What things are ubiquitous in your area, but not elsewhere?

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

Around here, it’s chicken barbecues, featuring Cornell Chicken. Around here, you can’t turn a corner on a weekend without running across a church group, fire department, Boy Scout Troop, witches coven, doing a chicken BBQ. When I’ve mentioned this to people from other places, they’re confused.

Cheese curds are another one. Any time I’ve seen a discussion of poutine online, there are always people who ask “....but where do you get cheese curds????” and I think “Holy hell, where don’t you get cheese curds?”. Then it occurs to me that they’re not everywhere/

[Guest]

The chicken bbq’s up here ate more about where the wood came from rather than the chicken. If you get scraps from the AMF plant in Lowville you will do better then those using charcoal or other wood. 

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

11 minutes ago, Zackny said:

where the wood came from

Strictly charcoal here. (Or in my case, as we “speak”, gas). I used to help with the Chicken BBQ for “Old Home Day” in Whitelaw, years ago. Knowing what I know now about food safety, I cringe when remembering that we never re-boiled the marinade before using it to baste.

(And there’s still an AMF plant? 40+ years ago, when I started as a toolmaker, one of the things the place I worked for did was the plastic “shells” for bowling pins).

[Ralphie ★]

We used to have a lot of roadside barbecues and there are still a few down south. I can’t really think of anything that unusual. 

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

Just now, Philander Seabury said:

roadside barbecues

Chicken? 

Any time I’ve mentioned fundraiser Cornell Recipe Chicken BBQs elsewhere, people have no idea what I’m talking about.

[Ralphie ★]

Just now, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

Chicken? 

Any time I’ve mentioned fundraiser Cornell Recipe Chicken BBQs elsewhere, people have no idea what I’m talking about.

Probably more pork. 

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

2 minutes ago, Philander Seabury said:

Probably more pork. 

Mmmm, pork....

[Prophet Zacharia]

3 minutes ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

Chicken? 

Any time I’ve mentioned fundraiser Cornell Recipe Chicken BBQs elsewhere, people have no idea what I’m talking about.

I was born to Cornell Barbecue sauce, with two alumni as parents. 
 

We don’t have much roadside barbecue where I live now. Fries on your sandwich or salad is our local culinary claim to fame, I think.

[Zephyr]

At home (out east) it was always having bread and fancy molasses on the table, I didn't know it was not a thing everywhere until I moved away.

The uniqueness to here (not food related) is the lack of bugs.  No mosquitoes, no blackflies.  I dont think people here understand how unusual it is pretty much everywhere else in Canada

[Ralphie ★]

Just now, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

Mmmm, pork....

Ribs from one of those one time had the effect of colonoscopy prep on me. That sort of put a damper on my enthusiasm for them!  (In fact, Otto Correct put the real word in for ribs but I’ll spare you the tmi.  )

 

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

Just now, Zephyr said:

I didn't know it was not a thing everywhere until I moved away.

That’s how it is when I’ve conversed with others about cheese curds and chicken BBQs. “Wait....they don’t do that everywhere?”

1 minute ago, Zephyr said:

No mosquitoes, no blackflies

Dry year - no mosquitoes. Black flies are long gone.
 

BUT OMG THE DEERFLIES. 🤬

[sheep_herder ★]

Can't really think of anything that does not happen other places in the west.

[Ralphie ★]

My SIL brought me some Cornell cheese curds a while ago. They were ok but not all that different from cheese. 

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

1 minute ago, Philander Seabury said:

Ribs from one of those one time had the effect of colonoscopy prep on me. That sort of put a damper on my enthusiasm for them!  (In fact, Otto Correct put the real word in for ribs but I’ll spare you the tmi.  )

TBH, any BBQ I’ve had around here has been pretty lame and left me going “I could do better”. (But this is NY, not North Carolina). And it’s not just me - we went to a local brewery’s birthday celebration and they had someone do a whole hog. There was another couple we shared a table with - we didn’t know them - and the guy said “Humph, I could do better”. I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

Just now, Philander Seabury said:

They were ok but not all that different from cheese. 

Filthy communist! They go extremely well with beer, both during and after

[Airehead]

Crab cake and ham dinners on the eastern shore. Didn’t know that wasn’t a common fundraiser until I moved to Rochester.   
2 crab cakes, 2 slices of ham
Side of green beans & parsley potatoes
Desserts are extra
Eat-in or Carry-out
$20 a ticket

 

also I never realized other cities made crappy steak hoagies.  First time I order a steak sandwich here it was a piece of steak on a round roll. So weird. 

[Further]

Gun Bash'es are huge here, or were pre shutdown.

[Ralphie ★]

1 minute ago, Airehead said:

also I never realized other cities made crappy steak hoagies.  First time I order a steak sandwich here it was a piece of steak on a round roll. So weird. 

