Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

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The Texas Bucket List – Pineapple Ninjaz on South Padre Island

May 17, 2020 by Shane McAuliffe

South Padre Island – When you find yourself in the tropical setting of South Padre, you have to find something with the same feel when it comes to food. All you have to do is step into the dojo of Jerry Leal, a native of the Valley, creator of Pineapple Ninjaz, who has a reputation for enthusiasm. “We call it creative. It’s crazy on that side of the bridge, but it’s creativity on this side,” said Jerry.

 While trying to pick his brain about pineapples, the plethora of people on SPI that have a passion for this guy passed by in packs! I know we have a lot of fans down here, a lot of people honk and wave at us, but Jerry seems to be more popular. That’s because Jerry’s lust for life and belief in his brand is infectious! “Of course dog, I wouldn’t be this confident if it wasn’t,” he said. “He’s a good guy. He keeps us going,” said Angela Ramirez, an employee at Pineapple Ninjaz.

Now this colorful character has a few products with pizazz. First off is a piña colada that doesn’t pack any punch. “This is awesome, man. I’m going to have to come back for more,” said customer, Johnny Garcia.  “That is the Piña Colada… It’s pineapple with coconut juice, ice, we blend it to make a smoothie. Pour it back inside the pineapple mug, and then we add fresh cut pineapple on top with your option of Tajin Chamoy.…Welcome to South Padre Island,” said Jerry. “Very refreshing beverage, you’ll really like it,” affirmed customer, Richard Gomez.  “Woo-hoo! Aloha, South Padre Island,” added customer, Edna Garcia. “It’s all natural, so it’s nothing that you have to really worry about making you feel uncomfortable… You’re going to feel delighted, and you’re going to keep going with your day here at South Padre… it’s going to give you a fresh burst of energy to keep exploring island life. That’s what we want you to do,” explained Jerry.

 

As for their food, it’s gets heads turning too. Angela Ramirez put together these pineapples covered with all sorts of stuff. “So what we love is seeing their faces as soon as we hand them the bowl, they’re like, ‘Oh my God, what is that?’” said Angela. “That one [the Big Baller Bowl] is going to come with Cajun seasoned jasmine white rice, grilled zucchini fries, lobster, chicken, and shrimp… This is all going to be in a half of a pineapple,” she said. The smell of lobster and shrimp cooking with drizzled pineapple juice is carried by the ocean breeze and it really does put you in the perfect place. Once everything is ready, it’s rammed into the pineapple and topped with a tail. “We put the tail in the back end as a garnish. So it’s probably one of the most popping things on Facebook aside from Justin Bieber, so it’s pretty photogenic,” joked Jerry.

The combination of flavors along with a few sips from a piña colada make the long drive to South Padre so worth it. It’s so savory right off the top, followed by a bit of that Cajun kick, that ties it all together nicely. “Bring an excitement to eating on the island,” said Jerry. South Texas, you are so unique. “This is like being on the big island of Hawaii. But I’m here on South Padre Island, no place like home,” said Johnny. Even the zucchini’s good. “The food is delicious,” agreed Edna. If you’re looking for big flavor, and you want to be a baller, Pineapple Ninjaz on South Padre Island is worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“I think this business has amplified the joy. I mean I’ve been blessed to walk a rocky road, but always gather knowledge through everything that I’ve been through, and reapply it. I’ve had the opportunity to see another day and just keep trying to do something better. And with this it just gave me the opportunity to kind of show out every single day,” expressed Jerry. “This is something that he conceptualized and has built on his own. And my hat’s off to him for that,” said Richard.  “It’s number one on my list, it’s refreshing, it’s sweet, and it’s tropical, and the place to be in South Padre Island,” concluded Edna. “Continue to try exploring flavor. That’s all we can ask for, and visit South Padre Island,” said Jerry.

 

 

 

Filed Under: All Videos, Bite of the Week, Food

The Texas Bucket List – The Beehive Restaurant and Saloon in Albany

April 17, 2020 by Shane McAuliffe

Albany—Albany, Texas is well known for its annual summer tradition of the Fort Griffin Fandagle and the Fort itself, but if you’re looking for a place to get a bite to eat in town, just buzz on in to the Beehive for some of the best steaks in the state. Housed in the old Beehive Saloon and the Fort Griffin General Merchandise store, the restaurant has that old school Lone Star State feel with an owner who was raised on the other side of the world. Ali Esfandiary grew up in Iran and he doesn’t mess around when it comes to cooking a good meal. “I promise you, you go check other restaurant for shish kebab, you never find one [like] I serve you tonight. You’re going to go, ‘Whoa!’” remarked Ali.

