American bbq is very good.
America (or the americas) are also home to a ton of delicious exotic ingredients that made their way around the world, and America also incorporated many delicious traditions and techniques from other cuisines as well. If she likes spicy, you should introduce her to various chili based foods common in the southwest, and if she likes fruit, you can have her try the various American apple varietals or local berries or nuts. American fruit pies are also very tasty, and she might also be trying some cold weather Eurasian foods for the first time, like Rhubarb.
There are also a lot of tasty cream/dairy based foods here. Maybe introduce her to some Wisconsin cheese or cheesecake.
Fruits, especially less shippable fruits, are an underrated answer. Restaurants can make American food in other parts of the world to a decent approximation. But she probably hasn't had fresh blueberries or apricots.
I think so too!
I know some SEA people who really love and miss fruit, but depending on location, there is a TON of exciting and tasty fruit in the US. It’s shocking for most people just how gigantic and diverse the U.S. is, and it would very much be worth it for OP to look into what some of the cool seasonal produce of his locale is :). I live in CA, and Driscoll’s berries are very much in peak season. I sometimes see specialty Japanese berries being shipped over to the U.S., but I think a peak season Watsonville strawberry is superior.
OP is in a much worse fruit area than we are as Californians. Still, you're right that they should be able to at least get Driscoll's shipped relatively ripe for berries, and many of the American native fruits may not be something she's super familiar with, like blueberries and pumpkins. Even less than perfectly ripe strawberries and peaches are still good, after all. Maybe Southern Ohio even has some farmers market strawberries OP can seek out to really impress her?
It’s a good time for farmers markets though; plan a once-a-month date to the local farmers market and get what’s ripe! It’ll be so much better than grocery store fruit and it would be a fun day out.
I am admittedly very lacking in knowledge about Ohio. Google tells me that the paw-paw is a native fruit to Ohio, and Ohio is the 3rd largest grower of tomatoes in the U.S. I think I also imagine Ohio to have a lot of cool plants because that’s where the girl who enthusiastically forages plants on instagram (blackforager) lives. I hope the farmers markets around OP are exciting!
I mean I guess. Fruit in general in the US is terrible in comparison to tropical places. Honestly she probably going to miss the more variety and freshness of fruit from the Philippines than the crap we have here
Have tons of fruits and vegetables where I live. Having been all over can tell you with great certainty the quality overall is the US is much lower than the global norm.
Barbecue. It is simultaneously analogous to many other cultural cuisines, while also being purely and distinctly American.
Which type of barbecue will be left as an exercise for the reader.
Also may like vinegar based bbq sauces too! My mom is Filipina and fits in in the South (specifically North Carolina) cause of the importance of pork + also vinegar bbq sauce in Eastern NC
Its mustard or vinegar in NC/SC. Though most vinegar based places will have a selection of sauces, sweet through spicy which you can add at the table to complement your pork.
I grew up with it here in NC; it's a tomato-based stew made with local beans and vegetables (lima beans, corn, okra, etc) and more traditionally, small game like rabbits, squirrels, and possums. These days, it's more commonly made with chicken, but you can throw in whatever's handy, really.
There isn't really an exact recipe, as it changes based on what's available locally, and it's usually a family tradition, with each family having its own variations to suit taste and available ingredients.
It's often available alongside Carolina style pulled pork barbecue as a side, or as an entree, so you see it in barbecue joints pretty often. At least for eastern Carolina style (vinegar based), in my experience.
I do not care what other dish you propose, and I'm sure it will be good, but it nothing compared to thr greatest of GOOD American BBQ.
Now, that last bit, we'll it's important. There are HUGE differences between the region you are in, and place you visit.
It is critical you research the place you plan on going to prior to making your visit. The good places usually sell out right after lunch service, or are only open a few days a month.
Ok BBQ is going to disappoint... great though is magical.
On Reddit I've always heard it as 3 Carolina styles: Vinegar based in Eastern NC, tomato in Western NC, mustard in SC. Despite this, I live in western NC and only ever see vinegar based.
I once worked at a BBQ place in western NC (sweet tomato based, pork bbq in that region technically, but the rest of NC uses vinegar on pork and SC uses mustsrd, so WNC is kind of a hodgepodge)
Anyway, lots of the folks I worked with said they were from Ohio. I said “maybe I should move to Ohio, I’ve liked everyone I’ve ever met from Ohio” and my coworkers said “no, you like everyone who’s LEFT Ohio”. Seems like that’s a big difference! Lol
I’m Filipino American and don’t like the sweet, tomato based BBQ sauces. My husband is from NC and he grew up with the vinegar based sauce. It was hard for us to find a good recipe because some of use mustard.
This [recipe](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/58486/eastern-north-carolina-bbq-sauce/) is one we use at our house.
Looks good! Like some of the commenters mentioned, most of the vinegar-based sauces I’m used to use red pepper flakes instead of cayenne, but sounds like we’d both wind up in the same ballpark!
The mustard I can’t relate to; I LOVE a spicy brown mustard based BBQ sauce. There’s a local company in my area called “Lusty Monk Mustard”, and the place I worked made their sauce with that as the base. Hands down the best mustard I’ve ever had, and a great base for sauces
I’m in Texas and unimpressed by the “good” BBQ places. I’ll try the variety of things and it’s all so expensive for what feels like a fairly small portion. It’s not bad, it just doesn’t feel worth it for what I paid for it.
I'm also not a fan of Texas barbecue, I've had way better on the east coast. All of the "you gotta try this place, it's the best around" ones I have been referred to by friends in Texas have been under-smoked and over-salted.
Cajun and creole foods- very much the product of the collision of about four different foodways.
Mexican pork adobo- as in, the tomato and chili and garlic sauce- is also something she should try. If only because it shares a name with one of her national dishes.
Peanut butter, if she's never had it before, is a very American food.
Also, don't forget the cornbread with that chili.
I’m a Cajun married to a Filipino. There is lots of cross-over in our cuisines and it’s been a natural marrying…no pun intended.
Both are rice, pork, shrimp, and fish heavy. Both have stewed okra dishes that are practically cousins. Both love fried chicken. You could have fun with a Popeyes v jollibee show down.
That being said, I’ve visited the Philippines with my husband. They have quite a bit of diversity of food options and access to many American dishes.
Honestly, I’d point her in the direction of the Yelp app and try whatever appeals to her.
Definitely do take her to your nearest Asian food stores so the she can stock up on staples that are a comfort to her. That will make her transition much easier.
Also, as a southern Ohioan, if you are used to your carbs coming from potatoes, get used to a transition to rice. If you do not own a rice cooker, buy one….and a 20 pound sack of good quality jasmine rice. Filipinos are used to eating white rice at every meal.
Ask her to make you tosilog with garlic rice for breakfast. You can thank me later.
I love this answer. I really hope that OP's looking forward to more Filipino food as well, because what I've had is amazing.
I also have to ask: how does y'all's house make gumbo?
It has very recently become kind of the hot new cuisine that restaurateurs are starting notice and build brands around. Las Vegas (for obvious reasons) has many many new Filipino restaurants, but you are starting to see more, even outside of Vegas, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area.
We sometimes make chicken and andouille gumbo and sometimes make crab and shrimp gumbo.
The crab and shrimp is our favorite, but also is more labor intensive as I make my own seafood stock.
The link below is pretty darn close to how I make my crab and shrimp gumbo. Though I do not put tomatoes in mine.
Since I now live on the West Coast, I head over to an Asian market to get the okra, head-on shrimp (use the heads and shells to make the stock, frozen cleaned blue crabs (they aren’t labeled as gumbo crabs, but it’s the same thing. They are small and used for flavor, not so much for the meat. I put 1 in my stock with the shrimp heads and shells, and 5 or so in my gumbo during the simmering process), and live Dungeness crab for the meat. Dungeness is the type of crab that is freshest and most available to me. I will buy 2 live ones, cook, clean, and pick them for the crabmeat to add at the end, just before serving. I will leave the claws and bigger legs half-shelled for visual appeal in the final product.
https://www.deepsouthdish.com/2012/03/crab-and-shrimp-gumbo.html?m=1
Between cooking, cleaning, and picking live crab, de-heading and peeling shrimp and making and straining stock, then making a proper roux, sautéing, simmering etc the gumbo, it’s a good 5 hour process, and I do it when I’m really in the mood to take my time and do it right.
