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Food in North Carolina is disappointing. Haven't had a really good meal yet after four days. Crabcakes are so-so, no better than in NJ. Vegetables are obviously shipped in--salads taste bagged. Breakfast omelet comparable to microwaved airplane food. Calzones outright sucked, cheese tastes like bad kosher cheeses.
Pretty scenery, don't come with culinary expectations.
Carolina BBQ, shrimp and grits and a few other things. I really don't remember the food from that area. I guess it wasn't the worst I'd ever eaten. You ordered a calzone? Big mistake.
Carolina BBQ, shrimp and grits and a few other things. I really don't remember the food from that area. I guess it wasn't the worst I'd ever eaten. You ordered a calzone? Big mistake.
Yeah, the first night I got here my friends were already here and ordering calzones, so I got one. I wasn't expecting great pizza type food here, so that wasn't a shock. I didn't come here for Italian food lol.
I don't like grits in NJ or anywhere else, so I wouldn't order them here.
Part of the problem may be that I don't eat meat or poultry, so what the south brags about most--fried chicken and barbecue--I can't have.
We bought shrimp from a seafood store. It was locally caught and we cooked it right away and it was delicious. We came to find, though, that most of the seafood restaurants are not serving locally-caught seafood with the exception of their "catch of the day". They buy it from a "purveyor", and much of it is probably from Asia.
French fries are those frozen things with grooves in them and some sort of coating. Salads are packaged and every stinking one on the one restaurant menu contained bacon or had a bacon based dressing. Really? Yes, it's amusing that they love their heart attack food and I guess they want to play up that image as an identity thing but that's just taking it too far, don't you think? They were ok with me asking for a different dressing, but you'd think there would have been some cleaner choices on the menu. It's ok, not the end of the world, but at a seaside town in a state with a long growing season I at least expected fresh fish and vegetables.
I do have to say, I had crabcakes twice and at the second place they were good. Just ate a leftover one for breakfast!
Last edited by Mightyqueen801; 09-08-2016 at 07:26 AM..
Yeah, the first night I got here my friends were already here and ordering calzones, so I got one. I wasn't expecting great pizza type food here, so that wasn't a shock. I didn't come here for Italian food lol.
I don't like grits in NJ or anywhere else, so I wouldn't order them here.
Part of the problem may be that I don't eat meat or poultry, so what the south brags about most--fried chicken and barbecue--I can't have.
We bought shrimp from a seafood store. It was locally caught and we cooked it right away and it was delicious. We came to find, though, that most of the seafood restaurants are not serving locally-caught seafood with the exception of their "catch of the day". They buy it from a "purveyor", and much of it is probably from Asia.
French fries are those frozen things with grooves in them and some sort of coating. Salads are packaged and every stinking one on the one restaurant menu contained bacon or had a bacon based dressing. Really? Yes, it's amusing that they love their heart attack food and I guess they want to play up that image as an identity thing but that's just taking it too far, don't you think? They were ok with me asking for a different dressing, but you'd think there would have been some cleaner choices on the menu. It's ok, not the end of the world, but at a seaside town in a state with a long growing season I at least expected fresh fish and vegetables.
I do have to say, I had crabcakes twice and both times they were good.
It takes quite a while for NJ residents to learn where the NJ quality restaurants are located.
If the Italian restaurant advertises NY, NJ style Pizza it means the owner used to live or work there and they moved to NC because they were not doing well in NJ.
The towns in NC with mostly NC locals you can get decent southern cooking (fried everything) but most of the food is not to Northern tastes.
If you live in an area with a lot of tourists and relocated Yankees you will find plenty of restaurants with good Northern cooking.
I live in an area with 50% Northerners and tons of golf vacationers so we have a lot of good restaurants but it takes a while to find them.
We have a lot of "farm to table" restaurants which offer the freshest food but they are higher end and more expensive.
It takes quite a while for NJ residents to learn where the NJ quality restaurants are located.
If the Italian restaurant advertises NY, NJ style Pizza it means the owner used to live or work there and they moved to NC because they were not doing well in NJ.
