Is a Paczki noticeably different than a Bismarck?
Yes, same idea. The combination I mentioned gives the chips a tangy-smoky flavour that bears little resemblance to any single flavour. The flavours work well together, IMHO; I rather like All-Dressed chips.
Regarding the Paczki/Bismarck divide, Wikipedia sez:
" Although they look like German berliners, North American bismarcks or jelly doughnuts, pączki are made from especially rich dough containing eggs, fats, sugar, yeast and sometimes milk."
Which, to me, doesn’t really say much.
^^ I know, that’s why I asked if they were noticeably different. 
According to Wikipeida, the first Indian restaurant in Raleigh, the Royal India, opened in 1990, so I think you caught the leading edge of the ‘new cuisine of the 90s’ wave. That would make it really exotic for the time, though by the mid-90s there were several Indian restaurants in the area near RTP.
My cousin in New Bern is something of a barbecue aficionado, so I was aware that there’s a difference between eastern (Goldsboro) and “western” (Lexington) barbecue. But the sober truth is, I’ve never had Lexington barbecue. My dad’s family is from the Rocky Mount area, although I’ve got cousins in Charlotte and Greensboro. But for some reason, I’ve never eaten barbecue while visiting them. Odd, that.
Look, I grew up in Wisconsin and Michigan, so it took me a half dozen decades to learn that there’s a huge difference between Americanized Ethnic and Fresh Ethnic Made By That Ethnicity.
My kid moved to San Francisco and he loves good food, so after a couple of weeks I asked him what restaurant he thought was best, assuming he’d have a favorite steak joint or Asian Fusion place…
“Taco trucks!”
When I went to visit, we walked around The Mission til we found his favorite truck. Omigod, it was so authentic, so “fresh”-tasting! Not to mention their loaded tacos were only a couple of bucks.
…
Back in the midwest, we no longer have to get tacos at Taco Bell… we just had a Pandemic Farmer’s Market pop up in a parking lot near us, and a family from near Oaxaca is making tacos and tamales with that “fresh”-ness worthy of a San Francisco taco truck.
That’s true. When I was a student, that was my fifth food group. Ramen noodles were sixth. Costco sold Schwartz’s brisket for awhile. It was a sad day when we they stopped because the frozen ones are far less good.
I used to go up to Chicago several times a year for SF cons and Christmas, and until a few years ago a friend and I would always go to Portillos together. Obviously, it may be a while before I’m able to do that again. And it still won’t be the same, since Mike died in 2016. 
We used to cross the border and buy smoked meat at a butcher shop near Hemmingford. After it became illegal to bring beef back into the US, they would write “bacon” on the packages.
That’s right, I used to be an international beef smuggler.
International Beef Smugglers. Band name!
My bologna has a first name.
It’s B-O-N, C’est bon.
My bacon has a second name.
Have you seen the movie Papillon?
Ok, I checked out HIgh Cotton BBQ, which is on 12 just south of 158. The sides weren’t the best (and to be fair, they had sat a while by the time I got them home), but the bbq itself was excellent.
I don’t really eat them, but you can get lobster rolls at McDonald’s in New England.
While I know slush puppies/slurpees are widely available and probably Italian Ices, I don’t see “slush” outside of the Boston area. It’s Italian Ice just scooped to make it a bit softer than a solid block of frozen flavored sugar water, but it’s not liquid like the aforementioned slush puppy/slurpee things. And while I could maybe get Italian Ice in a grocery store somewhere else in the nation, I can’t walk up to an ice cream place (creemee for you VT people) and order one at the take out window.
Also, we’re missing out on regional brands. Those of you who can’t get Bachman or Utz or Wise… man that sucks. And while most stores sell prepackaged single serving chocolate and vanilla tiny ice cream cups, they are never as good as authentic MA Hoodsies.
Hmm, looks like it’s in Kitty Hawk. Which is a good drive from where we’re staying in Hatteras Village. Still, since the Cedar Island ferry is only running a limited schedule, we may have to drive up via Roanoke Island. Which means we could stop for dinner, or pick up some for later. Will definitely keep it in mind. Thanks for the tip, and enjoy your vacation!
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia sell lobster rolls at McDs. They are by no means the same or comparable to the lobster heavy beauties sold in coastal Maine.
Note that while people associate Maine with lobster, the lobster roll actually comes from Connecticut.
I’m not sure if it’s still true but fries served with vinegar were available at fairs and in some pizza places in Massachusetts when I was a kid - one of my aunts liked them.
I was 10 before I learned that chow mein sandwiches were just a southern Massachusetts thing. I can’t even get them here in New Hampshire 
While I’ve never eaten anything called a berliner or a Bismark, I have eaten a jelly donut and I looked at the Wikipedia entry for Bismarks.
I have also eaten pakczi and I can say yeah, it’s pretty different. Richer is definitely a good way to describe the dough. It is denser and has more flavor, very different from the yeasty dough of jelly donuts.
Also much larger and calorie dense.
^^ Thanks!