Top 100 New Englander Foods

One of New England cuisine staples, the Maine-style lobster roll consists of a chilled lobster salad tucked into New England-style split-top buns. The lobster salad, at its basic, is made with knuckle and claw meat that is dressed in mayonnaise and mixed with finely chopped celery, seasoned only with salt and pepper. Variations typically include ingredients like lemon juice, mustard, and chives. Because the buns are buttered and toasted, the result is a lobster roll with contrasting texture and flavor: a warm, buttery, toasted bun vs. a cold, crunchy lobster salad. It is unknown when it was invented and by whom. What is known is that it started to first appear sometime in the 1950s due to the explosion of summer tourism, but it boomed in the 1970s thanks to the increase in the roadside lobster roll stands. Red Eat's, the most famous restaurant on Route 1 in Maine, had a big role in popularizing it. Also, even though the Connecticut-style lobster roll appeared earlier, the Maine-style one is the more popular of the two. When it comes to serving, the most typical pairing is a Maine lobster roll and either creamy clam chowder or seafood chowder. But at seafood shacks or food stands, it is typically served with salt and vinegar potato chips, coleslaw, pickles, and onion rings.Expand

Boiling is the most popular and simplest way of preparing a Maine lobster. Live lobsters are plopped into a large pot of boiling water seasoned with sea salt and cooked depending on the size of the lobster — the bigger the lobster, the longer the cooking time. Once the lobster is in the water, it’s important to time the cooking so it doesn’t overcook, as the meat will be tough and rubbery. Also, lobsters need to be treated humanely. Hence, placing the lobsters in the freezer for 30-60 minutes before cooking is recommended so they fall asleep. When sleeping lobsters are placed in boiling water, they will not feel any pain. Serve with melted butter, bibs, and a bucket for shells.Expand

Usually accompanied by a glass of milk or a cup of hot tea or coffee, chocolate chip cookies are well balanced between salty and sweet in flavor, tenderly chewy in texture, and filled with small melting chocolate pyramids, bringing a generation of Americans back to their childhood. The origin story of these sweet treats is incredibly interesting, almost as the cookies themselves. The Toll House Inn was a popular bed-and-breakfast in Whitman, Massachusetts, bought by Ruth Graves Wakefield and her husband in 1930. Ruth's cooking was so good that the inn gained an excellent reputation in a short span of time. Enter Duncan Hines, a traveling salesman from Kentucky who began compiling a list of the best roadside eateries in 1935. First, he included the Toll House Inn's Indian pudding on the list, and a decade later, he also included the chocolate chip cookies that we all know and love today. Ruth was baking chocolate cookies when she found out that she didn't have any more baker's chocolate. Instead, she used a new, semisweet chocolate that she got from her friend Andrew Nestlé, broke it into small pieces, and places them in her batter for buttered sugar cookies. The chocolate didn't melt like she thought it would, and the result was a cookie that Ruth originally called the Toll House chocolate crunch cookie. The Boston press published her recipe, and the sales of both Nestlé chocolate and the cookies skyrocketed. Nestlé and Wakefield made a deal - he would print the recipe on the chocolate, and she would get a lifetime supply of chocolate. The recipe is printed on the chocolate package up to this day, giving everyone a chance to make their own chocolate chip cookies.Expand

What was once a Native American tradition of cooking clams and lobsters in sand pits dating back 2000 years is nowadays a popular New England dish consisting of lobsters, mussels, crabs, and clams steamed in sand pits over several layers of seaweed. The tradition of digging up sand pits stems from the Natives, who did not own any cooking pots, so earth was used as a cooking vessel instead. As the dish evolved over the years, people have started to add vegetables such as corn, onions, and carrots into it. By the end of the 19th century, clambake became a unique American tradition, and is now typically prepared at festive events throughout New England. It is an activity that lasts all day, but yields favorable results that act as a reminder of ancestry, humility, and the connection between the sea and the earth.Expand

