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Cassius Belli
May 22, 2010

horny is prohibited

bartolimu posted:

Swap out the ketchup for TabascoCrystal and you're probably in the Deep South.

Tabasco's a vinegar sauce; you want Crystal for actual peppers. :colbert:
( Seriously the loyalty is strong there and many restaurants will have both in an effort to keep more customers happy. )

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I. M. Gei
Jun 26, 2005

CHIEFS

BITCH



Doom Rooster posted:

I would go check it out, but that would require me to go back and give money to Chuy’s.

You say this like it would be a problem.

SubG
Aug 19, 2004

It's a hard world for little things.

Errant Gin Monks posted:

Chuys and Tacodeli are dog poo poo. I’m from San Antonio. Fight me.
I've never been but the menu makes it look like an Applebee's with a touristy sombrero.

Like literally. According to the copycat recipe places, that creamy jalapeño sauce is apparently a slightly more boring version of something Applebee's makes, a quote Mexi-Ranch unquote (which is basically mayo and sour cream plus pico instead of just plus jalapeños).

And I mean if you're muy blanquito que fuckin Applebee's, man I don't even fuckin know.

BrianBoitano
Nov 15, 2006

this is fine



They're good salsas Brant

Eat This Glob
Jan 14, 2008

God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. Who will wipe this blood off us? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we need to invent?

prayer group posted:

The Burger Show makes me so drat mad. George Motz, the "burger scholar" guy who's in like every third episode, is way more knowledgeable, engaging, and interesting than Alvin Cailan, the actual host.

I always feel gross watching Alvin chow down, despite being fat myself.

Wungus
Mar 5, 2004

prayer group posted:

The Burger Show makes me so drat mad. George Motz, the "burger scholar" guy who's in like every third episode, is way more knowledgeable, engaging, and interesting than Alvin Cailan, the actual host.
Everyone's more knowledgable, engaging, and interesting than Alvin. He acts like a tenth grader doing an assignment where he has to pretend to be a reporter, rather than someone committed to the job.

e: That was a little harsh - he's not terrible, and he tends to treat everyone like a friend, but I'm not watching the burger show for Hanging Out With Friends. I'm watching it for burgers.

Wungus fucked around with this message at 13:40 on Jun 19, 2019

iospace
Jan 19, 2038


https://twitter.com/Cut4/status/1140759143478910978

Totally Reasonable
Jan 8, 2008

aaag mirrors


By far the weirdest part of this is seeing people at a minor league game.

bartolimu
Nov 25, 2002


Yond Cassius posted:

Tabasco's a vinegar sauce; you want Crystal for actual peppers. :colbert:
( Seriously the loyalty is strong there and many restaurants will have both in an effort to keep more customers happy. )

See? This is why I need to do my trip and write my book. There's stuff like this for every region and subregion I don't know about. America needs to know!

Whalley posted:

Everyone's more knowledgable, engaging, and interesting than Alvin. He acts like a tenth grader doing an assignment where he has to pretend to be a reporter, rather than someone committed to the job.

e: That was a little harsh - he's not terrible, and he tends to treat everyone like a friend, but I'm not watching the burger show for Hanging Out With Friends. I'm watching it for burgers.

I put it down to YouTube Personality Syndrome. There's a whole Digital Age behavioral suite that a lot of "content creators" stick to as a proven, marketable type. Alvin's not good at some of it (e.g., the sing-songy voice, or staring vacantly wide-eyed into the camera), but he's good at other parts (being a friendly dude; sounding like he's reading narration someone wrote for him, because he is and that's intentionally part of the aesthetic).

Also, First We Feast intentionally picks non-experts to host their shows. Their largely bad (and maybe cancelled?) Curry Show could have been really cool, but they picked a host who didn't like spicy food. She was fine personality-wise (had a lot of the same YT Personality Syndrome stuff Alvin shows), but didn't contribute much besides occasionally looking uncomfortable while eating a thing I desperately wanted to taste. I think FWF expected a newbie to resonate with fans who didn't know a lot about the thing being talked about, but in this case it meant she couldn't guide the discussion to get interesting content out of a bowl of brown goo.

