Though North Carolina might be in the South, there is a lot more land below it than above it. So if you think the ‘cue gets better as you move towards the equator, what happens if you head from the 35th parallel to the 18th, way down, all the way to Caribbean?

You get damn good Southern cooking - with a twist. There are surprisingly many dishes in the Caribbean similar to those in the American South, though each location has interpreted the foods differently to create their own cuisines.

At a recent trip to to the U.S. Virgin Islands, The Biscuit tasted many island treats and couldn’t help but notice these similarities, so we’ve put together the small gallery below to compare them to the N.C. fare we’re all used to. Enjoy!

So this summer has been slightly dissapointing, full of apologies, from The Biscuit. All the travel and work and especially the lack of camera have made keeping a good blog a nightmare.

But we promise, really mean it, that this year is going to be more fun than ever once The Biscuit returns to Chapel Hill. There are already lots of ideas on the backburner (yes, a 6 pound burrito might be one of those) that will surely come to fruition within a month or so. Perhaps there will be a recap of D.C. cuisine and maybe a review of Buns that was done - but lost - right when it opened.

In the mean time, The Biscuit needs your help. If any readers have any suggestions on cool places to eat or adventures to be had, please let us know! We beg you, because this site is about you, the reader, too.

Enjoy the rest of the summer. And if you’re curious about food in the Triangle, be sure to check out Carpe Durham, Eat at Joe’s and VarmintBites.

Those blogs are good for the area, but The Biscuit is going to keep its hold on Chapel Hill.

Well, well, The Biscuit has been doing some writing on the side lately and got a little piece published in The Georgetown Independent. It’s a student paper, but the school is home for the summer.

The Biscuit analyzes why we all (do we?) like chain restaurants: predictability, branding, affordability and reputation. The beginning is intentionally facetious, full of snobbery, to get the readers hooked, but it gets better. (Apologies if you have to give your email to read the article. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t.)

On another note, The Biscuit recently dined at D.C.’s Oyamel, which Esquire Magazine called one of America’s Best New Restaurants. Not to be a food snob (ha), but the meal was very disappointing. The idea of upscale Mexican doesn’t seem to work too often. Nobody can cook carnitas like they do in the favorite Don Jose’s or any little taco stand in Durham. And their hit cerviche? Tasted like salty rubber.

This makes The Biscuit wonder, then rant and criticize, two things not usually done on this site.

Are the delicious little roadside shacks never going to get the big rave reviews the super expensive city dwellers get? There is no way Oyamel was close to the top, oh, 80 restaurants where The Biscuit has ever eaten. But it’s got the location, the decor, the style, the money. It’s trendy. Yet its chefs still couldn’t produce anything close to home cooked al pastor or truly amazing guacamole. Big time restaurant reviewers need to slum it more often, as they say, venturing to places they would never guess to have some surprisingly mind blowing eating experiences.

Because of this, The Biscuit is going to stay away (or at least try to) from reviewing establishments. The goal here will be to recommend places that we think you’ll like where there are fun experiences to be had and great people to meet. Food should be fun!

Keep coming back for more and share your thoughts.

Last week, the New York Times featured an article that means a sad future for biscuits from the south.

White Lily flour, which has been made in Knoxville since 1883, is going to be made in a new plant in the Midwest. There has already been speculation via blind taste-tests that the once supreme ingredient in biscuits has lost its oomph. Many people think the best biscuits will never be made again.

Truly a tragic event in the baked good’s history.

On another note, with the summer heat at full blasts, many North Carolinians may be heading east to the beach. If you happen to be in Wilmington, The Biscuit recommends the Dock Street Oyster Bar on Dock Street, of course, near the riverfront for a tasty and not overpriced meal.

Greetings finally!

The Biscuit has been all over the place, eating and traveling, finally settling down in D.C. for the summer.

Unfortunately, with such a tight schedule and not so much money to eat out, posts might be a little more sporadic. But don’t fear, there will certainly be many adventures to be had in a city with such a melange of people.

For now, enjoy this slideshow with some music from a recent trip out West. You can see just how the cowboys used to cook.

Still don’t count The Biscuit out for cool content this summer, but come fall, when we’re back in Chapel Hill, this place is going to be better than ever.

Oh, anybody know any good biscuits in the District?

Hey everyone out there, I know the idea of a blog is failing right now for The Biscuit. The problem is, we’re caught up in the move to DC this week so times are tough and it’s hard to get things written.

But The Biscuit promises to have everything doing just fine in several days. Everything should be running smoothly and updated much more frequently.

Expect in a day or two, a little documentary about food in Oklahoma City (just got back from there, who would have thought) and a write up on the new burger joint in Chapel Hill, Buns.

As always keep looking for good biscuits and expect (we’re serious) a lot of fun things to pop up this summer.

