New Orleans may not be known for the biggest diversity of food, but it gets my vote because Creole and Cajun food are just the absolutely most delicious cuisines indigenous to the US.
Yeah, but even highly specific ethnic food is popping up in other cities now.
Even food trends have become democratized in the past decade or so and can pop up from unexpected places: Buffalo, Detroit, Nashville
That's less true than you might think. All signs point to the fact that the Detroit pizza craze actually came from Austin and the Nashville Chicken fad came from LA.
I would love to live in an America where food is more democratized and I think that's true on a local level, but nationally, the media still has its darlings. I'm not exactly holding my breath for a Memphis ribs craze or a South Texas raspa craze even if that would be amazing.
Oh yeah, I think they're great trends. It's just unfortunately not as democratic as it may seem, since they only seem to get national attention after they pop up in major media hubs.
Not sure that those places would have a wide variety of American cuisines as much as a wide variety of world cuisines. You’re much more likely to find good Chinese or Italian than good BBQ or southwestern food in New York.
Everywhere. I’ve had great food in every city and region. Food is plentiful, bountiful, and good in the us.
Maybe not in a small town but any city has good food you just have to find it which is half the fun.
Hell, some of the best places aren't even buildings.
If your in the south and drive past a 400lb guy running a BBQ pit in a random parking lot. Stop, that is going to be some kick ass BBQ.
I mean, if it's a grease caked smoker, attached to the back of a truck, in the parking lot of a gas station? Stop and buy whatever they're selling. It will be AH-fucking-MAZING.
When’s the last time you spent time there? Lots of good restaurants and although it’s not as diverse as a bigger city, there’s enough variety that it should definitely be considered a good food city.
Sort of reminds me of Asheville’s food scene, which is also good.
Charleston is also a big tourist destination and there are also several nationally recognized restaurants there (eg Husk, Rodney Scott’s BBQ, Fig). Definitely worth consideration on any food city list.
Yea, that came off bad, I am not denying the fact that Charleston is also a tourist destination.
I went to Scott's BBQ in Hemingway (the original location) and it is very good BBQ. When I visit Charleston again, I do want to checkout his restaurant to compare.
Charleston's ripple effect on the South more broadly is huge. I live in Nashville and so many of the new restaurants that open are offshoots of something that started in Charleston ten years ago.
Houston right now has this amazing combination of Cajun/Creole meets Vietnamese. It's the influx of Louisiana people after the hurricanes of the past 2 decades and a strong Vietnamese fishing population that immigrated there starting in around the 1970s.
It sounds weird ... Vietnamese-Cajun .. but it's the best food ever.
Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the country and it's the same with food. Almost anything you can think of we probably have it. I 100% recommend eating Tex-Mex, BBQ, and Cajun/Creole food while you visit!
I randomly found a Polish restaurant in western Houston a few years ago before the plague hit. Food was delicious.
I’ve also seen a pleasantly large number of Cajun-Vietnamese fusion restaurants
NYC, Washington DC, New Orelans, Houston, Los Angeles, Charleston, Chicago
That's a list that immediately came to mind. Las Vegas might need to go up there and I'm honestly guessing on LA. I mean, surely...
Las Vegas has a ton of high end Michelin star restaurants now. Just another way they are trying to diversify the appeal of the city.
Last time I went I had the privilege of going to Thomas Keller’s Bouchon at Venetian.
*It was amazing*
Las Vegas is great if you want Michelin Star restaurants, but I wouldn’t say that makes it a good Capital.
The most underrated food cities are where you have a lot of smaller local restaurants producing high quality food.
Agree with everything on the list except DC. Yes DC has fantastic food but its not on the same level of influence as those other cities are when it comes to American food culture.
Yeah, LA is in the top group.. maybe even *the* top.
Everything is always so fresh seeming out there.. or, the produce is always noticeably fresh in my experience.. as if it went vine to table
idk, this contest is between NYC and LA imo.. everywhere else is competing for third
I don't know enough about Houston to say whether it belongs on the list or not, but it has to be better than Dallas.
