Traditional Southern Cooking in DR??

Bernard Jean-Pierre

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Oct 31, 2010
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Taking into consideration the potential business challenges (logistics, market /supply etc) how do you think a Comedor (or perhaps even a small restaurant) selling Traditional Southern Food would do?? And by Southern I mean DEEP South as in; Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and (parts of) Florida.

Traditional dishes would be a variety of everything like -
Louisiana Style Seafood
Gumbo
Red Beans and Rice (which I KNOW would do well, since its VERY similar to the abichuela y arroz de la bandera dominicana)
Southern Fried Chicken (which I also know would do good - Pica Polla)
Greens
Baked Mac N Cheese
Fish N Grits
Fried Okra
Fried Pork Chops
Green Beans
Black Eyed Peas
Corn Bread etc etc etc.

Of course consistently getting those things (some of which can not be found in the market) would be a challenge, but lets just say 'if'. Normally, if it tastes good people will go after it (even tasty dog meat in Haina - lol), and if the price is good even more so.

After all, good Dominican food does great in the South (US), why would it not work the other way around?? What do you think??
 
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Chennifer

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Moves to the D.R this summer
If you ever open that restaurant, sbe sure to let me know. I would love to go there! Not living in the Dr yet, I can't tell you if it's a good idea or not but guess you would have to do a lot of research on it. At the end of my vacationing Sto.Dgo, I only ate Dominican food since all the restaurants we visited were horrible :(
 
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mountainannie

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Dominicans appear to have a very limited palate....

they eat only a small variety of foods, cooked in one to three traditional styles..

the only chance that you would have in introducing another food would be a very low overhead place which is loaded with tourists

Say the Zona Colonial or Las Terrenas.. which has a very wide variety of restaurants and an international clientele and has developed a reputation as a gastronomic heaven

don't forget the grits!
 

CFA123

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There's some reality to the limited palate, but I believe it is more limited to ability to buy more expensive items and the limited availability in the stores.

While we all have our native comfort foods, those Dominicans who can afford enjoy a wide variety of foods.

As for my experience (not all southern dishes), my Dominican friends seem to enjoy whenever I cook...

  • meatloaf
  • chicken pot pie
  • brocolli casserole
  • shrimp po boys
  • blueberry pie
  • chili con carne
  • baked beans

Banana pudding with nilla wafers is always a hit here in DR.
Southern style fresh creamed corn has been hit & miss. Some love it, others can't figure out why it's cut off the cob.

Not every story is a success, though. Several years ago when I was living in Alabama, I took a visiting Dominican friend to Cracker Barrel. He wasn't able to enjoy his food as he spent the bulk of his time trying to figure out who around him were members of the KKK. ;)
 

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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South Coast
Taking into consideration the potential business challenges (logistics, market /supply etc) how do you think a Comedor (or perhaps even a small restaurant) selling Traditional Southern Food would do?? And by Southern I mean DEEP South as in; Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and (parts of) Florida.

Traditional dishes would be a variety of everything like -
Louisiana Style Seafood They love seafood, but most don't like "hot" spices
Gumbo They love okra, this might be popular
Red Beans and Rice (which I KNOW would do well, since its VERY similar to the abichuela y arroz de la bandera dominicana) Agreed
Southern Fried Chicken (which I also know would do good - Pica Polla)agreed
Greens Might be hard to get these fresh
Baked Mac N Cheese IMO everyone likes this
Fish N Grits
Fried Okra could work, the do eat a lot of okra
Fried Pork Chops they eat this too
Green Beans never seen this served there
Black Eyed Peas my husband's family loves these
Corn Bread etc etc etc. another good one

Of course consistently getting those things (some of which can not be found in the market) would be a challenge, but lets just say 'if'. Normally, if it tastes good people will go after it (even tasty dog meat in Haina - lol), and if the price is good even more so.

After all, good Dominican food does great in the South (US), why would it not work the other way around?? What do you think??

I think it could work IF you could keep the prices comparable to Dominican restaurants, and attract Dominican clientele. Price and location, location, location.

AE
 
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Can you make homemade Tasso or Andouille? A smoke-house would be a lot lower daily overhead. If you can wholesale hung meats that can be added to rice, I can see that working.

A Polish friend of mine makes authentic homemade Kielbasa a few times a year and brings it down to NYC to sell to restaurants(he knows the NYC Polish community). He sells 400-500 loops for $10 each and they cost him about $2-$3 to make. He sells out by the afternoon and he's back in Vermont the same day.
 

DavidZ

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In what are area you thinking of doing this??? I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!! I think southern style cooking would have a shot here, especially in the Sosua/Cabarete area, and possibly with trendy Dominicans in Santiago or Santo Dominican, if it had a clever twist to it somehow.

To go after the market of "average Dominicans" you'd have to bland it down a bit and have the spices/flavors mimic more the Dominican versions of what you are making....otherwise they will stick to what they know. All but the rich and trendy (or wannabes) are often hesitant to even try anything new food-wise, and they just don't go out to restaurants (Dominican or otherwise) very often.
 

CFA123

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My concern would be the availability of items and at what cost you could put together and ultimately sell a meal. It costs me an arm and two legs to try to assemble certain things here.

The correct (or truly comparable) ingredients... good cheeses, buttermilk, Martha White flour, seasonings, turnip greens, mustard greens, Crisco shortening, catfish (HA!) etc, etc aren't easy to come by. Without that... you won't even create something a southerner will eat, much less a Dominican. FYI... Playero in Sosua does have Crisco!

But, yeah... fry me up some catfish & hushpuppies with a side of grits and cole slaw that I can wash down with a cold sweet tea... I'll be there.
 

