Every State's "Most Popular Taste" Proves NY is the Most Basic State

Just as every state has an unofficial comfort food or some horrible quality it calls its own, each one has a foodstuff its people are disproportionately crazy about — like Chicagoans and their Italian Beef. And some are pretty weird.

Foursquare (that check-in app you used in 2010 that’s now a personalized restaurant finder) crunched a bunch of data from things like ratings and menus to make a super cool and interactive map showing the most popular taste in each state compared to every other. Among the interesting (and often unsurprising) findings: New Yorkers are pretty damn basic, loving avocado toast 3,143% more than any other state, while Minnesotans like to chow down on Juicy Lucy burgers (850% more). Californians are gobbling up Chinese chicken salads (3,280% more), and weirdly, Kansans loves Cherry Limeade. That's all you got, Kansas?


The map also includes places Foursquare says are the best spots in each state for its respective food. In California, for example, they recommend Chinese chicken salad at Chin Chin in West Hollywood, The Grove in San Francisco, and Rascals Teriyaki Grill in Long Beach, among others.

As for avocado toast in New York, you’ll likely find it on breakfast and brunch menus at places like Iris Café in Brooklyn or Joseph Leonard in the West Village. Or you can just make it yourself because it’s freaking charred bread with avocado smeared on it.

Tony Merevick is Cities News Editor at Thrillist and, as a former Chicagoan, can totally get behind the Italian beef sandwich claim. Send news tips to news@thrillist.com and follow him on Twitter @tonymerevick.