Southern Food Vs. Northern Food (Charleston, York: coupons, living, restaurant)

[imperieux]

Well, the problem is that "Northern" food (and are you are implying food from the Northeast?) is as varied as the European immigrants that settled there. There's really no "one type" of cuisine.

The north has given us:

New York Cheesecake
New York Strip Steak (especially at Delmonico's)
Steak Diane
Eggs Benedict
Egg Creams
Calzones,Panzarottis and Stromboli
Gyros and Souvlaki
Italian Ice
Philadelphia Cheesesteaks
Philadelphia Soft Pretzels
Taylor Ham/Pork Roll and Scrapple
Italian Sausage and Peppers
Bagels, Lox and Cream Cheese
New York Pastrami
Maryland Crab Cakes
Funnel Cakes
Tomato Pie


.. and I'm sure I'm forgetting many others.

And then of course there is NJ Diner Food which is a whole other paragraph in itself.

That is Northern food to me, but I spent most of my life living in NY/NJ/PA. I have to admit I love the variety of food that I was exposed to while living there.

Now I'm hungry.

[southernmeltdown]

i crisscross the country every week and almost every state and every region gives me a new food to enjoy but when push comes to shove i can't wait to get back home to real southern home cooking many try to duplicate it but if you are not from here you just can't cook it right.

[scyogi]

Shrimp and grits are pretty much a southern thing. Although I did find them once on a menu here in Dallas. Also, I prefer the mexican food in the southern states much more than I do the ones here in Dallas. They do not have white cheese dip--grrr! I get to come home next week for a visit and I am going straight from the airport to get my fix.

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by imperieux

Well, the problem is that "Northern" food (and are you are implying food from the Northeast?) is as varied as the European immigrants that settled there. There's really no "one type" of cuisine.

The north has given us:

New York Cheesecake
New York Strip Steak (especially at Delmonico's)
Steak Diane
Eggs Benedict
Egg Creams
Calzones,Panzarottis and Stromboli
Gyros and Souvlaki
Italian Ice
Philadelphia Cheesesteaks
Philadelphia Soft Pretzels
Taylor Ham/Pork Roll and Scrapple
Italian Sausage and Peppers
Bagels, Lox and Cream Cheese
New York Pastrami
Maryland Crab Cakes
Funnel Cakes
Tomato Pie


.. and I'm sure I'm forgetting many others.

And then of course there is NJ Diner Food which is a whole other paragraph in itself.

That is Northern food to me, but I spent most of my life living in NY/NJ/PA. I have to admit I love the variety of food that I was exposed to while living there.

Now I'm hungry.

You are really making me hungry. Do you remember the little jukeboxes at each table at the old Jersey diners?

[Mrs. P]

Originally Posted by Colddiamond102

Ok, this is just for the sake of a FUN argument.

Which one is most preferred out of these two regions, Northern Food (I.e Scrapple, hashbrowns, bagels, etc)

- OR-

Southern Food- (I.e Fried Chicken, Collard Greens, Grits, Biscuits 'n Gravy)

Personally...I prefer Southern, with some exceptions of course.

I refuse to eat chitlins, pigs feet, or hash. (Thats different from hash browns)

Also, does anyone know of a food that is limited to a specific area in the North (i.e Pennsylvania, New York, etc) or South (South Carolina, Tennessee, etc)?

I lived in the North for 52 years and never once ate Scrapple nor knew anyone that ever did. Bagels are not a big deal either. I'm talking about the Midwest. Take their food over Southern anyday. ESPECIALLY MILK. What is it with the milk down here? It's horrible. I can barely eat a bowl of cereal.
In the midwest hashbrowns are not usually prefered, they are fried too dark often and well yucky...we prefer homefries..they're more moist and if done properly not 1/2 as greasy as hashbrowns. But if I had my choice? And I of course can't find them here, I'd have potato cakes.

I prefer the food in my area of the Midwest, because it was mainly European based.
When all the immigrants came to the NE and Midwest to work in the steel factories, auto factories, trucking companys, and mostly the rubber companies, they brought with them, the most delicious food one could ever hope for. They were and are fabulous cooks. I'll never be able to cook the way they could, and man do I miss their little hometown restaurants....badly.
Those women in the kitchen couldn't speak a lick of English and everything and I mean everything was made from scratch.

I also lived 20 miles away from the largest Amish community in the entire world. Amish..real Amish, not Mennonite. Talk about good food...simply some of the best.

My husband was born and raised in Charlotte, but moved to the midwest when he was 28 and stayed until his death at 49. He absoultely went nuts for the food.

[Lakewooder]

Originally Posted by imperieux

Well, the problem is that "Northern" food (and are you are implying food from the Northeast?) is as varied as the European immigrants that settled there. There's really no "one type" of cuisine.

