Five of a kind: Americana

Philly cheese steak

This devilish dish is not a whole steak but a choppy mix of thin steak and onions cooked on a hot plate and stuffed into a soft roll with oozy melted cheese. At Sparrow’s Philly Cheesesteaks, out the back of the Catfish Bar on Gertrude St, you’ll find Geno Sparrow, a Philly native, cooking up slender pieces of top round, while the softest of bread buns sit face down on the hotplate with American cheese getting sizzled on in readiness for the steak and onions. A quick dash of Frank’s Hot Sauce and you’re good to go.
Sparrow’s Philly Cheesesteaks, 30-32 Gertrude St, Fitzroy. 9417 6420

Mac and cheese

The ultimate in uncomplicated comfort food, mac and cheese is an American diner menu staple (the mac at Seattle’s Icon Grill even comes with a small jug of extra "pouring" cheese on the side, if it ain’t cheesy enough for ya). It’s much less prevalent here. For a classic little casserole dish of mac, creamy and topped with garlic bread crumbs, head to Richmond’s Meatmother, a den of American barbecue and related dishes, which also offers a heftier version called Mac and Crack, with added bacon, chicken and jalapenos.
Meatmother, 167 Swan St, Richmond. 9041 5393

Crab cakes

Originating around the Chesapeake Bay area, crab cakes are a popular snack synonymous with Baltimore and Maryland. At Le Bon Ton, the gulf-style crab cakes go a little more southern and start with pan-seared crab that is then mixed with mayo, mustard and streaky, hardwood-smoked bacon that’s been rendered down with onion, celery and bell peppers. The succulent mix is panko-crumbed and fried and, in a well-rounded salute to "Bawlmer", is served with Old Bay aioli (Old Bay is an old-school herb and spice blend from Baltimore that goes perfectly with crab).
Le Bon Ton, 51 Gipps Street, Collingwood. 9416 4341

Reuben

A classic New York staple, the Reuben can be a teetering meat mountain in establishments like the Carnegie Deli, but in Melbourne, we keep the essence and dodge the heart attack. At Prahran’s Gramercy Bistro, the name is an NYC tribute, the interior is swathed in gleaming subway tiles and the Reuben doubles down on the New York factor by being served on a bagel. It is filled with house-made pastrami, melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and, instead of traditional Russian dressing, a swipe of zippy American mustard.
Gramercy Bistro, 162 Commercial Rd, Prahran. 9098 1155

Clam chowder

There are several styles of chowder across the US – New England is a creamy version, Manhattan is more tomato-based – and several ways to serve it, such as in a hollowed-out bread bowl or with crushed crackers on top. At Nieuw Amsterdam, the New York Clam Chowder is a cleverly deconstructed, elegant dish of little clams on the half shell, batons of bacon, neatly tubular pieces of potato and a whole grilled baby leek, dressed in a creamy, herb-spiked clam veloute and served with slightly sweet bread for dunking.
Nieuw Amsterdam, 106-112 Hardware St, Melbourne. 9602 2111