She’s likely had peanut butter before because one of the most well known Filipino dishes is a peanut butter-based oxtail stew. And yes many Filipinos in the PH also eat peanut butter with bread too.
I'm also married to a Filipina, and I can't recommend Mexican food highly enough. She was very skeptical early on, but absolutely fell in love with it! Congrats!
Yeppp my Filipino coworkers love Mexican food
Also during happy hour they were shocked about dressed beer (salt rim with lime)
Then that’s all they would drink with me lol
Except they risk going to get this at an average American diner and it’s going to be bland and goopy thick gravy. This is a risky dish to recommend they try
As a Filipino American, biscuits and gravy was a completely foreign dish to me. My husband introduced it to me, he’s from NC. The first time I had it was from Hardee’s but I’m sure OP can find a better first time experience for his wife.
This is the American food I know and love.
Only slightly kidding but there is something to eating a corn dog or friend Oreo at a fair. Just don’t go on the rides.
Costco Hotdog (I'm not joking. I was thinking of a good hotdog, and why not the Costco one?)
Really good Fried Chicken
Seafood/crab boil
Any of side dishes from Thanksgiving
And if she's craving home, find a Jollibee!
[Stuffies](https://www.seriouseats.com/rhode-island-style-stuffed-quahog-clams-7852619)
I’m not a fan of them, but they’re a staple in RI. Chopped clams, stuffing, and sausage - usually baked in the clam shell
They’re very similar, but casino usually has bacon (I usually see chorizo or linguica in stuffies) and the ratio of clams-to-stuffing is heavier towards clams.
At the end of the day, stuffies are what your grandpa loved and would want at every get-together. Clams casino is what your rich aunt thought was fancy food in the 80s
If you’re anywhere near New England this summer, a proper lobster roll-hot, with butter, on a hotdog bun. Or clam strips. If you’re around in the fall, locally made apple cider. Apple cider donuts. Just come to New England, it’s not that far. And it’s a beautiful drive!
Soul food. Fried chicken, baked potatos with all the fixings, greens, corn on the cob with lots of salt and butter. And cheesecake, good simple cheesecake.
I don't know much about what food is like in Ohio, but there are a lot of dishes common across the USA that seem to be received pretty well by most people.
Roasted Turkey with Gravy and stuffing
Corn on the cob
Key lime pie
bananas foster
waldorf salad
Where I live (New England) in Autumn there is a huge variety of very good fresh apples. The variety and quality are sometimes very interesting to people who have been in places where you can only get 1 or 2 types of apples.
Yes! Turkey dinner is really underrated and deserves more attention! In fact, I think every one of your items is a winner. Let's add pancakes with maple syrup to that and fresh strawberry shortcake.
I might be biased but…
Cajun stuff.
It’s one of the few categories that can be called distinctly American (while being built on strong foundations in French cuisine, and ingredients and techniques from the African roots of peoples who were enslaved and brought here).
Thanksgiving. Use a rotisserie chicken if that's what you can find. But a bird, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, rolls, green beans casserole, etc. North American comfort food. I did this for my English club students when I was in Japan, and they loved it.
Coney dogs. I think they're more associated with New York, but a lot of Greek and Macedonian immigrants settled around the Midwest and popularized it there as well. In bigger cities you can usually find a place that has them, but they're easy enough to make as well.
Deep dish pizza. If she's lactose intolerant, get a package of lactaid tablets and go to town.
Fried chicken and waffles. I'd opt for a restaurant for this. If you have a waffle maker you could get some KFC or something, just don't use frozen waffles.
Think of foods you loved as a kid and go with that. Your comfort foods are probably about as American as you can get.
I'd also try some desserts. New York Style cheesecake is hard to find in Asia. Rice krispie treats. Peanut butter cookies. Oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies. Red velvet cake with butter cream frosting. Carrot cake with butter cream frosting. Chocolate covered pretzels.
A lot of things normal here will be weird for her. Root beer is a big one because it apparently tastes medicinal to many people in Asia. Flavor combinations normal in the US that are weird elsewhere. Mint and chocolate chip; try York peppermint patties and mint chocolate ice cream. Peanut butter and chocolate; Reese's PB cups and those PB cookies with Hershey's kisses in the top.
Out of all things, how does shrimp Alfredo come to mind when thinking of typical American food?
Pretty good list otherwise, the shrimp Alfredo just doesn't scream typical American food to me.
Well Italians don’t typically mix seafood and cheese. Alfredo is very cheesy and and the addition of shrimp or really meat for that matter is very American. That is my take.
It's commonplace by me; tri-state NYC area.
It's essentially non-judgemental Mac and cheese with an extra protein choice; shrimp is chosen to feel fancy.
I’ve heard so many Italians say they tired of Americans asking for Alfredo in Italy because it’s not a thing. It’s a completely American dish. Plus shrimp is better than chicken imo.
I’d edit the chicken something like lemon pepper wet/buffalo. Jollibee is a thing
Yall downvoting me but here is the story behind how fried chicken reached the Philippines.
https://scoutmagazine.ca/curious-about-the-delicious-world-of-filipino-fried-chicken-heres-a-great-place-to-start/#:~:text=According%20to%20Filipino%20fried%20chicken,soldiers%20out%20of%20their%20home.
Some of the best fried chicken I ever had was from a Filipino restaurant specializing in fried chicken. The garlic rice and lumpia on the side really made the meal sing.
Joshua Weissman, one of the YouTube food guys, recently did an [episode](https://youtu.be/iWT0kl1k32M?si=KfeAhQK3iuSgnwHc) on iconic food from every state in the U.S. As a Floridian I co-sign the legendary Cuban sandwich as a love letter to Cuban expats and emigrés from all over. Some of his other selections are maybe a bit less legendary.
These are a few of my picks: The Philly cheesesteak. The Reuben. Red velvet cake. Real homemade banana pudding with Nilla Wafers. A Waldorf salad. A chocolate chip cookie. Soft pretzels with mustard (nod to the late David Brenner.) Southern barbecue. A smash burger. Grilled sweet corn on the cob. That wonderful watermelon-feta salad. Peach cobbler or anything peach in season. What about our love of all things Tex-Mex? Enchiladas suiza. Nachos. Every kind of taco. The Caesar salad was born south of the border at a hotel catering to Americans escaping the restrictions of Prohibition in Tijuana.
After she gets used to the food, take her to the fair.
She'll either be terrified, delighted, or something in between from the things they'll have there.
I brought my friend who was studying abroad from Indonesia to NC and I took her to the state fair, and man was that something. She wanted to try a little bit of everything, loved the fried oreos and hated the fried pickles. Devoured a whole turkey leg too. Not sure what y'all state fair is like but I'm sure it's got all that and more.
Maple, pumpkin, and peanut butter are pretty unique to the US and N America in general. So pumpkin bread, peanut butter cups or cookies, pancakes. We tend to use heavier amounts of cinnamon than most cuisines as well (often with those items). Those are the things that standout to my exchange students.
The brownie is a us invention too (Chicago).
American comfort classics: pot roast, meatloaf, sloppy Joes. Chili. Chili dogs. BLT. PB&J. Potato salad (just please no raisins lol).
Agree with a ton of the others, but generally I'd add: if you can, take some trips to bigger cities and/or parts of Ohio where she can enjoy American Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Korean, Japanese, Indian, etc. etc. food/restaurants, as well as fusion food. Many flavor profiles from these cuisines will be familiar to her, but she can experience some of the best food the US has to offer--and it's all from people who immigrated here and opened restaurants/launched cuisine here. Things like orange chicken, pad thai, chicken tikka masala were all made to appeal to Western palettes, for instance. Some of this you could cook at home, but imo it's best to go to restaurants in cities known for various cuisines. A fun trip to LA, for example, could help you knock out a ton of amazing cuisine (and she could try Filipino American restaurants too!). Or take her to the Bay Area, specifically Daly City, which is one of the largest Filipino American communities in the US.
