Ethnic Food Markets/Restaurants

Okay, the recipe thread didn't get much play, let's try another. Please share your local ethnic gems so others can enjoy. I know there was much talk on the paid side about the different ethnic restaurants in Vegas, one being a Thai restaurant near the Sahara.

Ethnic food is best, IMHO, when supplied or prepared by a truly ethnic establishment. I don't care the ethnicity, if it's prepared like someone's mom used to make, it's fantastic!

I know NYC/NJ, Chicago, St. Louis and Cleveland have large ethnic communities and thus ethnic based markets and restaurants. I've eaten in NYC Jewish Deli's and I think it was called the Hill in St. Louis, an Italian dominated neighborhood. I've had Chicago dogs in Chicago as well as NYC & Chicago pizza, both different but both excellent.

I'm from Upstate NY and know what true ethnic food is. Unfortunately, I have lived in Dallas for the last 25 years and have only recently found several what I would call truly ethnic food sources be they restaurants or markets/grocery stores.

Granted most of the specialty stores will be a little bit more expensive, but as they say, you get what you pay for. A PBS show tonight on butchering said to buy the more expensive better meat but eat less of it and enjoy it more.

If you live where there are fewer selections of markets or restaurants, please share your secrets.

In Utica, NY where I grew up there is the Pulaski Meat Market (38 years in business) featuring "Traditional Polish Foods including Kielbasa, Perogi, Golabki, Homemade Polish Sausages, Deli Meats, Hot Dogs. Custom Butchering, Party Platters, Polish Party Trays." My cousins who still have family in Poland and get their Polish food trucked into Ft. Wayne from Chicago said that the Kielbasa from Utica was better than they could get in Chicago.

In the chain store arena I have begun frequenting two Mexican grocery stores. Terry's which is about a quarter mile from my house and Fiesta which is a half mile from my house. I believe Terry's is regional and Fiesta may be more wide spread in the Southwest.

I was watching a PBS show on butchering which seemed to focus on the NYC area. One of the things pointed out was that in other countries, you will see whole or sections of animals on display in the markets.

I firmly believe that Terry's butchers their meat in house as I can find all sorts of things not carried in my local American grocery store. The "lesser" cuts of meat like ham hocks and pigs feet, tripe, beef shanks and chicken feet. They also carry goat and pigs heads at the appropriate times of year.

They recently had T-bones for $3.48/lb. You have to request that they cut it thick since the pre-sliced steaks are very thin (I don't know about you, but I don't like my steaks to be 1/4 inch thick! But they are happy to oblige you.) A Hispanic friend has told me Mexican food normally has quick cooked thin pieces of meat.

Fiesta has a well stocked seafood area. I've gotten 16-20 headless shrimp, wild caught for $4.99/lb., fresh oysters for some ridiculous price like $3.00 per dozen and they were very good sized. They also have a tank with live catfish and will clean them for you if you want. They also have other live fish, crab and just an overall better selection than the local Tom Thumb (Randalls) has. Some of the fish I've never heard of. Also about half or better of their seafood is wild caught not farm raised overseas!

Fiesta also has a meat/butcher case in the store. Again, you have to request your meat cut thicker than what they place in the pre-packaged family packs.

IF YOU ARE NOT FROM DALLAS THERE IS NO NEED TO READ THIS NEXT SECTION>

In Dallas some discoveries I've made in the last couple of years are:

Taste of Poland in Plano - They have a deli section but I don't read Polish so I'm not sure exactly what they stock. They have a small meat market and frozen food brought in from, I believe, Chicago. They have a satellite TV playing Polish TV in the dining area. The food is just like mom used to make, not mass produced/frozen stuff.

Jimmy's Food Store - Fine Italian Food & Wine (42 years in business)
4901 Bryan Street at Fitzhugh - Dallas TX, 75206 - 214.823.6180

I haven't been there but several friends swear by the place as having the best sandwiches in Dallas. It's just out of my way a bit. There are at least 10 restaurants in Dallas that order their sausage from Jimmy's.

From their website:

DiCarlo Family Specialties

Italian Sausage Handmade - Mild or Hot
Mama's Meatballs
Frozen Lasagna
Italian Cakes and Cookies

A wide selection of Italian Wines from all 20 regions of Italy

Imported Cheese

Auricchio Provolone
Mozzarella di Bufala
Taleggio
Tuscan Pecorino
Reggiano Parmigiano
Locatelli


Rudolph's Market and Sausage Factory

Just west of downtown, this company was established in 1895. They actually had a whole cows leg in the display case along with lots of different cuts of meat. Their smoked turkey is fabulous! They also have a lot of what appears to be pre-packaged frozen sausage. I'm not sure if they are made in the store or bought elsewhere. They are also supposed to provide the smoked sausage that a lot of the BBQ joints in Dallas serve.


Hirsch's Meats

I went to this store many years ago and don't remember much, but I do remember it being like an old time butcher shop I used to go to with my mom, minus the sawdust on the floor.


Kuby's Sausage House

I've never been here but again, friends have told me it's a great place to shop.


Costa's restaurant in Plano for Greek food.


Bavarian Grill in Plano for German food.

I was stationed in Germany for six months and their food stacks up very well. Restaurant.com also has certificates for them.

What's a Giant fan doing living in Dallas?

There's a jewish deli on east Twain in Vegas where all the hot shots go. I just can't remember the name of the place but it's about 3 blocks east of Paradise Rd on the south side of the street.

My wife and I ate at the Noodle place at Gold Coast last week. We had the hot pot since I had hot pot in China and wanted my wife to experience it. It's not easy to find proper hot pot in the USA. We were the only Westerners in the little restaurant and they didn't skimp on the hot in the hot pot. Holy crap. Authentic Chinese food can be a bit challenging to me but it just can't compare to local Chinese places for freshness and flavor.

JM300 reminded me that the name of the place is "BAGELMANIA".

When moving to the DC area, falls church/tysons back in '99, we had never experienced such a huge variety of different ethnic foods. I think the most exotic thing I ever ate was Chinese food(no kidding). I don't count Italian as exotic, everyone eats that,right?

We were fortunate to be the guests of some very cool people who were extremely diverse when it came to food. Ethiopian, Japanese, Afghan,Salvadoran and a dozen other types of great eats. My all time favorite is Ethopian with Vietnamese a close second. It seems some of the best food wasn't at any high end places more the little hole in the wall joints. Of course there's a ton of different ethnic markets everywhere, I would alway's buy all my spices and some other food sundry's at them

I recall seeing an Ethiopian place on paradise and it the same name as the best place in DC, I think they're sister property's. We were thinking of hitting it, especially since they have a rest. .com cert. available.

Unfortunately where we live now all the ethnic places are being replaced by all Hispanic places. We can get some killer Mexican, Honduras or whatever now, but sadly not much else. I think there's a Hispanic chicken roasting place on every other corner and they keep popping up more and more, I start to wonder when we;ll be saturated. I guess time will tell.

J

BTW Yours truly can make some mean Ethiopian vittles