Roadfood

Los Angeles is a renowned cultural hub, drawing people of all backgrounds together and bringing new dishes like the açai bowl to the United States. In this episode, Misha Collins travels into his own backyard to discover the açai bowl and explore why Angelenos are on the forefront of a burgeoning plant-based food movement and why this area is such fertile ground for creativity and innovation.

Invented during the Great Depression as a way to offset the cost of beef, the onion fried burger has become a beloved staple of El Reno, Oklahoma. On Route 66 and known as the Crossroads of America, this small town has big personality, and the restaurants serving this iconic dish have served as the heartbeat of the community through all of the ups and downs.

For many Indigenous people, frybread is a dish with a complicated and controversial past: it is a symbol of perseverance and pain, but also a part of their culinary story. Now, some tribal members in Arizona are finding that looking back is the best way forward -- reconnecting with the foods, traditions and ceremonies that tie them to their ancestors and help their communities thrive.

Gumbo, originally from Louisiana, came out of the great diversity of cultures that were present in the area at the time. With African roots, the dish has evolved over time, drawing from French, American, Spanish, and Caribbean influences that represent gumbo as a true melting pot of cultures and cuisine.

Virginia’s Eastern Shore is one of timeless tradition and continuous environmental change. Discover Tangier Island, a fishing village that is sinking into the ocean, and aquafarmers on the Shore supplying the country with shellfish. Oysters and crabs tell the story of this region that is shaped by change – geographic, climate, cultural and personal.

New Bedford, MA has a significant Portuguese immigrant population, dating back to the first wave arriving in the 1800’s and the second in the 1960-1970’s. The Portuguese wove their culture and identity into the area, including its cuisine. A star dish is Shrimp Mozambique, a dish also claimed by Cape Verdean immigrants in the area.

As African Americans migrated from the south up to Detroit, they brought their culture, traditions and cuisine with them. Collard greens, a soul food staple, tells the story of how African Americans have shaped and continue to shape the Motor City, one farm and one restaurant at a time.

Booming economic growth and rapid industrialization in the early twentieth century drove immigration from Europe to Ohio, and that immigration brought the now hyper-regional dish of Barberton fried chicken to the area. In fact, derived from the recipe of Serbian immigrants who founded the still-operating Belgrade Gardens restaurant in the 1930s, Serbian fried chicken has become a regional staple.

Brownsville, Texas, on the border of Mexico, is where you’ll find some of the best tacos in the U.S., both in variety and quality. It’s also a place where border politics have direct and immediate consequences, and where Elon Musk built a launch site for Space X rockets to Mars. How do tacos reflect such a diverse place?

African American influence in Chicago cannot be overstated, stretching from music to food to much more. Jazz and Blues, as well as South Side BBQ -- a style of barbeque only found in a handful of restaurants in Chicago -- are just a few examples of how African American culture has shaped the Windy City.

Ever heard of a state appetizer? Unless you live in Rhode Island, the answer is likely no, as this tiny state is the first -- and only -- to pursue this particular display of state pride. But the story of the calamari industry in Rhode Island is surprisingly rich, with many layers to bite into.

Little Dominican Republic, located in Washington Heights, is a microcosm of the Dominican community in Manhattan, NY. This community is vibrant and truly alive with Dominican cuisine and culture, with beloved dishes like camarones al horno, chicharrones, tres golpes and mangú.