Best Chicken Fried Steak?

This is just a quickie, but it's totally worth a mention:

The September issue of Esquire magazine features a mouthwatering spread entitled The Esquire Almanac of Steak, including a listing of The 20 Best Steaks in America by John Mariani.  "This may be the last article worth reading about American steak," reads the prologue, and Mariani proceeds to list a score of meaty meals from restaurants across the country.  Wishing to represent what he refers to as "Diversity of Preparation",  Mariani includes not only classic seared steakhouse sirloins, but various other regional and international specialties.

As I scanned the list (Peter Luger's Porterhouse, Skirt Steak at El Raigon in San Francisco), one item in particular caught my eye:  Paris Coffee Shop, Fort Worth, Texas - Chicken Fried Steak.  Is it so?  Is this the best CFS around?  Have I been hiding under a rock?  Have you tasted it?  How was it?  My curiosity is piqued!

C&S

p.s.  I have my doubts, as the piece mentions that the CFS in question is "deep fried", but I still want to get to the bottom of this matter.

A few things I'm in love with this week...

Here are a few things that have captivated me, food-and-beverage-wise, in the last week or so. Below you'll find an offbeat recipe, a new grocery item and a must-visit winery right here in Dallas (it's classy and sassy, just like you-know-who). I'm sure that one or more of them will be up your alley, too.

Ingrid Hoffman's Mini Cuban Burgers (Fritas)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_66374,00.html

I love Ingrid Hoffman and her Latin-influenced cusine. What a welcome change of pace from the endless parade of Italian iterations that seems to be taking over my favorite cooking shows! These sliders are exceptional: sweet, tangy and a little bit like a meatloaf sandwich with a kick. Be advised that the recipe made 24 generous mini-burgers for me (the link above will tell you 12, but I believe it's a misprint). I was pleasantly surprised by the surplus - a little time in the kitchen gave me dinner plus a freezer full of burger-liciousness for cravings to come.

Orowheat Double Fiber Bread

http://www.oroweat.com/

Finally, a great tasting whole wheat bread that doesn't suck all the moisture from your cheeks in the time it takes to eat your sandwich. It's so good, in fact, that I'd choose this bread over just about any other sandwich loaf, even if it wasn't so nutritous and packed with fiber. You know, when you're a semi-pro eater like me, you've got to give yourself good stuff whenever you can. That way you can justify the ginger creme brulee you might happen to sneak in after lunch once in a while (totally hypothetically speaking).

Times Ten Cellars
http://www.timestencellars.com/

This Lakewood gem is a must-visit for anyone who loves wine. The space is eclectic and warm, and the wines are earning praise left and right. Slip into the tasting room on a Saturday afternoon for a sip of something cool, or head over after work for a light dinner of pate and artisinal cheese. Gaze at the crystal chandeliers twinkling over oak in the barrel room, then head out on the patio for a little people-watching. Don't forget to take home a bottle or two of the award-winning rose or whichever winds up being your new fave from the Times Ten line-up.

Enlighten Us!

DallasEats Wants to Know:

What's your favorite find?

We had so much fun with our Neighborhood Finds and Top Crave-able Dishes (see Aug-Oct of last year), that we're ready to find more. In fact, now we want to know yours!

Yes, that's right - DallasEats is admitting that there just may be a little hole-in-the-wall place we've never heard of ...or perhaps a menu item at a local restaurant that isn't getting the attention it deserves. What is your favorite local find? What's the very best dish of it's kind that might become a recurring necessity in our lives?

Leave a comment below and we'll run right out and take you up on your recommendation. Anywhere in Dallas is fair game. We'll even consider nearby suburbs (just don't expect us to haul up to Sherman). A future post will contain FoodiePrincess and Classy&Sassy's thoughts on what we're sure will be a slew of new favorites, and maybe a few controversial contenders.

We can't wait to try your finds!

Think Globally, Drink Locally

We already know you love wine ...but how often do you choose Texas wine? If you're like us, you may have shied away from Texas wine in the past for a number of reasons - lack of familiarity with brands, limited availability or even *gasp* a bad past experience. We've been there; we feel your pain.

But today we propose you take another look at wines from the Lone Star State. Why? For starters, Texas wineries have been bringing better products to the table with each passing year. The wines are delcious and complex and affordable to boot! (Get it? Boot? Texas? Save your groans 'till the end, please...) Toss in the fact that local products are in vogue for their lower carbon footprints and you have every reason to give one - or more - of our suggestions a try. We've sampled more than a few, and listed our faves below to help you figure out where to start the next time you're at the wine shop.

