One More Bite

The WacoFork Blog

It is a member of the great triumvirate of human invention, along with fire and the wheel.

It is diverse as it is simple. It can be made by anyone, but it constantly challenges the imagination.

Look to any people group in the universe, and probably in the history of mankind, and it will hoist its preferred version (or versions) of the sandwich made from ingredients as integral to and evident of the culture as anything else.

The first time I dined at Cafe Viejo San Juan, proprietors Joseph and Alexanra Parrilla introduced me not only to Puerto Rican food, but more specifically to mofongo, which they told me was made from plantain. I understood a plantain to be like a banana, but it was hard to imagine how the fruit became the bowl at the center of this dish. The mystery is solved in this video as we see mofongo made from plantain to plate.

When I heard the latest rumors about Freebirds finally coming to Waco earlier this week, I wished I had a time machine so I could go back to 2001 and give a flip.

At this point in time, being that I've eaten Freebirds burritos on a regular basis for most of the last 15 years, they are no longer a special treat. Time was, a trip to Austin necessitated a stop by Freebirds. That certainly isn't the case anymore. Oh, I'm not opposed to Freebirds, but other hot spots have taken its place.

Nonetheless, I write a restaurant blog and therefore feel I should at least address the Freebirds-in-Waco rumors.

Midway through the fall, something new came into the Waco restaurant scene that became a delicious facet of my morning routine.

Taqueria El Crucero and Common Grounds linked up to provide breakfast burritos at the Baylor bubble's most beloved coffee shop. For me, and others I witnessed, this became an instant hit. Coffee plus tasty breakfast sustenance plus the ability to sit in a comfortable chair and read and listen to music. That's the way to start the day.

Unfortunately, because of bureaucratic hurdles, which I understand to be necessary but still roll my eyes toward, have at least temporarily halted the partnership between Crucero and Common Grounds. I have no doubt some Baylor folks arrived back in town only to learn this fact earlier this week.

I'm tempted to write about how I like the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl and, for that matter, the BCS National Championship game more than the holidays. I don't know that I really believe that, but I'm tempted to make a case for it. So I will.

It's an easy thing to state now that the holidays are over and it's the longest possible time until they'll be around again. But I still kind of think it's true because the holidays aren't really about what they're about. But NFL playoff football and the national championship game are almost completely about football. Some people, I realize, like to watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. Some people, perhaps, would claim that Super Bowl Sunday is the one day of the year when we watch television strictly for the commercials. Those people aren't invited to my house to eat pizza and watch the Super Bowl.

Ahh, pizza. I haven't written enough about pizza in the 9 months since WacoFork began. Today, however, seems like an extremely appropriate day to write about pizza.

Just in time for the start of the Baylor spring semester on Monday, two new campus restaurants held a dress rehearsal on Friday.

Moe's and Which Wich, which officially open on Monday in the Baylor University Science Building, unlocked their doors for an "invitation only" lunch on Friday. The word on the street was that mostly Baylor Student Life folks were invited, but if a person showed up and acted like they were supposed to be there, then they could eat lunch at either Moe's or Which Wich. Or both, I guess.

Like many of you, I'm sure, I gathered with some friends on the first evening of this year to celebrate the fresh start of a new year. Being that we're almost a whole week into 2012, it seems like a long time ago already.

But we ate black-eyed peas, watched the Cowboys lose and claimed new year's resolutions. Being that we're almost a whole week into 2012, I'm sure many of those resolutions have already been abandoned.

At any rate, my friend, who will remain nameless due to her transgression, stated that one of her resolutions was to dine out less often. She said that to me! Can you believe it? I scowled at her.

It's January 4, so I figure we're far enough into this new year that I've earned the privilege of having a beer with lunch.

That's one of the perks of being a restaurant blogger, right?

New Year, New Fork

January 3, 2012 | Cory Webb | Latest News | Comment

It's the start of a new year, and a new year means new beginnings, right? In the spirit of new beginnings, we've decided to spruce the place up a bit with an all new design. The most dramatic changes are on the home page. We've greatly simplified the home page to draw attention to what matters most: Waco restaurants.

Another Mexican food restaurant has taken over the space recently vacated by Sebas Cocina.

This morning, I stopped in to verify that Mi Tequila had expanded its universe to include the Austin Avenue location. The new joint is called Me Tequila Too and despite the difference in spelling and other dissimilarities, it's the same operation.