Emma Myers
We all know the classic Southern staples – fried chicken, barbecue and collard greens. It seems like everybody’s grandmama has their own unique mac and cheese recipe, loaded with deliciously crispy cheese and made with love. To me, nothing screams, “South!” more than eating biscuits and gravy on your front porch or sipping sweet tea with enough sugar in it to make your dentist have a heart attack.
As pleasant as that scene may be to some, I get just a tad queasy thinking about it. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy a good Chick-Fil-A sandwich as much as the next person, but is it honestly God’s chicken? Is Olive Garden really the best Italian food America has to offer? I think not.
Me personally, I spent the first 10 years of my life in Upstate New York, only 30 minutes from the state capital. For me, that meant diners, delis and deliciousness. My family would gather at the Blue Ribbon Restaurant and Bakery in Schenectady, New York, for the best breakfast you could ever have. If we were on the go, we’d pick up fresh bagels from Bruegger’s. In my opinion, a delicatessen can’t call itself that unless it’s either kosher or run by Italians. In fact, my Jewish grandfather flat out refused to go to any other fakakta deli that wasn’t Gershon’s, where he and my father would get kosher hotdogs, pickles drenched with garlic and Pepsi sodas for no more than 20 bucks total.
Outside of that, the Northeast is home to what I consider the best Chinese and Italian restaurants in the Western Hemisphere. Every time my brother and I visit my father and stepmom in New Hampshire, we try to go to Sugarcane, a phenomenal Chinese and Vietnamese restaurant 20 minutes out from Boston. When my grandfather was still alive, my entire family would go to Armando’s Villa Tuscan Grill in Rotterdam, New York, where he was on a first-name basis with the owner, Joanne.
In New York City, you can’t walk more than a city block without passing a standalone pizzeria. In fact, immediately after checking into our hotel across from the UN headquarters during a vacation, my mother and I stumbled upon La Trattoria Pizza, where we had the best pizza of our lives. Ironically, it was across the street from a deli market, where we bought bagels for the next day, and shampoo which my mother forgot to pack.
In addition to better restaurants, New York State has a superior gas station chain. While everyone down here goes crazy for Buc-ee's pulled pork and beaver nuggets, New York is home to Stewart’s. If you needed cheap gas, you went to Stewart’s. If you needed cards for your weekly poker game, you went to Stewart’s. If you ran out of milk, you picked it up from local farmers in your local Stewart’s. If you wanted a quick and easy lunch, you picked up a peanut butter and jelly hard roll from Stewart’s. If you wanted delicious and locally made ice cream, you went to Stewart’s, where the toppings are always free.
When it comes to food, the North clearly reigns supreme over the South. However, there is something that both regions share – community. When you sit down for dinner at your grandmama’s house for dinner in the South, you share laughter in addition to food. She swallows you in a bear hug, maybe plants a kiss on your cheek and lightly forces two or three servings down your throat.
Up North, everybody knows your name. Every time we went to the Blue Ribbon with my grandfather, one of the owners stopped by our table to catch up with him and my family. Then, we usually would be served by Maureen, who my family has known since 1985. Whenever we visit now, we always get recognized and greeted. The last time we went to Armando’s, the owner Joanne took one look at me and said, “I can’t believe how grown up you are! I remember when your father brought you in as a baby!”
Overall, there is no doubt as to whose cuisine reigns supreme. Despite the North surpassing Southern tastes, you will be greeted with familiarity and hospitality wherever you go.
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