Dallas Chili

I was in Dallas for two days and eating at different restaurants. My business associates kid me that I ALWAYS order chili. I was at local, non-chain restaurant with a brew pub for lunch and ordered chili. I told the guys I bet $50 that there is a huge can of Hormel chili back there!

For supper we went to a mesquite steak house. That aroma and fillet that I had was one of the best smelling and best tasting steaks I have had after the initial sensation wore off. I ordered chili as an appetizer. Guess what? I think they had a big can of Hormel back in the kitchen too! Is Hormel the real thing????

Chili is SO easy to make, and for a place that serves hamburgers and/or beef, it can be a money saver as well as a money maker. In my world, there's no excuse for those kind of restaurants for serving canned chili. Shame on them.

I started a topic about good chili in Texas. Strange but it is real hard to find. I know of no place in Dallas to get a great bowl of chihi! If anyone does, please enlighten me.
Joe

Joe
A place is opening in West Plano in July. It will have real chili.

Well, there's always the Zodiac Room at Neiman-Marcus. Tolbert's Restaurant is reopening in Grapevine, not sure when, though: http://www.tolbertsrestaurant.com/

Actually, it is very difficult to get good chili con carne in restaurants outside of Austin and San Antonio, and almost never in a Tex-Mex place. Chili is cowboy-type fare eaten usually in hotel bars, "Chili parlors" (example: http://www.cactushill.com/TCP/home.htm), diners, and home-cooking places.

That's true it seems. As a big "D" citizen, I have been to just about every BBQ joint in the area. I don't think there are any that serve chili. Tolbert's was about the only "chili parlour" I can remember. They closed a few years ago when Frank X. Tolbert died. He was the undisputed chili king of the famous Terilinga
(sic) chili cook-off. I understand someone is opening up a "Tobert's Chili" restaurant again somewhere in the DFW area.

Hey, Tolbert's is good news! Grapevine is a long trip for me from Lake Tawakoni but I will make it. I just can't help beleiving that there is a good bowl of chili hiding somewhere in the DFW area.
Joe

PapJoe8- Probably the best chili in Dallas at present is at El Fenix Mexican Restaurants, unless the new Tolberts has opened and has a good bowl of red. IMO, there is better chili in Fort Worth. Try Ryfsky's (sp? which may say BBQ on the sign in front but which has good chili including brick packs you can take home.

quote:

Originally posted by xannie_01

wow, i'm old. i can remember the very first chili's on lower greenville ave back in the early 70's. it was next door to the GasPipe. they actually served a decent bowl of red. oh well, the times sure have changed.

The original "Chili's" was not exactly on lower Greenvile. It was at the corner of
Meadow Lane and Greenville Ave. where it still stands today. This first Chili's was started by an imaginative young guy by the name of, Larry Lavine. he later sold it to Norman Brinker who expanded it to the international chain it is today.
I remember when they first opened, the line was around the corner to get in.
They had (originally) the VERY BEST hamburgers anywhere! The chili was good too. But, those burgers........

And real fresh cut fries, ala Snuffers.

quote:

Originally posted by xannie_01

twinwillow wasn't larry levine partners with gene street? PapaJoe, where are when i need you?

Very possibly but I couldn't say for sure. Larry also did a restaurant in Dallas in the very early 70's called, "Kitty Hawk". It was a very beautiful "theme" restaurant with a replica of the Wright brothers first airplane hanging from the ceiling of this very large restaurant.

Sorry Xannie! I had to do a bit of work yesterdy. I used to go to that Chili's all the time also. My pet shop was down the street at Lovers and Greenville. I also went to the Kitty Hawk. Hmm, was it right across the street from my pet shop? And... the pub and Snuffers! That was my stompin ground in the 70s/80s. Not sure about the Gene Street deal?

And OKC, someone here mentioned Ryfsky's. Might have been you. I worked at El Chico as a kid and my dad's fav place was the origional El Fenix on Field st. Yes, I like their chili. And always have them put it on my rice!
Joe

PapaJoe8, do you remember "Adair's" hamburgers on Cedar Springs?
Didn't he do chili too?

Twin, It's a kinda faded memory but I am sure I had a burger there. I don't remember the chili. It was kinda out of my neighborhood.

Hmmm, I used to make the trip there for the origional Plackeyed Pea. Boy, they had some great pork chops, and CFS!

Also Twin, you might get a kik outa tha dallashistory.com forum. Lots of stuff about old dallas restaurants.
joe

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

Twin, It's a kinda faded memory but I am sure I had a burger there. I don't remember the chili. It was kinda out of my neighborhood.

Hmmm, I used to make the trip there for the origional Plackeyed Pea. Boy, they had some great pork chops, and CFS!

Also Twin, you might get a kik outa tha dallashistory.com forum. Lots of stuff about old dallas restaurants.
joe

Thanks for the reply.

Whops, that site is;

www.dallashistory.org

Who was that who started the Blackeyed Pea?, or is it Blackeye? They still have great food I think. Shoot, they could have put a bowl of chili on the menue!

