This post comes a bit late, but it took some time to assemble a photo collage of memorable eats. It’s only natural now that it’s 2018 that most folks reflect on the past year and compile a list of the best experiences.
While I worked hard to populate my Yelp 100 list over the course of several months, I have to credit these standout food stops for furnishing me with some of the tastiest grub of 2017.
Munay Kitchen Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken & Grill
Cattleack BBQ, a top 10 finalist in 2017’s Texas Monthly top BBQ joints, now offers an online form for pre-ordering. You can pre-order a minimum of 10lbs of meat that you can then pick up at their restaurant on Thursday or Friday only. Previously, you could call or email Misty with your order and confirm your credit card over the phone. Now there’s an additional disclaimer of “first come, first serve”. Once upon a time, the minimum was 5lbs, but with their recent addition to the BBQ royalty elite in Texas, I’m sure Cattleack will be hard-pressed to keep up with all the requests for their great barbecue!
Summertime in Texas, specifically in DFW, means all things BBQ. As a follow up their their Top 50 BBQ guide, Texas Monthly‘s Daniel Vaughn lists the roundup of all the smoked meat goodness to found in Dallas, Ft Worth and surrounding counties. Finger lickin’ good!
I grew up with Filipino desserts that featured tapioca pearls known as sago. I’ve had them in hot drinks (sago at gulaman), cold drinks (halo-halo), and soups. This last preparation is generally known as ginataang halo halo, a coconut cream-based hot dessert featuring plantains, taro, yams, jackfruit, bilo-bilo (sticky rice balls) and tapioca pearls. (There is a variation of dessert ginataan known as ginataang mais, but possesses the texture of rice pudding and lacks the tapioca pearls.)
The Filipino dessert of which I have the fondest memories is taho, a hot drink made with liquefied sugar, soft tofu and tapioca pearls. It’s probably the only preparation of tofu I’d ever consume without hesitation–as long as the tofu has absorbed the sweetness fully. However, I have consumed taho with the tofu withheld upon request, and it is ultimately preferable to the tofu/sago mixture.
Nowadays, tapioca pearls have become part of a mainstream drink sensation known as boba tea, which originated in Taiwan. Of course, the main ingredients is the boba (tapioca pearls or bubbles) and milk tea. I’ve never been a fan of tea, so I steered clear of the lactose variation. Luckily, boba drinks expanded to include juices, smoothies and slushes. So I’ve been partaking regularly of these versions with the boba thrown in. Since my preference generally steers towards mango, I’ve been trying all sorts of combinations: mango pineapple, mango strawberry, mango banana or just plain mango. I’ve even had lychee slush with boba–and may have to ask for mango lychee one of these days.
The tapioca pearls vary in texture from dense and chewy to soft and gummy. A version of boba known as pop boba contains a flavored center in a normally chewy tapioca shell. Other popular addons include jelly (or nata de coco), flan and of course chopped fresh fruit. Of course, like halo-halo, the more addons the better! This passing familiarity with Filipino desserts is what keeps me hooked on boba drinks, and I’m glad they’ve taken hold here in the U.S.
I had to do it…another jalapeno/cheddar dog now resides in my happy tummy, w/ 20oz of DCwL to wash it down.
I make my daily trek to the Racetrac for a Diet Coke with Lime and the hot dog rollers beckon me. It’s a rare day that I don’t pick up one of their Jalapeno and Cheddar sausages. A tad bit spicy and salty to make me forget the bland white bun it sits in–then washed down with a 20oz bottle of Coke. Just lovely. All other hot dogs pale in comparison…even the 100% beef hot dogs peddled next to it. If ever there’s a day when Racetrac doesn’t sell these delectable snacks, then I take my business elsewhere!