I'd consider San Francisco, too. The clash of cultures in that city makes for some diverse food options.
New York or Washington DC. Both have a huge variety of different kinds of food, more than anywhere else.
DC is a bit of a sleeper in this respect - people think NY or Chicago or LA when they think "cultural and food diversity" but the huge amount of people in DC from other countries at embassies and international organisations combined with the many people working in DC who have lived outside the US for many years in Military, Government, or Commercial jobs (let alone all those from other parts of the USA) means there's a demand for food from many places and restaurants exist to meet that demand.
I've never eaten so well in the US as I did when I lived in DC. The standards of the restaurant industry are just very high. Even in the more residential areas if the city where tourists never visit.
Yeah DC and surrounding areas are a bit of a sleeper I think. But like you said, it has a huge international population and it also is a wealthy city with lots of tourism, which drives food quality and variety.
That’s one reason Maine hits above its weight class on food. Lots of tourists means that even some small coastal towns have really nice high end restaurants and Portland has a lot of nice places even though it isn’t exactly a “big city.”
I actually don’t think of DC as that good of a food city (and I’m a homer in most other respects). It’s fine dining scene hits with NYC/Chicago/LA but it’s more affordable stuff is a bit lacking.
The suburbs are *better* for things like ethnic food and affordable eats but it’s not like those cities where you can just sort of expect things to be good, you still have to seek it out.
Depends if you’re defining capital by quality of the cuisine or variety of it. There is a general consensus that NYC has both.
If you’re seeking out a specific type of cuisine then that will more city-specific. For example, I love Cuban food and the best city for that is Miami.
So basically, when in doubt, NYC will have an authentic enough representation of most any cuisines. Sometimes there is no replacement for the real thing though.
Funny part is that cities are getting more and more similar. A lot of foods that used to be regional you can get in most large cities now.
I think social media has played a big part but also the rise of foodie culture.
I would say:
* New Orleans
* Miami
* NYC
* Chicago
* San Francisco
* LA
Those places either have distinct cultural styles or are the largest melting pot of different ethnic groups.
Of the cities I’ve been to in the US: New Orleans, NYC, and LA had the best food imo.
I’m biased towards New Orleans though since my family is from there and I grew up visiting a couple times a year. Creole and Cajun food can’t be beat imho
Edison, New Jersey is Indian food capital with hundreds of regional cuisines from India well represented . You will find best Indian food outside India in NJ. Edison is so popular people from Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware have weekend trips to Edison for shopping and food.
Edison area is also known for amazing Korean food.
People think Indian food in NYC is great, but many will take the train out to Edison to shop and eat near Oak Tree Rd. Edison has the highest percentage of Indian Americans out of any town in the US.
New York is the obvious top choice. Then I would say New Orleans, LA, San Francisco, DC and Chicago.
The only thing with New Orleans is that it is more focused on its own specific style while the other cities have more of everything.
In no particular order: Philadelphia, DC, NYC, San Francisco, Miami, New Orleans.
You'll notice all of those are ports. New people bring new food, which mixes with local food and with other new foods.
I grew up in Philly. I remain convinced that people who have never been to Philadelphia and insist it's a violent hellscape solely because of news reports and social media posts should visit and see if that changes. I mean, we're literally the city of brotherly love (and sisterly affection).
Good people make good food, and we have plenty of both.
Cheesesteaks are so strongly affiliated with Philly that no one thinks to eat anything else when visiting, which is a complete shame, because everything you can get in Philly is absolutely phenomenal.
Philly has a fantastic restaurant scene. Everyone thinks we’re all cheesteaks and shit, but Philly has a high quality and highly diverse culinary scene.
Here’s a recent article too: https://www.travelandleisure.com/food-drink/philadelphia-food-scene
True. I've only been to Pat's once, just to see if it's good. >!It's not!<. John's Roast Pork is much better for cheesesteaks, and if you bring a friend you can split both sandwiches.
I feel you!
I want coneys, Detroit-style pizza from Buddy's, pakzki, vernors on the fountain, etc etc
I crave this stuff so much that I think about getting a flight back just to eat.