More talk of the namesake. This week The Biscuit and friends went on a stomach-stuffing eating excursion from one end of Franklin Street to the other in search of the best biscuit. Each eatery offered something different from the next, and, with a few exceptions, they were all pretty good.

We went from upscale with Crossroads at the Carolina Inn to standard with Ye Olde Waffle Shoppe to chain with KFC to try to find the most delicious one, visiting 11 different places in all.

It was hard to choose the best one, but check out the gallery (starting at the bottom of Franklin and moving up toward Carrboro) for commentary on each and then scroll down to see the winner.

The decision was tough but the battle’s victor is ::ahem:: Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen.

All in all, their biscuit tasted the way we thought the baked good should. It was simple, but delicious, the gold standard. A few other places, like Time Out and Elmo’s were very good, but they didn’t prepare the ideal kind of biscuit you think of when reading a southern tale or watching the Food Network.

There may be a few places we didn’t stop by because they were closed, so let us know if you have any other favorite places, or if you like a biscuit not offered on Franklin or living somewhere in Durham or Raleigh.

And one last thing, The Biscuit mentioned a few weeks ago that Bojangle’s puts out a mean biscuit. Although it’s not on Franklin and The Biscuit doesn’t like to support chains, when Bojangle’s does everything right, it’s a formidable opponent for any of the above biscuits, even at Sunrise.

Sorry Sorry Sorry for not being on here so often. As mentioned earlier, The Biscuit rows for the UNC crew team when he’s not eating. Well, because of that, he’s been traveling across the country (20 hours in cramped vans) and hasn’t had much computer time or many good meals (living on highway rest-stop fast food). But there will be new content!

Here’s a round-up/heads up with lots of news:

First off, The Biscuit is ecstatic to find a mention in Indy Week. Here’s a blurb from Triangle Restaurant Week:

“If you don’t want to leave your chair, you can still take a bite out of The Biscuit (readthebiscuit.com), a food blog based in Chapel Hill.”

It’s great to see people are getting to enjoy this. We’ll keep adding stuff, promise.

Next, The Biscuitionary hasn’t really been filled with anything, so we’ll be working on that.

Expect new stories, and the burrito is still looming, don’t worry.

Also, at the end of the month, The Biscuit will be moving to D.C. for the summer, so you can follow him as he navigates all the stately (ha) avenues and the city’s international cuisine.

Lastly, stop by Tienda, Taqueria y Carniceria Toledo’s on Jones Ferry Road in Carrboro next to the BP gas station for some cheap, greasy and good tacos. They’re only $1.75 and dripping in fat and C sanitation ratings, but they’re scrumptious and filling. Try the oh-so-tender beef barbacoa and the pineapple filled al pastor. Speaking Spanish definitely helps, so check out The Biscuit’s guide to ordering at Mexican restaurants.

Oh, one more thing for fun. The Biscuit has expanded operations back in Boston, opening an office and cafe. Just kidding actually, but The Biscuit saw this place the other week back home. The scones (closest biscuit item available) were tasty. Wonder who came first?

The Biscuit has to apologize for not posting recently. It’s been exam time in Chapel Hill, so everything is hectic.

There is the bad news that - for now - el gigante, the notorious 6 pound burrito, will have to wait to enter The Biscuit’s stomach. Though The Biscuit prepared for the past days to slay the beast, his challenger had to back out because of a prior commitment. But mark these words: We will go at the burrito as soon as we can.

If you’re still interested in the monster food, The Biscuit has found videos of two attempts, both with mixed success:

A group of guys

One teen failing

Hopefully those will give you an idea what we’re up against.

Anyway, things will still be a little crazy as the school year winds down. However, keep coming back.

In a few days, The Biscuit will post an interview with John Anderson, a professor of nutrition at the UNC School of Public Health, about eating healthy. Most content so far hasn’t been the best for the body, so it will have some useful info for stuffed guts and flabby abs and navigating through all this food.

So The Biscuit had realized there hasn’t been much discussion about it’s namesake on this site. Considering that the baked good is a daily staple for us, The Biscuit decided there needs to be more coverage.

From now on, when having a biscuit, The Biscuit will document it.

Hopefully one day we’ll pick the best one.

For now, let’s start off with a staple in the area, Bojangle’s. Yes, it’s a fast food joint known for chicken, but if you hit it at the right time, the biscuits are amazing.

Sometimes they might be a little dry or doughy depending on when you go. However, when they’re warm and fresh, they’re so light and buttery and delicious. Try it with loads of honey, the way The Biscuit most likes to enjoy them.

Keep coming back. There’s always fun stuff to share. The Biscuit is preparing to conquer a 6-pound burrito, but that might take some time to get ready for. And don’t forget to let The Biscuit know about your favorite biscuit!