When you are on the road, you have to eat. Depending on where you end up, a quick snack could mean a trip through the Golden Arches of McDonalds, or a tasty (not) scorpion on a stick from a street stall in Shanghai. But if food is your passion, you are likely to be just as interested in the local food outlets as you are architectural and cultural delights. So which are the top cities in the US for food aficionados?
New Orleans
Food is a huge part of New Orleans life and five of the oldest restaurants in the US can be found in the city, still serving delicious food. Creole cooking rules in New Orleans and crawfish boils are a popular dish. You should also try the alligator sausages, sno-balls, gumbo, jambalaya, and fried chicken.
Chicago
Chicago is famous for its deep dish pizzas, hot dogs and Italian beef. Lots of visitors are happy to eat these delicious dishes all day long, but Chicago is also developing a reputation for fine dining other US cities can’t hope to compete with. Gourmet burgers and fat rice are just two of the popular dishes enjoyed by locals and visitors alike, so if you want to pile on a few pounds, visit Chicago for a week or two.
New York
New York has thousands of eateries. A visit to the Big Apple means you can order pizza by the slice, try some iconic cheesecake, and eat hot dogs. The city has more than its share of Michelin starred restaurants, but it also boasts a huge range of ethnic enclaves, including Chinatown, Koreatown, and Little India. Whatever you fancy eating, you will find a restaurant that serves it somewhere in NYC.
San Francisco
San Francisco is one of the coolest cities in the US, but it also packs a mean punch when it comes to pizza, Chinese-American cuisine and ramen. There are some fabulous restaurants in San Francisco and the locals are always willing to embrace new foods and culinary styles, which shows in the variety of different cuisines on offer.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia is the home of the cheesesteak. Philly’s signature sandwich dish, along with its roast pork sandwiches, is delicious, and something you should chow down on if you end up stopping in the city for a night or two. Philly is also famous for its fine dining and Italian cuisine.
Houston
Houston, deep in the heart of Texas, has a long history of BBQ cuisine. Steaks and BBQ meat are the most popular dishes on local menus, but the city is also developing a reputation for Asian cuisine, in particular Vietnamese, Filipino and Chinese food. Czech food is also available, if you want to try something different.
Once you have sampled the food in the top foodie cities, try out some of the lesser known ones. An Indianapolis restaurant might not be top of your list of places to eat, but the city is developing a great reputation for artisan food and the Spoke and Steele is well worth a try if you are passing through Indy.
