[InactionMan]

So I'm heading to the U.S. this week and I'm looking forward to eating wierd snacks that haven't made it north of the border yet. I'm looking to the good people of AN to help me out.

Odd flavoured chips and cereal? Soda Pop? Weird Hostess Cupcake thingies? What's the best beer I can get at a convenience store?

Does the US even have liqour and beer stores or do I just go to 7-11?

I've never eaten at White Castle. Should I?

Do they still make Coooooooookie Crisp?



Yeah, and I've heard that Americans don't buy their milk in bags but in cartons. WTF? Bags of milk rule!

[kretara]

Weird foods:
1. deep fried twinkies
2. deep dried pickles
3. rocky mountain oysters
4. grits

Beer:
where you can get it depends on which State you are in. Many States have liquor (AKA: package, packie) stores where you can buy beer, wine and liquor. Some states (New Hampshire and maybe more) have State run liquor stores.
In Arkansas you can buy beer and wine in grocery stores, beer in convenience stores and liquor+ in liquor stores.

The best beer is subject to taste. If I must drink an American beer, I usually pick Flat Tire. I'm a Corsendonk and Chimay man so American beers taste like what I assume horse piss tastes like.


White Castle:
Maybe once. It is nothing special


Bags of milk:
Nope, AFAIK only in plastic jugs and cartons.
I remember when I was in second grade we were given plastic bags of milk. We only got them for a few days because once you inserted the straw they made mighty fine milk guns.

[Luca]

Originally Posted by InactionMan Odd flavoured chips and cereal? Soda Pop? Weird Hostess Cupcake thingies? What's the best beer I can get at a convenience store?

I don't know if you have them there, but I think Quaker Quakes are pretty weird. They're basically just rice cakes with excessive artificial flavoring. Supposedly they're "healthy" since they're lower in fat than potato chips.

For soda... try Tab or Mountain Dew Code Red for weirdness. I also really like Stewart's Key Lime Soda.

For those gross little snack cakes, I like Oatmeal Cream Pies and Nutty Bars, while my housemate likes frozen Zebra Cakes. All equally disgusting.

You can't get anything more than flavored water from convenience stores.

Originally Posted by InactionMan Does the US even have liqour and beer stores or do I just go to 7-11?

We do, and you should go to them. Convenience stores and grocery stores have limits to how alcoholic their beverages are so you can only get watery beer and wine coolers.

Originally Posted by InactionMan I've never eaten at White Castle. Should I?

I'll just say one thing - their burgers are sold in sacks of ten and called "sliders" for a reason.

Originally Posted by InactionMan Do they still make Coooooooookie Crisp?

Yes. There's also Oreo-O's and Reese's Puffs. And probably more weird ones since I haven't even looked at those kinds of cereal for a really long time.

Originally Posted by InactionMan Yeah, and I've heard that Americans don't buy their milk in bags but in cartons. WTF? Bags of milk rule!

How the fuck do you pour a bag of milk? Do you hold it over the glass or bowl and use a spout? Do you just immediately pour your milk into your own plastic container? Cartons are used because they can be used to store and pour the milk. I don't understand how you would use a bag.

Do you drink bags of beer up there? Bags of orange juice? Ooh, maybe you eat your bread from bottles? (Oh wait, actually you do!)

[SKMDC]

ah yes, diving into the essence of american culture...snack foods!

every region has there particular regional favorite potato chip, I don't know where you're going but in Illinois, Sterzling is a fave, central Illinois has a company called Kitchen Cooked that taste odd at first but are addictive as hell.

The milk thing I don't get either inactionman, because the vacuum bags don't need refrigeration and have a greater shelf-life, their is the feeling that americans can't buy milk non refrigerated, but in europe and africa it's a godsend.

Cookie Crisp cereal? yes.
White Castle, well you should experience it.
Hostess has no Canadien distribution? tragique!

[BuonRotto]

Tastykakes rule if you're in the Philadelphia region.

There are dedicated liquor stores out there. Some states like NC have state-run liquor stores. Some states like NJ don't allow liquor to be sold in the same place food is sold so 7-11s don't carry beer there and supermarkets build fire separated liquor stores adjacent to their food operations.

Cheerwine for soda if you're in the Carolinas.

[kretara]

Bags of milk:
I remember seeing a few bags of Parmalot milk while living in Boston a few years back. I only saw them once and they were in a small ethnic food store.
You are able to find non-refrigerated boxes of Parmalot milk in most large grocery stores, usually in the ethnic section.

