I am sure you are all going to have something to say about this. You always do, and that is why I love you.
Inspired by yesterday’s posting on the “Omnivore’s 100“, I have pulled together a list of quintessentially American foods every God fearing, flag waving, overeating citizen of this country should consume in their lifetime.
There is regional cuisine, some classics from generations past, and good old fashioned junk food. This is NOT a list of gastronomic delicacies or foodie delights, although many of these things are quite delightful. Do I think everyone should eat foie gras before they die? Yes. Is it classic Americana? No.
I had to make some tough judgment calls, but I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. Thanks for chiming in yesterday with thoughts and especially to LivitLuvit for contributing and editing a ton. Y’all are so smart. Just like before, I have highlighted everything I have eaten. 89…not too shabby, methinks.
And why 101? Because we are American, darnit, and 100 isn’t enough. Like everything else in this wonderful nation, this list is supersized.
1. Twinkies
2. NY Style Pizza
3. Sushi
4. Shrimp and Grits
5. Muffuletta
6. Banana Bread
7. Chocolate Chip Cookies
8. Fish tacos
9. Root Beer Float
10. In and Out Burger
11. Garbage Plate
12. Fried Chicken
13. Half Smoke
14. Lobster Boil
15. Apple Pie
16. French Dip/Italian Beef
17. Funyuns
18. Coca Cola
19. Eggs Benedict
20. Blueberry Muffins
21. Buttermilk Biscuits and Gravy
22. Shrimp Po’ Boy
23. Ambrosia Salad
24. Ovaltine
25. Lasagna
26. Western Omelet
27. Sweet Potato Pie
28. Tuna Casserole
29. Tater Tots
30. M&Ms
31. Cheerios
32. Wine IN Napa
33. Jambalaya
34. Cuban Sandwich
35. Crab Cakes
36. Cheeseburger
37. Pork Rinds
38. Baked Alaska
39. Egg Nog
40. Pigs in a Blanket
41. Tennessee BBQ
42. Apple Cider
43. Thin Mints
44. Monkey Bread
45. Chicken and Dumplings
46. Mashed Potatoes
47. Matzo Ball Soup
48. Jim Beam
49. NY Bagel
50. Cornbread
51. Frosty
52. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
53. Cranberry Sauce
54. Kettle Corn
55. Downtown Mahattan
56. Rocky Road Ice Cream
57. Fluffernutter Sandwich
58. Cool Whip
59. Black and White Cookies
60. Pierogis
61. Rotisserie Chicken
62. French Toast
63. Chocolate Milk
64. Fried Green Tomatoes
65. Cobb Salad
66. Baby back ribs
67. Cup of Coffee
68. Cotton Candy
69. Bologna
70. Corn Dogs
71. Cheesecake
72. Pecan Pie
73. Scrapple
74. Philly Cheesesteak
75. Old Bay
76. Chicken Fried Steak
77. Rocky Mountain Oysters
78. Black Eyed Peas
79. Potato salad
80. Chili
81. BLT Sandwich
82. Egg Salad
83. Macaroni and Cheese
84. Red beans and rice
85. Mongolian BBQ
86. Hot fudge sundae
87. Red Velvet Cake
88. Sour Cream and Onion Chips
89. Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwich
90. Chicken Fingers
91. Mrs. Butterworth Syrup
92. Shirley Temple
93. Meatloaf
94. Grape Kool-Aid
95. Black Licorice
96. Buffalo Wings
97. Pulled Pork Sandwich
98. Budweiser
99. Peeps
100. Pop Tarts
101. Green bean casserole
{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }
Seriously? I forgot what it felt like to brainstorm until yesterday. When we finished I slumped over my keyboard, exhausted, and croaked, “water….”
Hopefully my boss thinks I was actually doing something for him and gives me a raise.
And this list? Makes me effing proud to be an American.
I know…I hadn’t used my brain this much in AGES. Thank God we both hate our jobs and have time to screw around on the internet all day.