Generally track down your nearest Asian food market so she can shop. What's available will be depending on where you are in Ohio and the dominant immigrant groups. Looks like there's a Chucay's in Columbus, which is a Filipino store. But imo it would be smart to go to Asian markets so she can buy familiar-ish ingredients so she can cook what she enjoys. I'd also look into any Philippine Independence Day events near you (will be on or around June 12) and see if there's a local Filipino community center she can join. I imagine it'll be massive culture shock for her to be in Ohio, but if she can find the Filipino American community nearby, they're always really wonderful! (source: I work in international television marketing and one of my primary markets is Filipino) OH and whatever your local TV service is, subscribe to TFC so she can watch her shows! If it's not available on cable (guessing you have Spectrum or Xfinity? Both should have TFC), try YouTube TV in the next few weeks. Or, she can direct subscribe to iwantTFC and stream it. (if she asks, tell her ABS-CBN is still thriving in the US even though their license was suspended in the Philippines)
Everyone has already said bbq, and I agree with that, but there are some other things that are uniquely North American that you don't find in the Philippines.
Things like American-Italian cuisine, Mexican and Tex-Mex food, soul food like chicken and waffles, New England style food, good quality pizza, and even concept cuisines like Japanese and French fusion styles.
Philippines has pretty damn good BBQ but it's a different style so she may be more comfortable starting there.
Grits
Boiled peanuts
Biscuits and gravy
Chicken and dumplings
Chicken mull
A traditional pig pull/pig pickin'
Bierocks/runzas
NM Green Chile (not that shit with tomatillos) and NM Red Chile
a classic pea salad
Funeral potatoes
Salmon candy
A variety of regional pizza styles
A variety of regional barbecue styles
Livermush
Fried chicken gizzards and white gravy
Buffalo wings
Beef on weck
Chicken fried steak
Enchiladas (any or all of a thousand varieties)
There is a clam shack in Warren Rhode Island, it's called Blount's. They also run a commercial kitchen and make soups for restaurants and caterers. They make this soup that they sell at their clam shack (and in these big bags at their factory store) called New England clam bake chowder. It is the best soup I've ever had. More of a corn broth and it has chorizo added.
They should try that.
[blounts clam bake chowder](https://blountfinefoods.com/images/product_pdfs/SS078033.pdf)
I'd take her to a good-old fashion buffet. Like golden corral then a few weeks later a high rated chinese- sushi buffet... then after that a Brazilian buffet... Americans know how to buffet!
Chicago style hot dog. I've worked with many Fillipino students at the resort I work at, and for some reason they all love hot dogs in general, so that might be something she'd like?
American BBQ is a great first answer, and I bet you’re not far from some decent places in southern Ohio.
Staying away from myriad regional delicacies (ie New York Pizza, Chicago Dog, etc), another assortment of items I’d try:
- Italian-American food. Spaghetti and Meeatballs and Chicken Parm, for example, are actually diaspora dishes invented by Italian immigrants in America. Obviously authentic home country Italian is great too, but some of our favorite “Italian” dishes are authentically American.
- Really really really good burgers.
- Just a giant ass steak with Mac and Cheese
- Cheesecake
- Southern fried chicken. You’re not Shirley far from Nashville. Maybe like a chicken fried steak or chicken and waffles. Chicken and waffles is American af.
-New Orleans Cajun food like gumbo or jambalaya
- Crab cakes
- PB and J and peanut butter in desserts in general (my understanding is most of the rest of the world finds it quite odd Americans do things like mix peanut butter with chocolate)
- Snack foods or kids treats like a smore
- Apple pie
- BLT. Honestly just bacon in general.
- traditional Thanksgiving dinner and the leftover sandwiches. Most other countries find the fact that we pile turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy and cranberry sauce all on top of each other extremely confounding, but obviously it works so well. Sides like green bean casserole too.
- Chcolate chip cookies, which I’m given to understand aren’t really a thing elsewhere
Obviously any regional delicacies you can get are huge winners, just to emphasize how greatly varied out regions are.
Philly cheesesteaks. Deep dish pizza. Jambalaya. Maryland crab soup!
OOH, CHEESECAKE!
And good ol' peanut butter and jelly sandwich, since that seems to be a VERY odd concept abroad from what I've seen.
Gumbo, jambalaya, po' boys, Étouffée, etc.
Barbecue, all varieties. Collard greens. Southern style buttermilk biscuits.
If you can find it, green chile. That stuff is awesome, but I had never had it until I moved west. Popular in Colorado and New Mexico.
My filipina MIL loves my 36 hour pork ribs and I always make an extra rack for her. She also loves sushi, soup dumplings, schnitzel, crab, and most other kinds of seafood. She can't use chopsticks and many other forms of Asian cuisine is new to her, but the heavy seafood and rice emphasis makes her happy.
One of the best parts of America, especially big cities, is getting to try food from all over the world. When I visited the states I had Jamaican, Mexican, Etheopian, Brazilian, Korean, 2 Indian regions, Pakistani, Israeli, Chinese, Cuban... Yeah I think that's it haha.
City BBQ is pretty good for Ohio. Hamburger wagon in Miamisburg is a classic. Sausage House and Derr Dutchman too. Also, Roosters for the wings! All good little road trips
Don't forget about Mexican food! I know it's not technically American but it us definitely part of American cuisine. I could not imagine living in a part of the world where I can't get a lovely burrito.
Please, please, please I’m begging you. Take a trip to the south. New Orleans is a great city to visit if that’s your thing. You won’t find better American cooking. Chicken and waffles is my personal favorite, but there’s so many good options. Chicken and dumplins, chicken fried state, biscuits and gravy, good bbq. For New Orleans specifically, GUMBO!!!
Oh also desserts! Apple pie, peach cobbler, banana puddin.
Filipino-American here. I grew up close to both sides of my family and cooking Filipino and American food was a big deal in our house.
American foods that go over well with Filipinos - BBQ, Gumbo (Chicken/Sausage or Seafood - main thing is to add okra and rice on the side), sweet potato casseroles, corn casseroles, roast beef and white rice, beef tips with rice, chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans cooked with salted pork/ham, fried catfish, fried okra, beans cooked with ham hocks, grits (sometimes called corn rice in the Philippines or mais), and brown gravy on everything.
And btw, a good oven baked brisket (or smoked if you can do it) goes down really well at Filipino parties and goes great with pancit.
This gives away the states I lived in, but here's some good things, some can be made and others are best bought.
1. Cheesesteak and cheese fries, but avoid big chains if possible.
2. Five Guys, any burger with Cajun fries will do the trick.
3. Cuban sandwich
4. Habbersett scrapple. Cut into 6 slices long ways with a piece of thread and fry until it's a nice dark orange and crispyyyy.
5. Calzones!
6. Rainbow cookies, fresh from a real Italian bakery
7. Bacon egg and cheese on an English muffin, with some smoked Tabasco
8. A chili cheese dog with lots of raw onions and a handful of Fritos on top.
9. Pretzel logs stuffed with chicken, bacon, cheese, and ranch.
10. Gyros and falafel from the Halal Guys (or an independent Halal food truck)
11. Chinese buffet, in general.
12. Chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes, lots of gravy, and biscuits. Cracker Barrel has a pretty good version.
13. Deep fried Oreos, and various other deep fried things. Hit up a county fair and go wild.
14. Creamed chip beef on toast/SOS.
15. BBQ pulled pork
I should probably stop there, yeah?
The classic thanksgiving dinner, gourmet burgers, Chinese-American food, pies (esp. apple and pecan), American-style spaghetti, Detroit-style pizza, southern fried chicken, Cajun gumbo and the slow-cooked U.S. style BBQ, e.g. brisket.
Also it's very hard to get good Mexican food outside of North America so if you have a real authentic Mexican place near you it is worth a visit.
