With Respect To Mexican Food, I’m Fickle

First of all, I'm in love with Mexican food, but I’m fickle. The problem isn’t that I like it but don’t want to eat it all that often. I’d eat it every day if it was possible and practicable for me to do so. Also, I’m not one of those who like some of it, but not all of it. I like it all. My problem is that I can’t decide which Mexican restaurant in the Texas Hill Country I like best. Well, that’s not true. I can decide, and I do decide, but I change my mind nearly every day. That’s where my fickleness with respect to Mexican food comes into play. It’s not exactly true, but it seems that the “best” Mexican restaurant for me nearly always seems to be the last one I visited.

Given its relatively close proximity to Mexico, and the important influence that Mexican-Americans play in the region, the fact is that there are really no disappointing Mexican restaurants in the hill country. On the contrary, and, in my opinion, they are all very authentic, and all very good. Of course, I’m not Mexican-American, so my credibility to judge what authentic Mexican food is or isn’t may be questioned, but I do the best I can. Given the sheer number of places serving up Mexican food, it would be impossible to for me to actually visit them all, let alone do any kind of subjective or objective rating. So, I won’t try, and neither should you. You’ll just have to take my word for which one is best, and, continue to take my word for which one is best in the future. But, as I’ve already warned you, I change my mind from time to time. We’ll, that is not exactly true either. I change my mind very frequently.

My latest favorite place has been hiding from me in plain sight for years, and is just over in Leander, Texas. As in the past, my wife had to steer me away from my natural inclination to return to the haunts of previous “best” places, and try something new. Quite some time ago, a friend of my wife had told her about this great Mexican restaurant in Leander, but my wife didn’t remember what the name of the place was, or, just where it was located in Leander. That part didn’t bother me too much, because Leander isn’t all that big, and I’m fairly good with finding my way around places. And, like most men, I pride myself in doing it without asking anyone for directions, and I can’t be bothered with GPS devices.

Later, after driving around Leander for a half hour or so, and, after heeding my wife’s advice, I pulled the vehicle over and asked someone for directions to a Mexican restaurant whose name I didn’t know. Apparently, everyone in the hill country knows about this place but me, because even after giving a half-assed and extremely vague description of it, I got clear directions, and we quickly found the place. In my defense, I’m quite sure that within another 45 minutes, I would have located it without needing the assistance of others. We might not have been there in time for lunch, but we surely would have arrived for dinner. And, let me remind you that I’m only writing here about Mexican food, not what meal of the day I’d be eating it.

The restaurant at the end of our search, or as Texans say, at the end of our trail, is a place called Jardin Del Rey. Conveniently located (I can say that now that I found it) on Highway 183 in Leander, right by the Post Office (see, I’ve done all the hard work for you), it sits back off the road a bit, but is clearly marked by a huge multi-colored road sign right on the highway which clearly states, “Jardin Del Rey Mexican Restaurant.” I can’t believe I missed it after driving by it 3 or 4 times. I must have been distracted by my wife telling me to stop somewhere and ask for directions. Yes, I’m quite sure that was the issue now that I’ve had time to reflect upon it all.

Jardin Del Rey, is impressive, and at least for now, is clearly my favorite. Starting with lots of parking in the front , back, and side of the building, there is no doubt that friendly, prompt, and courteous service dictates the whole experience from the time you pull off the highway coming in until the time you pull onto the highway going back out.

The interior of the restaurant was clean, colorful, and festive, with a lot of booths. Booths seem to be an important seating choice in all restaurants these days. It’s a little strange when you think about it. People want to go out and eat among others, in a public place, but would prefer a booth where they are somewhat hidden and separated from the other people eating there, but, I’m getting a little bit off target.

After requesting our booth, we were quickly seated. Immediately thereafter, warm chips and salsa were placed in front of us. The salsa was spicier than at most places, but not overly so, and it was freshened with the taste of fresh chopped cilantro. During the course of our meal, my wife and I went through two servings of chips and salsa, which should tell you that we liked it quite a bit. Normally we hold back on a second serving, so as to have enough room for the meal. But on this occasion, we made an exception to our “hold back” rule and made that second round of chips and salsa disappear in a hurry.

