Commercial Break

Aye, yi, yi, yiiii,
I am the Frito Bandito.
I like Frito's Corn Chips,
I love them, I do.
I want Frito's Corn Chips,
I'll get them from you.

- commercial for Fritos, 1960s

Created by the well-regarded New York agency of Foote Cone Belding, responsible for such classic campaigns as "Does she or doesn't she" for Clairol, Smokey the Bear's "Only you can prevent forest fires" for the US Forest Service and the "501 Blues" campaign for Levi's, the Frito Bandito character was voiced by none other than Mel Blanc, famous for creating the voices of Speedy Gonzales and Bugs Bunny for Warner Brothers cartoons.

Pulled off the air in 1971 due to pressure from the Mexican-American Anti-Defamation Committee because of its stereotyped image of Hispanics, it was replaced by the "munch a bunch of Fritos" campaign, a reviving of an ad theme the chip company had used in the late 50s.

Why this sudden swerve into classic advertising? Have I suddenly had an urge to turn this blog into some paean to my former profession?

The answer is a decided "No!" not just because that territory is being well-documented (relatively accurately, in my opinion) by the series Madmen. It's because my friend Ivy and I had lunch today at Podnah's Pit Barbecue and decided to supplement our heaping sandwiches (hers the brisket, mine the pulled pork) with their version of a Frito Pie.

It would be easy to say the best part is that it's served in a torn-open (small-sized) bag of the famous corn chips, but that would be to undercut the ragu, the falling-apart, tender, shredded Texas chili that is in turn topped by shreds of cheddar and chunks of onion. The chili slightly dessicates the corn chips' harsh crunch, rendering them more pliable but still crispy because of the moisture (mostly fat) they absorb from the chili.

This is by way of saying that for five bucks this is a heavenly combination, one that is not to be spurned because of any association with commercials, racist or otherwise, but simply enjoyed for what it is.

Details: Frito Pie at Podnah's Pit Barbecue, 1625 NE Killingsworth. 503-281-3700.

Howdy Podnah's!

It's a little embarrassing to admit, but despite all the buzz when it opened and the subsequent oohing and aahing over its Texas-style barbecued meats, including some mighty fine Carolina pulled pork, we had never made it into Podnah's Pit Barbecue.

This was made worse by the fact that Rodney Muirhead's original place was only a few blocks, nay, a three-minute stroll from home. That and the fact that the residents of my household are fanatical consumers of anything grilled or smoked. And therein lay my shame.

Fortunately the new location of Podnah's is just a hop, skip and a jump farther away in a brand-new building on a corner of NE 17th and Killingsworth known more for abandoned washing machines, drug dealers and gangbangers than good eatin'. Fortunately on most days now all you'll see is 'cue-loving folks lining up for the smoky goodness of the pork, beef, chicken and fish that have been lounging in the smoker since the early hours of the morning.

Open the door and a wall of that smoky aroma hits you. Take a seat at the counter or at one of the sun-soaked tables in the dining room and prepare to be overwhelmed by the choices on the menu. Not only is there brisket, chili, pulled pork, lamb and pork spareribs, chicken, hot links and trout, but then you have to choose between some kick-ass sides (and these are truly great, believe me) like collards bathed in bacon fat, a sprightly black-eyed pea salad, coleslaw, pinto beans, barbecued beans and mac & cheese. Oh, and cornbread that treads that lovely line between moist and just-crumbly-enough. Talk about the horns of a dilemma!

Because it was a late-ish lunch and we were heading out that evening to see what just-returned Chef Cafiero had managed to cadge from his travels in Spain (post to come), we decided to split an entrée of the brisket (smoked for 10 hours) with two sides and a wedge of cornbread. A couple of beers were de riguer, and Podnah's has a very decent lineup of mostly Northwest choices on tap.

The brisket, with its telltale smoke ring, was four very thin slices of not-yet-falling-apart meat, lovely and smoky though a bit skimpy in the portion department when you think of brisket plates at other barbecue joints. The above-mentioned collards were flavorful and retained enough texture to make me want to do this preparation at home soon, and the black-eyed pea salad with crunchy bits of celery was the perfect brightness in contrast to the smoky brisket.

It actually inspired Dave to stop at the store on the way home to get his own nearly six pound hunk of brisket to smoke the next day. Which is a good reason to stop in again and have another inspiring dish in the near future.

Details: Podnah's Pit Barbecue, 1625 NE Killingsworth St. 503-281-3700.