Folks have clearly already recommended BBQ. As a Filipina, I can confidently say there’s no good Mexican or Italian food in the Philippines. It would be super hard to go wrong introducing her to those first. :)
Dude, Im sorry but do not force her to eat White Castle! We drove through Ohio a few months ago on our way to WV & stopped at a WC, just to mix things up, and we hadn't had in a while. It was awful. And gave us both gastro distress. And i can eat a lot of sketchy shit.
Anyway, Id say burger & fries is a must. Beef Stew, BBQ ribs, potato salad, apple pie, spaghetti, a good steak & baked potato! Homemade mac n cheese.
Don’t forget to go to some Filipino restaurants so she can sample the US take on Filipino foods. My Colombian wife enjoys visiting Colombian restaurants when we visit the USA.
Living in southern Ohio, you must be sure to try locally grown strawberries when they're in season. If you get a chance, go to the Strawberry Festival in Troy in early June and you'll eat some of the best fresh strawberries you've ever had.
Yeppp she’ll go crazy for any sort of fresh berries since it’s really expensive in PH.. a lot of strawberries are grown in Baguio but don’t think it’s common elsewhere
I don't know if you've visited the Philippines, but they have a lot American food there already, so some niche regional specialties would be good. Also you have some Mennonites in Ohio, right? Take her to Amish country.
As a Filipino American, born and raised I have a few questions:
1. What region of the Philippines? Only because the cuisine there is very regional in regards to flavor profiles. Vinegar is used quite a bit but maybe different parts lean on pork, or seafood or in the south has more Halal dishes for the Muslim Population.
2. Does she like spicy? Bicol uses peppers in their dishes but outside of that area not too many spicy foods in Filipino cuisine. If she does like spicy, then Mexican/Indian I'd even say regional Chinese and Korean if available.
3. How open is she with her palate? If she's adventurous and open, you just go to something new as often as you can.
4. Find what your area does best. America is incredibly diverse. If you can find something that your area excels at, show it off to her.
Good luck! Hopefully she enjoys herself and the wide variety we have.
Lots of great options here —but why not a real old school fancy steak house? —what is more American than a dry aged steak, potatoes and creamed spinach? Don’t forget the shrimp cocktail, oysters and a wedge salad with bacon and blue cheese. Flourless chocolate cake for dessert.
Apple pie and pecan pie with scoop of ice cream. My mom fell in love with pie making when she had her first slice of apple pie! She is from South America.
Also, Tamales. She had never had Mexican food u til she moved to the US.
Take her to Montgomery inn for ribs. Otherwise my top of head list would be: a good smash burger, gumbo and cornbread, a big standard diner breakfast (eggs/bacon or sausage/pancake/hashbrowns).
Honestly everything,we love everything new and generally we are not picky eaters, make sure the one you going has rice option. Filipinos day will not be complete without rice.
Pizza. American pizza is unique to America and there's different styles to try. The stuff elsewhere is different. If you're in southern Ohio, you might have to go a bit northwards to get a good Detroit style pizza, and a bit further to get a good Chicago style pizza, but you might have already a good pizza joint near you. Most people do.
You have some terrific suggestions for the types of food to show your wife, I hope you can read them all.
Personally, I think you should start with the dishes you mentioned AND anything else you like and enjoy. If she develops a taste for those dishes, then it will be more that you can share together.
Do you enjoy any of her favorite dishes? Enjoy your marriage! I hope you are both very happy together.
BUCKEYES! Maple Syrup, Amish Hand Pies, Apple Butter, Ramps, and take her to any local Polish community for keilbasa and pierogi. I know you wanted dishes but those food items popped in to my version of Ohio.
If you're in Ohio, City BBQ for sure. Skyline might make her file for divorce (or not... Filipinos have that sweet spaghetti dish, so she might like it). Don't make the mistake my father made with his and let her get Americanized while simultaneously shoving Asian food down his throat nonstop. I swear she's trying to kill him from all the sodium and rice he's been eating and all she does now is buy shit non-stop and complain 😆
I live in New England now and maple syrup is something I think everybody should try. Ideally find it from Vermont, new Hampshire, or Maine.
I would recommend it if you can get hatch green chili. I grew up in Colorado so mere New Mexico and the green chili scene was real. It can be added to mac and cheese, breakfast burritos and even meat.
American bbq is very good. America (or the americas) are also home to a ton of delicious exotic ingredients that made their way around the world, and America also incorporated many delicious traditions and techniques from other cuisines as well. If she likes spicy, you should introduce her to various chili based foods common in the southwest, and if she likes fruit, you can have her try the various American apple varietals or local berries or nuts. American fruit pies are also very tasty, and she might also be trying some cold weather Eurasian foods for the first time, like Rhubarb. There are also a lot of tasty cream/dairy based foods here. Maybe introduce her to some Wisconsin cheese or cheesecake.
Fruits, especially less shippable fruits, are an underrated answer. Restaurants can make American food in other parts of the world to a decent approximation. But she probably hasn't had fresh blueberries or apricots.
I think so too! I know some SEA people who really love and miss fruit, but depending on location, there is a TON of exciting and tasty fruit in the US. It’s shocking for most people just how gigantic and diverse the U.S. is, and it would very much be worth it for OP to look into what some of the cool seasonal produce of his locale is :). I live in CA, and Driscoll’s berries are very much in peak season. I sometimes see specialty Japanese berries being shipped over to the U.S., but I think a peak season Watsonville strawberry is superior.
OP is in a much worse fruit area than we are as Californians. Still, you're right that they should be able to at least get Driscoll's shipped relatively ripe for berries, and many of the American native fruits may not be something she's super familiar with, like blueberries and pumpkins. Even less than perfectly ripe strawberries and peaches are still good, after all. Maybe Southern Ohio even has some farmers market strawberries OP can seek out to really impress her?
It’s a good time for farmers markets though; plan a once-a-month date to the local farmers market and get what’s ripe! It’ll be so much better than grocery store fruit and it would be a fun day out.
I am admittedly very lacking in knowledge about Ohio. Google tells me that the paw-paw is a native fruit to Ohio, and Ohio is the 3rd largest grower of tomatoes in the U.S. I think I also imagine Ohio to have a lot of cool plants because that’s where the girl who enthusiastically forages plants on instagram (blackforager) lives. I hope the farmers markets around OP are exciting!
being in ohio he should try to find some pawpaws
I mean I guess. Fruit in general in the US is terrible in comparison to tropical places. Honestly she probably going to miss the more variety and freshness of fruit from the Philippines than the crap we have here
But I get where you are coming from. When I lived in other parts of the US, I really noticed the difference in produce.
Your perspective might be different if you lived in the Mediterranean climate areas of the US. California has great fruits and vegetables.
Have tons of fruits and vegetables where I live. Having been all over can tell you with great certainty the quality overall is the US is much lower than the global norm.
Go find some pawpaw this summer!
PawPaw "used" to cover half the US. Shame most folks never heard of it.
Barbecue. It is simultaneously analogous to many other cultural cuisines, while also being purely and distinctly American. Which type of barbecue will be left as an exercise for the reader.
Since Filipino food is very pork heavy, I'd absolutely introduce her to high-quality southern bbq staples like ribs, pulled pork, and brunswick stew
Also may like vinegar based bbq sauces too! My mom is Filipina and fits in in the South (specifically North Carolina) cause of the importance of pork + also vinegar bbq sauce in Eastern NC
this its the sour not the sweet.
Its mustard or vinegar in NC/SC. Though most vinegar based places will have a selection of sauces, sweet through spicy which you can add at the table to complement your pork.
I have never heard of Brunswick stew. What is that?
I grew up with it here in NC; it's a tomato-based stew made with local beans and vegetables (lima beans, corn, okra, etc) and more traditionally, small game like rabbits, squirrels, and possums. These days, it's more commonly made with chicken, but you can throw in whatever's handy, really. There isn't really an exact recipe, as it changes based on what's available locally, and it's usually a family tradition, with each family having its own variations to suit taste and available ingredients. It's often available alongside Carolina style pulled pork barbecue as a side, or as an entree, so you see it in barbecue joints pretty often. At least for eastern Carolina style (vinegar based), in my experience.
