The Daily Meal's All-American Summer Menu
Try coming up with a list of the most quintessentially American foods and it's likely that one of the strongest associations is going to be apple pie. It's an expression for crying out loud. But what other things round out a menu of all-American dishes? Hamburgers, to be sure. And hot dogs — there's a hot dog eating contest on Independence Day. What else? Pizza, barbecue, French Fries? Do lobster rolls make the cut? Why not? So where are the country's best renditions of these classics?
Experts with deep pockets, years of firsthand research, and tons of self-righteous, in-the-know opinions have spent time tasting, researching, debating, and pontificating these matters. Here's a look at what they've found. Consider this a checklist of American classics.
HOT DOGS
Double dog at Chicago's Wiener's Circle.
Connecticut and New York City may protest a little, but Chicago is a safe place to start any conversation about hot dogs. Chicagoans take their hot dogs pretty seriously (the whole never-put-ketchup-on-a-hot-dog philosophy thing). And if you take Ed Levine's word for it, you won't have to go far as soon as you fly into the city to find not only Illinois' best hot dog, but also the best one in the country. Earlier this year the Serious Eater named Gene & Jude's the country's best hot dog in a piece for Every Day with Rachael Ray. Chicago icons Hot Doug's and Superdawg didn't even make it to the number two spot, which was given to Aqui con El Nene.
Of course, plenty of people would beg to differ. Still, many of the same dogs made Travel + Leisure's list of America's 17 best hot dogs: Walter's, Fab Hot Dogs, The Wieners Circle, Rawley's, Superdawg, Crif Dogs, Boccalone Salumeria, Gray's Papaya, 4505 Dogs, Ben's Chili Bowl, Hot Dog Heaven, The Red Hot, Flo's, Shake Shack, Pink's, Original New York Systems, and Hot Doug's. No love for Long Island original, Bonanza's, in business for 115 years, or Super Duper Weenie.
Short List: Superdawg, Pink's, Gene & Jude's
HAMBURGERS
Epicurious named Holeman & Finch's burger as one of the country's best.
Talk about where to find the best burgers in America and you're likely to start a fight. Everyone's got an opinion on this one. Alan Richman chose the sirloin burger at Le Tub, Epicurious named 12 of the country's best but didn't rank them, Travel + Leisure did the same thing when picking their top 10, Delish noted their 25 picks, which ranged from Minetta Tavern to In-N-Out. There's Zagat's pick: Five Guys (eyeroll), and Men's Fitness really pissed off Ed Levine with its list featuring Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien as the best in the U.S.
When it comes to discussing burger experts, things get less contentious. There are few people as well-versed and respected on the subject of hamburgers as George Motz, author and director of the book and the film Hamburger America. The new edition of George Motz's Hamburger America was recently published and there are 52 important new additions — burgers from across the country at places that have perfected their craft. But before you even start with those, consider Motz's 25 Essential U.S. Burgers Checklist — 25 burgers you really need to eat. These aren't necessarily the country's best burgers but they're the most essential. And for Motz's list there is no shortlist. (Read an interview with George Motz).
FRIED CHICKEN
Momofuku Noodle Bar's Fried Chicken Dinner.
Can anything stop fried chicken? Even Tom Colicchio's new restaurant Riverpark serves it. And like pizza there are some questions about categories here. There's the fried chicken-Korean fusion exemplified by Bon Chon and Momofuku. Does that get figured in? Are we talking pure fried chicken — just who makes the best fried dark meat? Or are we including white gravy in the equation too? What about the best fried chicken and waffles combo?
• Travel + Leisure singled out Restaurant Eugene
• Yahoo Travel's list was topped by Crisp
• USA Today named the Inn at Blackberry Farm
• Serious Eats bugged out about Bon App's list and named Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken
• Southern Living listed seven places including Babe's Chicken Dinner House and Gladys Knight and Ron Winans Chicken & Waffles
Short List: Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, Inn at Blackberry Farm, Restaurant Eugene
BARBECUE
Barbecue at Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, Mo. (Photo: Flickr/mediafury).
This category may be more fraught with danger than any other here. Declaring the best barbecue kind of means you're sure about which regional style is also the best. Travel + Leisure has of course reliably weighed in if with yet another unranked piece, this one by the Lee Bros. They visited Oklahoma Joe's and Arthur Bryant's among many other barbecue joints in a 36-year-old, 6,000-pound 1972 Buick Limited that they bought just for this purpose (must be a nice expense account).
John Mariani noted his own highlights last year: Lexington Barbecue, The Rendezvous, Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse, Goode Co. Barbeque, C & K Barbecue, and Arthur Bryant's. But you almost want to discount him altogether for giving Sylvia's a nod when the only thing it should be noted for is nostalgia. Epicurious listed its own best barbecue spots: Oklahoma Joe's Barbecue, Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, Allen & Son Barbecue, and Kreuz Market. Jane and Michael Stern noted their own interesting list of America's best barbecue. And of course, Food & Wine has its own list of new great barbecue spots. These all leave off a bunch of classics that come together every year at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party in New York City (Big Bob Gibson's anyone?). Is it too much to ask for a 100 best ranking from someone who knows what they're talking about?
While barbecue wasn't the focus of The Daily Meal's 101 Best Restaurants, six beloved 'cue joints did make list. Arthur Bryant's, The Pit, Kreuz Market, Lambert's Downtown Barbecue, 17th Street Bar & Grill, and Oklahoma Joe's. Click here to watch The Daily Meal's Best Barbecue Restaurants in America Slideshow.
Short List: Oklahoma Joe's Barbecue, Arthur Bryant's, Kreuz Market
LOBSTER ROLLS
The Lobster Roll and the patio deck at Red's Eats in Wiscasset, Maine.