Did I just thank God for our crappy jobs? Wow…someone is feeling positive today.
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75 for me. It would be easy to add the others … well most of the others, no way am I trying Rocky Mountain oysters.
I hear they are ok…75 ain’t bad, though.
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99/101! DANG… I just don’t know if I can bring myself to finish the list…
That’s pretty impressive…I am guessing Rocky Mtn Oysters and Garbage plate are the ones you have not had?
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I keep hearing about the garbage plate. I have a friend who goes to the Roc just to have one.
Somewhere White Castle is really really angry right now.
I know about the garbage plate from my friend B. It oddly appeals to me, yet sounds foul at the same time.
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I am glad to see Grape Kool-Aid made the cut. Nice job on the list, I see others had just as much time on their hands as I. Side note, totally stoked about the NOVA Beerfest in 2 weeks! Yay beer. That is all for now, carry on.
Thanks…there were some tough calls but grape kool-aid is classic.
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Lips that touch sushi and buffalo wings shall never touch mine. Otherwise, game on.
Really? Buffalo wings? They seem fairly innocuous.
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TUMBLOGGED.
Oh, and ya done good, babe.
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I think I’m at about 90/101. Frighteningly, I have actually had Rocky Mountain Oysters, but not in the U.S. They’re not half as bad as they sound, when cooked properly. And, the Jew in me thanks you for including matzo ball soup and black and whites. Yum!
I love matzo ball soup…it is a deli classic. Also, my mom adores black and white cookies…they are huge in Syracuse NY, where she is from.
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The southern gardener in me wants to say Persimmons. But does a fruit count? And of all deli classics, my vote is on the Reuben.
I thought of the Reuben, but I already had a Cuban, a cheeseburger….some tough calls had to me made.
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But… banana pudding? With the nilla wafers and whipped cream?
Oh, and I’ve got 92. Rocky Mountain Oysters just ain’t never gonna happen, though. Nor Scrapple. Can I substitute an italian sub and/or boardwalk fries?
Yeah, that was on there, but a sundae is somewhat similar and I deemed, a bit more American.
MMM…boardwalk fries. YUM.
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Only 6 on the list I haven’t tried: 10. In and Out Burger, 11. Garbage Plate, 28. Tuna Casserole, 32. Wine IN Napa, 73. Scrapple, 77. Rocky Mountain Oysters. And I can promise that both Tuna Casserole and Scrapple will remain on my never-eaten list forever. You could put scrapple on your “I try it so you won’t have to” list!
You are not the first to suggest I eat it for the So Good column. I think I have to now…
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Dammit! I have eaten almost everything on that list. 100/101. Shockingly, its the most mundane item on the list, an In-N-Out burger. I’m surprised deep friend oreo cookies aren’t on there and frankly, a whole roast pork should be there too.
Pulled pork sandwhich is on there…I don’t know if pork shoulder is pure Americana. Also, other fair food made the cut which I think is more American…corndogs trump deep fried oreos.
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woops. *deep FRIED oreo cookies*
It is all good.
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Ahh, the garbage plate! A Rochester obsession, although it’s now available in Philadelphia (curiously, neither my sister nor any of my friends who live there have sought it out yet, against my advice)!
Seriously, though, people, the perfect garbage plate (a concept that is highly subjective – my fave is a cheeseburger ‘trash plate’ with fries and mac from Mark’s Texas Hots, which lies literally at the end of my street, dubbed the ‘Mark’s Texas Hot-obahn’ by friends) is an addictive thing. Just thinking about one now makes my mouth water and begin to crave the greasy, cheesy, spicy perfection (I haven’t had more than two in the last year, thanks to a new-found interest in longevity). Mmmmmmaarrrrrrghghhhhhh …
I really want to try one. I am glad you have only had two this year since it looks like heart attack on a plate.
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I got 87/101 and could potentially get to 98. No scraple, RMOs or coffee for me. Although, oysters on the half shell might be a good addition…
I was surprised that with Liv editing there’s no Carolina BBQ on the list. And I’m totally with you on the “Really? Buffalo Wings?” comment. They’re fried chicken.