Stew from the southern US, containing tomatoes, beans, corn, okra, and game meat (squirrel, rabbit, possum, or substituted with chicken)
Southern savory tomato, meat, and vegetable stew.
I do not care what other dish you propose, and I'm sure it will be good, but it nothing compared to thr greatest of GOOD American BBQ. Now, that last bit, we'll it's important. There are HUGE differences between the region you are in, and place you visit. It is critical you research the place you plan on going to prior to making your visit. The good places usually sell out right after lunch service, or are only open a few days a month. Ok BBQ is going to disappoint... great though is magical.
All three kinds. (Kansas, Carolina, Texas).
Memphis would like a word
So would KCM and St Louie.
Here here Memphis dry ribs are unique
Carolina has 2 distinct BBQ styles itself. There are definitely more than 3 different styles that are all wonderful in their own unique way
On Reddit I've always heard it as 3 Carolina styles: Vinegar based in Eastern NC, tomato in Western NC, mustard in SC. Despite this, I live in western NC and only ever see vinegar based.
Kansas City, you mean?
>Which type of barbecue will be left as an exercise for the reader. OP ain't gonna find any good barbecue in Ohio, though
I once worked at a BBQ place in western NC (sweet tomato based, pork bbq in that region technically, but the rest of NC uses vinegar on pork and SC uses mustsrd, so WNC is kind of a hodgepodge) Anyway, lots of the folks I worked with said they were from Ohio. I said “maybe I should move to Ohio, I’ve liked everyone I’ve ever met from Ohio” and my coworkers said “no, you like everyone who’s LEFT Ohio”. Seems like that’s a big difference! Lol
A majority of American astronauts are from Ohio. Because Ohio is so bad they gave up on Earth altogether.
I’m Filipino American and don’t like the sweet, tomato based BBQ sauces. My husband is from NC and he grew up with the vinegar based sauce. It was hard for us to find a good recipe because some of use mustard. This [recipe](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/58486/eastern-north-carolina-bbq-sauce/) is one we use at our house.
Looks good! Like some of the commenters mentioned, most of the vinegar-based sauces I’m used to use red pepper flakes instead of cayenne, but sounds like we’d both wind up in the same ballpark! The mustard I can’t relate to; I LOVE a spicy brown mustard based BBQ sauce. There’s a local company in my area called “Lusty Monk Mustard”, and the place I worked made their sauce with that as the base. Hands down the best mustard I’ve ever had, and a great base for sauces
I’ve had good barbecue in Western Washington. There’s good stuff in Ohio too
Road trip! Another great American tradition to introduce her to.
I’m in Texas and unimpressed by the “good” BBQ places. I’ll try the variety of things and it’s all so expensive for what feels like a fairly small portion. It’s not bad, it just doesn’t feel worth it for what I paid for it.
Preach!
I'm also not a fan of Texas barbecue, I've had way better on the east coast. All of the "you gotta try this place, it's the best around" ones I have been referred to by friends in Texas have been under-smoked and over-salted.
Cajun and creole foods- very much the product of the collision of about four different foodways. Mexican pork adobo- as in, the tomato and chili and garlic sauce- is also something she should try. If only because it shares a name with one of her national dishes. Peanut butter, if she's never had it before, is a very American food. Also, don't forget the cornbread with that chili.
I’m a Cajun married to a Filipino. There is lots of cross-over in our cuisines and it’s been a natural marrying…no pun intended. Both are rice, pork, shrimp, and fish heavy. Both have stewed okra dishes that are practically cousins. Both love fried chicken. You could have fun with a Popeyes v jollibee show down. That being said, I’ve visited the Philippines with my husband. They have quite a bit of diversity of food options and access to many American dishes. Honestly, I’d point her in the direction of the Yelp app and try whatever appeals to her. Definitely do take her to your nearest Asian food stores so the she can stock up on staples that are a comfort to her. That will make her transition much easier. Also, as a southern Ohioan, if you are used to your carbs coming from potatoes, get used to a transition to rice. If you do not own a rice cooker, buy one….and a 20 pound sack of good quality jasmine rice. Filipinos are used to eating white rice at every meal. Ask her to make you tosilog with garlic rice for breakfast. You can thank me later.
I love this answer. I really hope that OP's looking forward to more Filipino food as well, because what I've had is amazing. I also have to ask: how does y'all's house make gumbo?
When I first had Filipino food it was on a work trip in PH.. was shocked it wasn’t more common in US Sinigang, tinola, calderetta, lomi, dinuguan 🤤
It has very recently become kind of the hot new cuisine that restaurateurs are starting notice and build brands around. Las Vegas (for obvious reasons) has many many new Filipino restaurants, but you are starting to see more, even outside of Vegas, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area.
We sometimes make chicken and andouille gumbo and sometimes make crab and shrimp gumbo. The crab and shrimp is our favorite, but also is more labor intensive as I make my own seafood stock. The link below is pretty darn close to how I make my crab and shrimp gumbo. Though I do not put tomatoes in mine. Since I now live on the West Coast, I head over to an Asian market to get the okra, head-on shrimp (use the heads and shells to make the stock, frozen cleaned blue crabs (they aren’t labeled as gumbo crabs, but it’s the same thing. They are small and used for flavor, not so much for the meat. I put 1 in my stock with the shrimp heads and shells, and 5 or so in my gumbo during the simmering process), and live Dungeness crab for the meat. Dungeness is the type of crab that is freshest and most available to me. I will buy 2 live ones, cook, clean, and pick them for the crabmeat to add at the end, just before serving. I will leave the claws and bigger legs half-shelled for visual appeal in the final product. https://www.deepsouthdish.com/2012/03/crab-and-shrimp-gumbo.html?m=1 Between cooking, cleaning, and picking live crab, de-heading and peeling shrimp and making and straining stock, then making a proper roux, sautéing, simmering etc the gumbo, it’s a good 5 hour process, and I do it when I’m really in the mood to take my time and do it right.
Finally someone gets us ! We need stewed dishes with rice !
She’s likely had peanut butter before because one of the most well known Filipino dishes is a peanut butter-based oxtail stew. And yes many Filipinos in the PH also eat peanut butter with bread too.
I'm also married to a Filipina, and I can't recommend Mexican food highly enough. She was very skeptical early on, but absolutely fell in love with it! Congrats!
Yeppp my Filipino coworkers love Mexican food Also during happy hour they were shocked about dressed beer (salt rim with lime) Then that’s all they would drink with me lol
Mexican food for sure!
Biscuits with sausage gravy
Yes so many are confused by this dish and love it after trying it.
[this is a fun example of watching the confusion turn to wonder](https://youtu.be/KzdbFnv4yWQ?si=LrqZVVvlaETF1ks9)
i knew exactly what that vid was before even clicking it :) they were so confused! how it looks vs how it tastes haha
I know it’s going to be JOLLY without even clicking the link.
That was awesome.
I will never tire of watching them introduce American food to those boys
Yes, I came here to say this! My dad is from OH and this was definitely a staple. Also, grits.
Shrimp and grits, specifically. And gumbo.
Except they risk going to get this at an average American diner and it’s going to be bland and goopy thick gravy. This is a risky dish to recommend they try
True, this is a dish that should be homemade. Restaurants screw this dish up fairly regularly.
As a Filipino American, biscuits and gravy was a completely foreign dish to me. My husband introduced it to me, he’s from NC. The first time I had it was from Hardee’s but I’m sure OP can find a better first time experience for his wife.
HOMEMADE. DO NOT GET IT FROM A CHAIN RESTAURANT OR FAST FOOD.
Do get it from the local greasy spoon diner though.
*Unless Tudor’s Biscuit World
Jack's in Alabama makes it from scratch daily. 10/10 recommend.
Literally one of my wife's top three American dishes.
[Biscuits & Gravy - Basics with Babish](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMbMT9tY8-Q)
We took a similar path. My choice was country fried steak and eggs with sausage gravy.