Ali and his brother Nariman started this steakhouse with a serious reputation way back in 1982. “I told my brother, you can run a bar. I mean, my wife run a bar. You run a dining room and run the kitchen with my two kids,” continued Ali, “That’s all we were. We started it. Which was very difficult.” Ali’s first test when it came to his new Texas restaurant, making one of our state’s favorite dishes. “’Can you make a chicken fried steak?’ I’ve never heard that. I worked in a French restaurant during college. I’ve never heard of chicken fried steak… [but] I say, ‘Yes sir. I make the best chicken fried steak you ever had.’ And he said, ‘Do you know how to make a gravy?’ I said, ‘Oh, gravy come with it. Yes, I make the best gravy.” His can-do attitude prevailed. “I told my brother, ‘It’s a piece of cake, man. I can do it. No problem,’” said Ali. “Oh my God, first day we open, 56 chicken fried steak we sold and I am in the kitchen all day with the little hammer. By the time I finish at two o’clock I had meat all over me, all over the table and I walked to my brother. I said, ‘I cannot do that every day.’ “We are very famous for our chicken fried steak now… I didn’t have no idea how to make it, but I made the best one,” laughed Ali.

While Ali has grown older, his affection for life lights up a room. “Another day above the ground is a blessing. People ask me, ‘How are you?’ I always say…’I don’t got a tags on my toes, I’m good,’” he said. Being from a faraway country, folks were a little unsure of this fast talker and his family at first. “It was very hard. Yes, of course, thank God I learned chicken fried steak and that was my success and after that the people come and tried it,” he explained. He continues serving Albany delicious food and charming hospitality alongside his daughter, Jessica.

Ali brings his best when it comes to beef. Cooking succulent sirloins, fine filet mignons, and ribeye cooked just right over a bed of mesquite charcoal.
“We get it. Our steaks are phenomenal, we know,” joked Jessica. She continued her thought on a more serious note, “Not that we’re cocky or anything, but we’re very proud and we should be because it is [true]. We pride ourselves on that.”

“It makes my night when I go to the table they said, ‘Oh my God, Ali, what did you do to this? It’s awesome.’ And when I pick up the plate, they grabbing the bread, cleaning the bottom of the sauce to taste and I’m going, ‘I did good,’” commented Ali. “Some of those plates, I don’t have to wash… I just put the food on and serve it again!” he joked.

While growing up in Iran life was a lot different. Ali’s father was adamant about passing on the American way of life to his children.  “He came to America a lot of times. That’s why he wants us to come to America. He saw the country land of opportunity, said you guys got to move to America,” he explained.  In 1968, Ali made the move but his relocation was more of an escape plan.
“When my father kicked me out of the, not house, the country, when I graduate from high school,” said Ali. “He wants me to get out because my father was very close to the Shah. Shah told my father, get your family out. When I left my country, in the airport I was saying goodbye to my mom and my father, God bless their soul. I said, ‘Dad you’re a Muslim. Mama is a Catholic. What am I?’ He said, ‘Son, don’t cheat, don’t lie, don’t steal. If you can help, help as much as you can and believe one God. All this religion, if you put it together is one God, and that’s all you have to do…’ I stuck with it since then.”

It took 10 years for his whole family to immigrate to the US and Ali embraced his new country and even served in the US Airforce.  “I love this country. I don’t know why not. How could you not love this country? Land of opportunity. Look at me. Didn’t have a dime in my pocket. Now look what I got,” he expressed.  Ali’s passion for the American dream is passed along in the passion for his food and the hospitality you receive when you walk in the door. “We want you to feel happy, we want you to feel euphoric. We want you to feel all these things. We want you to feel welcomed,” said Jessica. “They make you money. They come see you, so you better appreciate their business 10 times more than how much money you make. You should welcome them 10 times more,” said Ali.

Robert Duval is a regular, so is George Strait, and it’s not the million-dollar wall in the saloon that brings them into the Beehive. It’s the food and way Ali treats his guests– his constant care and attention detail. Ali is proof that hard work really does payoff. “God bless America. I’m telling you, man, you won’t believe it, in my heart how much I love this country. That’s why I did my four years service. I did my duty and raised four kids for this country on my cost. I don’t know what else to do. If they let me know I will do it, I have no problem. That’s all it is. It’s the greatest land of opportunity in the whole world, my friend,” concluded Ali. “I love it, man. I love it. I am tired, but I love it.”

Filed Under: All Videos, Food, People

The Texas Bucket List – 1775 Texas Pit BBQ in College Station

February 20, 2020 by Shane McAuliffe

College Station – Just a few miles from The Texas Bucket List Store and Studio is a bodacious BBQ joint that we just can’t keep secret any longer. It’s down by the Brazos River, but it’s not a van, it’s a trailer, and it’s called 1775.

1775 opened in 2017 but for owner Brad Doan, barbecue has been his business for life. He grew up in the Brazos Valley watching his dad work the grill and eating his mom’s delicious sides, so authentic barbecue is in his blood. “Growing up, my dad always had a charcoal grill, gas grills, and a smoker too”, he reminisced. “A lot of my friends growing up would always come to our house because we always ate good.”

