Q&A WITH THE MIDWAY GOURMENT
Bites and bliss: Exploring the Rodeo carnival's best eats
Mar 5, 2024, 2:11 pm
Dominic Palmieri is the Midway Gourmet. Photo by Brandon Strange.
Each year, I have one day circled on my calendar. That’s when Dominic Palmieri, the “Midway Gourmet,” takes me and my merry band of taste testers on a lap around Restaurant Row on the Carnival grounds at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Palmieri was in rare form last week, treating us to the stories behind more than a dozen new items guaranteed to make your eyes roll and tummy squeal with delight. Next year I’m bringing a cot for a mid-tour nap.
This year my roster of taste-testers consisted of Andrew Hoffman (15th year on the job — nepotism has its rewards), Matthew Clemens (eight years), Andrew and Nikki Hardee (four and two years). Nikki is still on probation, and I’ve got to be honest, it doesn’t look good for her – excessive use of napkins.
But before the pig-out begins, here’s a fast Q&A with the man responsible for ensuring that each turkey leg is cooked to perfection and each deep-fried Twinkie makes you give self-control the night off.
CultureMap: How many years have you and Ray Cammack Shows been with the Carnival at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo?
Dominic Palmieri: Ray Cammack Shows has run the Carnival for 31 years, the same period I’ve been here with my food booths.
CM: What’s the latest trend for food at the Carnival?
DP: For the past few years, spicy was the rage. Now it’s spicy and sour. We’re seeing a lot of pickles. We’re seeing a lot of things with sour candy. Even some of our seasonings are sour, like tajin, which is very much a chili-lime seasoning. It was all about bacon five years ago. Then spicy had a really good run. Now we’re seeing a crossover into sour. For example, we have a Pickle Split that is just like a banana split except we slice a pickle in half lengthwise instead of a banana. We also have a Hot Cheetos Pickle Pizza.
CM: Do you have to take generational tastes into account when you develop a new product? For example, a younger person might be willing to try pickles on a pizza while veteran pizza fans might be aghast at the thought. Put me down for aghast.
DP: Yes, and the reason young people are willing to try pickles on pizza, and like it, is because of FOMO, the fear of missing out. They're seeing our new food selections on their Instagram and their social media. They see 3,000 people talking about it on social media. They know what we have and where to find it. Young people don’t have to come to the Rodeo and go searching for the Pickle Split. Social media has given us a greater upper hand to bring these wild and wacky food items to the masses.
CM: The popularity of the Food Network and the Cooking Channel has created a boom in food awareness. Has that put pressure on you to come up with more creative products?
DP: Absolutely and I’ll give you an example. Carnival Eats has been one of the top shows on the Cooking Channel for 13 years now, a full generation of Rodeo goers. It’s shown all of the amazing foods that you can get when you come to the Rodeo. What Food Network has done is expose people to new types of foods that they've never seen before. It piques their interest and they say 'wow, I've got to go to the Rodeo and try that.'
CM: When do you start preparing for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo?
DP: We start thinking about the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in July each year. The media is part of the preparation process. I start getting phone calls from reporters in Houston around October asking me what’s the new deep-fried treat, what’s the next trend? Everybody wants the big scoop.
CM: Every time I pass a restaurant I see a big “Help Wanted” sign in the window. Are you getting enough workers to staff the Carnival this year?
DP: We did have some difficulty last year. But the economic reality has changed. Many people are now living paycheck to paycheck. So we have had a tremendous number of people coming to us looking for work. They need hours. They want extra money. They’re willing to work. We actually have more employees than we've ever had at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this year.
CM: You’ve maintained your requirements for employment?
DP: Yes, we do drug testing and background checks. We have a policy with respect to uniforms, piercings, tattoos that are visible, and more. We stick to those guidelines because that is our company’s culture and we don’t stray from that.
CM: When it comes to food prices, what goes up doesn’t necessarily come down. I almost fainted when you told me that you’ve lowered the price of turkey legs this year.
DP: Last year, $21. This year, $20! We just happened to get very lucky when we put in our order for turkey legs this year.
We order seven tractor trailers full of turkey legs, by the way. We saw a decrease in price and we’re passing that along to the customer. We feel it’s in the best interest of the customer and to our brand. If there’s a savings we can pass along, we will do it. We still expect to maintain a certain level of profitability. If we didn’t, we wouldn't be able to come back year after year. Our priorities will always be safety, quality and customer service, in that order.
CM: Deep-fried, marshmallow-covered frogs legs may come and go, but corn dogs are forever. What’s the Mount Rushmore of food items at the Rodeo?
DP: Corn dogs, turkey legs, sausage on a stick, funnel cakes, and deep-fried Oreos. (That’s five things, but are you here to eat or do math homework?)
CM: Not to get all gushy, but your Nashville Hot Chicken and Tater Tots is the single best thing I’ve ever eaten outdoors. Man, those tots! Did you notice everybody’s hands digging into those tots? Talk to me.
DP: We had Nashville Hot Chicken last year but this year we’re pairing it with garlic tater tots. We created a garlicy butter, slightly spicy sauce that we toss the tater tots in. It gives the tater tots a completely different dimension and texture. And then we toss some pickles on top to cut the heat.
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How these 3 critical factors could swing battle between Texans and Jets
Oct 30, 2024, 3:06 pm
The Jets host the Texans and their scary defense on Halloween night! Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.
Houston (6-2) at New York Jets (2-6)
Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, Amazon Prime
BetMGM NFL odds: Jets by 2.
Against the spread: Texans 3-4-1; Jets 2-6.
Series record: Jets lead 7-3.
Last meeting: Jets beat Texans 30-6 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 10, 2023.
