The Top 10 Could All Be #1

Every State in the USA, Ranked by Its Food/Drink

1. California

We didn’t want it to be California, friends. We wanted it to be some kind of off-the-radar spot like South Dakota or Texas, but we didn’t map the geography of this nation to favor the Golden State; God, or some kind of mapographer did. Let’s start first with some numbers. California has 80,000 farms; it produces HALF OF ALL US-GROWN FRUITS, NUTS, AND VEGETABLES. Half, friends. 50%. And you know about the wine, right? 800 miles of coastland with fog, wind, and rain to keep vines interesting, and all of that warm inland and hills to produce more of it than any other state. And who gives a sh*t if Paul Giamatti doesn’t drink Merlot? California makes 100 different varietals of wine. Have you ever heard of a Mourvedre?!? I have not, but those grape-stomping bastards make it. And we haven’t even gotten to the cities.

San Diego and its fish tacos and craft beers; LA with its innovative food truck culture (Kogi BBQ) and restaurants (Animal, Trois Mec, Baco Mercat); San Francisco with its Mission burritos and a food/drink culture second only to maybe NY in the entire country. But you know what puts it all over the top? The fact that you could take away those places, and it’d still have enough good food cities to be in the top 10. Oakland/Berkeley with its “anything SF can do, I can do cheaper and potentially better” vibe. San Jose and its cultish ramen from Santouka and Halu. Sacramento and those delicious burgers at the Squeeze Inn with that cheese skirt. Trust me, friends, it’s California on a knockout, and it ain’t even that close.

16. Hawaii

You are beautiful, you grow tropical fruits, and everyone from your unsullied lands swears by your malasadas, macadamia nuts, and Kona coffee. Maui Brewing has extremely solid beers, and Peter Merriman’s restaurants would be a big deal in any state. But you also swear by Spam Musubi, and I’m sorry, I’ve tried to like it, and I can’t. You grew there, I flew there, though.

30. Nevada

On the one hand, you have Las Vegas, in which every single food and drink that Bacchus could ever imagine is available, thanks to its status as Famous Chef Heaven, a place where well-known chefs inevitably go once their aversion to selling out has died. On the other hand, like the chefs themselves, all that food/booze is flown in from Not-Nevada. Sorry, Carrot Top.

Complete list (Thrillist.com)