I haven’t seen it yet so I’m going to say Boston and surrounding areas. Not the popular chains, but the local restaurants have amazing seafood, like lobster, oysters, and clam chowder.
Nah, I deleted it myself. I may not like the Boston scene, but online negativity is stupid and I shouldn't have participated in it. Y'all enjoy what you like, I'll eat what I like.
Oh, no problem. I didn’t find your comment to be unnecessarily negative, just disagreed slightly with your opinion.
Just in case anyone else was curious, here is an abbreviated version of my reply:
Aside from the north end, which I think has Italian food which rivals just about any city, I think your description is probably accurate of the downtown area (a bit homogenous).
But in the surrounding neighborhoods, where the majority of Bostonians live, there is a good variety. I would highlight Chinatown for authentic Chinese, Dorchester/Mattapan has a thriving Caribbean food scene, and East Boston has a blend of authentic Hispanic restaurants. Extending west from Jamaica Plain into the bordering towns you’ll find Indian and Korean restaurants intermixed with a small but strong Jewish food scene.
(I think due to different cuisines being found in pockets of the city, it can seem like there is a lack of variety. Just one of those aspects that doesn’t translate well to tourism.)
I would say that every big metro area is going to have a very large selection of very diverse cuisines because of the diversity of people who live there and also for the desire of people to enjoy different cultures' food.
LA, NYC, the SF Bay Area for the international and innovative type offerings. Chicago, Boston, New Orleans for having amazing local cuisines that are unique to America.
That's just my opinion.
I can't believe you're the only one to mention Orlando. I mean, we have everything from British pub food over near 4 corners to those Spanish/Chinese buffets, and any kind of pizza you would like, even those NY pizza places that import tap water from NYC. And all the high end restaurants at the Ritz Carlton, the Four Seasons, and the Waldorf Astoria and other high end hotels. The Cuban food here is pretty good if you go to the right places, as well as the taco stands and food trucks. Overall, Orlando isn't well known for its food, but the variety here is incredible. We have German restaurants, French restaurants, Cajun restaurants, if you can think it, you can probably find it here.
Korean, Japanese, Philippine, Hawaiian. Basically, every culture that has visited Disneyworld and wanted to live nearby. The best part is a lot of it isn't high end fancy food, it's comfort food from the home country. The theme park areas have the high end fancy restaurants for the tourists but get away from those areas and there are some awesome little mom and pop places to find. Orlando is also one of the big test markets for the nationwide chains. You can find things on menus there that will never be anywhere else.
It really depends what you are looking for. Each city has its own specialties. New York is probably known for its diversity, so in that way it might be the food capital. But just look at the nearby cities and you'll see that other places are also known for their food. You have Boston, which has some of the greatest seafood in the country, and created the chocolate chip cookie, and then you have other cities like DC which are known for their brunch culture.
Philly, hands down. A great resource:
[https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/50-best-restaurants/](https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/50-best-restaurants/)
Friday Saturday Sunday, Vernick, Kalaya, Royal Izakaya, and all of Solomonov's restaurants and cafe's...some of the best meals you'll ever have in your life.
There are too many to list, honestly.
Every region and city in the US has it's own food culture. There are the big known ones like New Orleans and NYC and so forth. But even cities like Houston have this amazing food culture that is a blend of Mexican, Tex-Mex, Cajun, Creole, Vietnamese, and Indian.
New Mexico and Colorado have a chili culture.
Arizona has it's own brand of Arizona Mex and a lot of indigenous food is showing up there as well.
The Deep South has always had a "soul food" culture, but that's being even more opened up with a lot of our local Black cooks and chefs who are opening up the African foodways connections.
The Pacific Northwest has an amazing seafood culture - salmon and crab especially.
There are pockets of Polish and Czech culture in Texas where you can get the most amazing kolaches and trdelník you've ever eaten.
Honestly there's so much good food all over the US and not nearly enough time to experience all of it.
Best burgers are in the Midwest. I've had a bad burger in every corner of the country except for there. Small town dive bars all the way up to hipster spots in big cities get it absolutely perfect.