And Chili's, no chili in Texas that I can find, but I hear they have chili on the menue in other states, but not so good a chili. I used to get some kind of soft taco w/ chili on it at that origional location, was good! Yes, their burgers were great. I wonder how they are now? And, you could order a margerita while standing in line. The TLCB made em stop that for same reason, shoot!
Joe

Anyone know when Tolbert's might open?

I found Gorman's, a local meat market in Terrell Tx., that sells their "award winning" frozen chili. I have not tried it yet but I will. Their smoked jalapeno summer sausage is great, as is their jalopena and cheddar sausage links. Sooooo, I have high hopes for their chili.
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

Anyone know when Tolbert's might open?

Looks like it already is.

http://ae.dfw.com/entertainment/ui/dfw/restaurant.html?id=73252&reviewId=19099

Thanks Bushie!!! Great news!

I takes a cattle prod, my relatives, or some really good food to get me back to the metroplex. A great bowl of chili fits right in! Sounds like some other good stuff on the menu!
Joe

Grillrite, let us know when that place in Plano opens. Hey, maybe it is now?
Joe

Howdy,

If any of you Dallas area folks are ever in the Shreveport/Bossier City area, stop by my cart. I'm at the Airline Dr. Home Depot in Bossier City. Try one of my Chili Dogs. I hope Hormel is OK

LarryRickenbacker

Ok, chiliheads, the new Tolberts chili restaurant is now open in Grapevine, Texas.
That's about 20 miles north west of Dallas.
See: www.tolbertsrestaurant.com
They got a very good review in today's Dallas Morning News.
Will report my first hand experience as soon as I can make it out there.
It's being run by Frank Tolberts kids.

I just happened to be at Tolbert's last night. (My husband and his friend were the musical entertainment.)

Good news for everyone. The chili is WONDERFUL!!

Very meaty, very well seasoned, cooked long enough to be very tender. They have a five-alarm version if you want something almost too hot to eat. Also a 'North of the Border' version with beans. Lots of other things on the menu look good but it will be hard for me to go there and order anything else but a 'Bowl of Red'. It is soooo good!! Worth driving half way accross this state for!

I am lucky to live closer than that. We will back even if Al's not playing there.

Thanks for the report Kaj and welcome to roadfood. I must try to make the trip from Lake Tawakoni to Grapevine soon! Great news that the chili is so good. And... thers entertainment. What kind of music does your hubster do? In a chili parlor.... hmmm, I bet I could guess. I have music friends in the DFW area.
Joe

He plays the harmonica and his buddy plays the guitar. They do a traditional accoustic blues duo. Also some folk and old rock & roll... it depends on the crowd thay are playing to.

Before making this post I hunted a little for a comment by someone who had eaten chili at the new Tolbert's. Several people promised to and report back, but I did not find a personal experience.

Frank Tolbert was a professional Texan, longtime columnist for the Dallas Morning News, author, and a great chili head. I wish I had a copy of all the chili recipes he gave in his column. For a time he operated a restaurant in Dallas that served chili and other Southwestern foods. He was a founder of the Terlingua chili cook-off. One of the books he wrote, A Bowl of Red, remains one of the important references for chili.

His family has operated a reincarnation of the restaurant for some time, in Grapevine, Texas, close to the North entrance of DFW. In a spiritual sense at least, it is a successor to the several famous chili parlors that once operated in Dallas. The introduction above is for those who are not familiar with the Dallas – Fort Worth area, the Metroplex. Locals have mostly gotten the word, I guess. A featured dish is a bowl of red, of Texas chili. I ate there the week before Thanksgiving.

I would say the chili is a high quality classic Texas rendition: cut beef chunks from meat with enough character to stand up to long cooking and chili peppers in a thick sauce and not a lot else. The meat is fat free and without gristle. Frank Tolbert published his own recipe and this must be similar although the family says the recipe has been tweaked. I ate chili in the original Tolbert’s just once and it has been too long for me to make a comparison. I’ve read that Whole Foods groceries in the Dallas area have a frozen version but I have not seen it in Atlanta where I live today.

This is not chili quite the way I would make it. For starters, I’d add more garlic and cumin. It is not the best chili I remember having. That would be the chili that sainted Shanghai Jimmy used to make, as discussed in another thread under the chili heading. I would also stand by the other comments I've posted about the several versions of chili available in the Metroplex. IMO, and to repeat, it is a high quality version of Texas chili as it used to be understood. I’d sure like to see some more comment on this message board about Tolbert's. It is easy to visit if you are arriving or departing from DFW.

http://www.tolbertsrestaurant.com/

Since the origination of this thread, I'v had a chance to re-visit Chili's. I have to say, their chili is very good!

Twinwillow


Since the origination of this thread, I'v had a chance to re-visit Chili's. I have to say, their chili is very good!

 
Twinwillow:  I agree, though I've never had a bowl of Tolbert's.  And apparently you are in good company.  Have you seen this review?
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/cityofate/2010/08/chili_challenge_tolberts_resta.php