Eating local

"Because barbecue is connected so strongly to place, it has always inspired a certain amount of local chauvinism. Have I engaged in any of this smoky braggadocio myself? Are the beef brisket sandwiches and short ribs I eat in my hometown heavily laced with nostalgia? 

"Was I accurately described by a newspaper reporter and trencherman I'll call Charlie Plum when he referred to me in print as someone who 'has built a career on exaggerating the virtues of his hometown's barbecue'? Well, yes, of course...

"Despite what was implied by Plum, who grew up in Akron at a time when that city was noted for fashioning objects out of rubber in both its tire factories and its restaurants, a little local pride is nothing to be ashamed of."

Calvin Trillin in "Feeding a Yen: Savoring Local Specialties, From Kansas City to Cuzco"