You don’t drink coffee? What is up with all the men I know who don’t drink coffee…it is my life force.
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I second the addition of Banana Pudding with Nilla cookies. Mmmm…Nillas…
And OMG, In and Out Burger is the best burger. We have a very, very worthy subsitute in Five Guys, but great googly moogly In and Out is so good.
That totally sounded dirty.
We like dirty here. I really hope to have an In and Out burger one day. For now, it is 5 Guys…
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“We like dirty here. I really hope to have … In and Out … one day. For now, it is 5 Guys …”
C’mon, this is begging for a dirty joke. Too bad I’m so goddamned respectful and highbrow.
HA! Man, being naughty is in my BLOOD.
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Smores! And Rice Krispie Treats!
I thought of both of those, but they got the ax for other things…what would you take off? Smores is a really good one.
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I have one on you, I can’t believe it!! Scrapple. I have eaten scrapple many times (hey, my grandaddy was a farmer in Southern MD!) and while I don’t really like to admit that it’s good…it.is.so. good!
Looks like I will be eating scrapple soon myself…
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P.S. You should know that my “Most Visited” folder (a nifty new feature in Firefox 3) contains:
-My office’s homepage
-Gmail
-Google Reader
-Culinary Couture
Damn, must be all that refreshing to see if you’ve posted a reply to my comments.
Nerd alert! And where is J Crew on that list? Don’t tell me you don’t swoon over all the argyle on a daily basis.
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I would take off the booze. Booze can have its own list.
Hmm…a thought…
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im sooo glad shrimp and grits made the cut..its my FAVE..and i made it last night…. i even took pix in case i needed to PROVE to anyone that i do have a few kitchen tricks up my sleeve…
the only thing on the list i have never had is the Rocky Mt Oysters… I’m pretty impressed with myself!
xoxo
I am impressed as well. I must start working on getting some of the things I have not had off the list.
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Margarita
Bellini
Sapporo
007
Mojito
Sloe Screw Up Against the Wall, with a twist
Dirty Vodka Martini
Kir Royale
Stella Artois
White Russian (Caucasian, Dude)
Irish Coffee
Buttery Nipple
Budweiser
Sloe Gin Fizz
Manhattan
Vodka and Pink Lemonade
Guinness
Sangria
That’s what I had last night, anyway.
The Dude abides.
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Good list. I’ve had 92. 93 if you count my own doctored-up ham & cheese sandwich sans cuban bread. But of course that’s not the same, so 92.
Long ago I had an IN-N-Out burger and fries nearly every day for over 3 years, after which I didn’t eat a single burger for 2 years.
EVERY DAY! Please don’t have a heart attack, SD. I will miss you.
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I was in my teens, so no big deal.
I got mega-fat in my teens, so we cannot all do it. Lucky duck.
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Oh, BTW, for the So Good column: I was at Job Lot the other day and took some pictures of foods that terrified me. One was DRIED BEEF. Here’s a description:
Dried beef, also called chipped beef, is thin slices of beef dried and packed to be shelf-stable. It’s been a staple in American pantries for decades, and it’s still popular today. Dried beef in a white sauce with a pinch of cayenne makes an American standard to serve over toast. But that’s just the start of what dried beef can do.
If you’re running low on anything, let me know & I’ll go to the Lot for you.
You can buy chipped beef lots of places… Gross. But who knows…could be tasty.
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I love this list. Only thing I would have done differently – I would have cheated by using “five types of girl scout cookies” as one item rather than thin mints.
Oh, good. I am glad. Wouldn’t you agree that the Thin Mint is the most well-known girl scout cookie?
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fluffernutter is definitely in the top 10 most fun words to say, along with others such as sheboygan, poop, dic-dic (its an african deer, but I can’t say it without giggling), and sassafras.
