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Sixty Grit mentioned seeing ZZ Top play in the early 70's which reminded me of my longtime fascination with that photo which appeared inside the album jacket of their Tres Hombres album. My first reaction to the photo (ca. 1973) was revulsion -- I was 13 and Chi Chi's had not yet made Mexican food safe in Wisconsin. Now I look at the photo with fondness and longing, perhaps as much as Trooper York delights in Italian food.
And I still don't know exactly what everything is in that photo. Help me out. Here is some background music for inspiration:
53 comments:
Too bad Chi Chis (HQ, Louisville, Ky) went bankrupt and out of business years back--didn't even manage to save the flagship original company-owned restaurant in Louisville..
(PS: A much better local Louisville Tex-Mex restaurant was the "Tumbleweed" (3 locations, iirc) but it was sold several years ago and I don't know if it continued under the same name or not)
I miss Chi Chi's.
Man, now I'm hungry again.
And now I have "El Paso" stuck in my head, too.
Is this Urgent?
Take your time, Lem.
Food as memory...
I'm guessing a Mexican platter.
A little bit of everything.
I spy my fave, enchiladas.
My grandparents always had canned tamales in the lower cabinet.
Are those nachos on the platter to the right?
So I'm having this gay wedding and reception at my house next month. The grooms(?) want it very casual with Mexican food. OK, casual and Mexican is what I'm all about.
About 40 people flying in from all over the country, so my house is full, and local hotels get the overflow. We all meet at my place and go to the beach (about 1 mile) to have the ceremony on the sand at sunset. Then, back to my house for food and drinks.
I have a huge steel barbecue we built at work for our company parties that will cook up the carne asada, ribs, chicken, shrimp, corn, baked potatoes, etc. There will be hand made fresh everything: tortillas, salsas, guacamole, mojitos, margaritas, tacos, and quesadillas, as well as nopales, and tunas(cactus pears) from my yard.
It should be very entertaining, as family on one side of the marriage is all mormon, and the other side is full-blown redneck. A lot of them are not down with the whole gay concept, but couldn't pass up the excuse for a LA vacation, and they have, for the most part, never met each other despite these guys being together for over a decade. I'm expecting and hoping for fireworks of the most exceptional kind.
Last month my 80 year old Mom had her spleen and part of her bowel removed in her third cancer surgery in the last 10 years, and she calls me the other day and says, "I'm feeling great", and I bought a new pump for my bicycle", and "I would really like to come party with you guys for the wedding". Well OK!, so now Mom's coming too.
I'm a very private kind of guy, and not real comfortable in crowds, so this is going to blow my mind. I'm looking forward to it though. It should be a hoot.
You know, I'm not even down with this gay marriage thing, but one of the guys already raised a family as a straight man, so it's hard to argue that he doesn't know what he's doing. Anyway, they are great guys who have been wonderful friends to me, my friends and family for years, and I'm very happy for the joy it's bringing them, and that's all I know for sure.
@bagoh20: My mother held her younger brother's wedding in our living room when I was 8. He was an atheist and they were French Catholics. Lots of champaign helped though what do I know, I was just a kid looking on. .
I'm guessing si.
My aunt said oui.
Not sure, but best guess:
On the right, a plate of nachos.
Main plate: in the front, enchiladas. That thing on the left, covered in (what appears to be) mole sauce: possibly a tamale or chile relleno? In the back, tacos. Well, two tacos, and a third thing I can't make out-- maybe just meat filling for make-your-own soft tacos (extra tortillas provided on the side)-- but they look like little cylindrical things, maybe flautas/ taquitos?
Reminds me of Mi Tierra in San Antonio.
Chi's Chi's..Tumbleweeds!!! You folks must think Sbarro is the place for Eyetalian and Panda Express for Chinaman food. If you want Tex Mex you go to fucking Texas, not some corporate chain.
Glad your mom's doing well, bago. Have a blast at the wedding :)
As a cook, a food-stylist, a photographer, layout editor, artist, and as diner, I am repulsed throughout my entire schizophrenia.