Yeah, steak and hoagie shops is what I should have said. They are mostly pretty good around here. The little local ones are far better than the overhyped Pat’s and Gino’s in south philly. 

[jsharr ★]

Texas red chili . No beans.  

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

11 minutes ago, Airehead said:

First time I order a steak sandwich here it was a piece of steak on a round roll. So weird. 

When we moved here, we went to a restaurant and had what was described on the menu as a “Coney”. My mother said “I grew up two blocks from Coney Island and I never had anything like that.....”

BTW, is the steak sammich you’re referring to what’s known as “Baltimore Pit Beef”? Because I’ve just started making that and SO LOVES it.

EDIT: added linky

[Zephyr]

16 minutes ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

Dry year - no mosquitoes. Black flies are long gone.
 

BUT OMG THE DEERFLIES

We have nothing like that.  When we moved out here and noticed no screens on the windows and asked where they were, the realator looked at me like I was nuts.  My bedromm wibdow has been open since mid may with no screens.  I did see one mosquito last week

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

2 minutes ago, Zephyr said:

I did see one mosquito last week

I live in a swamp, so I count my blessings that it’s been dry enough that it’s deerflies and not the Muckland Air Force.

[Ralphie ★]

4 minutes ago, Zephyr said:

We have nothing like that.  When we moved out here and noticed no screens on the windows and asked where they were, the realator looked at me like I was nuts.  My bedromm wibdow has been open since mid may with no screens.  I did see one mosquito last week

So THAT’S why all the homes there cost a few brazilian dollars!

[Ralphie ★]

2 minutes ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

I live in a swamp, so I count my blessings that it’s been dry enough that it’s deerflies and not the Muckland Air Force.

Hmm, I could never quite put my finger on it, but swamp creature does make sense.

 

[Further]

3 minutes ago, Zephyr said:

We have nothing like that.  When we moved out here and noticed no screens on the windows and asked where they were, the realator looked at me like I was nuts.  My bedromm wibdow has been open since mid may with no screens.  I did see one mosquito last week

Colorado was like that. In NY I had a very good backpacking tent, mostly for bug protection. In Colorado I started just throwing the bag on the thermarest right under the stars

Pa is somewhere between the two.

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

Just now, Philander Seabury said:

swamp creature does make sense.

No. Swamp Thing is tall and muscular. I am not.

[Airehead]

1 hour ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

When we moved here, we went to a restaurant and had what was described on the menu as a “Coney”. My mother said “I grew up two blocks from Coney Island and I never had anything like that.....”

BTW, is the steak sammich you’re referring to what’s known as “Baltimore Pit Beef”? Because I’ve just started making that and SO LOVES it.

EDIT: added linky

No that is Balmore pit beef.  Delicious, not available up here either, but not a hoagie.  

[MoseySusan]

NM burger places: Lottaburger and Bob’s, which has very spicy green chili on their Ranchero burger and very spicy red chili on their chili cheese fries. 
There are a lot of taco trucks parked around town. 

[smudge ★]

Pastys. Best are from Lawry's in Ishpeming. 

Cheese curds are ubiquitous too.

And the deer flies are horrible.

Friday night fish fry.

[MoseySusan]

We can get cheese curds at a couple of places, now. But, I don’t think poutine will supplant chili cheese fries here. 

[Airehead]

8 minutes ago, smudge said:

Pastys. Best are from Lawry's in Ishpeming. 

Cheese curds are ubiquitous too.

And the deer flies are horrible.

Friday night fish fry.

Pastys are like Amish hand pies correct?

[Ralphie ★]

5 minutes ago, roadsue said:

We can get cheese curds at a couple of places, now. But, I don’t think poutine will supplant chili cheese fries here. 

Ah, potato, potahto. 

[Prophet Zacharia]

7 minutes ago, roadsue said:

We can get cheese curds at a couple of places, now. But, I don’t think poutine will supplant chili cheese fries here. 

How about the Fry Bread? Do you have that locally?

[MoseySusan]

5 minutes ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

How about the Fry Bread? Do you have that locally?

Yes. And every restaurant has Indian Taco on the menu. 

[MoseySusan]

8 minutes ago, Philander Seabury said:

Ah, potato, potahto. 

The potato part is the same. In Switzerland we ate rosti, shredded and fried potato smothered with stuff. I had bacon. 

[petitepedal ★]

Northern  MN...pasties..a common food for the miners back in the olden days. LOL my moms were huge..2 maybe 3 to a baking  sheet....

[groupw]

Runzas, Dorothy Lynch salad dressings. Nebraska beef at Steak houses and in cities with meat packing plants, some very good taco trucks!

