When last we spoke I had set off on an enchilada hunt. This entailed begging Stingray to drive me—my bum leg has infantilized me to the maddening extent I must be toted like a warm six-pack—to iconical Tex-Mex dive Curra’s (the one on Oltorf). According to the sign, Curra’s is ‘the mother of all Mex.’ I don’t know about that, but it’s definitely the mother of something.
Above: my standard Curra’s order is ‘award-winning’ vegetarian enchiladas and a Dr Pepper in a giant plastic cup. The award was the blue ribbon at the annual Texas Cheese Smothering Contest. The enchiladas, filled with flaccid squash and mushrooms, are covered with approximately 38% of Wisconsin’s annual Monterrey jack harvest.
Below: There are always four stoned dudes skulking in the corner at Curra’s.
42 comments
Pony
August 29, 2006 at 11:59 am (UTC -6)
You must be feeling so much better, and just in time for the fall camping season. If a person had an an airstream a person could just take off. Wait, before you leave, what is a Dr. Pepper?
Theresac
August 29, 2006 at 12:11 pm (UTC -6)
Long time reader, first time poster.
Do people know you’re taking their picture and do they care?
Twisty
August 29, 2006 at 12:23 pm (UTC -6)
I’m pretty sure people know when I’m taking a picture; my camera is ridiculously obtrusive, about the size of a FEMA trailer. Sometimes I ask if people mind, sometimes I don’t. So far nobody has threatened to beat me up or smash my camera. One thing you don’t want to do, though, is photograph the bumpers of peoples’ cars without asking. I tried this once in a parking lot, trying to capture the enormity of the ‘support our troops’ car magnet mania, and found that people are enormously touchy about it. Funny thing.
norbizness
August 29, 2006 at 1:09 pm (UTC -6)
Pony: Go to the Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco, Texas for the full education.
I myself like the variety of Curra’s tamales, they don’t block me up for 12 days and the corn is ever-so-fluffy.
P.S. I’m the guy in the green hat with his back to the photographer. Pi Kappa Alpha 4-ever!
stekatz
August 29, 2006 at 1:23 pm (UTC -6)
Was Stingray having the exact mirror image of what you had?
Well, Twisty, if the enchiladas didn’t offer adequate distraction from all these sports corsets and sexbots and the lack of Cool Whip, at least big old godbag polygamist Warren Steed Jeffs finally got nabbed. Hooray!
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/08/29/national/a075459D95.DTL
Sara
August 29, 2006 at 1:31 pm (UTC -6)
Ugh, too much cheese and flaccid veggies. That’s what we get up here, all too often.
Sorry. I wish you better crunch and more sauce next time.
Mandos
August 29, 2006 at 1:38 pm (UTC -6)
I don’t mind flaccid mushrooms but the concept of flaccid squash, when it isn’t a pie, is kind of gross.
curiousgirl
August 29, 2006 at 1:39 pm (UTC -6)
occassionally i specifcally miss mediocre Tex-mex. MMMM curras. Bring me something fried.
langsuyar
August 29, 2006 at 1:45 pm (UTC -6)
1.) Ewwww. I’m sorry, but ewwwww.
2.) I think those are the exact same four guys who hang out at Tijuana Flats in Orlando every time I’m there. They must have dimension warping powers. That’s good shit they’re smoking!
3.) Stockholm syndrome a la Austria– http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5285290.stm . Watching the story unfold is just disturbing. And at every turn I see parallels to “normal” life under the thumb of the patriarchy. And throwing themselves under a train (like the girl’s captor) is exactly what those four dudes would do if tomorrow they woke up without their white male privilage. Lets aim for that.
Sylvanite
August 29, 2006 at 2:28 pm (UTC -6)
Oh, well. I ate at a Taco Hell today, so what do I know from good Mex? Flaccid squash would probably be an improvement. My arteries are certainly not thanking me for the Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes, even if they were perversely rather yummy.
Mandos
August 29, 2006 at 2:29 pm (UTC -6)
You think so? It might even be possible to aim for removing their privilege and having them NOT throw themselves under a train, no?
Sylvanite
August 29, 2006 at 2:30 pm (UTC -6)
Augh! Caught by the mod! What did I say?
Mandos
August 29, 2006 at 2:33 pm (UTC -6)
This seems to be a common complaint these days. The spamulator is set to being very zealous. I wonder if that’s getting to be as bad as having a less zealous spamulator letting some spam through.
Pony
August 29, 2006 at 4:15 pm (UTC -6)
I have never eaten an enchilada, and it looks like I’m never gonna taste a Dr. Pepper either. I’d be happy if I could just find a decent Jamaican ginger beer.
