These Are The Comfort Foods West Coasters Swear By

The West Coast, my homeland, is famous for its massive mountains, beaches, vibrant cities, and, of course, ridiculously good food. From highland berries to wild seafood to luxurious mushrooms, the ingredients in the wild are outstanding. Meanwhile, food traditions from Scandinavian, Latin American, Eastern Asian, Italian, and Pacific cultures have greatly contributed to the culinary heritage of the region — today, you can find the best spaghetti of your life in San Diego, teriyaki in Seattle, street tacos in Los Angeles, sushi in Portland, and curry in San Francisco.

As a native to the West Coast, I'm proud of this colorful tapestry. I love that where I live in the greater Seattle area, I can find world-famous pie, sandwiches, dumplings, and mussels within 20 minutes of my house. The comfort food is the best part, and there are so many dishes to have on your radar. So, here are the comfort foods that West Coasters swear by.

As a Pacific Northwesterner, I'm a big fan of marionberry pie (really, marionberry anything). Native to Oregon, these tart and sweet fruits are the quintessential West Coast berry. Marionberry pie is a summertime staple in the region, making it among the most beloved comfort foods for Left Coasters. I grew up feasting on this treat every year when the berries were ripe, whether that be at home, local bakeries, or at the annual pie-eating contest on the island I grew up on. The sour yet sweet berry is perfect when nestled between buttery pie crust and topped with your choice of whipped cream or ice cream. It's balanced, light, and so bright.

Although marionberries are native to Oregon, this pie is an iconic Washington state food, so I suggest ordering it from a bakery in my neck of the woods, like Whidbey Pies. Open since the 1980s, Whidbey Pies has been doing this for decades now, so it's no wonder that it's home to the best marionberry pie in the world. I love it with my mom's homemade whipped cream and extra berries fresh from the farm, but you do you. But if you are in Oregon, try heading to a U-pick berry farm and making your own version. The state is home to the marionberry, after all, so if you're going to source the berries yourself, you can't beat its homeland.

Grilled cheeses are probably a comfort food in most regions, but in the West, they're a lifestyle. Perhaps it's because our region is home to cheese giants like Tillamook and Beecher's, or maybe it's because it's so versatile, leaving room for plenty of creative interpretations that well suit a free-spirited nature. Regardless of why, grilled cheeses in any form are extremely popular out here, but we especially love putting fruit on our sandwiches (and our salads, for that matter). Expect apples, pears, blackberry jam, or even berry compotes regularly on offer at many establishments that serve grilled cheeses.

For a Californian twist, add orange marmalade or avocado slices. If you want a famously good Pacific Northwest sandwich, try it with stonefruit, apple butter, or blackberry jam. My favorite grilled cheese is inspired by my home region, the Salish Sea, and involves toasting two slices of Chuckanut multigrain from Breadfarm (home to the best bread in the world) that's spread with marionberry jam and topped with goat cheese from Lum Farm on Orcas Island, aged Ladysmith from Samish Bay, locally foraged chanterelle mushrooms, thinly sliced apples, and a drizzle of hazelnut oil. After the cheese is melty, add a handful of violets and arugula, sprinkle with San Juan Island Sea Salt and herbs de Provence, and close the sandwich before feasting.

When I think of stormy days, I think of the smell of enchiladas wafting in from the kitchen. My Californian mom, like many West Coasters, had enchiladas on the regular rotation. Similar to the chimichanga, one of the many iconic dishes with origins in the West, enchiladas involve swaddling proteins, veggies, and other goodies in a tortilla blanket. 

Enchiladas are thought to originate from a similar Mayan dish called papadzules"(tortillas wrapped around boiled eggs and drenched in a pumpkin seed sauce), which dates back to 2500 BCE in Mexico. Eventually, the Aztecs were making something related called chīllapīzzali, which caught the eye of the Spanish. Meaning, "chili flute," this is the word that many believe enchilada comes from. As what is now California was included in the Mexican territory that joined the United States in the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, it's no wonder that Mexican cuisine and its ancient culinary traditions continue to be wildly popular on the West Coast, enchiladas included. 

There are two renditions that I think are especially comforting in my area. The first is to make it with seafood. I might be biased as a Washingtonian, but Dungeness crab is best, and it's great with bell peppers, fresh jalapeños, onions, and green enchilada sauce. The second is to, as the papadzules eaters did, go meatless. Use your favorite bean as well as salsa, garlic, corn, sweet potatoes, habaneros, and red enchilada sauce. 

