[simonsarris]

Yes, but visitors that buy guidebooks do not go to your mono-cultural hometown. They go to New York!

Even in my (relatively) small-medium town in New Hampshire[1] there's an amazing variety of high quality restaurants. A lot of people abroad in their own similiar-sized towns don't get to ever try authentic Mexican, or Cajun, or American comfort, or sushi, or Greek, etc, all of which are available here.

For most tourists, especially tourists from small towns going to NYC or Boston or SF, America is a cultural delight of food.

[1] http://www.yelp.com/c/nashua-nh/restaurants

[StavrosK]

An aside: As a Greek, I tend to stay away from "Greek" restaurants abroad, because it's almost never Greek food. For example, people here generally eat lamb only once or twice a year, and I didn't know what hummus is until I had it in London (in one such "Greek" restaurant, no less).

I think it's more about the stereotype that is expected of the restaurant rather than actually being authentic. For example, Greek gyros is almost always pork, never lamb. If you get lamb gyros, it's middle-eastern.

[potatolicious]

No cuisine survives importation to another country, really, but authenticity can be overrated.

I remember growing in Taiwan and having "pizza" there - it doesn't really resemble the pizza you might find in Italy, nor the Americanized version. For one thing, pizza was high-class, eaten at a sit-down place with cloth napkins, forks, and knives... and toppings featured things like lobster and crab.

The reverse is true too - there is no such thing as "chicken balls", that crazy east-coast invention that claims to be Chinese, nor General Tso's chicken either. In fact, mostly everything you find in an American Chinese restaurant would never be found at the dinner table in China. But if you think that's crazy, wait till you try Chinese-Indian food. Hoo boy.

But that's the great thing about the new global society - we can remix, borrow, replace to our heart's content. I had Peking duck tacos a couple of weeks ago, it was delicious. And there's this food truck near here that has an amazing (Korean-style) roast pork Chinese bao that's garnished with Japanese pickled radishes with some Mexican flavor thrown in to boot. Sublime.

Food is, in the future, extremely unlikely to stick to its geographic and ethnic roots, and what an amazing change that is.

[cbr]

> pizza was high-class, eaten at a sit-down place with cloth napkins, forks, and knives

There are many nice restaurants in Italy that are just like this.

[jeltz]

Lamb gyros is usually called döner kebab (the turkish name for gyros) in Europe, while pork gyros usually is called gyros.

[tripzilch]

You should be thankful. Some people never discover the wonders of delicious, delicious hummus.

[batista]

>For example, people here generally eat lamb only once or twice a year

Well, as a Greek, I beg to differ. We eat lamb more than "once a year" (you probably refer to easter, but forget the mighty paidakia). Plus, this cow meat we mostly eat now is a recent development.

The traditional meat until 4-5 decades ago was lamb and goat (mostly because Greek domestic cows where too skinny and the grass unfit to support them. Post 1981 they were replaced with foreign cow breeds plus tons of imports).

As for hummus: "Greek" restaurants abroad are often mixed Greek/Middle-Eastern, and some are run by Lebanese and use the "Greek" just to attract some additional customers.

A funny aside: the traditional american "diner" (the chrome plated, hamburger joint etc) was more often than not, a Greek business. Greeks pwned the diner business in the US in the '40 to '80s. If you check a series like "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives", a disproportionate percentage of iconic food joints are still in Greek hands, including the majority of NY hot dog stands. I have travelled extensively in the US (only missed Vermont), and I chanced upon several, such as:

• Lou Mitchels, the Chicago diner at the start point of Route 66. • Nick's, in Albq., NM at the crossing of Route 66 (old route) and Route 66 (later bypass) (!), • Leopold's, considered the best ice cream in Savannah, GA (and featured in top-10 US lists)• Ariston, on Route 66, IL, suggested by every guide, • Mike's Chilly Parlor, in Seattle, etc. nom nom nom nom...

[StavrosK]

Hmm, true, I forgot about paidakia... The rest of your comment is spot on, I think, thanks.

[jtchang]

Exactly. I like to think about all the cuisines I've had here in the bay area this week. Must be like 3 or 4 different cuisines from all countries. And they were all good.