What makes Hot Ones a good interview show is the painstaking research everyone does to make sure they get some good responses from their interviewee. Burger Show (and Curry Show) avoids researching so the host can find out at the same time as the viewer, and it's just plain less engaging. At least that's how I feel after growing up with David Attenborough and George Page knowing a ton of poo poo about horseshoe crabs before running down to the beach to film them. Maybe that's a generational difference.

Would still grab a burg or three with Alvin, though.

Doom Rooster
Sep 3, 2008

Pillbug

Errant Gin Monks posted:

Chuys and Tacodeli are dog poo poo. I’m from San Antonio. Fight me.

I am from Austin, and I will not fight you. I will only say that Tacodeli has one really good taco, and 1 REALLY good salsa, otherwise I agree.

I. M. Gei posted:

You say this like it would be a problem.

It would be a problem. It's awful. It's probably a case of me hating it more because it's mediocre, but people rave about it so I feel even more strongly the other direction.

It's super bland and boring, even by TexMex standards. It's basically the TexMex version of Bennigan's. If it were the only restaurant on a 200 mile stretch of highway while I was on a roadtrip, I would probably stop and eat there, but given where they are located, there are always a million better options within 1/4 mile.

Suspect Bucket
Jan 15, 2012

SHRIMPDOR WAS A MAN
I mean, HE WAS A SHRIMP MAN
er, maybe also A DRAGON
or possibly
A MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM
BUT HE WAS STILL
SHRIMPDOR

Totally Reasonable posted:

By far the weirdest part of this is seeing people at a minor league game.

Minor league baseball rules. It's a good place to hang out and drink mayo with friends.

Mr. Wiggles
Dec 1, 2003

We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Errant Gin Monks posted:

Chuys and Tacodeli are dog poo poo. I’m from San Antonio. Fight me.

Gotta agree with this. Like, I'd rather go get tacos at Bill Miller's and they're a fast food BBQ place.

Crusty Nutsack
Apr 21, 2005

SUCK LASER, COPPERS


bartolimu posted:

Regional food specializations are fascinating. It's easily accessible food anthropology, and there aren't nearly enough books being written about it. That goes further than just the foods being eaten - you can figure out where you are in the US by checking out the local diner's condiments. Southwest? You'll find Tapatio and/or Cholula. Midwest? Ketchup, maybe yellow mustard, and salt with rice in it to keep it from sticking together in the humidity. Swap out the ketchup for Tabasco and you're probably in the Deep South. Some day I'm going to do a road trip through the whole US and catalog diner condiments, then write a book about it because we should be the change we want to see in the world.

Along with the best drat interview show around, First We Feast on YouTube has a show about burgers that looks at super-regional variations pretty frequently. It's a neat look at edible Americana and I mostly enjoy it, despite it being slightly over-produced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdvZC91YpMs

George Motz and his porkchops are national treasures. He had a Hamburger America show for a while if you haven't seen it, where he goes to all the places he mentioned in this clip.

If you're into diners you should follow Doug Mack on twitter (though he tweets a lottttt, it's mostly interesting food-related stuff). Every Monday night(ish) he posts a diner content roundup from the week.
https://twitter.com/douglasmack/status/1138272769110659072

BrianBoitano
Nov 15, 2006

this is fine



Doom Rooster posted:

but given where they are located, there are always a million better options within 1/4 mile.

I'm from Texas, and the best Tex Mex in Tallahassee is Chuy's :shrug:

It serves a specific niche that doesn't overlap with La Tiendita or El Cocinero.

Doom Rooster
Sep 3, 2008

Pillbug

BrianBoitano posted:

I'm from Texas, and the best Tex Mex in Tallahassee is Chuy's :shrug:

It serves a specific niche that doesn't overlap with La Tiendita or El Cocinero.

