OK Guys, You asked for it ! I've been a Moderator on the
ROADFOOD . COM website for a decade. Operated by Travel Food Authors Jane and Michael Stern, they have published countless books and magazine articles dealing with local and regional foods and the evolution thereof.
One correction that I must submit about Identifying Mexican Food...twenty years ago I would have agreed that to find good Mexican Food you needed to be in one of the border States...But today with the spread of the Latinos thruout the USA, you can find really good 'Mom & Pop" Mexican places in Minnesota and Maine ! It is no longer a SW-Food !
Now for some regional entries
New England has it's Lobster as Terry has suggested, But Whole-Belly Fried Clams are my suggestion for a regional seafood. What about Red-Flannel Hash? Rhode Island Johnnie-Cakes ? Lobster...but the fight over the correct Lobster Roll recipe goes on forever. One group wants it served hot with melted butter on it, the other group says serve it cold with Mayo. Both agree the top-split toasted hot dog roll is the only thing to use to hold it.
New England Chowder is white, made with milk and cream. Rhode Island Chowder is clear, made with broth, While New York Chowder is a Tomato-soup with stuff in it.
I'll skip NYC as it is a world all it's own, Like L A.
Upstate NY has its Wecks, as mentioned, and "Garbage Plates' Heaping plates full of everything from sausage to potatoes to cabbage and other stuff too. What about the real 'Buffalo Wings" ? Like Mexican, they have gone 'generic' and are nation-wide now.
NJ and PA have the Amish Stuff like Scapple and Shoo-fly-pie. But don't forget the Original Cheese Steaks in Philly and the Roast Pork Sandwiches too. INCLUDE PIAMANTI'S (sp?) in Pittsburg for its massive Sandwiches with the FF's stuffed into the sandwich before serving.
Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay have great Oysters and Crab. Outstanding Crab Cakes Too. and their "PIT BEEF" is great also.
Virginia produces some of the finest Ham in the country.
From there south It is Seafood, BBQ Pork -sub-divided by sauce specialties in NC, SC, and the rest of the South. GRITS got their start here. I love Cheese grits and Shrimp.
FL is like NY and CA, many favorites imported with the migrating groups coming in...Cuban, Kosher, and gulf-coast Oysters !
Louisiana has the CAJUN Stuff. Memphis IS a BBQ center. Have you enjoyed Mississippi fried chicken served with TAMALES? Not Mexican at all. The Tamale is very popular in the Rural Delta area. Kentucky BBQ's Mutton and makes a soupy stew of the leftovers called BURGOO. St Louis fries it's Ravioli, and serves 'Snoot' sandwiches -slices of pig-nose boiled forever then deep-fried and covered with BBQ sauce.
Great Lakes has the Wisconsin Cheese Curds, Brats, Chicago Style Pizza, Michigan Cherries, y favorite soda comes from Wisconsin...SPRECHER'S Cherry Cola. It is great, try it if you find it. Made with real cherries and honey.
Kansas City is my BBQ Center. then south to Texas for more BBQ, but focused on Beef not Pork. Have you done the 'Big-Texan' free 72 oz Steak in Amarillo? Me either, but two of my boys did it in front of me a long time ago. A roadside landmark for travellers
Scones are kinda like Elephant Ears and Funnel Cakes..served with honey or other sweetener, you can find them in a lot of Utah locations. We call them all 'Fair-Food' but to some they are more than that.
PNW has it's own seafood specials.. with the focus on Salmon. And get a huge Baked Potato in Idaho with that fish.
CA is a world of it's own. Examples of every food culture in the world can be found here...from Albanian to Zanzibar. For me, I like "In'n'Out Burgers" & Farmer Boy's Onion Rings and Squash Spears. AND Fresh off the tree fruit of many varieties. Avrocados in everything or plain with a salt-shaker !!!
I haven't mentioned Hawaii or Alaska...but they have their own food cultures too.
OK I am awake and hungry now. Thanks for reading.
AL
I want this Breakfast plate---Bourbon French Toast at LYNNS PARADISE CAFE, Here in Louisville, KY. Made with locally produced Kentucky Bourbon !
Then maybe a quick stop for some BBQ in Lockhart, TX