[owenversteeg]

Although I agree with you it's also worth pointing out that very often the bread and cheese _is_ the local food. Even in places that aren't known for their cheese, if you head to a market you might find an inexpensive, unique and rather tasty cheese.

[emodendroket]

I mean, would you recommend someone coming to America try eating nothing but fruits and snacks?

[owenversteeg]

No, that's not healthy. I didn't say "eat nothing but bread and cheese". If someone recommends you try the bonbons in France, do you eat 3 meals a day of only bonbons for 30 days? When people suggest you try a food they usually aren't suggesting you try and make it your entire diet. I was instead recommending eating the local bread and cheese (of course in moderation.) For the places I've lived in this holds:

- NYC? Get a bagel with cream cheese, or a chopped cheese ($3).

- Idaho Falls? Go to Reed's Dairy and the bakery by the public library with free samples (can't remember the name.) Amazing stuff, and pretty cheap.

- Netherlands? Cheese is pretty cheap and good quality everywhere in the country. Bread is incredibly cheap, and even if you're literally surviving off change you find on the sidewalk you can afford it.

- New Hampshire? Go to Cabot Cheese. Best cheddar in the world.

Of course also remember to eat fruits and veggies, but those are always cheap. I just bought 3 large peppers and a kilo of apples for €1.50 here in the Netherlands.

[x0x0]

There's nothing wrong with inexpensive food. You should try the bagel and schmear in nyc, and if you haven't had pork belly buns, tacos de lengua, or pupusas con curtido you should drop what you're doing and fix that. All of those are amazing. Pupusas, in particular, are pork and cheese in a pancake.

Cabot cheese is the best cheddar though? That's fighting words if you grew up near Wisconsin. If you're ever near there go to Bobby Nelson Cheese Shop. The aged cheddar is amazing and they make their sausage.

[owenversteeg]

Ugh, pork belly buns. I miss those so much.

Have you tried Cabot's whole assortment? For a few weeks a year they lay out a truly ridiculous assortment of cheeses, all free to try. Their hyper-local stuff kicks the ass of the (still fantastic) Cabot you'll buy in the grocery store. What you guys get in Wisconsin trucked across the country is probably not even close to what I ate when I lived a stone's throw from Cabot.

Also, my tastes run seriously sharp. Does Bobby Nelson have anything really sharp? If so I've got to check it out.

Secretly, my favorite cheddar - which I'd bet trumps Bobby Nelson, even if Cabot's hidden stuff doesn't - is made by an older woman who wraps all her cheeses in black paper and sells them at various markets around the Quechee Gorge. But it's somewhat expensive and very hard to find. The last time I bought some I weighed it before and after eating to make sure nobody else touched it, it's that good.

If you want to get more global, try obscure Welsh cheddars. Amazing but expensive. They go very well in between scotches.

[emodendroket]

> - New Hampshire? Go to Cabot Cheese. Best cheddar in the world.

Definitely not the best, even in New England, let alone the world

[owenversteeg]

Ok, what New England cheddars do you like? (See my reply to x0x0 for my defense of Cabot.)

[x0x0]

no doubt, but some of the best experiences I've had traveling have been going into restaurants and letting wait staff choose what I eat.