20 Hours for CFS

What makes for road trip worthy food? How far would you drive?

A good time and all, I really enjoyed having my dad down for a few days. He got to finally meet his second grandson and reestablish with his first grandson and his son and daughter-in-law. Got to meet stepmom; she's a lovely person. Both got to see how much of a baller I am in this one-horse town. The constant "Hello"s coming from the throngs of young people seem to impress him (or annoy him and he just played it off).

To anyone who had to leave Texas, you can perhaps understand this. One of the most important details my dad really wanted to address on his road trip was allowing his new wife to taste Chicken Fried Steak.

Homesick Texan has the quote stating "Only a rank degenerate would drive 1,500 miles across Texas without eating a chicken-fried steak." —Larry McMurtry". Mr. McMurty had it right, and my dad knew it as well. No, we are not talking about breaded steak, not fried round steaks, but chicken fried steaks. Crispy batter that is nearly twice the size of the actual tenderized steak, cream gravy just makes everything else taste that much better dripping off the sides of the oversized crisped batter, and Texas toast that is...well, toasted in Texas.

After a few plans and subsequent changes, we chose a local joint in town, just within walking distance of our festival. The menu offered just the thing; the clincher was the final detail written verbatim: "IT'S REALLY BIG!" That was all it took. Twenty minutes later, my dad and his wife that golden nugget of deep fried goodness. The first thing my dad did after inhaling its aromatic taunts was to take a picture to immortalize the moment. I felt as if I was hosting the stereotypical Asian couple often portrayed in those stupid 80's flicks. Funniest moment was perhaps the waitress; she truly doubted that this couple drove twenty hours just for some chicken fried steak. Ah, the lack of faith among the unitiated and untested. Remember that next time you leave Texas (or your home state.)