[InactionMan]

People are questioning milk bags but talking about unrefregerated dairy products as if it's complelety normal!

Here's the only site I could find on milk bags. http://home.cogeco.ca/~husky66/Milk/

It's good to hear that Coookie Crisp is still available. And I'm excited by other cookie/cereal hybrids the US has to offer.

SKMDC, Canada does have Hostess, but I only ever see standard Cupcakes in the store. I'm hoping for something a bit more daring.

So it's a 'yes' on White Castle. I just watched Harald and Kumar go to White Castle a few weeks ago. It really made me want to try White Castle. Though the idea of burgers being sold in bulk and referred to as 'Sliders' is kind of repulsive.

As to where in the US we'll be, we're shooting straight down the I-75 to Florida. A fine Canadian tradition.

[GSpotter]

Originally Posted by SKMDC ah yes, diving into the essence of american culture...snack foods!

Just curious: Does anybody in the US know Currywurst (which is an iconic german fast food)?

[InactionMan]

Originally Posted by kretara Weird foods: 1. deep fried twinkies 2. deep dried pickles 3. rocky mountain oysters 4. grits

Deep fried twinkies?

I know grits. I think we have grits. But I'll be stopping at the Waffle House for real grits.

[kretara]

Originally Posted by InactionMan Deep fried twinkies? I know grits. I think we have grits. But I'll be stopping at the Waffle House for real grits.

If you get grits in the South, be sure they have cheese in them. Cheese grits are fantastic.

Oh yeah, have you tried fried okra? Yum.

###EDIT###

Waffle House = total suckiness!!!

Denny's or IHOP are the places to go.

###end edit###

[murbot]

Hey, I remember having bags for milk as a kid. Actually my first job was working or a dairy delivery guy and they still had some of their milk in bags. You use a jug that is oval shaped (when looking from the top) with no lid. You drop the bag in, cut a small bit off the corner of the bag and pour it like a regular jug. Maybe they had 'em because there was less material waste.

[Wrao]

Buttered Popcorn flavored Jelly beans for teh.... sad

[dfiler]

The new thing in american snacks? Organic junk food.

Sweet potato chips? mmmm

[InactionMan]

Originally Posted by murbot Hey, I remember having bags for milk as a kid. Actually my first job was working or a dairy delivery guy and they still had some of their milk in bags. You use a jug that is oval shaped (when looking from the top) with no lid. You drop the bag in, cut a small bit off the corner of the bag and pour it like a regular jug. Maybe they had 'em because there was less material waste.

You make it sound like you don't buy milk bags. I though everyone in Canada used milk bags. I used to think they were the norm everywhere until my friend told me that his American relatives make fun of him all the time for drinking milk out of bags.

[dfiler]

Heheh, bagged milk. I'd never heard of such a thing before this thread. I guess I'm not as widely travelled as I though. The only bagged beverage I've bought is wine.

The non-refrigerated thing has to do with being irradiated vs. pasteurized. I think all milk in the US is pasteurized.

[ast3r3x]

Originally Posted by InactionMan �American relatives make fun of him all the time for drinking milk out of bags.

*eyes tear up*

God Bless America

[scrouds]

Sliders? ???????

We call 'em belly bombers.
You must get white castles. They are the first love of my life. But you probably won't like them. I assume you need to be born on them to truly love 'em.

Commercial Ammerican Beer generally sucks. But each area is bound to have at least a few local beers, both craft and slightly cheaper varieties. Take a wilg guess, and try some.

Now for white castles, there are only 2 places to get them. Those are centered around NYC and Chicago, extending outward from each. So look for it on I75. When your in florida, i'd recommend you get some Yuengling. Its brewed in Pennsylvania (oldest brewery in US according to website) and Tampa, Fla.

[Hassan i Sabbah]

Beer and bars: take some ID.

Firstly, you have to be 21 to drink.

Secondly, even though I'm in my 30s they ask for ID as a matter of course and they don't let you in without it (not in New England or in California, anyway.)

It doesn't matter if you look like you're in your 30s or not. Seriously: nothing sucks more than being disallowed entry to a bar when all your American friends have their IDs with them.

[InactionMan]

Crap. All I have is my expired drivers license. I do have my health card and my old age of majority card from Nova Scotia. Hopefully they won't check my drivers license too closely.

