Friday, November 21, 2008

Food in Fargo

I hate to sound like some kind of insufferable "foodie" douche-nozzle but the food in Fargo sucks. I'm finally in a position where I actually have time to go out to eat again and I find myself stuck in culinary hell.

It's not like every time I go out to eat it has to be some sort of transcendent fine dining experience or every morsel I put in my mouth has to be seasonal and locally sourced, but I do enjoy eating. I would like it if there was some sort of local specialty where I could taste test a couple of venerable Fargo dining institutions (like the eternal Pat's vs. Geno's debate in Philly, even though they both suck and the best place to get a cheese steak in Philly is Jim's) and claim some Fargo insider cred by expressing a strong preference.

Alas, it is not to be. Fargo seems to have no entrenched culinary traditions for me to take part in. I ate a fuck load of cheese curds this Summer, both fried and fresh but that's really a Wisconsin tradition.

The closest I've come to any kind of indigineous cuisine is fried walleye. I had some fried walleye this Summer at a couple of different places, but the best fried walleye I had was at one of my Aunt's houses and I helped cook it. While bemoaning the lack of fried walleye the other day, my Father-in-law gets around to informing me that the Legion has fried walleye every Tuesday. I'll give that a whirl soon, but hopefully they won't be serving it with the gawd-awful, sugar-laden tartar sauce that seems to be the norm up here, and if I want some hot sauce for my fish I better bring it myself. If you're lucky enough to actually get some hot sauce it's always Tabasco. I don't have anything against Tabasco, but when I want some hot sauce on my fish I'm looking for some Texas Pete or something in that style of vinegary, not much heat but lots of flavor, hot sauce.

9 comments:

Go To Girl said...

If you 'hate' to sound like it, then why do you? This is the second time in two weeks you're ragging on Fargo food. I talked to WifeRat about it after the last time, and she explained that yes, you were both looking forward to getting back to some Haute Cuisine..I'm left feeling unsure of what you expected from the food during your little sojourn up north??

Hill Rat said...

If you 'hate' to sound like it, then why do you?

BURN! GTG turns on the flamethrower.

I could rag on the food in Fargo every day if I wanted to. Especially those delicious pork chops that are fried in olive oil.

I was hoping for some kind of local flavor to make itself known to me. Crabs in B'more isn't haute cuisine, "three gnarly slabs of cod" at the Times is light years from fine dining and those are two of my favorite things to eat. I don't need linen table cloths, micro greens, and a fusion powered sous vide machine to have a good meal, just some food with a story behind it.

Maybe that's my problem, I'm used to the story of the food I eat centering around its preparation and consumption rather than in its growth and harvest like it is here.

Knockout Ed said...

I don't think you sound like a foodie-douche but then again we're almost in the same situation. Lil' bit fish out of water. StL definitely has it's own food "traditions". Provel is a bad one, toasted ravioli is a decent one. I consider myself a "foodie" but I will pretty much eat anything as long as it's not awful.

nylonthread said...

Dude, I owe Monkeyrotica a visit to Restaurant Eve. We should double-up on a sitter and all go out for some mouthwatering comestibles when you're back (and I know, we have not met IRL, but what would be better that Eve for a couples' night out!?!). Eve is 15 mins from our house.

Anonymous said...

Geno's has better steaks than Jim's and way better steaks than Pats. Tony Luke's, aside from having the greatest Sandwich in recorded human history (the Pork Italian) also makes the best steak. Second is Abel's in University City; Jim's younger brother but with better steak, cold Red Stripe and non-stop basketball on TV.

Hill Rat said...

@Spleen

As much as I love Tony Luke's, I was never that into their steaks. My trips to TL's are so precious and few I can't waste them on something as pedestrian as a steak when the sublime deliciousness of the Pork Italian beckons.

Hill Rat said...

@Spleen

How come you never took me to Abel's? Was it 'cause I would arrive in Philly and demand to be taken to Tony Luke's?

Anonymous said...

Just a suggestion but the restaurant in the Hodo really stresses the local stuff.

Indigenous food in ND is mostly game - and it's mostly cooked at home rather than in restaurants.

Hill Rat said...

@Anonymous

Thanks for the suggestion! WifeRat and I had one of our better meals in Fargo at the HoDo.