The restaurant used the \”Original\” formula—it targeted an Anglo audience. The Original of Fort Worth became a favorite haunt of Fort Worth bluebloods including Amon Carter and Franklin Delano Roosevelt\’s son Elliott. President Roosevelt raised the profile of Tex-Mex when he ate at The Original with his son during a visit to Fort Worth in 1937. If you want to sample real old-fashioned Tex-Mex, order what FDR ordered, now known as the \”Roosevelt Special.\” It\’s a fried-to-order chalupa shell topped with beans and cheese, a crispy beef taco and a cheese enchilada in chili con carne topped with a fried egg.
Cheese enchiladas served in chili con carne—not thin, meatless chili gravy, or authentic enchilada sauce—are the hallmark of real Tex-Mex, according to 78-year-old Fort Worth sportswriter and Tex-Mex expert Dan Jenkins. What else does he look for in a great Tex-Mex restaurant? \”There isn\’t a goddamned fajita within 10 miles of it,\” he told me.
