Certain food is synonymous with a destination. Whether you savored it just once while on vacation or a work trip or it's like mother's milk to you because you were lucky enough to share a hometown with the culinary favorite, it inspires memories and cravings.
The good news: In many cases, you can satisfy those cravings without traveling back to the destination. Some of our nation’s most iconic “comfort food” can be delivered right to your doorstep. Not only do these make delicious gifts for loved ones and provide support to local businesses, but they also can bring comfort to you, especially after what’s been a challenging year for so many of us. So, go ahead, treat yourself.
Chicago, Deep Dish Pizza Photo Courtesy of Giordano’s
CHICAGO | DEEP DISH PIZZA
This hearty pizza is not for the “light” eater. Towering crust is stuffed with cheese and topped with chunky tomato sauce, a combination destined to satiate an empty stomach on a cold winter’s night. Chicago institutions like Giordano’s and Lou Malnati’s deliver their famous deep-dish creations nationwide. Just pop ‘em in the oven, loosen up the pants, and indulge.
Photo Courtesy of Commander’s Palace
NEW ORLEANS | GUMBO
Gumbo just doesn’t taste the same outside of NOLA. So it’s a good thing that Commander’s Palace makes its gumbo available for nationwide delivery through Goldbelly, an online marketplace that curates regional and artisan food from across the country. Savor the classic flavors of a slow-cooked dark roux that includes Creole mirepoix, redfish and wild shrimp.
Florida, Key Lime Pie Photo Courtesy of Kermit’s Key Lime Pie Shoppe
FLORIDA | KEY LIME PIE
Key West is home to arguably one of Florida’s best key lime pies that you can have mailed to your home. Kermit’s Key Lime Pie Shoppe is a colorful local bakery that attracts locals and tourists from around the world for its melt-in-your-mouth concoction of creamy, tart citrus-y, graham cracker-y goodness.
Photo Courtesy of H&H Bagels
NEW YORK | BAGELS
New Yorkers who ultimately transplant themselves outside of Manhattan often complain that bagels elsewhere just don’t hold a candle to H&H Bagels. The legendary bagel purveyor—one that has made memorable episode cameos in “Seinfeld,” “Sex and the City” and “The Office”—delivers nationwide via Goldbelly. It’s been using the same artisan process for more than 45 years: All bagels are proofed, kettle-boiled, bathed in cold water, and baked on burlap-covered wood boards in a vintage revolving tray oven.
TEXAS | BBQ
Sink your teeth into succulent BBQ from The Salt Lick from the comfort of your own couch. Carnivores worship this Texas meat Mecca, which now ships its legendary brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs, and smoked turkey via FedEx across the lower 48 states.
Photo Courtesy of The Maui Banana Bread Co.
MAUI | BANANA BREAD
If you’ve been to Maui, you KNOW there is a special magic that goes into its melt-in-your-mouth banana bread. Every local seems to have a “secret family recipe” that results in moist, fluffy loaves that resemble cake more than bread. The Maui Banana Bread Co sells individual loaves in six different varieties—ranging from original to chocolate chip to coconut macadamia nut—for delivery nationwide through Goldbelly. Or, try your hand at making a loaf yourself with dry mix sold by Julia’s Best Banana Bread, a family-owned bakery inside a roadside tree house, where its passion fruit butter (also sold online) makes an excellent topping.
Photo Courtesy of Tomaro’s Bakery
WEST VIRGINIA | PEPPERONI ROLL
It’s a West Virginia tradition that goes back to a staple found in the lunch pails of Italian-immigrant coal miners. Today, it’s a savory staple at small bakeries and gas stations across the state. It’s exactly how it sounds: fresh-baked Italian bread with pepperoni baked inside. Tomaro’s Bakery in Clarksburg, W.Va., has been baking this Appalachian delicacy for more than 100 years and ships nationwide—even shipping its rolls to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and the Daytona 500 Pit Crew.
Photo Courtesy of G&M Restaurant
BALTIMORE | CRAB CAKES
There’s no shortage of delectable crab cakes in Baltimore, but locals will often point to two perennial favorites for the best: G&M and Faidley’s. Both restaurants ship their crab cakes nationwide, allowing you to bring a bit of Baltimore into your own kitchen.
WISCONSIN | CHEESE CURDS
Beer and brats can take a back seat to another Wisconsin staple: cheese curds. Theses squeaky bits of cheese have been breaded and flash-fried, and are often paired with a creamy ranch or marinara sauce for dipping. It’s comfort food with a capital “C”—and no place does it better than Wisconsin. Stock up on cheese curds with an order from the Mars Cheese Castle, a favorite stop on the Wisconsin cheese tour circuit just outside of Milwaukee.
Massachusetts, New England Clam Chowder & Fried Clams Photo Courtesy of Legal Sea Foods
MASSACHUSETTS | NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER & FRIED CLAMS
The New England clam chowder from Legal Sea Foods has been served at every presidential inauguration since 1981. Now you can serve it at your own kitchen table, regardless of your party affiliation, and chow down on bowl of tender Cape Cod clams, cream and herbs. For something more snack-able, order the fried clams from Woodman’s of Essex. It’s a delicacy the restaurant has been serving up to hungry locals for five generations.
SAN FRANCISCO | SOURDOUGH BREAD
No place in the world does sourdough as well as San Francisco. Boudin Bakery and Archangeli Grocery, two notable standouts in the Bay Area, deliver their fresh-baked sourdough breads nationwide via Goldbelly.
Mackinac Island, Michigan, Fudge Photo by Kristi Gustafson, courtesy of Original Murdick’s Fudge
MACKINAC ISLAND, MICHIGAN | FUDGE
There’s something childhood nostalgic about homemade fudge. On the car-less Mackinac Island, where bicycles and your own feet are the main ways to get around, two fudge makers cater to the vacationer crowd: Ryba’s Fudge Shop and Original Murdick’s Fudge. Both ship their sugary confections nationwide, allowing you to savor the tastes of childhood no matter your age and no matter where you reside.
NEW MEXICO | HATCH GREEN CHILI
No need to travel to New Mexico for hatch green chile. The Chile Monster delivers cuisine featuring this, and other authentic flavors of the Southwest, nationwide. The online store even curates fresh-made enchiladas, tamales, breakfast burritos, salsas, and dinner packages from iconic Route 66 diners in Albuquerque, Garcia’s Kitchen and Frontier Restaurant.
Los Angeles, French Dip Photo Courtesy of Philippe The Original
LOS ANGELES | FRENCH DIP
A mainstay in Los Angeles since 1908, Philippe The Original prides itself as the birthplace of the “French Dipped Sandwich”—a legendary concoction they deliver nationwide via Goldbelly.
CINCINNATI | CHILI
Skyline Chili is famous for including chocolate and cinnamon in its chili recipe. What might be unusual ingredient choices for some equates to pure deliciousness for many who’ve tried this bean-less and onion-less chili which is often served atop spaghetti and topped with massive amounts of shredded cheddar cheese. Order the restaurant’s chili dinner kit on Goldbelly to indulge in this Midwestern favorite. We won’t judge.
