Outback Steakhouse 2 with Leann Bowen

"Outback Steakhouse 2 with Leann Bowen" is Episode 171 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Outback Steakhouse 2 with Leann Bowen" was released on September 13, 2018.

## Synopsis

The 'boys are joined by writer and director Leann Bowen (*Dear White People*, *I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman*) to talk about her early restaurant jobs, dining in the San Fernando Valley, and more before jumping in to our return visit to Outback Steakhouse. Plus, a Carl's Jr. edition of Breaking Chews.

## Nick's intro

*"I know this speech like the back of my hand."*

These were the final words spoken by Harold Holt, who in January of 1966 had become Prime Minister of Australia.

On December 17, 1967, Holt, accompanied by a group of companions, made a fateful trip to Cheviot Beach, located south of Melbourne. There, the then prime minister, brashly confident in his swimming ability, took a dip in the choppy ocean. But when he ventured into deeper waters, he disappeared into the waves and out of sight... forever. His body was never recovered.

In America, the JFK assassination of a few years prior, despite it being captured on film with hundreds of eye witnesses, gave birth to a still-thriving industry of conspiracy theories. And so in Australia, the sitting head-of-state disappearing without a trace provoked wild speculation: that he had committed suicide, that he faked his death to elope with a mistress, that he had been killed with a nerve agent by Viet Cong intelligence due to Australian involvement in the Vietnam War, or that he was working as a deep-cover spy and had boarded a waiting Chinese submarine to flee the country.

But the most plausible explanation, ultimately affirmed as the correct one by a state coroner's report in 2005, is that he drowned. As author Tom Frame wrote in his biography, *The Life and Death of Harold Holt*, "he was simply one of the number of ordinary Australians who drown each year through poor judgment or bad luck."

But while his tenure in office was tragically cut short, Holt's sensational death was more than equaled by his political achievements in life. His progressive administration helped transform the Land Down Under by introducing the Australian Dollar, liberalizing immigration laws, and most significantly, by spearheading a referendum that officially recognized its Aboriginal population.

Australia would ultimately emerge from the murky waters of tragedy as a more modern nation and a decade and change after Holt's declaration of death in absentia, Australian culture began being exported en masse to its former British colonial counterpart in the Western Hemisphere. In the mid-1980s, the American box office was taken over by the 1-2 pop-culture punch of *Crocodile Dundee* and *Young Einstein*. Australian musical acts like INXS, Midnight Oil, and Men At Work became huge in the States. The Aussie invasion of the '80s was so omnipresent that it was later lampooned in the classic episode, *The Simpsons vs. Australia*, and capitalized upon by a group of American entrepreneurs who established a faux-Aussie steakhouse concept in Tampa, Florida.

With a cheeky atmosphere that traded upon a pastiche of Australian clichés like boomerangs and kangaroos, and a menu of decidedly American fare centered on gigantic slabs of meat and deep-fried appetizers, including its signature Bloomin' Onion, the chain by design was a smash hit with the Yanks. Today, it has over 1000 locations in North and South America, Asia, and yes, Australia, as the Aussie invasion has now been reversed like the flow of its toilet bowls, with America encroaching upon the Land Down Under with one of its chief cultural touchstones, the chain restaurant.

This week on *Doughboys*, we return to Outback Steakhouse.

## Fork rating

The Doughboys first reviewed Outback Steakhouse way back in episode 4, in which Nick gave it 4 forks and Mitch rated it 3.5.

* Bone-In Natural Cut Ribeye
* Caesar Salad
* Broccoli & Cheese
 Mike Mitchell
* Top Bloke
* Ribeye
* Baked Potato
* House Salad w/ Ranch
* Gold Coast Coconut Shrimp\*
 Leann Bowen
* Kookaburra Wings
* Slow-Roasted Prime Rib
* Baked Potato
* House Salad w/ Mustard Vinaigrette
 Nick & Mitch shared
* Aussie Cheese Fries
* Lobster Tails\*

- \**unmentioned on the podcast, but they are in the photos (see below).*

## Breaking Chews 📰

In Breaking Chews, The Doughboys review newly-released foods from chains.

For this episode, they have the new Fruit Loops Mini Donuts available at Carl's Jr./Hardee's.

They all seemed to enjoy them, though they also had muted excitement about their existence. All three agreed to rate them borderline Good Chews (on the Good Chews/Bad Chews scale).

 Mike Mitchell
 Leann Bowen

## Quotes

**Nick:** Is that just what they call the city in general?

## #hashtags

* #HotFoodBarred or #HotGoodBar vs. #GroceryFoodMonthYes or #GroceryFoodMonthNo
* #DessertDetective

## The Feedbag

As a fellow Massachusetts native and Celtics fan, I thought Mitch would just as amused as I was. Some photos are attached.
What would a Mike Mitchell/Nick Wiger theme restaurant look like? What's the decor? What items on the menu? What would staff costumes look like?

## Related Episodes

* 171. **Outback Steakhouse 2**
* 295. Outback Steakhouse 3
* 24. Hard Rock Cafe (The Leftovers)
* 40. Burger Brawl: Round 1
* 43. Burger Brawl: Semifinals 1
* 103. Carl's Jr. / Hardee's 2
* 137. Carl's Jr. / Hardee's 3
* 171. **Outback Steakhouse 2** (Breaking Chews)
* DD. Beyond Chicago
* 242. Mac Attack Round of 32, Part 2 (Breaking Chews)
* DD. Cookie Draft (Snack or Wack)

## Photos (via @doughboyspod)

The JackmanAussie Rum PunchThe Top BlokeBrown BreadAussie Cheese FriesCaesar SaladHouse SaladSurf & Turf: Sirloin and Grilled Shrimp On The Barbie with Baked Potato and AsparagusBone-In Ribeye with Broccoli & CheeseLobster TailsRibeye with Baked Potato and Gold Coast Coconut ShrimpSalted Caramel Cookie Skillet