Also, please comment on any Texas wines or wineries that you recommend - we'd love to hear about 'em!

DallasEats Recommended Texas Wines:

Becker Vineyards

http://www.beckervineyards.com/

The 2006 Iconoclast Cabernet Sauvignon is a friendly wine at a great price - medium bodied and not too dry. Becker Viognier is a light-bodied white that will be perfect in the spring and summer months.

Peregrine Hill

(no website)

Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir are both consistently well reviewed. The distinctive Peregrine Falcon on the label is native to far west Texas' Escondido Valley, where the wine is grown and bottled.

Messina Hof

http://www.messinahof.com/

This is a personal favorite of ours - especially Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots. We recommend all vintages, as we've never had a bottle we didn't like.

Brennan Vineyards

http://www.brennanvineyards.com/

This up-and-coming Central Texas winery's Viognier just won the prestigious title of Top Texas Wine at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Int'l Wine Competition. If you see it, snap it up.

Brand Name Trivia

Who doesn’t like a bit of food-related trivia? Below are a few fun facts from Top 10 of Everything 2008 by Russell Ash. This weekend, you can dazzle friends and family with your obscure food-brand-related knowledge. i.e., “You’d think Pepsi and Coke would be neck-and-neck in international sales, but they’re actually separated by quite a wide margin.”

…Not that everyone wasn’t already aware of your amazing intellectual prowess, but a little reminder never hurt.


Top 10 International Food, Drink and Restaurant Brands


1. Coca-Cola
$67,000,000,000 (Brand Value)

2. McDonald’s
$27,501,000,000

3. Pepsi
$12,690,000,000

4. Nescafé, Switzerland
$12,507,000,000

5. Budweiser
$11,662,000,000

6. Kellogg’s
$8,776,000,000

7. Heinz
$6,223,000,000

8. Wrigley’s
$5,449,000,000

9. KFC
$5,350,000,000

10. Nestlé, Switzerland
$4,932,000,000



Top 10 Soft-Drink Brands in the USA


1. Coca-Cola Classic 4,848,200,000 gal./year

2. Pepsi 3,124,900,000

3. Mountain Dew 1,301,300,000

4. Dr. Pepper 1,168,200,000

5. Sprite 993,700,000

6. Gatorade 958,000,000

7. Minute Maid 672,000,000

8. Tropicana 632,000,000

9. Aquafina 506,100,000

10. Dasani 448,000,000


Top 10 Brewers, World-Wide


1. InBev, Belgium
12.6% of world total

2. SABMiller, UK
11.0%

3. Anheuser-Busch, USA
10.9%

4. Heineken, Netherlands
7.4%

5. Carlsberg, Denmark
3.0%

6. Molson Coors, USA/Canada
3.0%

7. Modelo, Mexico
2.9%

8. Baltik Beverage, Russia
2.6%

9. Tsingtao, China
2.6%

10. Yan Jing, China
2.0%

Even Grandma Will Admit this Fried Chicken Is Better than Hers

Sunday afternoon, right around 12:30. For those in the know, that’s prime fried chicken eatin’ time. Here in the Metroplex, we’re lucky to be surrounded by options to help us scratch the chicken itch, both down-home good and corporate-laboratory-tested. On one recent Sunday, DallasEats tried them all (well, as close to all as we could get in one day) and crowned a champion. Bless us arteries, for we have sinned.

We gathered two additional (and very willing) participants around the dining table to join us on our deep-fried vision quest. First, we chose the contenders. We couldn’t taste-test every chicken joint in Dallas, so we settled on six, ranging from a shack in East Dallas to the world’s most famous purveyor of fried chicken (think white beard and glasses). The final six contenders were: Williams Chicken (for the record, this should be possessive, but it’s not a part of their official name. This omission is slowly killing FP inside), Pope’s, Church’s, Brother’s, Popeye’s, and KFC.