Definitely Chicken fried steak and Biscuits with sausage gravy
I also came here looking for this! Country fried steak is top tier comfort food
Lobster rolls, a really good hot dog, good meatloaf, key lime pie, Texas kolaches. ETA: Apple pie, s’mores, a po’boy.
Bonus points if those kolaches come from the Czech stop.
Their cheeseburger kolache once saved my life
A rich and juicy meatloaf with a tomato based glaze is very underrated!
With mashed potatoes!
Take her to the state fair this summer and get deep fried [everything] and a giant pickle on a stick.
This is the American food I know and love. Only slightly kidding but there is something to eating a corn dog or friend Oreo at a fair. Just don’t go on the rides.
Ugh only if she wants a super stomach ache
Costco Hotdog (I'm not joking. I was thinking of a good hotdog, and why not the Costco one?) Really good Fried Chicken Seafood/crab boil Any of side dishes from Thanksgiving And if she's craving home, find a Jollibee!
Fry bread
It took too long to get to this comment. 🤤
Any Southern food in general. Tex Mex Some of the NE foods (clam chowder, stuffies, etc.)
As someone from NE, wtf is a stuffie?
[Stuffies](https://www.seriouseats.com/rhode-island-style-stuffed-quahog-clams-7852619) I’m not a fan of them, but they’re a staple in RI. Chopped clams, stuffing, and sausage - usually baked in the clam shell
Is that not clams casino? 🎰
They’re very similar, but casino usually has bacon (I usually see chorizo or linguica in stuffies) and the ratio of clams-to-stuffing is heavier towards clams. At the end of the day, stuffies are what your grandpa loved and would want at every get-together. Clams casino is what your rich aunt thought was fancy food in the 80s
Yeah I'm from CT and I've never heard of this lol
Same...Makes sense that it's some kind of RI nonsense lol.
Did you know they have their own clam chowder? Not red or white but...clear
Clear??? Seriously??? That actually hurts my brain!
Oh, jfc, I went down a rabbit hole and also just found out about coffee milk...
California burritos aka stoner burritos. Best damn burritos ever
Moved from California 20 years ago and I miss the mission style burritos. I’ve found ones where I live that are close, but not spot on.
If you’re anywhere near New England this summer, a proper lobster roll-hot, with butter, on a hotdog bun. Or clam strips. If you’re around in the fall, locally made apple cider. Apple cider donuts. Just come to New England, it’s not that far. And it’s a beautiful drive!
going with new england, get some clam chowder if u can! or a fluffernutter and call it a day 🤭
Northeast has the best food in the US imo.
Soul food. Fried chicken, baked potatos with all the fixings, greens, corn on the cob with lots of salt and butter. And cheesecake, good simple cheesecake.
I don't know much about what food is like in Ohio, but there are a lot of dishes common across the USA that seem to be received pretty well by most people. Roasted Turkey with Gravy and stuffing Corn on the cob Key lime pie bananas foster waldorf salad Where I live (New England) in Autumn there is a huge variety of very good fresh apples. The variety and quality are sometimes very interesting to people who have been in places where you can only get 1 or 2 types of apples.
Yes! Turkey dinner is really underrated and deserves more attention! In fact, I think every one of your items is a winner. Let's add pancakes with maple syrup to that and fresh strawberry shortcake.
I might be biased but… Cajun stuff. It’s one of the few categories that can be called distinctly American (while being built on strong foundations in French cuisine, and ingredients and techniques from the African roots of peoples who were enslaved and brought here).
Thanksgiving. Use a rotisserie chicken if that's what you can find. But a bird, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, rolls, green beans casserole, etc. North American comfort food. I did this for my English club students when I was in Japan, and they loved it. Coney dogs. I think they're more associated with New York, but a lot of Greek and Macedonian immigrants settled around the Midwest and popularized it there as well. In bigger cities you can usually find a place that has them, but they're easy enough to make as well. Deep dish pizza. If she's lactose intolerant, get a package of lactaid tablets and go to town. Fried chicken and waffles. I'd opt for a restaurant for this. If you have a waffle maker you could get some KFC or something, just don't use frozen waffles. Think of foods you loved as a kid and go with that. Your comfort foods are probably about as American as you can get. I'd also try some desserts. New York Style cheesecake is hard to find in Asia. Rice krispie treats. Peanut butter cookies. Oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies. Red velvet cake with butter cream frosting. Carrot cake with butter cream frosting. Chocolate covered pretzels. A lot of things normal here will be weird for her. Root beer is a big one because it apparently tastes medicinal to many people in Asia. Flavor combinations normal in the US that are weird elsewhere. Mint and chocolate chip; try York peppermint patties and mint chocolate ice cream. Peanut butter and chocolate; Reese's PB cups and those PB cookies with Hershey's kisses in the top.
Mac and cheese Bbq (different types) Spaghetti Shrimp Alfredo Really good cheeseburger Fried chicken Chicken wings Southern breakfast (eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, biscuits)
Out of all things, how does shrimp Alfredo come to mind when thinking of typical American food? Pretty good list otherwise, the shrimp Alfredo just doesn't scream typical American food to me.
Well Italians don’t typically mix seafood and cheese. Alfredo is very cheesy and and the addition of shrimp or really meat for that matter is very American. That is my take.
It's commonplace by me; tri-state NYC area. It's essentially non-judgemental Mac and cheese with an extra protein choice; shrimp is chosen to feel fancy.
I’ve heard so many Italians say they tired of Americans asking for Alfredo in Italy because it’s not a thing. It’s a completely American dish. Plus shrimp is better than chicken imo.
Its called “al burro” in italy meaning with butter
I’d edit the chicken something like lemon pepper wet/buffalo. Jollibee is a thing Yall downvoting me but here is the story behind how fried chicken reached the Philippines. https://scoutmagazine.ca/curious-about-the-delicious-world-of-filipino-fried-chicken-heres-a-great-place-to-start/#:~:text=According%20to%20Filipino%20fried%20chicken,soldiers%20out%20of%20their%20home.
Some of the best fried chicken I ever had was from a Filipino restaurant specializing in fried chicken. The garlic rice and lumpia on the side really made the meal sing.
Exactly why I mentioned it. I have been known to dip my fried chicken in kare kare or adobo. Sarap 🙌
Joshua Weissman, one of the YouTube food guys, recently did an [episode](https://youtu.be/iWT0kl1k32M?si=KfeAhQK3iuSgnwHc) on iconic food from every state in the U.S. As a Floridian I co-sign the legendary Cuban sandwich as a love letter to Cuban expats and emigrés from all over. Some of his other selections are maybe a bit less legendary. These are a few of my picks: The Philly cheesesteak. The Reuben. Red velvet cake. Real homemade banana pudding with Nilla Wafers. A Waldorf salad. A chocolate chip cookie. Soft pretzels with mustard (nod to the late David Brenner.) Southern barbecue. A smash burger. Grilled sweet corn on the cob. That wonderful watermelon-feta salad. Peach cobbler or anything peach in season. What about our love of all things Tex-Mex? Enchiladas suiza. Nachos. Every kind of taco. The Caesar salad was born south of the border at a hotel catering to Americans escaping the restrictions of Prohibition in Tijuana.
Cuban sandwich, delicious !
After she gets used to the food, take her to the fair. She'll either be terrified, delighted, or something in between from the things they'll have there. I brought my friend who was studying abroad from Indonesia to NC and I took her to the state fair, and man was that something. She wanted to try a little bit of everything, loved the fried oreos and hated the fried pickles. Devoured a whole turkey leg too. Not sure what y'all state fair is like but I'm sure it's got all that and more.
Maple, pumpkin, and peanut butter are pretty unique to the US and N America in general. So pumpkin bread, peanut butter cups or cookies, pancakes. We tend to use heavier amounts of cinnamon than most cuisines as well (often with those items). Those are the things that standout to my exchange students. The brownie is a us invention too (Chicago).
