"Chili's Too with Eva Anderson" is Episode 200 of Doughboys, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Chili's Too with Eva Anderson" was released on April 25, 2019.
"Tomorrow..." - @doughboyspod
Synopsis[]
For the 200th episode of Doughboys, we're joined by our first ever guest Eva Anderson (You're The Worst, Briarpatch) to review Chili's Too, a specialized version of the first chain restaurant we reviewed. Plus a TBT segment from the Doughboys archives.
Nick's intro[]
On August 9, 1974, shortly after noon, Gerald R. Ford took the oath of office to become the 38th President of the United States. Ford had replaced Spiro Agnew as Vice President after Agnew resigned over corruption charges, and would now replace Richard Nixon, who of course resigned over Watergate. The stench of scandal sank trust in government to a nadir, exacerbated by Ford's decision to pardon Nixon just a month later.
But American patriotism would soon see a resurgence, thanks to a coincidence of time - the approach of the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, America's Bicentennial.
The American Freedom Train
In April of 1975, the U.S. government kicked off a cross-country journey of a steam locomotive tugging twenty-five cars exhibiting artifacts from Americana, like the original Bill of Rights, Joe Frazier's boxing trunks, and a moonrock. It was named, with characteristic on-the-nose nationalism, The American Freedom Train.
And as the train gradually traversed all 48 contiguous states on through the nation's official 200th birthday the next year, it would make a stop in Dallas, Texas, not far from another American institution that began its journey in 1975: a bar and grill in the shell of a former post office founded by Larry Lavine.
The concept was based on Lavine's love of that Texas tradition, the chili cook-off, although the restaurant's nominal dish would step aside for its real hook, a simplified version of Tex-Mex cuisine. As the restaurant expanded in the '80s, it unveiled its two signature menu items: fajitas served on a sizzling platter that swiveled heads in the dining room, and baby back ribs, later immortalized in an earworm of a jingle sung by boy band, NSYNC.
In the '90s, the chain realized it needed to downsize its sprawling dining rooms and encyclopedic menus to accommodate cozier locales like college campuses and airports. And, so, a sequel of sorts was born - that same restaurant, but smaller, affixed with "Too." Though the "Too" branding has been removed in recent years, these smaller, limited outlets still remain, offering dine-in and to-go fare for hungry students and harried travelers.
And, today, on this podcast's own bicentennial, we return to the very first chain restaurant we ever reviewed... too.
This week on the 200th episode of Doughboys: Chili's Too.
Fork rating[]
The very first episode of Doughboys was a review of of Chili's with Eva Anderson. Nick and Eva gave it 3 forks and Mitch 4. (They say in this episode that they all gave it 3.)
For this 200th episode, The Doughboys took a flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, where they spent many hours in the airport, including a visit to the Chili's Too.
| guest / host | ordered | rating |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger |
|
4 forks |
| Mike Mitchell |
|
4 forks |
| Eva Anderson |
|
3.5 forks |
| shared |
To-Go Window
|
An Unsatisfied Yelper[]
In this segment, as he did in the first episode, Nick reads some angry Yelp reviews for different chains, and The Doughboys discuss.
For this episode, all reviews are of the Chili's in the Las Vegas Airport.
| “ | I found a rat claw in my side order of black beans that came with my sandwich. Totally disgusted! They returned my cash with a simple apology. Health Department needs to visit this restaurant. Eat at your own risk! This is why people make their own food instead of eating out. | ” |
–Tracy B | ||
| “ | The most awful service of any Chili's on the planet! I ordered a simple salad, stood there for 15 minutes - no salad, no one cared. I asked for a refund so I could make my flight.
On the flight in first class to go pick up my Embraer Phenom 300 jet that was in the service center, they had zero food. Not even peanuts or pretzels. Geez! Wonder why US Air will go bankrupt just like American Airlines recently did. |
” |
–Wayne G | ||
| “ | This is the most ridiculous restaurant experience I have ever had! $127 for four watered-down pre-mix margaritas?! On top of the insane 'surprise' prices, the drinks are barely 9-10 ounces and further watered down with ice! On the entire menu, the margaritas are the only item that don't have the prices listed. I expect airport prices, however this was robbery and trickery. At the very least, publish the prices on the menu. Do not eat or drink in this establishment! | ” |
–David R | ||
Snack or Wack[]
In Snack or Wack, The Doughboys have a snack and decide if it is 'good' or 'bad.'
To honor the 200th episode, Eva baked some treats and surprised Nick and Mitch with her own Snack or Wack segment. She made both Butterscotch Blondies and Key Lime Bars.
The Doughboys can't be bought and were brutally honest, despite Eva being such a great friend.
| guest / host | Butterscotch Blondies | Key Lime Bars |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | Snack | Snack |
| Mike Mitchell | Snack | Snack |
Roast Spoonman[]
Grimace Thanos
| “ | The man who could do for Grimace what Josh Brolin did for Thanos if Marvel had the balls to cast him. | ” |
–@alfredofilmgeek | ||
Lessons Learned from The Doughboys[]
- The forks matter.
- The world is cold.
- Climate keeps changin'.
- Drain your standing water.
Quotes[]
| “ | What is this magic factory where they craft these [Garfield] strips? Do they have writer rooms? How is it structured? | ” |
–Nick Wiger on his dream job | ||
| “ | Mitch: Is our first episode our best episode? Nick: Probably. I think we peaked there. |
” |
–The Doughboys | ||
| “ | It was like Slimer eating me out. | ” |
–Eva Anderson on the Awesome Blossom Petals | ||
| “ | Mitch: You sent me a picture of a salad and said 'breakfast of champions.' Nick: That's right. I knew we were going to eat very heavy for lunch, so I was like, I'll have myself a salad for breakfast. Start the day off right. |
” |
–Salad is cereal, cupcakes are pie | ||
#hashtags[]
- #OppositeGoldilocks
- #TasteBest vs. #WasteTest
The Feedbag[]
| “ | Hey Doughboys! I used to intern at Frito-Lay and I got to sit in on some quality assurance taste tests of like Cheetos and Lay's chips. I was talking to my friend who works at Mars and she was saying they have somebody who does quality assurance and taste testing for dog food. So my question was: what would be your dream job for that type of thing? And what would be your worst nightmare that you have to taste test? | ” |
–Linda | ||
Related Episodes[]
| Chili's episodes | Eva Anderson episodes |
|---|---|
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Photos[]
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