. Moved to Burlington County and ordered Taylor Ham, they served me a ham steak. Lol.

 

[maxaroni]

Eastern Shore reporting in (of Maryland):

Scrapple (delish)
Muskrat
Smith Island Cake
Stuffed Ham
Oysters
Berger Cookies
Crab in various forms (for the record we are a JO family)
Snakehead
Turtle soup
Venison in many forms
Chicken (houses everywhere)

and from growing up in in South Jersey, for my Burlington County folks - Boost!

Lived in Burlington County for 30 years and saw signs of places stating that they had Boost.

We now live in DE and lots of chicken houses around.

 

[RedAngie]

Lived in Burlington County for 30 years and saw signs of places stating that they had Boost.

We now live in DE and lots of chicken houses around.

A while back I saw a list on FB of each state’s supposed most famous food. For Delaware it just said chicken. Not fried chicken, nor tenders, nor anything else. Just “chicken.”

I tried Boost a handful of times but never really cared for it. I think it’s one of those tastes you need to acquire from practically birth.

 

[Genie+]

Disco fries and fries with gravy have been popular around here since at least the late ‘70s. Be sure to order this on the side of your taylor ham sandwich! I cannot call it pork roll, just like I can’t say plastic bandage instead of band-aid