Jardin Del Rey’s menu offers a lot of food choices, and those choices are inexpensive. There are breakfast plates, lunch specials, and a wide selection of appetizers, enchiladas, platters, plates, caldos y ensaladas, and especialidades. As with most Mexican restaurants, many side orders are available at Jardin Del Rey, and include Mexican rice, Chile con queso, frijoles charros, refried beans, as well as other selections.

Passing up on any appetizers, we ordered our lunch while munching on the chips and salsa. My wife ordered the Soft Taco Mexican Plate, and went with the beef tacos instead of the chicken. They were served with pico de gallo, sour cream, and rice and beans. I opted for the Chile Rellano, which is always a gamble depending upon the restaurant where they are served. In a lot of places around the rest of the country, this food order would have resulted in a small, shriveled, and miserly stuffed Chile pepper being served up. Not so at Jardin Del Rey, where I got an unbelievably large Poblano pepper with the stem still attached, generously stuffed with beef and cheese, and served with guacamole, pico de gallo, rice and beans, and an order of soft warm tortillas. I have to tell you, if you like cheese like I do, you really need to visit this place. The cheese was hot and melted, and literally poured out of the pepper along with the beef when I cut into it with my fork. And, to top it all off, the pepper was covered with a liberal amount of cheese, and salsa.

With the great food and outstanding service at Jardin Del Rey’s in Leander, Texas, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is the best Mexican restaurant in the Texas Hill Country. Well, at least it is until the next time I head out in search of Mexican food.

Cacahuates Or Barbacoa For Lunch?

As I pulled into just one more of those increasing number of Texas hill country gasoline stations with the very small covenience store or a market attached to it today, I really only intended to pick up a bag or two of cacahuates, or what y’all call peanuts. I’ve become a fan of the chili pepper flavored cacahuates lately, and thought I’d grab some small bags for lunch. Once I stepped out of the car, however, I smelled something which changed my mind. Inside, and at the back of the convenience store was a lady cooking some mighty fine looking Mexican food. Immediately, I forgot about the bags of nuts, and ordered the barbacoa plate.

Barbacoa is barbecued food originating in Mexico, and is popular in Texas, and other border states. Barbacoa can be either pork or beef, but beef is more prevalent here in Texas. And, barbacoa is not just prepared from any beef; it is prepared from the meat in the head of the cow. This meat is cooked slowly (traditionally, but rarely these days, in a pit) and can be flavored very simply, with garlic, salt, and pepper. Some people choose to add additional spices beyond the basic ingredients, and those spices usually include chili powder and oregano. Most barbacoa is not very spicy, and in my opinion, fewer spices are better.

Once the meat is cooked, it is served with onions, cilantro, and either corn or flour tortillas. In South Texas, along the Rio Grande, barbacoa is often eaten on Sunday mornings, but of course, is available on other days as well.

Once having picked up my take-out barbacoa plate, I walked up to the cashier at the front of the store to pay. Once I handed the cashier the check, I said, “Wait,” and then doubled back to an aisle to pick up a couple of bags of cacahuates. I’ve got barbacoa today, I reasoned, but tomorrow, well, that’s another day.

The Green Mesquite Has A Lot More Than Great Food Going For It

In my opinion, when a restaurant serves up really good food, it does not need to have a lot of other things going for it. Nevertheless, besides having an outstanding menu of great food, there are some things about Austin’s Green Mesquite restaurant which, in addition to the food, make it special.

Cooking with the local mesquite wood is no big deal in Texas, but smoking with “green” mesquite wood, which is used less than a year after being cut, is rather unique. Since it still contains quite a bit of moisture, it produces a lot of smoke and burns very slowly. As the Green Mesquite restaurant demonstrates every day for its customers, a slow cooking process and a lot of smoke make for some mighty fine barbecued meat.

The Green Mesquite is also special because it is so typical of many restaurants in Austin and the surrounding hill country, in that it is anything but modern, and that gives it a particular charm. Like something out of the past, the interior reminds me of the diners from the 1960’s, or before. Humor abounds with signs on the walls which proclaim, “Horrifying Vegetarians Since 1988,” and “Hippies Use Back Door.” An additional significant thing, is that Green Mesquite is well known for its pork ribs, uncommon in Texas, a state which is more recognized for its beef.

