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I used to live there for quite a while. I was younger then and my friends and I would frequently seek out ethnic foods around the metro. It's possible, but it's not the same situation you would find in a denser, more diverse coastal immigration hub like NYC, SF, LA, etc. It's a whole world apart. Do you honestly think there are a host of solid noodle places dotting metro Atlanta, or a lot of decent Mexican food outside of the parts of the metro that house nearly all of the Mexican population (western Cobb County, Buford Hwy)? Buford Hwy is the ethnic road and the "Chinatown", though it's more Korean. Great if that's all you know, but if you're coming from CA or NY, it's a vast understatement to say that it leaves A LOT to be desired and you must drive there, a good long ways, outside of the central city of Atlanta. When you're on your lunch break in downtown/Midtown/Buckhead, there are very few ethnic places you can even walk to and they all basically stink. If you don't work in these areas, you are in the burbs, and must drive, and it's just a whole different environment.
In a city like SF or LA, it's pretty hard to not be within walking distance, wherever you are, from solid Mexican or Vietnamese food, among dozens of other ethnic cuisines. That's how different the two places are.
Well couldn't the same be said about the Bay area and soul food considering how miniscule the black population is out there? I'm not talking about no fancy southern chef opening up shop in San Francisco either, I'm talking good Ole fashion Mama Baker in the kitchen with her daughters helping make the food, you just don't see that.
There are far more black people all around the Bay Area and in total, from various backgrounds, than there are Vietnamese people in metro Atlanta (like far far far more...there are only ~36K Vietnamese in metro Atlanta; and there are nearly 200K Vietnamese in the Bay Area, with 100K in San Jose alone - Bay Area: Atlanta nearly 6:1; there are ~nearly 600K black people in the Bay Area and and about 1.7 million in metro Atlanta, a ratio of ~1:3; also both Vietnamese and black people have a relatively long history in the Bay Area, whereas Vietnamese are a relatively new phenomenon in metro Atlanta...this can have a direct impact on how ingrained Vietnamese cuisine is in the city and part of the reason why cuisines originating from american blacks have a decent seat at the table in the Bay Area...they didn't all move here within the past 2-3 decades). I would say Caribbean food is truly lacking in the Bay Area, whereas in Atlanta it's MUCH easier to find. But I have never had a problem finding really good soul food or "southern" food in general in large populated parts of the Bay Area, granted I've never tried in Fremont, but when there I think I'd go for the Indian
The other thing not discussed here is how competitive providing food in CA is. The standards are so high and people are used to quality across all spectrums, cheap to expensive, and across most if not all food types/origins. Mediocre food doesn't survive well in CA. It thrives in GA and in most of the US. Food is part of what sets CA apart.
There are far more black people all around the Bay Area and in total, from various backgrounds, than there are Vietnamese people in metro Atlanta (like far far far more...there are only ~36K Vietnamese in metro Atlanta; and there are nearly 200K Vietnamese in the Bay Area, with 100K in San Jose alone - Bay Area: Atlanta nearly 6:1; there are ~nearly 600K black people in the Bay Area and and about 1.7 million in metro Atlanta, a ratio of ~1:3; also both Vietnamese and black people have a relatively long history in the Bay Area, whereas Vietnamese are a relatively new phenomenon in metro Atlanta...this can have a direct impact on how ingrained Vietnamese cuisine is in the city and part of the reason why cuisines originating from american blacks have a decent seat at the table in the Bay Area...they didn't all move here within the past 2-3 decades). I would say Caribbean food is truly lacking in the Bay Area, whereas in Atlanta it's MUCH easier to find. But I have never had a problem finding really good soul food or "southern" food in general in large populated parts of the Bay Area, granted I've never tried in Fremont, but when there I think I'd go for the Indian
The other thing not discussed here is how competitive providing food in CA is. The standards are so high and people are used to quality across all spectrums, cheap to expensive, and across most if not all food types/origins. Mediocre food doesn't survive well in CA. It thrives in GA and in most of the US. Food is part of what sets CA apart.
Vietnamese is but only one type of ethnic food, Atlanta can arguably go toe to toe with San Francisco on Korean food, and has a Mexican population of 650,000 which was one of the ethnic cuisines that you claimed "only 1-2 real good restaurants can be found in the metro", a great deal larger than the 450,000 A A population found in the Bay Area.
I used to live there for quite a while. I was younger then and my friends and I would frequently seek out ethnic foods around the metro. It's possible, but it's not the same situation you would find in a denser, more diverse coastal immigration hub like NYC, SF, LA, etc. It's a whole world apart. Do you honestly think there are a host of solid noodle places dotting metro Atlanta, or a lot of decent Mexican food outside of the parts of the metro that house nearly all of the Mexican population (western Cobb County, Buford Hwy)? Buford Hwy is the ethnic road and the "Chinatown", though it's more Korean. Great if that's all you know, but if you're coming from CA or NY, it's a vast understatement to say that it leaves A LOT to be desired and you must drive there, a good long ways, outside of the central city of Atlanta. When you're on your lunch break in downtown/Midtown/Buckhead, there are very few ethnic places you can even walk to and they all basically stink. If you don't work in these areas, you are in the burbs, and must drive, and it's just a whole different environment.
In a city like SF or LA, it's pretty hard to not be within walking distance, wherever you are, from solid Mexican or Vietnamese food, among dozens of other ethnic cuisines. That's how different the two places are.
Ive noticed that about Atlanta. Great Korean food, but the other Asian cuisines are lacking somewhat.
Kind of like Houston's inverse. Houston has terrible Korean food for a city its size and its Thai food isnt great either, but the other Asian cuisines are very good here.
There are far more black people all around the Bay Area and in total, from various backgrounds, than there are Vietnamese people in metro Atlanta (like far far far more...there are only ~36K Vietnamese in metro Atlanta; and there are nearly 200K Vietnamese in the Bay Area, with 100K in San Jose alone - Bay Area: Atlanta nearly 6:1; there are ~nearly 600K black people in the Bay Area and and about 1.7 million in metro Atlanta, a ratio of ~1:3;
That's a very biased comparison. If you are comparing it to the Bay Area, that's CSA. In which case you have to include Atlanta's CSA too.
Wiki has Greater Atlanta's Vietnamese population at 66.5K, which I'm assuming is the CSA figure.
A state with three and a half times the population has better food options than GA? Shocker. Throw in VA, NC and SC and you'll be closer in population and land area and you'll find much, much better food than what's available in CA.
Ethnic food in CA is divine. What passes as "California cuisine" is a bit dorky though.
The Bay Area, while it has a significant Vietnamese population and many options, still isn't even the best place in the state for that specific cuisine. Orange County alone has nearly 200,000 Vietnamese, and combined with LA county has almost 300,000, which is more than any area in the world outside Vietnam.
So that combined with the East Bay makes the state as a whole a Mecca for Vietnamese cuisine.
So your claim is that people in Atlanta are bigots and uncultured?
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