RacerX

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Nov 22, 2009
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Taking into consideration the potential business challenges (logistics, market /supply etc) how do you think a Comedor (or perhaps even a small restaurant) selling Traditional Southern Food would do?? And by Southern I mean DEEP South as in; Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and (parts of) Florida.

Traditional dishes would be a variety of everything like -
Louisiana Style Seafood
Gumbo
Red Beans and Rice (which I KNOW would do well, since its VERY similar to the abichuela y arroz de la bandera dominicana)
Southern Fried Chicken (which I also know would do good - Pica Polla)
Greens
Baked Mac N Cheese
Fish N Grits
Fried Okra
Fried Pork Chops
Green Beans
Black Eyed Peas
Corn Bread etc etc etc.

Of course consistently getting those things (some of which can not be found in the market) would be a challenge, but lets just say 'if'. Normally, if it tastes good people will go after it (even tasty dog meat in Haina - lol), and if the price is good even more so.

After all, good Dominican food does great in the South (US), why would it not work the other way around?? What do you think??

10 years ago I tried this in Jarabacoa but they didnt get it. They didnt like Collard Greens. They made black eyed peas with tomato paste and they kept calling the green beans peas and cut and cooked them like peas many dominican stoves dont have functional ovens so you could make cornbread nor mac n cheese like "we" do up there.

And Mac N Cheese can only be made in an oven just for the record but they do have comparable cheese to cheddar but its all American cheese so you ll have to taste it first.

They apparentley have a limited and almost insular palata until they get to the US then they love all that stuff. Candied yams, sweet potato pie and all that.
 

CFA123

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May 29, 2004
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puryear270

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Aug 26, 2009
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Are you going to serve breakfast, too?

I'd drive all the way to the north coast right now for scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, buttermilk biscuits, and gravy.
 

RacerX

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Nov 22, 2009
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Hmmm which brings another question

How would you make your grits? I like mine, plain with salt and butter and then sometimes with cheese and other times with corned beef hash....with them tiny sausages cooked to a golden brown. Buttered wheat toast and scrambled eggs. I d be there. Shoot, forget it why dont you just open a WAFFLE HOUSE or HUDDLE HOUSE here?
 

Africaida

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Jun 19, 2009
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He wasn't able to enjoy his food as he spent the bulk of his time trying to figure out who around him were members of the KKK. ;)

LMAO !!!!!!!!!! :cheeky::cheeky::cheeky:
Sounds like a good and slow torture :cheeky:
 

mrp

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I'm from New Orleans, and a pro sax player. There was an attempt at this several years ago on Maximo Henrique and Lope De Vega, but it didn't succeed. It was too small and too limited and expensive. If you open this, you should have open options of restaurant, and also places where people could buy cheaper items like Poboys, and sell spices and specialty items like Andouille sausage, tasso, maybe different hot sauces that come out of Costa Rica (Inner Beauty was always a personal favorite that I miss). I could help you with promotion and live entertainment, New Orleans style. Good luck and Lezze Bon Temps Roulere!!! (Let the good times roll!)
 

Bernard Jean-Pierre

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Where in the South does Dominican food do great?
Mind you, South Florida is not the South.

It does great in New Orleans Louisiana, Auburn Alabama and Atlanta Georgia to name a few. South Florida?? lol!! South Florida is definitely not the South, its more like the "North".....North Cuba. lol
 

Bernard Jean-Pierre

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Oct 31, 2010
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Dominicans appear to have a very limited palate....

they eat only a small variety of foods, cooked in one to three traditional styles..

the only chance that you would have in introducing another food would be a very low overhead place which is loaded with tourists

Say the Zona Colonial or Las Terrenas.. which has a very wide variety of restaurants and an international clientele and has developed a reputation as a gastronomic heaven

don't forget the grits!

Las Terranas and maybe Las Galeras are definitely an options, I have some good contacts in Saman?. Thanks for the input. And grits are a MUST! jaja
 

Bernard Jean-Pierre

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Oct 31, 2010
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I think it could work IF you could keep the prices comparable to Dominican restaurants, and attract Dominican clientele. Price and location, location, location.

AE

Thanks, yes so far the biggest challenges seem to be GETTING the neccesary products/vegatables and finding the right location. I think the potential is pretty good though.
 

Bernard Jean-Pierre

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Oct 31, 2010
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Can you make homemade Tasso or Andouille? A smoke-house would be a lot lower daily overhead. If you can wholesale hung meats that can be added to rice, I can see that working.

A Polish friend of mine makes authentic homemade Kielbasa a few times a year and brings it down to NYC to sell to restaurants(he knows the NYC Polish community). He sells 400-500 loops for $10 each and they cost him about $2-$3 to make. He sells out by the afternoon and he's back in Vermont the same day.

Good point! If I could pack some good ol' Andouille Sausage into a 'Salami looking' package it would be golden! jaja
 

Bernard Jean-Pierre

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Oct 31, 2010
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Hmmm which brings another question

How would you make your grits? I like mine, plain with salt and butter and then sometimes with cheese and other times with corned beef hash....with them tiny sausages cooked to a golden brown. Buttered wheat toast and scrambled eggs. I d be there. Shoot, forget it why dont you just open a WAFFLE HOUSE or HUDDLE HOUSE here?

Grits and Rice for me are both Sacred "el hombre que no come arro' y gris' es pajaro!! claro!" - Tuberculo Gourmet. (lol). I love me some good ol' mangu y queso frito, pero no hay breakfast like the South. Slow-cooked creamy grits with a little bit of cheese, homemade biscuits, sausage patties, bacon, gravy, scrambled eggs, hash browns etc. How could anybody not like that?