Italian sandwich is a submarine-style sandwich made with a long, soft bread roll filled with sliced cured meats, cheese, crisp raw vegetables, and a sharp oil-based dressing. The large sandwich is usually served tightly wrapped in white butcher paper and often cut crosswise into two easier-to-handle halves. Because of its size and the slippery layers of meat, oil, and wet vegetables, it is usually eaten with both hands. The basic version begins with a soft, slightly sweet bread roll split straight down the middle. The inside is lined with a thick layer of thinly sliced boiled ham and white American cheese. Chopped white onions, thick strips of green bell pepper, and raw tomato slices are piled heavily over the meat and cheese. Sour dill pickles, salty black Kalamata olives, and a generous drizzle of soybean oil mixed with salt and black pepper complete the filling. The origins of the Italian sandwich point to Portland, Maine, in 1902. Giovanni Amato, a baker, began selling cheap, portable lunches from a pushcart to dockworkers along the waterfront. To meet the laborers’ need for filling, calorie-dense food, Amato sliced open his freshly baked bread rolls and stuffed them with inexpensive meat, cheese, and fresh vegetables. This practical lunch quickly became a regional staple and later spread into brick-and-mortar bakeries across New England. Ingredient substitutions often push the flavor toward sharper, saltier notes. A prominent East Coast version replaces the mild boiled ham and American cheese with heavily spiced cured pork products such as capicola, Genoa salami, and mortadella, along with sharp provolone. Other versions add a strong splash of red wine vinegar and dried oregano to the oil dressing for a more pronounced acidic bite. Spicy versions include handfuls of pickled cherry peppers or hot giardiniera relish placed directly on the meat for lingering heat. A toasted version is also common: the bread, meat, and cheese are heated in a hot oven until the cheese melts completely and the crust turns brittle, before the cold vegetables are added.Expand

One of the earliest and quintessential American dishes, New England-style clam chowder is a creamy stew made with briny clams, chunks of salt pork, sweet onions, potatoes, and milk. The dish was invented by the Pilgrims who had landed near Plymouth Rock in 1620. Hungry and with nothing to eat, they turned to delicious clams that are commonly found on New England's shores and cooked them in pots filled with water over an open flame. As for the word chowder, some claim it stems from the French chaudiére, denoting an iron cooking pot, while others claim it stems from chaudeau, meaning hot water. The creamy version we all know and love today started to become popular at the beginning of the 19th century, and by the end of it, there were also some regional versions of the dish. Some of them added crushed crackers, butter, or chopped fish to the already flavourful broth. Aromatic and sea-flavored, it is almost a sacred dish in New England, regularly celebrated with various competitions, festivals, chowder lovers societies, and boat races. Today, there are many versions of clam chowder in Manhattan, Rhode Island, Long Island, Minorcan, Hatteras, Delaware, and New Jersey.Expand

Apizza (pronounced "ah-beets") is a popular type of pizza in New Haven, Connecticut characterized by its prolonged baking time in extremely hot coal ovens and the high moisture content of the dough. Due to these two defining characteristics, the result is a pizza with a thin, black, crispy, and charred crust that might appear to be burnt, but instead has a deliciously chewy texture and flavor. Usual toppings are sparse, including grated cheese and tomatoes or anchovies so that the pizza won't be over-sauced or over-topped, and as they are formed by hand, there is no uniform shape of these pizzas. It was invented by Frank Pepe, an Italian baker who sold two versions of Neapolitan style pizza, topped with grated cheese, garlic, oregano, olive oil, and anchovies or tomatoes. Mozzarella is considered a topping, not a base, so the customer must specifically ask for it to be included on the pizza. The word apizza is unique to New Haven, the "a" referring to an Italian dialect that is spoken in the region of Naples. Without an abundance of ingredients, one can really taste what one's eating, and maybe that is the reason why apizza is such a popular dish in Connecticut.Expand

Apple cider doughnuts are a type of doughnut popular on the East Coast of the United States, particularly in New England. As the name implies, they are made with a dough containing apple cider and are often coated in cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar. Apple cider doughnuts are a fall treat and can be found around apple orchards, at farmers' markets, in bakeries across the East Coast, and are a staple at autumn festivities. Although it is often considered they originated during Colonial times, the first recipe is from 1951, when DCA (Doughnut Company of America) introduced a new flavor to their line of doughnuts. This seasonal delicacy soon became a favorite and has stayed as such until today. Apple cider doughnuts are often paired with hot cider or a glass of cold apple cider, but milk or coffee also go well with this delicious snack.Expand

