• Etterra@discuss.online
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    5 hours ago

    I’m from Chicago and I’ve never been to NYC. From what I’ve heard about bodegas however, the difference seems to be that a bodega requires a cat.

  • jeffep@lemmy.world
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    6 hours ago

    So after reading through all the valuable comments here it seems like a bodega is a way to say you live in New York while trying to not seem like you’re bragging about it but you actually try to brag about it

  • DWANG05@feddit.online
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    4 hours ago

    I’m originally from South Jersey. I grew up in a small city where everywhere was a family owned, Corner Store. Or just the “Store”. We didn’t call it anything different. I don’t know where “Bodega” came from.

  • NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone
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    5 hours ago

    One of the main things I miss from the UK is the cornershops - generally run by an Asian family and you can find almost anything a human could possibly want to buy in there with “multipack, not for individual sale” writ on the side.

    Australia used to have milk bars, which were basically the same thing, but they’ve all been closed down or gentrified into delis and brunch cafes.

  • BigBananaDealer@lemmy.world
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    10 hours ago

    new yorkers think having an american, chinese, indian, italian, and mexican restaurant to choose from makes them unique. im not even kidding i saw a new yorker tweet that those choices can only be found in new york city

    • NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone
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      5 hours ago

      Lol, the old “American food is the best because we have every kind of cuisine”. Oh sweety, that’s just every city now.

    • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      9 hours ago

      They also think they have the best of all of the above, they do not. I was there last month the pizza was ass I’ve had better from just about every other state I’ve been to, and they have fuck all for good soul food. Ask a New Yorker for some grits, biscuits and gravy, fried spaghetti, porkchop sandwiches, or collards and watch their fucking head spin. Then ask about barbecue, and when they answer, ask what style that barbecue is and the head twists right off because half of them don’t know Memphis style from Western NC style if they even knew there were different styles at all.

      Then they move anywhere and get pissed off that other places aren’t the exact same as NYC, go the fuck back then idiot!

      • afromustache@lemmy.world
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        35 minutes ago

        Even if you do manage to find good pizza in nyc the prices are beyond absurd for what you get. I feel like NJ (I live in south and work in central) tends have more consistent quality pizza for much cheaper, although I must admit it’s been a while since I spent anytime in NYC so my info maybe a little out of date.

        I have never tried Chicago or Detroit or any of those styles although I’d be interested if anyone knows anywhere in those parts of Jersey that are good at them.

        I will also say that the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers I know talk about the almost omnipresent rudeness like it’s a positive thing? Always has baffled me.

      • Snowcano@startrek.website
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        7 hours ago

        I’m just going to say it: NY style slice pizza is shit. And the thing is New Yorkers know it too. That’s why they fold the slices in half to eat it, they want it to be over as quickly as possible.

        • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          6 hours ago

          Tbh NY “style” pizza is fine, even great from some places, but it is better outside of NYC than inside. They’re not even best at their own style.

      • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
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        6 hours ago

        Oh my god, I’m from central North Carolina, we call New Yorkers “halfbacks” because they move to Florida, hate it there, so they move halfway back, to North Carolina. And then you get “where I’m from, we…”

        I have now decided to no longer tolerate that behavior in my presence. Next time I hear a fookin noo yoaka start a sentence about where he’s from, I’m taking hostages.

        • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          6 hours ago

          Tell 'em to keep going!

          “Where I’m from we-”

          “I don’t fucking care. Go back if it’s so great. Now.”

          If they wanted it to be a little similar but cheaper they should have moved to fucking NJ.

        • FrChazzz@lemmus.org
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          6 hours ago

          I grew up in Florida (sorry about us clogging up your mountain towns in the Fall). I share the rage. That accent actually triggers me.

        • 🌞 Alexander Daychilde 🌞@lemmy.world
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          7 hours ago

          In fairness to them… BBQ comes from Virginia. But we didn’t really develop our own unique style, so it sort of faded out somewhat. We have BBQ here and it’s usually NC or some other style (I think generally sort-of-TX more than anything, but NOT quite TX). We have some good places and some meh places.

