The Scarlet at Black, February to, ism—page s

 

Local Chili review

Adifferent kind of bowl game

by Andrew Schultl

It has been said that the three
linest things in life are exquisite
wine, beautiful relationships, and
good chili.

The value of a good bowl of chili
cannot be understated Nothing
else will fill une's crew with such,
shall say, presence.

Ch is an amalgam. It is partly
soup, partly stew, and actually
may be considered a separate state
of matter.

There are as many different

quality—ﬂatulence.

Extra brownie points were given
for homemade chili and to Chili
with good value for the dollar,

Now, without further dawdling,
let's dig in. . . .

Dickie‘s Prairie
Home

Dickie's is a truck stop just off I-
80, and one would think that a truck

This could be a “delectable, ﬂowing Iarrago of ﬂavor and texture,"
or “greasy. glopny gruel.” If. all depends on where one drops his

ooppers.

kinds of chili as there are people to
consume it. And tastes differ; no
two tongues are alike. Some prefer
Chili that is mild', some like it hot
Other connoisseurs hanker for
soupy chili while still others crave
chili with a consistency of freshly
mixed cement.

ALI. THIS is by way of in-
tl‘oduction, The purpose of this
article is not to divulge the
whereabouts of the ultimate bowl
of chili. That is an impossi task,
The ultimate bowl of chili s as
illusory as the Great American
Novel, Eldorado, and the “zipless”
sexual encounter (of the third kind,
of course).

My only purpose in composing
this chili guide is to point the in
diligent reader in the proper
direction when he or she has that
sudden, manic pang for a steaming
bowl of Hispanic legumes and
ground beef.

I AM NOT a connoisseur. I state
my bias here. 1 am partial to
spicier chili. I like it balanced—not
too soupy, not too thick. I like
beans. I like copious amounts of
them, s

Now, to the question at hand, It
maybe stated simply: “Hey, I live
in Grinnell. If I wanna bowl of Chili,
where can i get it, mac?”

Well, in the interest of culinary
research, 1 have had occasion to
sample the piquant mess in five
eating establishments. (Dare I
call them restaurants?) I betock
myself to Dickie’s Prairie Home
and die Malzuma Inn in Malcom,
Cumming‘s Truck Stop in Colfax,
and McCurry’s and the World-
rcnowned Cattle Call Cafe in
Gl'innell.

T0 AID me ill my Search for
toolhsome chili, I devised a rating
system This system Is completely
subjective and consists of two
categories.

The [list category is chili quality
ice). This is an arbitrary number
rating between 1 and 10 ll ilorst. 10
hestl. The number suggests the
overall quality of the chili, and
includes sucll variables as color,
texture, flavor, beanrto-bcef
ratio, and so on.

The second category is in-
tangibles. This IS a miscellany of
such characteristics as general
temperament of service, ambience

and, of

 

Photos by A. Schultz.

stop should live up to its reputation
as a repository of superb chili. Nut
so.

Dickie's menu claims that their
chili is homemade. If this is true, I,
for one, would be most hesitant to
inhabit such an abode. Brieﬂy, the
chili tasted like warmed ovcr
sludge. Too much beef, too many
beans. The taste was bland.
Ounces of salt and pepper did little
to salvage this slop. The addition of
crackers transformed the chili into
a material suitable for masonry.

Also, for a small bowl (8-10 am,
chkie‘s wants as pennies, Forget
it. CQ: 8. Intangibles: Indifferent
service. Truck stop atmosphere
0K. Negligible ﬂatulence,

Malzuma inn

Across the street from Dickie's )5
their competitor, The Malzuma
Inn, also a truck stop.

Malzuma’schili is a step up from
Dickie's. The bowl is quite large,
and the homemade texture is
immediately apparent. Large
chunks of stewed tomato swim in
this more soupy chili. The beans
are large and plentilul, but the
flavor lalls shortinot spicy
enough.

li'lalzuma's ch takes crackem
well. andtastesuquite pleasant with
a dash of salt or pepper A 12714
ounce how] goes [01‘ 95 cop-
perheads. CQ: 6. Intangibles:
Unfriendly, gruff service. Truck
stop atmosphere pervasive, in
eluding cal clocks and other tacky
gifts. Moderate flatulence.

McCurry’s

McCurry's is a popular Grinnell
eatery 'i‘he chili Is imported from
Texas ta bastion of fine Chill), and
is of the soupy variety,

McCurry‘s Cl'llll takes as many
crackers as one can crumble into
the bowl. The flavor ls balanced,
The Cl’llll has a pleasant a -
pearance. and there is a nice kick
in the after-taste, No additional
spicing is called for,

A 10-12 ounce bowl is an
equitable 85 Lincolns. CQ: 7,5,
Intangibles: Very lriendly service.
Small-town cafe atmosphere.

Within walking distance at the'

colic e. McCurrv‘s is located on

 

highway 145 near the railroad
tracks. Moderately high ﬂatulence
level.

Cumming’s

Colfax isa 30 mile hike Weston 1.
30, but if you want to savor some
chili that earns the exalted adr
jeetive “divine,” then Cummings
is a must.

The chili is nearly a Derfect
balance of bean, beef and broth.
The spicing was so delighful tears
of joy welled in my eyes, At last,
chili one could die for,

Well, not quite, I was a bit
overwhelmed by the outstanding
quality of the chili. The beef
chunks were enormous, and one
may dispatch of the bowl with or
without crackers. It makes no
difference,

co: 9 5. intangibles: Swift serr
vice. Impeccably clean for a truck
step. A “3712 ounce bowl of this
potage is 85 bronze coins. Wamlng:
ﬂatulence level extemely high and
profound.

Cattle Call Cafe

JUST when you think you've
found heaven, well, by golly,

someting better comes along. As
Dorothy said, ”There's no place
like home.” Such is the Case with
the Cattle Call Cafe.

A popular Grinnell eatery, McCurry's offers imported Texas chili in

a workingman‘s atmosphere.

Friends, do not hesitate another
moment! You are missing an
ambresial chili that the gods
themselves would salivate over.
Go, immediately, to the Cattle
Call. It is located a mile south of
town on 146, just past the Big Bear,

and adjacent to the livestock sale
barn.

The Chili is indescribable. The
spices, beans, beef, all fuse

Chili nirvana: the Cattle Call Cafe offers a transcendent culinary climax.

together in a delectable. ﬂowing
farrago of ﬂavor and texture. -

ONE mouthful and I could not
wipe the stupid grin off my face,
Eureka!

CQ.: 10, Intangibles: Very
friendly service. Western at-
mosphere. There are rough
wooden booths, and wagon wheels
decorate the ceiling. The price was
a mere 65 cents for a 1012 ounce
bowl. This is by far the best value
of the live places Visited. The
ﬂatulence level is high.

A note of remembrance: chilir
lovers should observe a moment of
silence over the recent passing of
the “Skeldiner” on 146 near I-80.

Dear old Skelly's has folded, but
it may be back yet. Skelly's was
noted for amlabie service and
probably the largest bowl of chili
served up this side of the
Mississippi.

SKEL-CHILI was quite good,
though inconsistent. Some nights it
was soupy, other nights it could
have been readily used to mold
puts. Nonetheless, I hope all will
join with me in fond recollection of
successful Skelrruns, and In the
hope that we will be able to make
more of them soon.

Finally. I must again remind the
reader that this is not a definitive
statement on chili parlors in and
around Grinnell.

WHATEVER your taste, the
search for guod chili is a timeless
quest, for such an odyssey
amounts. in the end, to little more
than a hill of beans.

 

