I haven't seen an American themed restaurant(well proper ones). I am guessing they would have them as Wagga said.

I love the Mocha's they sell at places such as the coffee club or even muffin break.

On the subject of Tomato sauce. I finally know the difference between catsup and ketchup thanks to Mad men(I could of searched it but I didn't find it important). I use to think some people were just saying it wrong.

We have a very popular Australian-themed restaurant here in the US called Outback Steakhouse, which purports to share the Australian culinary experience with the customer. Truth be told it's my favorite restaurant . They've got some top-notch steaks there and the Aussie Cheese Fries are to die for. Plus when you order a Foster's Lager it comes in a super tall mug that's been in a freezer for who knows how long and so the mug is frosted solid and there's tiny bits of ice floating in it. It's like a lager sundae. They have Castlemaine too, but it's not on tap.

I'm curious as to the popularity of Old West themed restaurants one can find in other countries. Seems to be a really popular motif We have the same types of things here too but mostly you go there if you want a sort of country and western music themed place. Otherwise one just goes to Outback Steakhouse Chinese, Mexican, and Italian are super popular here, with Greek and German coming in behind those. There's no English-themed restaurants or Slovakian or African or what not, although on occasion one can find Indian cuisine. I'm assuming that's what the curry thing is that you guys are talking about. We just eat hot sauce on everything here, but it's typically either cayenne or habanero sauce varieties. And Tabasco, of course ,goes with pretty much anything.

I have never had cheese fries. I haven't seen them on any cafe menus either. Are they fries with melted cheese?.

Yes, and they are simply magnificent. A lot of the menu items at Outback are American dishes but they're given Australian-themed names, like the Prime Minister's Prime Rib (rimshot), the Bloomin' Onion (a giant white onion that's been cut in a certain way to look like a massive flower bloom and there's honey mustard to dip bits of it in) or the Chocolate Thunder From Down Under, which is a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce all over it.

Maybe I will give them a try if I ever see them for sale at a cafe. Is the onion you speak of raw or cooked because dipping a raw onion into mustard would be foul.

IlF, a blooming onion is bits of onion battered/breaded and fried and then arranged to look like it is blooming. I suspect it's more of an American thing, due to our love of fried foods.

Or is that a misconception of mine? Do any of you have deep fried foods in abundance in your home countries?

Oh that sounds much nicer than what I was imagining.

Other than at fish and chip shops no not really. I don't deep fry chocolate bar and stuff like that ha.

Australia has many different cultural influences. I usually try a it of everything. There is more of an Italian influence now. My mum said when she was a child they never had pizzas or tomato pasta dishes at all. The main take away in every town was fish and chips.

Shadowlander. I don't know if you are familiar with the "Little House" books, but there is a reference to corn bread in them as well. It was introduced as you mentioned to the settlers by the Indians, and was handy since it did not spoil in the hard kernal form so long as it was kept dry. I have had it at re-enactments many times where it is commonly served with butter, and or honey.

....and chili!

My sister Liz makes her cornbread in a manner that makes it taste more like cake, like you'd eat at a birthday party or what not, than regular cornbread. It's sweet and moist and awesome. Were that I could get the recipe from her on that. I love both varieties though. And if we're on cornbread there's also a need to mention hush puppies, which are small balls of cornmeal dough mixed with onions and then deep fried. They're commonly served with pork barbecue or seafood where I live. They are thoroughly addictive and delicious.

And if we're on cornbread there's also a need to mention hush puppies, which are small balls of cornmeal dough mixed with onions and then deep fried. They're commonly served with pork barbecue or seafood where I live. They are thoroughly addictive and delicious.

Ooh yes. . . love those things. They're especially good dipped in tartar sauce, honey butter or ketchup

My Mom's entire family is from Kentucky (where cornbread is practically the only thing keeping some people alive) so I've grown up on all kinds of cornbread. It's never been anything special to me as I usually had it once a week, if not more. . .

Though I still love fried cornbread, where you basically take the corn bread batter and fry it in very light oil like a pancake.

I love my hush puppies dipped in malt vinegar (with my fish and chips) or if I get them at a seafood restaurant I like them with that red sauce on them, which I think is called "cocktail sauce" (ketchup and horse radish mixed, basically ). Hush puppies are really good!

Edit: Oh, I almost forgot! Corndogs too...imagine you've got your standard frankfurter or hot dog and you dip it in cornmeal batter and then deep fry it. Then you impale the whole thing lengthwise on a wooden stick and you've basically got a corn dog. They're usually served at carnivals or fairs but most grocery stores will have some in the frozen foods section, though they're not as good. I *love* mine with yellow mustard, but they're good with ketchup too.

My stomach wouldn't be use to such things. A corndog would make my stomach flip(I don't even like regular hotdogs). It can be rather a pest choosing what I eat. Not only would such battered foods upset me I am to some extent lactose intolerant(I can have 1 glass of milk a day but no more). I am usually fine with cheese but I can only have cream if I haven't already had that glass of milk. So it is usually safe for me to stick to vegetables and meals with none or low amounts of lactose.

A while back we had accent videos? maybe we should give those another try? Perhaps reading a page or two from one of the narnia books of your choice? .

We used to have hush puppies up here in the local Red Lobster, but for some strange reason they stopped serving them
Just in case anyone who has never had a corn-dog goes out to get one at a local fair, or buys a package of what looks like some, be warned there is nefarious fraud that keeps showing itself called the pronto-pup It may look like a corn-dog, but in fact it is made with ordinary bread batter instead of corn. though I am told by semi-reliable sources, that there are some people who prefer their hotdogs covered in this unsavory matter

I thought hush puppies were a brand or type of shoe? We do have fried foods in Australia but they're just the fast-food sort. They're not a cultural item or anything - except maybe battered fish and potato chips (but we stole them from the UK).

There is, or at least was, a brand name of shoes called hush-puppies. I cannot say if they are still around. Though, if we are talking food, I imagine that puts another spin on the old saying of putting your shoe in your mouth
Sorry folks, but that punchline was begging to be used