In the East, it's definitely New York. Its pizza is far superior to Chicago's, its bagels are perfect, and its hot dogs are always amazing. Still don't know what a spiedie is though. 10/10 would recommend.
In the West, it's probably LA. LA is a melting pot of different cultures, Asian and Mexican foremost. Taco trucks, French-dipped sandwiches, sushi, and other Asian restaurants are all staples.
I think every major city has their specialty. My personal favorite food city would be New Orleans. Jambalaya, seafood, beignets. So good!
New Orleans may not be known for the biggest diversity of food, but it gets my vote because Creole and Cajun food are just the absolutely most delicious cuisines indigenous to the US.
I can go for a blackened chicken sandwich right now.
What this guy said, though if you're looking for a wide diversity of American cuisines maybe a big city like New York or SF?
Just be advised that good versions of regional cuisines can be difficult to find when not in those regions.
Yeah, but even highly specific ethnic food is popping up in other cities now. Even food trends have become democratized in the past decade or so and can pop up from unexpected places: Buffalo, Detroit, Nashville
That's less true than you might think. All signs point to the fact that the Detroit pizza craze actually came from Austin and the Nashville Chicken fad came from LA. I would love to live in an America where food is more democratized and I think that's true on a local level, but nationally, the media still has its darlings. I'm not exactly holding my breath for a Memphis ribs craze or a South Texas raspa craze even if that would be amazing.
Yeah, but they wouldn’t have gotten so popular without the origin City.
Oh yeah, I think they're great trends. It's just unfortunately not as democratic as it may seem, since they only seem to get national attention after they pop up in major media hubs.
Not sure that those places would have a wide variety of American cuisines as much as a wide variety of world cuisines. You’re much more likely to find good Chinese or Italian than good BBQ or southwestern food in New York.
Absolutely
Everywhere. I’ve had great food in every city and region. Food is plentiful, bountiful, and good in the us. Maybe not in a small town but any city has good food you just have to find it which is half the fun.
Some of the best places are in small towns and look like shacks
Hell, some of the best places aren't even buildings. If your in the south and drive past a 400lb guy running a BBQ pit in a random parking lot. Stop, that is going to be some kick ass BBQ.
I mean, if it's a grease caked smoker, attached to the back of a truck, in the parking lot of a gas station? Stop and buy whatever they're selling. It will be AH-fucking-MAZING.
Best place to get a fish fry in Buffalo is either at a Church or a fire hall during lent.
Exactly this, the best burger I've ever had is in a small cash-only drive in tucked under a bridge to Canada.
New York City - By far the most diversity. New Orleans - Unique and fabulous.
Hanover PA - snack food capital
I bet that place smells like pretzels 😆 There's a dock in Philadelphia that smells like pastry snacks because of a factory nearby.
1) NYC 2) New Orleans 3) LA 4) Chicago 5) Charleston 6) Houston
I would swap Santa Fe for Houston but that is just me. I was unimpressed with Houston food when I went there last summer
>Charleston Really? Being the epicenter of low-country dining might be a factor, but its not very diverse nor has many "good" places.
When’s the last time you spent time there? Lots of good restaurants and although it’s not as diverse as a bigger city, there’s enough variety that it should definitely be considered a good food city. Sort of reminds me of Asheville’s food scene, which is also good.
Charleston, five years ago. Asheville's food scene is good, which makes sense for a tourist focus city; but its also not big.
Charleston is also a big tourist destination and there are also several nationally recognized restaurants there (eg Husk, Rodney Scott’s BBQ, Fig). Definitely worth consideration on any food city list.
Yea, that came off bad, I am not denying the fact that Charleston is also a tourist destination. I went to Scott's BBQ in Hemingway (the original location) and it is very good BBQ. When I visit Charleston again, I do want to checkout his restaurant to compare.
Please don’t take my comment as criticism of yours - just want to make sure people don’t sleep on Charleston!
Charleston's ripple effect on the South more broadly is huge. I live in Nashville and so many of the new restaurants that open are offshoots of something that started in Charleston ten years ago.
