Oh, the tortilla chip. My favorite food-delivery system is as ubiquitous on Houston tables as Tabasco and salt and pepper shakers.

According to a 2006 obituary in the Los Angeles Times, tortilla chips were the invention of Rebecca Webb Carranza, the owner of a tortilla factory in Los Angeles. In the late 1940s, she cut misshapen tortillas into triangles, deep fried the triangles and served them to her family. Later, she would sell them for a dime a bag to her restaurant customers.

So on Sunday, Feb. 24, which is National Tortilla Chip Day, I’m raising a chip to Carranza.
Tortilla soup as served at Pappasito's Cantina.: Syd Kearney : 29-95
Here are some dishes to consider for your celebration:

• The tortilla soup at Pappasito’s. Served with a basket of warm flour tortillas, a bowl of this soup — with its thick-cut vegetables, chunks of avocado and ribbons of white meat chicken — makes a hearty meal.
  Find the nearest location at pappasitos.com.
• The Campechana De Mariscos at Goode Company Seafood. OK, the star of the show is the citrus-marinated shrimp and crab in this rich seafood salad, but the tortilla chips offer the texture that keeps it from being a one-note meal.
  Memorial: 10211 Katy Freeway, 713-464-7933
  Westpark: 2621 Westpark, 713-523-7154

Tortilla-crusted fish as served aboard St. John's Fire.: Syd Kearney : 29-95

• Tortilla-crusted fried fish at St. John’s Fire food truck. Featured on the Cooking Channel’s “Eat Street,” this crunchy fish dish is topped with a mango-jalapeño glaze and fresh pico de gallo.
  Find the truck’s next stop at stjohnsfire.net.
• Seafood nachos at Los Cucos Mexican Cafe. Flour tortilla chips are topped with shrimp, crab and Monterey Jack, and come to the table bubbling hot. Add a little sour cream and fresh tomato for a decadent bite.
  Find the nearest location at loscucos.com.
• The thick puffy chips at Maria Selma. In a Tex-Mex world dominated by ultra-thin chips, these thick puppies stand apart. Try them with the Queso Flameado. Thin chips won’t stand up to the thick, melted cheeses, but these do.
  1617 Richmond, 713-528-4920