Comments on: Frito Pie and the Chip Technology that Changed the World

By: Lindsey Gonzales

Lindsey Gonzales — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 06:59:05 +0000

Fritos–one of my favorite, all-time snacks, especially for road trips. (My Mom was also a fan and the one who got me started.)
Now I want to try a fritos fruit cake!

By: Patricia A. Kelley

Patricia A. Kelley — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 07:20:13 +0000

My husband’s father, Ralph P. Kelley, was the first Frito Salesman. At that time Elmer Doolin and, I believe, his wife, were the only ones in the business. I had not heard about the original restaurant and the Mexican National. The way I heard, (this is not gospel) when Mr Kelley was first employed, the business was in Daisy and Elmer’s garage. I don’t know exactly; but, through some deal regarding Mr. Kelley providing his own truck, or not, commissions, or not, and becoming an equal partner, or not, he chose not to become a partner in the company. Be careful of your choices in life. What a bad choice. However, though not becoming extremely wealthy, all during the Great Depression he did provide very well for his wife and family that ultimately included eight children.

By: aspxProf

aspxProf — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:29:25 +0000

For many years I have been making something very much like this. In a large round dish I place a layer of Tostitos multi-grain rounds, then empty a can of Stagg chile over top, then cover with another layer of Tostitos, then some cheese and peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc. Bake and serve, Delicious.

By: Diane

Diane — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:42:56 +0000

My favorite snack was the 5-cent little bag of Fritos sold at my high school cafeteria! Shows how old I am-this was in early 60′s. Still my preferred indulgence-with or without chili or salsa (and I’m from Connecticut!

By: Harris

Harris — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:30:28 +0000

Doritos weren’t unveiled in 1966; they were introduced at Disneyland in the early 1960s:

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/stickaforkinit/2012/01/doritos_disneyland.php

By: Heidi

Heidi — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:14:38 +0000

Re. Eliot’s comment — it’s true, I live in Chicago (and grew up in Michigan), and I had never heard of this wonderful-sounding dish called “Frito Pie”. However, in these parts, it’s common to top a bowl of chili with crushed-up Fritos, so… I guess it’s the same — but different!

By: Steven

Steven — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:32:11 +0000

Here in Central California, what is called a Frito Pie in the article is known as a Frito Boat. I’ve had them since I was a kid in the ’70′s.

By: kate diehl

kate diehl — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:30:40 +0000

Mr. Bud,

thanks for the info, very cool :)

By: Bud Kennedy

Bud Kennedy — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:47:33 +0000

Enjoyed reading this.

Here’s something from a 2007 Fort Worth Star-Telegram column about Fritos:

San Antonio Public Library researchers checked old city directories and found a Gustavo Olguin listed from 1925 to 1932. A 1931 clipping in The Dallas Morning News identified him as a soccer coach from Mexico.

He lived on a street named Ashby Place northwest of downtown San Antonio.

Last week, I found a classified ad in an online search of the San Antonio Express.

For a week in July 1932, an unnamed reader offered:

“CORN chips business for sale, a new food product, making good money. Must sacrifice.”

The ad listed no name. All it gave was an address–Olguin’s address on Ashby Place.

Other Express reports described Olguin as a winning soccer coach and manager of the San Antonio team in a Mexico-based league. In a photo, he grinned broadly and showed off his championship trophies.

–Bud Kennedy
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

By: class factotum

class factotum — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:39:22 +0000

I had Frito pie for lunch almost every day when I was a lifeguard in San Antonio during my college years in the early 80s. Bag ripped open, drizzled with chili and garnished with onions and cheese.

I was surprised to see Frito pie at the little corner deli by house in Milwaukee last year, so I tried it.

What a disappointment. Bless their hearts.

I remind myself that I can’t get cheese curds and brats in Texas, so why should I expect good Frito pie here?

So will chicken fried steak become the next big thing outside of Texas? This is what it looks like:

http://class-factotum.blogspot.com/2011/11/mariage-401-lecture-926-when-i-die-i.html

By: Peter Smith

Peter Smith — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:42:50 +0000

@Nic Rodriguez: The earliest reference I found to “Pepper Bellies” comes from The Washington Post, May 26, 1982, “What’s a Petro? A Tasty Product Of American Ingenuity” by Phyllis Richman:

“[Joe Schoentrup’s] sister suggested something she had once seen, a bag of corn chips filled with chili and eaten out of the bag. Sounded like a good idea, so Schoentrup called the Frito-Lay company and found that around Dallas such an invention was being sold in Dairy Queens, maybe even in school lunches, under the name chili pie or Frito Pie. Schoentrup liked it, but wanted to make it his own…. By the time the [1982 World’s] fair began, people were already talking about his hit snack, which had evolved from being called Pepper Bellies to Petro Bellies (Schoentrup thought something sounding like petroleum would better fit the fair’s energy theme) to just plain Petro’s.”

By: rl reeves jr

rl reeves jr — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:03:34 +0000

What a wonderful story. Without Charles Elmer Doolin, Gustavo Olguin and Jose Bartolome Martinez the landscape of American snack food would be markedly different.

I wrote a story about the life of Doolin here.
RL Reeves Jr
Austin, Texas

By: Eliot

Eliot — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:52:10 +0000

I had no idea that fritos had been around that long. (I was also not aware how regional Frito Pies were until I traveled to Chicago and no one had ever heard of them!)

By: Nic Rodriguez

Nic Rodriguez — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:37:12 +0000

“Pepperbelly”? I’ve heard that before, but not in reference to a Frito Pie.