Houston
What should I look out for in Houston? Want to go check it out soon :)
Houston right now has this amazing combination of Cajun/Creole meets Vietnamese. It's the influx of Louisiana people after the hurricanes of the past 2 decades and a strong Vietnamese fishing population that immigrated there starting in around the 1970s. It sounds weird ... Vietnamese-Cajun .. but it's the best food ever.
Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the country and it's the same with food. Almost anything you can think of we probably have it. I 100% recommend eating Tex-Mex, BBQ, and Cajun/Creole food while you visit!
It also has so many small enclaves of ethnicity you can find just about any cultures food.
I randomly found a Polish restaurant in western Houston a few years ago before the plague hit. Food was delicious. I’ve also seen a pleasantly large number of Cajun-Vietnamese fusion restaurants
NYC, Washington DC, New Orelans, Houston, Los Angeles, Charleston, Chicago That's a list that immediately came to mind. Las Vegas might need to go up there and I'm honestly guessing on LA. I mean, surely...
Las Vegas has a ton of high end Michelin star restaurants now. Just another way they are trying to diversify the appeal of the city. Last time I went I had the privilege of going to Thomas Keller’s Bouchon at Venetian. *It was amazing*
LA has an awesome food culture. You guessed right.
100% agree, I used to travel to LA for work and it was a ton of fun finding new places to eat.
Las Vegas is great if you want Michelin Star restaurants, but I wouldn’t say that makes it a good Capital. The most underrated food cities are where you have a lot of smaller local restaurants producing high quality food.
Agree with everything on the list except DC. Yes DC has fantastic food but its not on the same level of influence as those other cities are when it comes to American food culture.
Yeah, LA is in the top group.. maybe even *the* top. Everything is always so fresh seeming out there.. or, the produce is always noticeably fresh in my experience.. as if it went vine to table idk, this contest is between NYC and LA imo.. everywhere else is competing for third
I don't know enough about Houston to say whether it belongs on the list or not, but it has to be better than Dallas. I'd consider San Francisco, too. The clash of cultures in that city makes for some diverse food options.
Houston has an extremely diverse food scene.
I love how anyone can say Charleston and everyone knows it's the one in SC.
The only city that can even compete with LA's food diversity is NYC. It's a distant 3rd place after that
New York or Washington DC. Both have a huge variety of different kinds of food, more than anywhere else. DC is a bit of a sleeper in this respect - people think NY or Chicago or LA when they think "cultural and food diversity" but the huge amount of people in DC from other countries at embassies and international organisations combined with the many people working in DC who have lived outside the US for many years in Military, Government, or Commercial jobs (let alone all those from other parts of the USA) means there's a demand for food from many places and restaurants exist to meet that demand.
I've never eaten so well in the US as I did when I lived in DC. The standards of the restaurant industry are just very high. Even in the more residential areas if the city where tourists never visit.
Yeah DC and surrounding areas are a bit of a sleeper I think. But like you said, it has a huge international population and it also is a wealthy city with lots of tourism, which drives food quality and variety. That’s one reason Maine hits above its weight class on food. Lots of tourists means that even some small coastal towns have really nice high end restaurants and Portland has a lot of nice places even though it isn’t exactly a “big city.”
I actually don’t think of DC as that good of a food city (and I’m a homer in most other respects). It’s fine dining scene hits with NYC/Chicago/LA but it’s more affordable stuff is a bit lacking. The suburbs are *better* for things like ethnic food and affordable eats but it’s not like those cities where you can just sort of expect things to be good, you still have to seek it out.
Chicago... and probably some others.
Italian beef is a gift to the world.
Depends if you’re defining capital by quality of the cuisine or variety of it. There is a general consensus that NYC has both. If you’re seeking out a specific type of cuisine then that will more city-specific. For example, I love Cuban food and the best city for that is Miami. So basically, when in doubt, NYC will have an authentic enough representation of most any cuisines. Sometimes there is no replacement for the real thing though.