Sorry, there may not be better TexMex options within 1/4 mile, so if you are suffering from an undeniable craving for Tex Mex, I can understand. I would just rather go eat at a good restaurant with a different type of food, than eat at Chuy's.

I. M. Gei
Jun 26, 2005

CHIEFS

BITCH



Doom Rooster posted:

It would be a problem. It's awful. It's probably a case of me hating it more because it's mediocre, but people rave about it so I feel even more strongly the other direction.

It's super bland and boring, even by TexMex standards. It's basically the TexMex version of Bennigan's. If it were the only restaurant on a 200 mile stretch of highway while I was on a roadtrip, I would probably stop and eat there, but given where they are located, there are always a million better options within 1/4 mile.

Where is there better TexMex food in Austin? Austin is like an inexplicable TexMex desert. If you know good places to get TexMex in Austin besides Chuy’s, you best get to talkin’.

Wungus
Mar 5, 2004

bartolimu posted:

Burger Show (and Curry Show) avoids researching so the host can find out at the same time as the viewer, and it's just plain less engaging. At least that's how I feel after growing up with David Attenborough and George Page knowing a ton of poo poo about horseshoe crabs before running down to the beach to film them. Maybe that's a generational difference.

Would still grab a burg or three with Alvin, though.

You, you're good people. I agree 100%

Doom Rooster
Sep 3, 2008

Pillbug

I. M. Gei posted:

Where is there better TexMex food in Austin? Austin is like an inexplicable TexMex desert. If you know good places to get TexMex in Austin besides Chuy’s, you best get to talkin’.

TexMex desert? Whhhhaaaatttt? It's certainly not San Antonio, but there's a ton of good TexMex here.

Off the top of my head: Trudy's, Papasitos(I want to dislike it because it's part of a big chain, but everything I have had there was good, and drat are their beef enchiladas the fuckin' best.), Rio Grande, Ramos, Vazquez #1,2,3 (TexMexMex), La Casita, La Cocina de Consuelo, Tamale House, Joe's Bakery, Habanero's(one of the absolute best, but has weird hours and cash only). hell, I wouldn't really recommend Matt's El Rancho, but it's better than Chuy's. There are probably dozens of others that surpass the bar of "better than Chuy's".

Doom Rooster fucked around with this message at 19:24 on Jun 19, 2019

Ben Nevis
Jan 20, 2011

I. M. Gei posted:

Where is there better TexMex food in Austin? Austin is like an inexplicable TexMex desert. If you know good places to get TexMex in Austin besides Chuy’s, you best get to talkin’.

Man, Chuy's is bad. I lived in Austin for a decade and it's trivially easy to find better places. If you're taking the Brian Boitano approach that something closer to authentic Mexican is insufficiently TexMex then I'd like to know where you draw the line.

Discendo Vox
Mar 21, 2013

We don't need to have that dialogue because it's obvious, trivial, and has already been had a thousand times.
...the subforum name swap is never going to stop tripping me up.

I. M. Gei
Jun 26, 2005

CHIEFS

BITCH



Doom Rooster posted:

TexMex desert? Whhhhaaaatttt? It's certainly not San Antonio, but there's a ton of good TexMex here.

Off the top of my head: Trudy's, Papasitos, Rio Grande, Ramos, Vazquez #1,2,3 (TexMexMex), La Casita, La Cocina de Consuelo, Tamale House, Joe's Bakery, Habanero's(one of the absolute best, but has weird hours). hell, I wouldn't really recommend Matt's El Rancho, but it's better than Chuy's. There are probably dozens of others that surpass the bar of "better than Chuy's".

You might be the first goon to tell me that Austin has lots of good TexMex options. Most of the posts I’ve seen on the subject say the exact opposite, and I haven’t personally been around enough to know any different.

Except for Trudy’s. I’ve been to Trudy’s a couple of times and you’re right, they are good.

Doom Rooster
Sep 3, 2008

Pillbug

I. M. Gei posted:

You might be the first goon to tell me that Austin has lots of good TexMex options. Most of the posts I’ve seen on the subject say the exact opposite, and I haven’t personally been around enough to know any different.