The north has given us:

New York Cheesecake
New York Strip Steak (especially at Delmonico's)
Steak Diane
Eggs Benedict
Egg Creams
Calzones,Panzarottis and Stromboli
Gyros and Souvlaki
Italian Ice
Philadelphia Cheesesteaks
Philadelphia Soft Pretzels
Taylor Ham/Pork Roll and Scrapple
Italian Sausage and Peppers
Bagels, Lox and Cream Cheese
New York Pastrami
Maryland Crab Cakes
Funnel Cakes
Tomato Pie


.. and I'm sure I'm forgetting many others.

And then of course there is NJ Diner Food which is a whole other paragraph in itself.

That is Northern food to me, but I spent most of my life living in NY/NJ/PA. I have to admit I love the variety of food that I was exposed to while living there.

Now I'm hungry.

I would trade all those for a good chicken-fried steak or great Tex-Mex -- here in Dallas you can have both at the same time at Matt's in Lakewood:

Guidelive.com

" Chicken-fried steak puts the "Tex" in Tex-Mex, whether served country-style (smothered in cream gravy and accompanied by fries and Texas toast) or cowboy-style (topped with chili, cheese and onions and served with beans and rice). The huge portion lives up to its "monster" designation; even a more modest lunch order featured a generous fork-tender piece of beef sheathed in a crispy, golden batter coating. "

[Mrs. P]

Originally Posted by imperieux

Well, the problem is that "Northern" food (and are you are implying food from the Northeast?) is as varied as the European immigrants that settled there. There's really no "one type" of cuisine.

The north has given us:

New York Cheesecake
New York Strip Steak (especially at Delmonico's)
Steak Diane
Eggs Benedict
Egg Creams
Calzones,Panzarottis and Stromboli
Gyros and Souvlaki
Italian Ice
Philadelphia Cheesesteaks
Philadelphia Soft Pretzels
Taylor Ham/Pork Roll and Scrapple
Italian Sausage and Peppers
Bagels, Lox and Cream Cheese
New York Pastrami
Maryland Crab Cakes
Funnel Cakes
Tomato Pie


.. and I'm sure I'm forgetting many others.

And then of course there is NJ Diner Food which is a whole other paragraph in itself.

That is Northern food to me, but I spent most of my life living in NY/NJ/PA. I have to admit I love the variety of food that I was exposed to while living there.

Now I'm hungry.

AMEN....my co-worker from Long Island and myself from the Northern Midwest were just discussing this.....WHERE'S THE DINERS AT???????????????? we miss them. The only thing I miss from home is the wonderful variety of food. I was looking for noodles to make chicken paprikash when I first moved down here 3 years ago....everyone said "what's chicken paprikash?" sigh...When I went home for a visit, the first thing I did was hit a restaurant that is famous for this dish....yummy

[Jason0711]

I grew up in NC and live in VA. My question is... who in their right minds would dare say northern food is anywhere near as good as southern food?

[Colddiamond102]

Originally Posted by Geechie North

I agree with the terms "Northern" and "Southern" being way too broad. Since I'm a specialist (I eat and don't cook), I'll go with the two subtypes I know best:

Upper Midwest vs Charlestonian.

Both were determined largely by the immigrants (Charleston is African and English; Upper Midwest is primarily German and Scandanavian) and climate.

For example, except for wild rice (different species from the white rice of the Coastal South), the potato is the main staple of the Midwest. Then throw in sauerkraut, perch, whitefish or Walleye (the main Lake species) and veggies-corn, peas, and kohlrabi. If you want more traditional fare, it would be something like lefse, lutefisk, actually a poison to which Norwegians have a genome specific immunity (that's an attempt at humor.) or the infamous Bratwurst of Lambeau Field.

Charleston fare is obviously different. The okra, goobers, and rice (white variety) arrived with the Africans. Mix in the ocean catches and you have Hoppin' John, She crab soup, gumbo, and shrimp perleau- all of which I can consume in vast quantities but cannot make.

Fyi, if you doubt the African influence on Charleston food, then travel to Brazil for their national dish- Hoppin' John (only they call it Feijoada).

Say "Thank you" to the Yoruba every time you eat Lowcountry cuisine.

-Grins- Im well aware of the African influence on my favorite foods, and I thank them very much every time I take a bite.

[Colddiamond102]

Originally Posted by Mrs. P

AMEN....my co-worker from Long Island and myself from the Northern Midwest were just discussing this.....WHERE'S THE DINERS AT???????????????? we miss them. The only thing I miss from home is the wonderful variety of food. I was looking for noodles to make chicken paprikash when I first moved down here 3 years ago....everyone said "what's chicken paprikash?" sigh...When I went home for a visit, the first thing I did was hit a restaurant that is famous for this dish....yummy

Not trying to be a smart-alec..but what is it? And what is this Lox stuff that Imperieux was talking about?

Gee I sound stupid..but Ive never heard of it.