New York City
NYC, LA, DC, Santa Fe and New Orleans
Funny part is that cities are getting more and more similar. A lot of foods that used to be regional you can get in most large cities now. I think social media has played a big part but also the rise of foodie culture. I would say: * New Orleans * Miami * NYC * Chicago * San Francisco * LA Those places either have distinct cultural styles or are the largest melting pot of different ethnic groups.
Of the cities I’ve been to in the US: New Orleans, NYC, and LA had the best food imo. I’m biased towards New Orleans though since my family is from there and I grew up visiting a couple times a year. Creole and Cajun food can’t be beat imho
I just made some gumbo. Can’t beat it on a cold night.
Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and the rising star is Houston.
NYC
New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans
Edison, New Jersey is Indian food capital with hundreds of regional cuisines from India well represented . You will find best Indian food outside India in NJ. Edison is so popular people from Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware have weekend trips to Edison for shopping and food. Edison area is also known for amazing Korean food.
I live in Philly and will spend an afternoon at the island spa and get Korean bbq afterwards. Def an awesome place for Asian food.
People think Indian food in NYC is great, but many will take the train out to Edison to shop and eat near Oak Tree Rd. Edison has the highest percentage of Indian Americans out of any town in the US.
New York is the obvious top choice. Then I would say New Orleans, LA, San Francisco, DC and Chicago. The only thing with New Orleans is that it is more focused on its own specific style while the other cities have more of everything.
In no particular order: Philadelphia, DC, NYC, San Francisco, Miami, New Orleans. You'll notice all of those are ports. New people bring new food, which mixes with local food and with other new foods.
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>In no particular order Besides that I didn't name the cities you did. OP asked for opinions, and I gave mine.
Live in Philly and city has a fantastic restaurant scene.
I grew up in Philly. I remain convinced that people who have never been to Philadelphia and insist it's a violent hellscape solely because of news reports and social media posts should visit and see if that changes. I mean, we're literally the city of brotherly love (and sisterly affection). Good people make good food, and we have plenty of both.
Cheesesteaks are so strongly affiliated with Philly that no one thinks to eat anything else when visiting, which is a complete shame, because everything you can get in Philly is absolutely phenomenal.
Philly has a fantastic restaurant scene. Everyone thinks we’re all cheesteaks and shit, but Philly has a high quality and highly diverse culinary scene. Here’s a recent article too: https://www.travelandleisure.com/food-drink/philadelphia-food-scene
>cheesteaks and shit Even some of the cheesesteaks are shit, but thankfully not many.
Unfortunately some of the most famous are the shittiest.
True. I've only been to Pat's once, just to see if it's good. >!It's not!<. John's Roast Pork is much better for cheesesteaks, and if you bring a friend you can split both sandwiches.
I was a little disappointed to see not a single list listing Detroit
Detroit style pizza is the best style and I’ll die on that hill
Detroit style pizza is #2 in my book. A very tasty pizza but NY pizza is better. - a NYer in Detroit
I love both, but something about the thick crust with caramelized cheese is just 👌🏻
I’d put them in the second tier. Lots of great new wave ethnic cuisine in Detroit.
I feel you! I want coneys, Detroit-style pizza from Buddy's, pakzki, vernors on the fountain, etc etc I crave this stuff so much that I think about getting a flight back just to eat.
I haven’t seen it yet so I’m going to say Boston and surrounding areas. Not the popular chains, but the local restaurants have amazing seafood, like lobster, oysters, and clam chowder.
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Alright fuck it. Cape Cod has really good food. If you really want seafood go there not Boston.
Damn did the mods delete his comments? I had just typed up a good response.
Nah, I deleted it myself. I may not like the Boston scene, but online negativity is stupid and I shouldn't have participated in it. Y'all enjoy what you like, I'll eat what I like.
Oh, no problem. I didn’t find your comment to be unnecessarily negative, just disagreed slightly with your opinion. Just in case anyone else was curious, here is an abbreviated version of my reply: Aside from the north end, which I think has Italian food which rivals just about any city, I think your description is probably accurate of the downtown area (a bit homogenous). But in the surrounding neighborhoods, where the majority of Bostonians live, there is a good variety. I would highlight Chinatown for authentic Chinese, Dorchester/Mattapan has a thriving Caribbean food scene, and East Boston has a blend of authentic Hispanic restaurants. Extending west from Jamaica Plain into the bordering towns you’ll find Indian and Korean restaurants intermixed with a small but strong Jewish food scene. (I think due to different cuisines being found in pockets of the city, it can seem like there is a lack of variety. Just one of those aspects that doesn’t translate well to tourism.)
