Bob Pool's chili

The Wikipedia article on chili (con carne) says one of the most famous chili parlors of all time was Bob Pool's in Downtown Dallas, across from the Neiman Marcus store, in the 40s and 50s. Stanley Marcus ate there regularly and had the chili shipped to his friends; members of Eisenhower's SHAPE staff in Paris also had it shipped to them.

Any roadfooders know anything about this, like, frinstance, a recipe

Interesting Olth! I missed this thread somehow. I'll see what I can dig up from some Dallas folks. My dad would know if he were still with us. He word downtown during the late 40s. Sounds like it must have been som great chili! I am into trying to dig up the old chili recipes like this one. Maybe someone here will know something?
Joe

That's SHAEF-Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force.
Top
(WW II history buff)

SHAEF, neat, thanks Top! I bet Wikipedia had that wrong.

I made a post at the dallashistory.com site. Maybe someone knows something about Bob Pool's? I put some word out to some other Dallas folks, no luck but?

This sounds like a famous chili that should be found!
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by Top

That's SHAEF-Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force.
Top
(WW II history buff)

No, SHAPE. The article states it was in Paris and in the 1950s, after the war:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHAPE

Hope you can find something out papj. I wasn't able to find anything on line and I looked at that Dallas Forum you had mentioned before.

It's a long shot Olth, but who knows. Some of those Dallas history folks can find out allot.
Joe

http://www.nato.int/shape/about/background.htm

Out of utter disgust after sampling so many bowls of institutional, canned chili at Houston restaurants, I decided to go on a chili making binge at home, using not pre-mixed chili powders but grinding the chile's myself. Perusing Frank X. Tolbert's Bowl of Red for ideas I discovered all the info on Bob Pool's chili in the Wikipedia article is taken directly from Tolbert.

No recipe though.

you guys are giving me an idea..
open a chili parlor and serve
several chili recipes.
sort of like the soup nazi.

Great minds think alike Xannie! I almost did a post about " my fantasy chili parlor ". Serve all the great regional chilis. It would be neat to have Bob Pool's! And of coarse, NM green chili and green chili stew.

There was a parlor in Dallas for a while, can't remember the name, that had a few chilis, even Shanghai Jimmy's. I never made it there, just head about it after it closed.
Joe

It was the Empress chili parlor that was open in the Dallas area for a while. They served Shanghai Jimmy's chili rice. Not sure where I read that? I bet Empress in Ohio dosen't serve Jimmy's chili rice. Dallas must not have been ready for Ohio chili, even with chili rice thrown in.
Joe

One response at dallashistory.org. No recipe, when it was open and the exact name, Bob Pool's Fast Foods I think, and what Bob did next? Boy was he ahead of the times!!! "fast foods!" He may have had the first fast food place.

I am also in search of the hot link served at the Cabell's stores in Dallas back in the 50s. Man were they good. thing? I made a post about that also at dallashistory.org.

Am I obsessed with this "lost food" thing?
Joe

Better than drinking I guess? Whops, I need one!
Joe

OK Xannie and papj, move it on over there's competition moving in . I have a very active restaurant fantasy life ; one of my fantasies for several years, as I've been obsessed off and on with chili recipes, is a chili parlor, 'Chili Bob's Texas Chili Parlor.' I wonder if I'd get sued by the Fort Worth country nightclub for using that name? I'd have 9 or 10 regular versions of chili on the menu, different levels of heat, different meats, but always true to the original conception of chili as just meat and spices. The more I've experimented the more a traditionalist and purist I've become. The real reason beans don't go in chili has nothing to do with chili competition rules or any definition promulgated by the Texas Legislature, it's because it tastes better that way and beans taste better by themselves, too.

I'd have chili verde and I'd try Cincinnati Style Chili because I think it's a good dish, but I don't know if the latter would go over down here. None of the tomato-hamburger-vegetable-soup or Garbage Bowl types served as chili in some parts; I don't think they'd do well. Would have a vegetarian chili, maybe more than one, and they'd have beans.

And a few 'celebrity' chilis - LBJ's Perdernales River Chili, perhaps, or some of the others that have been brought up.

Now, what to serve besides chili?????

papj - according to Tolbert's book, Robert Sprinkle Pool was a character. He celebrated his birthday by going down to the pound and buying all the dogs and giving them to his friends. Friends got to where they dreaded his birthday. "For about a dozen years after WWII, Bob was the high priest of chili con carne in Dallas. His temple was red-fronted narrow parlor with red-and-white checkered cloths on the tables."

During a sales slump at NM, "...Stanley Marcus lectured his sales people: 'You all must be living on Bob Pool's chili, the way the customers are backing off from you.' The reference was to the breath acquired from eating Pool's chili.

oltheimmer,
not only would you not get sued,
you'd have customers lining up
outside your door clammering
to get in!! i think it's a fantastic idea.

Well, does someone want to start the fantasy chili parlor thread?
Joe

There was a guy serving chili at the Adolphas Hotel before Bob's place opened. It may have been the first chili place in Dallas, 1914 or so. Now for his name, I'll find it somewhere.
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by xannie_01

you guys are giving me an idea..
open a chili parlor and serve
several chili recipes.
sort of like the soup nazi.

There is one in the Pike Place Market in Seattle. It does very well. http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/frameset.asp?flash=true

Acording to a thread at the dallashistory site it was Johnny Bejano. There was a referance his place but not his name at;

www.chilicookoff.com

I did a search at the dallas site for... first chili... and that came up. Now that I know, his name googles also with a link to the post.
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by xannie_01

oltheimmer,
not only would you not get sued,
you'd have customers lining up
outside your door clammering
to get in!! i think it's a fantastic idea.

