The tale of toasted ravioli and other regional American dishes in our backyard.

Katie Rodriguez here. In the spirit of a holiday week—when people are maybe indulging a little extra this weekend—I wanted to tease a story by my colleague Dave Faries, who highlights three regional American dishes you can find right here around town.

One of them, I’ll admit, I hadn’t heard of before—but it sounds absolutely delicious (foodies, don’t come for me): toasted ravioli.

Faries explains how David Rodriguez, owner of The Oven Pizzeria in Seaside, serves a St. Louis-style version: ravioli dusted in breadcrumbs and fried to bring out a nutty flavor, while still retaining its al dente bite. Rodriguez pairs these cheesy pockets with sauces designed to complement the toasty notes brought out by the fryer.

The story of toasted ravioli—slightly misleading in name, as it's fried, not toasted—gets woven in with two other lesser-known regional gems that deserve more love.

One features a tomato base used in a less typical (but arguably more delicious) way—as a soup. The other highlights a sauce born in a pitmaster’s attempt to keep chicken moist in the smoker.

Hint: You can find these dishes on the menus at Flaherty’s and Edgar’s at Quail Lodge.

I always love reading food stories that connect us to the histories, cultures and quirks behind the dish. After all, America is a melting pot—and so is our cuisine.

You can read Faries’ story here.