* There is way too much food on one plate for one person. Whoever ate that (nobody) is dead.
*A combination platter is one thing, but two of each is overkill that's why everybody in TexMexico is fat.
* Raw ingredients used to make products, raw corn for tortillas, then the tortillas, then the things made from tortillas, the full production line present on the dining table.
* restaurant cheese pre-grated that comes in giant bags sprinkled on everything. The same cheese tossed around everywhere on top of everything like tinsel thrown on a Christmas tree instead of placed carefully as icicles, and man, when your husband does that tinsel tossing just toss him out of the room and decorate the tree yourself.
* The serving table is the same as the preparation table is the same as the commercial items food production table. So are they dining in a dining room, a kitchen or a tortilla factory?
* nachos come first, with the beer, they're a separate thing. You don't have those with a full meal. What? no Sopapillas y miel?
* The composition is contrived for the purpose of producing a photograph, it is not depicting a moment in life or any real reasonable meal. It is suggesting life's abundance, but poorly, by attempting to show everything all at once, except the main thing, people there enjoying the bounty. Where did they go? Is this one of those Dutch-type moralizing "life is brief, your feast can be disrupted any moment" type paintings? No. It's not. It's just a huge pile of prepared food, and its elements, and its means of preparation, paring knife and such, and it's getting cold fast. Look, zing, the cheese turned to glue. And of course a rose and a cup of more pre-shredded cheese, mustn't run out of that. And in case you're slow on the uptake, Mexican jugs on both sides of the frame.
Gawd I hate these embarrassing revealing Freudian slips. I meant to say, "Nice pic. Enjoyed looking at it."
Chi's Chi's..Tumbleweeds!!! You folks must think Sbarro is the place for Eyetalian and Panda Express for Chinaman food. If you want Tex Mex you go to fucking Texas, not some corporate chain.
Nick, did eye tell you that eye found a pretty decent pizza place in North Hollywood. They cook it at the regulation temperature at the regulation distance from the wood pile using the regulation wood.
There is way too much food on one plate for one person. Whoever ate that (nobody) is dead.
Chip, the photo was staged by rock stars who later did MTV videos featuring women who were much too much woman for one man.
Heh, bag, that scenario sounds like a high concept pitch for a movie.
Also sounds like a hell of a good time-- in any case, a fascinating human experience. Good luck with the hosting & have a great time!
@Chip Ahoy: But really? you're all these things:
As a cook, a food-stylist, a photographer, layout editor, artist, and as diner,..
That's actually pretty impressive.
@Yashu: thanks for that 11:20 summary!
Chip, I think your reaction was the one they intended to produce. They also don't expect you to find those furry guitars and waist length beards to be the most refined tasteful look for singing "Pearl Necklass".
The photo is however a perfect example of 1970's Mexican American kitsch.
I was watching some video of Billy Gibbons today: some guitar lessons and and some videos of concerts. He's just an awesome player. An uncommon relaxed and fun style that would be one of my top choices if you could win a lottery and choose a talent instead of money. Second would be Le Pétomane.
@Nick: I think you're missing something here about Chi Chi's. When I was 13, there was no chance for me to travel to Texas. My dad wasn't about to go there on vacation. Chi Chi's filled a niche then. Especially in white bred places like Madison, Wisconsin. There was Taco Bell then, and that was real corporate. So it was that or nothing. I suppose in a purists' eyes, it should be nothing or travel. But travel is still a luxury (not to mention travail).
I also would like that talent that Obama has. I don't know what it is, but I know if I had it and walked out of the bathroom with toilet paper dragging from my shoe, that everyone would applaud. Half the people would be making fun of me, and the other half would be truly amazed at my poise, but in the end, it would generally considered a sign of exceptional intelligence. That's a cool gift.
The photo is however a perfect example of 1970's Mexican American kitsch.
If you grew up near the border at that time I'm sure the photo was no biggy. But for those in the interior, it was a sensory assault. It was future portended.
I think the photo perfectly represents what you would get if you put some Panama Gold, and some Texas boys in a Mexican kitchen with a compliant cook. With that in mind, it does tell a story of a time and place. It just ain't pretty, but I bet they ate it anyway.
