Your Dark Companion Podcast

Mike Rhyner welcomes back Sarah Blaskovich from the Dallas Morning News for a rollicking ride through Dallas’ culinary scene — and this one’s got everything: Cardi B baby talk, fried deviled egg sliders, and Grego’s strong anti-egg stance. Sarah serves up a full preview of the State Fair of Texas food lineup (yes, she’s taste-tested all 15 finalists — twice), gives her hot takes on Dallas’ newest upscale restaurants (Avra, Momini, Punk Noir), and drops the breaking news that White Castle is finally coming to Texas.
Along the way, we get a tour of sports snacks — RoughRiders cinnamon nuts, Wrigley Field hot dogs, Notre Dame High Noons, and the Rangers’ legendary boomstick — proving that Sarah may just care more about stadium food than the games themselves.
Whether you’re a fair food adventurer, a burger purist, or just in it for the margarita with Pop Rocks, this episode will have you laughing, drooling, and possibly Googling “Graffiti fine dining.”
Chapters
00:00:00 - Breaking News Banter: Cardi B’s Baby, Newsroom Gossip & Mike’s Math Skills00:03:57 - Meet Sarah (Again): Why Food Is the Ultimate Dallas Conversation Starter00:07:51 - State Fair Deep Dive: Big Tex Choice Awards & The Most Creative Winners00:10:49 - Wagu Bacon Cheeseburger Deviled Egg Sliders: Love It or Eggxit?00:15:24 - Savory, Sweet & Sipper: The Judges’ Picks (and Sarah’s Favorites)00:18:27 - Drinks with Pop Rocks, Trick’d-Up Lemonade & Brisket-Stuffed Pretzels00:20:32 - The “Candy Lemon Sour Face” Challenge (and Mike’s Reaction)00:21:20 - Big Tex’s Butt: The Best Fair Meetup Spot & Mitch Garver’s Legacy00:23:32 - Upscale Dallas Dining: Avra, Momini & the $48 Scallop Bite00:31:59 - Punk Noir: 20-Course Graffiti Fine Dining & Black Car Entrances00:34:56 - The Cost of Fancy Food & Why Dallas Still Needs $11 Burgers00:35:42 - Fast Food Love: Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, and New Builds in East Dallas00:41:27 - White Castle Comes to Texas: History, Confusion & Slider Culture00:48:32 - Is It Actually Good? Sarah’s Honest Take on the Famous Sliders00:51:01 - Stadium Food Tour: RoughRiders Nuts, Cubs Hot Dugs & Aggie Road Trips00:55:49 - Secret Hot Dogs, Boomsticks & Sharing 24-Inch Burritos00:57:33 - Hurtado BBQ Reigns Supreme at Globe Life Field00:58:48 - Varsity Jacket Status & Sarah’s Standing Invite Back to the Show00:59:29 - How to Reach Sarah & Why Dallas Is Better (and Pricier) Than EverFollow Your Dark Companion on Patreon for every episode: patreon.com/YourDarkCompanion IG: https://www.instagram.com/yourdarkcompanion/ X: https://x.com/YDC_Dfw TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yourdarkcompanion FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559876685445 The Old Grey Wolf: X: https://x.com/TheOldGreyWolf IG: https://www.instagram.com/theoldgreywolf16/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikerhyner579 To reach out email us at: Info@Stolenwatermedia.com

Show Notes

Mike Rhyner welcomes back Sarah Blaskovich from the Dallas Morning News for a rollicking ride through Dallas’ culinary scene — and this one’s got everything: Cardi B baby talk, fried deviled egg sliders, and Grego’s strong anti-egg stance. Sarah serves up a full preview of the State Fair of Texas food lineup (yes, she’s taste-tested all 15 finalists — twice), gives her hot takes on Dallas’ newest upscale restaurants (Avra, Momini, Punk Noir), and drops the breaking news that White Castle is finally coming to Texas.

Along the way, we get a tour of sports snacks — RoughRiders cinnamon nuts, Wrigley Field hot dogs, Notre Dame High Noons, and the Rangers’ legendary boomstick — proving that Sarah may just care more about stadium food than the games themselves.

Whether you’re a fair food adventurer, a burger purist, or just in it for the margarita with Pop Rocks, this episode will have you laughing, drooling, and possibly Googling “Graffiti fine dining.”

Chapters

00:00:00 - Breaking News Banter: Cardi B’s Baby, Newsroom Gossip & Mike’s Math Skills
00:03:57 - Meet Sarah (Again): Why Food Is the Ultimate Dallas Conversation Starter
00:07:51 - State Fair Deep Dive: Big Tex Choice Awards & The Most Creative Winners
00:10:49 - Wagu Bacon Cheeseburger Deviled Egg Sliders: Love It or Eggxit?
00:15:24 - Savory, Sweet & Sipper: The Judges’ Picks (and Sarah’s Favorites)
00:18:27 - Drinks with Pop Rocks, Trick’d-Up Lemonade & Brisket-Stuffed Pretzels
00:20:32 - The “Candy Lemon Sour Face” Challenge (and Mike’s Reaction)
00:21:20 - Big Tex’s Butt: The Best Fair Meetup Spot & Mitch Garver’s Legacy
00:23:32 - Upscale Dallas Dining: Avra, Momini & the $48 Scallop Bite
00:31:59 - Punk Noir: 20-Course Graffiti Fine Dining & Black Car Entrances
00:34:56 - The Cost of Fancy Food & Why Dallas Still Needs $11 Burgers
00:35:42 - Fast Food Love: Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, and New Builds in East Dallas
00:41:27 - White Castle Comes to Texas: History, Confusion & Slider Culture
00:48:32 - Is It Actually Good? Sarah’s Honest Take on the Famous Sliders
00:51:01 - Stadium Food Tour: RoughRiders Nuts, Cubs Hot Dugs & Aggie Road Trips
00:55:49 - Secret Hot Dogs, Boomsticks & Sharing 24-Inch Burritos
00:57:33 - Hurtado BBQ Reigns Supreme at Globe Life Field
00:58:48 - Varsity Jacket Status & Sarah’s Standing Invite Back to the Show
00:59:29 - How to Reach Sarah & Why Dallas Is Better (and Pricier) Than Ever

Follow Your Dark Companion on Patreon for every episode: patreon.com/YourDarkCompanion IG: https://www.instagram.com/yourdarkcompanion/ X: https://x.com/YDC_Dfw TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yourdarkcompanion FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559876685445 The Old Grey Wolf: X: https://x.com/TheOldGreyWolf IG: https://www.instagram.com/theoldgreywolf16/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikerhyner579 To reach out email us at: Info@Stolenwatermedia.com

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Creators and Guests

Host
Mike Rhyner
Mike Rhyner… "a little on the bumpy side, but rather likable"…so stated famously by a grade school teacher in Oak Cliff, where Mike grew up. A complicated guy, yet a guy who can do long division and remember call strike three to A Rod. Probably best left unattended. Don't expect assistance from him if a medical situation arises.

What is Your Dark Companion Podcast?

"Whatever I want it to be about on a given day; is what it is." Your Dark Companion couples your familiar friends from radio, Mike and Grubes! Mike brings his classic interviews that draw you in, and Grubes—The Devil—drops…well the drops, and throws the occasional grenade. Mike likes to draw on his fascinating acquaintances and friends allowing them to tell their stories as you've never heard them. But he also goes outside his network, sharing Grubes' network, and often outside of both, to bring you those they don't know, but believe have a story that will make you laugh, make you think, think differently, or just entertain you…"that's what we are trying to do here."