GDT: Le Butthurts de Montreal at YOUR CAROLINA HURRICANES

ndp

Hurricanes Pessimist
Oct 29, 2015
1,460
4,380
For whatever reason, a bunch of Greeks moved to Charlotte post-WWII and dominated the city’s restaurants. Growing up there, all the good working-class restaurants were run by families whose names ended in -as, -is, -os.

So, it was perfectly normal to sit down at a greasy-spoon, meat-and-3 Southern diner and see fresh made baklava on the menu. The apotheosis of that culture is Showmars, where you can get a burger in a pita. That never struck me as odd until I moved away and realized those things don’t go together elsewhere… it’s a unique Greek/Southern hybrid subculture. I’m pretty sure the rest of the world is unaware that it exists.


I was delighted to find out that there’s a Showmars in Raleigh now.
Not to be overlooked, Showmar’s has some pretty decent fried seafood.
 

ndp

Hurricanes Pessimist
Oct 29, 2015
1,460
4,380
I don’t quite understand why, but a lot of these old Greek restaurants have good fried fish. I’ve never tried it at Showmars but the logic checks out. Will need to remember that next time.
If you ever find yourself driving down HWY64 between Raleigh and Ramsuer Captain Tom’s Seafood has some of the best fried seafood of anywhere I’ve ever eaten. That includes all up and down the NC & SC coast, the only place I rank higher is The Wreck in Mt Pleasent, SC and I haven’t been there in 10+ years. Owned by the same Greek family that owns the Stockyard Restaurant in Siler City, where you can enjoy a burger, or nice ribeye sandwich wile the cows are being auctioned on the other side of the wall.
 

The Faulker 27

Registered User
Nov 15, 2011
13,138
48,425
Sauna-Aho
I've been eating at a Greek restaurant in Raleigh since I was a kid in the 50s.

Nothing says Greek like a blackened hot dog with mustard, onion and chili. No ketchup!


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tarheelhockey

Offside Review Specialist
Feb 12, 2010
86,644
144,076
Bojangles Parking Lot
What? How would people from a nation with 8500 miles of coastline possibly know how to do a good job cooking fish?

I don’t see a necessary link between coastal culture and Southern-style fried fish. If anything, I have to think it’s counterintuitive — bordering on blasphemous — for someone from the Mediterranean to treat fish the way Southerners so.
 

Navin R Slavin

Fifth line center
Jan 1, 2011
16,369
64,800
Durrm NC
I don’t see a necessary link between coastal culture and Southern-style fried fish. If anything, I have to think it’s counterintuitive — bordering on blasphemous — for someone from the Mediterranean to treat fish the way Southerners so.
Nah. Immigrants adapt. They know seafood, they have customers, they make it work.
 

WreckingCrew

Registered User
Feb 4, 2015
13,486
41,181
I don’t see a necessary link between coastal culture and Southern-style fried fish. If anything, I have to think it’s counterintuitive — bordering on blasphemous — for someone from the Mediterranean to treat fish the way Southerners so.
You know how rarely you actually find AUTHENTIC Italian, Mexican, Chinese, etc? Despite those places being everywhere, they're very "Americanized" versions....you adapt to your audience (as @Navin R Slavin said). Food trucks often seem to be your best bet
 

Incubajerks

Registered User
Feb 9, 2010
2,795
4,438
Roma
I don’t see a necessary link between coastal culture and Southern-style fried fish. If anything, I have to think it’s counterintuitive — bordering on blasphemous — for someone from the Mediterranean to treat fish the way Southerners so.


... And think that there are many people who put cheese on fish.
 
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Reactions: tarheelhockey

SvechneJerk

Christ is King
Jul 15, 2018
1,603
6,265
NC
You know how rarely you actually find AUTHENTIC Italian, Mexican, Chinese, etc? Despite those places being everywhere, they're very "Americanized" versions....you adapt to your audience (as @Navin R Slavin said). Food trucks often seem to be your best bet
The best authentic Chinese in the area is Taipei 101 in downtown Cary. There have been many occasions where I & the people I’m with are the only non-Asians in the place.

Highly recommend.
 

Boom Boom Apathy

I am the Professor. Deal with it!
Sep 6, 2006
49,331
102,073
The best authentic Chinese in the area is Taipei 101 in downtown Cary. There have been many occasions where I & the people I’m with are the only non-Asians in the place.

Highly recommend.
After all the glowing reviews, I went there for lunch a couple months ago. It was good, but I really couldn't tell the difference between that place and a some other Chinese places I've been to. To be fair though, I'm not a big fan of Chinese food to begin with nor am I any sort of expert on it so I'm not a good judge of what is good vs. what is great/Authentic. I know BAD Chinese food when I have it, but the subtleties of Good vs. Great vs. Authentic is probably lost on me.

When I was there for lunch, there were mainly non-Asians in the place, but maybe that's just a weekday lunch thing.

Was cool though, they were filling a catering order and were making trays of these huge Dumplings out on a couple of the tables. Had to be 300 or more of them.
 

tarheelhockey

Offside Review Specialist
Feb 12, 2010
86,644
144,076
Bojangles Parking Lot
The best authentic Chinese in the area is Taipei 101 in downtown Cary. There have been many occasions where I & the people I’m with are the only non-Asians in the place.

Highly recommend.

Another great example of an “ethnic” restaurant that’s been there for a long time, gaining a legacy as the town grows around it.

The Asian and Indian food in Cary is way beyond what I would have expected. I don’t think people outside the Triangle realize how diverse the area is nowadays. We’re punching in a weight class with much larger cities when it comes to Indian, Korean, Thai, Nepali, etc.
 

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