Wow, thanks, xannie. So maybe one of my ideas is actually worth something? Now if I could just find somebody with lotsa money and convince them .

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

Well, does someone want to start the fantasy chili parlor thread?
Joe

Hey, I've already given up all the trade secrets I'm going to divulge .

It's somebody else's turn to spill the beans, as the saying goes.

Ok, I'll do it. Some good ideas could result. I think lots of chili folks have the idea, just no one is brave enough to open the parlor.
Joe

Are the Chili Up places in S.F. local or a chain?

Looks like maybe a local chain. I googled but didn't find a web site. Chiliup.com is not their site. Pbl, have you eaten there? Is it good I wounder?
Joe

Wow, this is an old thread, but I had to jump in anyway ... Bob Pool's did in fact exist in downtown Dallas across from Neiman's ... It was actually before my time, or rather I would have been quite young when it closed. Some of my relatives do remember it very well though. A small place, not may tables. Many of the patrons stood at a bar along a wall to eat.
 
Pool's was really famous for the chili dogs. Maybe sold more of those than bowls of red. Yes, the chili was fairly traditional in that it did NOT have beans. (Who would want beans in their chili anyway???!!!) Pool's did serve pinto beans on the side, which were said to have been the best pinto beans in the world. Very heavy seasoned with cumin. Many would buy a bowl of beans to add to the chili later - Probably added it somewhere in private so as not to be seen desecrating the chili :-) 
 
I compete in chili contests periodically, so would love to get my hands on Bob Pool's chili recipe if one is ever found. 
 

Today, while looking for a chili recipe for my works' second annual chili cook-off, I found all of your comments about Bob Pool's chili & thought I'd give it a go.  Here's a link from dallas news for three contest winner recipes, one of which looks to be Bob's recipe. 
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/taste/easyrecipes/stories/DN-nf_chilirecs_1017liv.ART.State.Edition1.517760d.html
 
Coincidentally, I used to work at Sandestin - small world.
All chili lovers should give Cinti chili a try.  I love it as a coney dog, natives like it as a 3-way!  Chili in Cincinnati is weird at first, but it grows on you until you can't live without it - very addictive.  For my cook-off at work, I'm hoping Bob's has a similar effect.
 

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate you sharing this  ... I am going to try that recipe on Saturday at the Fudpucker's cook-off.  Funny, I just spoke to my (older) cousin today, who mentioned Bob Pool's ... He described the chili as thick and VERY good, and the location as quite nondescript ...  He remembered the chili dogs as well, which Pool's was well known for.
 
I remember the Cincinnati chili as well. In a previous life, I was in the restaurant/bar business. I had a bartender that made (what he called) Cincinnati chili and cornbread for all the Saturday ball games.  Spicy, not especially thick with spaghetti noodles in it. As a native (5th generation) Texan, I am reluctant to admit it, but the stuff was pretty good.
 
BTW, where/when  did you work at Sandestin?
 
Ed  

Marlinchaser let us know here how it goes. This receipe sounds interesting and the fact that after years, its actually available. I know I too will give it a try. Last week I tried a 5 way cincinnatti chilli receipe  for the first time. Never had chilli with spaghetti but it was the combination that was different and good.

Marlin, thanks for bumping this up!

Cinti, nice work finding that link! That sure might be Bob's recipe.

And welcome you new folks to Roadfood!

Buddy, and all;

There is ALLOT to read here about Cinci Chili, and Chili history. Nice to see yall looking back at that stuff!

Oh, that "fantasy chili parlor" thread I mentioned earlier happened.
Joe
Joe

After a closer look I am not sure why that recipe is called "bob plager's pools brew". It did win 3 "Behind the Store" cook offs. I like the prunes in it.
Joe

oltheimmer


OK Xannie and papj, move it on over there's competition moving in . I have a very active restaurant fantasy life ; one of my fantasies for several years, as I've been obsessed off and on with chili recipes, is a chili parlor, 'Chili Bob's Texas Chili Parlor.' I wonder if I'd get sued by the Fort Worth country nightclub for using that name? I'd have 9 or 10 regular versions of chili on the menu, different levels of heat, different meats, but always true to the original conception of chili as just meat and spices. The more I've experimented the more a traditionalist and purist I've become. The real reason beans don't go in chili has nothing to do with chili competition rules or any definition promulgated by the Texas Legislature, it's because it tastes better that way and beans taste better by themselves, too.

I'd have chili verde and I'd try Cincinnati Style Chili because I think it's a good dish, but I don't know if the latter would go over down here. None of the tomato-hamburger-vegetable-soup or Garbage Bowl types served as chili in some parts; I don't think they'd do well. Would have a vegetarian chili, maybe more than one, and they'd have beans.

And a few 'celebrity' chilis - LBJ's Perdernales River Chili, perhaps, or some of the others that have been brought up.

Now, what to serve besides chili?????

papj - according to Tolbert's book, Robert Sprinkle Pool was a character. He celebrated his birthday by going down to the pound and buying all the dogs and giving them to his friends. Friends got to where they dreaded his birthday. "For about a dozen years after WWII, Bob was the high priest of chili con carne in Dallas. His temple was red-fronted narrow parlor with red-and-white checkered cloths on the tables."

During a sales slump at NM, "...Stanley Marcus lectured his sales people: 'You all must be living on Bob Pool's chili, the way the customers are backing off from you.' The reference was to the breath acquired from eating Pool's chili.

YO Olt,
 
Someone beat you to it!
http://chilimysoul.com/
Click on the "Flavors" Icon 
This place was recently ranked in the TOP 10 places in the USA for Chili. I think that proves the concept will work.
http://www.roadfooddigest.com/post/2009/03/Americas-Top-Ten-Chilis.aspx