There are more interesting things as well. For viewers who enjoy television shows from the 1960’s and the 1970’s, there is a connection with television of that time period. Tom Davis, the owner of Green Mesquite, is the brother of Larry Hovis, an actor best known for his role of Sgt. Andrew Carter on the popular “Hogan’s Heroes” television series. Hovis also acted for many other shows, including, “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.” Before he passed away in 2003, Hovis was teaching at Southwest Texas State University (now, Texas State University), in the hill country town of San Marcos.

For viewers of more recent television, Green Mesquite has been featured on the Food Network’s, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” with Guy Fieri. Guy liked place, and for what it’s worth, so did my wife and I.

Despite it being just several days after Thanksgiving, and just a few days since I finished wrangling through turkey leftovers, I opted for the PO-BOY Sandwich with two meats; turkey and beef brisket. My wife ordered a plain baked potato (I can’t take her anywhere it seems), which she said it was very good. How good can a plain baked potato be? Despite our food preferences today, her order as compared with mine, probably explains the difference in our waist lines, but I’m sure I enjoyed lunch more than she did.

I can’t say much about that baked potato, but my PO-BOY was outstanding. The beef brisket was so moist and juicy, it melted in my mouth. The turkey was moist, and flavorful, and the homemade barbecue sauce was just right.

While I may not be a television star, or, an expert on cooking with mesquite, I do know a good meal when I eat it, and I ate it today at the Green Mesquite in Austin, Texas.

Thanksgiving Day In The Hill Country

Thanksgiving Day 2009 is coming to a close in the Texas Hill Country. After a huge holiday meal, and the late afternoon nap, people are beginning to stir now, getting ready to watch the University of Texas play Texas A&M on TV.

It was a beautiful and very mild day in the hill country, and like everywhere else around the nation, families were together preparing and eating delicious Thanksgiving meals. While plenty of folks around here enjoyed the traditional turkey and ham dinner, the diversity of cultures found in the hill country meant other great food was prepared today as well.

Walking out the door early this morning, the wonderful smell of mesquite smoke had already filled the air. Despite the early hour, the chimney vents of the pit barbecues in the area were pouring out a great aroma, heralding the start of the day. The various pits were smoking turkey and beef brisket, and it made me wish that I had been invited to one of their Thanksgiving dinners.

The German influence in the hill country also meant that some homes were preparing German sausage, sauerbraten, and red cabbage. Given the Mexican influence in the region, other families were enjoying chorizo, and given the abundance of wildlife present in the state, some were enjoying wild game. I’m quite sure that more than a few homes were enjoying Texas chili and jalapeno cornbread. Vegetarians and vegans, too, celebrated with their own holiday creations of locally grown crops.

Whatever food people were enjoying today, the most important thing was that they were enjoying it along with their family and friends, and that is why Thanksgiving is so special every year.

Peace.

Gravy Crazy Texans

Here in Texas, gravy is a way of life.

A lot of people around the country have gravy not more than a couple times of year I bet, and, in most cases, over mashed potatoes. There is, of course, the obligatory mashed potatoes and turkey gravy during the Thanksgiving meal. Beyond that, it might be something you occasionally get with a couple pieces of chicken as you grab something at a fast food chicken outlet, and again, always with mashed potatoes.

Talk about being in a rut.

Texans, however, are “out of the box” thinkers, who do not believe gravy should be relegated to holidays, fast food, or mashed potatoes.

Texas white cream gravy requires few ingredients and is quickly prepared. With flour, whole milk, pepper, salt and some bacon (or other meat) drippings, you’ve got all you need to make this Texas staple. Now, what shall we pour the gravy over? If you live anywhere but Texas, the answer is quite simple; pour it over mashed potatoes. How many times has that been done?

Down here, with respect to gravy, the huge Texas sky is the limit. Of course, chicken-fried chicken, chicken-fried steaks, and sausage are favorites to receive a gravy dousing. But, in truth, any and all meats will do, wild game and snakes included. If its meat of any kind, just pour gravy over it, and it will taste better. And, it is a well-known fact here in the hill country that both biscuits and Texas toast need a gravy bath to be fully appreciated. The egg is another favorite target which is enjoyed with gravy.

Any type of vegetable is agreeable to getting the gravy soak, and this is especially true for those vegetables which you may find personally disagreeable. It’s all very simple really, gravy makes everything taste good.

A chicken gizzard is the chicken’s organ that grinds up the food it eats. That does not sound too appetizing on its face, but add a little Texas white cream gravy, and all is right with the world. Now, where are my fried chicken gizzards and the gravy ladle?

