Residing in a new place means getting used to new food. Sure, you can get the grocery-store staples anywhere, but it is the dishes that are from where you are from that you miss the most. Missing gumbo if you're from the Bayou, missing good bagels if you're from New York/New Jersey or missing ribs and bratwurst if you're from the Midwest are all to be expected. Yet, before you throw in the dietary towel, there are ways to eat and imbibe in the Pacific Northwest that can almost make up for what you're craving from home.

Pacific Northwest style of cuisine focuses on using ingredients found in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and sometimes Alaska. The fare is comprised of preferably fresh or even organic fruits and vegetables, uses a lot of seafood and frequently has an Asian or Native American influence due to the closeness of the Pacific Rim.

Let's start with the seafood though, which is renowned for the speed with which it makes it from the water to the table. It is no secret that some of the best salmon in the world is found in Washington. Coho and sockeye are two well-known species, but the Puget Sound's fishing ground is also filled with trout, sturgeon and cod. There is also a huge oyster industry thriving here and serving them up every which way, from barbecued to raw.

Living this close to Alaska means having access to the best of their exports, like the famed Copper River salmon, which is only available for a month or two starting in May, and a seemingly endless supply of halibut, Dungeness crab and Alaskan King crab legs.

Not to worry if you are allergic or just not a fan of fish - there are plenty of other ways to eat like a local. Open-air markets sell everything from locally grown produce to perfect cuts of meat, homemade honey and jams to fresh pasta and a side of epicurean olive oil. The combinations that can come from a day's trip to Pike Place Market in Seattle, the Olympia Farmers Market or stores like H&L Produce in Lakewood and the multiple Tacoma Boys spots, are sure to lead to wonderful meals requiring little work.

Aside from apples, which are the most recognized export of the state, Washington is a top producer of many other fruits and nuts, like almonds, peaches, pears and of course, cherries. The Rainier cherries in particular, which are a hybrid that was developed at Washington State University, continue to be a rarity in many spots and are therefore highly priced and almost considered a delicacy by fruit-lovers. Likewise, the elusive and expensive truffle can be found in Oregon and though it still might cost you, odds are it'll be cheaper than an import from France.

Now if you're looking for something to wash this all down with, the area won't disappoint. All of the states in the PNW are heavy on per capita microbreweries, and in fact, the first recognized brewery tavern that made its own beer opened in Yakima in 1982. Hometown heroes of hops and barley include the Pyramid Brewery in Seattle, Deschutes Brewery in Portland and Big Sky Brewing in Montana. Be warned though, being a microbrew means not having a wide-distribution, so most in the PNW don't sell their beers east of Colorado.

Washington wines, however, are sold across the country and the industry has grown into a two million dollar tourism draw. Living here means that they are found at every store, the selection is usually wider, prices are cheaper and if you want, you can even visit where the process starts.

Finally, if you need to sober up and settle your full stomach, try the area's other specialty - coffee. Whether acknowledging the birthplace of Starbucks or viewing the hundreds of espresso stands in any given direction, it is hard to argue that coffee is plentiful and perfected out here, from lattes to dark roasts.

So bon appétit and bottoms up, here's to enjoying what the PNW is serving up.