After deciding upon the entrants, the particulars of the taste-off were debated and refined, ensuring as pure a result as possible. A great deal of discussion took place ahead of time about the basics of this competition. The question was asked—what makes for a great piece of fried chicken? The way we see it, the answer is two-fold: crust and chicken. Within these two components, however, are myriad subtleties. We narrowed these factors to the following manageable and quantifiable list:

· Crust texture
· Crust flavor
· Chicken texture
· Chicken flavor
· Crust to chicken ratio

Categories were ranked on a scale of one to five, giving each type of chicken a possible 25 points per judge, 100 points overall. Check out the rankings, from last place to first:

6. Church’s Chicken (59)

With a final score of 59 points, Church’s received the dubious distinction of last place in our competition. Its downfall was the crust, which was judged tasteless and thin. Adding insult to injury, the crust-to-chicken ratio was skewed by giant, meaty parts, which didn’t appeal to anyone. On the upside, it packed a good crunch, and a generous squirt from one of those trademark jalapeños could give it a much-needed kick.

5. Popeye’s (61)

Keeping Church’s company in the dregs of our rankings was Popeye’s, with a total score of 61. The batch we sampled seemed to vary from piece to piece, ranging from good to just plain gross. In fact, the meat on one drumstick was so gray and unappealing that it was downright inedible. That said, Popeye’s crispy, spicy crust distinguished it from Church’s and kept it out of the bottom of the barrel.

4. KFC (62.5)

The big surprise of the day was KFC - the artist formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken - which racked up 62.5 points (one guess as to which over-analytical - but loveable - blogger resorted to using half points). We decided to give them a chance by ordering the “Extra Tasty Crispy” variety, which proved to be just that. One taster called it “surprisingly good”, and that summed up the group consensus. The only dissenter was FP, who could still taste the 11 herbs and spices—and not in a good way.

3. Pope’s (75)

The top three chicken joints stood head and shoulders over the rest, to nobody’s surprise. Pope’s Fried Chicken in East Dallas, a small, rundown shop at the intersection of Carroll and I30 (yikes), rang in at 75 points. Although the pieces were on the smallish side, they were crisp, with juicy, flavorful meat. The only complaint was that the crust lacked the flavor punch that distinguished the top two. Even so, it was delicious and its score reflected its quality.


2. Brother’s Fried Chicken (77.5)

With 77.5 total points, this East Dallas institution near Baylor hospital ended up in second place on our list. For the record, not everyone loved Brother’s spicy crust. C&S was a little off-put by the presence of what she believed to be Lowry’s Seasoned Salt. However, everyone agreed that the crust texture and ratio were just about perfect. One reviewer summed it up perfectly, “Mmmmm. Brother’s.” The good news for those of you north of 635 is that another outpost of this fried chicken goodness is now open in Richardson.

1. Williams Fried Chicken (79.5)

Wow. Two of our reviewers had never tasted the magical goodness of Williams prior to the competition, and their minds were effectively blown. With a total score of 79.5 points, this chicken was declared almost perfect by the judges. Crisp and moist, with a crust to chicken ratio favoring the crust, it’s no wonder FP had to spend 20-minutes in line to get it. This chicken is worth waiting for, and it has now been crowned DallasEats’ Best Fried Chicken in Dallas.

Classy&Sassy's Top Five Crave-able Dallas Dishes*

*Plus nos. 6-10 (the runners-up) &

Five Things Other People Crave That I Really Don't Get!

FoodiePrincess was on to something, so I thought I'd sit down and list those dishes that I come back to again and again. And those that I wish I didn't live so far away from, so that I could come back to them again and again. I was surprised at my list, and I think you will be too. There is something to be said for "comfort food", and no matter how adventurous an eater I think I am, or how much I really do like squid, these are the dishes that really melt my butter (oh, Truvy). And, before you ask - No, you can't have a bite of mine. Order your own!

1. Cheese Burger
The Porch
2916 N Henderson Avenue, Dallas

Yes, it's listed this way on the menu – two words, capitalized. This is indicative of the respect paid to the good ol' American standby at The Porch. It's big, drippy, covered in cheese and makes everything else just fade into the background as soon as you take the first bite. There is also a “Stodg Burger” with foie gras and a fried egg. Haven't had it - but if you have, let me know what you think!

2. Cru Steak Pizza
Cru Wine Bar
3699 McKinney Avenue, Dallas

Sliced beef tenderloin, mixed greens and balsamic vinaigrette resting atop a golden, crisp, homemade pizza crust. And, it's designed as a perfect match for a variety of wines. Both classy and sassy. 'Nuff said.

