Bar food runs the gamut from offerings pulled from the freezer to prepackaged chip mixes (what is called in the industry yuppie-chow, a combination of nuts, both potato and corn chips, and sometimes even edible seeds) to handcrafted gourmet fare. Unfortunately, the majority of the bar food available in the United States is little more than cheap and fast feeding. Outside of the major cities, the availability of bar food varies from place to place depending on the drinking culture and the history of the region. Bars in New England may offer oysters on the half shell or seafood samplers with the requisite salt levels to keep drinkers imbibing. Bars in the Mid-Atlantic states may offer a bowl of pretzels or highly salted nuts. Salt ...