raleigh has like one or two restaurants of any repute

you cant swing a dead cat in asheville or charelston without hitting a bomb ass spot that actually has its own identity

it was a daily battle to pry myself from going back to numerous restaurants i had eaten at in both cities

as stated before id place Durham way way above raleigh

12/29/2011 10:44:41 PM

no way new orleans should lose this

12/30/2011 8:18:21 AM

can't vote for raleigh...

12/30/2011 8:33:27 AM

yeah because all food should be made with contaminated water.

Yes they're the epicenter of cajun and cajun food is fantastic... but some of the knockoffs are better then the originals.


Seriously our own "big easy" has "saucy craw tails" that are better then anything I've ever had on bourbon st.

That being said... if it included durham i really do think raleigh-durham should be up there. All of chapel hills *neat* places are either the top of the hill which is played out or are targeting the greenie weenies and serving seasoned cardboard.

But with chucks,sitti ,watt's grocery, the gugelhuph, beasly's, foster's market, capital club, the pit etc. we have some terrific and unique food offerings.

However.... plain and simple due to the cost of rent/ownership and the proximity to others, NYC (well Manhattan) has the highest number of good food places per mile of any place I've ever been... now per capita... that's a different story. But, most of the chef's that are world renowned either started in NYC or went there.

[Edited on December 30, 2011 at 8:42 AM. Reason : .]

12/30/2011 8:34:43 AM

^ what are some of your top choices for NYC? Im going there for 2 weeks soon and need to get the most out of my per diem

12/30/2011 8:43:59 AM

http://katzsdelicatessen.com/

Is a must, oldest deli in the US and their sandwich was taller then my soda.

http://leshalles.net/brasserie/

one of anthony bourdain's first resteraunts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McSorley's_Old_Ale_House
Food was Mehh but the atmosphere was one of the coolest things ever.
I mean dirt floors with cat's walking around, beer made in house. Very authentic irish cuisine... but i don't like irish cuisine lol.

i'll post more or PM you if i think of more.

12/30/2011 9:01:52 AM

Quote :

"yeah because all food should be made with contaminated water. Yes they're the epicenter of cajun and cajun food is fantastic... but some of the knockoffs are better then the originals. Seriously our own "big easy" has "saucy craw tails" that are better then anything I've ever had on bourbon st."

I don't even...

The Big Easy's food is garbage compared to anything you will find in New Orleans. Their food is not authentic at all.

12/30/2011 9:15:47 AM

i said it was a knock off plain and simple.

12/30/2011 9:17:43 AM

no way new orleans should lose this

12/30/2011 9:17:55 AM

Quote :

"DO IT....we're 9th "

Rightfully so

12/30/2011 9:18:23 AM

i would also like to ask if any of those saying NO should win have been to lafayette ?
The food is better... Albeit because there is more butter in it and the roux is richer.

12/30/2011 9:23:11 AM

Katz's Deli better give me a handy if they expect me to pay ~$17 for a rueben -- which, might I add, doesn't come with a side dish.

12/30/2011 9:46:39 AM

I'll give you a handy

12/30/2011 9:52:45 AM

Quote :

"http://katzsdelicatessen.com/ Is a must, oldest deli in the US and their sandwich was taller then my soda. http://leshalles.net/brasserie/ one of anthony bourdain's first resteraunts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McSorley's_Old_Ale_House Food was Mehh but the atmosphere was one of the coolest things ever. I mean dirt floors with cat's walking around, beer made in house. Very authentic irish cuisine... but i don't like irish cuisine lol. i'll post more or PM you if i think of more."

Yeah Ive heard of all of those. When I was there last time I ate at Mesa Grill and Bar Americain, both Bobby Flay restaurants. They were good but not overwhelming. Also ate at Peter Luger's in Brooklyn which was awesome. Ive heard Eataly is good.

12/30/2011 9:54:01 AM

I'll start drinking pineapple juice in preparation

12/30/2011 9:54:19 AM

word up

12/30/2011 9:56:54 AM

Quote :

"I mean dirt floors with cat's walking around"

There better be a damn airlock and decontamination shower between the dining room and the kitchen or I'm going nowhere near that place. Even then...damn.

I'm sure it's legit or it wouldn't be allowed to stay open otherwise but the thought of that makes me gag a little.

