Chocolate Whiskey Cake
The Wunsche Brothers Cafe in Spring, Texas (since 1902) makes a famous chocolate whiskey cake. It may or may not be the first chocolate whiskey cake, but there are claims that it's the best.…
Crawfish Taco
Crawfish tacos are a nice blend of Texas and Louisiana, perhaps inspired by San Diego's popular fish tacos. It's not known who first served this dish. Texas Monthly: December 2006The…
Enchilada Red (color of San Antonio Public Library, Central branch)
The San Antonio Express-News held a contest to name the color of the new San Antonio Public Library building (Central branch). In 1995, the entry "enchilada red" won. Some people love the…
Charlie Taylor (butter substitute)
"Charlie Taylor" (or "Charley Taylor") is the name of a butter substitute made by cowboy cooks. The name may have been taken from the Charlie Taylor of Charlie, Texas, but the…
Poppy Seed Dressing
Poppy seed (or poppyseed) dressing is often associated with Helen Corbitt, the Dallas cookbook author and Neiman Marcus food manager in the 1940s and 1950s. She admitted that she helped to…
Stable Row
New York has (or had) more than one "stable row." The "stable row" near the famous Dakota building, on Amsterdam Avenue from 75th to 77th Streets, failed to be landmarked in…
ShittyField, in Flushing (Citi Field ballpark, in Flushing, Queens)
Many New Yorkers wanted the new Mets ballpark (the one replacing Shea Stadium) to be named after baseball great Jackie Robinson. Citigroup offered to pay $20 million a year to name the stadium, and…
Pecosin’ (Pecosing) & Pecos Swap
"Pecosin'" is an old-time term that means to kill someone and throw the body into the Pecos River, often with weights so it drowns. Later, the term "Pecosin'" (or the…
“Land of Tall Women and Virgin Pines” (Piney Woods, East Texas)
"Land of Tall Women and Virgin Pines" is a very unofficial slogan of the Piney Woods in East Texas. Some say that it used to be called "Land of Virgin Women and Tall Pines." In…
Chili Mac
"Chili Mac" recipes are all over the internet. It's Southern comfort food -- ground beef, elbow macaroni, and tomato sauce (or something hotter). The dish dates to at least 1902.…
Chilaquiles
Chilaquiles is a Mexican dish of fried tortilla chips, cut in strips and topped with salsa or mole (or layered like a casserole). The dish (which is recorded from the 19th century) has become an…
Enfrijolada
"Enfrijoladas" are tortillas dipped in bean sauce, a recipe from Oaxaca, Mexico. Robb Walsh and David Garrido included enfrijoladas in their Nuevo Tex-Mex cookbook (1998). An…
Texas Tommy (dance)
The "Texas Tommy" was a popular dance about 1910-1913; it was even danced in the White House. The "Texas Tommy" dance was popularized around San Francisco, and was originated by…
Texas Tommy (ice-box cookies; hot dogs)
"Texas Tommy" is the name of a 1911 dance. A recipe for "Texas Tommies" ice-box cookies appeared in 1940, but the food name is largely of historical interest today. "Texas…
Big Enchilada; Full Enchilada; Whole Enchilada
John Ehrlichman popularized "the big enchilada" when Watergate tapes were released from 1973. Ehrlichman's conversation with President Richard Nixon had meant that U.S. Attorney…
Quesadilla
Quesadillas are an important part of Tex-Mex cuisine. A quesadilla is a turnover with filling, such as beans, cheese, rice, and beef or chicken. The Gebhardt Chili Powder Company of San Antonio has…
Cowboy Capital of the World (Bandera)
Bandera, Texas has called itself the "Cowboy Capital of the World" since the 1950s, and the term has recently been trademarked. The historic town is known for its many dude ranches.…
Harlem Big Apple Club Plaque Removed (2006)
Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food…
Machaca (Machacado con heuvo)
"Machaca" is Mexican dried meat or "beef jerky." "Machacado con heuvo" is when the dish is served with eggs. The names are Mexican, but the dishes are popular in Texas…
Texas Spaghetti (or Mexican Spaghetti)
What is Texas spaghetti? Some recipes call for ham and some newer ones include chicken. "Texas spaghetti" is probably another name for "Mexican spaghetti," a dish served since…