Red

Garden Fury

My garden has exploded since last I posted about it (click here).

I'm afraid that one day I will wake up in a choking forest of vines. Will be sleeping with a machete from here on out.

How Does Your Garden Grow

I have a bit of a green thumb which I inherited from countless generations of gardeners. Maybe it's the British side of me. Every summer I plant a different array of seasonal plants and flowers, and move my indoor plants outside.

I generally shoot for the buds that attract butterflies, and have even seen the occasional hummingbird hovering around. I love to cook as well and have an assortment of herbs that keep coming back year after year.

My condo benefits from at least 5-7 hours a day of direct sunshine with modest shading from trees in the late afternoon. Once I plant these things there isn't usually much work involved aside from regular waterings.

Last summer I experimented with three different kinds of tomatoes, green peppers, and cucumbers (which was totally ridiculous but almost worked). I just about s**t the bed when my weird German neighbor told me recently that last summer he "helped" my veggies by dosing them with insect spray. I'm leery about planting edible foods from here on out.

There is nothing better in the summer than a sandwich made with fresh tomatoes. I have an awesome recipe that I'll eventually get around to posting online.

Purple Shamrock.

A random assortment that I threw together. The Persian Shield (in purple) is starting to dominate. I hate the crappy plastic chairs by the way. I keep getting outbid on eBay on vintage metal tulip chairs; or motel chairs as they are also known. I should probably try and purchase during the winter instead.

Lavender at upper left and tomatoes - which I finally got into a pot.

Fizzy Friday: Let Your Arms Do The Talking

Just discovered these retro-pop British Schweppes ads and had to share.

I hope to see a few of these on the "telly" when I hit Little Britain a few weeks from now.

The Bird is the Word

Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field.

-Dwight D. "Ike" Eisenhower

Boy, ain't that the truth.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Enjoy that big delicious bird.

I know I will.

The Great 80s Pizza Wars

Linda and Stacy at Perry's Pizza Parlor - Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

I often wonder why the 1980s has left such an indomitable mark upon people of my generation, and, to this day, why it can still incite massive nostalgia when pieces of that decade resurface. Maybe you can attribute a little bit to Reaganomics, or the Cold War, or television, movies and advertising. Or maybe all of the above. Hell, I still remember atomic bomb drills (as if my small wooden school desk could block nuclear fallout), Quaddafi's live terrorist threats, and the explosion of the Challenger. Maybe cultural life in 1980s America was so vibrant for the simple fact that we were alive to live it during such a tumultuous period in the modern age. Don't worry be happy, right? Let's be honest though, the 1980s spawned a lot of bizarre trends. None more so than what I like to call The Great 80s Pizza Wars.

At first glance the term war may seem like a misnomer, but I can assure you it is not. American capitalism has never thrived more so than in the period between 1979 and about 1990. Industry was booming, consumer demand was high, and prices for goods were low. Parents were raking in the dough at work, and in turn their bratty-mouthed/feather-haired/stonewash jeans-wearing kids were raking in lots of dough at home...literally. We were all hopped up on drugs, overly sexed, hated school, watched too much of that damned MTV, spent all of our allowance at the malls, and ate out...a lot. Or, rather, this is how we were heavily portrayed in the media. And what did we eat? Pizza, of course.

Pizza was big business in the 80s, and pizza parlors would profit tremendously from the battle over adolescent market share. Many companies fought for a piece of the pie (pun definitely intended) of the American teenage market, and spent huge amounts of capital on advertising to this particular demographic. And we were willing captives in our own prison. If anything the advertising agencies got two major things right - we liked to hang out with our friends and eat food. Throw in some music and a bunch of the latest video games and you have us at: Hello, Welcome to ___. So what was so rad and bitchin' about 1980s pizza? Let me tell you friend.

