Bonus Silly Photo to Fill Space- Ayran

Today, we feature ayran, the yogurt milk beverage that is very popular in my late father's country Turkey. An Istanbul taxi driver named Atilla Kalkan gave me the recipe back in 2008. Alas, efforts to find him on Facebook failed (though there are a lot of Atilla Kalkans out there!).

One can find ayran at Harmony Market in Cary, NC (Raleigh, Phone: 1-919-380-0077) along with other Turkish food items with the noteable exception of raki (the Turkish version of the greek spirit ouzo) as they do not have an ABC license.

For our friends in Georgia, ayran should be available at Bereket Turkish Grocery in Atlanta (phone: 770-613-9950), where one can also get a Cola Turka...a Turkish cola beverage which once featured commercials with Chevy Chase! (Yes, that is true).

One can not find ayran at Texas Tavern in my hometown of Roanoke, Va., though it can be found (if you ask) at Arzu International, which is also downtown. So, if you are inclined to have a cheesy western at Texas Tavern for breakfast (a scarmbled egg sandwich with a hamburger pattie and cheese, ask your doctor before eating!) and Izmir kofte (lamb dish which unlike cheesy westerns does NOT cause heart attacks) for lunch at Arzu then the Star City is the place to be!

NOTE: Ayran was one of the items listed on my Christmas wish list. Of course, this is ironic because Turkey is a Muslim country and I actually prefer Festivus over all religious holidays. The beverage can also be purchased online in the United States (and perhaps Canada) from tulumba.com in New York.

Quote of the Week- George HW Bush aka Papa Smurf

Yes, we had to make fun of the Bush family though in all fairness to the veep who went on to beat Michael Dukakis (who I voted for which did not go over well with my Turkish relatives in Istanbul), George H.W. Bush now seems like a voice of rational sanity in the GOP.

At the George HW Bush Library in College Station, Tex. (on the Texas A&M campus), there is an interesting-looking exhibit of red dresses worn by first ladies ranging from Lady Bird Johnson to Pat Nixon to Hillary Clinton to Laura Bush. Sponsored by The Heart Truth Foundation, the exhbit runs through Aug. 14, 2011.

Ben Franklin impersanator Art Yeoman also stops by the Bush Library on Nov. 30, and the museum will host a screening of the original 1947 version of "Miracle on 34th Street" on Dec. 9.

Here is the quote from 'Papa Smurf:' "I'll be glad to reply or to dodge any of your questions, depending on what I think will help me get elected."

SIDEBAR: An actual conversation (more or less) that I had with servants at the 24/7 diner Texas Tavern in Roanoke, Va., last night:

Me: What's a Cheezy?

Server One: It's a cheesy western. They're very popular 'round here. It's a cheeseburger with a fried egg that's got relish on top it.

Me: Wow! That can't be good for the heart? So, is it really that popular 'round here?'

Server Two: Far and away, it's our most popular sandwich. People come from all over to have it.

Me: You mean like from Lynchburg? (an hour away)

Server One: Oh, a lot farther than that!

Me: Like where? Pittsburgh?

Server Two: We've had people come from the west coast for our burgers.

Me: Really?

Server Two: You betcha, man. We got some of the best burgers in the country around here.

SIDEBAR TWO: We wanted to mention the town of Strasburg, Va., an hour and a half south of DC, two and a hlaf hours north of Roanoke, which up until this year housed the kitschy, but unique Museum of American Presidents. But, the town which now has a coffeehouse called Cristina's Cafe downtown has gotten more attention lately because pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg is playing for the nearby Washington Nationals.

Roanoke's Texas Tavern Turns 80!

Amazingly enough, even though Roanoke, Va., is my hometown, and I have walked by the Texas Tavern at least 120 times, I have never actually been inside the landmark establishment--- not even to try their famous chilli!

The restaurant, located on 114 Church Avenue in downtown Roanoke, celebrated its 80th anniversary on Feb. 13. The restaurant was founded on that day in 1930 by Isaac Newton Bullington, who once worked for Ringling Bros-Barnum and Bailey Circus.

Bullington took a chile recipe from a San Antonio hotel, and diners have been steadily coming in ever since.

According to the Texas Tavern's web site, celebrities who have stopped have included The Three Stooges and Glen Miller.

The Texas Tavern is known as "The Millionaires' Club" by locals which is a bit ironic since the food is quite inexpensive. Hamburgers and hot dogs both sell for $1.25 and a pint of chilli goes for $3.25 while a sausage sandwcih goes for $1.10.

There was another Texas Tavern in Lynchburg, Va., but it became difficult for the Bullington family to manage both of them.

Today, the restaurant is run by Matt Bullington, the fourth-generation owner of the diner.

His father and previous owner Jim Bullington told "The Roanoke Star-Sentinel" that as was the case in the 1930s, The Texas Tavern's cheap prices allow folks to eat out even during a bad recession.