Romance in Durango.
@yashu: Why is Bob in whiteface?
I eat Mexican food every day, and I lived in a Mexican family for 13 years and my call on Pollo's question is:
the center plate, clockwise starting at 12:00:
Tacos de carne molida
Tostada
Rice
Enchiladas
Refried beans
Chile Relleno
Plate to the right is Nachos
left of the plate is flour tortillas and an elote' (corn)
In the back: sour creme, chiles, tomatoes, cheese everywhere, and Inga halfway through a bottle of Tequila and just a split second after a shotgun off the doobie.
Beautiful summary, bago!
I'm off to bed to dream of that food.
@yashu: Why is Bob in whiteface?
Heh. You expect there's an answer to such an enigma? I have no idea. That's during the "Rolling Thunder" tour.
Incidentally (or not), IIRC, he was doing A LOT of cocaine at that time.
Trusting I am amongst friends hence such speculations such as here:
http://althouse.blogspot.com/2012/09/at-plaster-politics-cafe.html?showComment=1349073088834#c2555251633948740687
That Happened.
Too bad you went to bed chickenman. I've eaten at some of the best Tex-Mex restaurants in LA, San Antonio, you name it and The Tumbleweed was as GOOD as it gets. Owned by one guy w. three locations. Chi-Chis? Meh...you're right, typical chain fare for people that don't know--or even want to know--the real stuff..
NotquiteunBuckley, cheers, I remember that late night thread. For some reason, I remember a lot of those late night threads (about nothing in particular). I was fond (am fond) of the night owls who kept me company.
Here's the great clip NquB posted there, near a year ago. Love it. And the dancers, so groovy.
And, NquB, someone should write a song about Obama modeled on Georgy Girl. Now more than ever.
Why does the woman in that photo have a smudged left nipple?
When I was in Cabo San Lucas in '91 I had some Mexican food.
That is all.
chick, I plead guilty to being a food snob. However, my favorite food is peasant food of all cultures. I was brought up on it. I follow a simple rule. You eat the food indigenous to the region. Having spent a lot of time in Italy, you know there is quite a variety of food, depending on the region. That's because the local ingredients are what Italian food is all about. Corporate food is the antithesis of what food should be. Not only to they bastardize the culture, they don't adhere to the concept of "less is more." I'm not just talking quantity, but the number of ingredients. Italian food is just a small few, FRESH, ingredients, prepared simply.
Chi Chi's and Madison is interesting. When I moved to Madison in 1983 Chi Chi's was it. As you probably know, the company was started by former Packer, Max McGee. It was one of the few restaurant endeavors of athletes that had some success. Gino Marchetti, the great former Baltimore Colt, from the 50's is maybe the most successful. He started a burger chain in the northeast, Gino's, that was very successful.
Chi Chi's was the place when I moved to Madison. I'm sure it has a place in your heart as it does for many Madisonians. I know..when I got to Madison everyone told me, "You got to go to Chi Chi's". I had lived in places where there were Mexicans, so I knew Mexican food. I had travelled to Mexico. I had family I would visit in Texas. I went to Chi Chi's and was appalled. It was horseshit. No disrespect, I just say it the way it is. And chick, here's the problem. In the 90's Mexicans started coming to Madison in large numbers. They started REAL restaurants. However, cheeseheads resisted because it wasn't their beloved Chi Chi's. But, good triumphs over evil. Eventually, the real Mexican restaurants became popular. And, Chi Chi's died. Ironically, the aforementioned Tumbleweeds came to Madison about the same time as the Mexicans in the 90's. It was right across from the East Towne Mall. They were a couple decades late and struggled for a few years and died. Now, you can get some good Mexican food in Madison. However, when people ask me where to get Italian food in Madison I tell them the airport. Go to the airport and get a flight to the northeast or San Francisco.
