PrintDoes Anyone Still Eat Chicken-Fried Steak?
My friend Robb Walsh has just written what I believe is the definitive chicken-fried steak story. He even has a geographically based theory of the evolution of chicken-fried steak that revolves around what he calls the "Chicken-Fried Steak Belt." Accordingly, Walsh has decided that chicken-fried steak is prepared differently in various parts of the state. Of course, after much soul-searching he even listed 25 lovable chicken-fried steaks in Texas. I of course pressed him in an e-mail for his three favorites. After all,there are only so many chicken-fried steaks you can eat once you turn a certain age. This is how he responded:
"I carefully avoided picking favorites. But I would be willing to say that Ousie's in Houston makes a shining example of the Southern style, Country Inn in Somerville serves a famous example of the German style, and Mary's Cafe in Strawn is the most famous for the cowboy style."
Can you get chicken-fried steak where you live? I can't think of any place in New York that serves it outside of the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.
[photo taken by vj_pdx]
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27 Comments:
Hog Pit and Ninth Street Market both have excellent CFS. Yum.
em at 9:34AM on 06/22/07
Hey Ed,
I've never been there myself, but I've heard Brother Jimmy's BBQ is splendid. They list Chicken Fried Steak as the first dish on the menu online. The "original" Jimmy's is on 2nd Ave between 77th and 78th, and there are a couple more in that area.
- Dennis, last year's Jello Intern
Dennis at 9:37AM on 06/22/07
It's also on the menu at the new joint Fat Annie's Truck Stop, though I haven't tried it yet.
homesicktexan at 9:38AM on 06/22/07
I live in North Carolina and we can get chicken fried steak just about everywhere.
AnneClaire at 9:49AM on 06/22/07
Ed -
Funny that you mention chicken fried steak, as Marlow and Sons (on Broadway in Williamsburg, Brooklyn) just had a take on cfs on in their specials menu when I was there Wednesday evening. It looked delicious, but I can't speak to its authenticity.
bct at 10:09AM on 06/22/07
i loooove chicken fried steak. nothing beats my grandma's!
ceforrester at 10:35AM on 06/22/07
Every chicken fried steak I've run into tends to be a tough slab of meat asking myself why anyone in the world eat these things? They are served frequently in diners around here (minnesota) usually next to the meat loaf and hot dish item.
shea at 10:50AM on 06/22/07
The best I ever had was at Threadgill's in Austin. The now defunct Parkmoor restaurants in St Louis had wonderful CFSs.
1stmakearoux at 10:52AM on 06/22/07
I went to Country Inn in Somerville often when I was at university - we would always order the double order and take half of it home - it was so good!! Being in Italy, I do crave chicken friend steak, biscuits & sausage cream gravy sometimes.
rosso99 at 11:02AM on 06/22/07
"Does anyone still eat Chicken Fried Steak?"
Um... what else are you supposed to eat at Cracker Barrel?!?
zach@midtownlunch at 11:05AM on 06/22/07
When I worked at Chilis we had it on the menu. Is it still? I have to say, it wasn't half bad. Not as good as Cowgirls though!
MercuryJV at 11:59AM on 06/22/07
I've always found that in the south you can always find chicken fried steak on the menu (though, it may go by a variation on the name). Truthfully, it boggles my mind to think of this as a specialty item on a menu.
feep at 12:14PM on 06/22/07
I am from Texas, and I ate a lot of chicken fried steak in my day. Now I live in Boston and I'm a pescetarian, but even so, I get cravings for a good chicken fried steak now and again. The only place to get it here that I know of is the Cracker Barrel chain, and even that is a fair distance from Boston, out in the suburbs somewhere.
iheartveggies at 12:16PM on 06/22/07
Also, I'm glad to see MY favorite growing up made the list. Heitmiller's is still the epitome of chicken fried steak in my mind.
iheartveggies at 12:18PM on 06/22/07
I'm glad he included Hickory Hollow on the list. They have a damn good chicken-fried steak.
PhotoKirk at 12:22PM on 06/22/07
I live in Oregon and CFS is available pretty much everywhere.
antrobin at 12:52PM on 06/22/07
In a fit of Southern withdrawal (living in NYC), I made this last week!
This was the conversation between my non-Southern bf and I after dinner:
Him: "I don't understand. It's just a tasteless piece of meat that's fried and covered with gravy."
Me: "Ummmm, yeah! That's the point! You can't just fry air and cover it with gravy."
Maybe it's something you have to grow up with??
alynn at 12:58PM on 06/22/07
Hey Ed, thanks for using my picture! That's from Roux here in Portland, Oregon, from their Sunday brunch. It's a mighty tasty cfs, though the sausage gravy is not as strong as it could be (say, if I were making it ; ) But they really do right by breakfast foods there.
vj at 1:29PM on 06/22/07
Of course CFS is still consumed.... Just check out the quality photo to go with this review ( posted just last week) of a local haven for all things dineresque, including chicken fried steak:
Local Weekly's Diner Review with CFS
Andrea
http://andrealin.vox.com
tenacity at 2:09PM on 06/22/07
CFS is my favorite comfort food, served with real mashed potatos, blackeyed peas and collard greens. Don't forget the white gravy. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Good thing I live in NC! I'll be right back ...
ronfrankl at 3:02PM on 06/22/07
Great article. Brought back memories of the years I lived in Texas. Being vegetarian, never did like CFS but my family requested I prepare it at least once a week.
JEP at 6:34PM on 06/22/07
New Orleans' own Ye Olde College Inn not only serves CFS, but they do it as a po-boy, dressed.
Lorin Gaudin at 6:43PM on 06/22/07
Here in Tennessee, CFS is a big thing. People eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Smothered in gravy of course! Most places here have a Chicken Freid Chicken option too. And its funny how many people get the two confused and order the wrong thing.
Erinay77 at 2:35AM on 06/23/07
I also ate chicken-fried hamburgers, pork chops, and tuna steaks in the line of duty. All with cream gravy.
Texans, be sure and check out Scott's CFS ratings at dallasfood.org!
CFS recipes can be found in The Texas Cowboy Cookbook.
Robb Walsh at 4:37PM on 06/23/07
Just a side note-
My husband and his family went to eat at Lambert's in Sikeston, Missouri tonight and both he and his sister ordered CFS. I laughed when he told me this, and then had to explain about this question because he didn't see what was so funny.
http://www.throwedrolls.com/sikeston.html
Erinay77 at 2:25AM on 06/24/07
I like the chicken fried chicken (really) at Junior's. Two Boots also serves cfs.
norman at 8:34AM on 06/25/07
I had the CFS at Mickey Mantle's a few years back and it was pretty good. I remember The Mick raving about it when the place first opened and eventually tried it. Good, but I've had better in Texas - most recently Booger Reds in Ft. Worth.
http://www.mickeymantles.com/menu.html
he_seems_ok at 10:44AM on 06/25/07