The Daily Show, Texas, and a breakfast taco walk in to a bar.......

Anyone who knows me will also know that I’m a huge fan of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  I admit to watching it daily – or should I say Daily? – therefore you can imagine my joy when, this week,  he spoke specifically about Austin, Texas – and it was in context and actually correct.

So you may have heard that Kim Jong-un is targeting a few select spots in the US for his nuclear hits, one of which is Austin.  How is this good?  It’s fodder for my blog – how can it not be good?  Anyway, there was a story on a major news network about it, which is included in this clip.  If you are impatient, skip to 1:48 in the four minute clip. Go ahead…I’ll wait here.  http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-april-2-2013/nuke-kid-on-the-block

What Jon Stewart says about Austin is so true – and I’ve addressed it in a previous post.  Austin is very un-Texas when considered in the context of the rest of the state.   Now that I’ve been here for a couple of years, I “get” Austin.  I like it and embrace it. (Probably because it’s like a warm and sunny Portland.)   So it cracks me up that Comedy Central and the writers at The Daily Show “get” it too.  I recently hosted friends from St. Louis here for a week (it’s great to be the destination for spring break – to have spring break-like weather) and I loved being able to show off Austin as well as Texas.  It occurred to me that I’m beginning to acclimate…it feels like home here. 

My home is really “in” to itself.  For example, here’s an actual menu item at a restaurant.  You’ll notice that this restaurant is a large national chain.  (Please, if you live anywhere else and you notice a customized menu item from this chain, make sure you tell me.  I’m not writing this to make sh*t up.  If this happens elsewhere, I need to know.)  That being said…the last two places I have lived (in the US) have not had so many state-specific references.  I’ve never had a Missouri Burger or an Oregon Wrap. 

Once again, it’s a uniquely Texas thing.  As far as I can tell, there’s nothing different about this taco – look at the picture.  But Texas DQ restaurants are calling it a Texas T-Brand Taco.  You can bet that it’s selling more than the regular taco (despite probably having the exact same ingredients.)  But that’s the thing…once you’re here, you want to be a part of it – you want to immerse yourself in Texas.  And unlike the way so many other places treat newbies, Texans actually want you to enjoy it as well. 

And while we are talking about food in Texas, can we discuss breakfast tacos? Oh. My. God.   Such a wonderful, tasty treat to begin your day.  Don't get me wrong - I love donuts as much as the next gal.  But about 30 minutes post-donut is not the best feeling.  However, 30 minutes post-breakfast taco will find you aching for more. 

I did a bit of amateur research on breakfast tacos – I’m not going to blindly pretend that Texas has the market on this concept.  But based on what I’ve found, it looks like we just might actually have the market on it after all.  And if I base this on what the New York Times had to say in May of 2010, I actually live in the city that “owns” it.  (That, and if you go by what my fabulous niece Sarah and her equally fabulous husband Zach have to say.)  But since you can’t contact Sarah, here is what NYT had to say: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/dining/10united.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Depending on where you go, there are a couple of variations on what to have on your breakfast taco.  For me, it always contains a minimum of bacon, egg and cheese.  If the restaurant offers refried beans, there’s no better way to hold your inner taco business together than a slap of refried beans in your burrito.  Since I’m not a spicy food kind of gal, I’ll always pass on the salsa…but there are plenty of folks who swear by a dollop of salsa on your breakfast taco at 7:30 am as the very best way to start your day.  No matter what you order, you’ll always get it wrapped in foil and you’ll always pay under $2.00 for it.  

So now that I’ve touched on one meal, stay tuned for my thoughts on the others.  It involves meat, barbeque sauce, meat, cole slaw, meat, bread, and more meat.  Oh, and some meat, too.