Every corner of this country has a taste it calls its own, especially in summer. It’s the flavor of a specific place, a dish you can only get just right when you’re there. These aren’t fancy restaurant meals. They’re the foods of roadside stands, backyard picnics, and county fairs. They are tied to our memories of hot afternoons and long weekends. From the East Coast shores to the desert Southwest, these are the regional summer foods Americans look forward to all year long.
#1: New England Lobster Roll (Maine)
Nothing says a New England summer quite like a lobster roll. The best ones keep it simple. They pile fresh, cold lobster meat, maybe with a little mayo, into a top-split hot dog bun buttered and grilled. The contrast of the cool lobster and the warm, buttery bun is what makes it perfect. The first one was supposedly served in Connecticut back in 1929, but Maine turned this sandwich into an art form. It’s the taste of a seaside vacation, eaten on a dock with the gulls crying overhead.
