Worth the Trip?
by Jacqui Busick
Photography by Grace Choi
Bagel Photo Courtesy of Tompkins Square Bagels
Boston is not a city that leaves foodies disappointed. It truly delivers on all levels including indulgent comfort food, trendy health foods, unique Boston cuisine and even authentic ethnic food. Nevertheless, no one city can have it all; there are simply some things that you cannot get in Boston.
Thankfully, summer is only a week away. Whether you find yourself in one of the following cities, or are dedicated enough to your stomach to travel just for the food, these are the must-eats that will definitely be worth the trip.
California Burritos
Destination: San Diego, CA
Suggested restaurants: Roberto’s and Lucha Libre
In San Diego, the dynamic duo is not a burger and fries, but carne asada and fries. The California burrito, a warm tortilla filled with carne asada, french fries, cheese and guacamole or pico de gallo, was invented in this beach city. NBC even considers this to be one of the best combinations found inside of a tortilla in all of the U.S.
A successful California burrito has the right ratio of fries to beef to cheese, and you ideally will be able to have all three in each bite. You won’t find this post-surfing staple too far outside of San Diego.
Gooey Butter Cake and Cookies
Destination: St. Louis, MO
Suggested shops: Shnucks and Park Avenue Coffee
Gooey Butter Cake, a magical mixture of flour, eggs, milk and sugar with a gooey butter topping, is a St. Louis specialty. This cake is typically served as a breakfast pastry. And like all good things, it also comes in cookie form.
When in St. Louis, Yasmin Younis (COM ’18), is a regular at Shnucks––particularly for the gooey butter cookies.
“Gooey butter cake and cookies are really sweet and there's nothing else like them,” said Younis. “I haven't been able to find anything close to it in Boston, which makes me sad.”
Deep-Dish Pizza
Destination: Chicago, IL
Suggested restaurants: Rosati’s and Gino’s East
Deep-dish pizza is served in a pan or dish, to accommodate for the height of the outside crust that serves to hold the extra volume of toppings. Pizza, often the food to bring people together, can be very divisive––especially when there’s the choice between Chicago-style pizza and everything else.
BU students from the Chicago area know that they must expand their definition of pizza when they leave their home.
“I have yet to find a place in Boston that even serves anything remotely similar to the inside-out deep dish pizza that is so synonymous with Chicago culture,” said Samantha Gross (COM ’18).
Bagels
Destination: New York, NY
Suggested restaurants: Tompkins Square Bagels (Manhattan) and Freshy Fresh Bagels (Long Island)
Anyone from New York will tell you the bagels are better there––plus a lot of other things. And there truly is good reason to believe them on this one.
Sam Desoto (CFA ’19), a Long Island native, has not been able to find a good enough bagel in Boston.
“But the thing is, the massiveness isn’t even the biggest thing,” said Desoto. “[A New York bagel] is so flavorful and made so well that it’s incomparable.”
It definitely depends on which bagel shop you end up in, but the chances of you biting into a massive, flavorful, perfectly textured and perfectly topped bagel are much, much higher if you are in New York City. Don’t try to understand why, just get yourself there.