Breakfast Tacos

Tacos are found everywhere across the country. But, the breakfast taco is just one more thing that seems to be unique to Texas.

The popular and inexpensive breakfast taco is found everywhere in and around the hill country, and consists of a soft tortilla, either corn or flour, filled with a variety of fillings. At many places, if you don’t see the breakfast taco you want, you can custom order one with the fillings that will make you happy.

A breakfast taco’s fillings normally include egg, cheese, and some form of meat. The meat is often Mexican chorizo (a pork sausage seasoned with garlic, chilies, and other spices), but bacon is common as well. Beyond the basic ingredients, there are a whole host of things you can include as fillings, depending on what the vendor has on hand. Onion, potato, cilantro, beans, rice, ham, tomato, and jalapeno peppers can be added to the basic mix. There are even places that add mashed potatoes. Salsa is often served as a side.

While the rest of you around the country are grabbing a quick cup of coffee in the morning, a bowl of cold cereal, fruit, or an early "something" from one of those fast-food chains before running off to work, down here in Texas we’re enjoying a real hearty breakfast.

Good Morning, and sorry about your luck.

The Simplicity of Texas Chili

Every part of the country, it seems, claims to have “the best chili.” I’m not going to take sides in the dispute, because it is, after all, a matter of personal taste. One thing that is rarely disputed, however, is the fact that chili originated in Texas in the 1800’s.

A lot of popular chili around the country is loaded up with beans, tomatoes, onions, and all kinds of other good things. In the Cincinnati area, it is served over noodles and covered with a mound of shredded cheese. In my opinion, there is no such thing as a bad chili, except maybe something that comes out of a can.

What I like about Texas chili, is the simplicity of it. The earliest Texas chili was composed of beef, cayenne or some kind of pepper, a few other spices including salt, and perhaps some masa flour. The Texas chili of today probably adds a few more items, but it is still fairly simple. Beef, spices, and water are the main ingredients. In no case does true Texas chili, then or now, have beans. This early chili recipe evolved from convenience for those preparing it and from what foods were available at the time. It is as simple as that.

Add a slice of warm cornbread with a little butter, and you’ve got something really special to enjoy. Add an orange twist garnish, and you have one fancy lunch!

The Ubiquitous Prickly Pear Cactus

The Prickly Pear Cactus is the state plant of Texas, and it’s little wonder why. It is found nearly everywhere throughout the state. It is a relatively small cactus, covered with very sharp spines. We, in fact, have many growing on our property here in the hill country. While stumbling into the plant wearing sandals is not a pleasant experience, eating it certainly is.

The Prickly Pear Cactus is native to the American Southwest and Mexico, and has been part of the the diet of people living in the area throughout history. Before moving to Texas, I never imagined that people ate cactus, but I have to tell you, it’s surprisingly good.

The Prickly Pear Cactus is comprised of a couple of parts. The pad is the large flattened portion of the plant and is referred to as “Nopales.” The fruit is referred to as “Tuna.”

Even if you have this spiny plant growing in abundance on your land, it is advantageous to purchase the cactus you wish to consume. Removing the spines is a tedious and time consuming task, and certainly not worth the time or effort, especially when a single fruit of the cactus, completely cleaned of the spines can be purchased for twenty cents in a local hill country store.

The fruit, or Tuna, with the spines removed, is easily prepared for consumption. Simply cut off both ends of the fruit, split the fruit lengthwise, and peel the outer skin off. The remaining portion consists of a sweet and juicy, seed-filled interior with the flavor of a melon. The small seeds are swallowed or chewed by some folks, but probably should be spit out as you would do with watermelon seeds. Various products are derived from the fruit, including jelly, syrup, and candy.

The pad, with a flavor similar to green beans, can be prepared in a variety of ways, often, but not always cooked.

The common Prickly Pear Cactus is interesting to look at, always troublesome to handle, but surely provides an interesting addition to hill country foods.

Taking My Parents To The Blue Bonnet Cafe

No visit to the Texas Hill Country would be complete without a stop in Marble Falls. And, no stop in Marble Falls would be complete without enjoying a meal at the Blue Bonnet Cafe. Since 1929, the Blue Bonnet Cafe has been serving both locals and tourists with great food and service.