Thanks Nobiz I’ll trot right over to the museum.
Buttercup
August 29, 2006 at 5:50 pm (UTC -6)
“at least big old godbag polygamist Warren Steed Jeffs finally got nabbed. Hooray!”
I think it should be Warren “Steed” Jeffs.
that’d be funnie.
HusbandMan found an article where it said he had “material identified as being associated with a
prophet” in his car.
What is “material associated with a prophet”? Stone tablets? Holy water? Entrails?
If you’re ever out Pittsburgh way, try Mad Mex. They have the best ersatz tex-mex north of texarkana.
Twisty
August 29, 2006 at 6:43 pm (UTC -6)
Screw the spamulators! I’ve turned them all off, and still the regulars are getting nabbed. It chaps the Twisty hide sorely to discover in myself this level of incompetence, but there it is. I haven’t the slightest idea how to fix it. I blame incomprehensible code.
lavalamp
August 29, 2006 at 7:11 pm (UTC -6)
I think those guys were there the last time I was at Curra’s.
My favorite Curra’s dish is the margarita. The fish tacos are a close second.
langsuyar
August 29, 2006 at 7:21 pm (UTC -6)
Mandos:
Yeah, I -guess- so. I suppose there’s always that possibility. I mean, *sigh* if you insist. I just meant that, in the event that they woke up without white male privilage, it would be such an ungodly shock that their despondancy would drive them over the edge. I certainly didn’t mean for it to come off as malicious as it did!
wabewawa
August 29, 2006 at 7:34 pm (UTC -6)
Pony, you might be able to experience a reasonable facsimile of Dr. Pepper if you can find a Dr. Smooth up your way. Should be just the thing to wash down some poutine with.
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=491064
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=Dr. Smooth
Kwillz
August 29, 2006 at 8:13 pm (UTC -6)
I haven’t had a Dr. Pepper since I was a kid; and then it tasted like cherry coke. How would you describe the taste, Twisty?
Twisty
August 29, 2006 at 9:29 pm (UTC -6)
I cannot be objective about Dr Pepper. It is the national sodypop of Texas. I was weaned on it. To me it is an elemental flavor unto itself, like salt, or smoked sausage, or chocolate.
Mandos
August 29, 2006 at 9:40 pm (UTC -6)
Dr. Pepper can occasionally be found in Canada. I enjoy it very much.
Mandos
August 29, 2006 at 9:40 pm (UTC -6)
(Though living in the US now, it’s easier to find.)
Becker
August 29, 2006 at 11:19 pm (UTC -6)
Oh, and you know on the main page where it shows the last three commenters to a post? I’ve come to see it as a slot machine, and while I’ve seen two in a row, I dream of the day when I find the three cherries of
Mandos, Mandos, Mandos
Mandos
August 30, 2006 at 12:16 am (UTC -6)
And then what do you think you will win?
Becker
August 30, 2006 at 12:21 am (UTC -6)
A small, private glee.
Pinko Punko
August 30, 2006 at 12:48 am (UTC -6)
tf- I am running Bad Behavior and SK2 with Akismet plugin and only one person has been nabble-dabbled by the spamulator in the last two months. The key is Bad Behavior- it let’s you tweak the settings on the SK2 to be more permissive cuz BB catches most of the chumpwagons. E-me 3bulls, gmail if you want the settings.
Pinko Punko
August 30, 2006 at 12:48 am (UTC -6)
CURSES!
grrr kitty
August 30, 2006 at 7:52 am (UTC -6)
Since drinking an entire 8-pack of 20-oz. Coca-Cola while in the throes of nicotine withdrawal, I am no fan of soda. But Dr. Pepper, in nearly all of its incarnations, is dee-lightful.
I learned to love enchiladas in the kitchen of my Aunt Pat, who made the best ones this side of Heaven. Her tacos, flautas, and from-scratch refried beans were also beyond compare. On the other side, her influence on me also extended to a certain harshness of tone. Sometimes this is unintentional, other times not so much. All of this is my meandering way of apologizing for any lack of civility on my part here recently.
Cthulhugus
August 30, 2006 at 9:22 am (UTC -6)
Dr. Pepper is the nectar of the gods. I don’t drink any soda except Dr. Pepper. Anyone know why Dr. Pepper is so much better than Mr. Pibb? Cause Dr. Pepper when to medical school while Mr. Pibb was hittin’ the pipe. Stay in school kids.
Also, I like to eat a Zetajas(sic) when in Austin.