In the decade prior to the one in which the internet sucked away all of our social skills there was something called "meaningful interaction." In order to meet up with friends you would first have to call them on a heavy plastic telephone that was attached to the wall by a long curly cord (that would somehow always reverse-curl itself; to your great annoyance). Not all at once mind you...individually! Getting to said meetup spot was always difficult. You could have your parents or older sibling drive you, but that was lame, or you could ride your BMX bike. I usually chose the bike because it was more passenger friendly for the ride home. Once you arrived you had a wide selection of booths available. You always chose the back booth with a good view of the door...but not the booth with the wide circular seat because that one was a little TOO intimate. Ordering was kind of a pain because there was always the annoying kid allergic to EVERYTHING, and you couldn't split the good toppings onto only half the pizza. You order and then wait. But, waiting was the absolute best part. With a fist-full of quarters you could either explore the uncharted levels of Donkey Kong 2 or play that new Thompson Twins single on the jukebox. And when the pizza arrived, well, it was like heaven on a 12 inch wobbly silver platter. You nab that first slice and grab the overly greasy parmesan cheese and red pepper shakers and go to town. Not too fast though. That thing is hot. You have to CUT that first slice into small pieces...then wait for the rest of the pizza to cool down. No problem there...you have an entire pitcher of soda to kill, and good friends to share it with. "Wait, Tina made out with who?" you garble through a mouthful of steamy pepperoni.

And how many pizza parlors were there to choose from? Let's see. There was Shakey's, Pizza Inn, Pizza Hut, Mr. Gatti's, Mario's Flying Pizza, Sbarro's, Chuck E. Cheese, Showbiz Pizza Place, Godfather's, Golf N' Stuff, the mall food court, the bowling alley (although the dough tasted like Brunswick shoe leather), the skating rink, etc., etc. All the while Domino's pizza kept pushing delivery, delivery, delivery. Once their silly Noid began advertising the super fast 30 minute delivery in the late 1980s (killing several unfortunate drivers as a result) the traditional pizza parlor began to die.

Think about it...when was the last time you ate a pizza that hasn't come from some teenager's car, or a supermarket freezer first? I recall a rainy July 4th weekend while I was in college in the late 1990s, where a few of us friends gathered at a local Pizza Hut. There we sat. Drinking pitchers of beer. Playing Frogger. Eating pizza. And laughing. For hours. So, who really won the war?

Pizza Inn 1976 - Texas City, Texas (I grew up right down the road)

Who the hell wants to eat pizza with Billy Bob staring creepily over your shoulder? - Showbiz Pizza Place

Godfather's Pizza Logo

Great Shakey's Pizza Ad (circa 1981) - courtesy of dyingindowney.com

Mario's Flying Pizza - Bay Area, Texas

Mr. Gatti's Pizza Logo

Mr. Gatti's Commercial

Shakey's Pizza Commercial

Showbiz Pizza Commercial

Pizza Hut Commercial

The Chili Master is Gone

It's a sad day for Washington. Ben Ali, founder of Ben's Chili Bowl in DC, has died.

Thank you Mr. Ali for all of us old dogs served.

Curb Hops and Soda Pops

The original Wright's exterior - 1952

I have been traveling quite a bit the past few weekends, which has allowed me the opportunity to visit some of my all-time favorite roadside food joints.

Wright's Dairy-Rite in Staunton, Virginia, is right up there on the list. My family originally discovered this drive-in 1995 and I have stopped in as often as possible ever since.

According to their website:

Wright's Dairy Rite has been serving visitors and residents of Staunton for over 50 years. Wright's is an original Drive-In restaurant, and continues to offer quality, homemade food and delicious ice cream treats in a 1950's atmosphere.

I usually order the Carolina Burger (standard chili-cheese burger) with a side of onion rings and a shake, but you really can't go wrong with any of their featured items.

They host two classic car cruise-in events each year.




Paul calls in our order.

Wright's exterior - 2009

Retro Dinner

My 1950's inspired meal. From the wok to the table.

"What'll ya Have"

The late great Erby Walker

I just returned from a long football-filled weekend in Atlanta. While in town I had a chance to visit The Varsity restaurant, which is the self-proclaimed World's Largest Drive-In. The original Varsity dates back to 1928 when a former Georgia Tech student opened the restaurant near the university. Today, the drive-in spreads across two city blocks and on game day feeds, on average, over 30,000 people. That's a lot of hot dogs and hamburgers folks.

Over the years The Varsity has become synonymous in Atlanta's folklore with a clever and unorthodox catchphrase. Originated by frazzled cashiers as a way to keep the lines moving the blunt and abbreviated greeting "What'll ya have?" caught on with both staff and public and eventually became the restaurant's unofficial slogan. Today it appears on takeout boxes and cups as well as Varsity memorabilia and is the required greeting to all customers.

I found the food to be pretty standard fare...not as flavorful as some of the other drive-ins I have frequented. But, what it lacks in taste it sure makes up for in personality. The place is a retro time capsule. So, what'll ya have?