[kretara]

Originally Posted by InactionMan Crap. All I have is my expired drivers license. I do have my health card and my old age of majority card from Nova Scotia. Hopefully they won't check my drivers license too closely.

If you are in a college town, then yes, they will check your ID very closely.
Bars will accept your passport also.
From my experience in Florida, they don't check ID's too closely so maybe everything will be OK there.

[psmith2.0]

I've never had a White Castle, but I think they're similar to the Krystals we have here in the South (small, square burger with thin patty, onions, mustard and the onions kinda seeping into the bun)?



The pics I see look the same...their websites even seem close, and the food offerings very similar (regular, cheese, double-stacked, etc.), same type of packaging, etc.

[scrouds]

Krystals != White Castles

They taste compeltely different. White castles are steamed burgers. Krystals are just small burgers.

White Castles have ketchup, onions and pickle
Krystals have mustard, onion and pickle.

Also if you find white castles in the freezer section, they aren't really white castles either.

[alcimedes]

in case anyone hasn't mentioned it.

Sea Salt and Vinager chips. soooooo good.

[alcimedes]

Originally Posted by murbot Hey, I remember having bags for milk as a kid. Actually my first job was working or a dairy delivery guy and they still had some of their milk in bags. You use a jug that is oval shaped (when looking from the top) with no lid. You drop the bag in, cut a small bit off the corner of the bag and pour it like a regular jug. Maybe they had 'em because there was less material waste.

Wow, you just wrote a post that had milk, oval shaped jugs and bags in it with no innuendo. You're losing it.

[709]

Oooh I love salt & vinegar chips....right up there with white cheddar popcorn.

[murbot]

Originally Posted by alcimedes Wow, you just wrote a post that had milk, oval shaped jugs and bags in it with no innuendo. You're losing it.

Holy shit, you're right.

The guy I worked for even had a SUPER hot wife with a great set of jugs. What the hell is wrong with me?

I need a beer or something. Whoa.

[dfiler]

Originally Posted by 709 Oooh I love salt & vinegar chips....right up there with white cheddar popcorn.

So you're the bastard who's responsible for those things. (piss flavored chips)

[RowdyScot]

Make sure to stop by in Toledo if you're comin down 75 You'll never want to come back, but you can always grab some Tony Packo's. Why the fuck their hot dogs are considered famous (other than M*A*S*H) is far beyond me.

[Frank777]

Milk in bags rules. Only wimps need cartons.

I've never recovered from the cancellation of the Vanilla-flavored Cookie Crisp cereal.
Now they only make chocolate chip.

The other thing I can never find in Buffalo is Borden Egg Nog. That used to be a holiday classic for me.

[Windswept]

I bought some Pita chips at Costco that I liked a lot, but it has been awhile and I can't remember the brand name. I googled up the following, and *think* it may be the brand I bought.

http://www.taquitos.net/snacks.php?snack_code=509

The chips are baked, not fried, so are tasty 'and' relatively healthful too.

I was wondering what kind of 'bag material' the Canadian milk is bagged in - heavy plastic, I imagine?

If so, are those plastic bags recyclable? Because our cartons and plastic containers in the US are recyclable. Just wondering.

Also, if you are heading down to Florida, don't spend *too* much time eating American junk food, because I imagine *real food* is incredible in parts of Florida - like South Beach, for example. Probably some of the most delicious food in the entire nation. Yuuum!

Edit:http://www.sallys-place.com/food/din...outh_beach.htm

*Astor Place* (at the Hotel Astor) ~ Start your meal with the seafood Margarita, a melange of stoned crab claw, shrimp, lobster and smoked fish crostini bathed in a key lime mustard dressing. Follow this up with the herb-seared sea bass nestled next to a shrimp-potato-calabaza hash or the ancho-cinnamon pork tenderloin with a sweet potato mash and spicy grilled onion rings...

*The Blue Door* (at the Hotel Delano) ~ A fun and tasty appetizer is the poached salmon tartare flavored with fennel, capers and avocado. You can follow it with the grilled swordfish with braised potatoes, celery root and green scallion vinaigrette.

*Nemo* ~ That translates to appetizers like the garlic-cured salmon rolls with tobiko caviar and wasabi mayo and entrees such as the grilled Indian spiced pork chop with sticky red rice, caramelized onion and spicy papaya salsa.