On The Range is a weekly exploration of the history and lore of Texas menu items.Take a couple slices of meat and stuff them into my flour tortilla, along with some handy rice, beans, salsa and, finally, jalapenos. We know the last ingredient colloquially as a pepper, yet pepper is…
The ‘Boys host those pushovers from SoCal on Sunday. Another “fact” about the land of vegetarians…Before joining the Chargers, running back Darren Sproles played the role of “Sprout” in Jolly Green Giant commercials.**Source: Some publication–most likely AdWeekly, Advertising Age or Mad Libs…
Each week the Dude Food guys assess the ‘masculinity’ of Dallas area dives. The more fried meat and junk on the walls, the better the rating…Humperdink’s 6050 Greenville Ave.214-368-1203Dude Factor: 7, or “____ her? I hardly know her!” on a scale of 1 (“…OF COCK.”) to 10 (“That’s what she…
There’s always that person at the annual company holiday party. That person who can’t handle their liquor. That person you tease the following morning when you pass their cubicle. I don’t have to keep explaining — you know who I’m talking about. And that person is very often me. It’s…
Almost a decade ago, I wrote this: “Every time this country ends up with a Bush in the White House, several things most assuredly occur: The government inflicts some regrettable incident on Japan, the nation tumbles into a recession, a presidential pet writes a book, and everyone worries about the…
If Memory Serves chronicles moments from my dining past, perhaps explaining why I’m so damn twisted.I can say this without flinching: my dad made the best fried catfish and–especially–the best hush puppies ever.Every Sunday without fail he’d stand over the stove dredging and splattering. It wasn’t always catfish. Sometimes he…
It’s freezing. I am always cold, by nature, but it is bonafide frosty. I need something warm in my belly, and I can’t believe it, but I am craving pho. My brother, with whom I work, senses my impending breakdown and says the six words he or anyone who’s in…
The ‘Boys host Philip Rivers and whoever else in on the Chargers Sunday. Another “fact” about socialism…Several superstitious members of the Chargers must have special pre-game meals. For example, Antonio Gates eats an entire container of Play-Doh before every game–and has done so since he was in Pop Warner.**Source: A…
I began to worry a long time ago–1985, more precisely.Not only was it the year an anti-christ appeared in the form of Don Denkinger (google ‘worst call in World Series history’ if you don’t recognize his name), but it was also the first time I heard college students refer to…
Via Real420 N. MacArthur Blvd, Irving972-650-9001I might be tempted to call this place venerable if it weren’t in Las Colinas. Restaurants just seem to have a little more staying power in that part of Irving.Of course, that’s probably impression more than reality. And the kitchen that chef Felipe Gaytan built…
Each week in ‘Knockers’ we order from a different delivery restaurant, assessing their efficiency and keeping a running score.Sushi World1001 Ross214-999-6050Promised Delivery Time: “between 15 and 20 minutes” Actual Delivery Time: 20 minutes Scoring summary: Easy online ordering: 0 Estimated delivery time and actual delivery: 10 No on-line menu: 0…
Tomorrow, UNT students with the munchies are going to have, like, the best day ever, man. The Little Debbie Cupcake Cars arrived in the Dallas area today, and will be giving out free samples of Little Debbies as part of the Share-A-Thon Tour. They’ll be in various Dallas locations today…
The ‘Boys host those baby blue bolts on Sunday. A “fact” about this country’s gateway to immigration…Although they claim to be part of the ‘land of fruit and nuts,’ the city of San Diego is actually the land of jellyfish and seagulls–local favorites that have not been popular as export…
After all, those things from the Collin Street Bakery aren’t bad. And the five or six people who take the time to do homemade ones the old fashioned way (steeped in booze) probably turn out brilliant cakes.Or maybe not.For some reason, few dishes besides rancid pork and salt-cured calf fries…
I may have mentioned a month or so back that we had finally come up with a scheme to give out prizes.Good ones, too: I have Jon Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, The Field Guide to Candy, Chili Madness, Cooking Dirty (has nothing to do with Blythe Beck) and other food-related…
For some reason I love old-school spirits like grappa and kirsch.Probably has something to do with alcohol content. But I also find the origins and longevity of these things fascinating. Kirsch is a cherry brandy, traditionally distilled from fruit found in the woods of France and southern Germany. You also…
“Do you want to go to this restaurant opening?” I asked my boyfriend as we were heating up leftovers. Checking the temperature of his canned soup, he replied, “Can’t. I’m broke.” To which I informed him, “It’s free, and it’s sponsored by champagne and vodka.” Apparently, I didn’t even have…
The ‘Boys travel to the Newark suburbs on Sunday. A final “fact” about the city not even native Americans wanted to keep…Manhattan clam chowder originally had quote marks around the word clam, as it was invented to clean up a tadpole problem in channels feeding into Gowanus Bay. They still…
Dearest Smoke,On two separate occasions you have wooed me and my posse with food and drink divine. I’m not even going to get into discussing the hominy casserole for fear I’ll abandon all responsibility and drive to you to eat it now. But the drinks? I would be happy to…
It’s not carbonated. It is aged for years in a variety of barrels, served in 2-ounce pours at room temperature, contains 27 percent alcohol by volume (54 proof, in other words) and carries suggested retail price tag of $150 for a 24-ounce bottle. And it’s beer. The 2009 version of…
In this week’s Observer, Dave takes a few visits to Hacienda On Henderson, where a great patio and a happening location serve as backdrops for the troubled kitchen’s Tex-meh cuisine.Though all is not well in the house of Hacienda, Dave writes that a recent visit suggested changes were underway. For…
You all know the story of nachos, how they were a novelty item until the folks at Arlington Stadium decided to pour orangish goop over chips. Then Howard Cosell raved about them on Monday Night Football and the rest was history.At least that’s how we heard the tale.In this week’s…