Lobster rolls are more of a Northeast tradition than a national institution, but their geographical reach and popularity doesn't seem to be cresting. They're also so inextricably linked to summer it would be criminal not to highlight them. Tasting Table named their picks for New York City's best lobster roll last year (Luke's) but somehow managed not to include either Pearl or Mary's, a major oversight (or overslight). Travel + Leisure's list of Maine's best lobster rolls last year was more thorough. There's a more comprehensive list of Boston's best lobster rolls from Boston Magazine in 2006 (a tie between B&G Oysters and Neptune Oyster).
Having worked in kitchens at two of New York City's well-known lobster roll joints, Pearl, and Ed's Lobster Bar, I've made a fair number of rolls, and tasted enough in New York City and Maine to go ahead and weigh in on this one. Luke's is a good roll, but it's not New York City's best. That's a toss-up between Pearl, Mary's, and Red Hook Lobster Pound. In Maine, it's all about Red's. Sometimes there's a good reason why the conventionally accepted favorite is number one.
Short List: Red's, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Pearl, B&G Oysters
PIZZA
A slice at South Brooklyn Pizza in the East Village.
You can debate this for days and it could get ugly. Blood could be spilled — marinara at least. Think about Sam Sifton's near criminally negligent statement in his Motorino review, "It serves the city's best pizza." Aren't there different categories that should be considered? Best Neapolitan pizza? Best slice? Best New York City-style pizza? Best artisanal pizza? Best grandma pizza? But that's the fun of these things isn't it?
As noted above, in New York, the true pizza capital of the world (Old Forge is a pretender and deep dish is a casserole), the city's most powerful critic, Sifton, singled out Motorino. That was seconded by Serious Dieter Ed Levine who named it with Pizzeria Mozza as a runner-up to Pizzeria Bianco for the title of Best Pizza in America in a contest judged with Adam Kuban for Every Day With Rachael Ray. Levine in turn seconded Alan Richman's top pick on his list of 25 best pizzas: Great Lake in Chicago (Brooklyn's Lucali, and Pizzeria Delfina in San Francisco round out Richman's top three). So, are these better than Frank Pepe, which made The Daily Meal's list of 101 Best Restaurants in America? And what about Una Pizza Napoletana, DiFara, Roberta's, Pizza Moto, Co., South Brooklyn, or a slice at Joe's? Maybe someone needs to revisit the New Haven Pizza Primer.
Short List: Motorino, Great Lake, Pizzeria Bianco, Frank Pepe
APPLE PIE
The pie at Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago, Wis. (Photo courtesy All's Fare Food Blog_Karin_Balke).
Crust, butter, salt, flakiness, tartness, sweetness, gooeyness, the kind of apples — many factors contribute to deciding what makes the best apple pie. And they're all important. After all, does it get more American? Probably not. So what do the experts say?
• Elegant Farmer's baked apple pie features mounds of juicy sweet-tart apples baked in a paper bag with a crunchy crust and an old-school bottom crust. It's a favorite of The Wall Street Journal, a pick seconded by The Huffington Post.
• HuffPo noted several other apple pie stars: Fresh Baked Apple Pie from GW Fins Restaurant, Mom's Apple Pie, Jones Restaurant, and House of Butter.
• Just last month PETA named its pick for the nation's best apple pie. According to them Sublime's apple crumb pie à la mode is the best vegan pie in America.
• Andrew Knowlton of Bon Appétit noted 10 of the best places for pie in the U.S. on Yahoo! Shine
Some top apple pies? Ones at Pielab in Greensboro, Ala., The Apple Pan, L.A.
• Just last October Travel + Leisure noted two exceptional apple pies, the vanilla salted caramel apple pie at Random Order Coffee, in Portland, Ore., and one at Judy's Gourmet Garage in Bayfield, Wis.
Short List: Elegant Farmer's, PieLab, and Random Order Coffee
ICE CREAM
Dippin' Dots ice cream (Photo courtesy Flickr/acme).
Dippin' Dots, soft-serve, frozen yogurt, or conventional ice cream, whether it's Dairy Queen, Friendly's, Carvel, or some other regional favorite, when it comes to iconic summer desserts, this is it. There are tons of great ice cream parlors across the country. Old-school spots and roadside custard stands that serve hard-shell chocolate covered soft-serve cones and ice cream sundaes that drip all over little kids' faces and hands, and sundaes you'll be thinking about for years to come. But which are the best?
A decade ago Corby Kummer picked Toscanini's in Cambridge, Mass., for Travel + Leisure. Both Food & Wine and Time noted Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams in Columbus, Ohio. Bon Appétit's pick in 2009 was Sweet Republic in Scottsdale, Ariz., and a year later, Cafe Home in Los Angeles.
Short List: Toscanini's, Jenni's Splendid Ice Creams, Cafe Home
2011's All-American Summer Menu Notables:
Hamburgers: Motz's 25 Essential U.S. Burgers Checklist
Hot Dogs: Superdawg, Pink's, Gene & Jude's
Fried Chicken: Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, Inn at Blackberry Farm, Restaurant Eugene
Pizza: Motorino, Great Lake, Pizzeria Bianco
Barbecue: Oklahoma Joe's Barbecue, Arthur Bryant's, Kreuz Market
Lobster Rolls: Red's, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Pearl, B&G Oysters
Apple Pie: Elegant Farmer's, PieLab, and Random Order Coffee
Ice Cream: Toscanini's, Jenni's Splendid Ice Creams, Cafe Home
Think something is missing from this list? Chime in with your favorites!