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Everyone knows that Chicago is famous for deep-dish pizza and New England has top-notch lobster rolls, but many other places have wonderful signature dishes, even if in some cases only the locals know about them. Here are a bunch of our favorites to try in these 12 areas of the country.
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Los Angeles
If you like a warm bowl of comfort, try … Korean Soups. L.A. diners tend to go for the Korean barbecue spots, but there’s so much more to Korean cuisine. Try the pork neck-bone soup at Yangji Gamjatang, though I have yet to find a Korean soup or stew I didn’t enjoy. —A.Z.
If you like Meatless Mondays, try … Vegan Comfort Food. L.A. has a wide selection of meat-free menus, with choices ranging from the Impossible burgers at Monty’s Good Burger to the fried-poultry alternatives at Wolfie’s Hot Chicken and the cauliflower “wings” at Jackfruit Cafe. —K.O.
If you like chili, try … Birria de Chivo. Fresh takes on birria, the popular stew made with meats and spices, have proliferated at Mexican food trucks, stands and restaurants. This version, made with sweet, mild goat braised for hours, is a hot order at places such as El Parian. The late Jonathan Gold, famed Los Angeles Times food critic, once hailed it as the best Mexican dish in the city. —K.O.
![a goetta sausage sandwich from cincinnati a goetta sausage sandwich from cincinnati](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/aarpe/en/home/travel/vacation-ideas/food-drink/info-2022/iconic-american-food/_jcr_content/root/container_main/container_body_main/container_travel_main_body/container_travel_body/container_body1/container_body_cf/body_one_cf_one/par6/body_one_callout_one/cfimage.coreimg.50.932.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/travel/trips/2022/06/900x1217-cincinnati-goetta.jpg)
Cincinnati
If you like breakfast sausage, try … Goetta. Also called Cincinnati caviar, this sausage (say “get-uh”) is cooked in a loaf, then sliced and fried. Eckerlin Meats makes the best I’ve tried. —A.Z.
If you like cheeseburgers, try … Hanky-Panky. Small pumpernickel breads are topped with a heap of cheesy meat and then baked. Try them at KnockBack Nats or Tavern on the Bend. —K.O.
If you like potato chips, try ... Grippo’s. These tangy, smoky, heavily seasoned hot-and-sweet chips have been made locally for a century. —K.O.
![server holding a vegetarian deluxe platter at an ethiopian restaurant server holding a vegetarian deluxe platter at an ethiopian restaurant](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/aarpe/en/home/travel/vacation-ideas/food-drink/info-2022/iconic-american-food/_jcr_content/root/container_main/container_body_main/container_travel_main_body/container_travel_body/container_body1/container_body_cf/body_one_cf_one/par10/body_two_callout_one/cfimage.coreimg.50.932.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/travel/trips/2022/06/1140x1710-dc-ethiopian-food.jpg)
Washington, D.C.
If you like Indian food, try … Ethiopian Food. One of the world’s great cuisines is a must-eat when you’re in the nation’s capital, where there are plenty of authentic restaurants. Dishes to try: doro wat (a kind of chicken curry), kitfo (minced raw or rare beef), beef tibs and the superb injera (spongy flatbread). Tip: Don’t under-order! —A.Z.
If you like brats, try … a Half-Smoke. D.C.’s signature dish is like a hot dog but spicier, sometimes slit down the middle and usually smoked before being grilled. These sausages are tucked into a steamed white bun and often topped with onions, cheese and chili sauce. Ben’s Chili Bowl serves them up at locations around the city. —K.O.
If you like barbecue sauce, try … Mambo Sauce. This tomato-based sweet-and-spicy red sauce is thought to have originated in the 1960s at Wings-n-Things. Use it with fried chicken or Chinese takeout, over half-smokes or as a dip for fries. Experience the goodness at Wings N’ More Wings or Henry’s Soul Café (where it’s called Mumbo sauce). —K.O.
![st louis style pizzas st louis style pizzas](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/aarpe/en/home/travel/vacation-ideas/food-drink/info-2022/iconic-american-food/_jcr_content/root/container_main/container_body_main/container_travel_main_body/container_travel_body/container_body1/container_body_cf/body_one_cf_one/par14/body_three_callout_o/cfimage.coreimg.50.932.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/travel/trips/2022/06/1140x1710-st-louis-style-pizza.jpg)
St. Louis
If you like pizza — who doesn’t? — try … St. Louis–Style Pizza. Wafer-thin prefab pizza crusts are schmeared with sweet tomato sauce and topped with Provel, a quick-melting processed cheese that fans insist is made of Swiss, provolone and cheddar. Although I can’t detect any trace of those flavors in the stuff, I will say that the gloppy, gooey mess is addictive. Go to a neighborhood tavern, grab a table and an icy lager, and order up one of these pies. —A.Z.
If you like rich desserts, try … Gooey Butter Cake. Bakeries all over the city whip up their own take on this staple. Legend has it that this cake was invented by accident about a century ago when a chef added too much butter to a batter. A shortbread cookie–like crust is topped with a rich, super-sweet custard layer — made from little more than butter, sugar and eggs — then dusted with powdered sugar for a delectable treat that pairs perfectly with coffee. —K.O.