[Edited on December 30, 2011 at 10:42 AM. Reason : ]

12/30/2011 10:41:43 AM

Quote :

"Seriously our own "big easy" has "saucy craw tails" that are better then anything I've ever had on bourbon st."

You should probably stop eating on bourbon street. Not sure why anyone would except for wanting drunk food lol.

Magazine street is one of my favorites. Or any of the other dozens of options.

Seriously though, there is a correct answer for this poll and it is NOLA.

Lafayette is nice, and should probably be runner up. It is a complete joke that it is ahead tho.

Oh and charlottesville sucks.

12/30/2011 10:45:58 AM

I don't think any of us are expecting Raleigh to be #1 in this poll, but it's better than damn Charlottesville

12/30/2011 11:07:34 AM

In NYC Momofuku Ko was one of the best meals I had all year. Its counter seating for 12 tables and you basically get your own line cook for all the courses. The beverage pairing had me so drunk I didn't remember the last 2 courses. Like any innovative multiple Michelin star place its fairly expensive but actually way different than anything like that I've ever had. Its very focused on the food rather than the snooty.

12/30/2011 11:09:38 AM

Nah, not very very tasty.

12/30/2011 11:28:25 AM

I'm only here to address the chatter about The Big Easy here in Raleigh.

I typically LOVE food of that particular styling, but TBE is easily the most disappointing restaurant in Raleigh.

Good fucking lord it's bad.]

But yeah, I don't think Raleigh even belongs on this list yet. We've come a long way in the past 15 years or so, but there are a few cities that I feel are better, and aren't even on the list, ie, Asheville and Richmond.

[Edited on December 30, 2011 at 12:57 PM. Reason : asdfasdd]

12/30/2011 12:50:36 PM

Quote :

"http://katzsdelicatessen.com/ Is a must, oldest deli in the US and their sandwich was taller then my soda. http://leshalles.net/brasserie/ one of anthony bourdain's first resteraunts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McSorley's_Old_Ale_House Food was Mehh but the atmosphere was one of the coolest things ever. I mean dirt floors with cat's walking around, beer made in house. Very authentic irish cuisine... but i don't like irish cuisine lol. i'll post more or PM you if i think of more."

Not to get the thread too off topic, but these are all good. Katz is one of the rare places that is loved by both tourists and locals. It's one of the few famous NYC spots that actually lives up to the hype IMO.

The Spotted Pig (http://thespottedpig.com) is one of my favorite restaurants in the city.

Some other favorites:
http://www.danielnyc.com/dbgb.html
http://www.veselka.com/
http://www.currywurstnyc.com/
http://eisenbergsnyc.com/
http://www.parkermeridien.com/eat4.php

12/30/2011 2:22:01 PM

So Memphis isn't in the South anymore? and Nashville? Man. That places has a neverending stream of mom and pop places. They changed the laws so that houses can be used as restaurants. Atlanta?

[Edited on December 30, 2011 at 2:51 PM. Reason : raleigh is pretty much like 5-10 places and then all chains. such a big fat joke. ]

12/30/2011 2:50:57 PM

I wouldn't argue that Raleigh is the best food city in the south, but at least give it its due. 5-10 places and a bunch of chains is an exaggeration.

Just looking at the bookmarks I have in my browser (not at all comprehensive just places I liked and noted or bookmarked because I wanted to try at some point)...

42nd St Oyster Bar
Big Ed's
Cafe Luna
Capital Club 16
Cooper's
Dos Taquitos
Finch's
Five Star
Gravy
Irregardless Cafe
J. Betski's
Jibarra
Moonlight Pizza
Oakwood Cafe
PieBird
Poole's
Seaboard Cafe
Side Street
Sitti
Sunflowers
Thaiphoon
The Pit
Raleigh Times
Remedy Diner
Roast Grill
The Rockford
Vic's
Beasley's
Chuck's
DaLat
Hayes Barton
Hotpoint
Lily's
Neomonde
NOFO

[Edited on December 30, 2011 at 3:13 PM. Reason : .]

12/30/2011 3:12:43 PM

Many of the places you listed are not very good at what they do and counterparts in other cities are much better. Example: I used to think the pizza places in raleigh were special for the south before spending time in atlanta and nashville

12/31/2011 3:35:04 AM

^ which on that list would you say is not very good?

