Tulane football player Devon Walker suffered a spinal cord injury in a game on Sept. 8, 2012. This coming Monday, Aug. 26, Dat Dog's Freret Street location is hosting a fundraiser. The restaurant will donate 10 percent of the take from 1:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. to support Walker's recovery. From the press release I received:
During the event, a special “Devon Dog” will be featured on the menu, created by Devon Walker himself. Devon is expected to make an appearance at the event. Guests will also have the opportunity to make additional donations at the register.
I'd be alerting you kids to this fundraiser by lazily cutting and pasting from a press release under any circumstances, but this story hits a bit closer to home since my son decided recently that he wants to play football. It's a uniquely American game, football, and one I love to watch. It can also be dangerous, and I think it's great that Dat Dog is doing something to help Mr. Walker. I know you all join me in wishing him the best.
In other news, Sainte Marie Brasserie and St. James Cheese Co. are putting on a Point Reyes cheese dinner tonight. Yes, tonight, Aug. 22, 2013.
It's a five-course affair in which chef Kristen Essig's food and bar chef Murf's drinks will be matched with cheeses from Point Reyes chosen by the kids at St. James. Check out the menu at Sainte Marie's blog if you're interested. I know it's late notice, but as of Wednesday night there were still around 10 seats left for the dinner. I like cheese and Sainte Marie, so I may be biased, but I'd say it's worth your time to call the restaurant at 304-6988 to reserve a seat or two.
In other, other news, this is hilarious:
Today, SONIC Drive-In announced the introduction of the limited-time Who Dat! Burger – a Louisiana-style burger topped with a bun emblazoned with the Who Dat! logo in edible food coloring.
The burger, available at participating SONIC Drive-In locations in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Alexandria starting August 26, seeks to celebrate Louisiana culture and local flavors, featuring two local Louisiana culinary staples – Tabasco and Tony Chachere’s.
The Who Dat! phrase carries special significance to local Louisiana communities, and SONIC is excited to share this one-of-a-kind branded burger, made just for Louisianans.
You know what I love about the Who Dat! Burger? It's the fact that the bun is emblazoned with the Who Dat! Logo in edible food coloring. That's a nice touch. If most people were designing a Who Dat! Burger, they'd probably make the Who Dat! logo out of asbestos or lead or maybe drywall. Not SONIC. They want every bite of their Who Dat! logo to be edible.
And I respect that. I really do. I think it's the kind of focus on local Louisiana communities and celebration of Louisiana culture and local flavors that only a local national chain with no local real connection to Louisiana local and apparently local no awareness of the local Louisiana market could pull off. Local.
I received notice of the Who Dat! Burger via a press release with the dateline “Oklahoma City.” This makes sense, because nothing says “delicious Louisiana food” like a “place where Midwesterners go to graze at Golden Corral buffets.” I'm joking, of course. I'm sure Oklahoma City has some fine restaurants that are not Golden Corral or facsimiles thereof. But let's get back to the glory that is the actual press release:
The Who Dat! Burger features Tabasco Spicy Mayo, Onion Tanglers and pepper jack cheese melted on a 100 percent USDA-inspected pure beef burger, all topped with a bun stamped with an edible Who Dat! logo. Each burger is accompanied by a packet of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning for sprinkling on Tots, Fries or burger. This Louisiana-style burger is only available for a limited time at participating drive-ins, and pairs perfectly with a Cherry Limeade.
“It also pairs nicely with morbid obesity and a spiraling sense of shame and worthlessness” the press release did not continue but maybe should have. I have to admit that “Onion Tanglers” piques my interest. It sounds mysterious, doesn't it? Sounds like maybe you'd hear about it on the evening news: “Seven reported missing in Onion Tanglers mishap,” you might read in a story datelined Oklahoma City.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and make a suggestion to SONIC: You've crossed the edible food coloring-logo Rubicon; why stop with buns? Why not add a logo or message to the burger itself? How about tiny advertisements written in edible food coloring on your fries, tots or Onion Tanglers? Every day that passes without edible food coloring adorning breakfast burritos is a day you will NEVER GET BACK.
Or am I over-thinking this?