The towns in NC with mostly NC locals you can get decent southern cooking (fried everything) but most of the food is not to Northern tastes.
If you live in an area with a lot of tourists and relocated Yankees you will find plenty of restaurants with good Northern cooking.
I live in an area with 50% Northerners and tons of golf vacationers so we have a lot of good restaurants but it takes a while to find them.
We have a lot of "farm to table" restaurants which offer the freshest food but they are higher end and more expensive.
Thanks! I like this area in other ways. Someday I may be able to leave NJ, and this might be a possibility. I am not a Florida person, so NC is a nice alternative. As a matter of fact, 2 people who retired from the same place I did saw on FB that I am here and said they are in a development half an hour away, and another person from my hometown said he's 100 miles away.
If I had more time I could seek out those better restaurants. I just didn't expect that the "best breakfast in town!" place would make omelets in a microwave and serve frozen hash browns. And served them cold, too!
Thanks! I like this area in other ways. Someday I may be able to leave NJ, and this might be a possibility. I am not a Florida person, so NC is a nice alternative. As a matter of fact, 2 people who retired from the same place I did saw on FB that I am here and said they are in a development half an hour away, and another person from my hometown said he's 100 miles away.
If I had more time I could seek out those better restaurants. I just didn't expect that the "best breakfast in town!" place would make omelets in a microwave and serve frozen hash browns. And served them cold, too!
My SIL had friends who moved down there and hightailed it out about after a year - because of the food. I find that a bit strange but they were foodies. Hope you're having fun!
My SIL had friends who moved down there and hightailed it out about after a year - because of the food. I find that a bit strange but they were foodies. Hope you're having fun!
Thanks, I am. It is relaxing.
The limited food choices wouldn't prevent me from living here. I'm not basing my future on the availability of pizza. I will always have family in NJ to visit.
However, the friend I share the house with lives in Arlington, VA. She plans to retire here but is concerned about "never having real Chinese food again".
I don't like grits, either. People didn't seem to get that I really didn't like them--not slow cooked, or cheese, or whatever. If I hadn't visited the Northeast a couple of times a year, I would have gone insane. I had no idea how much I'd miss pastrami, clams, and good Italian food. A lot of things, really.
I did eventually find decent pizza, and a few independent restaurants opened. One was an English style pub! I liked North Carolina barbecue, hush puppies, and discovered Korean food.
I never got used to the roaches. If the extermination company didn't come in exactly 12 weeks, I'd see a roach. I'd never had roaches before moving there, and I haven't since. I also had crickets, flies (and I mean a lot) and fleas in my carpeting. Didn't own a pet.
I don't think I could move back there. I no longer have enough energy to wash, wipe, mop and vacuum every day.
I don't like grits, either. People didn't seem to get that I really didn't like them--not slow cooked, or cheese, or whatever. If I hadn't visited the Northeast a couple of times a year, I would have gone insane. I had no idea how much I'd miss pastrami, clams, and good Italian food. A lot of things, really.
I did eventually find decent pizza, and a few independent restaurants opened. One was an English style pub! I liked North Carolina barbecue, hush puppies, and discovered Korean food.
I never got used to the roaches. If the extermination company didn't come in exactly 12 weeks, I'd see a roach. I'd never had roaches before moving there, and I haven't since. I also had crickets, flies (and I mean a lot) and fleas in my carpeting. Didn't own a pet.
I don't think I could move back there. I no longer have enough energy to wash, wipe, mop and vacuum every day.
Haha, I know, I got the "you would like them with cheese" story. How bout I just have cheese, then?
Yes, I saw one of those giant roaches/palmetto bugs last might on the deck. And we had ants all week. There is sand everywhere, you just track it.
Haha, I know, I got the "you would like them with cheese" story. How bout I just have cheese, then?
Yes, I saw one of those giant roaches/palmetto bugs last might on the deck. And we had ants all week. There is sand everywhere, you just track it.
We miss ya in Joisey, get back fast. 90plus temps, free beach and parking now. Packing the cooler for a few hours over at South Seaside Park. Watch them Palmetto bugs, they're on steroids!!!!! Have a great vaca
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And served them cold, too!
