I Knew I Shoulda Made a Left Turn at Albuquerque Quiz

Answer: Rubio's

Carne asada fries and carne asada burritos must be included on the shortlist of San Diego specialties, as must the marriage of the two in the California burrito. But you might say fish tacos are to San Diego what hot dogs are to Coney Island. Apparently, we have Ralph Rubio to thank for that. As the story goes, Ralph discovered fish tacos on a 1974 Spring Break trip to Baja California (where they have almost certainly been enjoyed for thousands of years), inspiration struck, and he opened shop in San Diego. While Ralph was not the first to bring fish tacos to San Diego, the chain that came to be known as Rubio's Coastal Grill was instrumental in popularizing the dish.

When next you're in America's Finest City, you'll find some incredible variations everywhere from local fish shops and food trucks to upscale establishments, each of which have added their own flair. Fish tacos are typically made with white fish or shark, beer-battered and fried or grilled, with a light cream sauce, shredded cabbage, and salsa on a corn tortilla with a wedge of lime.

From San Diego International Airport you grab I-5 and head north to I-8. You turn east on I-8 and head to the Arizona border.

This question was lightly battered by Phoenix Rising's resident vegetarian and former San Diegan, JCSon.

Answer: Pizzeria Bianco

Chris Bianco began his pizza-making business in the corner of a local grocery store in 1988. By 1996 he had his own restaurant that would become a driving force in the artisanal pizza market. In 2003, he won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest, the first pizzaiolo to receive the honor. The pizza is made inside a wood-burning oven using local ingredients and hand-tossed dough. Besides the reviews in the question, it has also been well received and mentioned by Andrew Zimmern, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, and "Gourmet" magazine.

From San Diego you travel east on I-8 until you reach I-10 in Arizona. You go north on I-10 into Phoenix where you can find Pizzeria Bianco in the downtown area.

This question was hand-tossed into existence by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619.

Answer: Potatoes

Roasted green Hatch chiles are what gives this traditional dish its kick. It is thought that some of the ingredients were brought to the area by Christopher Columbus and were incorporated into their diet by the locals. The Hatch chile is the generic name given to the peppers developed and harvested in the Hatch Valley region of New Mexico - in fact, Hatch is sometimes referred to as the Chile Capital of the World. Hatch peppers are rated about a third as hot as a typical jalapeno.

Albuquerque Green Chile Stew, traditionally called 'caldillo' in Spanish, is made with potatoes, meat - usually chunky beef, pork, chicken or even mutton - and green chiles. Most towns in New Mexico have their own version of the dish - but I'll happily turn left at Albuquerque to get this meal. Oh, and before you even think of sending a correction notice for my spelling...in New Mexico, chili is a dish of beef and beans; chile is the only way to spell the pepper that makes the Albuquerque Green Chile Stew so special!

From Phoenix you take I-17 north to Flagstaff where you come to I-40. You take I-40 east to New Mexico.

This question was concocted with care and served up by Phoenix Rising's VegemiteKid.

Answer: No

Chili is the state dish of Texas and in order to be real Texas chili it cannot have beans. Texans believe chili originated in their state, a fact hotly contested by those from New Mexico. Chili was recognized as the state dish in 1977. The annual International Chili Cook-Off has been held in the state since 1967. Former President Johnson's statement that "chili concocted outside of Texas is a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing" was actually included in the resolution.

From New Mexico you continue to follow I-40 east into Texas and Amarillo.

This question was stirred into the quiz, minus beans of course, by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619.

Answer: Onions

The old adage that necessity is the mother of invention is certainly true in this case. Davis, who was working at the Hamburger Inn in Ardmore, Oklahoma, realized that onions were cheap and that hamburger meat was expensive. He decided to reduce the amount of meat in his dish and substituted onions in place. Not only did he manage to extend the working life of his meat, he created a dish, the fried onion burger, that was sensational and won the hearts of the locals.

The burger is so revered in the state that the city of El Reno hosts the Fried Onion Burger Day Festival every year and one of the highlights is the creation of the world's largest fried onion burger.

From Amarillo you continue east on I-40 until you reach Oklahoma City. There you take I-40 east to Nashville, TN.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who swears that he did not cry during its creation.

