Only in TEXAS

Everything is bigger and better in Texas, and they'll let you know. I've written about chicken fried sushi, and chicken fried steak, the next great thing is Chicken Fried Bacon, as if the first two don't clog the arteries enough.

Check out this video



I haven't tried the delicacy but I might have to swing by the next time I'm in Texas.

Happy Valentines Day to all you lovers out there, and be sure to have a designated driver....

On the Coast.. In the Redwoods..

Stayed at River Grove RV just outside Santa Cruz, Ca. the last two weeks.


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The trees made it very shady for most of the day, I get some early morning sun light like this and a little in the late afternoon. It's very calm and quiet here, the San Lorenzo River is just steps away and Henry Cowell State Park surrounds the RV park.

Under the giant Redwoods

I made several daytrips, I spent a day in Santa Cruz, then the next day drove to Monterey and had dinner. I stopped several places around the bay and checked out the sights, like the Pacific Ocean crashing beaches in front of the oncoming storm. (It rained for 16 hours the next day.)

Monterey Bay in the fog/smog from an overlook on Highway 1

We traveled down to Gilroy, an experience everyone should have, (home of garlic ice cream) and the World Famous Garlic Festival.

On the way back from Gilroy, and passing through the south part of San Jose, I spotted "City Diner-The Fabulous Fiftys" off in the corner of a mall, since it was about seven in the evening, I decided to stop. Glad I did, the chicken fried steak is the best I've had since the Mt. Air cafe in Park City, Ut. The potion was a little small for the price (everything is more expensive in California) but the taste and tenderness was right on. It was covered with pepper base country gravy instead of sausage gravy, but had real mashed potatoes on the side. Score this place a "10" I think it's the best score I've ever given since the Mt. Air.

P.S. Despite the name of the blog, I only get CFS about once a month, I've had so many bad ones, I always hesitate to order, since it ruins my tastebuds for a couple of months.

What would you like for dinner?

I just checked to see if anyone else wrote about chicken fried steaks. Would you believe there are over 200,000 entries about chicken fried steak???? thats outrageous...

I found a good one though. Don't you just hate it when you go out to dinner and you ask the other person what they want to eat. The answer seems to be, "I don't know" you pick something you like.. My answer lately has been "Sushi" or "Sashimi"; the female throws up her hands in disgust. Heres one for the books though. Lets go eat, dear!

Chicken Fried Sushi

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.

Chicken fried in Ilwaco, Washington

The Pacific Ocean and my truck on the sand, sunshine and a bit of breeze, what a beautiful day!! I found a chicken fried steak in Ilwaco, Wa. Portside Cafe, a diner painted yellow and lavender, and huge plattercakes as a side for the CFS, these things were soooo bigggg!! 12 to 15 inches around and you got two of them on a "platter." The Steak was fair, tender, breading was just okay, what made this steak good was the sausage gravy on it, it was AWESOME!!

Rating scale 1 to 10, 1 being a dog shouldn't eat it and 10 being mindboggling.

Called: Chicken Fried Steak (breakfast)
Steak: 6, coating bland, but tender edges and deep fried.
Gravy: 10, real sausage gravy-truly an experience
Sides: you pick-plattercakes and eggs (breakfast time :o)
Presentation: 7, general look of the served meal, dining room and waitress.
Overall: 9, gravy made this meal, the plattercakes were unique also.