Antipasti at Dough San Antonio

Remember the time in Pulp Fiction when Uma Thurman as Mia went to the restroom in Jack Rabbit Slims and the next scene you see is her lifting her head up from what I'm guessing was a counter after doing cocaine and her reaction? Well, that's what I imagine it was like when I went to Dough in San Antonio. Most notable having the antipasti.

This is how it went down.

My expecting wife, 2 small children and I drove from Los Angeles (LAX area) to San Antonia for Thanksgiving. The drive was about 22 hours and not too bad. We got to Arizona in about 4 hours. From there time is a blur. but driving through Arizona was nice. The scenery was what you imagine, a desert. Yet there were a few large cities along the way so if we broke down I wouldn't have worried. Then we drove through New Mexico. This was also what you expected, and like Arizona, but with less cities. I feel like most of the driving happened in Texas. The only city I remember passing before we got to San Antonia was El Paso, I think it was El Paso. We stopped here and there for restroom breaks and food and gas.

We spent a week in San Antonia, We tourist-ed the Alamo, River Walk, and ate Whataburger and a BBQ place I forget the name, something like Bill Murray. The food highlight was eating at Dough.

Dough is a Pizzeria Napoletana. It looks very nice, they have indoor and outdoor sitting, standered fancy table setup with the white table cloth and  cloth napkins and utensils. There papers towels in the restroom were exquisite, we even framed one. The kids roll the dough for their own cheese pizza, which is complementary. We order the appetizer, the antipasti. We actually order two different antipasti, and two Pizza. I only had pizza that day because we ordered it, but the antipasti was off the chain. I could eat it forever. I don't even know all the stuff that it included. It had cheese, soft creamy cheeses. There were figs, olives and mushrooms, souses and a honey comb. That's the stuff I know, there were other stuff that just made it all a dream. We mixed a
nd matched everything with everything. This place left an impression.

All in all if you happen to be in San Antonia or Dallas TX make your way there. Even if its full and there's a line around the block you stay....STAY!

HotDogs

I remember being in Venezuela and eating a version of their street hot dogs. I was in the city of Cumana. Its a colonial style city on the Caribbean sea. There's lots of plazas in the town, the biggest one being Plaza Bolivar. There are also long stretches of road full of commercial businesses. Here is where you'll find men on the streets selling shaved ice, hamburgers and hot dogs. The hot dogs are pretty much standard, it had the sausage (Frank, weenie) in a hot dog bun, ketchup, mayo, onions, tomato. But what made their dogs different was the potato chips, like Ruffles, crumbled on top of the hot dog. I don't know if it was all the sodium or grease but is was darn good.

I tell you that story to tell you this story. When I was very young my folks would send my brothers and I to spend summers with my grandparents in Mexico. They had a plaza in that little town where people with hot dog carts would sell what is known as Mexican hot dogs. These are the hot dogs  wrapped with bacon in a steamed hot dog bun with pico de gallo (chopped onion, tomato and coriander leaves), ketchup, mayo and jalapeño. As a child I loved this hot dogs, as an adult I don't know if they are made differently but I don't like them any more.

Now I told you that story to tell you this one. When I was in elementary school the area a grew up in had a festival of sorts every 5 de Mayo (May 5th). This consisted of a parade and a fair/carnival in the park. The festival was to celebrate our Mexican heritage. the park was full of carnival rides and different food vendors, and just outside the park where the hot dog carts. maybe about 6 to 8 carts around the park. These hot dogs were also wrapped in bacon, and had pretty much the same things the Mexican hot dogs had. the exception were the grilled onions and the hot dogs were bigger as far as I remember. These dogs are what we know as L.A. Street Dogs (yet still referred to as Mexican hot dogs).

This brings me to my oldest sons hot dog experience. It's pretty simple. we has two, we gave him a hot dog from Disneyland's ToonTown, he only eats hot dogs now. True Story. He's 5 now.

So now down to its origins (not 100% accurate, people didn't keep historic records on hot dogs). Hot dogs originate from Germany. They're a member of the sausages family. In the late 1800's hot dogs got their start in the U.S. Some dude allegedly was selling the franks and handing out gloves because they were too hot to handle bare handed. People started keeping the gloves so said mans wife told him to put them in a roll. allegedly a cartoonist came up with the term "hot dog".  That's pretty much it.

