On another note, I think it would be awesome to try local food when traveling, rather than visit a restaurant that serves food you're used to =)

If you don,t try iti how do you know you don,t like it, some times we eat with our eyes and not our stomach.

My husband and I lived on an island in the Soloman Sea in Papua New Guinea for a while (anthropologists) where  we learned  about the concept of 'meaty insects'. We came home as almost total vegetarians ( except for the plentiful fish ...who did get eaten). Plenty of yams, taro, green leaves, coconut etc ... and I couldn't eat another  banana for several years. after our return. Bon Appetite!

Food falling off the plate is one thing Dona, but walking of it is another lol

Here in Cincinnati we have our (in)famous Chilli. I grew up eating this and my moms more traditional chilli. https://whatscookingamerica.net/Beef/CincinnatiChili.htm I love the stuff. If your close enough to be familiar I am an Empress fan but their few and far between anymore. Goldstar and Skyline are the most common places.

We're pretty blessed to have some good Chinese places that do traditional stuff, a Sushi place where the chef had his training in Japan, several Indian places and a wonderful Vietnamese place.

Insects don't tempt me at all. I keep watching Bourdain eat his way around the globe and just cannot imagine eating the bugs. But I guess if that is what your folks ate your more likely to. Gods know I've dodged some of the Appalachian goodies my granny tried to feed me. Cow Brains and Scrambled Eggs? No thank you.