Except Trudy’s. I’ve been to Trudy’s a couple of times and you’re right, they are good.

That's mostly San Antonio folks talking poo poo. San Antonio is an absolute A+ city for TexMex, no doubt, but Austin is easily a B+ or A-.

Casu Marzu
Oct 20, 2008

Totally Reasonable posted:

By far the weirdest part of this is seeing people at a minor league game.

Not MLB baseball owns. Tickets are like $7 and the local guys here do all you can eat and drink deals for like $15. And the players gently caress up a lot more so the game is actually fun instead of for stats nerds.

The Midniter
Jul 9, 2001

Minor league baseball games are insanely cool and good.

That Works
Jul 22, 2006

Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy


Go to El Arroyo or something geez.

Chuys was meh when I lived in Austin.

Errant Gin Monks
Oct 2, 2009

"Yeah..."
- Marshawn Lynch
:hawksin:

Doom Rooster posted:

That's mostly San Antonio folks talking poo poo. San Antonio is an absolute A+ city for TexMex, no doubt, but Austin is easily a B+ or A-.

Also you fuckers didn’t invent breakfast tacos. Pinche pendejo Austinites

Doom Rooster
Sep 3, 2008

Pillbug

Errant Gin Monks posted:

Also you fuckers didn’t invent breakfast tacos. Pinche pendejo Austinites

Invented? Probably not. Have great ones and are known for them? Absolutely.

I haven’t done enough research on San Antonio breakfast tacos to say whether Austin’s are better or not. I should really remedy that...

Mr. Wiggles
Dec 1, 2003

We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.
I gotta chime in for San Antonio on this one.

Doom Rooster
Sep 3, 2008

Pillbug
Any recommendations next time I head down? Gotta have good salsa too. So many places have great tacos, but are let down by bland salsa, or have great salsa but inconsistent on the taco itself.

SubG
Aug 19, 2004

It's a hard world for little things.

Doom Rooster posted:

Invented? Probably not.
More like lol no.

The claim that Austin invented the breakfast taco is based on the first recorded use of that term. But there's ample evidence that the thing itself existed for over a century before it was called a breakfast taco. For most of that time it was just called taco---an egg and chorizo taco was just an egg and chorizo taco and not a breakfast taco, same as a bean and cheese taco isn't a `lunch taco' or whatever---and in fact there are sources that mention them before the word taco had even entered the English lexicon (they'd be called such-and-such on a flour tortilla or whatever).

Doom Rooster
Sep 3, 2008

Pillbug

SubG posted:

More like lol no.

The claim that Austin invented the breakfast taco is based on the first recorded use of that term. But there's ample evidence that the thing itself existed for over a century before it was called a breakfast taco. For most of that time it was just called taco---an egg and chorizo taco was just an egg and chorizo taco and not a breakfast taco, same as a bean and cheese taco isn't a `lunch taco' or whatever---and in fact there are sources that mention them before the word taco had even entered the English lexicon (they'd be called such-and-such on a flour tortilla or whatever).

Cool cool cool cool cool

I. M. Gei
Jun 26, 2005

CHIEFS

BITCH



That Works posted:

Go to El Arroyo or something geez.

El Arroyo’s sign game is on point and I need to eat there sometime.

ogarza
Feb 25, 2009

SubG posted:

More like lol no.

The claim that Austin invented the breakfast taco is based on the first recorded use of that term. But there's ample evidence that the thing itself existed for over a century before it was called a breakfast taco. For most of that time it was just called taco---an egg and chorizo taco was just an egg and chorizo taco and not a breakfast taco, same as a bean and cheese taco isn't a `lunch taco' or whatever---and in fact there are sources that mention them before the word taco had even entered the English lexicon (they'd be called such-and-such on a flour tortilla or whatever).

mexico says hi, breakfast tacos have existed for thousands of years

Brawnfire
Jul 13, 2004

🎧Listen to Cylindricule!🎵
https://linktr.ee/Cylindricule

ogarza posted:

mexico says hi, breakfast tacos have existed for thousands of years

Bullshit! How could flatbread and eggs have existed in conjunction with one another ever before in history? The modern era brought these two miracles of mass-production together, at last!