He eventually joined the Army and spent three years stationed in Korea.  Although he enjoyed his time serving, afterwards Brad was ready to come home and get back to doing what he loves most, firing up the grill and working barbecues. He spent a few years helping launch a statewide BBQ restaurant brand, but ultimately, he decided he wanted to come home and build his own business in College Station.

Being a Texas BBQ joint, a lot of folks try to figure out what happened in Texas back in 1775.  Turns out the year 1775 is the birth year of the U.S. Army.  Brad wanted to give a subtle nod to his former branch of service so he named it 1775. Brad runs the place with the help of his mom, Belinda, and his dad, Mark. “There’s nothing like working with your family”, Brad said. “You really appreciate having them here on Earth and being able to see them each day and have them at your business”.

1775 Texas Pit BBQ offers a wide array of signature meats and sides, many of which we sampled during our visit. We started with a deliciously smoky turkey, moved on to a course of sausage, got our hands dirty with a rack of Duroc ribs, and finished off with a beautiful cut of brisket. Their loaded mashed potatoes and cornbread casserole made for the perfect sides to our truly Texas feast.  Trust me on the cornbread casserole.

After all of our Texas traveling, we know one thing is for sure. No matter where you go in this great state, you can always find good barbecue, but every once in a while you find something extra special and that’s what we found at 1775. .

 

Filed Under: All Videos, Bite of the Week, Food

The Texas Bucket List – Rocket Brews in Amarillo

February 12, 2020 by Shane McAuliffe

Over in Amarillo there’s a place for adults to get a to-go drink that really lifts off your engines for an evening out.  It’s called Rocket Brews, and when it comes to big, bold, boisterous drinks, they take things into another orbit.

Along the old Route 66 in Amarillo you’ll find a new way to get you kicks and I’m not talking about taking the highway that’s the best, it’s more like shooting off into space.

“I see why you call it Rocket Brews,” I said after taking a sip of the seriously stout drink.  “Yes, sir,” laughed co-owner Alex Morales.

Alex and his good friend Jesse Murguia grew up in Amarillo but took different career paths in life.  Alex is an occupational therapist while Jesse is a schoolteacher and when these two shared a dream of owning their own business, they knew they had to follow their own advice and shoot for the moon.

“Everyday I will tell them follow your dreams,” said Alex, refering to his job as a teacher.  “Do what you want to do and stuff. And it kind of got me to thinking maybe I should do the same, you know? And maybe one day I’ll go back to teaching, but for now we’re pursuing our dreams. Both of us,” he said.

“The elderly folks, they say minimize all your regrets by the time you’re 80 so you can die peacefully. Because they’d be like, ‘You know what, I wanted to go to Italy. Never got to it. Now I regret it,” said Jesse.

The two started a restaurant that required 19-hour days and didn’t amount the success they had hoped to have, so they decided to open something a bit more unique.  A drive through daiquiri dispensary that also dished out some mighty micheladas and crazy party trays.

I’m assuming there’s nowhere else in Amarillo like this place. “Not like us,” said Jesse. Yeah, you kind of cornered the market up here. “Yeah,” he said with a smile.

Rocket Brews is all about making some of the most bizarre but bodacious bebidas in the bomb city.

“We’re simply the best michelada,” said Jesse proudly.  Saying you’re the best michelada in Texas, man, them fighting words.  “In this mighty state of Texas. I’m a proud Texan, and it’s a big state, you know? But I’m willing to compete with anybody for micheladas,” he stated.

They start their recipe off with a signature michelada mix, add some cold beer, and then move on to the toppings. Peanuts, cucumber, beef jerky, hot Cheetos, celery, and shrimp are put in a cup on top of the drink. Top it off with a little tahini for kick, and you’re ready to toast to Texas with the most gourmet michelada I’ve ever seen.  The taste was terrific as well, the perfect blend of spicy tomato juice with just the right spice.

We promptly had to cool things down so the next thing we tried, “This is the craziest daiquiri we make”, said Alex.  Comprised of their secret daiquiri mix, rainbow candy, and cherries topped off with an energy drink and, yep, even more rainbow candy toppings. It’s truly a daiquiri with some rakakaka. At a whopping 17% alcohol, this drink, and all others offered at Rocket Brews, are bagged up for the road to be consumed safely once you reach your evening destination.

Supplying some leaded gasoline on Route 66,” I said after a small sip.  “There you go. Exactly. In old Amarillo, Texas,” joked Jesse. “You give me a daiquiri that’s 17% alcohol, you never know what’s going to come out of my mouth,” I let him know.

And to close out our orbit around Amarillo, the party tray. Offering six cold beers in a tray topped with chamoy, tajin, jerky, cucumbers, and cocktail shrimp.  This is what they need at baseball games.

