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Rawlins Gilliland Upstages Savor Dallas

Posted on March 9th, 2009 12:04pm by Nancy Nichols
Filed under Uncategorized

Savor Dallas wasn’t the only show in town this weekend, the The Research Chefs Association held their yearly conference here late last week. RCA is the leading professional community for food research and development. Its members are the pioneers of the discipline of Culinology® — the blending of culinary arts and the science of food. (Dallasfood.org’s dream program.) (photo: Miller, Paul, Rawlins)

Anywhoo, one member, Paul Miller, Innovation Breakthrough Scout for Premier Foods in the UK, attended the RCA affair. Before he hit town, he Googled “Dallas food” and came upon a D Magazine story written by the fair-haired bon vivant and culinary crusader, Rawlins Gilliland. The story on street food fascinated Miller and he contacted Rawlins. The duo set out on Saturday and hit all of few of the spots in the story. Sir Rawlins files this report:

My guest, Paul Miller of the UK Premier Foods, who lives in Wales, found last May’s article on ‘Street Food’ online and contacted me. He wanted to taste these foods on his US trip. How could I say no.

He was thrilled with the food at Tacos to Go on Webb’s Chapel where we had:
1)       5 tacos of chicaron, Milanesa (breaded sliced thin meat), chorizo, barbacoa and fajita.
2)       Then we split a huge pastor (pork) burrito with rice and beans inside.
3)       The sopes de pastor (pork)
4)       All washed down with bottled tamarind soda and Big Red.

Then to Paul’s Sweet Corn at Shed 1 Farmer’s Market.
Where we ate not only the mayo-ed roasted corn with parmesan but sausages on a stick!

I made Paul buy Texas pecans and watermelon pickles. He tried Texas Ruby Red grapefruits.
He rolled back to his Holiday Inn enchanted with Texas and ‘D’. Do I get a flat screen TV or something?

No Rawlins, you get a blog post! And we get Miller’s report on the conference (great stuff) and his first impressions of Dallas food. Tomorrow, Miller promises a second post of his experience with Rawlins. I’m popping the corn.

Gratuitous photos of Rawlins’ doggies, Honey and Mona.

8 Comments to “Rawlins Gilliland Upstages Savor Dallas”

Bobby Ewing @ March 9th, 2009 at 4:38 pm

Fantastic work Rawlins. I love the fact that Mr. Miller was able to experience authentic regional food. Huzzah!
Bethany @ March 9th, 2009 at 5:10 pm

For those of you who missed Rawlins’ recent speaking engagement at Bonham Elementary, you missed out! He was funny, charming, and (for those of you who doubt his stories) his stories were lent immediate veracity by the fact that there were several classmates and family members in the audience as well.

I’m just bummed I didn’t win the best raffle item of them all – the Dallas Food tour with Rawlins!
Rawlins @ March 9th, 2009 at 5:26 pm

Three words: Jenny Craig and Lipitor.
Margie @ March 9th, 2009 at 6:45 pm

I love Rawlins from listening to him on NPR! Cute dogs, too!
Sid Nancy @ March 9th, 2009 at 7:26 pm

Fan of you both
for the record:
Taco Cabana -Webbs Chapel
Taco to Go – Webb Chapel
Mr. Snackwell @ March 9th, 2009 at 7:26 pm

Who were those three words for, Rawlins?
nmlhats @ March 9th, 2009 at 9:12 pm

Margie, You love hearing Rawlins on KERA. He’s a KERA commentator, aside from whether NPR is ever smart enough to pick up any of his stuff or not. Just giving local props where they are due! Go Rawlins! Go KERA!
Rawlins @ March 9th, 2009 at 10:06 pm

Mr. Snackwell: To your question…at the end of yesterday’s eat-a-thon, we were both swollen with more than pride and more inflated than Macy’s Thanksgiving Day balloons. To Paul Miller’s credit, this UK dude is like me now as when I first scoured the streets for these vendors; eating the whole thing, not just ‘taste and toss’ as I later learned is the (scandalous) food writer discipline. No, we both responded to each course (especially the tsunami of treats at Tacos to Go served by co-owner Mauro) the way a gaggle of 6-months-at-sea sailors on furlough might react spotting scantily clad strippers winking and wiggling on shady stage.