American restaurant in UK

Hi all!

As my username suggests, I am a UK foodie and chef. I am opening an American restaurant in London this summer. None of the poor excuse for steak joints and TGI Fridays chain rubbish.. good honest American home cooked food.

I would greatly appreciate your input to your favorite foods. Food that reminds you of home that you just wish you could get hold of in the UK. The kind of home cooked food your Mom used to make.. good old Sweet Potato pie etc.

What would you like to see on the menu?

Thanks!

Sourdough bread!

I immediately thought of MEXICAN.  Probably not American as you would define it, but I would kill for some good enchiladas or chili rellenos.

Also REAL bbq.  Pulled pork sandwiches!!!

Brunch.

Why not do some regional offerings from time to time. After all, there is more to American cooking than Mexican and Southern. You should certainly have apple pie a la mode, pumpkin pie, all sorts of pies. Home cooking like meat loaf, American chop suey, turkey pot pie, etc. If you serve up Indian pudding I'll be there!
Good luck!

Not sure the type of restaurant you are planning, but I wish you the very best of luck and success.  

My mom cooked mostly Italian food but for American food what I miss the most (or what I don't think the UK gets 'quite right') are all kinds of fantastic salads, cheesesteaks, hoagies (can you tell where I'm from?), pumpkin pie, pumpkin ravioli (don't know if that is American ), collard greens, veggie-rific anything (as I just don't see a big variety on menus here), cornbread, baby spareribs, club sandwiches, chili, apple pie, crabcakes, GOOD baked beans, turkey potpie, coleslaw, potato salad, real baked macaroni and cheese, pasta salad, bagel sandwiches, mmmm.... I'm hungry!

American chop suey

what's that?

I'm in Glasgow, so wouldn't be partaking of any of the 'yum' you manage to dish up, but if I saw a restaurant with a really good salad bar, I'd be in there like a shot.  I want to see lots of fresh vegetables, with crunchy lettuce, nice red non-anaemic tomatoes, a variety of olives, jicama (!!!) and lots of different kinds of sprinkles (like nuts and seeds and bacon bits and croutons) and several different flavours of salad dressing, including RANCH!      To me, salad is raw vegetables... not all these weird bean mixtures, cous cous, pickled stuff, god-knows-what in mayonnaise...

Good luck with your plans.

Although Mexican food, authentic lovely Mexican food, is the thing I miss the most; the first thing that popped in my head is "West Virginia hot dogs". Oh they are so good. Cole slaw, chilli (hamburger), and chopped onions on top. My mouth is watering!

Sweet tea. For the love of all that is good and holy, sweet tea!!! 

weird bean mixtures, cous cous, pickled stuff,

Those are my favourite bits! 

Gourmet mac and cheese. I'm back in LA now, and whenever Mac and Cheese in on the menu, I have to try it to see how they've glammed it up.

To me, salad is raw vegetables... not all these weird bean mixtures, cous cous, pickled stuff, god-knows-what in mayonnaise...

I'm with you on this one.


My very first job was at Eat n Park, (which is Pittsburgh's answer to Denny's) and the "all you can eat soup and salad bar" was one of the major draws. There was a different soup every day along with chili.

I agree with mac and cheese, decent Mexican, and the regional foods idea. I would add regional chili to that. Iced tea, milkshakes, coffee with free refills, etc.

Agree on the mexican food...

Also hadn't come across any baked macaroni and cheese.....or buffalo chicken...Maybe I just didn't go to the right places?

Ooh, yeah... iced tea!