Visits while in the Dallas area

We got to visit a lot of folks while we were in the Dallas area... unfortunately, we only remembered to take pictures with one of our last visits...

We got to see Peggy and Bill on Saturday, church on Sunday with our church family at MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church, Indian buffet after church with Kathleen and Laurie, renewal of our driver's licenses on Monday followed by lunch with Janell, coffee time with Clif on Tuesday morning followed by a visit with Ruby for lunch on Tuesday, and lunch with Tommy and Ella on Wednesday followed by afternoon chat with Marla!

We remembered to get pictures ...

... in Grapevine at Tolberts.

Carl had wanted to get authentic Texan chili, and when I looked up a restaurant to provide that, I found Tolberts in Grapevine.

From their website (https://tolbertsrestaurant.com/):

Frank X. Tolbert’s life-long passion for chili inspired him to write his world-famous book “A Bowl of Red” 50 years ago. He founded the Terlingua Championship Chili Cook-Off in 1967 and joined forces with son Frank 2 in 1976 to open the first Tolbert’s Restaurant in Dallas, with daughter Kathleen helping manage starting in 1977. Kathleen, with her husband Paul Ryan, selected Grapevine’s historic Main Street as the new home of Tolbert’s in 2006. The tradition continues as Tolbert’s Restaurant & Chili Parlor features classic southwestern cuisine with our signature Bowl of Red, using the same recipe developed by Frank X. Tolbert and his son. Enjoy your visit and tell your friends! 

Evidently Frank X. Tolbert originated the Terlingua Chili Cookoff...

Information from the Tolberts about the Terlingua Chili Cookoff (https://abowlofred.com/about/):

We host the Original Terlingua International Championship Chili Cookoff the first weekend in November every year Frequently referred to as the Tolbert Cookoff, or Behind the Store, this is the original and Grand Daddy of all chili cook-offs - in the world!

The first cook-off in 1967, created and promoted by Frank X. Tolbert and friends, only had two cooks, New Yorker, H. Allen Smith, and Texas legend Wick Fowler. It was supposed to settle the dispute over who knew more about chili - Texans or New Yorkers. There were three judges, including Hallie Stillwell. The contest ended in a draw.

That two-man publicity stunt has more than 50 years of history now, and has grown into an event drawing thousands of attendees to Terlingua the first Saturday in November every year, and the days leading up to Saturday, to help celebrate and carry on the tradition. Each Chili Season Year, (October 1st thru September 30th), chili cooks participate in their local area sanctioned events, earning points toward qualification. Points needed vary by state, depending mostly on population. In Texas, the required number is 9.

(For complete details on the Tolbert point system see the page dedicated to Official Rules and Forms)

Once that magic number has been reached or exceeded, the cook is not only eligible but is invited to participate in the annual Terlingua November championship. It is important to note that all Tolbert sanctioned cook-offs donate proceeds to local charities such as Terlingua Schools and the Terlingua Fire and EMS, including competition Behind the Store.

In honor of the event co-founder Wick Fowler, Behind the Store's primary beneficiary is the ALS Association of Texas. ALS is commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

We met up with Ella and Tommy at Tolberts and Carl and Tommy both got Texas style chili -- or "bowl of red" -- in case you'd like the recipe, you can find it here: https://whatscookingamerica.net/soup/tolbertchili.htm  Texas chili does not have beans or tomatoes in it.

Even though we didn't get pictures with all the folks we got to see, we enjoyed seeing them all!