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Good point about the varieties in NO. I was surprised at how good some of the Italian food was when I first visited. I was absolutely expecting great Creole, but the Italian and French fare (French fare being less surprising) were quite a nice surprise!
You also have to visit Mothers in downtown NOLA - the debris is devine
Because New Orleans is one of the most unique cities in North America.
Haven't you ever heard the Mark Twain quote "In America, there is New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland."
Seriously though, New Orleans just has great food. And it goes beyond the delights of Creole cuisine. Just the general varieties of seafood, the French fare, their Italian restaurants, their desserts, the drinks, the classical Southern fare, and all is just divine.
If the different types of cuisine in the city are among your favorites, then it's amazing. If you're looking for the best Malaysian or Indian food in the country then yea, I wouldn't go to New Orleans for that. But that's all about your priorities. I love trying all different forms of cuisine and I'll eat ANYTHING at least once. I enjoy Oriental and Middle Eastern fare, but they're not among my favorites. Give me some alligator gumbo, a fried oyster po'boy, and some Southern bread pudding any day.
Would check that quote reference, don't think that is a Twain, nor is "...the coldest summer I ever spent..."
I'm not sure it is in vogue to call it "Oriental" for some decades now. It is actually generally viewed as offensive.
Would check that quote reference, don't think that is a Twain, nor is "...the coldest summer I ever spent..."
I'm not sure it is in vogue to call it "Oriental" for some decades now. It is actually generally viewed as offensive.
Possible. I've heard it referenced as Twain quite a few times, but sometimes the truth is diluted through the generations.
As for your second comment, people can stop being so sensitive. That is what I grew up calling them. It is not a nasty or negative term. I also don't call blacks "African-American". I must be the Grand Kleagle
Possible. I've heard it referenced as Twain quite a few times, but sometimes the truth is diluted through the generations.
As for your second comment, people can stop being so sensitive. That is what I grew up calling them. It is not a nasty or negative term. I also don't call blacks "African-American". I must be the Grand Kleagle
Do you live in an area where there are a lot of asians/chinese/korean/etc?
Might be why you haven't gotten stopped if saying that. I know people who still say it also, but they don't really live in areas populated with asians. Trust me they would be very pissed off, even if its original use wasn't derogatory as other races/ethnic groups.
If you go to say Bay Area, or here in Chicago, you'd probably get stopped in your tracks for saying "oriental".
The best food cities to me are New Orleans, of course, and Savannah. New Orleans has great seafood, cajun, and creole food...Savannah has true Southern home cooking like no other city I have ever visited.
A lot of places have good regional food and variety. But I still say that New York City is the only city that has blown me away when it comes to food and dining quality/options. Internationally, it's Paris. I suppose I'm hard to please.
I've got a trip to New Orleans in a week, and your post got me thinking about all the great food--in that town, including the awesome food at Mothers(I liked the grits and debris for breakfast).
The cool thing about New Orleans--at least for me--is that you still have unique regional cuisine that's cooked really fricking good for the most part. And you've got a choice between old gourmet, upscale Creole restaurants--some of which have been around for over a century---and little neighborhood hole-in-the-walls joints specializing in BBQ shrimp(cooked in a spicy butter mix) or red beans and rice or oysters or whatever. And that's not even getting into some of the cool modern takes on traditional Cajun cooking.
For pure variety I'd go with New York City by far, especially since you've almost got an immigrant community from practically every where in the world(where else can you find Guyanese or Albanian food?). And personally; I'd say San Francisco or LA(or Vancouver BC) for Asian food--and Chicago has a great mix of restaurants as well. And I always eat good in the South too, Charleston and Savannah have great regional specialties and I love trying the different types of BBQ in the region ranging from the vinegar-based to the mustard based BBQ sauces.
But for pure gastronomic enjoyment I've got to go with New Orleans...
1. NYC
2. Chicago
3. Houston
4. San Francisco/Oakland
5. Miami
6. New Orleans
7. Dallas
8. Baltimore
9. Philadelphia
10. Cleveland
11. Boston
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