{Food} FOF’s Best Eats from Coast to Coast

From “aaaah”-inducing cherry turnovers in Nebraska to “indulgent”  Onion Soup in Illinois, FOFs fork up the treats they crave from the neighborhood spots you have to be in-the-know…to know.

1. FOF Jerice Bergstrom: Fat Toad Caramel from Fat Toad Farm,
Brookfield, VT
http://www.fattoadfarm.com/

“Oh my God! When you taste Fat Toad Caramel sauce over ice cream, apples or oatmeal, your mouth will start reciting the alphabet. Not ‘A’ to ‘Z’, but ‘Mmmm’ to ‘No!’ as in, ‘This can’t be real!’ They make it with their own organic goat’s milk and the ingredients are of unmatched deliciousness. Often, caramel can leave a potent aftertaste. Fat Toad Caramel doesn’t have anything but smoothness and delight, from the initial scent to the sweet aftertaste. It is simply the best caramel I have ever tasted!”
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2. FOF Cynthia Johnston: Cherry Turnovers from Lithuanian Bakery & Kafe
Omaha, NE
402.391.3503

“Delicate, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth, perfectly-tart-and-sweet cherry turnovers make my ‘ahhh’ moment… and now I have to go get one. Okay, two!”
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3. FOF Orelle Jackson: Queen City Cayenne Ice Cream from Jeni’s Ice Cream,
Columbus, OH
http://jenisicecreams.com/

“Jeni is a local ice cream maker. She uses all local ingredients to make her heavenly ice creams. Queen City Cayenne is my favorite–rich, smooth, creamy, chocolate ice cream and a kick of cayenne pepper. The juxtaposition of cold and hot, creamy and spicy is a celebration for your taste buds. If you don’t live in Columbus, Jeni does mail order!”
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4. FOF Lynne Troiano: Stuffed Cheese Blintzes from Lucky Dill Deli
Palm Harbor, FL
http://www.luckydilldeli.com

“Cheese blintzes stuffed with Romanoff cheese, strawberry preserves, sour cream AND fresh sliced strawberries. Need I say more?”
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5. FOF Suzanne Bernstein: Fried Plantain from Portos Bakery
Burbank, CA
http://www.portosbakery.com/

“The fried plantain chips from Porto’s Bakery in Burbank, California are AMAZING! It comes as a side to their delicious sandwiches but sometimes we just order them alone! They are thin and crunchy, slightly sweet, and sprinkled with salt. Wow! We can’t find these anywhere else, so going to Porto’s to order them is ALWAYS a special treat!”
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6. FOF Rachel Hart: Baltimore Bomb from Dangerously Delicious Pies
Baltimore, MD
http://www.dangerouspies.com/

“It combines two of the greatest things in Baltimore: Berger Cookies and Dangerously Delicious Pies. It’s filled with creamy chocolate and not for the weak of heart. The slices are big and definitely require two forks and two mouths!”
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7. FOF Barbara Wicklund: Creamy Onion Soup from Mary’s Market
Rockford, IL
http://www.marysmarket.com

“It’s difficult to describe this soup and do it justice! It’s not your average French onion soup; it has a creamy base with sweet, perfectly cooked onions and is served in a homemade bread bowl. It’s topped off with so much lightly-browned cheese that you know it’s an indulgence!”
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8. FOF Myra Garber: Grandma Pizza from Umberto’s
Wantagh, NY
http://www.umbertosny.com/
“The Grandma-style pizza from Umberto’s is the best! The dough is thin, with a little bit of chewiness. The tomatoes are sweet, but with a hint of freshness. The cheese has just the correct amount of salt.”
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9. FOF Sue Stebbing: Mussels from Skipper’s Pier
Deale, MD
http://www.skipperspier.com

“The mussels in white wine sauce with garlic, herbs and lots of freshly baked bread to dip with is an ultimate treat. Sitting at the dock bar that extends into the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, eating mussels, watching boats go by and listening to live music on a Sunday evening is what life is all about.”
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What’s your favorite local treat? Comment below and tell us.