Frito pie, BBQ crabs and more Texas food loved by our readers
Dear Texas history buffs,
Think Texas readers rarely let me down.
In a recent column, I asked which Texas dish best honorably stands in for the entire state.
Dozens of readers responded. The range of dishes stretched as wide as Texas.
Among the fresh candidate were pinto beans, Frito pie, barbecue crab and King Ranch chicken casserole.
In today's column, I report on the the delicious advice given by readers.
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THE COLUMN
Tastemakers: Readers share their favorite dishes from the Lone Star State
The ballots have been certified. The votes have been tallied.
The winners?
All Texans who love food.
On Aug. 30, I asked readers which dish best represents the entire state of Texas.
Monica Peters Hardy of Abilene summed up the range of responses best: "Texas is so culturally diverse that picking one favorite dish to represent Texas was difficult for me."
In particular, Hardy wanted to make sure that I didn't forget great German Texan dishes, especially those she craves from Fredericksburg.
About 60 readers wrote to describe their quintessential Texas dish. Yet many correspondents, like Hardy, could not choose just one. Too many mouth-watering options.
Some of the culinary candidates took me by surprise.
"I don't know if this can be called a 'dish,' but I nominate the humble pimento cheese on Texas toast for at least an honorable mention," writes Joe Starr, a longtime friend who lives in Houston. "When my family moved from California to Corpus Christi in 1972, I had heard of neither, but I soon became a convert."
Other dishes were new to me.
"We can’t possibly leave out BBQ crabs," writes Rima Isam Anabtawi, who resides on the Texas Gulf Coast, "Sartin’s Seafood Style — originating in Sabine Pass."
Then there were the readers who wanted it all.
"Breakfast tacos for breakfast," writes David Rojas, a former Austinite who now lives in New York City. "Brisket for lunch. Enchiladas for dinner."
THE PODCAST
On the latest episode of "Austin Found" podcast, J.B. Hager and I remember Jackie McGee, the first woman to serve as principal of an urban public high school in Texas.
HOMETOWN HISTORY
This week's Hometown History theme is food, food and more food
· From Abilene: Dixie Pig restaurant going strong after all these years
· From Amarillo: The Big Texan Steak Ranch celebrates 60 years
· From Austin: What did the early days of Austin's food scene look like?
· From Corpus Christi: Shoop's Grill was popular seafood spot in downtown Corpus Christi
· From Lubbock: Traditional Mexican fare has deep roots in Texas
· From San Angelo: 10 must-see spots to visit in historic San Angelo
· From Wichita Falls: A new buddy gets a taste of a longtime Wichita Falls restaurant
FUN TEXAS FACT
Spanish-language dramatic company attracts large audiences
On Sept. 11, 1891, the Solsona Dramatic Company, a family-operated, Spanish-language, professional dramatic company was reportedly attracting large audiences in San Diego, Texas.
After arriving from Laredo at the end of the previous month, the Compañía Dramática Solsona had first attracted small audiences, but its popularity quickly grew.
By March 1892, the company had apparently moved to San Antonio and performed each Sunday on a regular basis at the Teatro Salón San Fernando, which operated loosely under the auspices of San Fernando Cathedral.
The bill included a full-length drama of a moralistic, instructional nature with religious overtones, followed by a juguete cómico, a short comic play with songs. Compañía Solsona greatly helped to establish the theater as an important gathering place for the Mexican-American community in San Antonio.
(Texas Day by Day / Texas State Historical Association) READ MORE
TEXAS TITLES
I recommend: "The Third Reconstruction: America's Struggle for Racial Justice in the 21st Century" by Peniel E. Joseph
University of Texas professor Peniel E. Joseph, who teaches at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, breaks down three periods of racial reconstruction: one following the Civil War, another during the late 20th-century civil rights movement, and a third age ushered in by Barack Obama's election to the presidency in 2008 and the Black Lives Matter campaign that intensified after Trayvon Martin's killing in 2012.
Happy Trails,
Michael Barnes, Columnist
Think, Texas and Austin American-Statesman
Email: mbarnes@statesman.com
Twitter: twitter.com/outandabout
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Think Texas newsletter for Sept. 20, 2022