Since my parents are visiting this week, we decided to drive them over to Marble Falls and treat them to a Blue Bonnet lunch. As it turned out, we did drive them over today, but they ended up treating us to the lunch.

In my mind, there are several reasons why the Blue Bonnet has been around so long and why it has received all the well-deserved notoriety.

First, the wide variety of food means that there is always something for everyone, it’s all delicious, and the portions shall we say, are extremely generous. The Blue Bonnet has eggs, omelettes, plate size hot cakes, grits, hash browns, sausage, salads, hamburgers, sandwiches, steaks, chicken and chicken livers, catfish, Mexican food, pot roast, ribs, a whole bunch of excellent side dishes, and homemade hot rolls and cornbread. The cafe is also famous for its huge pies which you can purchase by the slice, the whole pie, or both. They even have a “Pie Happy Hour.” If you're a pie lover, you have to love a place like that.

Next, the owners and employees are extremely friendly, courteous, and provide quick service even when the place is crowded, and it nearly always is.

Finally, the atmosphere you find is what you would expect from a traditional cafe. It’s unpretentious, and the diners and employees alike are always enjoying themselves. Despite its success, it has not ruined the charm that made it what it is. It’s always fun to go there.

We arrived at the beginning of the noon hour, and despite the number of cars in the parking lot, we were immediately seated at a booth. Making a food choice with all the available selections is always a daunting task, even though I must admit, I only go through the motions of being interested in something other than my usual order; eight ounces of chicken fried steak. Each dinner comes with three sides, and I took pinto beans, green beans, and something new today, macaroni and cheese vegetable soup. My Dad also decided on the chicken fried steak, my Mom ordered a hamburger, and my wife got a sirloin steak.

Despite his usual comment that he ate too much, after we finished lunch, my Dad ordered a whole lemon meringue pie to go. My Mom had asked him if he wanted a slice of pie, and he said, “No, I want the whole pie.” Apparently, the pie cabinet near the entrance had not gone unnoticed by his keen eye as we walked in. I don’t know what he’ll be having for dinner tonight, but I am absolutely certain I know what his dessert will be.

Kolaches

You can’t talk about the history, culture, food, and music of the Texas Hill Country without mentioning the waves of German and Czech settlers during the 19th century. Those early settlers left a legacy which still reverberates throughout the hill country today.

One of the legacies which I appreciate is the food. Before moving to Texas, I had never heard of Kolaches. Now, I can’t believe I haven’t been enjoying them my entire life.

The Kolache is a Czech food, and the traditional Kolache is cooked bread-dough filled with various sweet fruits, poppy seeds, or cheese. Americans, being who we are, have expanded beyond the "traditional" fillings to include all kinds of things. And that’s a good thing, because I’m not really wild about sweet foods, although, I do like cheese.

In Texas, Kolaches seem particularly popular for breakfast. I don’t know why that is. The Kolache choices are seemingly endless. I’m going to disregard writing about the “sweet” Kolaches. Sorry, but if you want to find out more about the sweet Kolaches, you’ll have to come to Texas. The same is true with respect to eggs. I’ve just never appreciated the egg in any way, shape, or form, including, inside a Kolache.

My kind of Kolache is filled with meats, cheeses, and potatoes. Bacon, sausage, Polish sausage, meatball, chicken, pepperoni, cheddar cheese, and cream cheese; these are the fillings which excite me. Being a non-traditionalist in more ways than one today, I decided to have two non-sweet Kolaches at a time other than breakfast. My lunch choice today was a warm Philly Cheese Steak Kolache and a hot Sausage Gravy Kolache.

At this point, after eating my two Kolaches, I don’t know what more to say, except maybe to thank the early Czech settlers for their delicious contribution to the hill country.

Getting To The North Shore Of Lake Travis Has Never Been Easier

The north shore of Lake Travis has always gotten a bad rap it seems. For years some people have complained about the time it takes to get to the north shore of the lake from Austin. This explains, in part, why there is more residential and commercial development on the south shore in places like Lakeway.

With the relatively recent opening of the 183A Toll Road, the straightening of RM 1431’s dangerous curves between Cedar Park and Jonestown, and the resurfacing of all four 1431 lanes through Lago Vista, some of the old complaints should begin to subside. Hopefully, this is good news to the communities on the north shore like Jonestown, Lago Vista, and Point Venture.

