Dusty Hill collects bottle caps and Frank Beard requires barked orders from a headset to hit his drum fills punctually. These slightly less than verifiable tidbits I know from years of living in Houston, Texas. The first because a friend swapped caps with Mr. Hill at a Northwest Houston dive bar; and the second from tending bar at Mary Jane’s where Beard’s drum tech quaffed regularly.
Just about every Houstonian has some ZZ Top touch-a-celebrity story (same is true of every single Rockfordian I have met since living in the proximity of Cheap Trick’s beloved hometown). So it was with the knowing smile of a local that I watched the My Houston ZZ Top TV Spot currently airing in Chicago.
I’m especially glad to see emphasis put on Houston’s terrific public art attractions. However, upon taking ZZ Top’s advice, a Chicagoan might be disappointed in both the quality of Houston’s Mexican food (especially were their beloved Leo’s still open) and Houston’s underwhelming selection of Music Venues –not to mention the lack of a ZZ Top museum.
I noticed Mexican food ballyhooed in at least a couple of the My Houston Ads. I think that should be shelved and replaced with ads emphasizing Houston’s heavenly Vietnamese food which is much more rarefied in this country. Besides as far as Texas towns and Mexican food goes, nothing tops San Antonio (by far the first town that comes to a Chicagoan’s mind in association with Texas vacations anyway).
This is the correct forum for airing these suggestions is it not?
Okay then.
In reading about the history of this ad campaign I came across the Houston City Pass. This is a great idea however, in practice it is disappointing. The Space Center is special yes. It also takes forever to get there. The Zoo? Every town has one. George Ranch Historical Park? I’d never heard of it but have since learned that it involves “costumed presenters” and cotton. Scratch off the George Ranch, may I suggest the Coast Guard’s Ship Channel Tour instead?
Fine, keep that City Pass if you like. But could I suggest making an Art Pass? One that incorporates the Menil and surroundings, Diverse Works, the Light Rail system (for a transportaton leg), the CAM, the MFA and the Orange Show (arguably just an extra because of distance).
Back to the My Houston ads. My favorite, for entirely personal reasons, is the Dan Workman ad. However, as much as I’ve always loved recording in that space, the inspired tourist would be dismayed if she attempted to track down the place. Also, I’d like to hear the thing scored with Culturcide’s Houston Lawman.
One cannot push Houston. It is bound to disappoint the tourist in one way or another. Its gems are mostly hidden and best left to the seeker (who cares about any other sort of tourist anyway). I’m not sure who the intended target is now that these year old ads are being aired in Chicago. Perhaps the business tourist or maybe it’s meant more as an enticement for folks considering leaving the frigid Midwest for the recession-resistant Energy Capitol. In any event I align myself more with the contrapositive Houston it’s Worth It campaign. “The No Mountains” being one of my favorite reasons to nevertheless love Houston, Chicago too.
You’re not really trying to suggest that Mexican food is better in Chicago than in Houston, are you??
Absolutely. One of the finest Mexican restaurants in the world is in River North, but the city is loaded with choices. You have to remember there are as many Mexicans living in Chicago as Houston. The National Museum of Mexican Fine Arts is here. It’s one thing I didn’t have to give up…unlike BBQ Brisket.
I don’t know if I trust the New York Times to judge Mexican food. I’ve have had Mexican food in New York. If you can call it that.
Yeah, but where are those Mexicans from? Most SF Mexicans seem to hail from a less tasty region than the Tex-Mexicans, for instance. The Bay Area certainly has fine Mexican food. Better than Houston, though? Hmmm, not so sure about that.
Until Mexicans can make this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXucin9iIaE I will go to Houston for ZZ Top and Viet food.
Considering the things this guy and his customers will do with goat, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to find fetal duck eggs on a Mexican menu.
Conor – that’s my point. The Mex community here is very diverse. The taqueria on my block serves specialities from their home region which includes quesadillas made from squash flowers and the black fungus that grows on corn. Take a look at the birria linked above. It’s incredibly diverse here. But I don’t mean to argue really. I lived off Houston Mexican food and Raja Sweets for years. Though I am curious as to your favorite joints in Houston. Because frankly, compared to here and San Antonio I don’t find Houston Mex to merit much in more than quantity and cost.
Raja’s is crappy. It’s probably the worst Indian food in Houston. If that’s your standard, then I can’t trust your standards. I don’t know where you were eating Mexican in Houston, chump, but the Mexican here is top notch. I’ve had San Antonio Mexican and was not impressed. And I’ve had your Chicago Mexican and, while not bad, is no substitute for, say, the mole enchiladas from Guadalupana.
Woo wee that Raja’s is oily delicious…for a college student budget – it’s by far not the worst, but it isn’t some place you’re gonna take a date.
I won’t argue the merits of your beloved mole enchiladas (a standard by which to judge a good Mex place) Mr. Suck My Dick. I just don’t think the ad works well in this market. Turn it around –what if you saw an ad for Chicago hyping its Mexican food to Houstonians.
