# Over Rated Items from your Regional Cuisine **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 12, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940 "2009-01-12T17:31:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/201 "2009-01-16T14:54:38Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Can you guys start your own thread for under rated items? [Bien sûr!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=10701601#post10701601) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/202 "2009-01-16T14:54:40Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > It’s almost time now for everyone in southeast Michigan to go bananas over Paczki. It peaks on Shrove Tuesday and you can’t swing a dead cat without seeing paczkis. I hate them. It’s like they took a humongous doughnut and injected it with jelly. Too much jelly. Way too much jelly. Or cream. Or whatever. How does one convert to Polish again? That sounds heavenly! ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/203 "2009-01-16T15:02:41Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I hate Scottish sausages. Sorry. I have no idea whether they’re supposed to be good, but I do know I hate them. The run-of-the-mill Scottish/British sausage is pretty dreadful - far too much oatmeal and not enough meat. You _can_ get good meaty ones from speciality butchers though. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/204 "2009-01-16T15:06:34Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Hi, I’m the only Southerner in history who doesn’t like barbeque no matter where it’s from. Too meaty and saucy. 😉 > Also (round here at least) the sauce is sugary, and all the side dishes suck too. Potato salad, edible but nothing to get excited about. Cole slaw: cold cabbage and mayo, ick! Baked beans? Oh hell no. I used to think I didn’t like barbecue either, until I tried Eastern NC barbecue. Sweet zombie Jesus, that’s good pig. (This is heresy from a Columbia, SC, native, so don’t tell anyone I said it.) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/205 "2009-01-16T15:11:30Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Hi, I’m the only Southerner in history who doesn’t like barbeque no matter where it’s from. Too meaty and saucy. 😉 > Also (round here at least) the sauce is sugary, and all the side dishes suck too. Potato salad, edible but nothing to get excited about. Cole slaw: cold cabbage and mayo, ick! Baked beans? Oh hell no. The fact that this opinion was posted by someone named Dung Beetle does give one cause for concern though. Whats your opinion on house designs by the way ? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/206 "2009-01-16T15:23:34Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > It’s almost time now for everyone in southeast Michigan to go bananas over Paczki. It peaks on Shrove Tuesday and you can’t swing a dead cat without seeing paczkis. I hate them. It’s like they took a humongous doughnut and injected it with jelly. Too much jelly. Way too much jelly. Or cream. Or whatever. The ones I’ve had around here are stuffed with fresh strawberries and just enough of that ‘red gel’ to hold it together. Yum, heaven. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/207 "2009-01-16T15:34:35Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > The fact that this opinion was posted by someone named Dung Beetle does give one cause for concern though. > > Whats your opinion on house designs by the way ? 🙂 I like to warm up the walls with a nice chocolate brown. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/208 "2009-01-16T17:16:11Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > My hero! > > The funniest thing I’ve read on this board in ages… I’ll be looking for more of your posts, **Marmot**. > > Am I the only one who thinks “loose meat sandwich” sounds absolutely filthy? Like it should be described after “Cleveland Steamer” and “Dirty Sanchez?” Since the first time I heard the phrase, on Roseanne, I thought the same. When I have a nice diarrhea, I call it a “loose meat” Joe ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/209 "2009-01-16T17:37:43Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > See, that’s another thing that was not included in my upbringing, this cheese + apple thing. I never saw it until well after I reached adulthood, and I was instantly suspicious of it as a result. I am a cheese mother-f-ing junkie. Never heard of cheese on pie before I saw Taxi Driver. Makes me wonder… Joe ---
**Author:** ![longPath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@longPath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longPath)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/210 "2009-01-17T02:27:48Z")
> [@Mahna\_Mahna](#): > > Of the things I miss about Hali, the donair is not one of them. The eccles cakes from Larkin’s bakery, on the other hand, were a thing of beauty. Mahna Mahna, Ms. LP and I have been trying to recall Larkin’s Bakery. I believe it used to be on Queen at Fenwick. Can you recall? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/211 "2009-01-17T18:41:42Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > I am a cheese mother-f-ing junkie. > > Never heard of cheese on pie before I saw Taxi Driver. > > Makes me wonder… > > Joe My first wife would eat cheese on pie. In an effort to be open-minded I tried it. The most I can say for it is that if you really need to ruin both a piece of pie and a piece of cheese right-fucking-now, this is the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/212 "2009-01-17T19:44:10Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > I used to live in Maryland, but I never got the gist of why people loved crab cakes so much. They’re usually mostly breading mixed in with one gram of crab meat. Sometimes they come with this nasty sweet mustard-type sauce on them also. You poor thing…a sign of a BAD crab cake is too much breading. A really good crab cake has big lumps of crab that just barely cling together. As someone else mentioned upthread, though, just about every restaurant in MD offers crab cakes and it takes some sampling to find out which ones are actually good. As a recently lapsed vegetarian, I have not yet worked up the nerve to try the DC [half-smoke](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-smoke), which basically looks like a burned hot dog. Supposedly the best place to get these is Ben’s Chili Bowl…now uber-popular since Mayor Fenty apparently coaxed Obama into getting one there. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/213 "2009-01-17T20:08:00Z")
