City of Ate

Question Of The Week: Doesn't Thanksgiving Deserve Better Television Specials?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:54:30 -0600

All Thanksgiving gets is a lousy parade...

Yeah, there's that Charlie Brown deal. But it's nowhere near as popular as the Great Pumpkin bit or the famous Christmas episode. Daffy Duck did a couple of nice skits, but that was a long time ago.

Halloween and Christmas get all the good specials. All Thanksgiving ends up with is a Macy's parade and the Cowboys. And then we give the holiday a final slap in the face by adding a Lions game.

Is that fair? Why hasn't America's most popular family holiday resonated when it comes to cartoons and other specials? Are we afraid of offending the Indians? Hell, the Pilgrims gave 'em a good meal before sending them packing.

Results from last week, in which we asked (in a kind, loving, family-oriented kind of way) if there was a restaurant in Dallas that isn't full of douche bags:

And The Winner Is...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:04:59 -0600

Well, I'm running a bit behind with this, largely because Kristy Yang just came in from Vietnam with a bottle of...of...what the hell am I drinking?

It's been a busy week on the blog, too. A number of comments worthy of mention--and several deserving of a decent prize. So we had arranged for this week's top commenter to dine with Jim Schutze on Thanksgiving--until we learned about his Thanksgiving traditions.

Morally, ethically and (especially) legally, we couldn't follow through.

Once again, no one wins by reading City of Ate...um, that didn't come out right. Anyway, the week's crop of non-winners:

Handle The Proof: Hot Buttered Rum

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:51:26 -0600

In the classic film Northwest Passage, Spencer Tracy plays the legendary Robert Rogers. For those who didn't waste a portion of their youth reading about the French and Indian War, Rogers commanded a band of soldiers who wore green uniforms and fought "Indian style" in the woods of New York.

The film is a fictional account of Rogers' Rangers and their 1759 raid against an Abenaki village. Early on, there's a scene where Tracy mixes up a pitcher of hot buttered rum at some frontier tavern.

That scene--a bowl of steaming water, jugs of rum and Tracy scooping out mounds of butter and brown sugar--made me a fan of the cocktail, even though I'd never tried it at the time. It evoked warmth and fireplaces, camaraderie and a good, solid belt of alcohol.

What could be better?

Friday's Unverified Fact About Washington

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:35:29 -0600

Next week, we find out more about Oakland. For now, one final peek inside the beltway:

The 'Boys host the NFL's answer to the Washington Nationals on Sunday. Another fact about the team whose mascot wore a bonnet...

The Redskins earned the nickname "Hogs" not for their eating habits, as many believe, but for the pig-like squealing sometimes made by Redskins rookies during a particular hazing practice.*

*Source: The classic film Deliverance.

Hophead: Michelob Rye P.A. And Bavarian Wheat Outdo Some Craft Brewers. What Is The World Coming To?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:30:20 -0600

Jesse Hughey

Michelob Bavarian Wheat

Last week, Pyramid's Haywire Hefeweizen proved a tad, shall we say, underwhelming. This week seemed a perfect opportunity to try a couple of macro-brewed attempts at craft-brew styles, just to put things in perspective.

After all, if a relatively small outfit like Pyramid can't get the wheat-beer style right, surely a lowest-common-denominator, masses-pleasing corporate behemoth like Anheuser-Busch couldn't do a better job, could it?

And then there's this new "Rye P.A.," a rye-grain version of an India Pale Ale that Michelob came up with. That couldn't possibly be good, could it?

Could it?

Girl Drink Drunk: The Double-Wide, Anniversary Edition!

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:45:06 -0600

It's hard to believe that just over a year ago, I sat at a patio table at the Double-Wide with Jen as we got trashed on Hurritangs and I lost my camera. Oh, memories. Sweet, sweet memories. Well, since then, my girl drinkers and I (and a few boys thrown in for good measure) have put ourselves through the alcoholic wringer a couple dozen times for you faithful readers...and for fun. It is fun, I admit it.

So, it seemed appropriate that to celebrate a year of girl drinks, we went back to the start...where our GDD cohort Chelsea just happened to be celebrating her birthday with another one (the sixth annual, to be exact) of her charity rock shows, Cinco De Cha-Cha!.

Jen and I hit the D-W, each donned a complimentary sombrero and ordered up a Mi-Cha-Cha-lada, a version of the beloved michelada made special for one night only to honor the birthday gal.

In addition to the Mi-Cha-Cha-ladas, Chelsea had organized a banner line up local acts including the fabulous mariachi act, Mariachi Quetzal, who got a parking lot of early-comers moving and shaking...and who, incidentally, play every Friday night at La Milpa Mexican Restaurant in Denton. You want to see them. She also set up a salsa contest, provided a photo booth from which I procured three strips of classic shots and a tent of crazy good eats. And the decorations from Chango Botanica--so awesome. And all that was outside the venue where her rock show was kicking ass.

Mariachi Quetzal busts out some tunes.

But back to the drink...that's what you want to know about, right?

Review and Gallery: Geisha House

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:22:27 -0600

Sara Kerens

This week Dave takes a trip to Japan, or something like it, with a few visits to Geisha House, where sushi, oyster shooters and, yes, real chopsticks come together under one roof. As he writes, some visits to the Uptown spot left him more inspired than others.

The furniture's bound to be pretty consistent, though, so for a faithful look at the atmosphere the place offers, check out this week's Dish slideshow.

