Varmint

I'm trying to sit on my hands here. No! No! Stop, typing fingers! Don't reply to this thread. Don't get sucked into the vortex of another wasted debate on New Yorkers and their Southern stereotypes! Get away from that keyboard before you point out that Steve is at Lake Wylie, not Siberia, surrounded by the mega-bucks mansions of Tega Cay. Don't type in a suggestion that Charlotte, a rapidly growing urban area located less than 30 minutes from his "remote cabin," is a city filled with both the expected traditional Southern restaurants and fine dining and shopping worthy of any city its size, as well as sizable ethnic populations from Hmong to Peruvian. Stop, fingers! You don't have time to get into this debate. Just tell Steve it's nice that he's found a fish camp, once a traditional and valued part of Southern life but now endangered. Type that you're glad he's enjoying his stay. Ah, go ahead, Kathi.

I've never been one to mince words!

Hell, I'm having 3 clients over for dinner on Saturday and I have no idea what I'll be making them. It will be something different and pricey, as I get reimbursed for the expense. But it will be a new dish to me, as I hardly use recipes. So, what should I do, remembering that I can't get too cutting edge here?

Tee hee!! The fish camps are popular in various pockets across the Southeast. There used to be a lot of good ones near the coast, but they've lost their atmosphere and quality to some extent. You'll still find decent places, but not many of them are fish camps. The thing about eating fried seafood is that it stays with you for quite awhile. Even though all that fat may cause a rapid GI purge within 12 hours, you're not ready to re-live the experience for at least 2 or 3 days. So I feel safe that Steve and Ellen will be able to find another fry house soon. As far as barbecue is concerned, have you tried Bridges Barbecue Lodge in Shelby? It's probably a 40 minute drive for y'all. They still make some good stuff.

I feel like all I do these days is post disagreeable comments to enthusiastic recommendations, but . . . I wouldn't stop to eat at Sanitary. We spend a week at Atlantic Beach last summer--hit the main restaurants there and in Morehead City. Sanitary is a big generic restaurant with mediocre fried seafood. It was a good place for our group because we had three screaming kids with us and they fit right into the scene. But, if you are looking for memorable, tasty, or interesting food, I'd look elsewhere. I also have to agree with Zeb. Yeah, Sanitary is an institution, but the last few times I've eaten there, the food was so-so at best. The question is, of course, what better alternatives do you have?!?! I'd suggest going north of Nags Head into Duck and hit the Blue Point Oyster Bar. That's a great place, and Duck has a couple of other choice restaurants that have been discussed elsewhere, I believe.

You should join! Their annual symposium will be in October, so start planning on a trip to Oxford, Mississippi! Here's a link to the SFA website: http://www.southernfoodways.com/

Fay Jai- We're big fans of the SFA around here. This organization focuses on much of the cultural and societal aspects of food in the South, and we encourage that type of discussion on eGullet. If you have specific questions about Southern food or the SFA, ask away!

I hit that taqueria probably twice a month! They have changed ownership, but the tacos are the same. Good burritos, too! They serve ceviche at night, but I haven't tried it yet.

How about a raspberry apple pie (or turnover or dumpling) served with some variation of a vanilla ice cream (cardamom, sour cream, goat cheese) and blueberry compote? You'll get your requisite 3 colors in there. On another note, cherries would work well for the red, and those are quite "All-American."

Apples!!! As American as apple pie! There has to be something you can do to make an upscale apple dumpling or pie or tart!

Just leave one pizza joint for me to visit at the end of June . . . .

I think we might want to start out at places that are fairly inexpensive, as those are the most conducive to interaction, sampling, etc. Mrs. Varmint and I would be up for going to different places, but a lot of that depends on the time. With 4 L'il Varmints, we have very little control of our schedules. I want to find the cool taqueria, the kick-ass southern cooking joint, the hidden Caribbean place, the authentic Chinese/Vietnamese/Thai/Malaysian/Insert your Favorite Asian Cuisine here.

Um, you? Nah, that's impossible. You'll do anything for a few bucks.

Papaya King is of better quality, Kathi. You'll get most reasonable people to agree with that. But again, Gray's price is so damned incredible. As Fat Guy once said (before anyone called him Fat Guy), they don't have a "working man's" special at Gray's, it's an "out of work" special.

Hmm, I think the more appropriate analogy would be K-Mart and Target. Let me put it this way: if Gray's were in my neighborhood, I'd eat there twice a week. Papaya King is better, but compared to what we can get down here, Gray's is excellent.

If I recall correctly, Gray's is less expensive than Papaya King. I truly think you should try both, Kathi.

Wilmington: Port Land Grill, without a doubt

Make it happen, y'all!

If I come with a carload of seafood I suppose that I would be even more welcome. I will pm you and maybe we can work something out. Deal. I'll supply the smoked pork shoulder.

Heh, heh, heh -- right now, Bill Klapp and I are conspiring to do a major bayou-type of feast next month. Thanks for inspiring us, Brooks. Wanna come?

How about the "Parents Won't Notice" Elixir. This consists of taking about a half-inch out of each single bottle in the liquor cabinet, combining in a Mason Jar, and then mixing with Mountain Dew. Ahhh, memories from 25 years ago!!!

So has the bidding war for your services begun???

I had a fantastic dessert at Durham's Magnolia Grill a year and a half ago that was a take on this classic Southern tradition: Cocoa Cola Cake with Salty Peanut Ice Cream and Peanut Butter Sauce. You got the cola and peanut flavors combining to create something new, original, but somehow quite familiar. I'm not sure if our own phlawless came up with this idea, but it was a great dish regardless.

How about Viennese Rarebit, featuring vienna sausages? Lots more recipes that include your favorite canned goods such as "potted meat", "Stew" and "Treet"!!!

One of my most memorable meals came when you were at Gramercy Tavern, and the connection between the front of the house and y'all in the kitchen was superb. It seemed as if our captain and runners were able to convey every important detail to you to make our meal a better experience, and you were able to translate that onto the plate (including a most delicious dish of boiled peanuts -- but that's another story!). What do you look for in your front of the house staff? Is it about experience, or is it really about a good fit with your personality?