 

So if you’re in Amarillo looking for an out of this world experience with elixirs, Rocket Brews is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“A lot of people always say there’s nothing to do in Amarillo. There’s nowhere to go. And I decided to stay in Amarillo, and we want to make a difference,” said Jesse.

 

 

Filed Under: All Videos, Bizarre, Food, Uncategorized

The Texas Bucket List – Woogie’s Sandwich Shop in Beaumont

January 28, 2020 by Shane McAuliffe

Beaumont—If you’re looking for a snack with sight seeing around Spindletop, do we have a savory sandwich shop for you! Over in Beaumont we found Woogies with a really unique offering known as the Swamp Thing!

“You know what you’ve got when you got it,” said Dawn Moses.

“It reminds me of my wife’s cooking.” said Louisiana native, Arthur Richey.

“There’s no sandwich shop in all of Texas like this sandwich shop,” claimed Patricia Brackin.

“There’s a couple of people that don’t like it, but 99.9% do,” said Candie Rutledge.

Candie, her husband Thomas and her daughter Montana take care of hungry customers looking for a crawfish pistolette without having to get pulled into the casinos of cajun country.

“From our door to the casino is 55 minutes… It’s bad. It’s not a good thing,” said Candie.

“Normally to get a pistolette like this you have to go to… Sulfur to get one that good with that kind of bread, and I don’t have to do that no more. [It’s] right here at home,” said Dawn.

“It’s authentic Cajun food,” added Arthur.

It’s not just the pistolettes that have people raving. There’s a particular sandwich that really gets things rolling known as the Swamp Thing.

Just think of the most ridiculous roast beef sandwich you’ve ever had topped with etouffee.

Now this whole Woogie’s thing was brought on by of all things donuts. In 2008, Thomas was tired of doing drywall and Candie has been driving a bus for 11 years so they decided to switch up careers.

“He calls me one day after my route on the school bus and he says, ‘Hey, there’s a donut shop for lease in Bridge City.’ And I said, ‘And?'” continued Candie, “he said, ‘You don’t think we can make donuts?’ I said, ‘I don’t know a thing about donuts. You know something about donuts?'”

That didn’t stop Thomas from taking the plunge.

“We’re there and he says, ‘Yeah, I think we’ll take it.’ I’m standing in the background going … ‘Say no, say no!’ And that’s how we got in the donut business, just like that… I was drug tooth and nail, okay? I was drug by the hair basically to there,” said Candie.

There was a learning curve.

“Our first dozen donuts we sold had to have 15 in a box because the donuts were so little,” she explained.

Eventually they found out the fryer was good for more than just morning pastries. Turns out putting some partially baked French bread in there makes for the perfect pistolette.

Once our breads are browned they’re built into sandwiches.

The pistolette is pretty easy, you only need one thing— Etouffee.

As for the Swamp Thing, it’s a combination of mustard, cheese, jalapeno mayo, lettuce, roast beef, and etouffee.

“In one gallon of etouffee we put three pounds of crawfish,” said Candie.

That texture of the bread is like a warm donut, but not a sweet donut, a savory donut with incredible etouffee in the middle.

“It’s the same way they do the bread back home,” said Louisiana native, Arthur.

“I love Cajun food, I love the roast beef, I love … I just love food,” said Patricia.

“Everybody needs to die with good food on their stomach,” claimed Dawn.

“So I mean, the bread, it’s just the bread. Just come for the bread,” added Patricia.

“There’s not a lot of places that have these outside of Louisiana. So when you find them and they’re good, you visit often,” said Arthur.

Filed Under: All Videos, Bite of the Week, Food

The Texas Bucket List – Mumphord’s Place in Victoria

January 13, 2020 by Shane McAuliffe

Victoria–On a sunny morning in south Texas, we found Mumphord’s Place.  A BBQ joint in Victoria where smoke fills the air while the 70’s soul fills in the gaps.

Here, they do BBQ the old school way.

“My business card says the real deal and that’s what I feel like we do. We do it through the old fashioned way and the real way,” said Mumphord’s Place co-owner, Ricky Mumphord.

Ricky and his brother, Keith, have been smoking their meats at Mumphord’s since 2000, but this tradition of preparation goes back way farther than that. It harkens back to their famous family get togethers that have been going on since 1904.

“Growing up as a kid, I bet you there’s 400 relatives at that family reunion. If you came late, you parked way down the road,” said Ricky.

The Mumphords can trace their roots all the way back to the 1800’s when their great grandfather was dropped off on Indianola Beach.

“The Mumphord side… that goes deep,” said Ricky.

Family is foremost in their lives and when getting together someone always had to cook. Ricky’s father and uncles would get the coals burning to prepare a legendary meal and the boys got a big lesson.

