Tremor

Also, Prause's in La Grange !!!!

Biggers is now Meyer's. Southside is certainly still open. They moved from their downtown location to 290 quite a few years ago.

A place I forgot to mention on the other thread is Peterek's . I found this place last year on the advice of a friend. Out in the country east of Belton. Don't know how long they've been there, but it's a small place that puts out some great meat. They make a great hot link, along with weiners, jerky, summer sausage, etc. (Just clicked on my own link to test, and right up front, it says they've been there since 1958. Guess I should pay more attention.)

Oh, I think most folks 'round these parts know what a smoke ring is. I don't know anyone who really gives much of a d*mn how deep it is, though.

And, they LOOK even worse.

Well, my first suggestion is to get in your car and drive up to Elgin for a sausage-tasting! You should be able to find Southside Meat Market and Meyer's at the HEB's in Houston. The trouble with the the packaged versions is that they just don't taste as good as getting it at the restaurants. Around here we can get fresh (uncooked) Southside sausage in the grocery stores, but I don't know if that's the case in Houston. As far as I know, the Crosstown sausage is only available at the restaurant. My favorite sausages, however, are the ones in Lockhart from Kreuz or Smitty's. You can mail order from Kreuz. http://www.kreuzmarket.com/ There's another one that should be available at Houston HEB's; V&V. It's good. Chappell Hill Sausage is also good. http://www.chsausage.com/ Have you tried Luling City Market there in Houston? Or, Central Market may have some of their own that might come close??? Frankly, I may be way off base, because when you were a kid in Houston, I was a kid in Missouri. So, all my suggestions are speculations. Hope it helps, though.

fifi, what you're describing sounds an awful lot like what is available in Elgin. The Southside "hot guts", as you know, are the most famous. I've preferred the Meyer's version for years, specifically the beef sausage. (No fennel in that.) Crosstown makes a version of the original Southside sausage that I think tastes a lot better. You also may be thinking of the east TX "hot links" that are mainly attributed to Pittsburg (TX). They are prevalent through east central TX. I may be able to give you a source if you can tell me if I'm wrong or right about my assumptions.

Excellent advice. I can't get away to drive over there, but I made a big order to the French Market company that showed up last week. They are still getting back on their feet, but it was good to taste it again. (I like the "City Roast" that I haven't found here in Austin.) http://www.frenchmarketcoffee.com/ Personally, I would rather see the city rebuilt by the locals. I doubt that selfish, short-sighted politicians in Washington, DC (no matter which party affiliation) can direct the rebuilding and have the city maintain its "flavor".

I moved to Austin near the end of 1980 from Springfield, MO (born and raised). My first visit to Louie Mueller's was early in 1981. Fred Fontaine was the pitmaster then. He developed the "sauce" they serve. He called it "gravy". (BTW, it's NOT the same as it was.) When you walked up to the counter, Fred would grab a tray. lay some butcher paper on it, then lay down a "burnt end" of brisket for you to sample. The conversation with me was ALWAYS: Tremor: "Half pound of brisket." Fred: "Lean or juicy?" Tremor: "Juicy" Fred: "Ya want gravy?" Tremor: "Yes" Thus started my meal of brisket and "gravy", along with the 4 pieces of white bread and pickles and onions that Fred added to the tray. Bobby still tries to do that, and I appreciate the effort, but it just ain't ever gonna be the same.

I once asked Tim Thomas (former sushi chef at Origami) where he would buy fish for sushi if he had to buy locally. He replied without hesitation, "Central Market".

Thanks. I haven't tried the graham crackers, and I will. Just a soon as I can find a parking space at the new Plus store...

Well, THAT certainly explains a lot! Sweet potato pie is a good'n, but pumpkin and pecan pies have always been the holiday staples in my family. I don't remember ever having a Thanksgiving cake... phlawless, are you looking for things other than pies and cakes??

I always liked the debris, though, and I thought the Ferdi was a good sandwich. From what I've been reading (various sources), the city is returning slower than I thought it would. I'm glad for what is coming back, but overall, it's rather depressing. I hope the people there feel differently. Thanks, Brad, for the report.

Thanks, fifi. I thought at first that they were probably the same, but I was also confused by the side-by-side display at the new HEB Plus here. I've been buying the Dr. Kracker flatbreads for about a year (first found them at Wheatsville), but a couple of weeks ago I saw in the 1431 store that the CM brand had apparently replaced the DK, so I tried the Sesame Cheese ones. I didn't really like them. Anyway, just curious...

LonghornGal, I noticed a couple of weeks ago that there is a Dr. Kracker -like cracker offered under the Central Market label. Do you know if these are manufactured by Dr. Kracker for the CM brand, or is CM "making their own"?