I don't know where you can get a hot dog outside L.A. but there are a few places here you can get good ones (so they say). If you ask the general public they'll send you to Pink's, off La Brea near Melrose. You can also find Pinks around L.A. being sold out of carts. If you're in south of L.A. a Pink's is opening up at the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance. Then there are Dodger Dogs. These are the ones they sell at Dodger Stadium. You can get them at Arco's ampm. I've had them both, I did not not like them. Pinks has a large menu and different types of franks. Oh, i just remembered. I did visit Berkeley  Ca and had a hot dog from Top Dog. It was a long time ago but I think I liked it. Lastly there is Hot Dog on a Stick, I go for the lemonades but there corn dogs aren't bad.

As I did my research on this subject I sound out that every region of this country has their own style of hot dogs. There are reindeer dogs up north, sonoran hot dogs in Arizona, half-smoke in the capital, Chicago style, the coney dog and so on. New York and L.A. have large variations.

The only advice I can give anyone is...make it how you like it. Chili dogs, plain dogs, just ketchup, cheese dogs, veggie, with bell peppers and so on. Don't get me started on the types and variations of franks.

Fighting the urge for food....Near LAX

DAMN YOU GOOD FOOD!!!!

Why does food have to be so tasty? I know we eat to live, but does it have to be so addicting? I try to have breakfast in the morning. I make some eggs for my sons, maybe waffles. By 11:00 am we want more food, but what? The oldest would eat nothing but hot dogs and chicken nuggets if he could. The little one would be happy eating ketchup with fries (that's right, ketchup with a side of fries). The baby can only have formula. But me? I want everything. Pizza, hamburgers, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Chimichangas, soups, salads, steak, chicken wings, gyros and all the drinks you can think of (non-alcoholic, no coffee or tea).

Why these foods? Because I can find a restaurant with these items close to where I live. If I would move to a place that didn't have so many choices to eat I would cry. Yet I don't eat these foods often. Do I want to? I think the title of this post says it all...uh hell yeah. So I fight the good fight with my urges, but I may not have the means to eat what I want. The dollar doesn't go as far as it use to. My family may not like what I feel like eating. They have different taste in food at times. There are so many reasons why I'm not able or willing to eat what I feel like.

By now you know I'm just venting my food frustration. So that's enough of that. But if you're ever near LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) you may want to visit the restaurants I enjoy in the area. I'll base this off the list of food I want all the time.

Pizza: Valentino's, El Segundo location
I've never had pizza from New York, but this New York style pizza is good. They also have a sausage roll that taste good, it comes with a dipping marinara sauce. They also have other stuff. I recoment getting a slice of pepperoni and sausage and a sausage roll.





: Mel'o Burger, no web site, Lennox off Century Blvd.

(10003 S Inglewood Ave, Inglewood, CA 90304)
This mom and pop joint has a large menu, but stick with the safe stuff. you cant go wrong with a burger. the chili cheese fries are good too. and if you want a shake they have 24 flavors (i think).






Chinese: any "cheap" Chinese joint.
The restaurant I enjoyed the most burnt town some time ago. I haven't found a place like it since. There is one next to Mel'o Burger called China One Dollar Express (4808 w Century Blvd.). It's ok. Or try the Flower Drum (4843 w Century Blvd), they way have changed the name but it's the same dine in style place.

Indian: India's Tandoori Halal Restaurant, Manhattan Beach
(916 N Sepulveda Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266)
There may be Indian restaurants closer to LAX but this is the one I enjoy the most. The wait staff is cool, the food is delicious and the buffet's good. There is one I do want to try in El Segundo. I'll update this post if I like it more when I go.













Thai: The Thai Plate, Lennox off Hawthorne Blvd.
(10311 S Hawthorne Blvd. Inglewood (Lennox), CA 90304)
The service isn't top notch but the food sure is. My favs are the fried wonton, pad thai, fried rice and wonton soup.






Chimichanga: Chile Verde, Inglewood (but it's a chain so other places too)
(3382 Century Blvd. Inglewood Ca 90303)
Chimichanga= deep fried burrito. THERE!







Soups & Salads: This is a tough one.
I like them from Soup Plantation and Banera Bread, but lots restaurants  have good soups and salads.

Steak:  Outback Steak House, not at all close to LAX.
The closest Outback is in Torrance CA. but if you just want the beef you can go anywhere. I do like outback best in the chain steak house category. and it doesn't hurt they have the Blooming Onion.

Chicken Wings: Wing Stop/Buffalo Wild Wings,
I like both these two wing places. If you want variety go to BWW. The flavors Wing Stop has are good but BWW has a lot more, and more on the menu in general.

I've added the links to the restaurants when I could or the addresses.

Enjoy!