          It sucks that we don’t have VA style BBQ, but… eh. I’ll take good food whatever the source. :)

            • 🌞 Alexander Daychilde 🌞@lemmy.world
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              6 hours ago

              I’m a food enthusiast, personally. I love the fusion of cuisines. For example, many European cuisines were able to do amazing things with tomatoes and potatoes. And one of my favorite dishes involves Japanese curry, which went from India to England to Japan.

              We have so many tasty food options these days, and it’s because you can get so many more ingredients all over, and people share ideas and “steal” ideas and make them their own and make them better. :)

    • BradleyUffner@lemmy.world
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      8 hours ago

      I’m in a small town in southern North Carolina. I’ve got all that plus 2 Peruvian, and 2 Thai, within a 5 minute drive.

      • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
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        6 hours ago

        We might be neighbors; is one of them a Thai Orchid in the building that used to be the old Pizza Hut, next door to the ABC store in the building that used to be the new Pizza Hut?

        • BradleyUffner@lemmy.world
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          6 hours ago

          That doesn’t sound familiar, sorry. It’s good to know that other small towns down here have just as much variety though!

  • BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today
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    9 hours ago

    They got beer and chips, and snacks in $1 bags. They also have a sweet Tortie guarding the place. That’s the real reason to visit.

  • DagwoodIII@piefed.social
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    13 hours ago

    NYC here.

    If someone asked the average New Yorker what a bodega was, the most probable answer is “What are you, stupid?”

    Not me, because I would be mugging you.

  • 🌞 Alexander Daychilde 🌞@lemmy.world
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    7 hours ago

    My understanding is that at least one type of bodega is known for taking a relatively short list of ingredients and making a wide variety of food out of them.

    We’ve got a couple of places like that down here in Hampton Roads - the Sun and Moon deli, for example: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nALYSXamP-ksJG9N1C2qjB59ytRqYb56/view (menu)

    I love that mix of stuff of which some of it seemingly is random, but it really does re-use a lot of the same stuff.

    The lamb over rice is just fantastic. Everything we’ve had has been. Not on that menu, but they have a Jamaican meat patty and it’s clear it’s made homemade in-house. It’s so tasty.

    I know both of these placs down here in Newport News are separate, but both run by folks from Yemen. Well, I don’t know what’s up there, but I 100% approve of Yemini-run bodegas down here. They’re delightful! :)

    • AlexLost@lemmy.world
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      5 hours ago

      We had one of these by Granville island here in Van BC. Homeade soups, sandwiches, burgers, meat pies, pastries. You name it, she had it and it was cheap and pretty darn good. Raising rent prices chased them out and nothing has been able to replace it…

      • jtrek@startrek.website
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        14 hours ago

        It depends where you live. Most places in the US you can’t (safely) walk to anywhere, and many places aren’t open 24/7.

        • fartsparkles@lemmy.world
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          13 hours ago

          I experienced that first hand. Colleagues going to their cars to drive 200m down the road to park again and then walk 100m back on themselves to a deli.

          It’s baffling how something as simple as a corner shop that can be walked to is a novelty yet here in Europe, it’s the norm everywhere.

          • jeffep@lemmy.world
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            6 hours ago

            I think back in the day there was a dispute about whether there should be corner stores everywhere. Some disagreed, were put on boats, and sent across the ocean.

        • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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          12 hours ago

          You’re right, but that’s equivalent to saying that most places don’t have corner stores. It being walkable is a prerequisite.

    • moody@lemmings.world
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      11 hours ago

      Nothing special about them. It’s just a different name for a regular convenience store.

      • NotSteve_@piefed.ca
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        9 hours ago

        Huh, I guess you’re right actually. I’m in Québec often and I always thought a dépanneur was specifically a convenience store that sold alcohol but it seems like it does refer to any convenience store

        • msfroh@lemmy.ca
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          3 hours ago

          Growing up in Ontario in the 80s and 90s, the fact that you could buy beer and wine at a dépanneur was revolutionary. Can’t get that at Mac’s Milk!

          • NotSteve_@piefed.ca
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            2 hours ago

            Haha I grew up on the border of Ontario and Québec (ON side) and we’d make trips over to the small town dep on the Quebec side to buy alcohol when we were 18.

            Also re: Mac’s Milk, I’m still mad its not called that anymore