I'm currently in Pittsburgh. When you're in Pittsburgh you eat Italian or Polish food. I went Polish last night. When we were in Newport, we ate seafood every night. Scallops, swordfish, mussels, clams, crab, etc. We were there 5 nights and ate different seafood every night. When I'm in Texas, I eat BBQ or Mexican. It's regional, a concept Italians understand. Corporations are evil purveyors of large quantities of bad cultural food.
I like that you bust my balls on pizza, pasta, etc. I admit I'm a snob of sorts. Food is important to us Eyetalians. But, we're not like the fucking French. You know that.
Annie and her butler w/ her "travel is stupid" rants is wrong on so many levels, food being one of them. They think they know food. They do get the fresh ingredients thing. But, they only understand the fresh ingredients in southern Wisconsin. And, as far as food preparation, they are pedestrian. But, they are much more snobbish than me.
The best Mexican food I've ever had was served up by the Mexican drywall crew that worked on the homes I built. I'd show up around 11 AM and they'd have an electric pan plugged in and a microwave.
Warm tortillas in the pan and fill them with microwaved leftovers from last night's dinner. Best food ever.
They were the hardest working people I ever hired. They'd show up at sunrise and work non-stop until the job was done, even if they had to sleep overnight in their van in the driveway. No music on the job, no chatter, just installers yelling dimensions to the guys who were cutting the sheetrock.
Haz, Absolutely! I have said I think we need to legalize all Mexicans WHO HAVE NOT COMMITTED CRIMES. Then, to compensate for those 17 million or so, deport 17 million deadbeats who don't have any work ethic. And, I found the best taco stands in San Diego by seeing where all the gardeners eat. Lengue tacos are killer!
Bagoh - Obama's talent is lying.
Lying to his sheeple. You don't want that.
Why just yesterday he farted these whoppers.
Chili Relleno on the left. Center front beef enchiladas, back center tacos. On the plate to the right guacamole and chips.
Horrible 1970's photography where everything is orange. James Lileks has a great website about regretable food and the bad presentation.
Chip Ahoy nails it.
ndspinelli said...
I found the best taco stands in San Diego by seeing where all the gardeners eat
This is exactly right. The best culinary development of the last 20 years has been the spread of hispanic culture everywhere. Chi Chis may have filled a niche in 1980s northern suburbia. But now there are authentic mom & pops everywhere. When I moved from Texas missing the mexican food was one of my longest lasting regrets. But they caught up. Now there are so many close by I can't frequent them all.
Marshal, The problem w/ the Chi Chi's of the food world is that they pollute the taste buds so that when a person tastes the real thing they whine, "It's not like Chi Chi's." Which in that case means it doesn't have 2 lbs. of horseshit cheese on it!
I don't remember whining like that when I moved out here.
I'm sympathetic with your ethnic food purity ethos, Nick. But if you can't laugh at the French and even the chef in "The Big Night," God help you get through life.
chick, You didn't whine because you've been around. You have travelled..you know that stupid thing to do! Folks like yourself are not the problem. But certainly you know the type folks of which I speak.
My overriding emotion for Primero in Big Night was empathy. The movie was VERY funny. I only wish my old man got to see it. His father, who started the family restaurant, was Primero. My father and uncle were Secondo. I've expressed my derision for the French and their haughtiness many times.
The French scoff @ any food not French. I love all types of food, as long as it's authentic and not corporate.
The best and most authentic Mexican food I have ever had is in the food carts at the Red Hook baseball field near the projects. There a bunch of illegals just set up a stand with a card table and a barbeque and started serving the best food you ever tasted. Just go to the bodega on the corner and get a bottle of beer in a paper bag and go to town. Now that's eating!
Mexican "culture" has spread here - child rape, uninsured drivers, illegals voting for democrats, ERs overloaded with free loading obese mamacitas and their thousands of offspring and no jobs for Americans who want to work.
Four houses are being built along the route I walk my dogs - yesterday I talked to a guy on site - he was the first English speaker I have seen there, and that house is now dried in.
One more thing, since I used to build houses and worked with Mexican roofing crews, how the fuck the the word "pistol" turn out to be feminine? La pistola? Seriously? What is wrong with you people - are you blind?
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