Represent! Local Chefs Sound Off About Missouri Foods

By Robin Wheeler Wed., Feb. 2 2011 at 11:00 AM

Categories: Polls

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Recently the purveyors of adorability at I Can Has Cheezburger released a map on their food blog, My Food Looks Funny, indicating what food best represents each state.

According to the map, Missouri's best represented by toasted ravioli.

Really?

Not so very long ago, people who lived more than two hours from the St. Louis metro area had never heard of toasted ravioli. We consulted with some of our favorite local chefs to see what foods they think best represent the Show-Me State.

"Of course, I think the ice cream cone best represents Missouri! My reasons: Missouri has designated the ice cream cone as the official dessert of the state of Missouri, and the cone itself was invented at our World's Fair in 1904." - Beckie Jacobs of Serendipity Homemade Ice Cream

"I think pigs and sorghum." John Galliano of Monarch

"I think the toasted rav or the slinger are both purely Saint Louisian concoctions. Or the frozen concrete as in Ted Drewes." Jon Feraro of Feraro's Jersey-Style Pizza

"For me, in my vast experience with Missouri food and my humble Missouri upbringing, I would chose : PORK. More specifically pork steaks (though bacon came as a close close second).

If you look at the numbers we have one of the highest densities of hog producers in this state. Plus, culturally, when is the last time you went to a barbecue or a wedding or a funeral here that didn't include some sort of pork product?

Pork is the everyman food for this everyman state." Clara Moore of Local Harvest Cafe

"You know what I think." Mike Emerson of Pappy's Smokehouse

"I would have to agree. Within an hour of arriving in St. Louis on my first visit I was eating t ravs." Bobby Wasabi of Steven Becker Fine Dining at the Coronado Ballroom

"I would say there are a few originals from the Lou. Iced tea and ice cream cones spring to mind. Perhaps sliders? Or maybe honest comfort food. I see a big push towards simpler food with great ingredients at a lot of newer restaurants. Farmhaus, the Tavern, Harvest and Winslow's to name a few. My final answer is New American Comfort Food or Neo-Americana to sound like Eurotrash." Christopher Lee of Sanctuatia, Cafe Ventana, and Chuy Arzola's

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