# What "normal" foods can you not get in your area?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 2, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195 "2011-08-02T16:47:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/1 "2011-08-02T16:47:25Z")
I have the biggest craving for a hot roast beef sandwich right now. Smothered in gravy and with a side of mashed potatoes. But it occurs to me that there is probably no restaurant in this city that has that on the menu. Very strange. I was able to get it in NYC last year, but I can’t get that here.
And outside of KFC, which is hard for me to get to, a traditional fried chicken dinner is unavailable as well.
Even odder is that I live in a coastal city, but decent seafood is hard to get. I can get sushi, but I’d have to travel to the other side of the city to get a basic boiled lobster. Crab is next to impossible to find.
And as **Ralph124c** pointed out, German food is barely an option here.
What normal foods can’t you get?
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/2 "2011-08-02T16:56:10Z")
Bagels.
The Safeway here has “semi-bagels”.
Better than the prepackaged things on the bread aisle but nowhere near the real thing.
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### Author:  [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/3 "2011-08-02T16:59:05Z")
In Little Rock, AR, I can’t get (delicious) Korean or German food, and there is not really a vegan/vegetarian restaurant, although someone has started a food truck. There are, on the other hand, about 10e55 Mexican places, whether I want Mexican Mexican or American Mexican.
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### Author:  [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/4 "2011-08-02T17:10:10Z")
I’m in Iowa. Can’t get some varieties of fresh meat – corned beef, brisket, flank steak, beef heart, tongue, and chicken hearts. If I want chicken liver or beef liver, it’s only available frozen. I could get all that stuff when I lived in Seattle.
I used to get chicken hearts from a local guy who raised chickens. Nobody else wanted them. But with the price of corn so high, he’s stopped raising chickens. Said he’d have to charge $20 apiece for them.
(And yes, these things are “normal”.)
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/5 "2011-08-02T17:17:40Z")
Curry. No Curry restaurants.
Hot dogs - I wish we had hot dog stands like Chicago or New York.
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### Author:  [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/6 "2011-08-02T17:26:11Z")
> [@tdn](#):
>
> I have the biggest craving for a hot roast beef sandwich right now. Smothered in gravy and with a side of mashed potatoes. But it occurs to me that there is probably no restaurant in this city that has that on the menu. Very strange. I was able to get it in NYC last year, but I can’t get that here.
>
> And outside of KFC, which is hard for me to get to, a traditional fried chicken dinner is unavailable as well.
I don’t know where ‘here’ is for you, but you could probably find both at a diner. One of those hole-in-the-wall places that’s open 24-hours.
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### Author:  [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/7 "2011-08-02T17:28:16Z")
Good bagels are really hard to find here in DC.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/8 "2011-08-02T17:29:52Z")
> [@YoSaffBridge](#):
>
> I don’t know where ‘here’ is for you, but you could probably find both at a diner. One of those hole-in-the-wall places that’s open 24-hours.
I’m in Boston, and can’t think of any diners nearby. I know of one across town, but I don’t even know the name of it.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/9 "2011-08-02T17:34:05Z")
Not much. If it exists as a food or cuisine on the planet, there is probably a store or restaurant catering to it in Southern California. That said…there is a dearth of Jewish deli food in the area. The real deal: schmaltz on the table. The sort of place Zero Mostel was thinking of when he said “Jewish-Romanian food has killed more Jews than Hitler.” Fresh bagels. New York pizza.
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### Author:  [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/10 "2011-08-02T17:48:35Z")
Really good poutine. It is sad.
Other than that I think we’ve got everything here. I’m in Toronto.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/11 "2011-08-02T17:52:17Z")
Western NY. Can’t get top quality seafood for a reasonable price. It’s either frozen or exorbitantly expensive.
I haven’t found any great Mexican around here either. You can get that in downstate NY but apparently not in western NY.
Polish food is on the decline. You can still get good Polish food in Buffalo but you can’t find it in Rochester anymore.
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### Author:  [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/12 "2011-08-02T18:21:07Z")
German food is out of fashion, there used to be 3 or 4 German restaurants and there may still be one, somewhere. I haven’t seen Liederkranz cheese in years, either.
Popeyes Chicken is a no-go. KFC has this town locked up.