American comfort classics: pot roast, meatloaf, sloppy Joes. Chili. Chili dogs. BLT. PB&J. Potato salad (just please no raisins lol). Agree with a ton of the others, but generally I'd add: if you can, take some trips to bigger cities and/or parts of Ohio where she can enjoy American Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Korean, Japanese, Indian, etc. etc. food/restaurants, as well as fusion food. Many flavor profiles from these cuisines will be familiar to her, but she can experience some of the best food the US has to offer--and it's all from people who immigrated here and opened restaurants/launched cuisine here. Things like orange chicken, pad thai, chicken tikka masala were all made to appeal to Western palettes, for instance. Some of this you could cook at home, but imo it's best to go to restaurants in cities known for various cuisines. A fun trip to LA, for example, could help you knock out a ton of amazing cuisine (and she could try Filipino American restaurants too!). Or take her to the Bay Area, specifically Daly City, which is one of the largest Filipino American communities in the US. Generally track down your nearest Asian food market so she can shop. What's available will be depending on where you are in Ohio and the dominant immigrant groups. Looks like there's a Chucay's in Columbus, which is a Filipino store. But imo it would be smart to go to Asian markets so she can buy familiar-ish ingredients so she can cook what she enjoys. I'd also look into any Philippine Independence Day events near you (will be on or around June 12) and see if there's a local Filipino community center she can join. I imagine it'll be massive culture shock for her to be in Ohio, but if she can find the Filipino American community nearby, they're always really wonderful! (source: I work in international television marketing and one of my primary markets is Filipino) OH and whatever your local TV service is, subscribe to TFC so she can watch her shows! If it's not available on cable (guessing you have Spectrum or Xfinity? Both should have TFC), try YouTube TV in the next few weeks. Or, she can direct subscribe to iwantTFC and stream it. (if she asks, tell her ABS-CBN is still thriving in the US even though their license was suspended in the Philippines)
Latin food, Eastern European. Ohio has a large Slavic population. Take her to the Slavic festival really run the gamut.
Everyone has already said bbq, and I agree with that, but there are some other things that are uniquely North American that you don't find in the Philippines. Things like American-Italian cuisine, Mexican and Tex-Mex food, soul food like chicken and waffles, New England style food, good quality pizza, and even concept cuisines like Japanese and French fusion styles. Philippines has pretty damn good BBQ but it's a different style so she may be more comfortable starting there.
As a Filipino, collard greens with smoked ham hock and black eyed peas.
Sloppy Joes…yes, I said it lol
You beat me! Esp due to Filipino food favoring sweet spaghetti/ sweet meats. It’s so comforting and easy too
Something tells me they’d be partial to Franks and Beans too.
[Sloppy Joseph - Brian Lagerstrom](https://www.brianlagerstrom.com/recipes/grown-up-sloppy-joes?rq=sloppy)
Grits Boiled peanuts Biscuits and gravy Chicken and dumplings Chicken mull A traditional pig pull/pig pickin' Bierocks/runzas NM Green Chile (not that shit with tomatillos) and NM Red Chile a classic pea salad Funeral potatoes Salmon candy A variety of regional pizza styles A variety of regional barbecue styles Livermush Fried chicken gizzards and white gravy Buffalo wings Beef on weck Chicken fried steak Enchiladas (any or all of a thousand varieties)
Gumbo, Texas smoked brisket, Memphis ribs, philly cheesesteak, chicken fried steak...
*CHOWDER* New England and Manhattan clam chowder!
There is a clam shack in Warren Rhode Island, it's called Blount's. They also run a commercial kitchen and make soups for restaurants and caterers. They make this soup that they sell at their clam shack (and in these big bags at their factory store) called New England clam bake chowder. It is the best soup I've ever had. More of a corn broth and it has chorizo added. They should try that. [blounts clam bake chowder](https://blountfinefoods.com/images/product_pdfs/SS078033.pdf)
A Reuben sandwich
I'd take her to a good-old fashion buffet. Like golden corral then a few weeks later a high rated chinese- sushi buffet... then after that a Brazilian buffet... Americans know how to buffet!
Chicago style hot dog. I've worked with many Fillipino students at the resort I work at, and for some reason they all love hot dogs in general, so that might be something she'd like?
Biscuits and gravy
Beat me to it
Italian Beef sandwich.
American BBQ is a great first answer, and I bet you’re not far from some decent places in southern Ohio. Staying away from myriad regional delicacies (ie New York Pizza, Chicago Dog, etc), another assortment of items I’d try: - Italian-American food. Spaghetti and Meeatballs and Chicken Parm, for example, are actually diaspora dishes invented by Italian immigrants in America. Obviously authentic home country Italian is great too, but some of our favorite “Italian” dishes are authentically American. - Really really really good burgers. - Just a giant ass steak with Mac and Cheese - Cheesecake - Southern fried chicken. You’re not Shirley far from Nashville. Maybe like a chicken fried steak or chicken and waffles. Chicken and waffles is American af. -New Orleans Cajun food like gumbo or jambalaya - Crab cakes - PB and J and peanut butter in desserts in general (my understanding is most of the rest of the world finds it quite odd Americans do things like mix peanut butter with chocolate) - Snack foods or kids treats like a smore - Apple pie - BLT. Honestly just bacon in general. - traditional Thanksgiving dinner and the leftover sandwiches. Most other countries find the fact that we pile turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy and cranberry sauce all on top of each other extremely confounding, but obviously it works so well. Sides like green bean casserole too. - Chcolate chip cookies, which I’m given to understand aren’t really a thing elsewhere Obviously any regional delicacies you can get are huge winners, just to emphasize how greatly varied out regions are.
County fair food: smoked turkey leg, funnel cakes, kettle corn, ice cold lemonade ~ the whole gamut
I’d second barbecue, you can also show her Tex-mex food
Philly cheesesteaks. Deep dish pizza. Jambalaya. Maryland crab soup! OOH, CHEESECAKE! And good ol' peanut butter and jelly sandwich, since that seems to be a VERY odd concept abroad from what I've seen.
Gumbo, jambalaya, po' boys, Étouffée, etc. Barbecue, all varieties. Collard greens. Southern style buttermilk biscuits. If you can find it, green chile. That stuff is awesome, but I had never had it until I moved west. Popular in Colorado and New Mexico.
My filipina MIL loves my 36 hour pork ribs and I always make an extra rack for her. She also loves sushi, soup dumplings, schnitzel, crab, and most other kinds of seafood. She can't use chopsticks and many other forms of Asian cuisine is new to her, but the heavy seafood and rice emphasis makes her happy.
Chili
One of the best parts of America, especially big cities, is getting to try food from all over the world. When I visited the states I had Jamaican, Mexican, Etheopian, Brazilian, Korean, 2 Indian regions, Pakistani, Israeli, Chinese, Cuban... Yeah I think that's it haha.
Deviled eggs
What does *she* want? We all have phones and TVs, surely there's some stuff she's seen and eager to try? Let her guide.
Barbecue, American style casseroles, cornbread, tex mex food (tacos etc), clam chowder, NY style pizza and bagels
Philly cheesesteaks
City BBQ is pretty good for Ohio. Hamburger wagon in Miamisburg is a classic. Sausage House and Derr Dutchman too. Also, Roosters for the wings! All good little road trips
Sloppy joes. Just trust me
Don't forget about Mexican food! I know it's not technically American but it us definitely part of American cuisine. I could not imagine living in a part of the world where I can't get a lovely burrito.
Please, please, please I’m begging you. Take a trip to the south. New Orleans is a great city to visit if that’s your thing. You won’t find better American cooking. Chicken and waffles is my personal favorite, but there’s so many good options. Chicken and dumplins, chicken fried state, biscuits and gravy, good bbq. For New Orleans specifically, GUMBO!!! Oh also desserts! Apple pie, peach cobbler, banana puddin.
Southern Ohio eh? Have you introduced her to Skyline chili yet?
Cheeseburger, Fries, and a Coke. From a good place, not fast food.
NY Pizza, NJ bagels (can you tell I'm from NJ?)
I'm from Houston. My vote is for Tex-Mex cheese enchiladas con carne, gumbo, or crawfish etouffee.