“When we were kids– thirteen, fourteen years old– my dad and them say, ‘Come over here,’ and he’d show us how to get that old hot fire. I remember being a little bitty boy, getting that old heat, just like back there now,” he recalled.

Ricky and Keith’s father never got to see their BBQ business, but he lives on through the tradition he taught his sons.

“We shovel those coals inside of there and that’s the only way we know how to do it. That would have been a nice… I could see him smiling. Yeah. He’d have been proud of us,” said Ricky.

“That’s what they do, man. They come in every day, they come in early, they fire up the pit… This is their calling,” said Victoria local, Kyle Pantel.

“They have a lot of history here in Victoria,” added customer, Reuben Ybarra.

Now when you make this much BBQ every day, a lot of wood is needed. Fortunately, Ricky’s got one of the biggest stacks, but only on Mesquite and Oak.

“Have to have it. For how we do it, we have to have that wood. Just keep it coming… Pecan’s a smoking wood to me, so I don’t like the pecan. It turns into ashes anyway,” he said.

With the sweet smell of smoke in the air, Ricky put together a platter of practically everything for The Texas Bucket List sampler.

Mike, the BBQ cutter at Mumphord’s Place, gets things started with chicken, sausage and brisket.

“We try not to give the fatty stuff unless someone asks for it, you know? And a lot of people like the marbling back here…the moist part, but there’s people that want that fat on that brisket which is I know very unhealthy, but that’s what they want,” said Ricky.

The early bird gets the ribs at Mumphord’s! Next on the platter are some well known ribs that are in high demand.

“Ribs… they sell out quick, though, every day. There’s no saving them…Get there early!”

To round out the platter, some slices of turkey, Mumphord’s one of a kind green beans, and potato salad!

“That’s the talk of the states. I’ve heard that people call from different parts of the United States, talking about the green beans. That’s a pretty neat feeling,” said Ricky.

Every item on The Texas Bucket List platter from the brisket, turkey, chicken, pork chop, sausage, ribs, potato salad, and the unforgettable green beans, have customers raving and craving for more.

“The food, the meat, you need to taste it,” said Linda Diaz.

“It’s delicious. Good old homemade cooking,” added Reuben.

“That’s some art, being able to smoke anything. I’ve tried, I’m not very good at it,” confessed Kyle.

From the smoked meat with incredible old school BBQ flavor, to the unique yet classic sides, Mumphord’s Place does not disappoint.

“Their green beans and potato salad; they’re like no other,” claimed Reuben.

“I don’t think you can describe them, man, you’ve got to try them,” said Kyle.

It’s safe to say that in Victoria, Mumphord is one of its favorite sons.

“The culture of it means a lot to our community,” expressed Linda.

“It’s one of the best barbecue places around, in my opinion,” said Kyle.

Well, if you’re ever in South Texas looking for some BBQ full of soul and smoke, Mumphord’s Place in Victoria, Texas is well worth the stop on the Texas Bucket List.

“My dad kept the family together. That was his whole thing about us. A Week before he passed away he told me, ‘You keep that family reunion going, stick by the Bible, and find reasons to get together’ and we’ve done just that,” said Ricky.

Filed Under: All Videos, Bite of the Week, Food

The Texas Bucket List Christmas Edition – Campo Verde in Dalworthington Gardens

December 18, 2019 by Shane McAuliffe

Dalworthington Gardens⁠—Just southwest of Arlington in rural oasis known as Dalworthington Gardens is a downhome Mexican restaurant where the Feliz Navidad feelings are never fickle.

“I’ve never seen this much tinsel,” commented Kate Bustos.

“It kind of takes your breath away. There’s a lot of lights in here,” added Rick Johnson

“This is the most amazing place I’ve ever seen in my life,” claimed Dottie Groves.

“It’s a celebration. It’s fun and the rest of the year, it’s just rice and beans every day,” said James Williams.

James has owned Campo Verde since 1978 and since 1983, they’ve been at this particular spot on Pioneer Parkway. When it comes to the holidays at this hangout…

“All hell breaks loose here,” said James.

He’s referring to the inordinate amount of ornaments.

“It really tells you who’s never been here. When that door opens and they walk through the door… Some of them just freeze, like, ‘Oh my God,'” explained James.

“When I walked in I was like, is this for real?” said Kate.

“This is crazy stuff. It’s amazing,” added Dottie.

“The Griswolds don’t have nothing on me. There’s no way!” joked James.

While the smell of sizzling fajitas fills the air, the sight of Santa staring down on you makes you realize Christmas is near.  But then again, the decorations go up in October and won’t come back down till April 1st!

“My customers get upset when I take it down,” explained James.

This tradition all started with James’ brother-in-law, Jimmy Irving, back in the 80’s, but today a girl named Gloria gets the in Excelsis Deo on decorations. Just don’t expect to see Gloria because she prefers to be a mystery of faith when it comes to the festivities.

