A warm pepperoni roll in a paper bag is a lunch many West Virginians grew up on. Most know how it tastes. Fewer know the history behind it. Here are some pepperoni roll facts that might be new even to longtime fans. 1. USDA’s 1987 Threat Pepperoni roll bakeries faced a federal threat in 1987….
Bring a friend from out of state to dinner in Missouri, and you might spend half the meal explaining the menu. Plenty of locals in St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield know the feeling. Here are the dishes that can leave outsiders asking questions. 1. St. Paul Sandwich Your St. Paul sandwich arrives as a…
Your server calls in your hashbrowns, and they land just the way you asked. Floridians who slide into a booth at Waffle House may never notice the system that makes it happen. Here’s what the cooks wish you knew about what goes on after you order. 1. Plate Code Waffle House cooks use a plate-marking…
Ask for a Garbage Plate in Manhattan, and you may get a blank stare. Upstate New Yorkers grew up on several local favorites that never made a trip down the Thruway. Here’s a taste of the upstate dishes that your downstate friends are missing out on. 1. Spiedies Spiedies are skewered chunks of marinated meat,…
Cheese or no cheese? At some tables, that’s a loaded question. Ask South Carolinians how they like their shrimp and grits, and you may not hear the same answer twice. These are the shrimp and grits preferences that start arguments among locals. 1. Stone-Ground Grits Shrimp and grits begins with the grits, and the mill…
Glance at a map, and the Upper Peninsula looks like it should belong to Wisconsin. Yet it’s Michigan’s, and that took some serious back-and-forth in the 1830s. Here’s the story behind one of the Midwest’s oddest-looking borders. The Line From 1787 Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance on July 13, 1787. It said the Northwest Territory…
You ask a new coworker across the country to grab you some Nabs, and they look at you like you’re crazy. Lots of North Carolina words and foods feel perfectly normal right up until you’re somewhere else. Here are the Tar Heel favorites that only stand out once you’re far from home. 1. Cheerwine Cheerwine…
By the time you hit Culver’s counter, you’ve probably already decided what you’re getting. Many Wisconsinites go off script. Here’s what they order that out-of-staters often don’t think to try. 1. Chili Cheddar Fries Culver’s tops its Crinkle Cut Fries with George’s Chili and Wisconsin cheddar cheese sauce, and the menu calls the result Chili…
Order a sloppy joe at a North Jersey diner, and you might be in for a surprise. New Jerseyans who’ve been eating at diners their whole lives don’t think twice about it, but visitors often do. Here’s what the regulars get, so you can order like one next time. 1. Pork Roll, Egg, and Cheese…
If white barbecue sauce at a cookout doesn’t faze you, we’re willing to bet you’re from Alabama. Here are the signs that instantly give away someone who grew up in the Yellowhammer state. 1. County Numbers on Plates Alabama license plates carry a number that names their home county. The code gives the first three…
