Last week, President Barack Obama came to town for a couple days. As visitors are apt to do, he wanted to experience some quintessential Minnesota cuisine. So, he went to Matt’s Bar, an iconic hamburger joint here in Minneapolis that is home to the renowned cheeseburger “The Jucy Lucy.”

On the heels of his visit, I’ve come across a Thrillist report on “The Unofficial Comfort Foods of Every State in America.” Sure enough, according to this definitive guide, Minnesota’s claim to fame is the Jucy Lucy. (Perhaps the President’s advance people read this article before I did.)

The writer, Adam Lapetina, notes that “America is a nation of comfort foods. The bigger and heartier, the better.” As to the Jucy Lucy, he writes, “You know something is a comfort food when it is the most American of cheeses stuffed into the most American of burgers and griddled up so that it comes out as the most American of oozing messes. And though Matt’s Bar spells it one way, and 5-8 Club another, it always kind of comes out the best.” Silly me. I hadn’t even considered how downright patriotic it was to eat a Juicy Lucy. It’s practically dripping with Americana.

From the pecan pie of Alabama to the beef jerky of Wyoming’s cattle country, clearly there’s a lot of good eating out there. (Personally I’m drawn to the “Funeral Potatoes” of Utah.) So, with the summer “road trip” season upon us, I thought you might appreciate this munching map.

Earlier this year, I shared tales of my travels with my kids to New York City, the Rocky Mountains and Estes National Park. I’m sorry to say that we missed the buffalo wings in New York and the breakfast burritos in Colorado. Perhaps it’s time for a return trip.