Mangia ('Chicago Style Pizza')

Not worth it.

Maybe the one near you is good. Maybe, by the time you read this, it has improved. Maybe the chef had an off day.



It wasn't so much bad as almost completely mediocre.
We ordered an appetizer, along with our meals, which came with salads. The salads were the first course delivered.

We each received a caesar salad. The dressing was light - not bad at all, just a little sparing. I could count the croutons without having to take my shoes off, though. The salas could be said to be there just to whet the appetite, but if that was true, why were the pieces of lettuce so big? Overall I think it was just something to slap together to hold over the hungry customer for a few minutes.

When the spinach and artichoke dip arrived, I went from neutral to disappointed. They provided plates, but the dip went practically arctic almost as soon as it was out of the pot. I have no problem with the hard chips served, and could easily eat out of the serving dish, with the plate to catch drips, but none of this matters next to the taste.
I could honestly have made a better dip; the cheese was far too thick, smothering the vegetables almost completely. The taste too was too creamy; as a result it was almost impossible to taste the artichoke, except by picking it out and making sure that part got to your tongue first.
All in all, it was not well thought out, especially since it was a large and heavy starter; unwise if you want the customer to order dessert.

The pizzas we ordered arrived soon after we abandoned the dip; a very deep-dish, 'stuffed' pie apiece.
I can't speak for my mother's pie, but if you ever go, do NOT order the wheat. While the supposedly healthier (although I don't remember it being referred to as whole wheat...) crust option is characteristic for Austin, it tasted simply terrible, each bite leaving a worse aftertaste than before. Before I abandoned this as well, I tried my mother's method of forking the toppings out; sure enough, the dish improved immediately. The baked tomatoes on top were no treat either, but that crust made me wonder why the place was so packed.

Lastly, we got dessert - an Italian cream cake piece to share (someone should tell that/those waitress/es that waiting to bring the check until after inquiring if the diners want dessert is a good practice; we had to flag ours down).

This was, besides the salad, the only bearable dish in the place, really. Sugary cream-cheese-esque buttercream studded with coconut ran down the back; a decorative ridge of butter-like cream-cheese adorned the top; and a layer of vanilla icing held the two layers together. Walnuts ran along the bottom and throughout the cake; the cake on its own was not dry, but it was definitely improved by the icing. My only real complaint is that they brought us such a large piece (even for two) after such a huge meal.

In essence, if you try this place, avoid the artichoke dip, avoid the wheat crust; heck, just order dessert.

Tea

First of all, you have to understand a distinct difference between the North and the South.
If you're in the south, and you order a drink of water, there's a pretty good chance of ice cubes in it. The pitchers carried by waiters and waitresses often have a special side 'spout' that is designed to pour ice from the pitcher to the cup.
I have been told that if I order a drink in the north, it comes 'straight up', aka without ice.
This makes sense - it's generally colder the farther north you go (in the Northern Hemisphere, of course), so there's little need for ice, the opposite being true as you travel south. Apparently the Mason-Dixon line is the Ice Equator as well.
When in Texas (unless you find a restaurant trying to reserve resources, which generally warns you ahead of time), you will get ice in pretty much anything but milk and some kinds of juice.
You can of course ask for a drink without, but bear in mind that if you don't, it'll come on the rocks.

BACK to my initial subject; while we do in fact have 'gourmet' (as the grocery stores will tout it) teas, that is, things like Earl Grey, available, you should keep in mind that just because they say that does NOT mean that an English tourist will agree. But I'm talking about normal tea, Lipton packets etc. etc.
To some, the idea of 'iced tea' (which is pretty much tea on the rocks) is completely out of left field. To those of us used to 105-degree-in-the-shade springs, it is not.
There are two basic ways to get ice tea. One is to, of course, brew up a bunch of tea bags in hot water, allow to cool, and then drop a truckload of ice into it. The other way is to use special tea bags, designed to be used in cold water. However, this has a different taste than normal tea.
It's far more common to get ice(d) tea in a southern restaurant; if you want it hot, you have to specify. Most sit-down restaurants, the nice ones at least, have the option of 'hot tea' (yes, that is what you'll have to ask for!), and many have more than one flavor available. However, I wouldn't recommend it, unless it's winter or you get cold easily.

