Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Regional Cuisine
The East's cuisine mixes myriad cultures, and each region has evolved its
own unique flavor. From seafood in Maine to slow-cooked brisket in Missis-
sippi, you're in for a treat. Tipplers will find the East to be the country's
most spirited side. A booming microbrewery industry has brought artful
beers to every corner of the region, while New York and Virginia give wine
drinkers vintages to appreciate, and Kentucky pours on the bourbon.
Only three states in the nation have an official state pie, and they're all in the east: Indi-
ana (sugar cream pie), Florida (key lime pie) and Vermont (apple pie). Maine lists blue-
berry pie as its 'state dessert,' while Delaware does the same for peach pie.
Local Flavors
NYC: Foodie Heaven
They say that you could eat at a different restaurant every night of your life in New York
City and not exhaust the possibilities. Considering that there are more than 23,000 restaur-
ants in the five boroughs, with scores of new ones opening each year, it's true. Owing to
its huge immigrant population and an influx of over 50 million tourists annually, New
York captures the title of America's greatest restaurant city. Its diverse neighborhoods
serve up authentic Italian food and thin-crust pizza, all manner of Asian food, French
haute cuisine
and classic Jewish deli food, from bagels to piled-high pastrami on rye.
More exotic cuisines are found here as well, from Ethiopian to Scandinavian.
Don't let NYC's image as expensive get to you: the
Zagat Guide
says the average cost
of a meal - including drink, tax and tip - is $48.50. There may be no free lunch in New
York, but compared to other world cities, eating here can be a bargain.
New England: Clambakes & Lobster Boils
New England claims to have the nation's best seafood, and who's to argue? The North At-
lantic Ocean offers up clams, mussels, oysters and huge lobsters, along with shad, bluefish
and cod. The bounty stirs into a mighty fine chowder (soup), for which every seafoood
shack up the coast has its own secret recipe, put to the test during summertime chowder
fests and cook-offs. The clambake is another tradition, where shellfish are buried in a pit
