Johnnycakes appears as a signature dish in 2 United States cities. See each city's local variant and where to eat it.
Johnnycakes · Burlington
Cornmeal griddle cakes; thicker than a pancake, crisp at the edge, served with butter and Vermont maple syrup. Native American in origin (Narragansett) and present in New England since pre-colonial times.
Johnnycakes are corn-griddle cakes made from stone-ground white or yellow cornmeal; the Narragansett word 'johanikin' or 'journey-cake' is the etymology debate. They predate wheat flour in New England and remained breakfast staples through the 19th century. Vermont versions usually use yellow corn and Vermont butter, and finish with maple. Found on a handful of farm-to-table brunch menus; not on every Burlington breakfast plate but a deep-rooted regional dish.
Where to eat in Burlington:
- August First Bakery
- Sneakers Bistro and Cafe
Rhode Island Johnnycakes · Providence
Thin or thick stone-ground flint-corn meal pancakes, made with hot water or milk and cooked on a griddle. Eaten at breakfast with maple syrup, or as a side to chowder. Rhode Island's official heritage dish.
Johnnycakes pre-date Rhode Island statehood, with origins in Narragansett tribal nokehick (parched cornmeal). Designated the state's official cornmeal cake in 1968. Kenyon's Grist Mill in West Kingston has stone-ground the canonical Rhode Island flint cornmeal since 1696. East Bay style is thin and crispy; West Bay style is thick and cake-like.
Where to eat in Providence:
- Hemenway's
- Nicks on Broadway
- Cassarino's