Another standard to keep in mind - and watch out for - is sweet tea. For those who are big on specific language, this'll drive you crazy - plain tea, without sugar, is almost universally referred to as 'unsweet' down here.
Sweet tea is almost definitely made so with white sugar. However, the usual rainbow-colored sugar substitutes are available in almost every restaurant, including (although much less so) Splenda. If you have dietary concerns, or simply do not like sugar, it's best to order the tea 'unsweet', and then flavor as you so choose. If you order in a restaurant without specifying, it tends to be a toss-up, so WATCH OUT!
Also keep in mind that everybody has their own opinions on sweetness. Some believe sweet tea should be impossible to move a spoon through, others prefer a more moderate taste. If you're filling a cup at an open soda fountain, which down here almost always have tea, it's a good idea to pour in just a little and then sip, to make sure the sweetness is alright.

There are a variety of specialty cold teas, many of which are worth at least one try. If you find yourself in the South, have a taste; in fact, it'll probably be preferable, considering the likely weather.

Dr. Pepper

For those who live away from the South, this may be completely unfamiliar. That's understandable, as it's something of a local product.

Dr. Pepper, referred to by some as 'D.P.', is a soft drink that comes in a dark red can with white letters, which are underscored by a lighter red line. The diet version is vice-versa save for the line. The caffeine free version is an odd muted gold with the normal kind's coloring, and the caffeine free diet looks like the diet with a gold circle denoting its attributes.

Like all sodas, Dr. Pepper is difficult to adequately describe. It is not at all like Coke, or really any other soft drink. It has a very mellow, sweet, and fruity flavor, but is not like punch. It is not nearly as acidic as Coke, not as sweet as root beer, and not as over-flavored as fruit punch (has anyone else noticed that punch leaves a weird dry feeling afterwards, like it's dehydrating you?).

It goes down very smoothly, and is easy to both sip and chug. The diet has less body and a more noticeably artificial taste, but is still palatable. The caffeine free version is not consumed as often, but as best I can describe the flavor is closer to the original than diet. Diet caffeine free tastes like diet.

Dr. Pepper's flavor is very complex, leading to the '23' ads in the last few years. Unfortunately they have now slapped the number on the cases, which makes them seem odd to a regular customer.

Dr. Pepper is actually similar to Mr. Pibb (anybody remember that? It's still out there...), in that Mr. Pibb tastes a lot like DP and root beer being mixed with a tiny amount of Coke.

Like all sodas, the container makes a difference. Personally I think Dr. Pepper is better in glass bottles. Sometimes these have cane sugar in them, but they're so unfamiliar now I can't really tell you if they're better or worse. Of course, personal opinion is key. If you like it one way, enjoy it.

Dr. Pepper is a familiar face to those down South, and you may well find it an option someday soon, whether while traveling, or if it reaches your area. Either way, I suggest you give it a taste if you have the chance. Just a word of advice - don't let the first drink be Diet.

Nuts for Pecans

I've recently realized the pecans are not common nuts. To those who've never heard the word said, there's two ways: 'pee-cans' and 'peh/puh-cahns'. Yeah, I use the second one.

A pecan is an oblong nut, with a pointy tip on the dark brown, striated shell. It's fairly easy to crack, revealing the treat inside. Pecans kind of look like two ax-head shaped spaceships glued together; I suggest you look it up for a better image. It's easily to crumble or snap a piece off and pop into your mouth, and it also freezes well.

This nut is special in that most of the time, it has an innate sweetness. Good in pies, cookies, brownies, fudge, on ice cream or just on its own, the pecan is a versatile nut.

You heard me right - nut pies. A pecan pie is special, and also a little odd. It involves an egg-and-corn-syrup caramel gel, with the top usually completely covered in nuts. There are a variety of ways to bake it, depending on crust, depth of gel, etc. etc., but one thing for sure is that those who dislike sweets should only get a small piece. But if you've never had one, it's definitely worth a try.

Round Rock Donuts

To those who have been to Round Rock, a suburb of Austin, you probably know what these are.

Once you've tried a Round Rock Donut, you won't eat any other kind.

Dyed(?) orange and covered in crumbly yellow glaze, it's deeply contrasted from a perfect, white Krispy Kreme donut. There was in fact a Krispy Kreme for a year or so in Round Rock, but ultimately it went out of business; the only other name donuts available are HEB (another local franchise) bakery donuts and Shippley's.