While, like New Englanders, West Coasters love clam chowder, salmon chowder tends to be the preference around here. It's smokier, more herbaceous, and feels lighter than the creamier alternative. When made well, it's also chock-full of other seafood delicacies and perfect for sopping up with crusty bread. This was the first dish I ate when I moved back to the coast after years away, and it's my go-to for rainy days, dark winter evenings, and for post-ocean swims. It's both cozy and festive, making it ideal in all seasons — you're just as likely to find it at a beach barbecue as you are to be served a bowl of it at a snowy gathering.

Salmon chowder is one of the many dishes that reflect the region's Scandinavian culinary heritage, so as someone with Danish and Norwegian roots, I love that it makes me feel closer to my ancestors, the landscapes they loved, and my own region. Try it at local establishments like Pike Place Chowder or Ivar's in my neck of the woods in the Pacific Northwest.

Tacos are a very big deal on the West Coast — we take them super seriously. Like many beloved comfort foods out here, this one originated in Mexico, our neighbor. Given that California, the largest state on our contiguous coast, used to be part of this southern country, perhaps it's no surprise that Mexican food traditions often show up on our dinner tables here. In fact, 17% of all restaurants in California are Mexican eateries, and it's one of the two states with the most Mexican restaurants. (The other being, of course, Texas.)

Studded with the perfect amount of onions and cilantro and housed in warm, corn tortillas, street tacos are especially beloved across the region. I love them with veggies, but as anyone can add any protein, they're crowd pleasers fit for anyone and any occasion. They're affordable, customizable, portable, and colorful, making them ideal for West Coasters who want a budget-friendly meal that appeals to their playful side.

Whether you find your street tacos in Los Angeles food halls, Portland food trucks, or Seattle dives, you're in for a treat. My favorite way to eat this West Coast comfort dish is with a blue corn tortilla, lime-marinated shrimp or charred mushrooms, extra onions and cilantro, tons of lime juice, and salsa verde. If I want to get less traditional, I add pickled red onions, fresh mango, and avocado as well. It could demolish anything you'll find at Taco Bell, which just so happens to be another West Coast product.

Stone and pome fruits thrive in the West Coast states, so foods that highlight them are very common. Think apple walnut salads, baked apples, and apple crisp. However, apple pie takes the cake. This treat is a staple for many, and while the styles vary, the fruit is always the star. As a Washingtonian, a state famous for apples, I'm especially a fan. My home state is the biggest apple producer in the country, but California and Oregon are also in the top seven. So, if you're looking for something freshly baked and comforting (bakery sweets like apple pie are often cited as a top three comfort food in research), apple pie is very true to the area.

My mom used to add, in true Pacific Northwest fashion, cranberries to her homemade apple pie, and I love the tartness it brings. Also, like many Puget Sound locals, I love adding Scandinavian-favorite spices like cardamom to the mix. Meanwhile, Oregonians and fellow Washingtonians love working in regional berries like marionberries and huckleberries. And incorporating grapes or soaking the apples in citrus juice before baking can be a fun way to give it a Californian twist. Just make sure to serve slices with high-quality ice cream, which is nonnegotiable.

Potatoes are a famously favorite food of West Coasters, as the crop grows so plentifully in the region. So, it should be no surprise that tuber-filled dishes are a major comfort to locals, offering a plentiful and accessible ingredient that can transform into warm, filling, and ultra-savory dishes. From Seattle's pizza scene to California's In-N-Out (animal-style fries have long had a chokehold on us Left Coast residents), potatoes seem to be a cornerstone of some of the area's most iconic food traditions. However, mashed potatoes somehow manage to rise above these other potato masterpieces. In fact, when asked "What is the one potato dish that brings people together in your hometown?" by the Idaho Potato Commission for a YouGov study, the leading answer for West Coasters was mashed potatoes. 

There are so many ways to enjoy mashed potatoes: with lumps, twice-baked, cheese-topped, or studded with extra goodies. Many of us like mixing in proteins, root vegetables, and other ingredients to dress it up. For truly West Coast mashed potatoes, try using Huckleberry Gold potatoes (I prefer leaving the skins in) and mixing in Tillamook butter, rosemary, smoked sea salt, and Flagship Reserve Cheese from Beecher's with sauteed Walla Walla onions, Scarlet Nantes carrots, Red Delicious apples, and chanterelle mushrooms.

This puffy pancake-meets-soufflé makes a frequent appearance on breakfast tables across the West Coast, but especially in its home state of Washington. Invented in Seattle, the Dutch Baby, despite the name, is inspired by pfannkuchen, a German pancake. Perhaps because "deutsch," meaning "German," is so close to the English word "Dutch," the name stuck.

