Pinay Traveller Recommends #12: The Ultimate American Food Trip

Just the other day, I was asked by a friend why I haven’t ever been to the US and if I had plans to go there in this lifetime.

“Well, I’d love to go,” I told her.  “It’s just that I haven’t really thought about it that much.”

So I came up with a list of places to visit if ever the opportunity landed on my lap. After all, America is such a big place and one wouldn’t normally have the luxury of time to visit all the states.  My travel consultant, The Hubby, suggested that we just ‘follow the food’.  That is,  base our  itinerary on our favorite episodes of the travel / challenge-eating show,  Man vs. Food (aired on the Travel Channel).  So here goes:

First Stop:  New York

“I want me some Sylvia’s bird!”  This is what you’re supposed to say when you order the famous fried chicken at an old timers’ restaurant called Sylvia’s in New York. Each one-pound cut chicken is dusted with a special seasoning mixed with a few secret ingredients.  The result is an unforgettable soul-food loved by New Yorkers.  Just watching the show’s host, Adam, bite into the humungous chicken leg makes my mouth water.

And yeah, we’d also like to see Broadway, the Empire State Building and the Museum of Modern Art, please.

Second Stop:  Chicago

When we saw the episode on The Windy City, we were just blown away (no pun intended) with the overstuffed sandwiches they serve at Lucky’s Sandwich Company. I mean, man, it will take me at least two days to finish one sandwich.

Of course, they say visiting Chicago wouldn’t be complete without seeing the 100-storey John Hancock Center, an imposing structure in Chicago’s skyline.    That and  eating Deep Dish Pizza, too.

Last Stop:  Boston

The Clam Bake is the Barking Crab’s pride in Boston, MA.  It’s a traditional comfort food comprised of lobster, corn, potato, clams and chowder. The lobsters are smashed open by using rocks! It’s a pretty straightforward dish but looks delicious just the same.  In this episode, Adam was challenged to eat enormous portions of Clam Bake and seafoods.  I wonder how he was able to keep all that food down. What a feat!

Come to think of it, eating challenges may be too much for us.  There are certainly better ways to spend an afternoon in Boston.  Perhaps we can just  mingle with the locals by getting Red Sox tickets  and watching an actual game while sipping a cold Samuel Adams Boston Lager (supposedly the best beer in Boston).

Yeah, I think that’s more like it.