by One of the experiences (often tasty, occasionally “interesting”) we seek out on the road is sampling regional delicacies. These can be local specialties or historical dishes that originated in a particular region. Here is a taste (heh, heh) of some of the foods that we tried while on the road in North Carolina.
Pimento cheese came up as a “must have” in N.C.. I’d never heard of it, but I’m always down to try anything cheesy. It’s a spread made of sharp cheese, mayonnaise and pimientos, and is served on crackers (such as in the cover photo), with vegetables, or in sandwiches. The brand we went with, My Three Sons, is made in Greensboro. At $9 for that 10 oz container, it was tasty but not something we’d buy again.
Picnic in Durham consistently rates among the best barbecue in the state as well as in lists of the best barbecue in the country.
I opted for a shrimp poboy, which didn’t knock my socks off, but Doug enjoyed his pulled pork and brisket platter, which he supplemented with hush puppies, baked beans, a vinegary cole slaw, and fried okra. The house barbecue sauce is a combination of the North Carolina vinegar sauce and a more-northern or Texas tomato-based sauce.
Biscuitville is a family-owned chain with 65 locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. They were founded in Burlington, though now have their headquarters in Greensboro. They specialize in traditional southern breakfasts made from scratch and using local ingredients; they put the biscuit-maker on display right up next to the register. I admit to being skeptical about franchise biscuits, but they were, in fact, delicious. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised since the front of the store features a baker behind glass making the biscuits fresh throughout the day! Doug had them on his list as being one of the best breakfast spots in the state and he was satisfied with his scrambled egg platter with a side of bacon and grits.
Krispy Kreme was founded in Winston-Salem, and I know people go crazy for these doughnuts. To my palate, they were good, not great, super-dense and overly-rich. Doug, on the other hand, is a long-time Krispy Kreme fanboy and says that they were just as he remembered.
Having lived in New England for the last two decades, Dunkin’ Donuts has been my go-to franchised doughnut, and comparing the two is worthless –– they hardly seem like the same food product. Just go to a real bakery.
Cheerwine is not, in fact, a wine, but a cherry flavored soda from Salisbury. We were at the ballpark in Durham when I first spotted it, and the only size option was approximately a gallon-sized baseball stadium cup.
After my first sip I thought “I will throw up if I drink all of this.” It was tasty, but also slightly mediciny, and I can’t imagine drinking it in quantity. Doug purchased this Zero variety, and I thought it was very chemical-tasting, not recommended. Doug was happy to finish it, saying that it reminded him of Dr. Pepper or Cherry Coke.
Shrimp-and-grits shows up on “must have” food lists for North Carolina and Georgia, though I think more for coastal regions, which is not where we were. However, we were having a unique dinner at the Magnolia Inn and I wanted to try it. I think it included about a pound of butter, so of course it was delicious.
Lance, headquartered in Charlotte, is best known for its cracker and cookie sandwiches. We like the peanut butter and cheese varieties for easy snacks to bring on hikes. Wikipedia says they also sell popcorn and nuts and seeds, but I think these little sandwich guys are their true calling.
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