Regardless of origin, the Dutch Baby is, in my opinion, genius. It's gorgeous, puffing up over the cast iron skillet in clouds of golden breakfast pastry, drenched in lemon juice, and dusted in powdered sugar like snow. Many, including myself, also love it with blackberry jam, fresh fruit, whipped cream, and maple syrup. You can even add savory toppings like veggie breakfast sausage or jammy eggs for a balanced bite. It's a staple at any brunch spot worth its salt on the West Coast, and among the most unique and distinctly local comfort foods out here.

Sandwiches are a big deal on the West Coast, perhaps because they're perfectly portable for the plethora of outdoor activities that we locals enjoy doing on the regular, like hiking, camping, and rock climbing. Tuna melts fit into this tradition, and every West Coaster I know who eats fish has their own rendition of this comforting dish. Perhaps it's because most of the tuna we eat comes from the Pacific Ocean. In fact, sitting along the coast, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties were historically dubbed the "Tuna Capital of the World." 

This title is still reflected in the entire West Coast's abundance of and love for seafood, and the tuna melt hype across major regional cities like L.A. And it makes sense: as mentioned, the region has a huge dairy footprint to go with its famously strong seafood game, so the pairing is natural in this area. 

With it being such an easy, affordable, and accessible meal, tuna melts showed up on many West Coasters' lunch plates growing up. As a result, we grown-up West Coasters find them to be not only delicious, but super nostalgic. My nana, who hates cooking, would always incorporated dill pickles and either Washington apples or, in a fashion true to her Californian heritage, grapes. So I'm partial to fruity tuna melts, but I also add red onions, craisins, plenty of fresh dill, smoked paprika, walnuts, tons of diced pickles, lemon juice, and high-quality mayonnaise before topping it with West Coast cheese like Tillamook or Beecher's before broiling. And a sturdy bread is a must. Whether you pick a San Franciscan sourdough or a Seattle rye, just make sure it can hold the hefty fillings.

When I think of summer, I picture massive pans of steamed clams (that my family and I dug up ourselves) bathed in white wine, butter, and herbs, ready to be soaked up with bread. When I think of the dark winters on the coast, I think of the same dish. This comfort food is a year-round treasure, and it's meant for sharing—it's practically a rite of passage for those who move to the West Coast to attend a clam steam.

For thousands of years, clams were tended to by local indigenous people. West Coast communities would construct clam gardens. In these beach terraces of sorts, protected by rocks, clam productivity would thrive, and tribes could harvest sustainably. Digging oxygenates the sand and clears space for younger clams. Clam gardens also ensure that water lingers for longer, which benefits clams, octopus, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and other creatures.

This West Coast comfort dish is part of this ancient tradition and coastal landscapes. In fact, Pacific Northwest indigenous communities report increasing feelings of "clam hunger," an urge to engage with ancestral foods like clams (even when climate change and pollution threaten them).

Every West Coast bakery seems to have a signature cinnamon roll. Thanks to the Nordic heritage of this area, it's super common to find cardamom and extra spices in them, making them more flavorful than your run-of-the-mill American pastry. My Californian mother also folded orange zest into hers, making her one of countless locals who always find ways to nod to their beloved landscapes with these sweet rolls.

Other than my mother's, the best cinnamon rolls I've ever had were served at the Knead And Feed in Coupeville, a bakery I grew up frequenting. The Knead And Feed was transformed into Sally's shop in the film "Practical Magic," so I used to attend October screenings of the movie, complete with their famous cinnamon rolls. Unfortunately, this staple bakery shuttered after 45 years in business. Today, you can find likewise outstanding West Coast cinnamon rolls at Bun On The Run in Fairbanks, Alaska; Devil's Teeth Baking Company in San Francisco, California; or First Street Haven in Port Angeles, Washington.

Equally adored by every West Coast state, this might be the most beloved dish in the entire region. There are entire fast food chains shaped around it in our area, like Wahoo's fish taco, which is actually where I tried it for the first time as a kid. And everyone seems to have a favorite fish taco recipe on regular rotation at home.

The variations are as diverse as those who enjoy it, and due to the use of local, coastal ingredients, it's so comforting. I love mine with blackened fish, a fruity slaw in a spicy vinaigrette, fresh peppers, avocado (of course), pickled red onions, homemade lime crema, and a charred corn tortilla.

If you're trying it for the first time, I recommend heading to your nearest Wahoo's so you can get a feel for the West Coast style of fish taco before attempting to make it yourself. Order the citrus slaw taco with cilantro sauce and no cheese— they offer salmon, charbroiled wahoo, and blackened mahi, so I'd go with salmon if you want something super filling, wahoo if you want to try a signature, or mahi if you love spice.