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People eat some weird stuff. I’m not judging or anything, I’m just saying that I grew up on sliced ham and yellow cheese, not pig bellies and hog’s head cheese. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a “chicken only” kinda girl or anything, but I’m sometimes a little hesitant about ordering up a big ol’ side of elk. Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed some pretty odd dishes on menus around the Upstate, so I decided to pick a few of them out to share with the class. As always, feel free to chime in down in the comments section and let us know what kind of weird stuff you’ve found around here.
Weirdest appetizer—Fried Alligator, Chops Cajun Restaurant, Pelham Road
Fried alligator is served in small, bite-size pieces of flaky, alligator meat. The breading is seasoned with all the classic Cajun spices and it’s served up hot with a remoulade-type sauce with it. Absolutely delicious.
Weirdest bread—Pimento Cheese Hushpuppies, Soby’s, downtown
OK, so hushpuppies might not technically sound like a bread, but they’re an awful lot like fried cornbread. Just go with it, people. The ones at Soby’s are even better than the average hushpuppy because they’re made with pimento cheese and served with jalapeño honey butter. Savory, spicy and sweet.
Weirdest soup—Soto Ajam Soup, Addy’s Dutch Restaurant & Café, downtown
Perhaps the weirdest thing about this soup is that it’s an Indonesian version of chicken soup served in a Dutch restaurant. Definitely something you don’t see every day. It’s chicken, chicken broth, bean sprout type things, potatoes, boiled eggs, Thai peppers, and a ton of other spices and good stuff. Of course, one of the things Addy is known for is his variety of fresh, gourmet soups. So you never know exactly which days you’ll find this one there.
Weirdest cheese—“The Drunken Goat”, The Lazy Goat, Riverplace, downtown
This young, Spanish cheese is marinated in wine for a while before it’s taken out to age for a few months. It’s a distinctive cheese with a mild, rich taste, but the wine definitely gives it an interesting finish. You can order it at the Goat by itself or with a variety of cheeses and sliced meats. It’s something you don’t find too many places, so check it out next time you’re there.
Weirdest Sushi—Gunkan Salmon, Sushi Murasaki, downtown
This roll is basically uni (sea urchin) with salmon roe wrapped with salmon sashimi. So you’ve got an odd sea creature, wrapped in fish eggs and raw fish. I like sushi as much as the next girl, but I’m still gonna call that weird. I’m not even 100% sure what a sea urchin is. Fish? Plant? Just some random odd creature? Whatever it is, it’s actually pretty good. Especially with all the salmon with it.
Weirdest wild game—Saskatoon’s Mixed Grill, Saskatoon, Haywood Road
You can’t talk about weird food and not mention the amazing wild game selection they serve up over at Saskatoon. If you just want to try a variety of different meats, the Mixed Grill is the way to go. You get a selection of three different meats like ostrich filet, buffalo flank steak and elk tenderloin.
Weirdest amphibian—Fried frog legs, Sassafrass Southern Bistro, Piazza Bergammo
Tastes like chicken. Seriously. More specifically, like chicken wings. They even look like them a little, too. This Southern delicacy isn’t on their menu permanently, but they feature it as a special from time to time. Rumor has it that if you have really fresh frog legs, they even twitch when you put ’em in the fryer. Now that’s weird.
Weirdest restaurant concept—Tako Sushi, downtown
Can’t decide whether you want sushi or Mexican? Raw fish or fish tacos? Well here’s the place for you. There’s an extensive authentic Tex-Mex menu, along with a huge selection of sushi and sashimi. I have personally had queso dip and sushi in the same meal there a number of times. It might not sound like a great idea, but give it a try. Tasty, tasty stuff.
Weirdest side item—Jalapeño grits, Stax Grill, Haywood Mall area
I don’t know why this struck me as particularly weird, but it did. I love cheese grits. And bacon grits. So why should jalapeño grits be that different? I decided to give them a try, and I’m glad I did. They’re absolutely delicious with just the right amount of spice. I don’t think I’d have them with my pancakes, though.
Weirdest ethnic dish—Oxtail, Mojitos on Main, downtown
If you’ve never seen oxtail (and I hadn’t before), it’s round, medallion-type cuts of meat around a thin bone. The meat is cooked in a pressure cooker for hours to make it incredibly tender. Then it’s sautéed with garlic, onions, spices and tomatoes, and served with rice. This is another one of those dishes that they don’t have all the time, but when they do, don’t miss it.
Weirdest dessert—Basically all of them, American Grocery, downtown
There are some really weird desserts out there, but imagine my delight to find three of them at the same restaurant! American Grocery serves up a Chocolate Salt Caramel Tart, a Crème Brulée made with sweet corn, and even a bread pudding made with Krispy Kreme doughnuts. And I recommend all of them.