Hut's vs Dixie Chicken: College Town Clash

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:07:05 -0600

Alex Flores

In one week, the tea sippers battle that redneck military school for all important bragging rights. Yeah, Texas has to get past the Chickenhawks of KU first, while the Aggies go up against (yawn) Baylor. But on Thanksgiving day, it's either "Hook 'em Horns" or...what the hell does "Gig 'em" mean, anyway?

Every college town has at least one or two iconic hangouts, of course. Not being a graduate of either--and never having been to College Station--I posed the "which one place do alumni make sure to visit on homecoming trips" question to several people. Hut's, the ancient Austin burger joint came up. When I asked about a comparable spot in Aggieland, I was told that College Station is more of chicken fingers kind of town, with students flocking to places like Layne's, Chicken Oil, Raising Cane's and the great Dixie Chicken.

To which a UT (or TU) grad said "College Station is more of a chicken shit kinda town."

So it is with rivalries. But in a toque to toque battle, which school's hangout will come out on top?

Veggie Guy: Thanksgiving

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:40:40 -0600

I would've really liked to spend this Thanksgiving with my brother and sister-in-law in Northwest Spain. They throw an amazing bash each year for all of their American friends, then take it to the clubs for late-night dancing and drinks. Fun times, for sure!

My recently retired mother, however, has been itching to get out of Brownsville for a few days, so I nixed the European vacation and invited her over to Dallas for a vegan Thanksgiving.

Yeah, I know what you're thinking: tofurkey. But on past Thanksgivings together, Mom and I have slaved-away prepping black bean tamales, vegan champurrado (a spicy Mexican hot chocolate drink with masa, almond milk, and piloncillo), and vegan pumpkin pies.

his year, I kind of wanna take it easy. Here's what I'm proposing:

Thursday's Unverified Fact About Washington, DC

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:27:36 -0600

The 'Boys host the team of the '40s on Sunday. Another fact about the city built on disease-ridden swampland...

Because some people consider "Redskins" to be offensive, next year owner Dan Snyder plans to name the team after the southern dish of pig intestines.*

*Source: A delegation to this office claiming to be elders from the Paleface tribe.

Pairing Off: Campbell's Tomato Soup

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:48:42 -0600

Patrick Michels

Matching wine to tomato soup wouldn't seem all that difficult. Fine dining restaurants routinely piece together bisques and fresh purees, after all--and their sommeliers can generally cope.

But in this column we don't bother to make fresh, upscale, herb infused soups. That would require buying tomatoes, basil...far too much trouble, to start with, and quite expensive, considering how quickly real ingredients begin to rot.

A few decades ago Andy Warhol made his name celebrating on canvas the fact that most Americans succumb to convenience. This column, however, has always contended that wine goes with just about everything--from fast foods like McDonald's to the stuff you find on grocery shelves.

Of course, Campbell's poses at least one key problem when it comes to pairing.

Video: What Makes an Authentic Dive Bar?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:40:48 -0600

In last week's cover story -- which, for the next few hours, you can still find on a newsstand near you -- Jesse walked through a few of Dallas's most authentic dive bars, from the "all hours mixed-use dive" (Starlight Lounge) to the "dive where even your grandparents might get kicked out" (Ships Lounge).

We covered 10 bars in all, but while narrowing down our list we had to define just what makes a dive bar. Cheap bear, wood paneling, video lottery and low-budget decorations are all some of the hallmarks -- all things you'll find in plentiful supply at Cooper's Club in Oak Cliff, where we filmed the video above. Check it out for a little more about what defines an authentic dive bar, and take a look around the bar. Of course, we've also got photos from each bar in the story, here in our slideshow.

Days Gone Bite: The McRib

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:09:17 -0600

I was there when McDonald's introduced Shanghai McNuggets, asking staff members at stores around the nation to don replica coolie hats.

That was in 1985 or thereabouts--before corporate sensitivity training but long after Americans should have known better. I still remember an Asian couple approaching the counter at a McDonald's in Columbia, Missouri, glaring at those hats. Of course, in 1992, when presidential contenders Bush and Clinton both toured the Old South, at least two publications ran headlines describing their efforts to court the "Bubba vote."

Which, in a strange way, brings us to the McRib. The burger chain successfully tested the pork barbecue sandwich in several Midwestern states in 1981, introducing it nationwide the following year. Sometime in that first McRib push, McDonald's ran a commercial for the product featuring several smiling black faces.

I'm sure the company was trying to be inclusive--it was one ad amongst many, after all. But seeing that particular spot on television is the first thing that pops in my mind at the mention of the on again, off again sandwich. Yet the McRib has so many dedicated fans.

On The Range: Chorizo

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:12:25 -0600

On The Range is a weekly exploration of the history and lore of Texas menu items.

In Spain, as well as throughout Latin America, the dining public is big on pig. How big? Well, it is estimated that the entire chorizo production of Spain is 65,000 tons annually, more than the weight of 10,800 adult male African elephants or 406 Boeing 747s--which is equally hard to fathom unless you're into that kind of comparison.

Much of this sausage is made from fresh pork mixed with garlic, herbs, and paprika, then cold-smoked and cured over a number of months. The finished product is thin-sliced, similar to Italian proscuitto, and served as one of the star ingredients in Spain's numerous tapas bars.

But here's the real question: What's the difference between Spanish chorizos and Mexican?

Wednesday's Unverified Fact About Washington, DC

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:32 -0600

The 'Boys host a team whose fans dress as female pigs on Sunday. Another fact about Northern Virginia's attic...

As a rookie, Redskins great Dexter Manley was beaten up by the kid from the "I wish I was an Oscar Mayer wiener" commercial.*

*Source: A skinny gentleman who we saw in a bar one night using the "I starred in an Oscar Mayer commercial" line to pick up women.