All-American Menu (W4)

If there was a restaurant that I was creating that would be “All-American,” I would choose only the foods that people all over the country would eat. Things that would be labeled as “southern” or “Cajun” or any other region would not be on my list. I would want something that every American would either eat or hopefully have eaten. The first choices are pizza and cheeseburgers. However, I feel like there are other foods that do not get the recognition that they deserve.

For example, a dessert that my restaurant would have is apple pie. Honestly, I have no idea why apple pie is considered “All-American,” but it is, and it sure would be a delicious end to a hotdog or steak dinner. Both of those remind me of a basic American cooking out on the grill. During the summer months, many people love to cook out on the grill and just have parties for the sake of fair weather and fair tidings. Chicken (or Buffalo) wings are another thing that I would add to my menu, because that is another food that I think that people eat all over the country whether it is for a football game or snacks to watch a movie with. Although it may seem childish, I also think that macaroni and cheese (of course of a higher/ fancier standard) would be served at my restaurant. I know it is something that a lot of people have grown up with, so recreating that with an adult twist (like adding chicken or shrimp, depending on the order of the customer) would be an interesting take on a classic.

In my opinion, drinks are important as well and coffee, pop and beer are all crucial for the menu. I honestly do not drink any of those drinks (for various reasons), but they all define America in their own special way. Coffee is important to many Americans because of the fact that America is a country on the go. With people working crazy hours just to pay for the house they cannot afford to the students cramming to study the night before an exam; people just love coffee.  Pop (although referred to as “soda” or “soda pop” in other parts of the country) is consumed by all sorts of people in every region. Families have it in their coolers when they are going to a picnic, parties have it, college students drink it, their parents drink it; a plethora of people love it as well. Some people like it because it tastes good, others like it because they have grown up with their parents drinking it so they in turn drink it, and others use the caffeine in it to wake them for whatever reason they need to be awake. Beer is another thing that a variety of people drink at different occasions; however all of them are social events: college parties, sports events, family get-togethers and of course just small social gatherings with friends.

These are just a few ideas of what I would put in my menu. They are basic, simple and straightforward. In their own ways, they define America and reflect what it means to be an American.