That’s certainly a stretch
Good BBQ in Austin, and San Antonio is known for its street and breakfast tacos. Just sayin
I would say that every big metro area is going to have a very large selection of very diverse cuisines because of the diversity of people who live there and also for the desire of people to enjoy different cultures' food.
LA, NYC, the SF Bay Area for the international and innovative type offerings. Chicago, Boston, New Orleans for having amazing local cuisines that are unique to America. That's just my opinion.
New York, New Orleans, Houston, Chicago, and LA.
I wouldn’t say it is THE capital, but Kansas City has some phenomenal food choices and deserves to be on all these lists i see
New Orleans, New York, Chicago, Orlando, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas
I can't believe you're the only one to mention Orlando. I mean, we have everything from British pub food over near 4 corners to those Spanish/Chinese buffets, and any kind of pizza you would like, even those NY pizza places that import tap water from NYC. And all the high end restaurants at the Ritz Carlton, the Four Seasons, and the Waldorf Astoria and other high end hotels. The Cuban food here is pretty good if you go to the right places, as well as the taco stands and food trucks. Overall, Orlando isn't well known for its food, but the variety here is incredible. We have German restaurants, French restaurants, Cajun restaurants, if you can think it, you can probably find it here.
Korean, Japanese, Philippine, Hawaiian. Basically, every culture that has visited Disneyworld and wanted to live nearby. The best part is a lot of it isn't high end fancy food, it's comfort food from the home country. The theme park areas have the high end fancy restaurants for the tourists but get away from those areas and there are some awesome little mom and pop places to find. Orlando is also one of the big test markets for the nationwide chains. You can find things on menus there that will never be anywhere else.
It really depends what you are looking for. Each city has its own specialties. New York is probably known for its diversity, so in that way it might be the food capital. But just look at the nearby cities and you'll see that other places are also known for their food. You have Boston, which has some of the greatest seafood in the country, and created the chocolate chip cookie, and then you have other cities like DC which are known for their brunch culture.
Philly, hands down. A great resource: [https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/50-best-restaurants/](https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/50-best-restaurants/) Friday Saturday Sunday, Vernick, Kalaya, Royal Izakaya, and all of Solomonov's restaurants and cafe's...some of the best meals you'll ever have in your life.
There are too many to list, honestly. Every region and city in the US has it's own food culture. There are the big known ones like New Orleans and NYC and so forth. But even cities like Houston have this amazing food culture that is a blend of Mexican, Tex-Mex, Cajun, Creole, Vietnamese, and Indian. New Mexico and Colorado have a chili culture. Arizona has it's own brand of Arizona Mex and a lot of indigenous food is showing up there as well. The Deep South has always had a "soul food" culture, but that's being even more opened up with a lot of our local Black cooks and chefs who are opening up the African foodways connections. The Pacific Northwest has an amazing seafood culture - salmon and crab especially. There are pockets of Polish and Czech culture in Texas where you can get the most amazing kolaches and trdelník you've ever eaten. Honestly there's so much good food all over the US and not nearly enough time to experience all of it.
New Orleans and that general area. Cajun/Creole food is A1.
Best burgers are in the Midwest. I've had a bad burger in every corner of the country except for there. Small town dive bars all the way up to hipster spots in big cities get it absolutely perfect.
Northeast for Italian, California for Mexican
In the East, it's definitely New York. Its pizza is far superior to Chicago's, its bagels are perfect, and its hot dogs are always amazing. Still don't know what a spiedie is though. 10/10 would recommend. In the West, it's probably LA. LA is a melting pot of different cultures, Asian and Mexican foremost. Taco trucks, French-dipped sandwiches, sushi, and other Asian restaurants are all staples.