Last week: Texans beat Colts 23-20; Jets lost to Patriots 25-22.
Texans offense: overall (9t), rush (18), pass (8), scoring (14).
Texans defense: overall (2), rush (13), pass (3), scoring (15t).
Jets offense: overall (24), rush (30), pass (13), scoring (25).
Jets defense: overall (4), rush (17), pass (2), scoring (11t).
Turnover differential: Texans plus-4; Jets minus-3.
Texans player to watch
RB Joe Mixon. He has carried Houston's offense in the three games since he returned from an injury and could be even more important this week after wide receiver Stefon Diggs tore the ACL in his right knee last Sunday and is out for the season. Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 100.6 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing and a TD run in three straight games.
Jets player to watch
Edge rusher Haason Reddick. After ending his lengthy contract holdout early last week, Reddick made his Jets debut and played 26 snaps on defense with two quarterback pressures while working mostly on third downs. His snaps might increase a bit Thursday and he could help the Jets get after C.J. Stroud, who has been sacked 22 times this season — tied for third most in the NFL.
Key matchup
Jets offensive line vs. Texans' pass rush. New York has had issues this season with injuries, consistency and protecting Aaron Rodgers. The Jets will face a tough test Thursday night against the Texans, whose 27 sacks are third in the NFL. DE Will Anderson Jr. is tied for third in the league with a career-high 7 1/2 sacks, including at least one in his past three games. DE Danielle Hunter has 5 1/2 sacks and DT Tim Settle has four, powering a formidable defensive front for Houston. Hunter leads the league with 51 quarterback pressures and Anderson is fourth with 39, the only teammates in the top 15, according to Next Gen Stats.
Key injuries
Diggs' injury leaves Houston without its top two receivers. Nico Collins, who leads the Texans with 567 yards receiving, is out for at least one more game after being placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. ... S Calen Bullock was limited in practice Monday and Tuesday after injuring his shoulder Sunday. … LBs Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) and Henry To’oTo’o (concussion) both missed the Colts game, but could return this week. … S Jimmie Ward could miss a fifth straight game with a groin injury. … LG Jarrett Patterson is in the concussion protocol and is likely out. … RB Dameon Pierce missed practice this week with a groin injury. ... Jets LB C.J. Mosley suffered a stinger in his neck during pregame warmups at New England and was meeting with neck and spine specialists this week. ... RG Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle), WR Allen Lazard (chest), DL Leki Fotu (knee) and safeties Tony Adams (hamstring) and Ashtyn Davis (concussion) all missed the game vs. the Patriots and their availability for this week was uncertain. ... K Greg Zuerlein was placed on IR. Riley Patterson and Spencer Shrader were signed to the practice squad, and one will be promoted for the game.
Series notes
The Jets have won the past two meetings. ... New York won the first five meetings, including the first game between the franchises in 2003, when LaMont Jordan's late 8-yard touchdown run helped lift the Jets to a 19-14 victory. ... Zach Wilson threw two touchdown passes in the most recent meeting, a 30-6 rout by New York during which Stroud left with a concussion.
Stats and stuff
The AFC South-leading Texans have won four of their past five. ... Stroud is 2-0 with three touchdowns and zero interceptions in two career starts in prime time. He had 285 yards passing last week for his ninth career game with at least that many yards passing, which is tied for second most in the NFL since 2023. ... WR Tank Dell had a touchdown reception last week and has a TD catch in two of his past three games. ... TE Dalton Schultz had a season-high 52 yards receiving against the Colts. He has two TD receptions in each of his past two Thursday night games. ... Hunter has 10½ sacks in eight career Thursday night games. … LB Neville Hewitt, who spent the 2018-21 seasons with the Jets, forced a fumble last week. … Rookie CB Kamari Lassiter had a career-high three passes defended last week. … S Jalen Pitre had his first interception of the season last week. ... S Eric Murray had seven tackles and a season-high three passes defended last week. ... New York is trying to snap a five-game skid. ... Jeff Ulbrich is 0-3 as the Jets’ interim head coach since replacing the fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8. Ulbrich, also the team's defensive coordinator, said earlier this week he'll continue to call plays on defense. … Rodgers snapped a streak of three consecutive games with an interception. He has seven in eight games, six shy of his single-season career high set in 2008 in his first year as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. ... Rodgers hasn't passed for 300 yards since throwing for 341 against Chicago on Dec. 12, 2021 — a span of 30 regular-season games and 31 overall, including one playoff game. ... WR Garrett Wilson leads the NFL with 84 targets, 11 more than the Giants’ Malik Nabers. Wilson’s 51 receptions are second in the league behind Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers, who has 52. ... WR Davante Adams had four catches for 54 yards, giving him seven receptions for 84 yards in two games since being acquired from the Raiders. ... Second-year WR Xavier Gipson caught his first career TD pass last Sunday. ... TE Tyler Conklin has a TD catch in consecutive games after not having one since catching two TD passes in Week 8 of the 2022 season against New England. ... RB Breece Hall has 316 yards receiving, the most among NFL running backs. ... Edge rusher Will McDonald has eight sacks, second in the NFL to the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence (nine). … The Jets have only six takeaways, ranking among the fewest in the league. Backup CB Brandin Echols has New York's only two interceptions.
Fantasy tip
Houston wide receiver John Metchie is coming off a career-best three-catch game and could see more targets — and perhaps his first NFL touchdown — with both Diggs and Collins out. Might be worth a stash as a potential WR3.
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Fans of Houston sports and Houston food can now score tickets to The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm November 11 at 8th Wonder. Tickets are $75 for VIP and $50 for General Admission. For a limited time, we’re giving you $10 off; use code SPORTSMAP at checkout. Get your tickets now!