Saturday, July 01, 2006

Grants Pass Or., Twin Falls, Id., and Susanville, Ca.?

What do these three places have in common? Harts Cafe's, decorated with a 50 and 60's theme, complete with jukebox playing oldies. If you were around in the 50's and 60's you will be instantly transported back into time. This place reminds me of "Happy Days" with Ron Howard and Fonzie and the crew... Plus you get food from burgers and fries to meatloaf and yes... even Chicken Fried Steak. They have $3.99 breakfasts to fill you up and $5.99 lunches that do the same. Their specials have names like "Rockin Robin" and "Porky Pig". Back to the chicken fried, a very tender cubed steak with a golden brown coating, laid properly on a bed of gravy. Now not many of you know this, but I worked my way through the last two years of high school in restaurants, like Roberts Roost in Greybull Wyoming. The head chef told me, with accent, "Never cover your meat with gravy, display it proudly on a bed of gravy, its the meat they came for, not the gravy", he went on to say you should display meat as a work of art, with the chef being the artist. So when I see a chicken fried steak on a bed of gravy, with a little design on the meat made with gravy, it brings back memories of long ago. But on to the rest of the story as Paul Harvey would say. Very tender steak, but the coating was bland, now maybe my taster was just off that day, cause the white gravy was bland, although the garlic/cheese toast served with it was fine. The vegetables served were a regular corn, pea, carrot, green bean style medley and a choice of potato, delicious baked potato even. Overall the dinner was a 7, not because of the flavor sad to say, but the ambiance, and presentation of the meal counts and it was enough food to fill you up. Wonderful real Strawberry lemonade with real strawberries by the way, unlimited refills.

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