Speakin of eating lots of in-and-out burgers – you see the article about the guy who has eaten 23,000 bigmacs in the last 36 years? yeah.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/10/big.macs.record.ap/index.html
I did see this burger guy…nuts.
I think it is even more fun to eat fluffernutters than to say it. LOVE them. Of course, with chunky pb.
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Dried beef in a white sauce with a pinch of cayenne makes an American standard to serve over toast.
In the military, it’s known as … well, never mind.
OK, I have no idea what you mean, but I think I am glad for that.
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I am late to this party, but this was fun! I snuck by you on the Omnivore list with 52 items tried, but you’ve won out on the American list: only 85 for me. I can’t decide it that’s good or bad. And…I’m going to say I would remain open to trying any of the foods on the two lists. Some of the stuff that sounds really gross I’ve tried and it’s actually good, so who am I to judge? Rocky Mountain Oysters sound way gross though.
RMO…I’d give it a shot. Who knows. Could be tasty.
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I’ll go where Peter wouldn’t. In the military chipped beef on toast is called Shit on a Shingle.
I love learning new things! Thanks for taking it there, SD.
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I’d say oyster po boy over shrimp po boy… but that’s just me. For what it’s worth, there is an In N’ Out in Napa down by the stripmalls at the bottom of the valley, before you hit the touristy wine country. You can kill two birds with one stone!
This list is making me hungry, but it’s also creeping me out as I’ve eaten most of it and I’m now terrified of dying of heart disease.
I must plan a trip to Napa, stat. I see lots of wine and then drunk binging on double-doubles.
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Space ice cream, perhaps? It’s why I love science.
I have never had space ice cream…but always wanted to. It looks like styrofoam, tasty styrofoam.
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#61 – more specifically, Kenny Roger’s rotisserie chicken
Like your list, I am sure you put in 110% effort. Good work.
Never had KR chicken. Is it really that much better? And thanks!
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For your sake, I hope you were kidding.
Ummm…yah. Kidding.
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I’ve had 81, but I’m giving myself credit for 83. I’ve had grits; I’ve had a Po Boy (in New Orleans, no less), but I can’t eat shrimp or swell up and die.
I would never want you to die. Po Boy def counts.
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If you put lipstick on pigs in a blanket would they still be pigs in a blanket?
And what is DOwntown Manhattan?
Finally, NY pizza yes, NY style pizza no – there are so many places (geographically speaking and DC is one of them) that have no idea what good pizza tastes like and aren’t able to tell where the box ends and the pizza begins.
Soft pretzel? Frosted flakes (they’re grrrrrrrrrreat!!!!)? Pastrami on rye? oreos? Egg salad/chicken salad/tuna salad sandwich? Club sandwich?
As a digression why do people say tuna fish – the fish is not called a tuna fish just tuna and as far as I know there is nothing else called tuna except the fish (and the former coach of the Giants and Jets). Other fish which have fish in their name (swordfish for instance) are always called the whole thing, never just, say, sword. What’s up with that? As I said I digress. Sorry.
Downtown Manhattan is a Manhattan with high end liquor. And as far as pizza goes, I will no longer debate that here. People get so damn bent out of shape about pizza. Eat at 2 Amy’s and try to tell me we don’t have good pizza! And egg salad is on there.
Hmm, tuna fish. Never even thought about it. Good question.
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That is a great list – but beer biscuits with country ham – should be on there
yummmmm
Is that more American that shrimp and grits or buttermilk biscuits and gravy? They are yummm though.
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You MUST do the Garbage plate but only Nick Tahoe’s is worthy of being you first. You need the original. I could see if my family would smuggle one south for you. Although they do not weather well. It would be best if you made the treck.
I think I need to visit a friend who lives in Rochester…not because I want to see him, but because I need to try a garbage plate.
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Ah so *that* is a downtown manhattan? Have had one in fact Anyway great list Would have added cotton candy and chocolate chip cookies – b/c you hardly ever see those abroad.
See how smart I am?
Look at number 7 and 68
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Good article blog. Thank you for your help!
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