"Native Foods with Tawny Newsome & Alex Kliner" is Episode 192 of Doughboys, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Native Foods with Tawny Newsome & Alex Kliner" was released on February 28, 2019.
"Tomorrow..." - @doughboyspod
Synopsis[]
The 'boys are joined by The Supergroup's Tawny Newsome & Alex Kliner to review Native Foods, a vegan fast food chain with a focus on sustainability. Plus, a McDonald's edition of Breaking Chews.
Nick's intro[]
In February of 1941, Field Marshall Erwin Rommel was deployed to the North African front of World War II. Taking command of the Deutsches Afrika Korps to replenish the defeated Italian troops, the military mastery displayed by Rommel earned him the nickname The Desert Fox, and flummoxed by his Panzer Division, the Americans and British regrouped to plan an Allied invasion that would become known as Operation Torch.
General Patton at the Desert Training Center
In April of 1942, to train for the punishing environments of Morocco and Algeria, the U.S. assigned its own military genius, General George S. Patton, to command a newly-opened desert training center located outside of Palm Springs, a Southern California city, favored as a hideaway by Hollywood movie stars. Palm Springs' dry, dry Mojave Desert was a vital proving ground for Patton's exercises in preparation for the operation, which would begin in November of that same year. And seven months and 400,000 combined casualties later, in May of 1943, the Axis forces surrendered, yielding the North African front to the Allies for good. The Desert Training Center's usefulness was short-lived thereafter, and it closed in 1944, well before the War's end.
And in its post-war state, the resort town of Palm Springs resorted to its old ways - far from hosting rugged tank divisions, it would be a drivable vacation destination for affluent Angelenos. The tourism economy of Palm Springs grew exponentially in the following decades, and some who came to visit would remain, as the town would evolve into a wealthy, hedonistic community that might seem to outsiders like a caricature of California.
And it's in this liberal oasis where, in 1994, chef Tanya Petrovna opened a restaurant centered on a then-novel concept: vegan versions of American comfort food. The strength of its execution combined with a growing popularity of vegetarianism made it a hit and it grew across California and expanded to progressive-minded cities in other states.
But in 2010, the company was purchased by investor Andrea McGinty, a newcomer to the restaurant industry who'd made her fortune by creating a dating website. McGinty relocated the headquarters to Chicago to focus on national expansion and in 2012, Petrovna was bought out, severing her involvement with the company.
Since then, the chain's troubles have accumulated as the decline of its own quality, the rise of newer, flashier vegan competitors like Veggie Grill, and the presence of vegetarian meat substitutes at mainstream fast-food outlets like Carl's Jr./Hardee's have created a challenging environment. Far from a nationwide takeover, it has scaled back operations and halved its locations from 26 to an unlucky 13.
These days the African front is largely omitted from the American World War II narrative, which seems to fast forward from Pearl Harbor straight to D-Day.
And history is also being rewritten at this troubled vegan fast-food chain as founder Tanya Petrovna's name has been scrubbed from the website of the very restaurant she founded.
This week on Doughboys: Native Foods.
Fork rating[]
| guest / host | ordered | rating |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger |
|
2 forks |
| Mike Mitchell |
|
2 forks |
| Tawny Newsome |
|
2 forks |
| Alex Kliner |
|
2.5 forks |
| shared |
|
Mitch twice called his entree 'Orange Chicken,' but the online Native Foods menu lists Orange Cauliflower, but no 'Orange Chicken'; I assume this is what he meant. Mitch and Nick split a California Burrito.
Breaking Chews 📰[]
Cheesy Bacon Fries
In Breaking Chews, The Doughboys try a newly-released item from a chain.
For this episode, they try the new McDonald's item, Cheesy Bacon Fries. (Tawny tries the version without cheese, just bacon.)
Everyone seemed to find them good but unnecessary, and would just prefer McDonald's regular plain fries.
Roast Spoonman[]
Paddington Bear
| “ | Plaiddington Bear | ” |
–Brad Hill | ||
Quotes[]
| “ | Mitch: I get my snout stuck in marmalade jars all the time. Nick: And your bottom stuck in honey jars. |
” |
–Plaiddington Bear | ||
| “ | Let me tell you, I'm a Green Bean Machine. | ” |
–Nick Wiger | ||
| “ | Anyone who likes IPAs, I hope Thanos fucking dissolves you. | ” |
–Mike Mitchell | ||
| “ | Everyone take a minute: think about the Klumps. | ” |
–Tawny Newsome | ||
#hashtags[]
- #PREserves vs. #preSERVES / #primarystress vs. #finalstress
- #HitTheLotto
The Feedbag[]
| “ | I recently heard the episode about Korn Koffee on the Double. I hadn't listened to the band in years, but I remember in high school - class of '98 what what! - being very into Korn. You guys made me want to reminisce, so I started listening to some old songs and I gotta tell you: I was scratching my head, why did I used to love this? I guess it's because it was at 16 I was filled with a lot of angst and I thought being hard was cool. Towards the end of high school, I was seduced by the fun upbeat silliness of ska and to be honest, my heart still beats for horns and harmonies.
My question is: is there a particular band or genre of music you were very into at one point that you no longer enjoy? Conversely, is there a genre or band you loved in your youth that still holds up? Love the podcast. Yusong rules! |
” |
–Melissa Toro | ||
Related Episodes[]
Photos (via @doughboyspod)[]
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