Answer: Charcoal mellowing

According to state law, Tennessee whiskey must be produced in the state, made from at least 51% corn, aged in oak barrels, and go through charcoal mellowing. Charcoal mellowing is a filtering process by which freshly distilled, un-aged whiskey is passed through sugar maple charcoal. Charcoal mellowing is also called the Lincoln County Process. It was named after the location of the original Jack Daniel's distillery. The filtering process removes impurities from the distillate and is also said to impart flavour and aroma to the final product. Although charcoal mellowing is a legal requirement for liquor to be labelled Tennessee whiskey, manufacturers are allowed to vary how they do it such as filter size and whiskey temperature. There is one exception to the Lincoln County Process requirement; under a grandfathering exemption, Benjamin Prichard's Tennessee Whiskey does not have to go through the charcoal mellowing process. Examples of other well-known Tennessee whiskey brands include Jack Daniel's and George Dickel.

From Nashville, TN you go back west to Oklahoma City to pick up I-44 heading east northeast to Saint Louis, MO.

This question was distilled and filtered by player purelyqing within the team of Phoenix Rising.

Answer: Pewter

Originating in Virginia with rum and brandy, Kentucky Derby Mint Juleps cantered into Kentucky where the Kentucky bourbon that gives it its kick replaced the other spirits. The Mint Julep barely waited until the end of Prohibition before it became the official drink of the Kentucky Derby in the 1930s. In the traditional version, crushed fresh mint sprigs, simple syrup and Kentucky Bourbon are poured over shaved ice. Some recipes also trot a little ginger bitters into the field.

While the cups that hold the julep are sometimes also made from silver or other metals, it's the fact that the pewter creates and holds a proper frost that makes pewter the time-honoured choice. Etiquette dictates that you should hold only the bottom of the cup while consuming your drink - most probably to do with the extreme cold of the container!

In Saint Louis I-44 runs into I-64 which you take east to Louisville, KY.

Thish question was raced into the quiz by Phoenix Rising mikshologisht VegemiteKid, with only a little sampling of the local product. Honesht.

Answer: True

Henry J. Heinz started his company in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania producing horseradish in 1869. The recipe for the horseradish is attributed to Heinz's mother, Anna, a German immigrant. The company began manufacturing "catsup", as it was then known, in 1876 in Pittsburgh. There is a permanent exhibition on the Heinz company at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh which includes an 11-foot ketchup bottle composed of more than 400 individual bottles.

From Louisville, KY you take I-64 east to Charleston, WV. There you take I-79 north to Pittsburgh.

Phoenix Rising's lg549 tried 57 varieties of this question before deciding to bottle this one.

Answer: False

In an article on the history of cheesecakes in "What's Cooking America" it was indicated that "New Yorkers say that cheesecake was not really cheesecake until it was cheesecake in New York." Yes, I will admit, the New York style cheesecake is a great piece of work but it was not the original cheesecake.

The history of the art of cheesecake making is now lost in time but it is known that the ancient Greeks were eating cheesecakes and their ideas were stolen by the Romans when they arrived. One of the earliest works that mentions cheesecakes is preserved in Marcus Porcius Cato's (Cato the Elder - 234-149 B.C.) treatise on agriculture, "Der Agricultura". In it he provides a recipe for libum which involves the crushing of two pounds of cheese.

The New York style cheesecake, which is purely a mixture of cream cheese, cream, eggs, and sugar is claimed to have been created by Arnold Rueben of New York's legendary Turf Restaurant in 1929. The story goes that he was inspired to create the dish after sampling a friend's cheese pie at a party.

From Pittsburgh take I-79 north to Grove City where you take I-80 east to I-81 north. Follow I-81 north to Scranton where you find I-84 and head east into New York state.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who felt strangely desserted after completing it.

Answer: Chocolate

The Boston cream pie is said to have been invented by a chef at Boston's Parker House Hotel in 1856 and was officially designated as the state dessert of Massachusetts 140 years later. It is a sponge cake, split in half by a layer of creamy custard filling, then topped with a melted chocolate glaze. The "pie" element of its name came from the fact that the terms "pie" and "cake" were often used interchangeably. Similar dishes such as Washington pie (a cake with a jam layer and sugar topping) also follow the same naming convention.

Follow I-84 east until it runs into I-87 and then follow that north to Albany where you will take I-90 east to Boston.

This question was cooked up by Phoenix Rising's Fifiona81.