Wander all over the country tasting regional favorites — crab cakes in Maryland, barbecue in the Carolinas, chili in Texas, étouffée or court bouillon in Louisiana, clambake in New England, or chimichangas in Arizona — and chances are you will be offered a beer along with your meal. The same goes for the newest fusion cuisines, whether they go under labels like East-West, Pacific Rim, or whatever. And these days, the beer is as likely to be a local or regional craft brew as a national brand.

 

Here are some of my favorites from this regional bounty, as well as some all-American favorites like meat loaf and that homebrewers' standby, beer bread — all of them good partners to West Coast craft-brewed beers.

 

• Spicy Chicken Wings

• Crab Cakes with Chipotle Aioli

• Warm Escarole Salad with Smoked Chicken

• Grilled Salmon Sandwich

• Grilled Eggplant Sandwich

• Fish Baked in Beer Batter

• Chili, My Way

• Cheese and Beer Bread

• Meat Loaf

• Perfect Roast Chicken

• Garlic Mashed Potatoes

• Louisiana-Style Fish Courtbouillon

• Muffuletta

• Shrimp Boil

• Pepper Slaw

• Gingery Peach Crisp

• Shrimp or Crawfish Étouffée

• Cider-Brined Roast Stuffed Turkey with Giblet Gravy

• Rye Bread and Apple Stuffing

• Mixed Rice Jambalaya

• Cranberry-Orange Relish

• Leek and Potato Soup

• Maggie Klein’s Squash Gratin with Garlic and Olive Oil