“I mean, I’ll take credit for it because I’m in charge of it and used to do it all. But Gloria is the one that does it all now. Of course, we let her know it, too… She don’t want to be on camera… She’s bashful,” said James.

“She’ll be through by next Friday. She’s still tweaking. She’s got about another 600 feet of garland to put up in here. And these stars up here… She’s got about 28 more to put up. We even decorate the bathroom,” he explained.

“A little over 136,000 [lights], Twenty-seven, eight miles, four-color garland, about 75 [Christmas trees], 60 [Santa Clauses], probably 35 [angels], a thousand [Christmas balls],” listed James. “All kinds of stuff. We have fun with it, that’s for sure.”

As you can imagine, when it comes to the Christmas season at Campo Verde, it can get a little crazy around here.

“Every year, I say there’s no way we can be busier, but we are,” said James.

“People. They really like it. I mean, it’s just amazing. Last year… 150 people [were] outside waiting and more people walking up. And I was telling them, ‘You got at least an hour and a half, maybe two hour wait,’ and they didn’t care. That’s what keeps me going,” he admitted.

“When you walk in, this is what we used to do when we were younger, and you’d have garland everywhere. You don’t see that anymore,” explained Dottie.

“It kind of just takes you back to your childhood,” claimed Rick.

“You walk in the door and you see this, it takes you out of your head. It takes you in a whole new world,” said Kate.

While the Noel novelty is fun to see, it’s all about the celebration of Christmas, gathering together to enjoy a good meal and thanking the Lord for another year in the Lone Star State.

“The tears are held back because when you think about Christmas, I think about all of that, and what we used to do, and going down into our game room and having it decorated like this. It’s pretty cool,” said Dottie.

“You got to get some reward out of what you’re doing. I do. It’s not for me so much that makes you feel good; it’s seeing other people…The only thing I worry about, I really do, worry about paying the damn light bill,” said James.

So come hungry to Campo Verde but prepared to leave stuffed with Christmas spirit.

“Just to see this place is amazing. Whether you’re here from Texas or not, this is a place to see,” said Dottie.

“It’s a restaurant, but it’s an experience. I think that’s what people look for,” concluded Kate.

Filed Under: All Videos, Christmas Stops, Food

The Texas Bucket List – Mary’s Cafe in Strawn

November 13, 2019 by Shane McAuliffe

Strawn— If you ever find yourself driving between Fort Worth and Abilene, a stop in Strawn may not seem like something to steer for, unless you like Chicken Fried Steak.

“Oh my gosh, I was like, ‘I got to show you this chicken fried steak,'” said customer, Megan Cronkright.

“We always stop in and get chicken fried steak,” said another customer, Bob Nichols.

“I’d had no idea that it would be anything like this,” confessed Mary Tretter.

Mary is the reason people trek all the way to this small town for something a bit more sizeable than the city—massive meals.

“You never know [about the weekend]. I always say, ‘My business is like a man, it’s unpredictable.’ I always tell people that. It is, it’s crazy,” said Mary.

Considering she serves over 50,000 pounds of chicken fried steaks and over 200,000 pounds of potatoes every year, I think business is moving along just fine.

“They’re famous for their chicken fried steak,” said Megan.

“They just make good chicken fried steak,” confirmed Bob.

Mary got her first job at the only other restaurant in Strawn after the 8th grade. In 1984, she started working here at the restaurant when it was called the Polka Dot. By 1986, she owned the place and changed the named to Mary’s Café.

“It was tough. It was hard. I will tell you that. I’d wait for the restaurant across the street, for their overflow to come over here, and if I had five or six tables that night, I was excited,” explained Mary.

Things have certainly changed. Today there is a long line of eager eaters looking to fill their bellies.

“It’s incredible that she has maintained actually, I think that her business is probably stronger now, as strong as it’s ever been,” said customer, Bobby Schuman.

Mary is a very hands-on kind of owner—she does it all, so much so that people don’t even realize that she is the fabulous and famous Mary.

“They’ll stick their head in and they’ll say, ‘We want to meet Mary.’ And they’ll look at everybody but me, I’ll go, ‘I’m Mary,’ and I’ve got flour from head to toe, and they’re going, ‘Oh, you’re Mary?’ I go, ‘Yeah, I’m Mary,'” she said. “Sometimes I’ll walk by and I’ll hear somebody say, ‘I think that’s Mary.’ And I don’t say anything, because I’m just like them, just another worker… And if they go, ‘Can we have your autograph? Can we have your picture?’ I’m going, ‘Oh my gosh.'”

Mary was willing to showcase her signature dish, but she didn’t stop there.  She is also very proud of her two pound burgers.

Now, there have been a lot of burgers on the Texas Bucket List, but this is the biggest one yet.

“I’ve had some big ballplayers, him and his friend, they were both big guys. And they come in, they ordered a burger and an order of fries, they split it,” she said.