The home-made appearance of the Donut is an effective marketing idea, but not the only thing that has us coming back for more. Not only is it a sweet treat, but the rough texture of the sugar, the light marks of a fry basket, the slightly eggy taste, and the sheer joy at eating a fresh, warm Round Rock Donut is not to be forgotten.

There are several varieties of this confection, including the aforementioned plain, the chocolate (lovingly smeared with a top layer of thick chocolate icing, for those with especially strong sweet-tooths), cake Donuts (for those who prefer the less sweet, drizzled with a light, clear glaze), and many more, including the enormous Texas Donut, which comes Plain or Chocolate and is big enough for twenty people to share; I've never seen anyone buy or attempt to eat one, but I'd be surprised if one person could carry it alone.

The building itself is situated across from the First Baptist Church of Round Rock, in downtown Round Rock; it's common to see church members, especially Sunday School leaders, carrying boxes of dozen Donuts and bags of Donut Holes in to their class.

If you've never had the opportunity to taste a Donut, and you find yourself in Austin, it's a good idea to run by and try, even if you buy just one plain. And for those who don't like donuts, pies and cakes are also available at the Round Rock Bakery.

Well, well, ...POST #1.

I think the first issue I'll address is heat.

This is, I feel as a Texan, a very important component of any dish. Even if the item is not supposed to be spicy, that is still a level of spicyness.

One big problem with heat - spicyness - is that all too aften it's just there. And while I can take the heat, in a situation like that I'd rather abandon it at a bus stop. ><

What I'm saying is, if the dish is going to be spicy, that still means that the dish should be spicy, not that it should have heat AND flavor. The two should be combined as best you can.

The main reason why this is so difficult is that spicyness is not an actual flavor - it's an indication of pain. If you feel the heat and then taste the dish, or vice versa, it's not half as pleasant as when the two happen in unison, see what I'm saying?

There are some really odd - and good! - uses of heat out there. One that's more in the first category would be 'Good and Hots' (or was it Good and Spicy?) a variation of Good 'n' Plenty that had cinnamon added to lemon, orange, apple, and -yes- CINNAMON pellets. I'm not sure if it was good or not, but I'll remember it to my dying day.

Another one was when my parents and I headed to Rio Grande, a Mexican restaurant in a strip mall. I particularly love going there because it's the only place I know that serves horchata, a sweet, milk-like Mexican drink that - I discovered by trying to make it - is made with basically sugar, water, almonds, and rice.

One notable thing is that Rio Grande has HUGE glasses. They're a little taller than the plastic red/brown ones you get at restaurants - you know them, the ones that always have 'Coca-Cola' on the side in scratched-off white - but at least twice as big around.

On our most recent trip to the place, I ordered a dish with beef, and amongst other things, seared jalapeno halves.

Understand this - I'm a bit vain when it comes to my culinary skills, using or tasting, so I figured I'd be okay with the peppers, even though I actually rarely eat them.

So when I try one carefully, it turns out to be the smallest - and most seed-free - on the plate. I feel no heat, think I'm fine - so I stuff the biggest one, that's a huge pepper AND more than half, into my mouth.

There's not much to describe the experience. I DO know I drunk more than a quart of horchata, maybe closer to a gallon of liquid including my dad's water (he got a pepper at the same time as me) and it still wasn't enough. The thing is, searing, as my mom says, brings out the most flavor - and heat - in jalapenos.

I had gone to the bathroom and rubbed cold water - and maybe a paper towel, but at that point my brain was shutting down - and went back to the table, at which point a second horchata had arrived. I was thanking God that the Mexican people provide lots of rice, guacamole, and tortillas with their food, because I emptied my plate of all three, and I think most of the beans (but those come out pretty hot and stay that way for a while.). I normally hate avocados (texture) and dislike guacamole, but like they say, any port in a storm. Or beggars can't be choosers, maybe. In any case, I have DEFINITELY acquired an appreciation for the dip/side/dish/sauce.

Oh, and for those of you who don't get a chance often with hot foods? Dairy and/or bread products are the best neutralizers, when it comes to peppers. Drinking water after jalapenos is like having an ice shower after walking through poison ivy - it just spreads the oil around. I know this for sure - that water only made matters worse, and I ate three tortillas in record time, despite having intense nausea decide to visit its friend, tongue-killing-heat. I seriously had a hard time swallowing. I'll be more careful next time -_-.