Culinary Geography

     Yesterday's mention of lobster rolls evokes the image of a seaside clam shack or chowder house along the rock bound New England coast.  There are numerous foods that are inextricably linked to certain geographic locations.  Take for example poutine, standard fare in Quebec, or key lime pie in southern Florida, or the beignet in New Orleans.  And of course I would be remiss if I didn't mention the iconic cheese steak and hoagie in the City of Brotherly Love.

     So you might imagine my confusion when staying in Newport, Rhode Island and having gravy and biscuits at the self serve cafeteria line for breakfast each morning at the Holiday Inn Express.  Isn't that a classic "low country" southern meal?  I'm not sure what I expected in New England, maybe porridge or something slathered with real Vermont maple syrup would have been more appropriate.  Maybe something like apples and cheese, both locally sourced.  Certainly not the white meat speckled peppered gravy poured over a split biscuit.  Kudos to HIE for their hospitality, cleanliness and overall helpfulness.  But they really missed the boat on breakfast!