Since it takes about 30 minutes to cook the burger Mary got to work on a chicken fried steak right on the flat top.

“Right now, I’m [going to] just fill the grill with what I have. I don’t know how many will be on here. Probably enough for about four large maybe,” said Mary.

At Mary’s Cafe, the chicken fried steak doesn’t touch the deep fryer, Mary has her own methods.

“It’s too much batter. It is, just batter that you’re getting when you have chicken. We deep fry our chicken fried chicken, but that’s about it,” she commented.

The chicken fried steaks are finished off with a few final touches. Some butter is splashed on top along with a very secret seasoning.

The burger is topped with cheese and toppings while the chicken fried steaks gets a massive side of real mashed potatoes.

Although one would never expect such a gigantic hamburger to have such good flavor, at Mary’s the secret seasoning is the touch.

On to the star of the show, the chicken fried steak. The flavor, texture and taste of this Texas treat is totally terrific.

“They know how to cook one,” said customer, Bob Nichols.

Chicken fried steak, flipped on a flat top, has a much different texture than you would get out of a deep fryer. Not as crunchy, but just enough crunch to make it incredible. It sure keeps her customers coming back for more.

“Usually, chicken fried steaks are super breaded and it’s not as healthy. And I’m not saying this is healthy, but you know what I’m saying,” said Megan.

“The crust is right, and the meat’s not over done, and it’s just a very well cooked chicken fried steak,” added Bob.

“It’s word of mouth, reputation. Everybody knows, that’s ever eaten here, they remember,” commented Bobby.

Over the years, we have seen plenty of quality across the Lone Star State, and plenty of quantity, too. But Mary, she is the queen of both, making Mary’s Cafe in Strawn well worth a stop on the Texas Bucket List.

“As long as I know, and that man upstairs knows I’m doing my best, that’s all I can do,” said Mary.

Filed Under: All Videos, Bite of the Week, Food

The Texas Bucket List – Monteleone’s Ristorante in El Paso

October 30, 2019 by Shane McAuliffe

El Paso—El Paso is known for being the Sun City but it is what happens when the sun goes down that makes a little restaurant in the center of the city an eerie stop with some really good eats.

Now your curiosity will catapult as soon as you pull up to Monteleone’s Ristorante.  The façade of this not so fancy building is covered with crazy things but until you head inside you have no idea what is in store.

“When I brought them here I’m like, ‘Are you guys ready for this?'” said customer, Armando Ramirez.

The first thing you have to check off the list when visiting Monteleone’s is making sure you come in the right entrance.

“Definitely the back entrance, just because it’s the… spookiest,” said Armando.

“It’s kind of creepy,” added another customer, Crystal Villegas.

“Kind of a speakeasy feel to it,” explained Gary Monteleone.

Gary grew up in El Paso and in 2001 the former Hollywood set designer opened up this eclectic restaurant with his wife, Laura, to carry on his family’s tradition of authentic Italian cuisine.

“My grandparents were from Reggio Calabria, Italy. Real close to Sicily,” he said.

Homemade ravioli, the perfect pizzas, pasta, and flowing red wine bring in foodies from far reaches of the state, but so does the possibility of a frightening experience.

“I was never really a believer, but boy now, let me tell you, there’s no doubt about it. There’s a lot of things out here,” Gary confessed.

It turns on Monteleone’s is known for being a hot spot for folks from the beyond, perhaps hungry for one last meal or meddling with someone else’s.

“To experience for yourself, it’s incredible,” he said.

It all started when Gary expanded his restaurant to the building next door.

“We tore those walls down and then that’s when we found the documents from the spiritualist church that was here at one time,” he explained. “They do healings as well as doing seances. Or if you had a loved one you were trying to contact, that’s what they would do.”

Turns out some of those loved ones might have been left behind.

“We had both side blessed…Right off the bat… We felt comfortable with it. But… once we started doing construction… all this stuff started happening. Then it was a different feeling at that point,” he said.

One spirit in particular seemed to cause the most trouble for Gary.

“This spirit or ghost, whatever you want to call it, was strong enough to throw that one pound canister all the way through the door and end up in the middle of the dining room,” he continued, “so that’s what started to begin with, and that’s when we knew we had an issue going on.”

“He threw hot water on one of the ladies in the kitchen…. He threw a hot pan of lasagna at me. Luckily I was able to get out of the way. But that just tells you the strength of this guy. It was incredible,” admitted Gary.

Things were so bad, he didn’t even want to bring the priest back to the restaurant.

“We didn’t want to bring the monsignor back here because we didn’t want to… In case he was to get hurt or something,” said Gary. “I didn’t really know what to do. This went on for three years. We were just thinking, ‘Maybe we just need to sell it and get out of here.’ It was horrible.”

One night a woman came to eat at Monteleone’s Ristorante and claimed she too could sense the suffering spirit that was wreaking havoc on Gary, so she offered to her psychic service of serving the lost soul his eviction notice.

