Such people have no souls... I probably have a good dipped beef from either portillos, murphy's, Al's, Nemos, or about a dozen other places once a week.

Sorry, I wasn't intending to be a snob. I lived in Chicago for eight years and once I moved I just never once found myself wanting some sort of Italian sausage or meat specialized to the area. It tastes great but it was always like junk food to me. Though I do miss torta's with ground beef, which apparently don't exist on the West coast.

Is there anything structurally special about a NYC bagel?

Yes, if you buy them from a kosher outlet. They are made the right way, by boiling the dough. In other cities, bagels are just round rolls with holes in them.

Yes, if you buy them from a kosher outlet. They are made the right way, by boiling the dough. In other cities, bagels are just round rolls with holes in them.

FWIW, almost none of the extant bagel joints in NYC are kosher, but all but the worst still boil their bagels.

Baltimore-crab

Needs more Old Bay seasoning to properly represent Maryland. Even if you've already added the Old Bay seasoning.

That's what I don't get about the people complaining that there is no good Italian beef outside of Chicago. My first thought was "Who cares?" That's something most people eat once every two or three months at the most.

Really? If it's as good as it sounds, I would probably eat something like that pretty regularly.

Really? If it's as good as it sounds, I would probably eat something like that pretty regularly.

Well, 1) It's really, really unhealthy to eat regularly, and 2) it's one of those things that become less appealing the more you indulge, for me anyway. It tastes GREAT, just like pasta, but that doesn't mean I want to eat it more than once or twice a month.

Certainly nothing like oysters or shrimp & grits are to Charleston.

I am by no means a foodie, but I can't come up with an iconic "Atlanta food."

Is that significantly more Charleston than Savannah? It's all the low country, right?

Part of this is that "identity" is not what Atlanta does. Atlanta does dispersion of identity. Atlanta is the city in the center of the Old South that was "too busy to hate." That probably doesn't lend itself to ethnic identity food choices.

Is that significantly more Charleston than Savannah? It's all the low country, right?

Perhaps so. I live in Charleston, so that's my frame of reference, but I'd let someone more familiar with Savannah or Myrtle Beach or wherever make that call. (Though for Myrtle Beach, I think you'd want a food that properly captured the aura of tackiness.)

312 was introduced in (IIRC) 2004 and so long predates the Anheuser-Busch takeover. That said, it's now produced in upstate New York.

At the same brewery that does most of the Brooklyn Brewery beers, F.X. Matt's in Utica? That would be awesome, but I can't find where it confirms that.


Is there anything structurally special about a NYC bagel? Not really. Just the idea that NYC does bagels better than elsewhere.

I normally agree with stuff like this, but a large large percentage of the places in NYC that make bagels just care more about the quality, I think. I've had bagels elsewhere, all over, and they really just are a better quality in New York. IMO.

Um, the beverage for San Francisco and/or Oakland is wine.

No way. Unless Sonoma/Napa is suddenly part of San Francisco. San Francisco and Oakland are both beer obsessed. The wine bars are probably in a close race with the kombucha bars and both are outnumbered by Belgian ale houses.

Although, I'm not sure whether we're talking about what people in these cities actually eat and drink, or what people from other places think is the food and drink associated with that city. If the latter, then wine is probably right.

Shredder, for good Mexican in Chicago try La Lagartia on Ashland near the Mexican consulate. My girlfriend grew up in Mexico City and is a fantastic cook, and it's her favorite in the city.

No way. Unless Sonoma/Napa is suddenly part of San Francisco. San Francisco and Oakland are both beer obsessed. The wine bars are probably in a close race with the kombucha bars and both are outnumbered by Belgian ale houses.

Perhaps, but (a) a lot of wine is made in Oakland, with grapes trucked in from the surrounding wine country and (b) the Bay Area isn't any more beer obsessed than half a dozen other US cities, but it is a stone's throw from one of the top 5 places to grow wine grapes in the world.

The best cheesesteak I've ever had was at The White House in Atlantic City. I suppose it's pretty close to Philly, though.

That place is just tremendous.

For Philly people, roast pork with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone is just as much the sandwich as the cheese steak. John's is terrific.