3. Southwest Egg Rolls
Two Rows Classic Grill
5500 Greenville Avenue, Suite 1300, Dallas

I don't care that they've started to refer to themselves as a “Classic Grill” instead of a brewery. Whatever the hell that means. I don't care that pieces of flair will inevitably follow. I only care that these little babies are pure heaven. Forget the shameful iterations of this dish that you've had elsewhere – these are huge, packed with filling and (wait for it) deep fried to perfection. Add a beer and call it a night.

4. Soft Chicken Tacos
Mi Cocina
3699 McKinney Avenue, Dallas (and various other area locations)

I'm stumped by these tacos. The chicken is perfect: moist, and seasoned to the point of rendering all taco accompaniments unnecessary. How do they do it? This is not diced pre-cooked chicken breast floating in an all-encompassing brick red grease slick. This is the real thing. I would venture a guess that someone's grandma taught them how to do this. I've even gone so far as to beg a friend who used to work for M Group Restaurants to try and get me the recipe. He was unsuccessful, so I'll just have to stick with enjoying them on the patio in the West Village, with a Mambo Taxi.

5. Cuatro Leches Cake
La Duni
4264 Oak Lawn Avenue and 4620 McKinney Avenue, Dallas

Does dessert count, FP? If I get to decide, it certainly does! I'd challenge anyone to find a more beautiful, decadent, masterful dessert than this one offered by La Duni. Vanilla sponge cake soaked in Tres Leches sauce is topped with caramelized Swiss meringue. Two sauces – gooey caramel and even more Tres Leches – take it right over the top.

Close Seconds (rankings 6 – 10):

6. Cheeseburger
Snookies, 3604 Oak Lawn Avenue, Dallas (and various other area locations)

7. Spinach Quesadillas
Gloria's, 4140 Lemmon Avenue, Dallas (and various other area locations)

8. Eggplant Parmesan
Eatzi's, 3403 Oak Lawn Avenue, Dallas

9. Pho (chicken recommended)
Pho 95, 9780 Walnut St Suite 120, Dallas

10. Carne Asada
Mia's, 4322 Lemmon Avenue, Dallas

Five Things Other People Crave That I Really Don't Get:

1. Freebirds

2. Tomato Basil Soup at La Madeleine For that matter, anything at La Madeleine. How much overdressed salad and room temperature quiche can one person tolerate?

3. Taquitos from Whataburger My husband is not the only person to wish he could just liquify and mainline these tortilla torpedoes. Me, I don't see the big woop.

4. Krispy Kreme I sincerely hope that the Krispy Kreme craze has passed. Someday we will
look back on our momentary lapse of reason and laugh. Probably in a "Early 2000's" edition of that silly show on VH1 that makes fun of parachute pants and Diff'rent Strokes.

5. Canh Chu at Green Papaya I love that you love it, FP
...but I just don't get it.

FoodiePrincess' Top Five Neighborhood Restaurants

My “neighborhood” is kind of hard to define. We’re sandwiched between Munger Place, Lakewood, and the Knox/Henderson area, so we’ve got a great mix of eclectic restaurants in our backyard. To be fair, I am eliminating any restaurant where the average entrée costs more than $15 (sorry, York Street and Kitchen 1924) and any chain restaurants (sorry, Chipotle.) These are the places we go back to again and again, and for good reason.

5. Gold Rush Café (1913 Skillman Street): My favorite breakfast place, if only for the varied cast of characters always in attendance. Plus, an omelet filled with taco meat with a side of refried beans can cure ANY hangover.

4. The Old Monk (2847 Henderson): Okay, maybe it’s not a restaurant as much as it is a bar, but the food is really, really good. I love the smoked salmon sandwich with cream cheese and capers as much as I love the beer.

3. Brother’s Fried Chicken (4839 Gaston): Okay, technically, this could be considered a chain, because they did recently open one in Plano, but this is the original. The chicken is crispy and spicy, and on a Sunday afternoon, there’s absolutely nothing better.

2. Matt’s Rancho Martinez (6332 La Vista Dr.): Bob Armstrong dip. Need I say more?

1. Alligator Café (4416 Live Oak): If you haven’t been to this converted Wendy’s for the best Cajun food in Dallas, I suggest you hustle. Everything we’ve tried on the menu, from the Crawfish Enchiladas (my favorite) to the fried catfish to the Atchafalaya with Crawfish Ettoufe (my husband’s favorite) is unbelievable. This is the place we always end up going when we can’t figure out what we want.

Just missing the top five: Cuquita’s, Angelo’s, Lakewood Bar & Grill, and Tipperary Inn