There is a lot to offer on the north shore in the way of lifestyle, recreation, and potential new development. Once the economy gets a little better, this is an area sure to experience a boom.

New homes in the village of Point Venture, across the lake from Lakeway, are always under construction it seems. There are also new residential and condo developments underway as you travel up the peninsula on Lohman Ford Road toward Lago Vista’s city center. The north shore communities provide wonderful hill country and lake views, lake access, great golf, good local food and live music. The communities are also minutes away from Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, Flat Creek Estate Vineyard and Winery, and Marble Falls. Vacation lodging is plentiful in Jonestown, Lago Vista, and Point Venture all year around, whether it be for summer weekend vacationers or "winter Texans" coming down to stay during the cold months up north.

Now that the road access to the north shore has improved greatly, there is no reason not to give the area a closer look.

Chocolate Covered Bacon And Internet Radio

It’s been raining on and off for three days now, and it has certainly cooled things off. The last several days the temperatures have been in the 60’s. With cool snaps like this, it is easy to identify the native Texans from transplants from the north. I’m a transplant. I was in shorts and a t-shirt today. The native Texans were bundled up in jackets and long pants. Back into the 90’s by the weekend though. Everyone will be back to dressing like me.

Given the wet cooler day, I decided to drive into Austin and run a few errands.

First stop, the Big Top Candy Shop on South Congress Avenue. I have a friend in Ohio; let’s just refer to him by his initials, CB, who for some reason is enamored with bacon. He is not alone. They are out there in force you know, at least based on the number of bacon-related websites. These sites demonstrate all the things you can do with bacon before eating it. Some things are creative, some things look pretty good, and other things are just plain disgusting.

Anyway, I learned that the Big Top Candy Shop sold chocolate covered bacon. I told CB about it, and promised that I would head down to the Big Top and try it out someday. Today was the day.

It’s a neat place, the kind of place you remember from your childhood if you have any years on you. Located in an old building, every kind of candy you can imagine is present, including things, which, at least I have not seen for years. When, for example, was the last time you saw (now, politically incorrect) bubble gum/candy cigarettes?

After standing behind a man who bought over $300.00 worth of individual pieces of candy (I’m not kidding), I plunked down 3 bucks and change for a single piece of chocolate covered bacon and left. It was actually better than I expected. The chocolate mixed well with the salty bacon. It’s not something I want to eat every day, but, it was worth the trip. It was darn good CB. Come to think of it, your initials just might stand for Chocolate Bacon.

Speaking of friends in Ohio, the old Oxford, Ohio radio station, WOXR, 97.7 FM, which later evolved into WOXY (97X), and eventually into the internet-only, WOXY.com, has just relocated to Austin. It is also located on South Congress Avenue, so after my stop at the Big Top Candy Shop, I checked out the new digs. Undeniably, the music scene here in the "Live Music Capital of the World” is better than that of southwestern Ohio. I wish the station well. As Dustin Hoffman said in the movie, Rain Man, “97X – Bam – The Future of Rock and Roll.”

Texas Hill Country Comfort Food

We all have tough days, and on difficult days when I lived in the Midwest, I could always count on getting my mind back in the game by dropping by the nearest Frisch’s ® restaurant for the Super Big Boy ® Platter. The platter meant devouring an extra large double-decker cheeseburger with the choice of any two sides. And hey, if you need “comfort,” there is nothing wrong with making both sides macaroni and cheese.

When I moved to Texas, I faced a problem. There are no Frisch’s, and I did not discover anything that approximates the platter. I needed to find a replacement, a Texas replacement.

Finding great food is not hard in the Texas Hill Country. You’ve got barbecue beef brisket, chicken, sausage, catfish, kolaches and all kinds of Tex-Mex, to name just a few. But, great food is one thing, comfort food is another.

It wasn’t long before I found what I was looking for. As it turns out, my new comfort food is a staple in hill country: chicken fried steak. A round steak hammered paper thin, coated in seasoned batter and fried, then covered in white gravy. Normally offered in two portions, 4 ounce or 8 ounce, it’s found nearly everywhere, and it always fills the bill. If you’re not in the mood for beef, chicken fried chicken is a great substitute.

And what sides will go with that? Why, two sides of macaroni and cheese, of course. It works every time.