I've heard of (and sampled) Tru-Ade, Nu-Grape, RC Cola, and Yoo-Hoos. I've never heard of Moxie.

What is it? Where is it common?

Moxie is a soft drink that is only available in Maine (and maybe a few isolated pockets in New England). I tried one sip and tossed it. Kind of like a cross between cola and cough syrup.

What about biscuits and gravy? Mmmm.

All these responses, and yet, nobody's mentioned...

Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam--wonderful Spam!

And Hostess Twinkies, too.

Vernor's. A&W Root Beer -- or better yet, root beer floats.

What about tuna cake ?

California Cuisine. Last night's prix fixe menu at Chez Panisse in Berkeley:

Warm salad of chicories, duck confit, and marinated beets
Artichoke ravioli with ricotta and thyme
Spit-roasted Niman Ranch rib eye with tarragon sauce, sautéed rapini, crispy potato pancake,and Chino Ranch carrots
Silver lime soup with blood oranges, Oro Blanco, and candied kumquats

let us not forget, boston, baked Beans.

Nice try Susan but that chef/owner apprenticed in France. That is hardly American cuisine she is serving up, yummy as it sounds.

ggg, Alice Waters started the movement of the "new" American cooking with the French concept of "terroir" which is simply cooking with the LOCAL produce.

Virginia Brand Ham, brown sugar ham, Boston Market Rotisserie chicken, native american fried bread.

Obviously California cuisine is heavily French influenced ("Chez Panisse," duh). But is artichoke ravioli a classic French dish? Alice Waters has taken French cuisine and the influence of other Med cuisines and Californiaized it (is that a word?). Anyhow, it is accepted as a gigantic food trend that since Waters opened her doors has swept through the US. For many Americans, their idea of French food is really Waters' twist on it. One of the most popular items on the Chez Panisse upstairs menu is calzone, hardly French and not made with the traditional Italian ingredients either. How else to define it but as California cuisine?

One of Alice's virtues - always cook the freshest ingredients obtained locally, at their peak. This of course led her to discover and cultivate boutique farmers, and to encourage them to branch out and grow new products. She was responsible for much of the asian ingredients grown in CA. Her preparations were not especially complex - just take a look at her cookbook. She obviously knew a great deal about french and italian cooking - italian even today follows the same priniciple of daily shopping for only the freshest, in season. Many of the better french restaurants also follow this practice. Her trait was regional, not the wine terroir, which can be micro in designation. Her ability to bring out regional influenced the chefs who would later develop the SW style, hence Coyote. Also, Florida cooking, such as Mark Miller. More could be said about other areas. It is interesting it is called CA cooking, but only because it took place there, perhaps.

burgers & fries

Susan do you know a chef that does not make fresh ingredients a priority. I have never seen a chef not focus on this in interviews. But I guess before Waters it was lauri's salt and canned berne sauce.

I know you want to root for the home team but you are ignoring a number of influential European chefs that are currently working and have worked here. I just don't think California surpasses NY on the food scene. While I know a lot of interesting things are happening in Califonia. And I certainly feel that there is a health enthusiasm for innovative cuisine. I don't think it is the leading inspiration for the countries chefs.

Glad you had a good experience but your food conclusions really are far reaching. The golden age of food that we are in right not around the world is the product many great chefs and the end of a happy economy.

And P.S I do not live in California but I would venture to say that the cuisine is more heavily influenced by Asia and Mexico than French. Not just discussing everyone’s big night out but regular diets.

Scrapple, low country boil, Tabasco sauce. Did anyone mention popcorn?
Judy

Corn dogs and sloppy joes. Very American!

XXX, I wish it had been my big night out! I'm not rooting for the home team or even trying to suggest Chez Panisse is the best restaurant in the US (though many would make that arguement).

FYI, Chez Panisse opened it's doors in 1971. What you have seen on the Food Channel and in trends in other large cities is a result of what has happened since then in American cuisine. Most foodies do acknowledge the incredible influence Alice Waters has had on American fine dining. It's not my opinion, it's a trend I've read about in food magazines for years.

If the question here is what do we eat that's uniquely American, well that's almost nothing unless the Native Americans were eating it before the Europeans arrived. If the question is instead what have Americans done with world cuisine that is uniquely American, I will still stand by the notion of creating a unique "melting pot" cuisine or "infusion" as it is often termed, using the freshest local ingredients. Yes, that does include an Asian influence along with South American and European influences. This is what makes it uniquely American.

And I don't think that Krispy Kremes, koolaid and jello are the main staples of American diets.

Fry Bread smothered with beans, cheese , and green chile and a Dr. Pepper. That's SW cuisine.

I'm not going to touch that NY surpasses CA on the food scene argument. In the past 30 yrs. most trends have started in the West and moved East.

ttt

T-Bone Steak & Baked Potatoe With Peas & Carrots