12/31/2011 9:57:13 AM

42nd St Oyster - awful entrees and average oysters
Cafe Luna - meh

Capital Club 16 - probably my favorite
Dos Taquitos - $15 taco plate offends me
Gravy - can't complain... an olive garden that isn't afraid of seafood or capers
Irregardless Cafe - an institution. Great pecan crusted chicken
Jibarra - 3 people I know shit themselves the same week eating here. Including me.
Moonlight Pizza -meh
Oakwood Cafe - love
PieBird - ok you opened a restaurant because you learned how to make pie dough. Figure out everything else.
Poole's - good but expensive. AC owns the dining culture here.
Sitti - I don't like it as much as neomonde but the fresh pita is unreal
Thaiphoon - really good. An Asian place that doesn't use frozen veggies. Thank God.
The Pit - K&W that doesn't come from a can. Not all bad.
Raleigh Times - yay. Bar food that starts as actual food.
Remedy Diner - it works.
Roast Grill - ok you've been there for 80 years. Clean the God damned grill.
The Rockford - you too can make day old chicken sandwiches and purees soup with undercooked beans
Beasley's - when I get back to raleigh I will stop first at Bojangles
Chuck's perfect fries. Something I can't find in a city with 80000 restaurants
Hayes Barton
Lily's - still my favorite American. Style pizza.
Neomonde - Jesus these guys need a temple made to them
NOFO - pretty good
Coquette - only reasonable French food around. Mostly never let me down.
[Edited on December 31, 2011 at 12:52 PM. Reason : a]

[Edited on December 31, 2011 at 12:55 PM. Reason : a]

12/31/2011 12:51:49 PM

Daniel NYC is great. Its only a car payment for a table of two. The short ribs did make me want to give up cooking.

12/31/2011 12:59:39 PM

Quote :

"Sitti - I don't like it as much as neomonde but the fresh pita is unreal"

Isn't Sitti a co-venture with Neomonde?

12/31/2011 2:53:51 PM

Nope- seperate entities

12/31/2011 3:08:20 PM

I had neomonde for lunch. And it was DELISCIOUS!!!!

12/31/2011 3:16:46 PM

Sitti was a collaboration between Empire Eats and Neomonde when it opened. Whether there is still a connection or not I have no idea.

12/31/2011 3:30:35 PM

Yes. But the food is way different. Neomonde is more deli like. Hummus is the same though.

12/31/2011 3:30:57 PM

Quote :

"^ which on that list would you say is not very good?"

They are all very good relative to all local competition but from a regional perspective they aren't very good. Its analogous to a team that dominates in the acc playing against an SEC team and getting blown out.

The problem is that Raleigh has so much garbage to offer that when you finally go to a good place that isn't a chain it seems like heaven regardless of how good it is.

Lily's is damn good pizza from a raleigh perspective but would not even be top 5 in atlanta or nashville

Roast grill- cool, old place but the hot dogs are nothing special at all. they are just decent hot dogs that are a pleasant upgrade from the garbage that fills raleigh like snoopys.

piebird- lol
moonlight pizza- lol


There are very few organic restaurants in Raleigh and a very small ratio of family owned restaurants. Other southern cities have zoning code that allows for old housses to be used as restaurants. This makes it easy for people to open their own place and allows for unlimited creativity.

Raleigh being completely suburban/strip mall oriented probably has a lot to do with it as well. There are only a few dense neighborhoods and five points and downtown are both pretty small neighborhoods.

Finches? -awful
coopers- good bbq but has fallen off over the last few years.
oakwood- neat place but the food is nothing special

Most on the list are just neat because they offer a unique experience which is rare in Raleigh and the food is just decent.

Red dragon is the only place in Raleigh that I can honestly say is great at what it does for the region.

12/31/2011 3:43:04 PM

Quote :

" The problem is that Raleigh has so much garbage to offer that when you finally go to a good place that isn't a chain it seems like heaven regardless of how good it is."

I disagree. Most larger cities have far more garbage. Its almost scary to eat out. Yes they have better stuff at the top end but any city has that. Raleigh is just small.

12/31/2011 4:13:00 PM