What's the Deal with the Frito Pie?

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by dayzella

I'm pretty sure chili whatever way is Cincinnati's signature dish, not Tulsa's.

The sausage rolls ... are they smallish, like a pig in a blanket?  The pictures of the ones on the internets from the UK and Australian are enormous and look like puff pastry, not refrigerator biscuit.

I want to go to Jim's Never on Sunday ... but mostly because I thought that was the actual name of the place.

Conan is right. The gyro is excellent and guaranteed to keep you burping its aroma for hours. I like their chili almost as much as Ron's. Its not chili if its thin. That's soup.

I have been visiting Jim's Never on Sunday Coney Island since high school in the late sixties when it was located downtown, on Main I think. The family is Greek and the old man was a hoot. He actually treated us kids as valued customers.

There was a popular Greek actress, Melina Mercouri, who starred in a movie called "Never on Sunday" in the early sixties. I guess that's where the phrase emanated.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

I don't ever think of chili over rice.  I've got the remants of a large NYD pot in the fridge.  I guess I'll toss the Fritos and try rice!

If you like the chili and it is seasoned to your taste, the starch component (pasta, rice, corn chips) is probably less important, although corn chips do add salt/corn taste.  For something different, try rice.

I have been eating chili over plain white rice for near 40 years now.  Love it.  I always make fresh rice (basic rice, not the quick type) and spoon the chili over it after cooking both separately; I don't mix the two until they are on my dinner plate.

[okieinla]

yum, sounds good. I printed out a good chicken white bean chili recipe from TW a few weeks ago. I think I'll try that over rice next time.

[joiei]

quote:Originally posted by dayzella

 The "green salads" I'm about to swear off forever.

Maybe you need to improve the level of the places you are checking out.  I order salads all the time that are anything but salad mix with a glob of dressing.

[Ed W]

Ah, the perennial question for chili aficionados is - to bean or not to bean?

I always include beans, but that's partly because I know that combining beans and cheese provides most of the protein you'd get from meat, but with no fat.  Besides, I'm cheap and I'll look for any excuse to put cheese on top of a plate of food.

[Renaissance]

quote:Originally posted by dayzella

I'm pretty sure chili whatever way is Cincinnati's signature dish, not Tulsa's.

The sausage rolls ... are they smallish, like a pig in a blanket?  The pictures of the ones on the internets from the UK and Australian are enormous and look like puff pastry, not refrigerator biscuit.

I want to go to Jim's Never on Sunday ... but mostly because I thought that was the actual name of the place.

I get the sinking feeling that this thread was started by a character named Davaz, who makes repeated attempts under various guises to first insinuate himself on the forum and then slowly and methodically insult every facet of our city.  Note the subtle digs toward unhealthy fare in town.  Next we're going to hear about what sophisticated menu options other cities have compared to Tulsa, especially Houston.

Oh, and for the record, only the Skyline variety of chili belongs to Cincinnati.  Other varieties can belong to other cities.  Of course, this troll is subtly insinuating that there is nothing original about Tulsa.  Just wait.  I've been reading this board for nearly four years, and that's what's going to happen.

[dayzella]

quote:

I get the sinking feeling that this thread was started by a character named Davaz, who makes repeated attempts under various guises to first insinuate himself on the forum and then slowly and methodically insult every facet of our city.  Note the subtle digs toward unhealthy fare in town.  Next we're going to hear about what sophisticated menu options other cities have compared to Tulsa, especially Houston.

Oh, and for the record, only the Skyline variety of chili belongs to Cincinnati.  Other varieties can belong to other cities.  Of course, this troll is subtly insinuating that there is nothing original about Tulsa.  Just wait.  I've been reading this board for nearly four years, and that's what's going to happen.

I am dayzella, period.  I don't play multiple handle online games on forums. And fwiw, from what I know about Tulsa so far I already know I like Tulsa a whole lot more than Houston.

Do you always greet newcomers to the boards this way?  Do you have a foodstuff you'd like to type about that is, to you, absolutely Tulsonian or Oklahoman?  

The dishes/concoctions I've found so far that seem to belong to Oklahoma and no where else are Choc beer and baked fudge.  Baked fudge is amazing.  I haven't tried the Choc beer yet - someone told me to go to Krebbs for that?

[Renaissance]

Every forum has its characters and quibbles.  We have a history of a particularly vicious little troll named Davaz who can't seem to leave the forum alone.  He keeps getting kicked off, and keeps coming back under new names, each time playing it cool for a longer time before he "turns the tables" and begins his insults.  The way you started this forum, asking whether fatty chili pie and bad salads were Tulsa's signature dishes, reeks of the kind of insincere snark that forum trolls often employ.

But, for now, I'll assume your snark is sincere and you're honestly curious about Tulsa's restaurant fare.  We've got phenomenal unhealthy, down home food in this town.  Frito chili pie is a perfect example--it's soooo delicious, but you just can't eat it every day.  If you're into meat, I love me some Oklahoma Style BBQ, or even better Elmer's (try the Badwich if solo, or Taste-a-plate with a group).  Another thing Tulsa does very, very well is the hamburger.  My preference is Brownie's, but there are tons of great burger stands in town.  Claud's, Arnold's, and Hank's come to mind.

BUT-

get ready . . .

