See The World and Never Leave Texas. Part 2: Canton

There are almost 30 towns named Canton in the US, the most famous being the one in Ohio, home of the National Football Hall of Fame. About Canton OH, Dennis Miller once wryly remarked that you cannot get any good Cantonese food...

Canton TX is about 60 miles east of Dallas and we found out it is on route one for LSU fans heading home. They had a college football game against Oregon at Cowboys Stadium and clogged I30 on their way back to the Cajun state. About twelve times a year, shoppers are drawn like moths to Canton TX for the First Monday Trade Days. This is an outdoor flea market covering 100 acres and can hold up to 6,000 vendors. The population of Canton has been known to swell from about 5,000 to over 300,000 when the flea market is open.



"Vendors" in the loosest definition; seems that just about anything that can be loaded onto a truck and dragged to the flea market can be sold and bought. Never has the phrase "one mans trash is another mans treasure" seemed so apt. Clothing, art, furniture, car parts, CD's, records, gramophones, tools, yard art... there was no apparent end as to what could be purchased. Maybe they even have Cantonese food?


Nice looking STOP sign...


After much haggling in broken Spanish, we came away with a pig and a goat. Pastor y cabrito for all. The pig is sort of bold-looking, maybe it is the Sligo colors.



Thankfully, they are the tin "heche en Mexico" kind... This is the best sort of ranching, low maintenance.

Priceless

Drivers education, test, license... couple of hundred bucks.

Car, insurance... a few grand.

Look on daughters face when she falls for the old fake license plate trick... priceless.

Gimme Fuel, Gimme Fire...

Give me that which I desire: Taco's. Fuel City Tacos to be precise.

Mexican fast finger food doesn't get any better than the tacos served at Fuel City just west of downtown Dallas and 15 mins from work. This little place with walk up windows only is housed inside a gas station. Not one of those rundown gas stations or one one of those greasy taco joints either. The gas station is clean and modern, the taco "stand" more a well kept kitchen.

The menu is simple: beef (three kinds), chicken and pork. Choice of flour or corn tortillas - fresh made, small like the palm of your hand. Recommend you get all the toppings. Ever indecisive, I had one of each: beef, chicken amd pork. While I am no connoisseur of tacos, I can wholeheartedly say there were the bast damn tacos I ever had. Just enough zing, just enough zest, picante y caliente, muy bien. And the price? A whopping $1.40 each. How's that for a budget buster? If they need a spokesman / endorsement (for a years supply of tacos) I am available.

Texas Monthly, Dallas Observer, D Magazine have all named Fuel City has having the best tacos in Big D. Who am I disagree?

Outside the Fuel City gas station is the senorita purveying the finest Cup of Corn that $1.25 can buy. She works a street cart and is set up to complement the tacos. Man, this is just awesome. She layers in hot corn kernels into a Styrofoam cup and adds a concoction of butter, chili powder, cream, white cheese, hot sauce... and sticks a spoon where the straw goes in the lid... it is delicious and deadly.


Tacos, corn in a cup, all washed down with a Dr. Pepper. Cue post lunch nap at desk.

Adjacent to Fuel City is a field of longhorns, hanging out, chewing the cud, watching traffic. Daydreaming about Bevo and corn in a bucket.


As you leave the Fuel City parking lot and head back for I35, there is a nice view of the Dallas skyline. Y'all come back now... Amen to that.

Football Season is Back!

From the climate controlled luxury box of the palatial World of Jerry (Thanks to the G.E.neral)




to the bleachers of Dragon Stadium, those giants of the gridiron, those maulers of the midway, those disciples of the defense and fans of the flea-flicker, all have a place to congregate on Friday nights, Saturday afternoons and Sunday evenings. Long live friendship and football.

(For the record, the Cowboys lost, the Dragons won!)