Full Disclosure, I've never actually been to Plattsburgh. I’m telling you this because a part of me feels like a fraud as I typically travel to the birthplace of a foodigenous before writing about it. And even though it’s only a little over a 5 hour drive up the New York State Thruway from me, for some reason I keep putting off trekking for a Michigan, the regional steamed hot dog slathered in seasoned chopped beef that’s neither a chili dog, Texas weiner or coney. Did you happen to catch that part about Plattsburgh being in New York, but it's called a Michigan dog? That’s weird right? I ..read more

Despite the fact my father was born in Williamsburg, I’m really a bit of a Brooklyn virgin. I’m not saying BK and I never shared a few moments of heavy petting and some over the clothes stuff but other than a handful of concerts, fancy cocktails shaken by well-quaffed mixologists and a spin on the Wonder Wheel, I'm a noob. I needed to reach out to the experts before starting my trek into NYC's most populated borough for pizzagaina, a savory Easter pie filled with ricotta, Pecorino Romano and a variety of salty Italian meats baked inside a flaky crust. ,,Fortunato Brothers, Mazzola, Frank ..read more

Well I made it, despite your directions. I hope you’re prepared for an incredible story about my unique lunch in the steamed hamburger capital of the country. But first, I'd like to clear up a common misconception I've been hearing ever since I started researching this foodigenous. Don’t confuse steamed ham with those addictive White Castle sliders, you know the ones with the tiny pin holes in the patties that you can eat twenty at a sitting and then twenty minutes later has you sitting again. You know what I mean. White Castle's "steamed cooking" is really just a bit of creative advertising ..read more

I don’t know what's more intriguing, the fact that there’s a Baltimore foodigenous named lake trout that’s neither from a lake nor trout or finding out that there are no natural lakes at all in Maryland. I can accept the food misnomer. I’m fully aware of the successful conspiracy by thousands of caterers to change the name of the Patagonian Toothfish to the sexier sounding Chilean Sea Bass. But learning about the no lakes thing…well that’s the type of shit that will have me waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Enough With The Suspense, What Is Lake Trout?! If you ever wa ..read more

Shrove Tuesday, you may know it better as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, is the last day of indulgence before a 40-day fast known as Lent. And it, without a doubt, makes my Top 5 Eves before a Christian holy day list. Not because I’m religious, I’m not. I just like how it reminds me of that day before any of my planned diet starts, when I eat all my favorites one last time, like I'm being sent to the electric chair. And the donuts, I really like the donuts. For hundreds of years, Christian cultures throughout the world have prepared for their lengthened fast by “emptying the cupboards” of all thei ..read more

You know that feeling you get, when a mysterious loner moves into town and suddenly one by one, people start dying. No one even fathoms the possibility that he could be the murderer, but your gut tells you otherwise. Like you are the only one that can see the truth. That’s how I feel every time I read about the regional hot dog style known as a Texas Tommy, an admittedly tasty wiener, split down the middle and topped with crisp bacon and melted cheese on a roll, blindly accepted to have been invented in Pottstown Pennsylvania sometime in the 1950’s. I don't believe it! I've read all ..read more

I originally intended to post this story about Fudgie the Whale in November, but I couldn’t get my ish together in time for my actual birthday, so I decided to shelf it until next year. But then I got to thinking and what better time to drop a story about the country’s greatest ice cream cake than during the 12 days of the “Big Guy’s” birthday celebration. Am I right?  But “that” thinking, got me to even more thinking and I’m just gonna say it. “Why isn’t birthday cake a Christmas “thing”. You have geese laying eggs, leaping lords and pipers piping, but no birthday cak ..read more

I’ve been doing this food blogging thing for a little over 3 years so I wouldn't exactly consider myself a culinary expert, but I can tell you one thing with certainty; just because a restaurant invented a foodigenous, doesn’t always make it the best. There’s been more than a few times that I’ve trekked to the original spot for something, only to find out that it’s , "ehh okay, I guess". That’s not the case with New Orleans’ Charbroiled Oysters. While there are an abundance of charred bivalve molluck options thoughout the Big Easy, it’s my humble opinion that ,,Drago’s Seafood stands hea ..read more

I lived in South Jersey until I was 7 yet never tried scrapple despite its local popularity. I guess I cared more about putting jimmies on my ice cream at that age. So, I had my work cut out for me when writing about this regional breakfast meat made from the ground scraps of pork skins, organs, lips & hiney holes. The offal mixture is cooked down to a gelatinous mush and mixed with varying specks of seasoning. Corn meal and/or buck flour is added to thicken, and the porcine goop is poured into a mold where it settles into a semi firm loaf. It's ultimately sliced and cooked to a crispy pe ..read more

We’re all grown-ups here right, so I’m just going to say it. There are some nasty sounding foods out there that people enjoy in spite of their foul names. Take shit on a shingle or head cheese for example. Kinda gross right? And unless you’re into geriatric porn, what business does anyone have sinking their teeth into a spotted dick? Who's eating that? But call me a hypocrite because I recently drove over 5 hours to just to try Rochester New York’s filthy monikered Garbage Plate and I’m glad I did it. This pile of deliciousness was "invented" in 1918 by Alexander Tahou at his restaurant West ..read more