A foodie in the UAE: party in the USA

This entry is dedicated to the solid 3 pounds I gained on vacation this summer. After reading this entry you’ll agree it should have been more.

A year abroad left me desperately craving American junk food – not fast food mind you (we actually have a McDonalds next door to our apartment), but junk food from the kind of independently-owned diners and dives you can only find on the back roads and boardwalks of America. During our 5-week vacation we were forced to sample a variety of dishes, as each US city brings a unique twist on quintessentially American fare. Here are some highlights—

Taos, New Mexico –

egg and sausage with green chili breakfast tacos and home fries (Taos Cow)

Austin, Texas –

club sandwich and green chili cheese fries (Shady Grove)

Charlottesville, Virginia –

Italian sub (Little John’s Deli)

Williamsburg, Virginia –

Southern breakfast of fried eggs, bacon, sausage, Virginia ham, grits and a biscuit! (Chickahominy House)

Virginia ham and cheddar sandwich (The Cheese Shop)

barbecued pulled pork and hushpuppies (Pierces Pitt)

Virginia Beach, Virginia –

hotdog and onion rings (Sea Salt)

And of course there are the meals we didn’t capture on camera – the quaint cheeseburger and strawberry shake on a sidewalk cafe in Chicago (M Burger), rustic blue corn enchiladas and hominy in Santa Fe (The Shed), decadent mac-n-cheese at Sunday brunch in Austin (Lambert's), Texas ribs in Lockhart, sausage Kolaches in West, cheesy, saucy, spicy Tex-Mex in Dallas (Matt's), and last but not least: pizza. We had it 6 times.

There are some things that just can’t be replicated, and American junk food is one of them. But lest you think I have lost my distinctive culinary taste, stay tuned for a recap of the best dining experience of my life, so far...