Cross-country food

Steak ’n Shake, Chick-fil-A, Noodles & Company, Cheeseburger in Paradise.
Welcome to the Midwest.

In 2007, the summer before senior year of high school, my father and I took a long road trip through Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois to visit as many colleges as possible. Not only did the flatness of the area strike me, but all of the new possibilities for food were a welcome surprise.

Houlihan’s? I had never heard of it. Fazoli’s? Nope. Culver’s? Not a clue.
Food is universal, but it also changes from region to region. Growing up in Connecticut, I was fortunate to have fresh seafood. Now, if you ask me to eat sushi from the Indiana Memorial Union, I’ll laugh at you. But ask someone from my hometown to try a 32-ounce Polar Pop and they’d laugh at you, too. And believe me, I love Polar Pops.

Is one region — based on food — better than another? I would have loved a Steak ’n Shake restaurant in Connecticut. What’s better than a milkshake at 2 a.m.? If only such a thing existed where I lived.

And then there are the poser restaurants, which want to bring different regional cuisines somewhere else. They can be found on both sides.

Penn Station, aptly named after an East Coast train station, doesn’t carry subs nearly as good as the ones I’ve had during childhood Fourth of July weekends on the Jersey Shore. No family-owned East Coast sub shop has french fries, either — trust me.

So what does it all mean? Certainly, food did not bring me to the Midwest. I knew I could find what I wanted, with some new gems here and there. I also knew I could live without my hometown staples and seafood.

So this summer, if you’re traveling somewhere new or graduating (aka, getting the hell out of here), don’t be surprised by the choices you’ll find. Part of being away from home and in a new place is trying new things and adjusting.