10 Unexpected American Food Cities Chefs Love

10 Unexpected American Food Cities Chefs Love

Miami, FL

Portland-based chef Jenn Louis once cited Miami as her favorite food city, and the scene has become livelier than Ocean Drive on Saturday night since she issued the shoutout.

Chicago, IL

As a preeminent American city, Chicago’s identity has always been closely tied to food. However, chef Ming Tsai says deep-dish pizza and Italian beef sandwiches sometimes obscure the Windy City’s rich fine-dining tapestry.

Portland, OR

Franklin Barbecue in Austin, TX, is a local institution, but pitmaster Aaron Franklin points to the Pacific Northwest when asked about his favorite food city in the United States.

Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee has long been associated with brewing, but this major Midwestern metropolis has become synonymous with cooking in recent years.

Portsmouth, NH

When you have a city an hour from Boston and Portland, ME, you have a recipe for an underrated culinary gem. With a population of only about 22,000, Portsmouth is an ideal setting for a quaint, food-focused getaway.

San Francisco, CA

Chef Richard Blais (winner of Top Chef All-Stars) is among those who count San Francisco among their favorite cities to dine in. There was a time when tourists and locals alike couldn’t .

Indianapolis, IN

As the internet has shrunk the world, chefs have realized they don’t have to be in Chicago, L.A., or New York to attract critics, earn Michelin Stars, and forge their legacy in olive oil.

Jersey City, NJ

It makes all the sense in the Big Apple that Jersey City would have a woefully underrated slate of restaurants.

Providence, RI

Pizza aficionados must take their hajj to the Northeast at some point. Providence may not be the pizza Mecca (that title likely goes to New Haven or Rochester, though you’ll get plenty of opinions on the topic).

Bozeman, MT

The secret is out when it comes to Bozeman’s stunning beauty and underrated food scene, two reasons why its population has risen at a breakneck pace in the past decade.

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