I'm a good ol' Southern girl, so it's no big surprise I love America! My new show, Haylie's America, pays true homage to some of my favorite regional dishes. I love to discover new and exciting foods, but there are a few dishes that everyone should eat before they die — no exceptions. Here's my ultimate list and why:

These are a staple in the South and you really don't see them on menus anywhere else. I'm weak in the knees for my grandmother's cornmeal-batter version, dipped in ranch dressing.

Nobody offers bagels like the family-owned delis in the state of New York. Covered in seeds, herbs and salt, they're incomparable — it must be something in the water.

No matter which family you believe actually first invented this epic sandwich, I'll take it any way I can get it. But only in Philadelphia, of course.

I'm taking you back down South again for one of my all-time faves. If you don't try shrimp and grits with a splash of hot sauce before you die, well, you just haven't lived.

I couldn't put together a list of my favorite dishes without reppin' California — and California knows how to do tacos right! I love street tacos down to the deepest part of my heart. And being on the coast, we tend to really nail it on the fish tacos. Make sure to try one of these babies, preferably with some lime and spicy mayo, before you kick the bucket.

Haylie's America Premieres Thursday, September 8 at 10pm ET.

More of Haylie's Favorite Places and Things to Eat