> [@booklover](#): > > As a recently lapsed vegetarian, I have not yet worked up the nerve to try the DC [half-smoke](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-smoke), which basically looks like a burned hot dog. Supposedly the best place to get these is Ben’s Chili Bowl…now uber-popular since Mayor Fenty apparently coaxed Obama into getting one there. Damn that looks good. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/214 "2009-01-18T00:23:46Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > My first wife would eat cheese on pie. In an effort to be open-minded I tried it. The most I can say for it is that if you really need to ruin both a piece of pie and a piece of cheese right-fucking-now, this is the way to go. Then prepare to be really unhappy: [http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Deep-Dish-Apple-Pie-with-Cheddar-Crust-2769](http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Deep-Dish-Apple-Pie-with-Cheddar-Crust-2769) ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/215 "2009-01-18T02:18:55Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > [Moon Pies](http://www.moonpie.com/) in the South, particularly Tennessee. > > There is even a local [festival](http://www.bellbucklechamber.com/rcmoon.html), which is kinda fun, but I don’t like marshmallow much so that takes Moon Pies out of the running. > > I’m not a big fan of [Goo-Goo clusters](http://www.googoo.com/) either, for similar reasons. Plus, the name is dumb and sounds vaguely dirty. A-frickin-men on the Moon Pies. Its possible that the original recipe was good, but now, all you’ve got is lard, super-saturated with sugar, stuck between two or more pieces of soggy graham crackers, dipped in yellow wax that’s lightly flavored with something that tastes almost entirely unlike banana. Goo-Goo Clusters are merely okay. They in no way can be considered anything better than a typical candy bar. Jack Daniels is _waaaaay_ overrated. They’ve been watering the stuff down for years, nor, despite what the company says, did Jack come up with the recipe for the stuff. He _bought_ the recipe off a Lutheran minister (whom he happened to be working for). Pork BBQ is _also_ overrated. Its good, but to limit BBQ to one type of meat, is a crime. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/216 "2009-01-18T02:46:23Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Pork BBQ is _also_ overrated. Its good, but to limit BBQ to one type of meat, is a crime. Hell, no to the first part, and a strong agree to the second part. Pork BBQ is proof that God loves us. But the brisket at Smitty’s in Lockhart, TX is proof that loaves and fishes are strictly a _minor_ miracle. Brisket is right up there with the big ones. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/217 "2009-01-18T05:51:08Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Hell, no to the first part, and a strong agree to the second part. Pork BBQ is proof that God loves us. But the brisket at Smitty’s in Lockhart, TX is proof that loaves and fishes are strictly a _minor_ miracle. Brisket is right up there with the big ones. Amen, although I do confess, about 95% of the barbecue I cook and eat is pork. God bless the pig. But pork, beef, mutton, etc. Whatever it is, barbecued right, it’s good. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/218 "2009-01-18T13:35:26Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > A-frickin-men on the Moon Pies. Its possible that the original recipe was good, but now, all you’ve got is lard, super-saturated with sugar, stuck between two or more pieces of soggy graham crackers, dipped in yellow wax that’s lightly flavored with something that tastes almost entirely unlike banana. I never even liked them 50 years ago (chocolate or banana variety) > [@](#): > > Goo-Goo Clusters are merely okay. They in no way can be considered anything better than a typical candy bar. this I agree with > [@](#): > > Jack Daniels is _waaaaay_ overrated. They’ve been watering the stuff down for years, nor, despite what the company says, did Jack come up with the recipe for the stuff. He _bought_ the recipe off a Lutheran minister (whom he happened to be working for). You’re correct on what I refer to as Pedestrian Jack. Gentleman Jack on the other hand - mmmmmm > [@](#): > > Pork BBQ is _also_ overrated. Its good, but to limit BBQ to one type of meat, is a crime. Heresy. Pork is still my favorite Q. I’ve been living in TX for 5 years and will eat brisket, but I don’t go out of my way for it. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/219 "2009-01-18T16:44:46Z")
> [@Jodi](#): > > Grits. I’m sorry, but as a non-Southerner now living in the South I cannot see the appeal of bland corn mush. Tasteless and textureless: bleah. Now, people will tell you the problem is _instant_ grits, which are an abomination unto the Lord, but _real_ grits are _good_. This is a lie; they are better than instant by a yard, but they still aren’t good if you weren’t raised up on 'em. If they’re bland, you aren’t doing it right. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940/220 "2009-01-19T00:41:56Z")
> [@ryobserver](#): > > Local (not Amish): I’d say scrapple, but I don’t anyone _over_rates scrapple. It’s a (theoretically) meat-based product, and it’s _gray_. And mushy. How do you rate gray meat? I came in here to mention scrapple! I’m not from Philly, but my husband is, and he made that abomination for breakfast today, and our freakish sons actually loved it! Little weirdos. I wouldn’t even touch it, after the first time he gave me a bite of it without telling what it was, years ago. Ugh. I grew up in Indiana, which, like Iowa, doesn’t really have much of an identifiable cuisine, except for corn, and that’s undeniably good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-rated-items-from-your-regional-cuisine/480940.md?page=12)