Looking in the RDU Area for Bacala or Bacalao

[burgeoningfoodie]

This is basically salted cod but depending on your ethnic background it may be spelled or pronounced slightly different. Any ideas? I'm pretty sure Southern Season doesn't carry it.

[TerryG]

You might want to check with Antonio's, the Italian Gourmet Market in Lafayette Village in North Raleigh.

[burgeoningfoodie]

Almost never in that area. I saw a bag of frozen bacala for 15 bucks. Not sure why it needs to be frozen if it is salted. Do we have a store that sells a lot of Spanish goods.. NOT Mexican.. Spanish..

[meatn3]

There is a Hispanic market on Capital Blvd., just S. of the split with Louisburg Rd. It is in the plaza with Burlington Coat Factory at Buffaloe Rd.. They seem to always have it.

There is also a little restaurant in there that looks interesting - need to try it sometime.

[rockycat]

That's El Mandado. It's a pretty good market. I used to eat in the restaurant regularly and it's not bad at all. Not fabulous, but not at all bad. I stopped eating there when Fonda opened as Fonda is closer to my office and the food there is better.

[meatn3]

Yes, that's the name! I've recently moved closer to this area and have started stopping in. I still don't have a working kitchen, so just picking up fruit and cheese for my little cooler.

I was impressed with the variety of chorizo - I think there were 5-6 different regional/National styles.

[Tom from Raleigh]

When we lived in Raleigh, I'd get tacos there from time to time. They had this spicy neon green salsa with avocado that was great. El Mandado also has a tortilla machine. Their fresh tortillas are great.

Meatn3-
There's a gas station further down Capital that had a counter style Mexican restaurant that was good. You should check it out,

[meatn3]

Thanks for the leads!

With the move I don't get by Hodges St. for the food truck there very often. As good as they are, their hours often don't coincide with my hunger...

[meatn3]

Tom,

Were you referring to the BP station just south of Old Buffaloe Rd.? I was in there last month and noticed a good sized restaurant but it had already closed for the evening.
Looked like a number of steam tables - looked promising!

[burgeoningfoodie]

I'll check Whole Foods in Chapel Hill tomorrow since there is a basketball game tonight and everything will get congested. I am familiar with La Tienda though their stuff may be nice and more authentic than what you get in say Whole Foods, they are definitely more pricey. Thanks for the suggestions. I think the closest Compare Foods for me is the one on 15-501 just before getting to Blackwell St.

[brsmith2]

The Whole Foods in Cary has a bin of it sitting out all the time right in front of their seafood case. I'd call to make sure but I'm pretty sure it's always there.

[supernc]

I have a Norwegian friend who cooks it for a Christmas Tradition every year. He gets it at Whole Foods- Wade Ave Raleigh.

[libeerian]

Whole Foods on Wade Ave. has had frozen salt cod, which is more or less the same thing. It worked fine for the recipe we used it in. I've also seen it in Grand Asia, but not on a regular basis.

You can also order it from La Tienda, though it's pricier...but their stuff is nice. www.tienda.com

[boaviagem]

You can also order salt cod (and excellent Portuguese linguica and chorizo) from Amaral's Lisbon Sausage in New Bedford MA. www.amarals.com The salt cod is under the "other local favorites" category.

[boaviagem]

Try Compare Foods in Durham.

Does anyone know how long this will keep in the refrigerator. I have a piece I keep forgetting to use. I think I bought it about 18 months ago.

[Tom from Raleigh]

You don't need to keep salt cod in the fridge. It is salted as a way to preserve it against spoilage. This process goes back more than 500 years. I think of it as one of the original processed foods.

I've seen it in International Foods in Raleigh, which used to be called Compare Foods.

[LulusMom]

I've asked about it at WFs, and sometimes they've said they'd be willing to order it for me. I've done this with a number of different semi-odd seafood items, and sometimes they come through, and sometimes they don't.