Sylvanite
August 30, 2006 at 11:26 am (UTC -6)
I always thought Dr. Pepper was cherry-vanilla flavored, until they came out with Cherry-Vanilla Dr. Pepper. My father has always insisted that it’s prune-flavored. Who knows? It’s just the bestest sody evah! I hate coffee, so Dr. P. is my caffeinated beverage o’ choice for those groggy mornings.
Mandos
August 30, 2006 at 12:20 pm (UTC -6)
I think it would be cool if one of the four stoned dudes accidentally came across this blog and said something entertaining.
Becker
August 30, 2006 at 12:55 pm (UTC -6)
Sylvanite, floating somewhere in the spamulator is a message I posted about the cherry-vanilla thing. I do believe you are right, that those are the essential flavors, and Cherry Vanilla is just more of it. And nasty, and packaged too similarly to the real thing in those 20 oz bottles, and easy to grab by accident and gripe gripe gripe.
JackGoff
August 30, 2006 at 1:28 pm (UTC -6)
I’m a refried beans and onions addict. Those enchiladas do look good! I make mine with chopped peppers, onions, refried beans (vegetarian, of course), and some chopped broccoli. OH MY JEEBUS is it good!
KMTBERRY
August 30, 2006 at 1:53 pm (UTC -6)
Is this POSSIBLE? Where do you live? (If it can even be called LIVING). England?
Dr. Pepper IS Prune-flavored. It is Excellent. It is made in Texas, but I have never been to any of the contiguous United States and found it unavailable..try Gas Station Food Marts. I mean if you aren’t in England.
On a side note: Curra’s south has exquisite beans and rice, and almost all of the varieties (black beans, pinto beans, cilantro rice, tomato rice) are vegetarian. Best spanish rice in town, I’d say.
Ron Sullivan
August 30, 2006 at 6:26 pm (UTC -6)
Dr. Pepper??! Argh. Oh my virgin ears, as the nuns used to say. (They did. They are. I mean, slipping a bit of tongue doesn’t count, does it? They’re still as empty as ever. Well, I’ve been known to stick a finger in. But I still get my Purity Princess Kit, don’t I?)
But Dr. Pepper. Man, that’s the next worst thing to Moxie. And Moxie must be carbonated Vicks Formula 44 only without the good durgs.
Pony, you bettah off. You have my sincere sympathy about the ginger beer, though.
bitchingbeaver
August 30, 2006 at 6:55 pm (UTC -6)
GOOD LORD YOU MAKE ME SICK, THE SIGHT OF YOU IS ENOUGH TO MAKE ANYTHING FLACCID.
Jezebella
August 30, 2006 at 7:15 pm (UTC -6)
As Dr. Pepper is the national sodypop of Texas, Barq’s is the national sodypop of Louisiana. It is a true sign of civilization if you can find a Diet Barqs at the convenience store. Once upon a time, before Barq’s was bought by Coca Cola, the ads said, “Is it Barqs or is it rootbeer?” Because really, it’s root-beer-ish, not rootbeer. Alas, Coca Cola deemed the ignorant masses incapable of buying a brown bubbly sugar beverage without a familiar word on it, so now it’s called “Barqs Rootbeer”. But it’s NOT. It is unto itself, BARQS, as Dr. Pepper is unto itself. Both are neither cola nor rootbeer nor uncola. It is a thing of wonder.
I miss Austin & San Antonio tex-mex.
Maybe the spamulator can be taught to recognize posts written in ALL CAPS, as sheer stupidity is undoubtedly too abstract a concept to teach to a robot.
Pony
August 30, 2006 at 10:20 pm (UTC -6)
Kmtberry I live in the wilds of Canuckustan. It may be possible to find Dr. Pepper in Montreal or some other city in the demi monde, but not where I live. Enchilada I’m still looking. If I do find it, it will be Nicaraguan, Chilean, or Ecuadorean.
stitch
August 31, 2006 at 7:54 am (UTC -6)
kmtberry, in defence (or not) of England, we do indeed have Dr Pepper over here, although I know of no-one who has ever knowingly tasted it. Being on a health-kick, I shall have to take y’all’s word about how divinely nectarish it is.
And Enchiladas, we got those, too. Although our dear government won’t allow us too many as we are all apparently obese to the point of melding with our couches now.
(wanders off muttering)
Ann Bartow
August 31, 2006 at 10:02 am (UTC -6)
If someone other than the radfem who blogs as “biting beaver” is posting comments here under her identity, without her consent, that person might want to take a look at this:
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sec_18_00001030—-000-.html
Ann Bartow
August 31, 2006 at 10:04 am (UTC -6)
If that link is wonky, try one of these:
http://www.panix.com/~eck/computer-fraud-act.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Fraud_and_Abuse_Act
http://cio.doe.gov/Documents/CFA.HTM