If you want (in my opinion) THE quintessential downhome Tulsa dish, look no further than the Chicken Fried Steak.  This lovely tenderized beef cutlet, coated with flour or batter and fried to perfection, is a true delight that is much more rare (in its true form) than a lifelong Okie might believe.  Many restaurants nationally have some version on the menu, but this is usually a frozen patty similar to that which you would find on the menu of an old elementary school cafeteria.  Tulsa has a concentration of Chicken Fried Steak done right.  I recommend Tally's diner, and order it with the potatoes and peas, and iced tea on the side.  Crisp, fluffy, flavorful, filling.   Not exactly good for the arteries.  If you have room, do cherry pie afterwards.  

Other chicken fries of note:
The Corner Cafe
The Brook
The Diner (Main St. in Norman, OK.  Get it with fried eggs).

[safetyguy]

quote:Originally posted by Ed W

I'd never heard of Frito pie until I moved here.  My son loves it, but there's too much salt and fat for me.  I'd never heard of serving chili over pasta either, though that's some regional specialty in Ohio, I think.  Chill over rice, however, is now one of my favorites.

Seeing that I am originally from the Indiana/Ohio area, I have had many bowls of Skyline chili in my day. They do make a version that is served over pasta (not my favorite because I want straight up chili with cheese) You can actually try the chili over pasta at Steak and Shake (headquarted in Indianapolis).
The one weird thing about Skyline's chili is that they put chocolate in it. It definitely gives it a different taste.

[Renaissance]

quote:Originally posted by safetyguy

quote:Originally posted by Ed W

I'd never heard of Frito pie until I moved here.  My son loves it, but there's too much salt and fat for me.  I'd never heard of serving chili over pasta either, though that's some regional specialty in Ohio, I think.  Chill over rice, however, is now one of my favorites.

Seeing that I am originally from the Indiana/Ohio area, I have had many bowls of Skyline chili in my day. They do make a version that is served over pasta (not my favorite because I want straight up chili with cheese) You can actually try the chili over pasta at Steak and Shake (headquarted in Indianapolis).
The one weird thing about Skyline's chili is that they put chocolate in it. It definitely gives it a different taste.

I used to eat it at a three-way place in Chicago.  Actually, I went five-way, with the spaghetti, chili, beans, onions, and cheese.  I was trying to pack on the pounds for the cooooold winter.  [8D]  It tastes like they put cinnamon or allspice in it too.  Really unique stuff, that Skyline chili.  Although chili five-way isn't that unique--I first had it at Ike's on Admiral in Tulsa.

[joiei]

quote:Originally posted by Floyd

Every forum has its characters and quibbles.  We have a history of a particularly vicious little troll named Davaz who can't seem to leave the forum alone.  He keeps getting kicked off, and keeps coming back under new names, each time playing it cool for a longer time before he "turns the tables" and begins his insults.  The way you started this forum, asking whether fatty chili pie and bad salads were Tulsa's signature dishes, reeks of the kind of insincere snark that forum trolls often employ.

But, for now, I'll assume your snark is sincere and you're honestly curious about Tulsa's restaurant fare.  We've got phenomenal unhealthy, down home food in this town.  Frito chili pie is a perfect example--it's soooo delicious, but you just can't eat it every day.  If you're into meat, I love me some Oklahoma Style BBQ, or even better Elmer's (try the Badwich if solo, or Taste-a-plate with a group).  Another thing Tulsa does very, very well is the hamburger.  My preference is Brownie's, but there are tons of great burger stands in town.  Claud's, Arnold's, and Hank's come to mind.

BUT-

get ready . . .

If you want (in my opinion) THE quintessential downhome Tulsa dish, look no further than the Chicken Fried Steak.  This lovely tenderized beef cutlet, coated with flour or batter and fried to perfection, is a true delight that is much more rare (in its true form) than a lifelong Okie might believe.  Many restaurants nationally have some version on the menu, but this is usually a frozen patty similar to that which you would find on the menu of an old elementary school cafeteria.  Tulsa has a concentration of Chicken Fried Steak done right.  I recommend Tally's diner, and order it with the potatoes and peas, and iced tea on the side.  Crisp, fluffy, flavorful, filling.   Not exactly good for the arteries.  If you have room, do cherry pie afterwards.  

Other chicken fries of note:
The Corner Cafe
The Brook
The Diner (Main St. in Norman, OK.  Get it with fried eggs).

Some more CFS recommendations -
Caz's Chowhouse in the Brady District across the street from Tulsa Artists Coalition
Charleston's, at least the one on Peoria.

[TeeDub]

How could you all leave Shilo's off the chicken fried steak list?!?

51st and just west of 129th.

[Renaissance]

Haha - sorry!  Never been to Shiloh's (I'm more of a midtowner), but I looked it up and it looks delicious.  I'll have to go soon.  http://www.yelp.com/biz/shilohs-of-tulsa-restaurant-tulsa .  Also, back when it was open, Nelson's Buffeteria served up a mean CFS as well.

See the passion that chicken fried steak stirs in this town?  

[joiei]

I keep hearing about Shilo's.  I guess I will have to bite the bullet and make that long drive out to lower Tulsa (the BA) and check it out also.  How much gas does that take from Midtown?

[dayzella]

I'm slowly becoming convinced about the chicken fried steak.  I heard it described as a "chicken fry" the other day - that is totally Oklahoma food slang right there

Does Tally's on 11th make a pretty good one?  If I could try it close to home, I'd be happy.  I haven't had a chicken fried steak that was edible in over 20 years - I'd like one that is worthwhile enough so that maybe it could hold me for at least another 5.