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Kolache wars: Shipley's Donuts (L) vs. Olde Towne Kolaches (R)

Although primarily Czech in origin, the kolache is as fully Texan a food as chicken-fried steak or mayhaw jelly. First created by Czech and Slovakian settlers in central Texas in the mid-1800s, the original kolache was simply a pastry with fruit fillings like blueberries or apricots. These days, the definition of a kolache has expanded to include what was once called a klobasnek, or a sausage-filled pastry. And both kinds of kolache have taken a firm foothold in Texas cuisine.

Nearly every small town with any Czech influence at all claims to have the best kolaches in the state, from West to Weimer. The warm pastries (whether sausage or fruit-filled) grace the breakfast tables and breakrooms of homes and offices the state over, and we all have our own personal favorite kolache shops.

This week's Food Fight pits sausage-and-cheese kolaches from two very different contenders: Shipley's Donuts, the corporate giant of the kolache and donut world, and Olde Towne Kolaches, a small, three-location outfit popular on the west side of town. The results might surprise you.

In theory, Frito pie should be a relatively difficult thing to screw up. It's just a bag of Fritos and some chili with shredded cheese on top (and onions, if you're not one of those obnoxiously fussy eaters). But in reality, the Frito pie is greater than the sum of its parts: It's an iconic dish made out of simple kitchen scraps that recaptures the memories of Little League games and school carnivals past. And no one wants to screw with icons or nostalgia. That's how wars get started.

The sad truth is that Frito pies are difficult to get right. The chips themselves are a given -- as long as they aren't stale, you're golden. But the chili has to be perfect, the cheese has to have the right amount of ooze, the onions have to be finely diced, and getting the proportions of all four ingredients correct verges on rocket science.

For today's Food Fight, we pitted Frito pies at two of Houston's favorite restaurants: James Coney Island and Onion Creek. We grew up at one and now spend all our time at the other, but which one makes a meaner Frito pie?