No Long John Silvers, either. The commercials are shown. If there was one closer than 50 miles away, I’d be there once a week, at least.
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### Author:  [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/13 "2011-08-02T18:21:26Z")
Normal is in the eye of the beholder. To complain that you can’t get XYZ outside of the region where XYZ is common, and further declare that such an absence is somehow abnormal is just … ignorant.
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### Author:  [@ecoaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ecoaster)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/14 "2011-08-02T18:33:09Z")
> [@tdn](#):
>
> I’m in Boston, and can’t think of any diners nearby. I know of one across town, but I don’t even know the name of it.
I’m from Boston too, and think that you haven’t looked hard enough. I’m not saying roast beef or fried chicken are plentiful (and indeed, good seafood is harder to find than it should be) but just do a Google search and things will pop up. Even better, go to Greater Boston Chowhound and search for the food you are craving. From my house, I can walk to a restaurant that serves every food you’ve mentioned.
You are correct about German fare thought…
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/15 "2011-08-02T18:39:44Z")
Charlotte used to have 1 good German restaurant, and 1 popular German restaurant. Guess which one went out of business?
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/16 "2011-08-02T18:41:43Z")
> [@ecoaster](#):
>
> From my house, I can walk to a restaurant that serves every food you’ve mentioned.
If it’s in Allston/Brighton/Brookline, please tell me!
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### Author:  [@Winnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnie)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/17 "2011-08-02T18:49:40Z")
> [@madmonk28](#):
>
> Good bagels are really hard to find here in DC.
Seconded.
Also good Polish food. When we go up to visit my family in Northern New Jersey they have lots of Polish delis where you can get pierogi, kielbasa, potato dumplings and cabbage and noodle dishes. Down here it’s Mrs. T’s frozen pierogies and some pre-packaged kielbasa.
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### Author:  [@ecoaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ecoaster)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/18 "2011-08-02T19:05:44Z")
Been to most of these places…
Fried Chicken:
> **[Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers - Boston, MA](https://www.yelp.com/biz/raising-canes-chicken-fingers-boston-2)**
>
> Delivery & Pickup Options - 367 reviews of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers "Wow this is the embodiment of great chicken fingers. They have 1 entree and that is chicken fingers nothing else so don't bother looking.
>
> The place had me hooked from the...
[http://www.soulfirebbq.com](http://www.soulfirebbq.com)
[http://www.yelp.com/biz/bon-chon-boston](http://www.yelp.com/biz/bon-chon-boston) (REALLY good Korean fried chicken)
If you want really good traditional fried chicken try Highland Cafe in Somerville or Trina’s Starlite lounge in Cambridge.
Roast Beef Sandwiches are easy to find in Brookline:
[http://www.delitogo.com/](http://www.delitogo.com/)
> **[Zaftigs Delicatessen](http://www.zaftigs.com/)**
>
> JOIN OUR TEAM! Visit JOBS page
> **[Cutty's - Brookline, MA](https://www.yelp.com/biz/cuttys-brookline)**
>
> Specialties: Cutty's is a fast casual restaurant that sells inexpensive premium-quality breakfast and lunch fare, Monday through Saturday. The menu includes skillfully crafted sandwiches, ultra-fresh salads, seasonal soups, homemade snacks and...
Seafood in your neck of the woods is tough, especially quick and cheap. Daily Catch is all I can think of:
> **[dailycatch.com - This website is for sale! - dailycatch...](http://www.dailycatch.com/)**
>
> This website is for sale! dailycatch.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, dailycatch.com has it all. We hope you find what you are...
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/19 "2011-08-02T19:07:01Z")
> [@madmonk28](#):
>
> Good bagels are really hard to find here in DC.
They’re hard to find anywhere outside of New York city.
I can’t seem to find soft shell (steamer) clams anywhere, though I may have found a source nearby.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-normal-foods-can-you-not-get-in-your-area/591195/20 "2011-08-02T19:15:51Z")
> [@ecoaster](#):
>
> [http://www.zaftigs.com/](http://www.zaftigs.com/)
Zaftig’s! Of course! It’s been years since I’ve been there, so I guess I forgot.
Thanks for the links!
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