With the holiday season approaching—and North Star’s 25th anniversary adding to our reasons to fête—we find ourselves in a reflective mood ahead of the meal preparation and merry-making that awaits. We have a great many causes for gratitude and celebration this year, but as we look down our Thanksgiving table at faces familiar and new (some so new that this will be their very first Turkey Day with us!), we will hold special esteem for the places we have visited in our line of work.

Since North Star founder Don McEachern began branding and marketing places in the Southeast a quarter-century ago, we have completed projects in over 250 communities across the United States (ten a year, on average). That means each year, we have the fortune of meeting wonderful clients in the places that they know and care about deeply, inspiring that same devotion in us by the time we head back to the home office. From New Hampshire to California, we thank our clients for treating us with the utmost hospitality. Particularly in the later months of the year, we know how much effort goes into taking care of a few guests, and we can only hope that we were not of the unruly sort.

Our travel habits notwithstanding, the site visit endures as the most crucial part of our branding process precisely because it is our first and best opportunity to see and experience the character of a community alongside the people who love it. It is oftentimes also the time when we perform a site visit within a site visit—the all-important tour of local drive-thrus and eateries that we remember fondly for years afterward. Whether on-the-go snacks, business lunches, or formal dinners, we’re always appreciative of the way clients show off their communities through meals that can’t be had anywhere else. More so than the food itself, it’s the table-talk that tends to yield interesting tidbits and takeaways that resurface throughout the branding research, strategy, and creative processes. For those conversations, we are thankful as well.

So this week, while we’re at our Thanksgiving table, know that we’re thinking of the amazing people and places that made our travels so memorable over the past decades. The dishes on our tables will be curated to include USA-grown and -made ingredients, even if it takes a little extra time to read all the labels at the store. And over dessert, we’ll probably be telling anyone who will listen about hiking with coyotes at dawn or kayaking with alligators in Spring, both highlights from the year’s North Star trips.

Should you still need some menu inspiration, we have a few suggestions on dishes themed after our favorite regional products and cuisines that you may consider serving to your friends and family this holiday.

For the traditionalists, we suggest sticking to The Classics:

Idaho Gold Mashed Potatoes
Texas Barbecue Turkey
Wisconsin Cheddar Mac n’ Cheese
Massachusetts Cranberry Sauce

For the tinkerers, try out one of The Contenders:

Florida Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Georgia Onions
California Strawberry Walnut Salad
South Carolina Hoppin’ John with Diced North Carolina Country Ham
Minnesota Pumpkin Bundt Cake

For the avant-garde, only The Curiosities will satisfy an odd craving:

New Mexico Green Chile Sliders
Nebraska Secret Cornbread (All 5 Recipes!)
New York Bagel Stuffing with New Jersey Sausage and Peppers Gravy
Kentucky Chocolate Chess Pie

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!