Worst Cities in the U.S. (Cleveland, Akron: crimes, house, school)

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by ZnGuy

never had good brisket until I got to South. Best shrimp and grits I've had in Oxford, MS...

Good for you. It's not a national secret to making brisket. Some guy named Bubba in Mississippi doesn't have a patent. It's 2017. If you live in any decently sized city, you have access to what was once regional cuisine.

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by ZnGuy

never had good brisket until I got to South. Best shrimp and grits I've had in Oxford, MS...

Michael Symon's Mabel's on East 4th St. has great brisket, much better than the ribs or anything else I've tried on the menu there.

[WRnative]

New Orleans is foodie heaven. Gumbo, blackened fish, French, Creole, remoulade sauce, jambalaya, Bananas Foster, muffulettas, Po-Boys, etc. And what beautifully historic and famous restaurants -- Antoine's, Arnaud's, Commander's Palace, Brennan's, and even K-Paul's, despite the death of Paul Prudhomme. Memories. Not a fan of beignets or chicory coffee, but still love ending the day at Cafe du Monde.

[ZnGuy]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

Good for you. It's not a national secret to making brisket. Some guy named Bubba in Mississippi doesn't have a patent. It's 2017. If you live in any decently sized city, you have access to what was once regional cuisine.

heavy diet of tacos make you a little a little defensive ? Actually best brisket I've had was in NC (2nd best was from my smoker)...

[gouldnm]

The best region I've ever lived in for food was New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. The food there is heavily influenced by the French and Italians, and there's nothing quite like it anywhere else in the country. There are a lot more independent restaurants (as opposed to chains) with innovative chefs, and the menus keep changing. It never gets boring.


That being said, I like the food in the Midwest a lot. I still miss freshwater fish, and while it doesn't have as many French or Italian restaurants as the Northeast, it does have a decent selection. There is a lot more East European and German food. Comfort food is very good and tends to be baked rather than fried.


I really don't care much for the food in the South. Too much seafood (shrimp topped this, crab topped that, etc.). They also have a tendency to mix sweet and savory, which I cannot stand. I gave the example in another post of salmon braised with bourbon and brown sugar. Yuck! The fried food is unhealthy. Haven't they ever heard of baking? I'd rather have fish baked with breadcrumbs than fried any day! It's not just more healthy--I really can't stand grease.


Too each his own. But I personally prefer the Northeast followed by the Midwest.

[Buckeye614]

Originally Posted by ABQConvict

The South definitely beats Ohio for cuisine, but to be fair, I would destroy a Polish Boy.

(phrasing)

"The South" is a gigantic region so I would hope that an area stretching from Eastern Texas to Virginia would have more culinary innovation and options than a single state.

I'm Italian and was raised with fresh herbs, salads, pasta, lean meats so although it's delicious lot of heavy southern fried food doesn't agree with my stomach.

[Bilbono]

I just moved to Cleveland from Asheville, NC. Asheville is a foodie paradise, and the food is great, but I like the food here better, mainly because of the eastern European choices. The paprikash at Balaton, the schnitzel at Sokolowski's, and the goulash at Der Braumeister are all fabulous! Reminds me of the food I had in Germany when I was in the service.

Southern food is fantastic also though, most chefs would agree. Like another poster mentioned, I'm not a fan of all the sugary dishes, with a few exceptions. I grew up in Texas, and always hated that sweet bbq sauce they put on. I liked North Carolina's bbq better, with their mustard-based sauce. The best ribs I've ever had was at Mueller's in Austin. Beef, of course. Also a big fan of fried catfish, grits, collards, chicken fried chicken, and biscuits and gravy. And of course, bacon, bacon, bacon!

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by Bilbono

The paprikash at Balaton, the schnitzel at Sokolowski's, and the goulash at Der Braumeister are all fabulous! Reminds me of the food I had in Germany when I was in the service.

The Weiner Schnitzel at the Balaton is better than the schnitzel at Sokolowski's IMO, or than at the Das Schnitzel Haus in Parma. The Balaton's is the best that I've had in Cleveland since Kiefer's closed several decades ago, especially as the Balaton offers veal schnitzel; I also love spaetzle and beet/horseradish salad at the Balaton. Kiefer's was Cleveland's best German restaurant. A chef there once told me that they marinated their veal overnight in a combination of olive oil and lemon juice.

I'm fairly certain that Kiefer's offered veal schnitzel, and it definitely had a lemon favor without squeezing a lemon over it, so I do believe it was marinated and that the following recipes aren't authentic. I should try to make my own....

https://clevelandmagazine.com/food-d...9;s-restaurant

Cleveland's food offerings are now eclectic, although now seeming dominated by Italian, Mexican, and Asian cuisines, with a large presence for Middle Eastern food.

Superior Pho is another favorite, including of Michael Symon of ABC's "The Chew" and Cleveland's de facto food ambassador. Go there for great pho, banh mi sandwiches, and a truly gritty Cleveland ambience which used to be more common in Cleveland before gentrification took hold. I've wondered if Superior Pho's long tables didn't inspire Symon given their use at his Mabel's Cleveland BBQ restaurant on East 4th, where you won't find much sugar in most dishes. Dry rub is the norm at Mabel's.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

3 are BBQ. Let's be honest- it's all basically the same. Mississippi didn't invent catfish, nor Florida orange juice. Mississippi didn't invent tamales, and I've honestly never heard of a Mississippi version. What's it filled with- crippling poverty?

The rest are basically just different versions of things you can find anywhere- pie, cobbler, sausage, chicken, ham, gravy, seafood... Don't get me wrong, I generally like Southern food, but it's not quite as unique as some would have us believe, and you don't really have to be in the South to find it.

Southern food and soul food are pretty much the same thing. The state's may not have invented the foods, but those foods were perfected in the South.

Since you never heard of Mississippi Tamales, here's a link to tell you everything you'd ever wanna know about Mississippi Tamales.

https://www.southernfoodways.org/int...issippi-delta/

And the best restaraunts to find them:

10 Restaurants In Mississippi That Have The Best Hot Tamales

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock

Southern food and soul food are pretty much the same thing. The state's may not have invented the foods, but those foods were perfected in the South.

Since you never heard of Mississippi Tamales, here's a link to tell you everything you'd ever wanna know about Mississippi Tamales.

https://www.southernfoodways.org/int...issippi-delta/

And the best restaraunts to find them:

10 Restaurants In Mississippi That Have The Best Hot Tamales

No, Mexico perfected tamales. I don't know what those are.