The Most Underrated Food City On The East Coast, According To Andrew Zimmern

Andrew Zimmern, for a time, made his living eating bizarre foods for the Travel Channel (though the one food he won't eat isn't strange at all — it's raw cookie dough), and the intrepid traveler, celebrity chef, and owner of a scar from an oyster-shucking accident, continues to spread the gospel of good food through his programming and content production. Despite Zimmern's love for New York City, he recently took to Instagram to describe the most underrated food city on the Eastern side of the country, "where serious chefs are doing thoughtful, ingredient-driven work without the noise." Would you expect the title to go to Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina?

Raleigh-Durham, which is actually two separate cities about 25 miles apart, is home to no fewer than 13 different award-winning and James Beard semifinalist restaurants and chefs (not bad for a combined total of just under 824,000 inhabitants in both cities). These talented folks each bring their own flair — that is, in some cases decades of experience in a variety of cities, cooking an amalgam of cuisines — to the Raleigh-Durham culinary scene.

Zimmern specifically shouts out Ashley Christiansen, owner of Death & Taxes, Poole's, and Bridge Club in Raleigh. The two-time James Beard award winner is actually a self-taught chef, and she is credited with revitalizing the downtown Raleigh area in particular with her establishments.

Now, if you're looking to take a visit to the Raleigh-Durham area (or you live there and don't get out much), and you want to know where all the good eats are, we've got you covered. For starters, the only chef that Andrew Zimmern mentioned by name in his Instagram video, Ashley Christiensen, owns Poole's, which makes an outstanding macaroni au gratin, which has received the bulk of the mentions on the restaurant's Google review page. One reviewer called it perfect, saying the noodles were well-prepared, the sauce was delicious, and they described a "crispy cheese outer shell that could be a menu item all on its own."

Another dish to try, this one in Durham, is the nigiri omakase at M Sushi, under the direction of Chef Michael Lee. For $75, you'll get 13 pieces of nigiri, which one reviewer on Google called "an exceptional value, considering the quality and care that go into each piece," while another absolutely raved over the included seared garlic aioli salmon.

Finally, at the Little Bull, also in Durham, Chef Oscar Diaz combines a little bit of each everything and everywhere from his personal and professional history to bring Mexican-inspired tapas to the people. A must-taste dish is the Grilled Octo, which, according to a Yelp reviewer, features the mollusk served up with a crusted exterior and super tender interior, on a bed of beans that perfectly balances and complements the flavor of the octopus.