[shootingstar]

3 hours ago, Zephyr said:

We have nothing like that.  When we moved out here and noticed no screens on the windows and asked where they were, the realator looked at me like I was nuts.  My bedromm wibdow has been open since mid may with no screens.  I did see one mosquito last week

It's like that in Vancouver. But then, we're multiple stories high in a condo. No screens.  I am not sure if it's non-mosquitoes by the shoreline where it's swampy.  

In my opinion, BBQ's in Alberta are a huge deal. Beef is all over the place here...of course.

People talk about having/going to a firepit in Calgary.  I never heard of that in southern Ontario. There's probably more people appreciating bison meat in Alberta...and they should because it's not cheap.  Our area is best for raising bison because of rangeland.  Dearie's son in Toronto, tried selling bison meat in his butcher shop.  Didn't take off...and Torontonians are normally very adventurous foodies.  I think locals needs some education on how to prepare bison so it doesn't turn tough.

Yes, I enjoy properly cooked bison (which doesn't take long). Dearie does a great job. Bison is low-fat and can be tender if you know how not overcook it.

I've met a number of women ..who are longtime prairie residents all their loves.....they love a good steak.

[Parsnip Totin Jack ★]

DC is a weird place. A lot of people here aren’t “from” here. They come from elsewhere. It’s south of Mason Dixon but it’s not the South. We are close to the Chesapeake Bay do crabs and oysters are a thing, but MD things. Half smokes are a DC thing. Half beef half pork sausages served with a chili sauce on top. Bens Chili Bowl is famous for their half smokes. Hip hop, a home grown style of music is also claimed to be DC. A mix of rap and funk. It’s not for everyone, but it is an experience if you get to see a live show. You leave happy. 

[Dottleshead ★]

3 hours ago, Zephyr said:

At home (out east) it was always having bread and fancy molasses on the table, I didn't know it was not a thing everywhere until I moved away.

The uniqueness to here (not food related) is the lack of bugs.  No mosquitoes, no blackflies.  I dont think people here understand how unusual it is pretty much everywhere else in Canada

No mosquitoes? No flies? Come on mate, I don't believe you.

[Zephyr]

1 minute ago, Dottles said:

No mosquitoes? No flies? Come on mate, I don't believe you.

I am telling you, it is a thing here.  I dont know why.  We do a five day back country canoe trip here in early summer, and come out of it without a bite, and no long sleeves or long pants.  My windows and patio door is always open with no screens and no mosquitos.  It is the weirdest thing

[Dottleshead ★]

1 minute ago, Zephyr said:

I am telling you, it is a thing here.  I dont know why.  We do a five day back country canoe trip here in early summer, and come out of it without a bite, and no long sleeves or long pants.  My windows and patio door is always open with no screens and no mosquitos.  It is the weirdest thing

Well, it's like that down here but mainly in the urban areas. My home which buts up against a wooded section has bad mosquitoes and I am not sure where they come from. Must be an underwater stream in that thicket somewhere. Little bastards.

[Further]

We got Pennsyltukians all over the damn place 

[ChrisL]

We are such a cosmopolitan area with a fusion of so many cultures, our food diversity is our thing.

[Randomguy]

6 hours ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

Cheese curds are another one. Any time I’ve seen a discussion of poutine online, there are always people who ask “....but where do you get cheese curds????” and I think “Holy hell, where don’t you get cheese curds?”. Then it occurs to me that they’re not everywhere/

I have never seen cheese curds, this whole fairy tale "curds and whey" thing has never registered except in a "wtf is that supposed to be" kind of way.

[Randomguy]

5 hours ago, Further said:

Colorado was like that. In NY I had a very good backpacking tent, mostly for bug protection. In Colorado I started just throwing the bag on the thermarest right under the stars

 

I tell my daughter about going whole years without so much as one mosquito bite, but I don't think she believes me.  To someone from the east (or midwest), it doesn't compute - they think you are making up some magical fairy land where you don't have to take three showers a day in the summer from the humidity, and any outdoor activity doesn't include 30 or more mosquito bites.

I always slept in a tent, you want a barrier that will slow down the mountain lions, bears, and poison monkeys.

[groupw]

2 hours ago, Randomguy said:

I have never seen cheese curds, this whole fairy tale "curds and whey" thing has never registered except in a "wtf is that supposed to be" kind of way.

That’s cottage cheese. 

[Johnny Come Lately Name]

13 hours ago, roadsue said:

I don’t think poutine will supplant chili cheese fries here

Different tools for different jobs. Chili cheese fries are for during. Poutine is for after drinking.

[Ralphie ★]

7 hours ago, groupw said:

That’s cottage cheese. 

Well why didn't they just SAY that then?  Sheesh!

[jsharr ★]