Waci
May 30, 2011

A boy and his dog.

ogarza posted:

mexico says hi, breakfast tacos have existed for thousands of years

Nobody wrote about them in English at the time though so nope they didn't

Croatoan
Jun 24, 2005

I am inevitable.
ROBBLE GROBBLE
HOT TAKE COMING IN FAST!

Mexican food is good. So is tex-mex.

That Works
Jul 22, 2006

Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy


I. M. Gei posted:

El Arroyo’s sign game is on point and I need to eat there sometime.

It's not an amazing restaurant per se but it's decent tex mex for pretty cheap and they also give you a lot. Their brunch offerings were really good and the nopalitos alone were worth going there to get. Also happy hour does some crazy stuff usually. When I lived like 100 yds away from it they would have $1 margaritas on Thursdays starting at 4pm and would up the price by 1$ every hour till it went back to regular pricing. They were cheap and watered down but being able to get a pitcher of frozen margaritas on a 100F day for $4 then walk home was awesome.

You can also walk across the street to Mean Eyed Cat which is (was?) a decent enough bar. I used to go grade papers there and sit outside with a cold beer.

Errant Gin Monks
Oct 2, 2009

"Yeah..."
- Marshawn Lynch
:hawksin:

Doom Rooster posted:

Any recommendations next time I head down? Gotta have good salsa too. So many places have great tacos, but are let down by bland salsa, or have great salsa but inconsistent on the taco itself.

Look you have to understand why San Antonio has better tacos than Austin before you go looking. Every halfway decent Taqueria in San Antonio makes its own tortillas from scratch daily multiple times a day. None of this store bought poo poo. If it’s not made IN THE loving TAQUERIA it’s garbage. 90% of the glory of a taco is in the tortilla. Salsa be damned. If you need salsa to make your tacos taste good your tacos are poo poo. It’s a condiment, not the main flavor.
That being said eat at these places
Rita’s Fiesta Cafe (we overheard that there were too many white people in the restaurant once by the old lady seating people. There was me and some random white kid behind us. No others)
Taqueria Datapoint (classic old school San Antonio taqueria)
El Taco de Jalisco (my old local taqueria, it’s on Vance Jackson right outside the loop)

Doom Rooster
Sep 3, 2008

Pillbug

Errant Gin Monks posted:

Look you have to understand why San Antonio has better tacos than Austin before you go looking. Every halfway decent Taqueria in San Antonio makes its own tortillas from scratch daily multiple times a day. None of this store bought poo poo. If it’s not made IN THE loving TAQUERIA it’s garbage. 90% of the glory of a taco is in the tortilla. Salsa be damned. If you need salsa to make your tacos taste good your tacos are poo poo. It’s a condiment, not the main flavor.
That being said eat at these places
Rita’s Fiesta Cafe (we overheard that there were too many white people in the restaurant once by the old lady seating people. There was me and some random white kid behind us. No others)
Taqueria Datapoint (classic old school San Antonio taqueria)
El Taco de Jalisco (my old local taqueria, it’s on Vance Jackson right outside the loop)

Will check those places out next time I am in town. I agree with you wholeheartedly on the tortillas, but do disagree on the salsa importance. You gotta start with a great taco, but good salsa is integral. Like, sure, a great poached egg with ham on a buttered English muffin tastes really good without hollandaise, but why the gently caress would you NOT want it on there.

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That Works
Jul 22, 2006

Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy


Errant Gin Monks posted:

Look you have to understand why San Antonio has better tacos than Austin before you go looking. Every halfway decent Taqueria in San Antonio makes its own tortillas from scratch daily multiple times a day.

Taco Cabana's do this.

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