Chicken tenders is a dish of breaded and fried strips of chicken coming from the pectoralis minor, located underneath the chicken breast. The meat is more tender, and when properly prepared, it should be moist and more tender than chicken fingers, which are made from chicken breast. Once coated in breadcrumbs, the tenders are deep-fried in hot oil. They can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or main course, and common accompaniments include dips such as mayonnaise, ketchup, ranch, honey mustard, and barbecue sauce. Chicken tenders are often served with french fries and coleslaw on the side. Interestingly, a restaurant called Puritan Backroom in Manchester, New Hampshire claims that they invented the chicken tenders.Expand

This true American classic consists of a thick, juicy blueberry filling enclosed between two layers of flaky, golden pastry. It first appeared in the written form in 1829, but its origin probably dates back to the early American pioneers. Even though it is traditionally associated with Maine, where it is declared as the official state dessert, the classic blueberry pie is a summer favorite enjoyed throughout the country, usually served with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream on the side.Expand

Tree House Brewing Company is one of the most highly regarded American craft breweries, known for its top-quality unfiltered IPAs and strong local presence. It was founded in 2011 in the state of Massachusetts by four friends as a small homebrewing project in Brimfield.

They are best known for their hazy and juicy IPA beers, especially Julius, which stands out with tropical aromas of mango, peach, and passionfruit, paired with gentle bitterness and a smooth, full-bodied taste. Their beers are not distributed - they are sold exclusively on-site at brewery locations, giving them an exclusive status and creating buzz and long lines with each new release.

Tree House combines innovation and high quality with a local, community-driven approach and a commitment to sustainable growth. Each location offers a warm, family-friendly atmosphere, often with pizza, music, and outdoor gathering spaces.Expand

Hill Farmstead Brewery is a premier craft brewery located in Greensboro Bend, Vermont, founded around 2010 by Shaun Hill on his family’s ancestral farm, which has been in the Hill family for over two centuries. The brewery focuses on subtle complexity and elegance, producing small batches of exceptionally high-quality beers - including IPAs, saisons, porters, and others.

Sales take place exclusively on-site, often drawing long lines of visitors who travel from distant states to purchase beer directly from the source. The brewery features a beautifully designed taproom and a retail shop lined with growlers and bottles, while the setting of the family farm adds an authentic, serene backdrop to the full brewery experience.Expand

Triple Eight Distillery is located on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, and is known for crafting high-quality spirits, including whiskey, gin, rum, and vodka. Established in 2000 as part of Nantucket Vineyard and Cisco Brewers, it offers a unique combination of craft beer, wine, and spirits all in one place.

Triple Eight Distillery is renowned for using premium ingredients and innovative techniques, producing popular spirits like "Triple Eight Vodka" and "Notch Single Malt Whiskey," which have gained recognition among whiskey enthusiasts worldwide.Expand

Bhakta Spirits is a luxury craft spirits brand offering a portfolio of rare, vintage whiskeys, brandies, rums, and more. Founded in 2020, Bhakta became known for its exclusive selections, including historic Armagnac collections.

The brand prides itself on offering spirits aged for decades, creating a refined and exceptional experience for connoisseurs. Their headquarters, Bhakta - Griswold, provides an immersive destination for lovers of vintage spirits.Expand

Whistlepig is a renowned whiskey producer based in Vermont, USA, known for its dedication to crafting premium rye whiskeys. Founded in 2007, Whistlepig set out to revive the tradition of rye whiskey in America.

Their products, such as Whistlepig 10 Year and the Whistlepig Boss Hog series, are celebrated for their rich flavor profiles and complex aromas. The brand stands out not only for the quality of its whiskeys but also for its sustainable approach, growing its own rye and utilizing resources from its farm in Shoreham, Vermont.

Today, Whistlepig is a symbol of luxury and innovation in the whiskey world, attracting enthusiasts globally.Expand

The business that began with two employees importing a few family producers from France has grown to include a prestigious roster of internationally renowned, award winning brands serviced by well over 340 employees. The Deutsch family is renowned for its ability to identify unmet consumer needs within the wine and spirits categories and translate them into award winning brands.

We are proud to acknowledge the enduring relationships with our supplier partners, many of whom have been part of the family since the business began.Expand

Petrova Chocolates, created by Betty Petrova, is known for innovative and globally-inspired chocolates. The brand emphasizes high-quality ingredients, often using dark chocolate from Kokoa Kamili, paired with unique fillings like spices, fruits, and nuts.

Their collections, such as the Postcard Collection, feature diverse flavors from around the world, offering an international fusion in every piece.Expand