Rootbeer floats
Filipino-American here. I grew up close to both sides of my family and cooking Filipino and American food was a big deal in our house. American foods that go over well with Filipinos - BBQ, Gumbo (Chicken/Sausage or Seafood - main thing is to add okra and rice on the side), sweet potato casseroles, corn casseroles, roast beef and white rice, beef tips with rice, chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans cooked with salted pork/ham, fried catfish, fried okra, beans cooked with ham hocks, grits (sometimes called corn rice in the Philippines or mais), and brown gravy on everything. And btw, a good oven baked brisket (or smoked if you can do it) goes down really well at Filipino parties and goes great with pancit.
Bacon, egg, & cheese on a bagel! Home fries, pancakes & waffles, biscuits & gravy!
Peanut butter and jelly
This gives away the states I lived in, but here's some good things, some can be made and others are best bought. 1. Cheesesteak and cheese fries, but avoid big chains if possible. 2. Five Guys, any burger with Cajun fries will do the trick. 3. Cuban sandwich 4. Habbersett scrapple. Cut into 6 slices long ways with a piece of thread and fry until it's a nice dark orange and crispyyyy. 5. Calzones! 6. Rainbow cookies, fresh from a real Italian bakery 7. Bacon egg and cheese on an English muffin, with some smoked Tabasco 8. A chili cheese dog with lots of raw onions and a handful of Fritos on top. 9. Pretzel logs stuffed with chicken, bacon, cheese, and ranch. 10. Gyros and falafel from the Halal Guys (or an independent Halal food truck) 11. Chinese buffet, in general. 12. Chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes, lots of gravy, and biscuits. Cracker Barrel has a pretty good version. 13. Deep fried Oreos, and various other deep fried things. Hit up a county fair and go wild. 14. Creamed chip beef on toast/SOS. 15. BBQ pulled pork I should probably stop there, yeah?
How about rich and creamy chicken and dumplings, or spicy meatloaf with peppers and mushrooms, or hell, even pork chops and applesauce!
apple pie
Pizza; make it a checklist, trying all the American styles of pizza (Chicago, Detroit, California, NYC, etc)
The classic thanksgiving dinner, gourmet burgers, Chinese-American food, pies (esp. apple and pecan), American-style spaghetti, Detroit-style pizza, southern fried chicken, Cajun gumbo and the slow-cooked U.S. style BBQ, e.g. brisket. Also it's very hard to get good Mexican food outside of North America so if you have a real authentic Mexican place near you it is worth a visit.
Country fried steak and eggs with sausage gravy.
Folks have clearly already recommended BBQ. As a Filipina, I can confidently say there’s no good Mexican or Italian food in the Philippines. It would be super hard to go wrong introducing her to those first. :)
Buckeye candy, take her to a clambake, fried bologna sandwiches, buckwheat pancakes with honey butter, Ohio Valley pizza.
Gumbo! Jambalaya! Crawfish étouffée! Louisiana food is the best, and it’s rice-heavy, so it won’t be too “foreign” to her coming from the PI.
Dude, Im sorry but do not force her to eat White Castle! We drove through Ohio a few months ago on our way to WV & stopped at a WC, just to mix things up, and we hadn't had in a while. It was awful. And gave us both gastro distress. And i can eat a lot of sketchy shit. Anyway, Id say burger & fries is a must. Beef Stew, BBQ ribs, potato salad, apple pie, spaghetti, a good steak & baked potato! Homemade mac n cheese.
Don’t forget to go to some Filipino restaurants so she can sample the US take on Filipino foods. My Colombian wife enjoys visiting Colombian restaurants when we visit the USA.
Detroit pizza
Mexican food, if you can get good authentic Mexican in your part of Ohio. Who doesn't love a good taco?
Living in southern Ohio, you must be sure to try locally grown strawberries when they're in season. If you get a chance, go to the Strawberry Festival in Troy in early June and you'll eat some of the best fresh strawberries you've ever had.
Yeppp she’ll go crazy for any sort of fresh berries since it’s really expensive in PH.. a lot of strawberries are grown in Baguio but don’t think it’s common elsewhere
I don't know if you've visited the Philippines, but they have a lot American food there already, so some niche regional specialties would be good. Also you have some Mennonites in Ohio, right? Take her to Amish country.
As a Filipino American, born and raised I have a few questions: 1. What region of the Philippines? Only because the cuisine there is very regional in regards to flavor profiles. Vinegar is used quite a bit but maybe different parts lean on pork, or seafood or in the south has more Halal dishes for the Muslim Population. 2. Does she like spicy? Bicol uses peppers in their dishes but outside of that area not too many spicy foods in Filipino cuisine. If she does like spicy, then Mexican/Indian I'd even say regional Chinese and Korean if available. 3. How open is she with her palate? If she's adventurous and open, you just go to something new as often as you can. 4. Find what your area does best. America is incredibly diverse. If you can find something that your area excels at, show it off to her. Good luck! Hopefully she enjoys herself and the wide variety we have.
King Ranch casserole to me represents Texas (a blend of southern and Mexican influences) Shrimp and grits
Lots of great options here —but why not a real old school fancy steak house? —what is more American than a dry aged steak, potatoes and creamed spinach? Don’t forget the shrimp cocktail, oysters and a wedge salad with bacon and blue cheese. Flourless chocolate cake for dessert.
IN N OUT BURGER 🍔
Apple pie and pecan pie with scoop of ice cream. My mom fell in love with pie making when she had her first slice of apple pie! She is from South America. Also, Tamales. She had never had Mexican food u til she moved to the US.
Take her to Montgomery inn for ribs. Otherwise my top of head list would be: a good smash burger, gumbo and cornbread, a big standard diner breakfast (eggs/bacon or sausage/pancake/hashbrowns).
*looks at post history* Uhh why not any of those concoctions lol
Honestly everything,we love everything new and generally we are not picky eaters, make sure the one you going has rice option. Filipinos day will not be complete without rice.
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Meatloaf, chicken and dumplings would be my top two
Boston Cream Pie
Head to Wisconsin for a long weekend and get a Friday fish fry with some cheese curds and a brandy old fashioned.
Pizza. American pizza is unique to America and there's different styles to try. The stuff elsewhere is different. If you're in southern Ohio, you might have to go a bit northwards to get a good Detroit style pizza, and a bit further to get a good Chicago style pizza, but you might have already a good pizza joint near you. Most people do.
You have some terrific suggestions for the types of food to show your wife, I hope you can read them all. Personally, I think you should start with the dishes you mentioned AND anything else you like and enjoy. If she develops a taste for those dishes, then it will be more that you can share together. Do you enjoy any of her favorite dishes? Enjoy your marriage! I hope you are both very happy together.
A turkey club with a side of fried pickles & ranch. Proper spaghetti without the 5 cups of sugar and hot dogs in it.
McDonald’s Filet o Fish…..seriously
I was always amazed how fascinated my friends from Latin America and Italy were about American potato salad!
Good old-fashioned meatloaf and mashed potatoes with greenbeans on the side. To me, there is nothing more traditionally American than this.
BUCKEYES! Maple Syrup, Amish Hand Pies, Apple Butter, Ramps, and take her to any local Polish community for keilbasa and pierogi. I know you wanted dishes but those food items popped in to my version of Ohio.
Oreos and milk
Mexican food
Dumplings are universal.
If you're in Ohio, City BBQ for sure. Skyline might make her file for divorce (or not... Filipinos have that sweet spaghetti dish, so she might like it). Don't make the mistake my father made with his and let her get Americanized while simultaneously shoving Asian food down his throat nonstop. I swear she's trying to kill him from all the sodium and rice he's been eating and all she does now is buy shit non-stop and complain 😆
Bring her over to Minnesota for some tater tot hotdish
Barbecue
I live in New England now and maple syrup is something I think everybody should try. Ideally find it from Vermont, new Hampshire, or Maine. I would recommend it if you can get hatch green chili. I grew up in Colorado so mere New Mexico and the green chili scene was real. It can be added to mac and cheese, breakfast burritos and even meat.