A Post of Whimsy and Pretention

Yesterday, while reading a very sad article about the demise of the delta smelt in Central California, I missed my homeland. See, in Michigan, we eat smelt. To most of the world, I think they probably look like bait fish. But to the discerning Michigander, they're food. So off I set on a web journey to find a smelt recipe (never mind that we don't have them here in the seventh ring of the Inferno).

I came across this story in the New York Times, which shockingly acknowledged the presence of land west of Syracuse, albeit in a very pretentious, condescending manner. Montmorency cherries, yum. Blueberries (not those mammoth ones from New Jersey, either - these are real ones with flavor), fresh potatoes, corn, and all the fish you can eat. Whitefish and fries is a good call, but smelt are just as yummy. They're an all-time favorite of mine, and go on the can't miss Michigan food list.

1. Lemon rice soup (avgolemono if you want to be classy) - because you can get it at almost every restaurant in SE Michigan, I didn't even know this was Greek until we moved away. Almost impossible to find in other parts of the country, even at Greek restaurants.

2. Smelt - just get a big plate of smelt and fries. No need to put anything on it. Mayonnaise and lemon juice for your fries if you want.

3. Greek omelette - Gyro meat, basil, onions, feta, and whatever else. Accompanied by a side of patates (the Greek-style roasted potatoes).

4. Coney dogs - Not Nathan's, which as I've covered previously, are horrid. Typically, an authentic coney will have mustard, chili in some form, and depending on where you are, sometimes sauerkraut and/or pickles. Here's why they're called coneys in Michigan. Or you can choose to believe one of the approximately 86,000 other stories about their origin. My aunt used to be the manager of an auction company, and the snack bar at her events inevitably served coneys and polish dogs - bun-size polish sausages with pickles/relish, mustard, and sauerkraut. Also tasty. I have brought these to Virginia to rave reviews. Come visit sometime for a Michigan football game and they will be served.

5. Unlimited fish and chips at Whitey's - For about $14, you get the salad bar (done in true Midwestern style - iceberg lettuce, salad dressing that'll clog your arteries almost instantly, cottage cheese, and other delicacies), and unlimited whitefish and fries. Last time in, I ate 8 pieces. That's a lot. Well worth it.

6. Little Caesar's/Mr. Pita - to most of America, Little Caesar's is disgusting and cheap (and sadly, out of business). To Michiganders, it's a way of life. Revolutionizing America's pizza landscape with innovations such as chocolate ravioli, Crazy Bread, and Meatsa! Meatsa! since 1959. And the owner, Mike Ilitch, owns the Tigers and Red Wings. Previous Tigers owner Tom Monoghan was Domino's CEO and President. Domino's IS NOT Little Caesar's :-) Michigan - the pizza-basket of America. Mr. Pita co-locates with LC and serves up over 80 different pita sandwiches. It's awesome.

So those are my can't misses. There are probably more, including picking blackberries on the side of the road, but this is a blog, not a dissertation. maybe next I'll do a tourism post.