Anyway the reality of my criticism is that they’re really aren’t enough would-be tourists here who would jump on a plane to go down to Houston for Vietnamese food. But there are probably plenty of Mexicans here with family in Houston. The ad is weird for many reasons.
If I saw an ad hyping Chicago Mexican food, I’d think the same thing I think now. “I’m a Houstonian in Chicago eating Mexican food? Why the hell did I get on the plane?” Which I suppose is your point. If Mexican food in Chicago is that good, it’s being wasted on some Mid-west natives with awfully tame palates.
Of course, this being the way I think, I’ve never had Mexican food in Chicago. When I’m there, I eat pizza and hot dogs. But I also woudn’t waste my breath selling a Chicago native on Star Pizza. Even if it were just as good (which in my experience, it is), why bother? Ships passing in the night.
Comparing a Chicago palate to the Mid-west is like comparing a Houston palate to Victoria, TX.
Another point I’m making is who gives a fuck about these Chamber of Commerce commercials? There’s more to Chicago than pizza and hot dogs –and if you come here for pizza you’re gonna wait in long lines for little reward. It’s a world class city. And Houston isn’t half bad either as far as food goes. Sure, Joe Tourist isn’t gonna dare try Vietnamese food. But look how big that has become in Houston —took twenty years but still, hell I’ve seen a Kim Sun out in Sugarland. More power to Houston for that. Not that anybody who follows the Chamber of Commerce brochure all the way to the regionally appropriate eatery is going to be there.
Give me a fetal duck egg. Fuck this.
Per capita, Victoria is one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Comparable to some middle-east locales, and for the same reason. Oil. Those folks do a lot of traveling. My wife is from Victoria, and Victoria weddings seem to have the best food I’ve ever had at any wedding or restaurant on earth.
So I take your point. But, man, Victoria is a surprising town. Not much choice when it comes to restaurants, but their palates are quite a bit more sophisticated on average than your run-of-the-mill Houstonian.
I find that hard to believe. Is that a median income or what?
My wife is from Victoria too.
Oh and Snake, that is NOT your email address. I’m telling Al.
Well, there is 1) the small number of people and 2) the enormous amount of wealth concentrated in the area. I’m sure there are more poor / middle class folks than rich folks, but there are a good number of incredibly wealthy people there relative to the general population.
I personally love Raja’s, and I grew up eating Indian food. No, it’s not classy, and yes, there is much more fussed over and carefully prepared food of the same region in town, but they are pretty good for me. I also enjoy seeing what the daughter is up to as I can remember her as a child growing up in that place. Now she’s married to this huge muscular guy, which I find hilarious.
I know exactly who you are talking about. Is she still working there? Last time I spoke with her she was preparing to go off to college. What a sweetheart.
Also like seeing the family that comes in and out of there from the old country working in the back working up front darker skinned mostly. Interesting immigrant culture.
And the sweets, an acquired taste, are some of the best in H-town. Haven’t found a sweet shop here any better.
I think that she may now be the owner of the place if I’m not mistaken. She’s graduated from college, I think.
Believe me, I don’t care about fussed over; I’m just talking about taste. And let’s not kid ourselves, Raja’s is the Luby’s of Indian food. The price is good, but the food is mediocre.
I prefer to think of Raja’s as the White Castle of Indian food if you don’t mind. It’s definitely not bland.
Btw we have to get used to comments and replying on this site. It’s a great feature but I’m not sure we’re using it right. Some of these are all out of wack.
I’m wondering whether we can tweak the nesting feature so that it’s a bit more obvious who we’re replying to. Right now it’s set to go 5 levels deep. Maybe we should only go three levels deep. I will try this setting and we can see whether it helps distinguish among the replies.
Any luck with the comment tweaking? The current layout is not obvious at all. I think just indenting a reply underneath the thing you’re replying to is best, even if the replies get squished into ever smaller boxes.
Yep. I did a little tweaking. Each indent is now set at 30 pixels. Replies will go four deep now. And that should be enough.
That’s much better.
i’m down with the chicanos in chi-town. 1st night in, we stopped at a random taqueria on the southside (the only one open at 1 am). they had these cute little slider-esque open-face gorditas that absolutely smoked. in chicago, its all about the meat flavor. it tasted like a grill that had never been washed and had been scraped and re-greased with lard every morning for many years. i dont think i even want to know how they got that gordita meat to taste so good.
i’ll be back in november for work! holla!
Chicago = bore-ito
Is that a slam against Chicago Mexican food or Chicago the city? Don’t get it.
I love Chicago. It was on the short list of “Places We Could Make a Go of It In”. But I definitely prefer the less authentic but tastier version of Mexican food served in Houston.
I thought Bore-ito was clever. Oh well…
Et Tu, Dot?
Well, you get the vista, I’ll keep los mejores platos.
Burritos ARE boring
last time I was in Chicago, I asked a longtime cabbie/owner of the company/lifelong Chicagoan/oustanding spreader of goodwill to poor hapless tourists where to go to lunch fer some local cuisine, his reply was
‘What YOU need is a JEW-TOWN POLISH SAUSAGE!
btw, I miss Leo’s.