“They did a cleansing, and she was able to push him out,” said Gary. “We still have four adults here, and a little girl that came in with the gentleman that was giving us all the trouble.”

The five remaining spirits still like to have fun with customers and when it happens, it is for all to see.

“If people order a beer… and they want her to come to the table, we’ll give them the cap with the beer… You’ll see at first it’ll start to turn the cap, and then you’ll see it click. And if she’s comfortable with you, she’ll stay there the whole night… It’s uncomfortable to some people, but some people really enjoy it,” he said.

Despite having things like this happen, people still come for the food, and some for the chance of a spooky experience.

“I’ve come here with my daughter before, and we’ve had an experience where the glass slid across the table. And it was mind blowing to me, and it was mind blowing to her because she’s like, ‘The glass is wet.’ And I’m like, ‘There’s no water,'” recounted Armando.

Everything from our batteries to our microphones had issues, but in the end all we left with was full bellies, great stories, and a few goosebumps, making Monteleone’s a marvelous stop for hunger and hauntings on The Texas Bucket List.

“Even if you don’t see anything scary, the atmosphere is awesome… the food is great, and the people here are always so nice,” said Armando. “If you love creepy stuff and good food, this is the place you want to come to in El Paso. Hands down, no lie.”

Filed Under: All Videos, Bizarre, Food

The Texas Bucket List – Pennie’s Tex Mex Take Out in Galveston

October 27, 2019 by Shane McAuliffe

Galveston⁠—We’re always looking for good things on Galveston Island and when we came across a little restaurant known for barbecue, barbacoa and tamales it was time to live on island time and make a stop!

Sitting in the center of the city, Pennie’s Tex Mex Take Out is situated in a building that’s been around the block for 100 years and has always been home to some fine food.

“This is Galveston’s best kept secret,” said longtime customer, Robert Quintero.

“I come here at least once a week,” admitted Galveston local, Ben Faulk.

“The food is incredible and it has history,” said customer, Tulisha Dampier, “it’s just happiness.”

“We’re the best little takeout in Texas, man, I’ll tell you what,” said Cameron Moreno.

Cameron is the grandson of Israel Ochoa who was also known as Pennie. In 1978, Israel and his wife, Connie, bought an old meat market and continued the tradition of slicing beef with the added bonus of barbacoa and tamales.

“I came over here and I remember running around as a little kid, seeing them work and how everybody used to come in there. I love my grandfather and my grandmother, and it really put a spark under me,” Cameron explained.

Damaged during Hurricane Ike, the meat market that had been a part of the area for so long was forced to close its doors.  A decade later, a new generation decided it was time to continue the the tradition of cultural cuisine, with an added twist of Texas BBQ!

“Everyone wanted to see it. People loved my grandfather and my grandmother, and I can tell now more than ever in the way they come in and talk about them,” said Cameron.

They brought out the Tex side of things with the addition of BBQ to the menu, which can be a little confusing for folks looking for Tex-Mex of a different kind.

“Some people come in here asking for enchiladas and stuff…We understand where you get the impression,” he said.

Cameron’s dad, Louis, mans the smoker, his Mom, Isis, does anything and everything, while Grandma Connie is still on hand making sure her tamales are worth every cent.

“Oh yeah…She lets me know. I’m the boss in here, but when she walks in, she’s right there,” continued Cameron, “I tell you what. I say, ‘Yes ma’am.'”

“People love her tamales. There’s no doubt about it,” said Cameron’s father, Luis.

“I was real happy that they took it over because…they’re going to make a good business,” explained Connie.

Louis and Cameron put together a plate of monstrous proportions to please our palate. First up is the BBQ, along with ribs, sausage, barbacoa, and tamales!

“They [tamales] are extremely labor intensive. We have to close Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to make the tamales,” continued Luis, “It’s a process…it’s a whole lot of work.”

“Tamales are a lot of work and we concentrate on the one kind because we do it so well. We just want to make sure that each tamale is perfection,” Cameron explained.

Their hard work pays off! The hardest decision is what to order, because it is all that good.

“The barbacoa, in the morning, that is the best thing,” said Connie.

“Mr. Ochoa has a recipe that beats all recipes,” claimed customer, Robert.

“It’s hard to decide if do you love the food better or the family? Because they’re all equally as wonderful,” said customer, Tulisha.

So whether you’re looking for some Texas barbecue or some Mexican tamales, Pennie’s Tex Mex Take Out on Galveston island is well worth the stop on The Texas bucket List.

“It’s one of those Texas gems that you’re going to hear from someone, as word of mouth” Tulisha explained.

“Food is wonderful. People here are wonderful,” confirmed Robert.

“Before you kick the bucket…try Pennie’s,” said Connie.

Filed Under: All Videos, Bite of the Week, Food

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