see what smokin dope does to people? Don’t smoke dope-
I live in Arizona. Burritos are everywhere, enchiladas are only in some places and not prominent.
I would prefer seeing something central to AZ, like a Sonoran hot dog or Navajo Fry Bread.
Salt water taffy.
Try Shriver’s on the Boardwalk in Ocean city.
Salt water taffy got it’s name from when a candy store’s stock got soaked
with sea water during a flood.
Ask any Iowan and nobody will say corn-dog.
Pork Tenderloin sandwich (which they gave to Indiana) or Maid-Rite sandwich will get most of the responses.
Of course, Sweet-corn should be in the running as well.
Lobster mac and cheese for CT? Ah, no.
Hot, buttered lobster roll, yes. Lobster mac and cheese, no.
It appears Texas wins.
An even worse take under Maine:
“Just as Connecticut braves the cold, snowy winters with a warm lobster roll, Maine is notably known for its cold lobster rolls.”
Again, no. Hot buttered lobster rolls are not a winter specialty. Just bad takes all around.
Another massive fail for NH, where apple cider donuts are listed, but the text goes on about pumpkin.
And no native eats them
That photo is not Peach Cobbler.
I’ve lived in a number of states in my lifetime and I have been to all 50 states. I don’t think the author of this article could define “iconic”. I’ll give some alternatives:
California (I was born there): Abalone fished out of Monterey Bay. My parents would routinely drive 2+ hours from the Bay Area down to Monterey or its neighboring towns to have an abalone dinner. Second place would be the dungeness crabs that you can buy at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco or other Pacific ports north of there such as Eureka and Crescent City.
Michigan (I grew up there): Of course, the most iconic names in food in Michigan are Kellogg’s and Gerber (my father was a career employee of Gerber Products Co.). Throw in Vernor’s “golden ginger ale” (which I never liked as a kid). The pies made with cherries grown around Grand Traverse Bay are far more tasty than the cornish Pasties which you find everywhere in the Upper Peninsula but not so much south of the Mackinac Bridge. As far as restaurants, you can’t beat the family style AYCE chicken dinners served in Frankenmuth. Detroit’s pizza scene is as good or better than any other place in the USA.
Indiana (went to college there): I can’t disagree with the author’s comments on pork tenderloin sandwiches, although you can find some really good ones throughout Iowa, Illinois and Ohio.
Maryland (I lived 30 years there, 1981-2011). The Maryland Blue Crab is king (although in some years they imported the same species from Texas and Louisiana). Second place would be Rockfish, a variety of striped bass that swims in Chesapeake Bay.
Virginia (lived there 12 years, 1979-81 and 2011-21): while there are some good country ham producers in the state (Todd’s comes to mind), foods that seem to be unique to Virginia are Brunswick Stew and Shad Roe, as well as the barbeque sandwiches made from minced and/or pulled pork shoulder (like a sloppy joe) and topped with a mountain of cole slaw.
Ohio: (lived here 2021-present): the Slovenian sausage sold on the east side of Cleveland (like a premium hotdog with a smack of garlic) is pretty unique, although I happen to really enjoy a plate of spaghetti topped with either Skyline or Gold Star Cincinnati chili. The wide variety of junk food at the various county fairs is pretty interesting too, but not unique to this state. Ohio is the home of Bob Evans breakfast pork sausage and Smucker’s jams and jellies.
Pennsylvania: (spent a lot of time driving between DC and northern Indiana); Scrapple, a strange breakfast food containing every part of the pig except the oink; and Shoo Fly Pie baked in the Amish country. Also, Primanti Bros. sandwiches which are topped with french fries (it’s a Pittsburgh thing).
Nevada: (I’ve gone to an annual convention in Las Vegas every year since 1983); I’m not sure how prime rib could be “iconic”, particularly since Vegas is down to something like eight buffets city-wide these days, and considering that Nebraska has the best prime rib in the world.
Kentucky: I’m not sure how the author missed Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burgoo or the BBQ minced pork sandwiches made on a hot flat grill with Wonder Bread and a sandwich press at such establishments as Starns in Paducah (perhaps the finest sandwich I have ever eaten.
This list is absurd.
i live in colorado and have never seen a bull testicle on a menu, though i suppose a few hard core places might serve them as a conversation piece, but does that REALLY make the bull testicle THE “iconic” food in colorado?
however, we locals are very well aware of outstanding seasonal foods like Rocky Ford cantelopes and watermelons, Pueblo chiles, Olathe sweet corn, and Palisade peaches ...
YUM!
They’re called calf fries in Texas and are delicious.
California Fish Tacos? Yuk. I was born and raised in California, been 74 years now and I only heard of Fish Tacos for the first time maybe a decade ago. Tried a bite once, never again. If anything French Dip Sandwiches are more Californian, they were invented at Philippe’s in Los Angeles.
A lot of these dishes sounded really good but the one that I’m going to make a point of trying is the maple cream pie.
I lived in Maryland for twelve years. Crab cakes and Philly cheese steaks were everywhere.
However, the best Philly Cheese Steak I can remember eating was from a food truck at a rural pistol and rifle range in Oregon, during their annual machine-gun shoot.
Alabama - fried green tomatoes? Under the assumption that you can bread and deep-fry most anything and it will be edible, I would have gone with fried okra.
I've never had that problem, leftover tenderloin. It sounds tasty but if I ever eat it, it will be on purpose and involve no leftovers.