Favorite Off the Beaten Path Places to Eat

[Nashville]

If I recall they were there in 1998-2002, several still live nearby and a cousin of mine lives in Richmond now so I get to travel that way a lot. Beautiful town and a lot of great places to eat as well.

 

[rhbgirl24]

Hiro Sushi - Kings Beach - North Lake Tahoe

We went to Tahoe and Vegas for our honeymoon and stumbled upon this little joint. They run a special that is all you can eat sushi at the sushi bar for $25. It was some of the best sushi ever! My DH prob ate $300 worth of sushi, we're planning on going back next year.

 

[rhbgirl24]

Buddakan- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Asian fusion. This restaurant isn't one that is "off the beaten path" but it is a MUST if you are visiting the Philly area. Their edamamme ravioli is amazing. tuna pizza is mouth watering. Filet mignon melts in your mouth. Kobe beef is fantastic. The drinks are delicious. You can't go wrong with ANYTHING on the menu. I have had almost everything off the menu and I have never been disappointed with any dish. You decide how much you spend....you can make it a 35$ dinner per person or 100$ per person. There is a Buddakan in NYC and also Atlantic City, NJ but they are NOT as good and I have to stress that because the turnover rates for the chefs in those locations are high as opposed to the one in Philadelphia.

Hmm... i went to the one in AC and it was fantastic! Knowing that the philly one is better now I really want to go!

 

[princesss]

Allman's BBQ in Fredericksburg, VA. Great, old family-owned place. Employs a lot of college kids (at one point they had bicycle delivery guys) and but is still very much a local place. They've got two locations, but the one on Rt. 3 is only good if you're in a rush - otherwise you're much better off going to the one on Rt. 1 and dining in. Very friendly people and the BBQ is delicious!

Mac's in Charlotte, NC. Burgers, beer, and bikes. Their sides are AMAZING (especially the cheese grits - holy moly). Good mix of people and good service - there was a point where our waitress took almost half an hour to bring water and our bill, and she came out with desserts we'd talked about maybe ordering on the house for taking so long. I'll definitely be less upset at that kind of wait if it comes with free banana pudding!

Big Daddy's in Charlotte, NC - amazing selection of burgers, good beer, and the best sweet potato fries I've ever had. Crowded on mug night, but otherwise not too bad. Parking is a pain, though!

Not sure if it's still around, but Moorenko's in NoVA - homemade ice cream. YUM.

Carl's in Fredericksburg, VA - best frozen custard ever. Just don't get caught loitering after you done because their security guard will ask you to leave. Carl's opening for the season might as well have been a holiday on campus - everybody skipped class and went!

ETA: Sweet and Savory in Wilmington, NC. I haven't eaten there yet, but it was suggested to me by a friend that goes there all the time. I guess it started out as a bakery and now serves drinks and dinner. Mmmmm....

If in Fredericksburg, don't forget La Petite Auberge! Sooooo yummy!!! Also Aladin restaurant, awesome Mediterranean very reasonably priced. Can you tell I have many friends that went to Mary Washington?

I love finding so many people here who can vouch for Carls! Makes me think of the good old days at MW, it's been way too long since I was back down there (nearly 3 years). Nashville, when were your friends there?

Stephb0lt, I feel like it's been too long for me, and I was there in May! But it is getting longer and longer between trips.

Did you ever eat at Bangkok Cafe when you were there? I love that place. Once they found out I lived in Thailand, they kind of adopted me. The first time I was there I got in a debate over the best place to get mangoes in Pattaya. I love directing people there - the food is actually Thai food, instead of this Americanized stuff. So I guess I should add that to my list.

Oh, MDub. I miss you.