22 Dishes & Treats You Must Have for a Virginia Experience
Radar 22 Travel listicle w/ some commentary
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Happy Fall, y’all! Let’s talk food and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Though Virginia is not often considered on the radar of celebrated culinary areas in USA, remember that this state is the birthplace of about anything that is significant in America— and good food is major.
Eat your way through the “Old Dominion” state as passionate Virginian food connoiseurs do— and leave nothing on the plate. Try any of these tempting
food & drink favorites to make your Virginia trip satifying and complete (or try recipes below to bring the Virginia experience to your kitchen):
22 Dishes & Treats You Must Have
for a Virginia Experience
CRABS Crabs, notably blue crab is highly treasured in VA for cookouts and picnics, especially along the coast. Though blue crab populations have been dwendling along the the Chesapeake Bay, they are well-devored. Dungeness crab is the most meaty for all the effort in cracking crabs.
If you struggle with cracking and eating crabs alone as I, try these popular crab dishes from many Virginia based restaurants:
Crab Cakes- lump crab meat that is commonly pan-fried. These are my most sought after seafood appetizers. Try this Virginia take on cakes- Tangier Island Crab Cakes recipe
She-crab soup- one of the richest bisque with a strong cheese flavor. Yes, seafood and cheese can go together, nay-sayers! I had this for the very first time at upscale Saltine, The Main (Hilton)
Travel tips: Don’t forget to qualify and use Hilton points for your visit
Wanna go crabbing in Virginia? Here is a guide to bookmark.
SMITHFIELD HAM
Ham, distinctly from peanut-fed hogs raised in the Isle of Wright town. It’s super salty and beloved in these parts. Try ham biscuits along the marina at top-rated Smithfield Station or dine at Taste of Smithfield. Get the lowdown of all the best foodie stops via Genuine Smithfield.SEAFOOD or MEAT w/CHESAPEAKE SEASONING
Smell and taste Virginia via Chesapeake seasoning. Various spices to make this palette pleaser include paprika, red pepper, mustard seed, celery seed, nutmeg and cinnamon. Quite distinct! Commonly used on crab, shrimp or fried chicken (Royal Farms fried chicken variety is a big hit on the road, at gas stops.)
OYSTERS
The Commonwealth of Virginia is the “Oyster Capital of the East Coast”. If not a raw oyster fan (include myself here), have them fried! A few standouts for slurping those bad boys down: The Shanty in Cape Charles, on Virginia’s eastern shore region or Public Fish and Oyster, in Charlottesville.
PEANUTS
A thing to do in Virginia: cupping a palm full of peanuts in your hands and eating them too. Visit famous peanut store like Whitley’s and The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg for selecting your preferred peanut product. For a unique dessert to try: Virginia Peanut Pie
Cole slaw- The best way to eat cabbage. Pair with BBQ for a mid-Atlantic southern meal. Here’s a traditional recipe.
Apples- VA produces over 255 million bushels of apples a year.
Try common varieties, including the tasty “Gs”: Ginger Gold, Gala and Granny Smith.Berry wine- Nevermind Sonoma and Napa. Virginia wine regions are where it’s at. The “it” being- berry wine. Blueberry wine is my go-to.
More than 300 wineries are in the state.Travel tip: Shop local your bottled beverage of choice at Giant convenience stores. Surprisingly affordable wines off the side of the road, sometimes at gas station stops.
Cider- Hard cider is a strong rival to wine. The cider insutry is making a name for itself from DC-metro Virginia , over to western and central VA parts and down southeast to Hampton Roads.
Explore for yourself: Cideries in VARed sausage- Hickory smoke flavored, super red and on the spicy side. My Virgnia childhood visits meant partly having a link with eggs for breakfast Cooked in natural casing super tasty. Not the healthiest for us but YOLO!
Brunswick stew- Originally a gamey soup, chicken is commonly featured in this hearty offering, popular in western regions of the state.
Mountain trout- Skip salmon and have mild and slightly nutty flavored trout, especially if roaming in NW Virginia, where it’s heavily fished.
Turkey- Wild turkey is plentiful especially in northern Virginia. Consider a turkey casserole or similar entree in a restuarant. Head to Rockingham county in Shenandoah Valley, the birthplace of the commercial turkey industry.
Travel easily in western VA regions
Rent a car in Virginia
Bread Biscuits- Virginia loves her buttermilk biscuits especially. Oh the fluffiness! If you are on the road, pull in to a Hardees, which consistently serves up fresh, authentic biscuits throughout breakfast hours. Live life a little have spread real butter on them.
Jamaican meat patty (pie)- A spicy, savory treat, often served as bite-sized. Have a few- not 22 as a serving size! A common fried fast food, at least in the Hampton Roads region, even offered at 7-11 and similar convenience food stops.
Pimiento Cheese- Pâté of the south, anyone? You either love or hate this dressed-up spreadable cheddar-mayo-pimiento (cherry pepper) combo. There seems to a newly found appreciation for it—and this makes me happy as a cheese enthusiast!
Cornbread- the southern cornmeal quickbread is on about every single Virginia southern style restaurant menu. Top with butter or without. A Virginia take: spoonbread with custard!
Doughty’s BBQ- Judging the best BBQ in America is highly subjective and debatable but the Doughtie’s BBQ pork brand, based in the city of Portsmouth is mouth-watering delish! It’s available at groceries and by the bucket online.
Banana pudding- a dessert casserole with sliced bananas and, traditionally, Nilla wafer cookies in a vanilla custard. It’s a staple in the refrigerated bakery section at VA groceries and served at many family-style eateries for dessert.
Hummus- The healthy chickpea spread is quite popular especially in the capital of Richmond, arguably the best foodie mecca in VA. Notable hummus brand, Sabra, has a major facility in Chesterfield County, just 18 mi/29 km from the capital. Try Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.
Gyro sandwich: Lamb or chicken alternative to a meat burrito or hamburger for fast food. Do lamb for a more “authentic” Greek or Mediterranean taste. There are plenty of gyro joints from which to choose in the Hampton Roads region alone.
Egg Foo Young with Gravy- Fried, crispy egg omelet often dressed with brown gravy. This savory Chinese take-out entree warms the tummy and soul. It was challenging for me to find this entree offered in California and other parts in the West— but it is a staple in Chinese-American joints in the Old Dominion.
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Mmmmmm. Now I’m hungry ☺️