As for food, the burrito, sourdough, cioppino, Joe's Special, crab Louie, crab in general, and the martini are pretty good food items that come from San Francisco. Better than many other cities!

I got this far and you can guess what I made for dinner tonight.

There are two places that my stomach misses since I left San Francisco moved to Florida. Original Joe's and Lucca's Delicatessen. If either ever opened a franchise in Orlando I'd make them wealthy.

For about 15 years there was a kosher bagel place in downtown Bangor, and their product was wa-a-a-ay better than any other bagels I've had in Maine (though one might find good kosher bagels in Portland.) Any time I came thru the city, I'd grab a dozen. The difference was about the same as a good Maine lobster roll compared to any from south of New England. The very best are allegedly found at Red's Eats on Rt 1 in Wiscasset, though I've never braved the line to try one.

Goose Island is really three breweries these days. There's the AB-InBev Goose that brews their Honkers Ale, IPA, 312, etc., which is pretty much all AB these days, and really was never that great even when John Hall was in charge anyway. Then there's the Goose that does their stouts (Big John, Night Stalker), and their Belgians (Matilda, Sofie, Pepe Nero ,etc.). Then there are the really specialty guys who do their sours (Juliet, Lolita, Madame Rose) and their barrel aging (Bourbon CountyBrand Stout and variants, etc.).

Their Belgians are world class, but their barrel aged stuff is otherworldly. BCBS is the best beer in its class on the planet.

Shredder, for good Mexican in Chicago try La Lagartia on Ashland near the Mexican consulate. My girlfriend grew up in Mexico City and is a fantastic cook, and it's her favorite in the city.

I'll have to try that. Aside from from Frontera, we have Mixteco at Ashland and Montrose which is terrific. I'd like to try El Barco sometime. For now Papcitos on Lincoln does pretty good Fajitas ad chips/salsa.

Nothing, however, beats the shrimp wrapped in cheese and bacon that I can get at La Neuva Posada on Foothill in Pasadena, which I always hit multiple times when back in California. The owner has become a good family friend. Terrific margaritas and outstanding service.

Wait, can't find good Mexican in Chicago? Do you venture to the South Side? I mean there's phenomenal stuff here. La Chaparrita is basically a top notch DF taqueria except it's on Whipple and 25th, Birrieria Zaragoza has goat as good as anywhere, the Maxwell street market has loads of choices, and, well there are so many fantastic spots it would take way too much time to list. It is easier to get a lot of Mexican ingredients here than in lots of spots much closer to the border. I know this because relatives and friends from Texas and such make a point of grabbing things here when they are in town. An Irish friend of mine was blown away to hear that Mexican ladies in his office regularly mailed things to family in Texas. He didn't get that in a lot of places with large Mexican populations most of the people, and consequently their food, comes from a handful of states so it can be hard to get stuff from other regions. The breadth in Chicago is very impressive, no matter what region of Mexico you're from you can get it here or the ingredients to make it at home.

Wait, can't find good Mexican in Chicago? Do you venture to the South Side?

The baddest part of town?

If Montreal still had a team, their dish of choice would unquestionably be a smoked meat sandwich.

Or Habitant yellow pea soup.

312 was introduced in (IIRC) 2004 and so long predates the Anheuser-Busch takeover. That said, it's now produced in upstate New York.

Then shouldn't it be renamed "315"?

Then shouldn't it be renamed "315"?

I don't know if it's happened yet, but I thought they were planning on marketing it at some point in each major city with that city's area code. So in LA, they'd sell 213, or 818, or 310 or something. I haven't seen it anywhere else yet though.

I'm a bit surprised no one referenced Nate Silver's Chicago Burrito Bracket.

Then shouldn't it be renamed "315"?

-applause-

The Iron Sheik @the_ironsheik

I eat at the #1 Jewish people deli the Canter deli in the Los Angeles I be happy. http://instagr.am/p/V7ZbO4nk4d/

So that settles that.

People still follow the Sheik? now that he's doing food reviews, I think we can all move on to something else.

Agreed, Shredder and Kris - Mixteco is excellent, and the Maxwell Street market has plenty of great options as well. Get the caldo from the furthest food stall north on the west side of the street (can't remember the name, but they have a seating area). Their tacos are excellent too.